#terror alert alarm

[signoferoda]

BRAVING THE SHADOW- HS

Summary- Harry’s son has night terrors and is in need of a child’s psychiatrist

The nightmares wouldn’t stop. They were on a constant repeat, night after night, plaguing Indis mind. Clowns with jagged teeth and glowing eyes chased him through darkened forests, their menacing laughs echoing in his ears. The ground beneath his feet felt like quicksand, threatening to swallow him whole with each step he took. He could run as fast as he could, but they still caught up to him.

In his dreams, the six year old was always alone. He would call out for his parents or his older brothers, but his voice would get lost in the void, unheard and unanswered. Fear gripped his heart, leaving him helpless in the face of his nightmares. The terror was so palpable that even when he woke, he could still feel his heart racing as if he actually had ran.

Every night was the same, the patterns repeating themselves, leaving Indi exhausted and afraid to close his eyes. He would lie in bed, wide awake, dreading the moment when sleep would claim him once more and plunge him into the depths of his subconscious fears. He tried to stay awake, to fight against the pull of sleep, but eventually, exhaustion would overcome him, and he would drift into fitful slumber.

From early on, Indi had decided that there was no escape from the horrors that awaited him in the darkness of his mind. It was as if his own mind had become a prison, trapping him in a never-ending cycle of fear and despair where each nightmare would take on new forms and shapes, each more terrifying than the last.

During a particularly scary night, Indi's night terrors worsened, tightening their hold on him with each passing moment. He jolted awake with a terrified cry, tears running down his face, frightened to spend another moment alone in his bedroom, the nightlight Harry put up his room doing nothing to help him.

Softly, Indi padded down the hallway, his small feet barely making a sound on the cold floor, his heart still pounding in his chest. He tried his best to be quiet, not wanting to disturb his older brothers who slept peacefully in their respective rooms. Once he reached the doorway of his parents' room, he paused, gathering his courage before gently pushing the wooden door open.

Inside, Harry and Y/N slept soundly, the only light in their room being the bright red numbers of their alarm clock. Indi approached the king sized bed, his bottom lip trembling as he hesitated for a moment before climbing in beside them. He tried his best to be quiet, not wanting to disturb his pregnant mother, whose rest was precious and very much needed. Indi was a worrier but also a nurturing soul. He knew y/n was having trouble getting enough sleep, the pregnancy being particularly hard on her.

Harry stirred awake, blinking away sleep as he felt the bed shift. His heart melted at the sight of his son, his tear-streaked face seeking comfort with him.

"Indi, buddy, what's wrong?" Harry whispered, his voice a comforting murmur in the stillness of the night.

Indi sniffled softly, trying to stifle his sobs as he climbed over Harry to nestle himself between his parents, seeking solace in the warmth of their embrace.

Y/N, stirred next, her maternal instincts instantly on high alert. She turned to see Indi nestled between her and Harry, his small form trembling with fear.

"What's the matter, lovebug?" she whispered, reaching out to stroke his hair gently. Although the other boys had their dads hair, Indi was all y/n. It made her smile as he seeked her comfort.

"I had a bad dream," Indi whispered, his voice barely audible.

Y/N wrapped her arms around Indi, pulling him close to her swollen belly so that he could feel the steady rhythm of the baby's movements beneath his touch, a comforting presence in the darkness of the night.

"It's okay, bug. You're safe now," she murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "We're here."

Harry squeezed Indi's small hand reassuringly, his heart aching at the thought of his son experiencing such fear. "We won't let anything happen to you, Indi. We promise."

With each soothing touch and whispered reassurance, the grip of fear began to loosen its hold on Indi's heart. He knew he would always find comfort in his parents arms so he let go, willing to fight his demons as he drifted off to sleep again. He made a silent vow to himself to be brave, not just for his sake, but for the sake of his soon-to-arrive baby sister. He knew he had to be big and strong for her.

A few days later, Harry and Y/N noticed that Indi's anxiety seemed to linger, dimming his usual playful spirit. Concerned for their son's well-being, they decided to seek professional help and make an appointment with a child psychiatrist.

As the morning of the appointment arrived, Harry and Y/N took on the delicate task of preparing Indi for his visit to the doctor. With tender hands and comforting words, they gently guided him through the morning routine, knowing the significance of the day ahead. Seated around the breakfast table, a hushed atmosphere enveloped the room, punctuated only by the clink of utensils. In a silent glance, Harry and Y/N affirmed their unwavering dedication to stand by Indi through his healing journey.

“Boys, why don’t you two go grab your school stuff whilst we talk to your brother” y/n began, smiling as Theo and Blake nodded and headed off to their rooms to grab their school bags. She nodded at Harry.

"Hey buddy," Harry began, his voice gentle, "Today we're going to visit a special doctor who knows a lot about helping kids feel better when they're feeling worried or scared."

Y/N reached out, placing a comforting hand on Indi's smaller hand. "It's perfectly normal to feel a little nervous, but we want you to know that we're right here beside you, okay? You're not alone in this."

Indi looked up at them, his eyes wide with uncertainty. "But what if the doctor doesn't understand?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Harry smiled reassuringly. "That's why we're going with you, champ. We'll all talk together, and the doctor will listen carefully to everything you have to say. She’s here to help, just like we are."

Y/N nodded in agreement. "And remember, lovebug, it's okay to share how you're feeling. This doctor is really good at figuring out how to make things better, but she need to know what's going on first."

Indi hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, a small glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. "Okay," he said softly, "I'll try."

Harry squeezed Indi's hand, his heart swelling with pride. "That's my brave boy," he said, his voice filled with warmth. "We'll get through this together, I promise."

As they entered the psychiatrist's office, Indi clung to his parents' hands, his anxiety heavy in the air. The waiting room was filled with colourful toys and books, but Indi seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts to pay them any attention.

Harry and Y/N sat beside him, offering quiet words of encouragement and support.

"Indi, lovie, it's going to be okay," Y/N whispered, her hand resting gently on his knee.

Harry squeezed Indi's shoulder reassuringly. "You're doing great, little man. We're all here for you."

Indi nodded, his eyes stayed fixated on the door across the room. Every creak of the floorboards made his heart race, anticipation and anxiety warring within him.

Finally, the door opened, and a warm smile greeted them. "Indi?" Dr. Fox called, her voice soft and inviting.

Indi took a deep breath and rose to his feet, his parents following close behind. He stepped into the office, his heart pounding in his chest as he settled into the chair opposite Dr. Fox’s desk, his feet swinging.

"Hello, Indi," Dr. Fox said warmly. "It's nice to meet you. How are you feeling today?"

Indi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Okay, I guess," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"Can you tell me a little bit about what's been bothering you lately?" Dr Fox asked.

Indi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I keep having bad dreams," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Clowns and stuff."

Dr. Fox nodded understandingly. "It sounds like those dreams have been really scary for you. Can you tell me more about them?" Indi hesitated for a moment, looking towards his dad.

“I know it can be scary opening up. But remember that this is a safe space, Dr fox wants to help you buddy.” Harry spoke softly, ruffling his hair.

Dr. Fox nodded “you can take your time”

Indi nodded for a moment before slowly opening up about his nightmares. He described the monsters and clowns that haunted his sleep, the fear that gripped his heart, and the sense of helplessness that lingered long after he woke.Harry and Y/N listened intently, their hearts breaking at the thought of their son struggling with such overwhelming emotions.

As Indi spoke, Dr. Fox listened attentively, offering words of reassurance and validation. She asked gentle questions, guiding him through his emotions and helping him to make sense of his experiences.

"You're a very brave boy for sharing your feelings with us, Indi," Dr. Fox said, her voice filled with warmth and admiration. "It takes a lot of courage to talk about things that scare us." Indi nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Together, they discussed coping strategies and techniques to help Indi manage his anxiety, from deep breathing exercises to creating a calming bedtime routine.

"Sometimes, when we feel scared or anxious, our bodies forget to breathe," Dr. Fox explained. "Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your mind and relax your body."

Indi nodded, his curiosity piqued. "Like this?" he asked, mimicking the slow inhales and exhales Dr. Fox demonstrated.

"That's perfect, Indi," Dr. Fox said with a smile. "You can practice this whenever you start to feel scared or overwhelmed. Your daddy and mummy can help” the couple nodded, reassuring Indi that they would help in any way they can.

They also talked about creating a bedtime routine that would help Indi feel safe and relaxed before going to sleep.

"Having a consistent routine can signal to your brain that it's time to wind down and relax," Dr. Fox explained. "You could try things like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or listening to calming music."

Indi nodded eagerly, already thinking about which of his dads songs he’d listen to before bed. “Daddy, I want to listen to Fine Line tonight” he exclaimed to his dad, excited to try these thing that would hopefully stop his night terrors.

“I’ll play it for yah, don’t worry bud” Harry smiled. With each new strategy, Harry could see that Indi felt a little more empowered, a little more capable of facing his fears.

By the end of the appointment, Indi seemed a little lighter, a small spark of hope flickering in his eyes. Dr. Fox commended him for his courage in sharing his feelings and reminded him that he was not alone in his struggles.

Leaving the psychiatrist's office, Harry, Y/N, and Indi strolled hand in hand, their worries lightened by the promise of professional guidance.

"Thank you for being so brave today, Indi," Y/N said, squeezing her son's hand affectionately."We're going to get through this together."

#dad!harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #dad!harry #harry styles fic #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n

[girlwithwolftatoo]

I see red (and blue) -Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader

Words: 2471

Summary: Miguel got intoxicated by a failed serum, and has created a containment breach. His doctor in charge is now his target...

Warnings: Dub? Talons, spider venom, blood, light physical violence, dirty talking, cunnilingus, P in V, rough but smooth, Miguel speaking Spanish.

The alarm systems had been activated with a delay of just five seconds, enough time for what they feared most to happen.

Emergency lighting painted the corridors red, over the siren shots rang out, and Dr. (L/N) exclaimed:

"Don't shoot, you'll make him angrier!"

But no one was there to heed her command, the gunfire continued, only to be silenced moments later... and then, there were screams, screams that lasted even less time, but were imprinted with the most intense terror. 

From her monitor, (Y/N) (L/N) couldn't see much of anything, the corridor was engulfed in smoke, sparks from a gun flew from time to time, and then, a huge talon destroyed one of the cameras. The doctor gasped.

Her superiors at Alchemax had explained it to her tersely, the serum that "Subject 0" had received was contaminated. His body had benefited from unique powers, but in turn, he had developed unmeasured violence and a murderous desire that only increased with confinement. She had tried everything to give him respite, talking to him, offering him food and small privileges, hoping that they would manage to create an antidote to his evil soon.

None of that mattered anymore. The Alchemax people warned them: if there was a containment breach, if Miguel O'Hara managed to get out of his cell... then humanity was doomed.

"Doctor!" the door creaked open, a guard staggered in with a bleeding arm. (Y/N) rushed to his aid.

"What happened outside?" she wanted to know as she helped him sit up.

"Doctor... you have to go, you have to... leave..." shivered the man. The young woman ignored him as she got hold of the first aid kit.

"Take a deep breath, I'm going to help you" she whispered as she opened the first aid kit with trembling fingers. The light flickered and, for a few seconds, they were both in semi-darkness. And, when it came back...

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!" 

The guard's scream was the only warning (Y/N) had before she fell backwards, just as something leapt from the ceiling to attack the man. A blue and red suit, torn and damaged, matched the large, muscular body of the dreaded Subject 0, whose eyes went to her once, with a swipe of his talons, the guard was silenced for good.

The eyes were filled with rage, and a grimace exposed two pairs of venomous fangs.

"Doctora..." whispered Miguel, as if in greeting. (Y/N) trembled, her chest rising and falling in time with her anxious breathing as Miguel descended from on top of the guard, moving slowly on all fours, his body stained with other people's blood.

(Y/N) threw the first aid kit at Miguel's face, to give herself a few seconds' head start. She ran down the stairs in such a hurry that she was surprised she hadn't tripped, and as she turned down the hallway she heard talons clawing at the metal and walls. O'Hara was chasing her.

She ran and slid across the floor, through the only hallway that still had working lights, at the bottom, the security door was still locked, if she could reach it - she thought after kicking off her shoes to run better - and get through it before Miguel got to her, she would be safe. 

An animal growl behind her back alerted her that her plan would fail, and then something rammed her, making her fall face first to the ground. The pain of the blow stunned her, but worse was to discover that something was crawling over her, cornering her. 

Talons grabbed her lab coat, yanking it off with a jerk. (Y/N) shrieked in shock, but as she felt Miguel's hand on her back, now protected only by her shirt, she froze.

"O... O'Hara..." she stammered, still hoping to reason with him "Please..."

"Please, doctor?" repeated Miguel with a chuckle, leaning over her "You're going to beg? Really? After all you did..."

"Y-you know that I... that I didn't... do anything... I've t-tried... to help him..."

Miguel's lips were almost next to her ear, (Y/N) could feel his breathing.

"You didn't try hard enough!"

(Y/N) screamed. Miguel's talons had cut through her shirt until they reached her back, and dug deep enough to rip open her skin and make her bleed, four wounds that started at her right shoulder and ended almost to her waist. The young doctor arched her back and her eyes filled with tears, Miguel looked like he was going to play with her before killing her.

"Stop it!" she pleaded "Please!"

Another hand grabbed her by the head, pushing her to the floor. Miguel looked at his talons, dripping fresh blood, and leaned with some curiosity over the wounds that were beginning to stain (Y/N)'s torn shirt; there were beads of sweat running down her neck, her body trembling from fear and pain, and her blood... He loved the smell of blood, it inflamed him like few things, but that mixture.... 

"No... don't kill me...!" sobbed (Y/N), one cheek pressed to the floor. 

"Be still" ordered Miguel coldly. He sniffed her neck, he could notice under the sweat the now almost extinct scent of a soft floral perfume, and the sweetish iron in her blood. Yes, why not? The poor doctor was already sentenced, he would do her no wrong if he.....

He extended his tongue and licked the longest scratch. (Y/N) hissed.

"Ouch! What the-" Unable to move her head, she tried to look away. 

A few drops of blood sufficed, a few drops of blood on the tip of his tongue, and Miguel felt something new coursing through his body to the very core. A new desire he was ready to fulfill. 

"No!" cried (Y/N) as the tips of the talons grazed her skin, but then, a tug and a tearing sound informed her that Miguel was tearing her clothes to shreds, for what purpose? Nothing good, she thought immediately, so she was reduced to standing still until, again, a tongue caressed her shoulders, not far from the wounds. It made her think the worst, as if she were at the mercy of an animal tasting its prey before it began to feed, only... she knew of no species that would spend so much time licking the flesh of its victim.

And then, she felt a shiver when Miguel licked the hollow between her neck and shoulder. He had touched a sensitive spot, and (Y/N) let out a gasp that was more of surprise at the unexpected caress. She swallowed saliva, the warm tongue still exploring her shoulders and back, and each time the sensation was more and more pleasurable.

"No" she thought, afraid of herself, her body no longer actively fighting for survival, Miguel was on top of her, collecting drops of blood and sweat with his mouth and then, sealing his lips over the doctor's bare shoulder and leaving a light playful nibble.

"What... what are you doing?" asked (Y/N). The man didn't answer, leaving a trail of kisses down her back until his talons fastened on her hip, the talons went through the fabric of her skirt and grazed her thighs, but he didn't hurt her again; Miguel was just making sure she wasn't going to get away, kneeling with her legs in between his.

"Doctor..." he purred, flushed. Her body emitted an inciting, stupefying scent, and he was the only one in that world who could smell it, and for once, he felt that his unhappy misunderstanding with Alchemax brought him something positive. His teeth dug in again, near the waistband of her skirt, and (Y/N)'s shriek of fear aroused him.

He tugged at the skirt until it was torn, which took him mere seconds, the doctor was almost naked and under his control. His eyes examined her body, fascinated and hungry in more ways than one, and he smiled amused and mischievous at the black stockings she wore, tight above her hips.

"Do you know something, doctor...?" he said to her as he pulled (Y/N) to place her thighs over his "Actually... your visits made me so happy back in the cell. You were always so cordial, so kind... You were the only one here who didn't treat me like an animal" he added with a low growl, his fingers brushing (Y/N)'s legs with a certain tenderness. "Do you know what your mistake was? To think that, after everything I went through... there wouldn't be something beastly inside me."

The nylon ripped with barely a gesture of his hands, and Miguel watched, ecstatic, as the stockings opened, like little holes, revealing the firm, voluptuous flesh underneath. (Y/N) gasped and turned her head, still frightened.

"No, no, doctora, don't make that face" he repeated, smiling "I haven't decided to kill you yet... Why would I, now that I have this delicious..." he lifted (Y/N)'s hips towards his face "...hot..." the talons tore apart what was left of the stockings, uncovering the panties beneath "...and helpless body to satisfy me?"

He didn't bother to undress her, he thought it lovely to leave some at her disposal, and instead pulled the panties down enough to give his mouth access to the vagina that was already throbbing eagerly before he began to penetrate her with his tongue. 

"Oh my God!" (Y/N) hid her face in her arms, moaning. Miguel was absorbed in his work, he slid his tongue between the lips, which received his caresses with their exquisite wetness that only ended up inflaming him, he used his knuckle to rub the clitoris and not cut her with his talon, and he even filled her ass and the hole in it with the same attentions, moved only by an instinct that dictated what he should do.

"Doctor, I sincerely hope you are under birth control" Miguel commented almost mockingly. (Y/N) tried to sit up, but there was no need, he was already turning her around, one hand on her waist and the other under her back, careful not to touch the scratches. The young woman's eyes were full of tears, but her flushed face and gasps indicated that she was enjoying it too.

"O'Hara..."

"Miguel, please."

"Miguel..." she murmured, and dared to reach out a hand to caress his cheek. It was an innocent touch, and the man found it so sweet that he chose to pounce and kiss her, all to keep the hunger his body felt from going out for mercy. (Y/N) wrapped her arms around him, riding his hardened member to rub herself against him, her moans dying between their intertwining tongues as Miguel took hold of her bra and unclasped it just to feel her lover's breasts against his chest.

"Lo siento, muñeca” he said, and before (Y/N) could ask him what was wrong, he bit her on the neck. This time it wasn't a friendly bite, and the young woman screamed in pain, two fangs sinking into her skin, Miguel held her to restrain her spasms and, a few seconds later, looked her in the eyes, a little chagrined "Easy, it was a low dose."

"Low... dose... of what...?"

Her tongue went numb, her head spun and she felt her body become like that of a rag doll, she was still conscious, but that was like sleep paralysis. Only the nightmare was... it wasn't exactly a nightmare.

"It's better this way, believe me." 

Miguel placed her face down again, grabbed her by the legs and tugged at her panties. Without much parsimony he released his cock with a gasp of relief, and brushed the tip between (Y/N)'s pussy lips before thrusting into her, inch by inch. (Y/N) couldn't move on her own, but faint moans escaped her lips as her brain processed the bodily sensations with an intensity that seemed exaggerated; her inner walls struggling to make room for O'Hara's monstrous manhood, her swollen clit begging to be touched, the talons gently clawing at her ass and thighs as Miguel, seething, rammed her rhythmically, as if with each thrust he sought to go deeper.

"Carajo... doctora..." he growled, his hands falling to (Y/N)'s sides, bending over her head. Miguel had no prejudice, he gasped and moaned shamelessly in his lover's ear and devoted her a string of obscene words mixed with affectionate phrases "Your pussy is so hot, so soft... you are so beautiful... I wanted so much to fuck you since I saw you the first time... bite your pussy and suck your tits... fuck, I'll do it, I'll do it..."

He turned her on her back and continued to penetrate her as his mouth covered her breasts with kisses, sucks and licks, focusing especially on her nipples which he squeezed between his fingers just to hear her squeal.

"Like this… just like this, preciosa, keep it up..." he growled, and went faster and faster and more erratic "Shit!" he pulled out of her with a jerk, in time to ejaculate on her stomach. But that wasn't the end, Miguel went back on the attack and satisfied her with his mouth, watching her out of the corner of his eye to make sure he was on the right track. "Mine... mine... mine... this pussy is mine... (Y/N)" he spat "Cum... cum, preciosa, don't be afraid... please..."

It was like carrying out an order, (Y/N) was slowly coming out of the trance of the venom, just enough to be able to say a few words.

"T... there... I... am... going... to... I... am... gonna...!" 

She screamed, unable to externalize her feeling in any other way, as her body was still partially paralyzed. It was like a small explosion, and the shockwave was such that her eyes filled with tears again during the seconds, which felt endless, before the orgasm finally died down. 

Miguel's face reappeared from between her thighs, snickering. She flashed him a smile, the first good smile she'd ever seen on him.

"Don't be afraid, your body will get rid of the poison in a while more..." he cradled her in his arms, pleased with himself "I didn't mean to be so abrupt, I mean before this... you really are a good doctor, (Y/N)... You know, I don't feel angry anymore, not even a little bit..."

Even though she was still in a dazed mind, (Y/N) took note of that statement. Adrenaline, she thought, adrenaline was the key to O'Hara's aggressiveness...was it possible that a high-demand physical release could help him through the crises? And if that was true, then... it turned out that she had just found a delicious cure, she concluded, and her lips drew into a small smile.

#across the spiderverse #spiderman #spiderman 2099 #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara fanfiction #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara smut

[mariacallous]

(JTA) — The Jewish French-Moroccan journalist Ruth Elkrief — who has delivered TV news in France for over 30 years — found herself at the center of the story when she was placed under police protection in December.

Elkrief received the security detail after an online attack from the far-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mélenchon charged her with hatred against Muslims after she challenged one of his colleagues during an on-air interview about the Israel-Hamas war.

“Ruth Elkrief. Manipulator. If we don’t insult Muslims, this fanatic is outraged,” Mélenchon said of the journalist, adding that she “reduces all political life to her contempt for Muslims.”

Mélenchon, leader of the far-left party La France Insoumise, known as LFI or, in English, France Unbowed, posted his comments moments after Elkrief conducted a heated interview with LFI lawmaker Manuel Bompard on her TV channel, La Chaîne Info, on Dec. 3. Elkrief asked Bompard about his party’s refusal to condemn Hamas and its characterization of the militants as “resistance fighters” after their Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. She also asked about the party leaders’ decision to describe Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide,” and whether this language might provoke civil unrest in France.

In response, Bompard referenced warnings from the United Nations that the Palestinian people were at risk of genocide without a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Elkrief in turn quoted the French historian Vincent Duclert, who has said of Gaza’s high death toll, “Even a frightening humanitarian situation is not enough to qualify as genocide.”

Elkrief, who says she “came out” as Jewish to her viewers after Oct. 7, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that she merely did her job of debating an interviewee and dismissed Mélenchon’s accusation of Islamophobia. According to Elkrief, she was challenging the positions of France’s far-left political class — not French Muslims, whom she does not believe to be well represented by LFI even though nearly 70% of them voted for the party in the 2022 national elections.

“Most French Muslims don’t support Hamas and they don’t support all these catastrophes,” she said. “They can of course fight for a Palestinian state — and I agree with that — but they are not agreeing with Hamas and terrorism.”

Nonetheless, Mélenchon’s charge prompted a wave of threats against the Jewish journalist and raised an alarm for French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Darminin said he decided to provide police protection because Mélenchon “put a target on the back of Ruth Elkrief, who already faced many threats as a journalist [and] was just doing her job.”

The government was on high alert for domestic attacks responding to the Israel-Hamas war. Mélenchon’s statement came the day after a knife-wielding man killed a German tourist and injured two others near the Eiffel Tower, telling police he was angry about the fate of Gaza and “so many Muslims dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine.”

While it’s typical for domestic attacks to increase in France during conflicts in Israel and the Palestinian territories, a recent surge in antisemitism has been especially pronounced. Darmanin reported over 1,500 antisemitic incidents in the six weeks after Oct. 7 — a three-fold increase from the total documented in all of 2022 — including desecrated Jewish graves and the stabbing of a Jewish woman in Lyon whose door was marked with a swastika.

Whether or not Mélenchon planned for an antisemitic backlash against Elkrief, his choice of language on X was loaded, according to Dorian Bell, a professor researching France’s history of race and antisemitism at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“To accuse a Jewish member of the media of ‘manipulation’ arguably draws on long-standing antisemitic tropes about Jewish control of the media,” Bell told JTA.

Mélenchon’s words landed in the middle of a polarizing fallout from the Israel-Hamas War in France, home to one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe (about 5 million) and the world’s third-largest Jewish community after Israel and the United States (about 500,000).

French authorities met the wave of antisemitic incidents with a crackdown on pro-Palestinian rallies. Darminin attempted to impose a blanket ban on demonstrations denouncing Israel’s military campaign, which he declared “likely to generate disturbances to public order.” Although the ban was overturned, local authorities can still block protests on a case-by-case basis, prompting an outcry from some French citizens who accuse the government of suppressing free expression in support of Palestinians.

France’s Jews and Muslims have both experienced a painful recent history, including institutionalized discrimination against Muslim immigrants and Islamic terrorist attacks that targeted a Jewish school in 2012 and a Jewish supermarket in 2015. The reverberations of the Israel-Hamas war in France have further shaped a perception, solidifying for decades, that the country’s antisemitism and Islamophobia can be collapsed into a Jewish-Muslim conflict.

Michel Wieviorka, a Jewish French sociologist who studies violence and terrorism, told JTA there is no evidence that antisemitic incidents are predominantly driven by French Muslims. In fact, most of the perpetrators behind the recent spike in incidents — particularly non-violent ones, such as property damage and graffiti — are unknown. Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 15, 1,518 reports of antisemitic acts resulted in 571 arrests, Darmanin announced in November.

“Nobody knows exactly who is acting,” said Wieviorka. “Many people believe that most of these acts come from people with immigrant origins, but they can also come from the extreme right. For instance, I know some cases of destroyed graves in Jewish cemeteries — these attacks usually come from the extreme right, not from Muslims or Arabs.”

For Elkrief, Oct. 7 marked a turning point both personally and professionally. The 63-year-old journalist was born in Meknes, Morocco, and moved to France with her family when she was a teenager. (A remaining synagogue in Meknes bears her family name.) She started her long career at the French desk of the Associated Press in 1984. She spent 14 years at TF1, the oldest TV channel in France, helped found two news channels — LCI in 1993 and BFM TV in 2005 — and has hosted an LCI show about French politics since 2021.

She is also the great-niece of Chalom Messas, who was Morocco’s chief rabbi in the 1960s and 1970s until immigrating to Israel in 1978, when he became the chief Sephardic rabbi of Jerusalem. Elkrief is part of France’s small Liberal Jewish community and maintains Jewish traditions, keeping kosher at home and gathering the family for Shabbat evenings — including her two daughters and a newborn granddaughter. (Liberal Judaism in France is most similar to Reform Judaism in the United States.)

In all her years on air, Elkrief never spoke about her Jewish identity on TV before Oct. 7. She felt obliged to keep a “poker face” about her private life until the Hamas attacks, when she was moved to share more — fueled by her fear of rising antisemitism and enabled by her recent position as a commentator.

“I could explain where I was coming from and how much I was anxious about antisemitism in France after the 7th of October,” said Elkrief. “I called it my ‘coming out.’ I’ve since had some opportunities to speak about the conflict as a French editorialist, but also as a French Jew, for the first time in my life.”

On Oct. 9, Elkrief told her viewers that she was born in Morocco and lived there until early 1974, when she was 13. Her parents, both descended from generations of Moroccan Jews, feared regional tensions in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel fended off attacks from Arab countries. They went to France because they believed their children would have a safer life there.

“When I came at that time, I couldn’t imagine that there would be antisemitism in France,” Elkrief told JTA.

Worried about antisemitism gaining currency in French politics, Elkrief has criticized far-left factions heavily on her show. In addition to her dispute with Bompard, she blasted LFI for boycotting a march against antisemitism in November.

France’s traditional left, which encompasses socialist and communist parties, has nearly collapsed and left the more radical, controversy-dogged LFI in power, said Wieviorka. Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally — including anti-immigration leader Marine Le Pen, whose father and predecessor is a convicted Holocaust revisionist — has escaped the same censure for antisemitism during Israel’s war on Gaza, largely by proclaiming support for Israel.

“My idea is that they hate Arabs, Islam and migrants so much that they consider they have to be fighting on the other side,” said Wieviorka.

Bell cautioned against focusing exclusively on what is often described as the “new antisemitism” on the far left. The “old antisemitism” on the far-right never went away, he argued, but has only been masked by pro-Israel sentiment. Indeed, Bell said that historically antisemitic tropes — particularly those depicting an invasion of Jews too different or unassimilable to become truly French — have merely been recycled by the far-right to stigmatize Muslim immigrants.

And even if this narrative now primarily targets Muslims, Jews are not free from the conspiratorial discourse, said Bell. He pointed out that while members of the National Rally may not explicitly attack Jews, they sometimes use euphemisms for Jewish “elites” whom they blame for engineering mass migration, in a French version of the “great replacement” theory that has fueled violence around the world.

“When Marine Le Pen talks about ‘cosmopolitan nomads’ who are encouraging migration and destroying European nations, she has a tendency to mention Jewish French political figures — Jacques Attali, Daniel Cohn-Bendit,” said Bell. “I don’t think that’s an accident.”

Elkrief and Mélenchon have one thing in common: They are both among the estimated 836,000 Moroccan immigrants in France. (Mélenchon, 72, was born in Tangier and lived there until he was 12.) Elkrief said she is a strong believer in the “Republic,” which in France denotes an idea that there are only equal individuals in the public sphere, no minorities or ethnic groups. The country’s principle of “laïcité,” loosely and imprecisely translated as “secularism,” enshrines in French law the state’s neutrality between religions and confines religious symbols and practices to the private sphere — a pillar that Elkrief believes can protect France from discrimination against both Jews and Muslims.

“I don’t want to be defined by my religion, and I don’t want other French people to be defined by their religion,” said Elkrief. “I believe in the French Republic staying a space of debate, where religion is a private question.”

[elexuscal]

[redacted]

Un-Redacted

As Dr. Ayda Mensah discussed various colony evacuation options, a small removed part of her considers the command deck of The Perihelion. It possessed plush, comfortable chairs, a pleasing blue and white colour scheme, easily readable displays, and multiple clear exits. All told, on her internal ranking of Places To Be Making Life Or Death Decisions, it warranted a solid third place. (An even more removed part of her gave a wry laugh at her possession of such a list.)

"We were prepared to house a significant portion of the colonist population aboard, at least in an interim capacity," crew-member Iris was saying. "Obviously, though, the contamination situation means that isn't viable, so we'll--"

SecUnit stood up.

Ayda caught the movement out of the corner of her eyes. Honed instinct whipped her head around. SecUnit was tensed, its expression startled, alarmed.

Scared.

Blood rushing, Ayda's white-knuckled hands gripped the edge of her chair. "SecUnit, what's wrong?"

By the time she'd finished saying the words-- almost faster than she can see, faster than she could blink-- it was already at the other side of the room.

All conversation had stopped. The Perihelion had looked up from their paperwork, and even Pin-Lee had dredged herself from the legal documentation, the group collectively trying not to stare and not quite succeeding. Other people began repeating the same questions, asking if there was some danger, but Ayda could barely hear it, could barely feel her own body.

What now. What could possible have gone wrong now?

[SecUnit?] she asked.

It didn't respond.

Its expression had evolved past alert, past panic, to something wild. Its eyes were roving around the room, as if tracking something she couldn't see. Its drones were doing the same-- or were trying to. One fell out of the air, then a second, clunk, clunk. And still it wouldn't respond.

"What? What's going on?" And Amena's voice over the calm cut through the noise like no one else's could. "Has something happened?"

"Unclear." Remarkable, how steady her voice is. "SecUnit's responding to something, but we can't tell what."

Captain Seth prompted, "Any insights, Perihelion?"

[Our situation remains stable,] the ship's AI intoned. [SecUnit is sending warning alerts in the feed, but they appear distorted and irrelevant to the situation at hand. Further communication attempts are not being received.]

"Why not!?"

Despite the abject terror on SecUnit's face, it wasn't trembling. It never trembled.

[Unclear,] Perihelion echoed.

At some point in the exchange, Ayda had gotten to her feet. But of all of them, the crew-member Matteo had been sitting closest to where SecUnit now stood, and they were the one to reach it first. "Hey there buddy," they said, voice and gestures placating. "Can you hear me--"

A blur, a woosh.

When the scene resolved itself, Three had SecUnit pressed against the wall, holding itself between Matteo and the other SecUnit.

Her mind reeled, trying to piece together what had happened, but it was all too fast. Had SecUnit done something threatening, or had Three simply assumed--?

Now SecUnit was pressed into the kind of hold that would threaten a choke a human, but it wasn't fighting back. Not really. Ayda knew what that would look like, knew its speed and brutality, and this wasn't it. Instead SecUnit was flailing, kicking ineffectually, or trying to, letting out a sound terribly close to a whine--

"Three," Ayda barked. "Let it go."

Voice muffled slightly, Three began, "It is not advisable--"

"GET AWAY!" SecUnit shouted, "GET OFF, GET OFF, GET OFF--"

Perihelion ordered, [Let. It. Go.]

Three let SecUnit go.

"SecUnit!" Ayda said, rushing towards it, but stopping herself before she got too close into its personal face.

It had fallen to the ground when Three had dropped it, and now was clambering unsteadily to its feet. Ayda had seen it more graceful after literally being pummelled by reprogrammed assassins. "Coldstone," she said, and this time something got through, because its gaze steadied on her.

"Dr. Mensah?'

"Yes, yes, I'm here."

"You can't--" it began, and then jerked backwards, towards the door. "You need to-- we need to--"

"We need to what?"

And it bolted.

It would have hit the door head on, if it hadn't slid open at the last minute.

Ayda stared after her friend. Then she moved.

[Dr. Mensah.] Perihelion's voice in her head was cool and collected as she ran down its cooridors. [SecUnit is undergoing a major systems failure of unknown cause. A full reboot is recommended. Do I have permission to proceed?]

Permission?

Right. Yes. Because she was SecUnit's guardian, its owner, and therefore, the closest thing it had to a medical proxy.

[That will help?]

[There is a >93% chance.]

[Permission granted.]

SecUnit slowed, then stopped. A soft chime. Then it went limp. It slumped onto the floor. SecUnit Three, who of course had rushed ahead of her, caught it as it slumped to the floor.

Ayda cringed as she came to a stop, forcing herself not to reach out and take her friend from Three's arms.

The others were hot on her trail. "What the fuck--" exclaimed one of the crewmen, Ayda couldn't remember who just then-- "Was that?"

<Unknown,> Perihelion said.

But Ayda knew. Or thought she knew.

She had recognised that terror, that disorientation. Recognised it from the mirror, from the stories her partners told, of waking up screaming in the night, from the too-many times she had cried herself ragged. The way SecUnit hadn't responded to them, how it had seemingly reacted to things which weren't there.

That had been a flashback.

#murderbot diaries #system collapse #murderbot spoilers #redacted

[mezzy-1]

Radiant Recruitment (Valorant X Reader Part 3 // MISSION)

Name: Y/N 

Class: Radiant

Callsign - Nomad

A few weeks had passed since you had been recruited by Valorant to help with the interdimensional attacks.  Your power over radiant energy was stronger, and you had even mastered shifting into energy.  An alert went out to all the agents and you were sent on your first mission.

(GIF from Infamous: Second Son)

Omen

Lotus was a beautiful temple, devoted to ancient beings and immersed in their mystery

Sadly, you couldn’t take time to marvel at the stone carvings, as you were pinned by a barrage of lead

The shots grew closer and louder, each one destroying more of the stone wall you hid behind

You were stuck in the hall to Site C, and backing further towards the waterfall embedded in the wall

Pure shadows formed into a large orb between you and the shooter.  As the orb encircled you, a shape twisted out of the space behind you

“You cannot be alone Y/N, it is too dangerous.”  Omen scolded while pulling an Operator from his back

“I have you as backup, I’ll be fine.” you reassured, placing a hand on Omen’s hood to readjust it

“Take this,” he placed a Sheriff in your hand, “we will not let them win.”

Taking advantage of your cover, you slid into the shadow and waited.  The barrel of an Ares poked in and an agent stepped through

Grabbing the gun quickly, you disarmed the agent as they tried to fire the gun in response.  You pulled them into the smoke and shot twice

Breach’s double slumped to the ground with a heavy crash, the Ares still in your hands.  You decided to take it as to even the odds

“That was, impressive Y/N.”  If Omen could still smile, you guessed one would be spread across his face

Making your way through the temple, you and Omen moved stealthily while getting closer to the Spike

Walking into the amphitheater in B Site, you checked for any sign of movement before stepping inside

Immediately an Alarm Bot exploded towards you, and Omen quickly threw himself in front to take the hit.  He stumbled back while an automated turret blinked to life

“I did not see them Y/N, they were waiting in ambush.”  

“I’ll handle their toys Omen, just wait here.” you whispered before activating your abilities

You dashed in and tossed a pulsing ball of energy into the air

Solid energy slammed down onto the turret, pulsing into it and expanding outward.  Pieces of scrap littered the room 

Before you could take another step, a Nanoswarm erupted at your feet and you hopped back.  Knowing that Killjoy was likely biding her time, you decided to call in help

“Omen!  Teleport across here and start firing!  Trust me!” you yelled to the phantasmal agent

Smoke began to form on the raised platform in B Site as you charged through the swarm.  Spotting Killjoy training her gun at Omen’s teleport, you shot before she could

Omen reformed as Killjoy fell, looking on in silence.  He nodded to you before continuing forward

“Y/N, you are injured from the trap.  Are you in any pain?” he pointed to the scratches and scoring along your legs

“I'll be fine, but I appreciate you asking.”

Arriving near A Site, you made your way to the stairs and put a hand onto the wall.  Omen watched and curiously approached

“This wall leads directly into where they have the Spike, but they’ll see me if I come through.”  You looked over to Omen.  “Mind putting shadows behind this wall?”

“I’ll do one better Y/N,” Omen sent a wisp of shade through the wall and another towards the entrance to A

“They will flee in terror when we strike Y/N.” Omen’s rage was barely restrained.  You phased into the wall and fell through into a waiting cradle of darkness

Omen’s Operator let a round spiral through the air.  The sound signaled you to leap from the shadows

You crawled out from the clinging darkness and readied your Ares.  Bracing for the knockback, you steadied your legs and pulled the trigger

A torrent of bullets screamed from the barrel.  Each round cracked brick, scattered stone, and crashed into the temple

Caught between the onslaught was Yoru, who reacted quickly and teleported away.  You heard him appear somewhere close to the site and waited

Yoru walked out from a corner and began sprinting towards you

Realizing it was a clone, you shot it’s head then moved back into the darkness Omen provided and repositioned

Yoru had swung the corner in an attempt to counterattack but met his end through your Sheriff

The Spike was located at the ascender.  Running towards it with a defuser ready, you came face to face with, yourself

Your mirror jumped from the ascender, kicking you down and causing you to fall onto the gravel.  A Shorty was pointed in your face by a smirking double

“You really are quite the disappointment.  Seeing you like this, it’s kind of sad that I thought we might be similar.”

Your mirror kicked you in your chest and sent you away from the Spike.  They readied a shell in their Shorty

“This is pathetic to see.  I’d feel bad for you, but I doubt it would make a difference.  I’m going to enjoy ending your poor little existence.”

As your mirror gloated, your eyes caught movement appearing behind them.  Pebbles began to shift as your mirror’s shadow grew longer

“I was hoping for more of a fight.  Any last words?” your clone taunted

“Behind you.” Omen whispered as he finished forming behind them

Spirals of darkness tore through the air and twisted into your double.  Omen’s Paranoia blinded them while you rose to your feet and shot the mirror

“Thanks for the save Omen, I wouldn’t be here without you.” you smiled at him as you finished defusing the Spike

“I was only doing my part Y/N.  But I do appreciate your gratitude.”

“Oh I haven’t finished thanking you yet Omen.  I can do better than just a simple ‘thanks’ you know.”

Omen turned his head towards you in confusion

“You and I are going to take a day off.  We should go somewhere and rest up.”

“But my condition-”

“That’s why you should pick!  Where do you want to go Omen?”

“... I would like to visit the forests near here.  It is innocuous and beautiful, and we can spend time together Y/N.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea!” you replied

Chamber

Fracture may have been abandoned, but it was never forgotten

Chamber was visibly uncomfortable as you and him entered the ruins and began your sweep

“Is there something wrong?” you asked, checking over your Vandal one more time before looking over to Chamber

“Non, it’s nothing.  I find myself distracted by other affairs, but I have plenty to concentrate on here.”

You playfully batted him in the arm and stepped forward into the moss covered ruins of Fracture

Before you could take the stairs upwards, a bullet missed your forehead by a single hair.  Over at the site, you heard the sound of footsteps and Spike being planted

You and Chamber reflexively took cover behind a wall.  You began to gather radiant power in your hands.  Chamber unholstered a Headhunter

The sound of Chamber’s Trademark came from behind, and he swung around and landed a shot right into an enemy Reyna

She had been lurking in the underside of the Spike site, and could have killed you 

“For that I think you owe me a date Y/N.!” he took aim at the stairs while you began to run towards the site

Breach’s double lept out to open fire but was promptly shot by Chamber.  You were almost up the stairs but wall of jade erupted, blocking your path

A grenade flew over the wall and burst open, explosive shells showering you momentarily

Chamber grabbed you and rolled, keeping you from harm

“We don’t have much time, we have to rotate Y/N.”  Chamber dusted himself off while helping you up, taking a Rendezvous card from his pocket

“No, I can phase through the wall and defuse it.”

“Y/N, there’s at least 3 agents over there.  C’est impossible!”  Chamber warned as you embraced him for the last time

He grabbed both of your hands, and you could feel the metal card contrast against his warm palms

Raze bounced over the wall and Chamber twisted and shot her mid air.  You took your moment and transformed into pure energy

Dashing through the wall, you slammed the ground and a wave of force sent the enemy Sage upwards

You shot her before moving to the Spike, which had been hidden behind a crate

“I always wondered what my mirror would look like.” a voice came from behind you, and instantly you were on the ground with a bullet wound

Turning around, you came face to face with yourself.  It was uncanny and the Phantom being pointed at you made it even more frightening

“I know mirror implies an exact copy, but I thought you’d at least be a little different.  Oh well…” your clone mused

You felt around for your Vandal, but your double kicked it away.  You reached for a side arm but felt nothing, save for Chamber’s card

“Don’t squirm, I don’t want to waste any shots on you.” your mirror spoke

“My, two of Y/N.  I must be the luckiest man in the world.”  Chamber joked as he teleported in, Tour de Force ready

Earlier as Chamber held your hand, you had taken the card.  It had been activated when your double had been gloating 

“NO!” your mirror screamed as Chamber’s gun punched a hole through their sternum.  You quickly defused the Spike and rested once it stopped

“Y/N, that’s 3 times I saved you.  I think that earns me something, no?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Dinner, and don’t worry I know an excellent place in Paris.  My treat of course.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Iso

Most missions with Iso were easy, mainly because you and him worked so well together

This one was an exception, as the Omega Protocol had decided to launch a Spike attack in a metro station

You and Iso were the only ones that snuck in.  You had used the abandoned tunnels to get in and start your counterattack

“Baochi zhending Y/N, we can’t afford distractions.” Iso loaded bullets into a Sheriff and you followed suit

“But you’re going to listen to music like usual?” you pointed at his earbuds

“It isn’t distracting, it gets me to focus.  I can send you some recommendations when we’re done.” Iso began strolling towards the platform

When you both reached the stairwell, Iso activated Double Tap while motioning for you to make your own move

Particles of radiant power erupted under the stairs and flowed outward near the top.  Suddenly a rival Phoenix sent a flash around the corner, blinding you

Two shots echoed, and as your eyes cleared Iso stood before you covered in a shimmering coat of radianite

“Let’s take care of them.  I’ll take the lead from here.” he raised his Sheriff and made his way up the stairs

Entering the platform, you could hear the Spike counting down farther in the hall.  Carefully, you navigated kiosks and stalls searching for movement

A single shadow moved behind you, and you turned to face an Omen appearing.  You rolled and shot, a direct hit to center mass

Iso’s training had paid off, you’d have to thank him for the lessons later

A sniper bullet harmlessly bounced off his head, a purple flash showing the Double Tap had worn off

Blazing forward, you came face to face with Sova.  He tried to shoot once more but you grabbed his Operator and punched him with a radiant fist

“Y/N, I can see they have the Spike here.  It’s down on that platform.” Iso pointed to a flight of stairs leading down to the tunnels

“I can enter and defuse, but you’re going to have to cover me Iso.”

“Don’t worry,” Iso readied a wall of radianite, “they won’t touch either of us.” 

The wall launched forwards with you behind, and bullets rattled against it.  Each shot leaving ripples in the structure

You darted left, then shot at the first person you saw.  An enemy Yoru fell while you shifted into radiant energy

Springing from your hiding spot, you phased through an enemy Deadlock’s wires towards their source

You sank your fist into her chin before moving onto the Spike.  Your form shifted back and you readied the defuser

“So this is my mirror, strange.” a voice came from the shadows

Your own double stepped out from a pillar and took aim with their own Sheriff.  In their eyes was an unnerving coldness

“Well it’s not worth considering anyway.” they spoke as they began to pull the trigger

Instantly your mirror was surrounded by a grid of hexagons and was pulled into the floor.  Iso had used Kill Contract on your double

You finished defusing the Spike but soon after, violet sparks appeared in front of you and someone exited the domain

“Na hen jianden.  I guess that version of you didn’t train enough.”  Iso straightened out his hoodie 

“I suppose so.  Speaking of that, are we still on for training later?”

Iso looked over at with a raised eyebrow 

“You want to actually train, after all of this?  I’m amazed that you still have energy for that.”

“I don’t really mind training at the range.  It’s like you said, there's something relaxing about taking time and aiming.”

“True, but I am going to be making a hotpot for dinner later and I’d like you to come by and taste it.”

“In that case we should probably skip going to the range, I can rest up over dinner with you then.”

“We’ll hit the range afterwards, but for now we should rest up.  You did excellent work Y/N, that deserves something.”

Gekko

“Vaya Y/N, up here!”  Gekko alerted you while reaching a hand from an industrial vent.  He gripped your hand and pulled you in

The Kingdom facility in LA was already destroyed but a few more had popped up nearby.  Gekko and you were sent in to see what was happening

“Mira Y/N, there’s guards laying everywhere.  We should take a look.”  Gekko peered through the grate before kicking it out and dropping the to the floor

“They’ve all been shot,” you took out a Phantom and switched the safety off, “do you think it could be-”

Gekko tackled you to the ground as knives flew at you.  Jett’s double floated above the ground and got ready for another volley

You reached a hand forward and sent a crackling ball of plasma towards her.  It zapped through the air and impacted against her

Gekko slid the action back on a Ghost, and finished her off with a single shot

“Ay mierda, of course these putas are here.  They probably have a Spike too, we should move.” Gekko summoned Dizzy and held her close

You followed the halls around while trying to listen for a Spike.  The noise grew as you got closer to the center

A ball of poison enveloped you and Gekko.  He fell back and tossed Dizzy forward and you followed her

You eased along the wall, then listened for Dizzy to shoot.  You caught Viper wiping goo off her eyes and shot

Gekko grabbed Dizzy and put her back, then looked ahead with a sudden shock

You saw that the Spike was placed on an upper floor with only one set of stairs leading upwards.  There was only one way forward, and you had to attack directly

“I’ll cover you with Thrash and then you can do the rest.  Vamos Y/N!” Gekko guided Thrash forward while you charged alongside her

The creature impacted at the top of the stairs, disabling a waiting Killjoy and Cypher.  Your shots connected to the vulnerable agents and you called Gekko up

“Nice job!  We’re unstoppable right?” Gekko celebrated as he made his way to the Spike.  On his shoulder was a smaller Wingman he was petting

“Y/N!” he yelled as a bolt of plasma hit him square in the chest and sent him over the handrails.  The Wingman had grown and was barely holding onto Gekko

“You got too confident, you shouldn’t be so quick to call victory.” your own voice spoke to you

Your double held a Vandal and sneered at your disadvantage.  The Phantom wasn’t aimed, and any move would get you shot

“I guess I shouldn’t either, I’m going to finish this and then move on to Gekko once I’m done.  Sorry.”

The sound of a Spike being defused caught your mirror off guard, and their eyes shifted over

Wingman was defusing the Spike, but Gekko was nowhere to be seen.  Your double aimed at Wingman but you hit them with a quick jab 

The Spike was finished and Wingman jumped at your double, slamming them off the floor and chittering angrily as they fell

“Calma Wings, I think we’re good.” Gekko pulled himself up from the edge and you helped grab his arm

He tumbled into you.  You both lay on the floor, tired from the adrenaline

“We should probably get out of here before the cops arrive and Kingdom gets wind of this.”

“That’s a good point,” you sat up and started to rise to your feet, “where should we lie low?”

“I know this awesome taqueria a few minutes from here.  It’s 100% authentic too, the entire menu is in Spanish.”

“Can you translate it then?”

“Por supuesto Y/N!  I’ll even pay too, it’s my idea.”

Viper

Inside the frigid cold of the American Northwoods, you and Viper had decided to follow up on rumors about a Kingdom research facility

Viper had found the location from old contacts she had, and you came to help as back up

Your ability to phase through matter proved useful, as it gave you and Viper easy access to the building

Walking carefully to avoid the cameras, you and her made your way into the lower levels 

“Stop Y/N,” Viper paused and put her back to the wall, “I hear something around the corner.  Stay close to me and follow.”

“Understood.” you took your Ghost and crept behind Viper as she turned around the corner and froze

“Shit.” Viper gazed over the railing towards a collection of machines, pipes, and consoles below.  Across the room was a group of 3, all mirror agents, setting a Spike

Viper dropped down with you, then launched the Toxic Screen from her arm.  The pieces rained down along the industrial maze

She turned the mists on and got her weapons out.  She carried with her a Phantom and Ghost

You took point and moved along a large pipe, keeping your head below it to stay in cover.  A part where the toxins blocked the route appeared

Sounds of machinery revving and spinning along the ground grabbed your attention.  A Boombot raced out of the toxins towards you

Before it could explode, Viper shot it and signaled to charge into the toxins.  Your radiance gathered into the tips of your fingers

A volley of plasma rushed through the toxins and incinerated the path forward.  Following behind, you peeked the corner and shot as you left cover

An enemy Raze fell to the floor with a primed grenade clattering from her hand.  The explosion sent you backwards into some pipes

Gekko’s mirror came running towards you with a shotgun

Green smoke cut his vision, and in a second you had disappeared from your spot and had a Ghost to his back.  You pulled the trigger

Once more you channeled your power, and began to transform into energy.  Moving through walls and pipes, you arrived at the Spike

Buckshot hit your back and you tumbled to the floor in a daze.  You felt the barrel of a gun touch the back of your head

“I never really thought I’d see my mirror up close.  It’s so weird.” you heard your own voice muse

Whipping around with your Ghost, you brought the barrel up to your own double.  They rolled and kept you in a standoff with their own gun

“Even if you shoot me, you’ll be too weak to defuse the Spike.  Why not just give up now?” your clone taunted you while training their Specter on you

“I don’t need to shoot you, I just need to defuse the Spike then?” a smile crept onto your face

“That’s not going to happen,” your mirror’s eyes narrowed, “you aren’t getting out of here alive.”

“Neither are you.” Viper growled, stepping from a shadow and firing at your doppelganger.  A Toxin Orb flooded the space with mists

They fled into the facility, and away from you.  Quickly, you reached the Spike and defused it as quickly as possible

As it settled, the cloud of toxins dropped around you.  Viper strolled up to you, then eyed the Spike

“Good job Y/N.” 

“I took out 3 agents and defused the Spike.  It was more than a good job!” you retorted

“Is that so?  You did well, but you needed my help in the end.”

You crossed your arms and leaned against a support pillar

“Don’t be so dramatic Y/N,” Viper picked up the Spike and shoved it into your hands

“We did our jobs Y/N, that’s enough for a day.” 

“It’s worth a day off at least.”

“Could’ve been worth dinner, if you hadn’t needed a rescue at the end.”

“Then I’ll pay this time,” you began to walk out with Viper, “where are we dining?”

“Somewhere with a good wine list, and of course we’ll have to dress up.  I assume you have fine clothes Y/N.”

“I have something tucked away for special occasions.” you winked over at Viper

“I can’t wait to see it then, Y/N.”

Neon

“Ughh, these guys are such a pain to deal with, right Y/N.” Neon shouted while pressing her back to a wall

“I agree, but can we talk after we send them packing?” you yelled back from behind a crate.  You took another magazine and tossed it to Neon

“Please Y/N, you and I don’t need to worry about anything.” Neon loaded the mag into her Bulldog

“On 3?” you signaled

“Yeah,” Neon nodded to you, “3!” 

She threw up a wall of energy and dashed in.  You followed suite and chased in with your Stinger

The Spike was already beeping away.  The Omega agents had set up in a market near a waterfront

Stalls full of produce, fish, and baubles had been abandoned by their owners.  Bridges crossed the waterfront and connected the market

You and Neon were fighting near a warehouse and were making your way over one of the concrete bridges to the Spike

Neon and you ran inside the cover she made before shots ripped through the wall.  You both hid behind a cart filled with bottles

The walls began to fade out and you glanced over to some of the bottles that had fallen out.  You spotted Iso’s double through the reflection

“Neon, shockwave on the cart!” you ordered.  Arcs of electricity jumped from her arms to the cart, then into the ground

You turned and fired at a stunned Iso, his arm jerking as tried to shoot.  He hit the ground with a heavy thud

“Y/N, I can see the Spike!  It’s across here near that statue!” Neon pointed to the Spike while getting ready to sprint

A rumble came from underneath the bridge.  Suddenly it began to split apart and both sides started to rise up

“It’s one that let’s ships through.  Dammit, they must’ve hacked the controls!” you slammed your fists against the cart in anger

“Nah, I don’t think it’s a problem Y/N,” Neon began to grin, “I have an idea.”

“What were you- Hey!” you were surprised when she grabbed you and hoisted you over her shoulder

“Hold on Y/N!” Neon took off down the street as the bridge continued to raise.  Wind flew by your face while cars blurred around you

Her speed carried you and her upwards, and in one great stride she cleared the gap between the halves

“Kumusta ka Y/N?  Are you still with me?” 

You breathed a sigh of relief and slid off of her back.  You shakily got to your feet and started to move forward with Neon

“I’m good, but don’t do that again please.” you groaned

A wave crashed forward from the sea below and swept Neon away.  Gold spirals and floating bits of surf animated the wave as Neon was pushed into the ocean

You moved quickly to target Harbor, shooting him down.  You ran to the coast but a round of buckshot almost sent you over the edge

While holding on, a familiar face, your face, stepped into view.  Your mirror looked down at you dispassionately

“I expected a lot more from my double.” your clone racked another shell in their Bucky and aimed downward

“This is probably freaking you out and all, but honestly,” they moved their finger to the trigger, “who even cares?”

It was almost hopeless, Neon couldn’t fire electricity with saltwater around and you couldn’t really attack from your position

One of your hands slipped and your grip tightened in response.  Particles gathered around all of your hands as a reflex  

Your double let out a sadistic laugh

“You haven’t won yet, so I wouldn’t celebrate too early.” you gritted your teeth and more energy gathered around your free hand

“Let’s fix that then.” your double pulled the trigger and you loosened your grip and fell

You dove into the water and swam straight down.  The unstable particles in your fist made contact with the sand 

A geyser sent you upwards to a surprised mirror.  They quickly aimed another shot at you 

Bolts of lightning hit them, and they fell to the ground in jerking spasms.  Neon had grabbed your hand and rode up with you

“Salamat Y/N!”  Neon quickly sped to the Spike with a defuser in hand

You arrived just as she finished defusing it.  Taking a moment to relax, you took a seat from a stall and exhaled deeply

“That was a lot.” you looked over at Neon while she picked up the Spike

“I agree, but it was kind of fun right?  When we went over the bridge, that was awesome!”

“It was scary, but I’m glad we made it out in one piece.” you caught Neon staring at a food stall

“Hungry?”

“Y/N, you have no idea,” she stretched her legs, “I could eat everything here.”

“Well let’s find a place nearby,” you suggested.  Neon’s eyes filled with anticipation

“I saw this one spot with a ton of rice dishes that smelled amazing a few kilometers away.  We should check it out!”

“Yeah, but let’s shower off a bit because both of us are covered in seawater and grime.”

“Sure, but when we’re done I’m racing you to the place.  Loser buys the food.” Neon smiled at you with sparks in her eyes

“You’re on.”

Cypher

Bind had never been a particularly important location to you, but the stories that Cypher had told you made you much more driven to root out Kingdom’s presence

Currently, you and Cypher were on an assignment to steal data from Kingdom and find more radianite refineries

You and him finished downloading employee names.  Herrera, Johnson, and Kimura flashed across the screen

“They’ll have nowhere to hide now, eh Y/N?”

“Serves them right for destroying this place in the name of profit.”

“Of course,” Cypher opened a feed to his camera.  He froze, looking closer and then taking out a Vandal

“We have visitors, and they seem to have a Spike with them.  Let’s not let them take more from my city.”  Cypher used his camera to mark one of the agents

“Y/N, take them out and I’ll advise through my cameras.”  

You grabbed a Vandal from your sling, and stepped out to the battlefield.  Sneaking along the wall, you stalked the outline of the agent before it stopped transmitting

“They removed my dart, not that it matters at this point.” Cypher whispered through your radio

Sparks of energy flooded your palm and bonded into a mass of burning plasma.  You tossed it over the wall and listened to it explode

You moved quickly through the archway and felt melted glass crunch under your boots.  Eyes darting around, you checked for enemies and caught the reflection of something gold

You spun around and fired before Chamber’s mirror could pull the trigger on his headhunter

“Nice work Y/N.  Chamber can take his secrets to the grave.” Cypher praised using your earpiece

“Can you give me information on who else is here?” you asked while moving through to the hookah bar

A sudden tripwire alarm cut through your radio and you dove to cover before bullets hit the ground to your right

The three shots from your Vandal dropped Neon’s double that had gotten caught by one of Cypher’s traps

“I knew someone would fall for that.  Thanks for cleaning them up.” Cypher’s tone was calm despite your beating heart

“Just letting you know, I can see one other agent on site with the Spike.  Looks like Sage to me.” 

“Understood, moving towards the Spike.  Thanks for the advice.” you spoke while beginning to phase through the wall 

Arriving onto the site, you could see the Spike and nearby Sage had a rifle trained on hookah’s entrance

Quickly, you moved around the metal shelter and fired a round into Sage.  Running over to the Spike, you began to defuse

Immediately, you felt pain arc through your leg and collapsed to the ground.  You reeled on the ground but tried to move over to the Spike before another shot rang out 

“Cypher!  There’s someone else here, they-” the radio went silent as someone began emerging from the from the shadows

“My, it seems like my mirror doesn’t measure up to the real thing.” your double spoke while loading another round into their Marshall

“I wonder where the next shot is going to come from.” the mirror taunted while moving out of your sight

You crawled into the shelter to defend yourself and slumped against the wall.  You could shoot through it but the Spike would finish you off if you couldn’t defuse it

“If you weren’t such a disappointment, you may have actually been fun to fight.  Instead you crawled into a metal coffin to die.” your double’s voice echoed around you

A round from an Operator fired through the wall of the shelter, clearly meant to show your mirror had upgraded

“Don’t worry Y/N, I have you covered.” Cypher’s message cut through the radio static

Suddenly your mirror was highlighted through the wall, and you fired right for their head.  You watched them drop through the bullet holes

Sounds of the Spike defusing relaxed you as Cypher approached your hiding place

“How did you-”

“Chamber’s corpse.  I used Neural Theft to scan for your adversary.  I knew if I helped you just a little you could triumph.”

“Thank you Cypher,” you struggled to get to your feet and Cypher knelt down.  Cradling you in his arm, he carried you out of the shelter

“Y/N, you don’t have to thank me.  You would’ve done the same for me, but if you wanted to show some gratitude then I have something in mind.”

“Which is?”

“I know a wonderful restaurant we can eat at when your leg has been healed.  Does later tonight work?”

“Definitely!  I can’t wait!” you exclaimed while holding Cypher a bit tighter

Fade 

Stakeouts were usually quite boring, but not this assignment

While watching a shipment of Radianite moving from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, you and Fade had been sent back to Istanbul to monitor for attacks while it docked

Now you and her were fighting a team of agents hijacking the boat at dawn.  You and her hid in the shadow of the boat while moving into the cargo hold

“Y/N, wait.” Fade commanded while reaching for her Ghost.  “Before we enter, we need to-” 

The sound of a Spike being planted sent fear rattling down your spine.  Fade looked over as if sensing your worry

“Don’t let it control you Y/N.  I need you to stay calm and fight alongside me.” Fade placed a hand on your shoulder

“I’ll be alright, just tell me where to shoot.”

Fade smiled and gathered a mass of writhing shadows in her hands.  Lobbing the bundle deeper into the ship, it rose up like smoke with two piercing eyes 

“Go Y/N, öldür onları!”

Dashing across the water and into the cargo hold, you saw two agents hiding amongst the crates and pillars.  They were highlighted against the shadows and industrial lights

You were against Omen and Reyna.  Orbs of pure shadow appeared throughout the room while the click of metal boots echoed through the space

Gathering energy into your hands, you compressed it into form and strained to hold it in your fist.  You waited for them to make the first move

Reyna’s Leer appeared in front of you, sending you to the nearest cover to break line of sight.  You narrowly avoided a spray of metal before hiding behind a girder

To slow down her assault, you let loose a volley of energy and fired back to suppress the attack.  A stray bullet hitting a light gave you an idea

Taking a moment, you shot every light you could see and repositioned.  Waiting in the dark, you stopped your radiance momentarily to blend in

Firing a small wave of bright particles away from your spot, you watched as muzzle flashes from the other side tracked the decoy

Shooting quickly, you managed to hit Reyna and took a second to aim for Omen.  When you had him in your crosshair he was already teleporting away

“Damn it.” you whispered while keeping low to the ground and peeking for any sign of Omen

Something behind you moved and you shot

A rat scampered out from a nearby barrel and dove into a vent for safety

Instantly, you swung to the side to avoid a knife aimed for your neck.  Moving back, you could barely see Omen against the darkness

A knife fight against him would be impossible, especially in the dark where he could freely attack

“I can feel you getting nervous Y/N.”  Fade yelled from across the cargo hold.  “Don’t let him intimidate you!”

Fade was right, and in a moment of pure calm you developed a plan.  Radiance flooded your body but instead of letting it take you completely you held onto your physical body

Bright light surrounded you, and suddenly the trails of shadow coming from Omen while he shifted around 

“Fade, do you see where he is?”

“Evet Y/N!  He’s to the right!”

You shot at Omen and hit him directly while he lunged with his knife.  The weapon clattered to the steel floor of the hold

“It was smart to create your own light Y/N.  We still have more to do though.  Gidelem Y/N.”  Fade pointed to a latter leading to the upper deck

You climbed ahead of her and caught a glimpse of the morning sunrise.  It was a deep orange with rose colored clouds

Hiding near a cargo crate, you spotted the Spike in the middle of the ship.  It seemed to be unguarded, but there were plenty of places for someone to hide

“I’ll flush them out with Prowlers.  Tamam Y/N?” 

“Got it Fade, ready when you are.”

Two bestial creatures oozed out of dark miasma near Fade’s arms, low growls rumbling from their tensed jaws

Darting towards the Spike, the spectral hunters split and began searching the nearby tarp-covered barrels and crates.  A roar sounded with accompanying gunshots after

You moved in towards the Spike while the assailant fought off the Prowlers.  Fade crept behind and broke away to secure the area

Stepping closer, a slight resistance met your shin.  In an instant your legs were tangled in one of Cypher’s traps

Knowing he would attack someone caught in one of his wires, you made a plan with what you had around you.  A barrel leaking oil gave you an idea as you shot the trap 

Freeing yourself, you fired at the oil barrel and dove into the spill.  Sliding along the floor, you aimed and shot Cypher from a low angle

Able to defuse the Spike, you made your way to the device ready to end the battle

That’s when you locked eyes with a familiar face

“It must be unnerving to see your reflection like this.  Well only for you, I’m not too worried about it considering you’ll be dead in the next minute.” your mirror spoke

You narrowed your eyes and took aim at the doppelganger, but around you something began to move about

Kingdom’s security appeared, filling the top deck with armed guards in flak armor.  They barked orders at you and your mirror, oblivious to the volatile Spike

Your double merely smiled and leaned against a crate, unfazed by the development while reveling in their victory

One of the guards training a pistol on you took a step closer, then froze.  Through her face mask you could see her pupil dilate before she fell onto the ground hyperventilating

Darkness and the vague forms of monstrous beings crept over the deck like a growing shadow.  Each guard ran or collapsed screaming in terror

Your mirror’s eyes filled with darkness, causing them to flee by jumping from the boat

“Dinlenmek Y/N, it’s over.” Fade stepped over to you.  Trails of fear gathered at her feet and pulsed with every step

“Thanks for the help, it was looking helpless back there.”

“Rica ederim, it was nothing.” Fade finished defusing the Spike while ambivalent to the chaos around her

“Fade, we should probably get out of here before these guards get their vision back right?  Don’t you have a safehouse nearby?”

“Evet, but I know a better spot.  It’s a cafe in Maltepe, we can wait there for a bit.”

“I guess I could eat something after this,” you picked the Spike up, “what food do they have?”

“Simit, kahvalti, menemen.  The usual kinds of breakfasts, and any of them will taste good.”

“That sounds wonderful!  I can’t wait to try them.”

Deadlock

Snow lazily drifted down onto you and your winter jacket.  The cold night you had spent at Icebox was peaceful until you heard the sound of a Spike

Ice crunched under you as you walked carefully towards the office area and listened for movement

Behind you, a sound startled you and you aimed your Guardian at the source

“Vent rolig ned Y/N!” Deadlock hissed while putting her arms up.  “It’s only me, I came as soon as I heard the Spike.”

“You scared me, I thought you were one of the Omega agents.  Sorry about almost firing.” 

“Think nothing of it, it was only a reflex.  We need to make our way towards the Spike, la oss gå.” Deadlock unholstered a Vandal and pointed to the corridor into the offices

Sneaking towards it, you and Deadlock kept a sharp eye for any sort of movement.  Deadlock raised her hand and ordered a halt

“I don’t like this, it looks too easy to walk up there.  Hold on Y/N.” Deadlock tossed a Sonic Sensor onto the entryway of the corridor

“Y/N, I’ll go towards the back through the cargo yard.  You follow me and cut through the offices, we’ll clear them as we work our way into the site.”

“That sounds like a good plan, let’s go.” you said while taking a deep breath and tightening your grip on your Vandal

Stepping closer to Deadlock, you followed her lead through your new path.  She tensed and pushed you out of the way

A round pierced the snow behind you, leaving a sizable hole in the ground.  Ducking into the nearest cubby, you spotted Deadlock doing the same across from you

Realizing that the shooter had to have fired from a higher vantage point, you guessed they had to be shooting from behind the slope near Mid Broiler

You made sparks shoot from your hands before engulfing it in energy.  Deadlock saw your plan and fired suppressive shots blindly at the sniper

Twisting out of cover, you threw a fistful of explosive energy towards the broiler and moved in while it rained fire

Moving around the corner towards the sniper, you spotted Jett’s double watching plasma cook the steel around it

You shot quickly, narrowly avoiding her retaliation before overwhelming her with bullets.  She fell into the snow lifelessly

“That was a clever move Y/N.  Flott jobb.” Deadlock saluted you before the sound of the Sonic Sensor exploding drew her attention

Deadlock and you aimed towards the disturbance before a smoke blocked your vision.  It was a dull brown and had fallen out of the sky

“Helvete, they want us to fight here.  Make your way to the Spike,” Deadlock placed her Nanowire Wall into the smoke.  

“Let them come for us, I won’t lose here.” She punctuated by loading a round into her Classic

Moving up the stairs towards the Kitchen, you got ready to sneak around to the site.  A wall of fire blocked your steps

From the opening to Mid Blue, Phoenix shot through at you with his own rifle while moving forward.  You had high ground but were trapped by flames

He moved under Tube and closer to you, keeping you from running via suppressing fire

You couldn’t go forward without burning, nor try your luck outside without being shot.  Using the adrenaline you made a quick assessment of the surrounding kitchen

A plan formed in your head, and you readied your Vandal while moving to the side of the opening 

Phoenix’s Curveball swung through the entry and popped, blinding light filling the kitchen.  Your eyes averted, but saw a ball of fire land into the room 

A sneaker wreathed in flames stepped into the room.  Phoenix was engulfed in fire, and confident where he stood

Shooting your target, you knew you already had Phoenix beaten.  The sink exploded open and a pipe burst open

Water sprayed Phoenix down, and in his shock he didn’t catch you swinging out and finishing him off

Knowing you had little time left, you ran towards the Spike and hopped down from the hallway.  Your body filled with energy and began to unwind into pure radiance

Passing through a wall, then levitating through it, you appeared on the Spike site and scanned for threats

Brimstone was in the middle of calling down a smokes at the site to wall it off.  As soon as the pods dropped, you shot his back and moved to the Spike under the Ascender

You readied a defuser, and got low to defuse the Spike.  An arm shot through the wall and into your ribs

Searing pain spread through your torso, and as you crumpled to the ground you saw the rest of a glowing figure step out of the wall

“I can’t believe you fell for a trick that you just used!” your own mirror jeered

While frost ate at your face, burns stung every breath you took through broken ribs.  Looking at your mirror with a mixture of hate and fear, you realized the Spike was active still

“Hurry up and die, or are you going to need some encouragement?” the clone threatened while energy began to gather into their hand

In an act of defiance, you launched plasma towards the clone and through a smoke.  It harmlessly burnt the side of a yellow cargo crate

“Was that really your best attempt at a counterattack?  I mean it was so slow I stepped out of the way!”

Your plan was already in motion, as through the smoke a thin line traveled towards your clone

Instantly, they were entangled in a cocoon of threads, Deadlock’s own Annihilation dragging them away to their death

Deadlock sprinted through the smoke while the wires yanked your rival away.  The cocoon disappeared into the smoke as Deadlock finished defusing the Spike

“Y/N how bad are your injuries?  Kan du puste?  Are you bleeding?” she was barely able to get the questions out while looking beginning to dress your wounds

“I’ll be okay, it was just some burns and shock.  Don’t worry, they won’t get rid of me so easily.”

“Takk gud at det går bra.”  Deadlock sighed while helping you to your feet

“It just needs some time to heal.  We should rest in the meantime, I could really use it after today.”

“You’ve more than earned it Y/N.  I can get Brimstone to supply us with some fresh ingredients and we could make dinner together.” 

Deadlock’s cheeks were red either from the cold or from your emphatic response of “YES!” 

Reyna 

“¡Esas malditas!” Reyna shrieked as she choked the life out of an Atlas operative.  Her anger was barely contained she continued to crush the soldier’s windpipe

The guard fell lifelessly while a soul orb drifted from the corpse and into Reyna’s waiting grasp

“Y/N, come closer.  I won’t bite.”  Reyna beckoned you closer from across the plaza.  Pearl was normally calm but her frenzy had transformed the district into a battlefield

“Wait, can you hear that?  It sounds like a-”

“Claro Y/N, it’s a Spike but why would they bomb their own city?  How desperate they are to kill us.”

Picking the guns from the soldier, you armed yourself with his Phantom.  Reyna sported her Vandal and toyed with the soul she held in her hand

“Vamanos Y/N.  I can’t wait to tear into more of them.”

“That makes two of us.” you flipped the safety off the Vandal and started for the wooden doors that led to B Site

A screech pierced the air as a glowing hawk flew out from the door frame, bursting into light

Your eyes filled with green light as you felt Reyna pull you to the side of the door while shots rang out 

Splinters of wood showered the area as bullets punched into the doors.  Your vision began to clear and you decided to retaliate

“Reyna, I need you to cover me while I move in!” you shouted while staying low and charging energy into your hands

Reyna’s Vandal spat a flurry of rounds into the doorway, and you seized the opportunity to go straight through the opening

Energy pulsed inside your hand, and you released the growing power against the wall.  It buried itself into it before launching down the corridor at blinding speed

Shifting around the door, you caught Skye’s double reeling from the energy blast.  You went for the kill and fired

“Bien hecho Y/N, such power deserves to be shown.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Reyna.  Now let’s finish them off.”

“Por supuesto.”

You and Reyna moved down the alley from cover to cover, making sure that an ambush was almost impossible

Turning towards the entrance to B Site, you were greeted with a sudden explosion of chemical flames that clung to the ground.  They blocked your approach 

“Y/N, I can hear enemies coming from behind us.  Let’s welcome them.” Reyna grinned with a sadistic joy

One of Fade’s nightmares splashed down in the alley, glowing eyes marking you and Reyna.  Roars came from further away, and a lilac wall of energy pushed into the alley

Iso’s mirror was obviously using the cover to move in on information Fade had given him, and Brimstone had blocked the path forward

Reyna gritted her teeth and scowled, pulling the soul she had stored into her hands.  You nodded to her and rushed forwards

Passing through the wall, you met Iso pointing a gun at you while two Prowlers flew towards you and Reyna

Particles collected into your hands, and you locked eyes with Iso as he began to shoot.  You directed your power to your feet and sent a shockwave downward

Landing behind Iso, you swept his leg and shoved him down.  Your first shot met his Double Tap but the following bullets put him down permanently

Both Prowlers twisted around and lunged for you, and out of the corner of your eye Fade’s mirror readied a sniper rifle

A phantasmal eye blinked into existence, its gaze catching Fade and fixating on her from its spot in the middle of the alley

In the moment of safety, you shot Fade and the Prowlers disintegrated.  Turning around, you spotted Brimstone’s mirror before Reyna’s Leer blinded him

You shot him before Reyna could and watched a soul orb float out from him

“You work faster than I can kill Y/N.  Very impressive, I knew I would like working with you.”

Throughout Pearl, the sounds of boots and heavy gear signaled the arrival of more Atlas units.  Reyna got a confident look on her face

“Y/N, be a dear and defuse the Spike.  I will handle the rest of these soldaditos.”  Reyna sauntered off while activating her Empress form

Beginning to inspect the site, you couldn’t see any sort of movement or soldiers around.  The Spike was hidden under the tower area, directly under the pillar. 

 You moved towards it carefully, checking for any incoming enemies and removing a defuser from your person.  From a ways away you heard the sounds of Reyna’s massacre

Right as you began to defuse, something dropped from the ceiling.  A shimmering form fell onto you and put you in a chokehold before forcing you to the ground

A strike to your jaw disoriented you and your assailant took your Phantom.  You reached to hold onto it but merely tapped it as it was torn from your hands

“For someone meant to be me, you leave a lot to be desired.” 

Your mirror reveled in the face they had you completely beaten from their surprise attack

“I know Reyna is here somewhere too, but from the sounds back there I guess she’ll have her hands full.  I wonder if she’ll die to the Spike or to me.”

Combat and gunfire from the other side of Pearl proved Reyna wouldn’t be coming back

“Let’s finish you off first.  There’s only room for one of us and I don’t think you measure up to the real thing.” your double aimed the Phantom at your head

The gun clicked harmlessly, and your mirror realized you had dexterously flipped the safety on when they stole it

Energy flooded your hands and you jumped towards your mirror.  Pummeling them rapidly, you unleashed your radiance onto them and finished them off

The Spike began to spin faster, but you calmly deactivated it without a second thought

“Is that your mirror Y/N?  It looks like you made an example of them.”  Reyna purred as she walked towards you

“They spouted something about being the ‘real version’ before I beat them.  I don’t think they’ll make that mistake again.”

“You have come so far Y/N, I think we should revel in our victory.  Crushing our enemies is something to celebrate, de acuerdo?”

“We should do something  then, I want to hear more about how you rampaged through those Atlas soldiers.”

“We’ll catch up over dinner Y/N, I have a special place in mind once we return.”

“Oh?”

“Make sure you wear your best, I know I will.”

“I’m looking forward to it then.”

(Hidden within one of the stories is some lore for an upcoming post. See if you can spot it, because it relates back to the unearthed archives I'm posting!)

#valorant #valorant agents #valorant headcanons #valorant neon #valorant fade #valorant cypher #valorant deadlock #valorant viper #valorant imagines #valorant gekko #valorant x reader #valorant iso #iso x reader #valorant omen #omen x reader #valorant chamber #valorant reyna #neon x reader #deadlock x reader #fade valorant #fade x reader #cypher x reader #viper x reader #gekko x reader

[turtlecleric]

Rise!Leo x fem reader, angst with an unhappy ending (cw: blood, implication of deadly violence, gore?, reader death) - seriously, even if you're on the tag list, you might want to just skip this one

---

Donnie is in the middle of rolling his eyes at Leo's seventh complaint in the last two minutes about how long you're taking to respond to his text when the alarm goes off.

Sick dread settles heavily in Donnie's stomach like a stone. He lifts his arm to look at the bright red alert flashing across his tech gauntlet, and the span of a second feels like an eternity, stretching a single heartbeat into a lifetime. When Donnie looks back up, catching his brother's intense gaze, it's like Leo already knows it was you who hit the panic button.

“Where?” Leo snaps, unsheathing a katana.

“Her apartment, but we should-”

Leo is already gone.

Donnie silences the alarm, taking a moment to notify Raph and Mikey that they need to meet him in the tank before standing and running toward the garage. It's mere seconds later, though, when a crash comes from the medbay. Donnie pivots, almost falling in his haste, and sprints toward the sound, hoping, hoping, hoping. But then he hears Leo's panicked whispers, and his own panic clamps around his throat like a vice.

“No, no, no, please. Please don't- I can't- no, no, mi vida, please, please-”

Leo never panics. Not in the medbay. Never, ever, has he panicked in the medbay.

Donnie finally reaches the entrance to the medbay and freezes. Horror washes over him when he sees Leo kneeling on the floor, holding you in his arms. He's covered in blood, but none of it seems to belong to him. It's splattered across him in a way that tells Donnie that, without a doubt, whoever dared to hurt you was no longer breathing. The blood covering his brother isn't what turns Donnie's stomach, though.

It's the blood covering you.

It soaks the front of your shirt, still sluggishly pouring from a deep, jagged gash across your throat. The sight makes nausea rise up, sudden and intense, and Donnie has to clench his jaw and hold a hand over his mouth. Leo lowers you to the floor, keeping one arm around your back and bringing his other hand up to hover over the wound on your throat. Like he wants to press down, to try to stem the flow.

Donnie isn't the medic of the family, but even he knows that it's too late. It would only hurt you, fill your last moments with more pain, if Leo were to give in like he so clearly wants to and press down.

Wet, choking noises slip out of you, barely audible underneath Leo's desperate pleading. Your chest convulses as your lungs beg for oxygen. Leo's trembling hand moves away from your neck, instead cupping the side of your face. Your eyes, which started out wide and terrified, are hazy now. Tears stream lazily down the sides of your face and into your hair. Your arm hangs limply at your side, and the slight twitch of your fingers pulls Donnie's gaze.

“No, no, no, you're safe now, okay? I've got you. I've got you. I'm-” Leo's voice breaks, and tears fall from his eyes to mix with yours. “I'm sorry, please, I'm so sorry, alma. I'm here, okay? I'm here, I'm-”

Suddenly the room is quiet. The silence rings in Donnie's tympanum, and he doesn't want to look. He doesn't want to see.

But he does.

Leo blinks. Whispers your name like it's a question, like there's still a chance you'll answer. Says it again, louder this time. Jostles you in his arms. There's another long moment where he just stares. Stares. And then his face crumples, blind terror shifting into despair as his next scream of your name ends in a sob, as he presses his forehead to yours and keens.

Donnie barely registers the gasps of his other two brothers behind him. The grief threatens to swallow him whole, the sight and sound of his twin falling apart almost too much to physically take. He feels the childish urge to close his eyes and cover his ears. To run away.

But he doesn't.

Leo's heart beat for you. And someone has to be here to make sure it doesn't stop now that you're gone.

---

Tag list: @yorshie @luckycharms1701 @thejudiciousneurotic @khayalli @thelaundrybitch

#I'm so tired i can barely think straight #turtlecleric scrolls #rise!leo #I'm. going to bed #gn all 💕

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

One of the worst, most disgusting anti-Israel lies about Oct 7, is that the IDF is responsible for the civilian deaths on that day, not Hamas. One version took one article, that mentioned some civilians at the Nova music festival might have been shot by a battle helicopter. This was used to claim all or most of the victims were killed by the IDF. Things to note about this, which I've mentioned before, are that currently, 367 civilian victims have been identified at this scene. "Some" is not how you would refer to all or most of 367 people. You'd use a stronger term. Another thing is the question mark mentioned in the article, which the anti-Israel crowd ignored. At the time, I also mentioned the various states of undress in which the female victims were found, piles of naked and half-naked women, something no battle helicopter can be responsible for. Now I can add two things to the debunking.

One is an official police statement about this, which is relevant, since the article the anti-Israel crowd used, was supposedly quoting a police source. The police made it clear that their investigation of the Nova music festival, was an appraisal of their own activity, while the battle helicopter is an army one, therefore their report didn't actually look into that.

The second thing is that on Oct 7, Israel only had two (!) battle helicopters ready to launch, and they were stationed at the Ramat David air base, which is in the north, while Hamas' massacre was in the south. The two helicopters were roughly 212 kilometers away from the site of the music festival slaughter. Under the best circumstances, it would take the helicopters about an hour to get from their base to the massacre site. And things don't work optimally, when the Hamas terrorists destroyed Israel's cameras, and took over the command base, which could direct forces effectively. In fact, in the above link (sorry, again a piece only available in Hebrew), they also interview the officer who was directing the helicopters on Oct 7, and he said that helicopters are only efficient when someone from the ground directs their activity, but there was no one on the ground that could do that. In other words, by the time the helicopters showed up, and tried to react to over 3,000 terrorists having invaded Israel, through more than 30 points along the border, and spreading out across numerous massacre sites, there is no way these two helicopters could explain away the majority of the civilian victims.

Remember the terror tunnels in Gaza? Remember the underground headquarters? The IDF now has enough control in Gaza City, to be able to expose the network that connects all of these together, which terror tunnel is hidden inside which civilian building. An entire underground city, completely dedicated to carrying out terrorist activity, and not a single bomb shelter, to protect the civilians in Gaza. THAT is how you hold 2 million Palestinians as human shields. There's even a tunnel building workshop, exposed by the IDF:

These are Iris Cahim, and her son Yotam:

He was one of the three hostages accidentally killed by the IDF. Iris had a message for the soldiers, that Yotam's family doesn't blame them, that she knows it's not their fault, and that at that moment they did the best they could, and that she and the family are waiting for their visit if they want to come, because she wants them to know how supported they are.

The girls in the pic below were observers at the Nachal Oz army base.

The role of the observers was to watch the live camera footage from the border fence, and alert the army of any attempts to breach the border. No one thought that over 3,000 terrorists would blind the cameras and invade Israel, and the Nachal Oz base, without any alarm going off. Which is also why they had no combat training, and their base didn't have any protection from a terrorist breach, only from rockets. On Oct 7, with the start of the biggest barrage of rockets ever fired into Israel at 6:30 in the morning, most of these girls were asleep. They woke up and went into the bomb shelter, which became a death trap under the terrorist attack. The terrorists first used poison on the girls inside the bomb shelter, and then threw in hand grendaes, and lastly, they opened fire at everyone inside. These girls, whose service was mandatory, who didn't have any weapons, who didn't know how to fight, who were still in their pyjamas, were not civilians, but they were just as vulnerable and defenseless as so many of the civilians were on Oct 7, and what happened to them was just as much a slaughter, rather than a battle.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

#israel #israeli #israel news #israel under attack #israel under fire #israelunderattack #terrorism #anti terrorism #antisemitism #hamas #antisemitic #antisemites #jews #jew #judaism #jumblr #frumblr #jewish #Youtube

[beardedmrbean]

A Hamas plot to kill Jews in Europe was foiled by German and Danish police who uncovered the terrorist group’s alarming change of tactics.

Three people were arrested in Germany, three in Denmark and one in the Netherlands with the Danish prime minister describing the plot as being “as serious as it gets”.

The Hamas operatives were under orders to bring a cache of weapons from an undisclosed location in Europe to Berlin to attack Jewish institutions, German prosecutors said.

Germany has said that four of the seven suspects in the alleged plot are members of Hamas, the proscribed terrorist group which controls the Gaza Strip and which launched the unprecedented October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

The suspects were allegedly planning attacks across Europe, officials said, without giving further details. Israeli officials have suggested all the arrests were linked to a single, cross-border European terror plot.

There was no immediate suggestion of a British link to the Hamas plot. But the Community Security Trust (CST), the body that provides security advice and protection to synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish sites, said the news had worrying implications for the UK.

British and Western intelligence agencies have previously warned that the war in Israel has increased the risk of attacks on Jews in Europe.

A CST spokesman said: “Historically, Hamas has never shown interest in carrying out terrorist attacks outside of Israel. There have been one or two plots over the years linked to them but nothing on a significant scale.

“But if this is a shift in policy for Hamas to carry out attacks on Jewish communities outside the region, in line with Iran and Hezbollah, that would be extremely concerning. It represents a significant shift in the threat posed to Jewish communities. There is a big concern if Hamas HQ is ordering Hamas people in Europe to carry out an attack.”

Three of the suspects arrested in Berlin are citizens of Egypt and Lebanon according to German prosecutors. The three suspects arrested in Denmark are to be charged with terror offences, according to Danish police chief inspector Flemming Drejer.

Europe has been on high alert for Hamas-linked attacks since the terror group launched the October 7 massacre.

The arrested suspects appear to have additional links with criminal gangs in Europe according to Danish police.

Security patrols around Jewish sites in Denmark are being stepped up in response to the foiled plot as well as police patrols in Copenhagen.

The three men arrested in Berlin, and another held in the Netherlands, were preparing a weapons cache that would be “kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe”, they said.

Bild, the German tabloid, named the suspects held in Berlin as Lebanese-born Abdelhamid Al A, Egyptian citizen Mohamed B and Lebanese-born Ibrahim El-R. German authorities typically withhold the surnames of criminal and terror suspects.

“The three men have close ties to senior leaders of Hamas’s military wing,” Bild reported, citing sources close to the investigation.

No later than early 2023, Hamas leaders in Lebanon had tasked Abdelhamid Al A, with locating a “depot with weapons in Europe, which the organisation had covertly set up there in the past”, prosecutors said.

Abdelhamid Al A, Mohamed B and another suspect, Nazih R, “set out from Berlin several times to search for the weapons”, and were aided in their efforts by Ibrahim El-R.

“The protection of Jews is our top priority,” Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, said on Thursday night.

Five apartments and a restaurant in Berlin were searched by police as part of the investigation. German prosecutors said that the investigation into the three suspects arrested there had been launched several months before the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The three suspects arrested in Denmark are due to appear at a closed court session on Friday.

Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, said the plotters were trying to expand the Hamas-Israel conflict into Europe.

“It is of course – in relation to Israel and Gaza – completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society,” she said at a meeting with EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

The Israeli prime minister’s office suggested that Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, played a role in alerting the authorities, as well as Shin Bet, its domestic security service.

“The Hamas terrorist organisation has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and constitutes a threat to the security of these countries,” it said.

“The Mossad and the ISA [Shin Bet] will continue to combine forces and capabilities with their partners in the country and around the world in order to thwart Hamas’s intentions and eliminate its capabilities.”

Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, the head of Danish intelligence, said a spate of burnings of the Koran in both Denmark and neighbouring Sweden has been a factor in the heightened security risk.

On Thursday night, Marco Buschmann, Germany’s federal justice minister, thanked authorities for catching the suspects and vowed to protect Jews in Europe.

“My thanks go to everyone involved who, with this successful investigation, has made their contribution to ensuring that Jews in Europe can continue to live in security and peace,” he said. “We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.”

Increased risk of terrorist attacks

In early December, an EU official warned that there was an increased risk of terrorist attacks over the winter holiday period, as potential fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.

“With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarisation it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,” said Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner.

The Israeli government has also warned that attacks could be on the rise since war broke out, advising its citizens to reconsider travel abroad.

Just a few days ago, Israel said the Mossad had worked with authorities in Cyprus to thwart an Iranian-ordered plan to attack Israeli and Jewish targets on the island. Many Israelis have decamped to Cyprus since the outbreak of war.

Last month, Israeli authorities said they had cooperated with Brazil, which resulted in the arrest of two individuals on suspicion of terrorism and links to Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based armed group that is an ally of Hamas.

Also on Thursday, the US and UK announced sanctions on eight Iran-linked individuals, amid concerns that the Tehran regime is financing Hamas activities in the West.

They include Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, the military intelligence wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and four Quds Force operatives based in the Palestinian territories.

#nunyas news

[april-is]

April 4, 2024: Coyotes by the Eliot House, Glyn Maxwell

Coyotes by the Eliot House Glyn Maxwell

Tom I’ve a question and all I have is a question. There are lots of coyotes near this old house you lived in. I didn’t expect them here in the green Northeast. Figured them things of rocks and the high sierras. There goes another one bounding for the bushes. First time, I thought: that’s a dog acting really strangely. But it didn’t turn back for approval or get distracted by an insignificant thing, as a dog will tend to. No it was gone by now, it had made me nervous. They’re the size of a family dog but they’re on their own. Folks round here reassure me there’s no danger unless you attack their cubs so I’ll shelve my plan to attack their cubs, chrissakes. Tom, Tom, apologies, I have loved my time in your house.

Last night at dinner we heard a siren wailing off in the town and all of them started howling, all the coyotes for miles around in the bushes aghast, alerting their young, alarming their old, rising and heightening, matching its pitch and power, one near the blue spinning light in its thrall, uniquely bound by this unpredicted visitation. Then after the siren faded they packed it in. What do they think that is, that demands of them and gets of them their love or their terror or both? What do we poets do when we know it’s nothing? Not for them or against them or about them. Tom, I had to be here to ask that question. I expect I’ll have to be gone before you answer.

--

More animal poems.

More poems responding to T.S. Eliot, my problematic fave:

Waste Land Limericks, Wendy Cope

Old Women in Eliot Poems, David Wright

Today in:

2023: I Know Someone, Mary Oliver 2022: I’m Going Back to Minnesota Where Sadness Makes Sense, Danez Smith 2021: In the Morning, Before Anything Bad Happens, Molly Brodak 2020: Interesting Times, Mark Jarman 2019: The accident has occurred, Margaret Atwood 2018: Little snail, Anonymous 2017: Poem for My Son in the Car, Jennifer K. Sweeney 2016: Postcard to Baudelaire, Thomas Lux 2015: What The Dead Tell Us About Charon, Ferryman Of The Dead, Brett Ortler 2014: The Trees, Philip Larkin 2013: A Small, Soul-Colored Thing, Paisley Rekdal 2012: Last Supper, Charles Wright 2011: I Said to Poetry, Alice Walker 2010: Disgraceland, Mary Karr 2009: What To Say To A Bear, Ionna Warwick 2008: In The City of Light, Larry Levis 2007: the mockingbird, Charles Bukowski 2006: Part of Eve’s Discussion, Marie Howe 2005: I thank You God for most this amazing, e.e. cummings

#poem #poetry #re: t.s. eliot #apostrophe #glyn maxwell

[theloveinc]

bakugo x reader - where in which he comforts you to sleep

(warnings: sfw........ cannibalism/aliens/spiders are mentioned jokingly. genderneutral... i think? rusty AF writing) 

-

You can’t sleep... and to say you were tossing and turning would be an understatement. 

It honestly seems like the ache in your bones doesn’t run deep enough, the bags under your eye not heavy enough to lull you into any kind of rest. Even despite the hours you worked during the day, and the threat of the ones you’ll work tomorrow… when you close your eyes, sleep is nothing beyond a whisper of longing and the slight tease of a dream that just will not come. Fade. Recede, even, just the tiniest bit, to offer you some kind of relief from all the day had to offer.

Instead, unfortunately... you find yourself tormented. Haunted, by an anxiety that has already started to gnaw at the tips of your feet and leak into your bloodstream, where it submerges and swims and somersaults like you’re nothing but a vessel to entertain a terror you have yet to really see.

So instead of focusing on the grim thoughts that come (eat) when you close your eyes… you taunt yourself by staying awake, endlessly, watching the clock, overheating, kicking at the sheets, all before laying there, staring, and watching the clock some more.

It doesn’t help.

Bakugo, on the other hand—your love, your light (and you his)—so worn from his day of hero work, sleeps restfully by your side: his body splayed almost the other direction from you, limbs still and breath silent despite all your weary (“fuckin’ annoying,” he might say) tossing and turning.

You wish you could be like him… fall asleep as easy as you could fall into bed, strict with yourself in ways that matter, disciplined, logistical… but that also don’t currently apply to the predicament you find yourself in. You do not wake up and fight crime every day, don’t need to keep up with a gym routine, or eat like all your energy burns as easy as rubber... sleep like your alarm goes off at 4:30 in the morning, every single day.

“Kat.”

You whisper, softly. Too softly. Waiting, in between the ticking of a clock and the anxious stilling of your legs, for the inevitable grunt and turn around that is to come when he notices. When he doesn’t, you allow yourself to indulge in a louder question, am exhale that fills the room with warmth… and uncertainty.

“Kats.”

He shifts instantly at that, more intently, not so much awake but already listening, on autopilot, (after years and years of springing to action for less) ready to jump if something were to burst out of the closet or you were to start screaming.

“Katsuki.”

You say again, finally, reaching out to bring a hesitant hand to his shoulder, barely, before there is rough, clotted, “‘mm?”

His voice is deep and gravely as he turns to face you, the bed creaking under his weight while the sheets tighten and tangle around your bodies. He doesn’t open his eyes, but you know he’s alert, aware, and (to what would bring you delight any other night) feels comfortable and safe, automatically reaching out as if to open up a space in front of him for you to scoot into. You gladly take the cue, maneuvering your hips to slot yourself under his arm and into his chest, the fabric smelling faintly like body wash, his deodorant and the comfortable sting of sweat, something that normally goes unnoticed as usually, you aren’t awake to notice it.

He hums when you settle, sucks in a large breath through his nose, and cuddles his face down into you; he is already prepared to return to a deep slumber as though the whole ideal is over, something to be saved for you to discuss over breakfast. But you, unfortunately, are not yet so contented just from being held.

“Bakugo,” you whisper in finality, to which he is immediately coming back to life with a hmph. That faker.

“What?”

You pinch at a loose piece of hair on his shirt. He adjusts a shoulder.

“I can’t sleep.”

He groans, his chest rumbling, as he peeks open an eye at you before shutting it closed tightly. “Fucking—“ he starts, then, “obviously.”

You ignore the dramatics.

“I’m…” you whisper, like it’s a secret, like it’s an actually, the hand on his chest your only anchor, “scared.”

There’s a pause then, the tiniest break in time, and then—

“Shit,” he whispers, and though you hate feeling like you’ll be the reason for his grogginess tomorrow, it doesn’t stop the relief that comes from his responses, the fact he is listening… even if his grip on you looses as he slides a hand over his face. “Of what, babe?”

You can’t bring yourself to say, to confess to such trivial fears, ones you know will make him snort like he does whenever you’re too scared to touch something moldy in the refrigerator. Instead, you make a weak attempt at shrugging as you continue your finger’s path over his collarbone, Bakugo’s eyebrows twitching as he pulls you to him just a little bit tighter.

“Y’know I’m a hero, right? Dynamight,” he says. “‘N I’ll fight any damn sonofa’ who even looks at you funny.”

Your lip wobbles, eyes stinging with weariness, and you sigh, afraid of the story that comes along with every fear and worry you can’t seem to face… or escape. “It’s not that, I just—“

“Bust a lip in, baby. Blast ‘em to chunks. People. Homework. Whatever.”

That gets a laugh out of you, just the tiniest dry cough of one, and you squeeze his jaw where you now hold it with a warm hand. Despite the way his eyes remain closed and his voice still drips with sleep, an extremely faint smile tugs at his own lips, too.

“Cannibals? Aliens? Spiders?”

“All,” he responds, popping a lip as you scoot up to be face to face with him, “of them.”

Pause finds you both again, and in the silence, the seconds that pass, the strokes of your fingers against his jaw, the anxious gnawing returns just as you think Bakugo might’ve fallen back asleep.

You whisper.

“What do I do, Katsuki?”

This time, he doesn’t make a show of grumbling, doesn’t make you elaborate, and doesn’t even bring up the cannibals. Just continues to hold you. 

“‘bout life?” he asks. 

You nod. 

“About life,” 

He sighs, moving to press his nose and lips to your cheek in a half kiss, more nuzzle that calls for you to rest.

“You go the hell to sleep,” he whispers into your skin, “then you let me get the rest.”

You blink.

“Promise?”

And with eyes still closed, he nods. 

#bakugo #bakugou x reader #hey watch this *throws smoke b*mb and you can see me running away behind it* #bye #im so tired #caitie post

[sofasoap]

Lastochka - Raging waves - Prologue

Pairing : Nikolai x F!Reader ( aka Mini MacTavish) + OC (child) +Task Force 141

Summary: Sequel to the Lastochka series Just as everyone think life is peaceful and calm, the past comes crashing back into both your life.

WARNING: Mature Theme. Violence ( physical and gun ), Original child character. talk of blood and trauma. kidnapping. strong languages.

A/N : Official prologue. Finally manage to tidy it up and add more things in. I am sorry @gamergirlbones. I know I was suppose to write the crack fic....... * hide*

masterlist

Door slammed open, Ghost spotted the tiny figure hiding in the dark corner of the wardrobe, clutching to a crochet doll tightly, while clamping her small hands over her mouth, body shaking and eyes wide with terror. 

“Anya.” 

“Uncle Simon!!” Ghost swung his gun quickly over his shoulder, crouching down with open arms to catch the petite girl as she scrambles over piles of clothes and boxes, lunging herself at him, tears finally spilling over her fear infested orbs. 

“Shh. it's ok.” Ghost tries to soothe his niece the best he can as he gently cradles her in his arms, letting out a relief sigh.

Raising his hand to pat the frightened girl on the head, he noticed the red sticky substance covering her backside. 

Blood. 

Ghost pulled Anya away from him,alarmed. Scanning her up and down, checking for any signs of injuries.

“Love, are you hurt? Did someone hurt you??Tell uncle Si…” 

“Anya! Where are you Anya!” 

Both of their heads turned, Nikolai storming up the staircase, frantically calling for his daughter. He was followed closely by Price, Soap and Gaz emerged from the other rooms seconds later. 

“Papa!! Papa!!!” Little Anya burst into tears again as she cried for her father. Ghost immediately passed her into Nikolai’s embrace. Nikolai gave his daughter a tight hug, followed by kisses on her face. “Are you alright my little dove?” Nikolai asked as he checked over his daughter carefully, “ Why have you got blood all over you?! Where is your Ma?” 

“Ma told me to be a good girl and hide in there,” Anya replied in a wavering voice, pointing into the wardrobe, “and.. And.. there were so many scary men… hurting Ma… Ma told me to close my eyes….” The poor little girl, trying her best to recount the event, distressed. 

“Close your eyes, Mah bairn, remember that silly song uncle Johnny taught you? Just keep singing and clutch onto me tight, ok?” 

Sounds of gunshot ringing throughout the house, Anya tried her hardest singing out loud, eyes closed, burying her head into your chest. 

Men yelling, sounds of you screaming as you break through waves of men trying to reach the two of you. 

One, two, three, four, five.  Shot after shot. Until you ran out of bullets. You pull the knife off some of the dead attack’s vest and slash the arm of the enemy as they try to grab you, and stabbing them right in the eyes.  Turning around, slashing the next attacker right in the throat, blood spraying out, covering both of you and your daughter. 

You made a quick run up the stairs as you saw the opening. Right into the spare room in the corner of the house where it is currently used as a storage room, full of stuff. You open the wardrobe and tuck Anya right in the corner. 

“Stay in here, and try not to make a sound, ok? No matter what happened.” The little girl covered her mouth, nodded her head furiously .

“Papa and uncle will come and save us soon. We will be ok.” Giving her one last kiss on the forehead, as if this might be the last time you lay your eyes on your most precious treasure in the world, you throw some clothes on top of her, shove some boxes in front before slamming the door shut. 

“I heard some bad guys talking.. And… and.. Ma.. Ma she screamed. So loud. .. and I don’t know what happened…” Anya clutch onto Nikolai’s vest, shaking uncontrollably. 

Nikolai received an alert on his phone and a broken voice mail from you hours ago. 

“Intruders…. Parameter breached…. Anya…” The message was cut off abruptly. He tried to call back immediately, checking the security system.  Nothing. No reception or access at all. 

Nikolai was beyond furious. At the enemy. At himself. He thought he had his family kept safe. His two precious little birds in his safety.  With his reputation and connection with both sides of the world. Clearly someone who is daring or stupid enough try to threaten him. But.. who? And why?

He had the best security and network set up around the family home. Only a handful of people knew about the location, let alone how to access the system.

That’s when he knew they were facing a bigger enemy than expected. 

Chill runs down his spine. The same nightmare from years ago. The failed mission left his Lastochka traumatised and scarred and nearly lost her life. It’s happening again. 

Soap stares at his brother in law. Lip tightly pressed together. His tightly clench and shaking fist emitting his fury and anger. 

“House is clear. Apart from the dead bodies downstairs, there are no other signs of life…” Gaz whispered into Price’s ear, worry sipping through between his words. 

Nikolai is seeing red.  Crimson red. 

So is John MacTavish. 

“You promised.” Soap growled as he stepped forward towards Nikolai, barely containing his anger. “To keep them out of danger.” another step forward, voice raised, “No harm will come to them,” another step forward, “ And this. THIS happened. My sister missing. My niece traumatised!” 

“You think I want this to happen?” Nikolai snarled, holding onto his daughter tighter, “You think I will deliberately let harm come to my precious birds?” flaring his nostril, he stuck his face closer to his brother in law, matching his tone and volume. “I have done everything I can, within my power, and beyond, to keep them hidden from my past, my enemies. You..!”

Anya’s wailing snapped Nikolai and Soap out of their heated argument. 

“Papa… Uncle Soapy.. Please don’t yell…. I want Mama!!! I miss Mama…!!!” Anya couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Hours of hiding in the closet, witnessing the traumatising event, hearing her father and uncle clashing at each other, was all too much for her to bear. 

Price put his hand onto his friend’s shoulder, gripping it tight, to remind him of the situation. 

“Nikolai. Soap. Both of you can argue later. Now is not the time nor place.” 

Ghost grabbed Soap’s vest, pulling him back, mumbling under his breath trying to calm him down. 

“Come Anya, let’s clean you up.” Gaz gently lifts the distressed toddler out of Nikolai’s arm, away from the raging adults as he gives Nikolai and Soap disapproving looks. “Can you show me where you keep your clean clothes and bathroom, yea?” Anya hiccupped and nodded as she put one of her arm around Gaz’s neck, the other pointing down the corridor.  Just as Gaz was about to turn away from the group, all of their communicator crackled and mobile phones chimed at same time. 

The five men look at each other, before carefully taking the phones out and checking the message. 

Two pictures appeared. One of you lying in a pool of blood, Nikolai realise from the background it was from the failed mission years ago, another of you tied to the chair with a gun aimed at your head. 

– The little bird is in the cage.  The countdown starts, before the beautiful swallow breaks her wings forever. 

“Welcome. We met again. Lady Fortuna. Let's see if your reputation can save you this time.” 

like I stated before.. I am going to take it real slow with this series. I don't want to mess it up. I might end up going on long hiatus or abandon it totally if I can't come up with good in depth plot. * bow* please bear with me.

Tag list:

@homicidal-slvt @nrdmssgs @siilvan @roosterr

@preciouslittlecreature @floral-force @jynxmirage @gamergirlbones

@whydoilikewhump

@alypink

@liyanahelena

@caramlizedtomatos

@ashwasherelol

@okayyadriana @anna-banana27

@celshideout  @devcica

#cod nikolai #nikolai cod #nikolai cod x reader #nikolai cod x f!reader #nikolai reboot call of duty #call of duty #nikolai cod x female reader #cod x reader #cod x you #call of duty mw 2022 #mini mactavish #mini mactavish universe #lastochka series #sofasoap writes #cod mw2 #cod

[rainydaywhump]

Adrift: Ch. 2

because that's what I'm calling this now unless I get a better title

Continued from here!

CWs/themes: male caretaker; male whumpee; lost at sea prior to rescue; injuries; unconsciousness

"Fuck, fuck, fuck -- hold on just a little longer, man, I gotcha," Jonah hears himself say as he hoists the unconscious person onto the boat. It takes more than a little effort, and the person whimpers piteously as Jonah is forced to manhandle them aboard -- scraping some of their blisters in the process. He braces them against the wall; their head lolls; their limbs lay limp on the deck.

It's a man -- a young man, barely more than a boy behind that salt-chapped sunburn. He's wearing shorts, a necklace, and not much else. Jonah removes the latter, as the metal is hot to the touch, and runs to get a bottle of water from below deck.

"Come on, wake up. You gotta drink," he says, a note of pleading creeping into his voice. The boy is breathing, but that's about the only thing he's got going for him right now. His torso is a mess of bruises and cuts.

He stirs when Jonah touches one of the nastier marks.

"....Please...."

His voice trails off and he shudders under Jonah's hand. The movement draws the latter's eyes to wounds far more alarming than those on his back and chest.

"Fucking hell, who did this to you?!"

The boy isn't just suffering from the second-degree sunburns and borderline hypothermia caused by exposure, and he isn't just dehydrated, either. Beneath the burns, cracked and blistered from salt and sun, are ugly abrasions around each wrist and each ankle. The only explanation for them is that the boy was bound.

"Easy there," Jonah says as the boy stirs again. He taps his cheek. "Hey. Wake up for me, just a little."

Not getting a response, he taps harder. The boy immediately jerks back with a gasp, eyes flying open.

They're struggling to focus and terrified to the core, pupils dilated out of proportion in his brown irises. Jonah raises his hands open-palmed instinctively, but this only makes the young man flinch back with a gasp.

"Please," he croaks, his voice painfully hoarse -- "Please, no -- n-n-no more --"

"Whoa, hey, I'm not gonna hurt you," Jonah says, but the boy is shaking as he babbles on in terror, pressing his back as far as he can against the wall.

"I, I'll be good, I'm sorry, I'm sorry --"

"Whoa, I was just --"

"I'm sorry I passed out, please, please I'll be good I won't be a burden I'll be obedient and good and I'll --!"

His words stop there. His voice has given out, and so has his spark of energy; exhausted, he slumps back, desperately trying to keep his eyes open.

They finally focus on Jonah.

The look of shock that flits across the boy's face is a welcome change from the blind terror it had held before. Jonah seizes the opportunity. "You need water, kid," he says quickly, carefully holding the cup out for him to see.

Stunned, the boy doesn't protest whenJonah gently tilts his head back and holds the cup to his lips, careful not to pour out too much water at once. Still, it's unavoidable; some of the liquid spills down the boy's chest.

The terror comes flooding back. "Oh fuck, sir I'm sorry, 'm sorry, I didn't mean --"

His voice dies down to a choked whisper, and he slumps back against the wall, defeated.

...

He fades in and out of consciousness for the next day, never quite reaching full alertness but awake enough to swallow more water that Jonah mixes with salt and sugar for electrolytes.

It is only when he's sufficiently hydrated that he slips into deeper sleep. Jonah watches his pinched brow smooth into peaceful unawareness, and it's only then that the man lets himself take a moment to relax.

No one could blame him for falling asleep in the chair beside his own bed, which is currently occupied by a terrified, traumatized young man who, as far as Jonah is concerned, doesn't even have a name.

🌊⛵🌊

Taglist: @i-eat-worlds @turn-the-tables-on-them lmk if you'd like to be added :)

#whump #whump writing #whumpee #whump rescue #whump caretaker #caretaker #traumatized characters #hurt comfort #whumpblr #whumblr #male whumpee

[nejiverse]

just red your Aki fics with the family and omg.

but then my head goes to thinking about Y/n finding out about Aki’s death.

and it just breaks my heart as like an AU.

if possible can you write that but not cannon to what you’ve written just as an alternate thing

ONE MORE TIME

Aki Hayakawa

writing this kinda pinched my heart a little 🥲

cw: hyperventilation, angst

919 words

Y/n paced around the office nervously. Biting down on her nails wouldn’t be enough to contain her anxiousness at the current moment.

This feeling was of course normal and natural. It was part of the system that evolved to keep people safe and well. It was an alarm system of sorts, one you should heed.

One you should always heed.

Unfortunately this time, she chose to ignore it because of her lover’s persistence and eagerness.

News was received that there was more information on the gun devil’s whereabouts and Aki was so quick to accept the mission.

Y/n knew the reasons as to why he wanted to pursue the Gun devil but she also worried for his safety.

She tried, she really did.

She tried to talk him out of it because of the feeling that was welling deep inside her chest, a feeling of uneasiness.

He managed to calm her down by promising to come back alive and well.

“I’ll never forgive him if he breaks his promise”, she said with bated breath.

“All that worrying won’t do you any good Y/n. Try to calm down”, Himeno tapped her shoulder with her cigarette, offering it to her but she shrugged her off.

She never smoked, she didn’t like when Aki did it either, but old habits die hard as they say.

These next few hours of her life would either pass as a blip or they would be the final trauma that breaks her. Soon enough, she would find it to be the latter.

The next sound that was heard was the hinges of the door squeaking open, alerting the two women that someone was stepping in.

It was a man Y/n remembered to have accompanied Aki on his mission.

She looked up to him with hopeful eyes, she figured no words had to be said from her. Her pupils and facial expressions clearly displayed what she wanted to know.

“The mission was a success..”, he started.

Y/n let out a sigh from deep down in her chest, a small smile making way to her lips. That meant Aki was alive and breathing, or so she concluded.

“I’m glad to hear that”, she gently clasped her hands together against her chest. “Where’s Aki right now?”, she asked happily.

When she saw the man’s features dulling, her smiled faded as fast as her hands unclasped. She frantically looked from the man to Himeno in disbelief.

“H-he’s fine, right?”.

No response.

But the silence spoke louder than any words could. In fact, the silence laughed at her. It mocked her as if to brag of its undeserving feat.

Terror overtook her face and sadness clouded her heart.

“Don’t tell me…”, her voice was barely audible. “I l-lost him?”.

She lost him.

“I’m sorry”, the man clenched his fists in a useless attempt to stop tears from threatening his eyes. He quickly exited the room so he wouldn’t have to hear her weeps. It was futile though.

Y/n found that she couldn't draw in her usual lung-full, as if concrete had been poured into her airways. She clutched her shirt tightly into her fist.

The panic drove her to start gasping, breathing as if the oxygen had been sucked from the air around her. Y/n doubled over and fell to her knees, one weak hand on the ground to support her weight.

Already her thoughts were becoming jumbled, like she was in a nightmare rather than the simplistic office.

Himeno quickly rushed to her side and embraced her tightly.

“Let it all out. You can cry, it’s okay”, Himeno rubbed her back and squeezed her eyes shut as to ensure no tears slip down her cheeks.

Y/n knew how things would go from here. They would all act as if it were a noble sacrifice for their sake, that by loving his memory, the mourning would become a wholesome and wonderful thing. But the truth was they were cowards, every last one of them in this dammed association.

“So…cruel”, she murmured through her tears. It was cruel that none of them were willing to see the difference between honourable self sacrifice and murder. She hoped guilt will one day destroy them from the inside out.

Y/n let out a scream as tears came out of her eyes in pools and her nails dug into Himeno’s arm.

Aki didn’t deserve an early death.

“Please Himeno..”, she wailed, almost like a child as she averted her half-lidded and heavily red eyes to the woman who was embracing her. “Bring him b-back, Aki”, she stuttered through her quick huffs, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Himeno pursed her lips. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t think there were any words to console her at this moment in time. She could only offer her presence.

All she ever prayed for was to be in his arms forever. His love was everything to her. He made her feel so good about herself, he was kind to her, so very kind.

She would do absolutely anything to just hold him one more time.

But that was a wish that could only be granted in her dreams,

For these hours were only the start of the longest and darkest night there ever was.

Masterlist :)

a/n: I love writing angst, also no manga spoilers please

#chainsaw man #aki headcanons #aki angst #chainsaw man angst #csm angst #csm scenarios #csm headcanons #csm aki #csm imagine #csm #chainsaw man imagine #chainsaw man x you #chainsaw man x y/n #chainsaw man x reader #csm x reader #csm x you #makima #kishibe #denji #power #aki hayakawa x female reader #aki x you #aki x y/n #aki hayakawa fluff #aki hayakawa x reader #aki #aki hayakawa #aki x reader #aki fluff #aki chainsaw man

[cozzzynook]

do ya have any aus on how prowlbee met and fell in love?

They actually meet underground.

Its brief and its Bee who remembers Prowl first but he doesn’t say anything.

They originally met at a red stop district in the pits beneath Cybertron. Directly under the governing capital.

Prowl was there getting intel for his own personal use while also avoiding the elite guard for dodging the draft.

Prowl was on the run when he hid inside a booth where a small mini bot with alert and fearful door wings were stone still as they pressed against the electric cyber bars meant to keep outsiders from taking who was inside.

Prowl hadn’t seen Bee’s face but Bee saw his.

He remembers how attractive the mech looked completely focused on staying hidden while being so exposed. He found it kind of cute and funny looking back on it but in that moment he was too shocked by the cyber bots sudden appearance to do more than cover his intake and exposed breast mesh.

Prowl didn’t spare more than a klik looking at Bee before he simply went back the way he came in and kept going. All Prowl had cared about was the fact he was silent and didn’t alarm anyone to his whereabouts. For that the cyber ninja was grateful.

The second time they met Prowl took notice of Bee first.

He was hiding behind a of large boulders watching the repair crew work on cleaning a space bridge. He’d recently lost Yoketron and was wandering without a purpose.

His spark hurt deeply at the loss and guilt consumed him every waking solar cycle and yet looking at the yellow mini who helped the large green bot repair the space bridge, soothed his troubled processor in a way he didn’t know possible.

It was one of the reasons he agreed to come along when Optimus offered him a place on the team.

Of course he was closed off and stand offish even to the yellow mini that captivated his attention, though, he was less stand offish with the mecha he learned was called Bumblebee.

Any time the mini asked him to join team bonding he would accept in silence. He’d never do more than stand there and say a few words when he felt like it but he did join.

He even made a point to greet the yellow mini when he felt him near.

He wasn’t a fan of the yellow mini’s pranks but even he could admit they made him smirk a little when no bot was looking.

Prowl didn’t understand why he had such a growing affection for the mini. Maybe it was how carefree he seemed, how he was so full of life, so easily excited and ready to explore. Always lending a helpful servo even if he could be an annoying little pest, he never meant any harm.

Prowl found himself looking forward to late lunar cycles where Bumblebee would make a delicious cup of fuel and share with him. When it was just the two of them up, Prowl meditated and Bumblebee played a hologame with audio connectors in his audios.

They spent alone time together almost every lunar cycle and when Megatron came aboard their ship Prowl remembers the internal terror that almost frizzled his circuits when he saw Bumblebee bump into Megatrons pede.

The relief he felt seeing Bumblebee online from stasis after crash landing on the planet called Earth was so immense he actually wrapped an arm around Bumblebees hip struts. He played it off as trying to help him exit the stasis pod but the look on Ratchets face plates said otherwise.

Bumblebee knew then Prowl felt something for him and when things calmed down enough after settling into their new base turned home, he brought it up.

Prowl was so flustered and awkward it made Bumblebee smile. He teased Prowl so much that lunar cycle the cyber ninja almost kicked him out. But that night they shared a berth watching the stars from inside Prowls room.

Bumblebee’s door wings haven’t stopped fluttering in happiness yet.

-

As always, Free Palestine 🇵🇸 Sudan 🇸🇩 Congo 🇨🇩 Tigray, Haiti 🇭🇹 & Yemen 🇾🇪 boycott Christmas & speak up on the genocides America & Israel are committing.

#prowlbee #prowl x bumblebee #bumblebee headcanons #prowl headcanons #prowl transformers #tfa bumblebee headcanons #tfa headcanons #tfa prowl #tfa bumblebee #tfa #tfatws #transformers animated #transformers bumblebee #transformers prowl #macadams #maccadam #tfp #transformers cyberverse #tranaformers earthspark

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: James Rothwell, Jörg Luyken, Sophia Yan and Robert Mendick

Published: Dec 14, 2023

A Hamas plot to kill Jews in Europe was foiled by German and Danish police who uncovered the terrorist group’s alarming change of tactics.

Three people were arrested in Germany, three in Denmark and one in the Netherlands with the Danish prime minister describing the plot as being “as serious as it gets”.

The Hamas operatives were under orders to bring a cache of weapons from an undisclosed location in Europe to Berlin to attack Jewish institutions, German prosecutors said.

Germany has said that four of the seven suspects in the alleged plot are members of Hamas, the proscribed terrorist group which controls the Gaza Strip and which launched the unprecedented October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

The suspects were allegedly planning attacks across Europe, officials said, without giving further details. Israeli officials have suggested all the arrests were linked to a single, cross-border European terror plot.

There was no immediate suggestion of a British link to the Hamas plot. But the Community Security Trust (CST), the body that provides security advice and protection to synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish sites, said the news had worrying implications for the UK.

British and Western intelligence agencies have previously warned that the war in Israel has increased the risk of attacks on Jews in Europe.

A CST spokesman said: “Historically, Hamas has never shown interest in carrying out terrorist attacks outside of Israel. There have been one or two plots over the years linked to them but nothing on a significant scale.

“But if this is a shift in policy for Hamas to carry out attacks on Jewish communities outside the region, in line with Iran and Hezbollah, that would be extremely concerning. It represents a significant shift in the threat posed to Jewish communities. There is a big concern if Hamas HQ is ordering Hamas people in Europe to carry out an attack.”

Three of the suspects arrested in Berlin are citizens of Egypt and Lebanon according to German prosecutors. The three suspects arrested in Denmark are to be charged with terror offences, according to Danish police chief inspector Flemming Drejer.

Europe has been on high alert for Hamas-linked attacks since the terror group launched the October 7 massacre.

The arrested suspects appear to have additional links with criminal gangs in Europe according to Danish police.

Security patrols around Jewish sites in Denmark are being stepped up in response to the foiled plot as well as police patrols in Copenhagen.

The three men arrested in Berlin, and another held in the Netherlands, were preparing a weapons cache that would be “kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe”, they said.

Bild, the German tabloid, named the suspects held in Berlin as Lebanese-born Abdelhamid Al A, Egyptian citizen Mohamed B and Lebanese-born Ibrahim El-R. German authorities typically withhold the surnames of criminal and terror suspects.

“The three men have close ties to senior leaders of Hamas’s military wing,” Bild reported, citing sources close to the investigation.

No later than early 2023, Hamas leaders in Lebanon had tasked Abdelhamid Al A, with locating a “depot with weapons in Europe, which the organisation had covertly set up there in the past”, prosecutors said.

Abdelhamid Al A, Mohamed B and another suspect, Nazih R, “set out from Berlin several times to search for the weapons”, and were aided in their efforts by Ibrahim El-R.

“The protection of Jews is our top priority,” Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, said on Thursday night.

Five apartments and a restaurant in Berlin were searched by police as part of the investigation. German prosecutors said that the investigation into the three suspects arrested there had been launched several months before the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The three suspects arrested in Denmark are due to appear at a closed court session on Friday.

Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, said the plotters were trying to expand the Hamas-Israel conflict into Europe.

“It is of course – in relation to Israel and Gaza – completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society,” she said at a meeting with EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

The Israeli prime minister’s office suggested that Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, played a role in alerting the authorities, as well as Shin Bet, its domestic security service.

“The Hamas terrorist organisation has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and constitutes a threat to the security of these countries,” it said.

“The Mossad and the ISA [Shin Bet] will continue to combine forces and capabilities with their partners in the country and around the world in order to thwart Hamas’s intentions and eliminate its capabilities.”

Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, the head of Danish intelligence, said a spate of burnings of the Koran in both Denmark and neighbouring Sweden has been a factor in the heightened security risk.

On Thursday night, Marco Buschmann, Germany’s federal justice minister, thanked authorities for catching the suspects and vowed to protect Jews in Europe.

“My thanks go to everyone involved who, with this successful investigation, has made their contribution to ensuring that Jews in Europe can continue to live in security and peace,” he said. “We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.”

Increased risk of terrorist attacks

In early December, an EU official warned that there was an increased risk of terrorist attacks over the winter holiday period, as potential fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.

“With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarisation it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,” said Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner.

The Israeli government has also warned that attacks could be on the rise since war broke out, advising its citizens to reconsider travel abroad.

Just a few days ago, Israel said the Mossad had worked with authorities in Cyprus to thwart an Iranian-ordered plan to attack Israeli and Jewish targets on the island. Many Israelis have decamped to Cyprus since the outbreak of war.

Last month, Israeli authorities said they had cooperated with Brazil, which resulted in the arrest of two individuals on suspicion of terrorism and links to Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based armed group that is an ally of Hamas.

Also on Thursday, the US and UK announced sanctions on eight Iran-linked individuals, amid concerns that the Tehran regime is financing Hamas activities in the West.

They include Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, the military intelligence wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and four Quds Force operatives based in the Palestinian territories.

==

“The Hamas terrorist organisation has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and constitutes a threat to the security of these countries,” it said.

"Queers for Palestine" have always had the luxury that they would never have to actually go there. But they might not need to; Hamas is working on coming to them. It's like when people send fan letters to prisoners, then discover the prisoner is being released on a technicality.

This is exactly what the "pro-Palestine" people have been wanting: expansion of Islamic terrorism.

This is what "intifada" looks like. This is what Hamas promised.

"Pro-Palestine" is pro-Hamas is pro-terrorism.

#hamas #islam #islamic terorrism #pro palestine #pro hamas #pro terrorism #intifada #globalize the intifada #exterminate hamas #this is islam #antisemitism #religion #religion is a mental illness

[alexanderlightweight]

Random ide that i just got so i thought to prompt it. After Magnus has finally left Camile his frindes want to help him so he doesn't just clouse himself of from love. They might have been drinking when they do a ritual, to bring Magnus someone that truly loves him.

here we go! i hope you enjoy this!

-

Cat and Ragnor lay down the last lines of array and carefully add blood to the centerpiece along with the tiniest sliver of Magnus’ soul that they stole the last time he drunkenly passed out.

“Are we sober enough for this?” Cat finds herself asking, cautious as she wipes the powder of diamonds from her fingers.

“Are we inebriated enough to continue on, is the better question—“ Ragnor grumbles. He trails off as he summons a bottle and plucks it from the air before chugging it down.

It’s reminiscent of a Ragnor who was once feared upon the seas.

A Ragnor who spent most of his time below deck and let Cat and Magnus manage the crew. 

“Aye, aye captain—“ Cat mocks and Ragnor sputters on the rum.

“I was a front man! A mere passenger battered by the winds of your and Magnus’ whimsy.”

“Yes, yes. We used your pasty ass as a disguise and claimed you were the fierce Pirate Greenhorn.”

“You and Magnus named me that on purpose! I was given no respect.”

“It was just the first thing we both agreed on,” Cat lies because she has no shame and will torment Ragnor with this for the rest of her life.

“You—’ and Ragnor splutters but tosses the bottle into whatever dimensional rift he pulled it out from. “Fine, fine let us get this over with. Magnus will awaken the moment the ritual starts, we won’t have very much time until he gets here and tries to stop us.”

With that in mind, they get on their knees and began to start the ritual and not a moment too soon.

Magnus slams into the room with terror in his eyes and magic wreathing his fists and he looks at them with shock and fear, always so afraid for those he cares about to be injured on his behalf.

A sliver of each of their souls is a small price to pay for Magnus to be happy. To know he deserves happiness, to know that Camille was worthless and undeserving of his attentions and affections.

It’s the anger of how Camille treated him that pushes the last of the array into motion and Magnus gets to the barrier and instead of being blasted back, his magic is stolen and spun into the web of Cat and Ragnor’s own.

There’s a brilliant, bright flash of light and then darkness. When Magnus carefully, slowly summons an orb of light, the three of them stare in shock at the body on the floor.

Magnus stares and so do Cat and Ragnor.

She didn’t think it would work; Cat realizes suddenly.

Not because Magnus lacks anything, but because she’s never thought there could exist anyone worthy of the kind of love Magnus is capable of giving.

“He’s mine?” Magnus asks, something fragile and dark in his voice as walks over and kneels on the lines of the array and reaches out with a shaking hand. There’s a pause and then Magnus murmurs softly, “he’s nephilim.”

That makes them all pause and Cat wonders at just how badly the ritual went wrong, to bring them an enemy instead of a heartshade.

Then the nephilim startles awake with an alarming amount of skill, he’s tense and alert while his eyes hide just how intelligent and watchful his gaze is.

Ragnor is discreetly gathering enough magic to get him away from Magnus and then Magnus ignores all safety protocols and just grabs the nephilim’s chin.

He’s covetous and hungry and not even runes are going to stop him, and Cat hopes they can figure out just what went wrong and protect him from the awful discovery of hope fulfilled and then shattered.

“Magn’s—” the nephilim murmurs the minute his eyes connect with Magnus’ own, and he relaxes.  Magnus has to hold him still, so that his head doesn’t bounce off the floor with the weight of his relief. Then the nephilim’s reaching out and tangling fingers in Magnus’ robe and pulling him closer. C’mere.”

Magnus is practically headbutted with the way he moves closer and then he’s being nuzzled but a giant, magically concussed shadowhunter who does not seem concerned by events.

Long limbs manage to tangle around Magnus’ form and then the nephilim shudders, passing out in Magnus’ embrace and Ragnor stumbles over to the array and looks down at it.

For a moment he simple murmurs the different translations of the language they used and then he nods as if he knows what happened.

“Ah, a glimpse of your soul. Summoned across time and space, it seems the added boost of stardust and Magnus’ own magic brought him physically here, rather than just a memory.”

“You can’t expect me to give him back?” Magnus asks, voice low and furious and he’s holding his nephilim with magic and hands. Like his hands and arms aren’t enough alone.

This is going both better and worse than expected and Cat and Ragnor share a look before they nod.

“We know he exists now. But do you really think another version of yourself would let him be taken away? We’ll steal a different one, one that’s never met you but was made to love you.” Cat promises him but she doesn’t step closer. He won’t want anyone near him and his boy, not when he’ll have to let him go so soon.

“How will we make sure I can keep him?” Magnus asks and she nods because it’s a fair and valid question.

“We’ll find a world where you’ve already died or were never born.” Ragnor supplies and he looks calculative, “it will take a sacrifice. We’ll need about a dozen or more nephilim souls to actively tether his energy and body to a new dimension. Possibly a few more rather tedious ingredients.”

There is a moment where Cat isn’t sure he’ll agree and then he shudders, his head bowing and lips pressing to the forehead of a man born to love him. Born to surrender his entirety to Magnus and t very, very carefully lowers his nephilim to the ground and traces his face with fingertips.

“You’ll help me?”

Cat and Ragnor both chuckle, fond and adoring because that has never been a question.

“Always, ducky.” Ragnor murmurs and Cat sends Magnus a bloodthirsty grin.

Magnus’ is going to get the compliment of his soul if Cat has to destroy whatever world they steal him from to keep him from going back.

It will be worth it, for Magnus’ happiness.

#alec lightwood #magnus bane #malec #shadowhunters #lumine writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #my fics #my fanfics #my ficlets