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shintorikhazumi · 3 years

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I Have Two Sisters?! Chapter 2: The Eldest Sister, The Younger Sister, and The Youngest

A/N: This chapter is more on Diana and Claudine’s lives and backgrounds. I feel like most of the initial chap plans I have are. Weiss gets her background turn soon tho. She still has some thoughts from her point of view. Some observations. It’s kinda different for her since she’s actually been around Jacques as opposed to Claudine and Diana who have been away from the dude, practically not knowing him at all. Maybe around chapter 4-ish. Rubes, Akko, and Maya come in the next chapter, so I hope you all can hold out until then, haha.

I personally love this concept so much! Like really! I keep writing out plot lines and paragraphs ahead. This is clearly a self-indulgent fic, I apologize.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

I Have Two Sisters?! Chapter 2: The Eldest Sister, The Younger Sister, and The Youngest

For how shitty he was as a father- and a person in general, Jacques Schnee sure had the devil’s luck. It made perfect sense as he was basically a demon at this point with all that he’s probably done, both known and hidden from the light.

How could someone acquire so much fortune? Riches, intelligence and cunning brought about by his insane amounts of greed, looks (Weiss gagged so hard thinking about it, though it was relatively true), charm that deceived women… or deceit masked as charm? Anyway. He had it all.

Plus, he had three gorgeous daughters to boot.

Had he exchanged his soul for this amount of good karma?

Well, it didn’t matter.

If the angel of death wanted nothing to do with him, then it probably wouldn’t mind if three angel-looking ladies took care of the job instead… right?

They were certainly angry enough to kill.

Or at least Weiss was.

Weiss had been brandishing her sword for the better half of the last two hours as she remained seated on the couch next to an equally fuming Claudine, exchanging opinions about their insufferable… sperm donor, or whatever.

Diana lay peacefully unaware, head on the golden-blonde’s lap, still unconscious since fainting at their front door. The other two…sisters- gosh, it was so weird thinking about it- didn’t quite know what to do with her, so they simply moved her over so she could rest more comfortably.

At first, they had planned on moving to the kitchen area to talk things out, and leave their other sibling to the peace of a quiet room, however, as if sensing the lack of presence, Diana had begun to toss and turn restlessly, hands and arms seeking out something. Upon grasping the edge of Claudine’s shirt, it seemed as though she had no plans of letting go, and thus, they ended up in the position they were in now, all squeezing together on their decently-sized couch.

“-And so, he told me I wasn’t old enough to live on my own, and I was wondering what he meant, because I am most certainly over eighteen! And then he implied something about Japan and that-! That was how I found out about being sent here and… we’re here now.” Weiss had just finished telling her side of this ridiculous story, pissed off being an understatement as to how she felt.

She didn’t want to be a criminal, but Jacques Schnee had a neck that just looked so perfect to slice in half.

Claudine would have laughed at how red Weiss’ face had become, but she refrained, breathing in, readying the words to her own tale. They had broached the topic of how they got here while talking about the house and their first meeting, and so they backtracked a bit to their own backgrounds and history prior to their father’s decision of sending them all to this place in Japan.

“I used to study here, actually. It’s only been a little over two years since I left.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I studied at a music and arts academy and mainly dabbled in theatre.”

“You say, “dabbled”, but I wonder if it’s really just that.” Weiss chuckled, secretly studying her companion’s features. Something in the back of her mind told her that the name, ‘Claudine’ was one she’d heard of before, especially since it had involved music. But maybe she could look into it later. “Sorry, go on.” Weiss encouraged after realizing she had interrupted her sister’s story.

“I was offered a chance at an exchange program in the school that basically “made” my mother’s previous career. It was in Paris and…” Claudine looked like she had loved and regretted at the same time every inch of that experience.

“I get it.” Weiss whispered, not meeting the actress’ gaze. “The biggest opportunity of your life. It could change everything.” Weiss turned back to meet rose-red eyes in understanding. “But that change isn’t always the best.” Claudine nodded. “It’s kind of like that meme, the one that goes ‘but at what cost’.” They shared a light laugh at that, but it seemed as though their chatter was enough to rouse the bundle of British girl on Claudine’s lap.

“Hrrngghnmm… where…?” Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, Diana blinked slowly, rising up to sit on the couch properly. She took in her surroundings, the unfamiliar interior, and the two people she could barely remember. She would have panicked and created as much distance between herself and the strangers, thinking she might have been kidnapped, but it was like she didn’t even have enough energy for that.

“Good morning to you as well.” Claudine jested, patting stray tufts of curly hair into place. “I hope you slept well, because we have a lot to talk about.”

Diana was still in the middle of processing everything in her drowsy state, so she could only nod in minimal understanding.

“Great. So Diana,” Weiss stole her attention.

“How did you-“

“Well, as you failed to introduce yourself to us right before fainting,” Diana visibly winced, and Claudine had chided Weiss on being a bit mean. The white-haired heiress rolled her eyes, but apologized anyway before continuing. “-we took the liberty of checking your pockets for any identification. Don’t worry, we didn’t take anything, and we didn’t snoop around important things that weren’t your ID. Rest assured. At least we respect privacy… unlike certain assholes…” She whispered the last part to herself.

A nod.

“Good, so. Now that introductions are out of the way,” Weiss stood up in front of the pair, hands on her hips. “It’s now time for some very important questions.”

“…such as?” Diana required some elaboration.

“Such as… whatever this thing is.” She stated, spinning her finger about in the air, gesturing to the three of them. “Between us.”

“But I thought…” Diana trailed off, instinctively looking to Claudine for support. The latter got the message.

“Aren’t we siblings? Sisters? Well… half-sisters, but,” she scratched the back of her head, feeling a little shy. “Sisters nonetheless.” Diana nodded in agreement, feeling a little warm deep down.

“Fine. So we’re sisters.” Weiss crossed her arms over her chest. “But there are certain things we have to agree on. After all, we don’t even know each other. Like, at all. How do we know who’s in charge in this house? Money concerns, I’m sure we all have individual banks and means. But things like property and document processes, who gives the rules and all that jazz… Or do we all just go on with our lives, each to their own.” She finished, awaiting the pair’s reply.

“I-…” Diana found herself lost for words once more. She couldn’t admit that she actually fancied the idea of having two new sisters, having wanted a family because she never really had one apart from her mother who had already long since passed. After that event, she had always been alone. She had been an only child, after all. She had always wondered what it would have been like had she had siblings, like her twin cousins. Her mother never married again, nor did she have the chance to as fate was so cruel. She was Diana’s only memory of family, along with a few of their servants who were loyal to them to the core.

But really, it was different when it was family that shared the same blood in their veins. Though quite a number would argue that some friends stuck closer than brothers, there were still instances where blood would prove to be thicker than water.

Even if it was diluted by half-built relationships.

Claudine noticed her distress. It was as though she always did. Placing a hand over Diana’s, she squeezed comfortingly before turning to Weiss.

“After speaking with you earlier, I’m sure we all need family of some sort. I don’t mind acting-“ Claudine caught herself, proceeding to shake her head. “-No, being sisters with you both. I think I’d actually like it. I’ve never had siblings as I was an only child. But then I did stay in a dorm in high school, and being around same-aged peers was truly a beneficial experience, living alongside people I grew to know and trust.”

Diana gave her a relieved smile, and the French responded in kind.

“I believe we could be the same if we tried.”

Weiss sighed, but she was smiling deep down. She had an older sister back home, and a younger brother as well, though they weren’t as close as she was with the eldest. Still, she knew they were all just struggling in their father’s grasp, forced to obey his whims. The two older sisters had managed to wriggle out one way or another, but Weiss sometimes regretted not helping Whitley be able to do the same. Maybe one day, she could introduce him to two sisters who looked like they had so much care and experience to share. Maybe they could all be a family together. Even if they all just consisted of siblings.

“I suppose I can be the eldest then.” It was neither proposition nor suggestion. Weiss was attempting to establish it as fact.

“Why you?” Claudine questioned with a brow raised.

Diana didn’t care who was in charge, she was happy enough to feel the inclusion in a family.

“Well, seeing as I’m the legitimate child here-“ It was like everything froze. There was a cut of silence in the air, kind of like those disc scratches you would hear often in videos when someone made a mistake, or a fumble and everyone realized. Yes, Weiss had suddenly realized what she had just said, and immediately regretted it.

And her string of apologies ensued.

“I’m… I’m so sorry. Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Her eyes were panicked, flickering quickly between Diana and Claudine’s shocked ones, a bit too shaken to come up with a comment or response. “I’m so sorry. I really am. I apologize. I deeply apologize.” Weiss throat ran dry, it was like she was choking. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes in her state of adrenaline with all the heightened emotions she had endured throughout the day.

She knew she had just crossed a horrible, horrible line. She bowed before them deeply, a perfect ninety degrees, not knowing what to do to salvage this situation. She didn’t know much of Diana’s story, but from what she’d gotten from Claudine’s side, as well as observing Diana through their interactions, she was fairly sure that they had been through so many bad things.

So many.

“I’m so sorry. Di-Diana… Claudine, I’m… I’m sorry.” She coughed out. “I can’t believe it… I’m just like… I’m just like that man.” She felt a tear slip out of her eyes, but before more could, a handkerchief was held out to her by a hand that slightly tremored.

“No. You’re not. You’re not like him.” Claudine was someone who was quite good at comforting others, Diana and Weiss realized. “We all aren’t.” All this time since they met, she had been the one to offer it. They had to be sure to thank her and express their appreciation later. They had all the time to. “We’ll do our best to reject his blood that runs through our veins.” She said with a conviction that the two could only agree to. But there was just something about that last bit,

“Pfft-“ Diana ended up cracking first. “I don’t think that’s possible,” She looked to Claudine, mirth in her gaze, something different from the clouds that had shrouded them this whole time. “but… we can at least deny his existence, if you’d like.”

The two blinked, Diana saying her first complete sentence, smooth sentence catching them unaware. It only took them a second to adjust to it however as they giggled along.

“Oh, I’d definitely like that.”

//-//-//-//-//

They ended up deciding who would be the “eldest” by asking each other’s ages and birthdates, something they should have done earlier, they now realized, sharing another laugh at their silliness.

They were all currently nineteen years of age, and about to enter their first year of university. At this revelation, they wondered why it was that their ages were so close to one another, particularly Diana and Weiss.

While the former was born in April, the latter’s birthday landed on the fifteenth of May. Claudine had the slightest gap from them, being born a few months later in august.

They tried to reason it out, Weiss trying to share bits and pieces of information she had uncovered after snooping around in her father’s office, as well as things she had heard during her mother’s many lamentations.

Over dinner, their talk led them to the deduction that on the particular year when they had been conceived, Jacques Schnee had a world-wide business operation going on, travelling from place to place constantly, checking on his various corporation branches almost monthly, staying for days to weeks on end in some countries.

Through the magical powers of the internet, they were able to dig up hidden articles that spoke of their biological parent’s notoriety for sleeping around in the many places he visited, and by the universe’s cruel plot, got the other two mothers pregnant around the time his wife was. Weiss had probably been conceived when he came back home from his visit to England which might explain why Diana was now the eldest.

“We should have him castrated.” Weiss proposed, and the other two only laughed nervously, knowing she was dead serious.

Despite this infuriating truth, they were somehow thankful that it allowed them to find each other. It was a mutual feeling that they believed they’d get along nicely.

Their dinner ended with them cleaning up the dishes and kitchen together before wishing one another a goodnight, separating into their individual rooms to unpack and get cleaned up to catch their repose from this stressful day.

Diana had finished quickly, now fresh from a warm bath and changed into comfortable sleeping attire. She fell onto the soft mattress that was a little too big for her taste. It was like the one back at home. Simply large and comfortable, but never comforting. Always so cold because Diana could never warm it all up. Or maybe that was just in her heart.

The peaceful rest she had wanted to attain did not come to her. Instead, she was plagued with nightmares of abuse. The abuse she had had to sustain while in the Cavendish manor, while in the branch house, everywhere that had the family’s eyes on her.

Cold blue eyes, freezing, burning. Yells and screams, screeches, insults, the pressured gazes, the false smiles of the peers and fans that surrounded her. The scrutiny and judgment. The rumors.

The emotional pains, the mental torture, the spiritual crushing, the social stress…

The whip that beat down on her legs, on her back, on her arms, and on her face at time.

And then-

Diana screamed.

In agony, in pain. A deep red gash on her hand never ceased in its bleeding. Her nerves stung, her eyes did too. The pain was searing, she couldn’t take it, it hurt so much. Her hands shook, they quivered, her body wretched and writhed, but still that unforgiving hand still raised the bloody tool for one more-

“I BEG YOU, PLEASE STOP-!”

“DIANA!” Claudine and Weiss had barged through the door, having heard the tormented cries of their housemate and had made a mad dash for her room.

“Diana?! Are you okay?” The said girl remained writhing, needily gasping for air. Claudine attempted to shake her awake. “Diana! Wake up!”

Eyelids flew open, revealing pained ceruleans, hazy from the dream and unfocused. Diana continued her sobbing, but now quieter as she slowly ran out of tears. Her sisters waited for her, understood that she was unable to speak, possibly for moments, possibly for the entire night.

They tried to get her back into bed, hoping she could get more rest at the very least. She must have been exhausted with whatever war she had in her dreams.

But Diana didn’t want to go back to sleep, clinging onto Claudine strongly. To her, it felt as though she was walking right back into the lion’s den, returning to torture’s waiting arms; but Claudine’s arms, she much more preferred. It felt of a motherly presence. When she realized this, Diana felt the embarrassment sinking in at the knowledge that Claudine was the youngest sister and she was the eldest.

And yet, here they are.

Still, she didn’t like being in the bed, she didn’t like how unfamiliar it was.

The girls agreed to move to the living room. While Claudine layed out a few extra foams and blankets for them to settle down into, Weiss prepared some warm, tea to help calm Diana down.

She wasn’t as good at Claudine when it came to dealing with people’s anxieties, Weiss admitted. But she wasn’t bad at it. So, offering Diana a cup gently, she tried to reassure her with a smile and a soft tone.

“It’s p-peppermint.” Damn stutters.

They sat in front of one another on a pile of warm blankets, no words, just the sounds of sipping and blowing of tea.

Claudine was fine with backrubs and handholds, and the like. But anything more than that felt like crossing a line, especially with strangers. Even if those strangers happened to be your family. Huh. This is what it was like to have awkward moments of being a family with strangers. She thought it was such a rare thing, usually portrayed only in books and television or in the plays she did.

But now it she was literally living that odd trope.

Huh.

And the silence continued. And continued. And continued… and still would have painfully continued, if Weiss could take the atmosphere still.

She couldn’t.

So what better way to break the ice than to talk about their horrible shared father?

“Ahh… My dad lied to me about a lot of things.” She began, stretching her arms up into the air, hand still holding her empty cup. That caught her siblings’ attention as they were taken into another conversation. “This place too. He said he had gotten me an apartment. I thought he was being pretty considerate to give me a place to live on my own- ah, not that I dislike staying with you both I just… didn’t foresee this development.”

“I doubt any of us did.” Claudine followed-up.

“This house… even if it’s smaller than the mansion where I grew up… It’s kinda big for just three girls, huh.” Weiss murmured, suddenly feeling the urge to apologize at mentioning wealth when she hadn’t a clue of the living situations her “sisters” had had to endure before this point.

They shook their heads, as if they read her thoughts, knowing.

Diana began murmuring coldly. “My mother’s family is very well-known.” Her younger sisters perked up at this, finally having the chance to hear the eldest’s background pre-incident. “We… were kicked out of the main house in England after, well… after me.” She hung her head low, as if she were shaed of her own existence. And she very likely was.

Diana jumped at the two warm touches on each of her hand, Claudine and Weiss taking one each, squeezing encouragingly.

Diana continued. “We lived in a traditional Japanese manor after moving to this country. A branch of our family used to live there, but at that time, it was unoccupied. It was fancy and large. Certainly made for the luxurious life. Though I never felt rich regardless.” The girls nodded in understanding, and Diana ended her piece.

Claudine then explained that while she understood their sentiments, she was rather satisfied with her life. She had everything she needed. Her adoptive father bought them a larger than average house, and they were a happy family together. Then she stopped.

This time, it was her who received the squeezes of comfort, Weiss now taking her free hand as they sat in this odd circle of angsty reminiscing.

“When he died, we sold the house, not solely for monetary need, but because maman couldn’t take the pain of being reminded of him.” Claudine finished. Weiss just had to comment, though.

“Maman…”

“M-mother!”

Everyone chuckled at that.

“Mothers. Fathers. Family, huh…” Diana tested the foreign words on her tongue. “I… I had my mother for a time, but after that…” She trailed off, a forlorn expression taking place on her features once more. “I’ve never had a family.”

“…”

“If you’ve never had a family, then we’ll be you family.” Weiss, ever the breaker of silence, declared.

“We will be your sisters, your mothers, your friends, and your fathers. We will be everything for you.” Claudine added, wanting to share these feelings, just like how her mom had made her feel when it was just the two of them remaining.

Those words were too good to be true. Too kind. Too rewarding a promise. Diana searched their eyes. She searched their body languages, their words, and their souls.

She searched and found their loyalty, sincerity, and truthfulness.

And she cried.

//-//-//-//-//

They woke up late the following morning, opting to have some toast with jam and hot milk. An easy fix from the things they found in their already stacked cupboards. While cleaning up after a filling meal, they heard a phone go off in one of the rooms.

Identifying it as hers, Claudine goes off to retrieve it, her sisters waving her off as they continued cleaning up.

A few quiet minutes passed, and then the actress came bounding down the hall. frantic in her running about. Once she reached her worried companions, she cries a heart-wrenching sob. The two elders asked what was wrong, and when Claudine says that she had received a call from the hospital, the two are willing to accompany her with no questions asked.

They soon learn of what Claudine had been unable to tell them the day before. Her mother who had been admitted in the hospital for a while, and had been the primary reason for the actress to return to Japan, had a critical attack that morning, and upon their arrival at the hospital, she now rested unconscious.

Diana and Weiss did not know how to comfort Claudine the way she did for them. When they met her, she was feisty, determined, willful, independent and strong. Able to stand on her own two feet, so to speak.

But now they realized she was only able to stand because she had someone behind her, supporting her always. Unconditionally.

And that support was now laying motionless on a hospital bed, the beeps of a machine eerily looming around their atmosphere, rousing such scary prospects.

Claudine sobbed hours upon hours straight, and the pair could only helplessly watch her do so.

They could do nothing, not while the girl’s mother was in such a critical state, no one knowing if she’d ever wake up again.

---

She woke up.

It was late in the afternoon, and Claudine had fallen asleep from all the crying, head rested on her arms on her mom’s bedside.

The woman blinked the sleep away, eyes scanning the room and landing on two strangers, two women who awkwardly bowed their introductions, trying to explain why they were in the room of someone they had just met today. “Hello, um.” They bowed slightly. “We are… well… we are S-Saijou-no… Claudine’s sisters.” One with streaks of mint in her blonde locks tried, scared of the older woman’s reaction to this news.

“I know.”

“What?!” Shocked, they listened to the giggling mother explain why.

She began to express her regrets with the man known as Jacques. It was a mistake. Everything involving him was.

It was a corporation party for a show she had performed in. And the man was one of the sponsors. She had been forced to drink, coerced, probably slipped something strange, and when she woke up…

Weiss face was contorted in disgusted anger. “That man should just get arrested already.” She seethed. They knew it would take a little more effort than just reporting it to police, however. Especially since it had been nineteen years ago. But hey, he had so many faults, couldn’t they just… get him for any of those?

And then she remembered why Diana and Claudine were claimed as his children in the first place. He always tried to look for loopholes out of prison. He just had so much undeserved power. Weiss hoped it would bite him in the ass one day.

They swapped stories until the orange sky turned dark blue, and visiting hours were almost coming to a close. Claudine was breathing softly, eyes puffy, body relaxed. Her mother petted through golden mane, leaning down to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. She then turned to her daughter’s sisters, rose-red eyes, making a life-time request, plea to them.

“Please… take care of her.” They saw her fist tighten for a moment, before relaxing again. “She is the love of my life.” If Weiss used to think that that title could only be applied to romantic partners, her perception was given a fresh wash.

Love of your life. To be able to call someone that, such a pure unadulterated love towards another human being... it was something special. And probably something she herself had yet to experience. Her younger sister truly was blessed, as she claimed. It was clear why she grew up, able to be satisfied with her family life. Claudine surely felt the same for her mother.

Maybe someday, they too…

They stayed a few more minutes, simply waiting until Claudine would wake up. She soon did, and they pushed her to spend the remaining time with her mom right until the last minute before visiting hours would officially be over.

They thought they would have to pry Claudine away from her mother as she had spent almost the entire time hugging her, speaking from time to time, but mostly just holding her wordlessly.

But the girl really was a mature, grounded lass. It was amazing, inspiring, and… a bit sad, they’d admit. What else had she been through to grow this resilient?

They walked home a slow pace. No one had said any word.

The nighttime breeze hit them coldly and they shivered. Then, each sister awkwardly took a hand, at the same time, as if they shared some form of telepathy. It made them feel warmer.

And so they continued their walk home together-

There was a collective growl of stomachs, along wlith blushing and chuckling.

And so they continued their walk to the nearest convenience store instead, grabbing a few chicken nuggets and hotdog buns, some juice, and a few chocolates. Then they went on home.

They learned a lot about each other today. However, it appeared as though there was even more to learn. There always was when it came to getting to know other people. And along with becoming familiar with each other, they’d discover many more of each other’s struggles and troubles.

They’d encounter their own as a family together as well.

But it really didn’t matter anymore, did it?

They could conquer anything. They really did believe they could conquer anything.

Together, they could.

A/N: It’s 2:15am and my brain is fried. I have to re-enroll for my second semester classes and make my mom’s modules haha. Anyway, The picture I have for this AU’s Diana is actually still reserved, but the soft kind around her sisters. She’ll be cold around other people tho. Kind of meek, in a sense, but that has to do with how bad she’s had it growing up. And although Claud is the youngest, she acts like the mother. Weiss, I can definitely see as the middle child haha. Weiss’ tsundere aspects and Claudine’s slightly prideful self make for a wonderful dynamic in interactions. I love it. Diana is like the regulator of their passionate bickering. It’s like icecream on a hot cookiebrowny. I think.

Comments, kudos, reblogs, let’s go? Please? I’m desperate for feedback haha.

~Shintori Khazumi

#fanfic #rwby x lwa x starira #rwby #starira #revue starlight #shoujo kageki revue starlight #lwa #Little Witch Academia #diana cavendish #weiss schnee #claudine saijou #saijou claudine #eventual pairings #family dynamics #crossover #au

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trans-douxie · 4 years

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King Steve of the Buttsnacks

Douxie sighed, looking at the children before. Sure, they were good and capable fighters, and he was proud of them, but this? Being transported back to the past, with mere highschoolers? The wizard ran a hand through his hair.

“Alright,” he started, gaining their attention. “We have been sent back in time. It is very, incredibly, important, that we do nothing here that will mess up history.” He emphasised, giving each of the children a point a look. “We have to tread carefully.”

“Alright!” “Yeah.” “Sure thing, emo wizard dude.”

Not even three seconds later, Claire was pulling out her phone, showing off some of the pictures of her and her friends to one of the knights.

“Oh fuzzbuckets,” He muttered, face-palming. They were doomed.

Training with the knights was a lot of thing. Exhilarating, fun, terrifying, but mostly eye opening. It really made him realize how much work it took, fighting and trying to help people. And- the others, they’ve put in so much work, to become people who help others.

He was wholly unprepared for this. It was a bit overwhelming.

Normally he was the coolest guy around, and the toughest. He wasn’t used to feeling so… weak. Steve would have to work hard to catch up, and become someone who could stand on his own, and help everyone. To become someone worthy of his ninja-kicking angel, and worthy of his best friend.

And the best way to do that, was to stick with the knights, and learn what he could.

Which is how he ended up here, drinking with knights of the round tablet. “It’s alright, Palchuck, we’re in Camelot, there’s no legal age for drinking.” Steve muttered, trying to summon the courage to drink the strange smelling beer.

“Oh, ya talking to yerself, boyo? We all been there! A good drink’ll make ya feel right as rain!” The knight laughed heartily, giving Steve a good pat on the back.

“This yer first drink boyo?” Another knight asked him, and all Steve could do was nod mutely.

“Aye, e’ryone! This is the boyo’s first ever drink!” The knight shouted, standing up and pulling Steve with him. “Let’s give ‘im a good audience for his first steps into manhood!” He shouted, and the other knights cheered him on, some shouting for him to chug it.

“Alright Palchuck, it’s time to be a man.” He whispered, before throwing his head and chugging the beer down, some of it escaping past his lips. He gagged after swallowing it, but the knights were too busy shouting and pouring more rounds of drinks.

“Here’s another one for ya, boyo!” Someone said, shoving another drink into his hands.

Steve was on his third beer, and starting to feel it, when King Arthur joined them.

“Oh, your Majesty!” Lancelot laughed. “Glad you could make it!”

“You know I wouldn’t miss it!” Steve watched as the king pouring himself two goblets of beer, drinking them one after another before pouring himself. “The weekly cheese eating contest is my favorite pastime!”

“The… wha?” Steve looked to the other knights for help.

“Every week, we have a cheese eating contest.” Galihead explained.

“And I am always the winner!” King Arthur laughed, finishing off another beer and wow, he was going fast with those. But here was an opportunity to prove himself to the knights!

“Oh, yeah? Well not tonight, cause the Palchuck is here, and he’s the best cheese-eater around!” He slammed his drink onto the table, some of the knights ooh-ing.

“Well, why don’t we make this interesting, then?” The king chuckled. “I am willing to place my throne and kingdom on the line, that I can beat you. And you…”

Steve thought for a moment. “My pursuit of knightdom! If you win, I will, uh, become a court jester!” There was a moment of silence, before the table erupted in noise.

“Alright. We’ve been meaning to get some new entertainment for the court around here anyways.” With a laugh, King Arthur summoned a servant with parchment and quill, writing out the terms of the agreement. Everyone seemed a little antsy, but Steve couldn’t back out now.

“Sign here.” The king pointed, and after he signed, the king stamped it with his royal seal. “Alright, bring forth the royal cheese wheels!” King Arthur shouted, finishing another beer.

The wheels of cheese were placed in front of each of them, and Steve grinned. Finally, all that time hanging out with Pepperjack would pay off.

“On you marks, get set, go!” Lancelot shouted, and Steve started to eat like his life depended on it. Which, really, it did. There was no way he could give up being a knight, not when his friends needed.

Everything else faded to black, it was just Steve and the cheese. He payed no mind to the king, or the knights, eating at fast as he could. Sweat dripped down his brow from the concentration. In what felt like no time at all, his cheese was gone.

His surroundings came back into focus, and he looked around, everyone staring at him in stunned silence. The king was only half done with his wheel. He won.

“I won! I won! Woo-hoo! Oh yeah, King Steve of the buttsnacks!.” He stood up on his chair, forcefully taking the crown from King Arthur’s head. Well, not king anymore. Steve looked to the side, and locked eyes with Douxie. His eye was twitching. Oh no.

“What. Did. I. Say. About. Messing. With. The. Past?” Douxie hissed out at him, looking like he was about to lunge across the room and attack him.

“Not to mess with the past.” Steve took out his phone, to send Aja one final message. ‘This is my last message. :(‘ It read.

“And what did you do?”

“Became the king of the past.”

Douxie groaned, slapping a hand to his face. “Oh, we are so fucked.” As he said this, Douxie grabbed a goblet from one of the knights, drinking it down in one shot.

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mininky · 6 years

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Tainted Souls (Taehyung)

Summary: Vampires were no longer a myth, the world knew that they were very very real. The world wasn’t ready for it, and they really weren’t ready to find out that all those whacky conspiracy theorists finally got something right. A lot of celebrities were, in fact, undead. Including BTS. Touring constantly, always on the move it was painfully difficult to ensure that they received their meals. Until their manager learned of a business that specialized in vampire fine dining.

Pairing: Vampire!Taehyung x Reader

Warnings: Oral sex (female/male receiving), biting, multiple orgasms, swallowing of bodily fluids, no condoms (don’t do that!)

Word count: 6.3K

Series list: Prologue, Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook

"What book are you reading?" You look behind you on the plane to see Taehyung standing up at an awkward angle so he can peer over your shoulder. "Dracula." You move your sights back to the book in front of you, trying not to smile at the laughter ringing out above you. "Dracula, really? So, does that make you my Mina?" "If I was your Mina then I would have gathered a group of men who would have become so completely infatuated with my kind, sincere, and oh-so-innocent character that they would murder you for me. Well, technically for her fiance, but let's be honest they all did it for Mina." You try to go back to reading but close the book when you realize your eyes have been dancing over the same page for the last few minutes. You put your bookmark in and look up again to see Tae giving you a boxy grin. "Yeah, well I suppose in a sense you are Mina. You could definitely have a bunch of dudes do your bidding." "Is that so?" "Yup." You watch Tae whip his head back around and can barely hear Namjoon saying something about 'sit down' over the hum of the engine. Tae, however, stays up anyways. It can't be comfortable, he's having to stand at an obscure angle/crouch in order to avoid banging his head on the overhead. "But I appreciate that you aren't trying to kill the vampire and you aren't really Mina. Besides, cute and innocent gets boring really fast, doesn't it (y/n)?" You watch Jin's hand clasp around Taehyung's collar and jerk him back into the seat before you can even respond. So instead you have to settle on pulling up your KKT (and paying the outrageous WIFI fee) so you can have the last word. "Why kill the vampire when it's so much more fun to fuck them?" You wait a few moments, praying that Tae also paid for in-flight WIFI before you hear him sputter and cough behind you. Checkmate. You and Tae have been playing a game of cat and mouse from the moment you met. It's hard not to be drawn to him. He's charismatic, handsome, sweet, and he has this air of unflappable confidence that comes close but never fully crosses the line into arrogance. And you...well you've found your new favorite past time but you never thought about the implications it would bring about later in time. You and Tae flirt back and forth with each other constantly, but you've never crossed the line. Come close, dipped a toe over, sure...but you refuse to be the first one to break. Oh no, Tae will be the one to break. He's not like the normal fuck boy type, you'll give him that. In fact, he's not even really a fuck boy, he just has the tendencies. He's got this really sweet, sensitive, kind side to him. He's also very intuitive, the type of person to know exactly what you need or want before you ever say it. But he's also the type that's unapologetically himself and it's naturally an easy attractant for women. He could have any pick of the litter, and he knows it. He walks like he knows it, talks like he knows it, but he never actually comes out and says it. And the thought of conquering him, of being the one that he begs for. The one that gets the cocky side of him to bow down before your feet. Oh yes, you'll break him. Unlike Tae, who flirts shamelessly possibly just for the fun of it, you do it for more perverse and personal reasons. You're attracted to him. More than you'd care to admit too. You want him, you want all of him. You're not sure where in the game that started happening, but you know it's far earlier on than you care to admit to yourself. But he doesn't need to know that. Not until he's worshiping you, and then you'll bare your heart and soul. But he needs to break first. You want to wash off that cocky grin from his face, you want to see him vulnerable and bare to you. And as much as you'd like to pretend it was just a game of conquering the man who can conquer all it was now much more than that. So you've been pushing harder than ever, trying to get him to cross the finish line. You think he probably understands what you're doing. And it seems to you that he's drawing it out to see if you'll break first instead. You've had to slow back down in retaliation. Well, that and the fact that you had been so caught up in the thrill of the chase that you've had witnesses. Technically just one witness actually, just on a few occasions. Unfortunately, poor Jungkook has been caught in the crossfires of your little 'chases' a few times now. So now you have to be a little bit more careful. Poor Jungkook. The last time he walked in on the two of you had been the worst. He'd found Taehyung feeding from your thigh when he came over to see if Taehyung wanted to play a video game of some sort with him. As if it wasn't bad enough of a position with your dress hiked up and your expensive black lace and chiffon underwear on full display it of course just had to happen right when he finally started looking you in your eyes after he accidentally saw the racy photo you'd sent Tae a few weeks prior. It wasn't that bad, but you're pretty sure that he's maybe seen boobs in real life a handful of times and that didn't help anything. He's a shy, innocent thing under all that bravado he puts on stage. Jungkook still refuses to talk around you, he just turns into an awkward statue and runs away which has caused his blood type endless entertainment recently. She's been using you just to chase away Jungkook, and it's only made you tread more lightly in your game with Taehyung. Your thoughts are brought back to the present when you hear your phone buzz. You glance over at Jungkook's blood type on your right and Jin's blood type on your left to see both of them sound asleep before pulling up the text. It wasn't a dick pic per say. It alluded to it, but the angle cut off right after the thatch of well-groomed pubic hair. Interesting, so he doesn't shave completely. Somehow, you kind of anticipated him to be an all or nothing kind of guy. Not that you're complaining. The real question is how to respond? You take a moment to ponder your options before a text pops up.

[Tae-Tae] Speechless? [you] No, I'm just debating if you shave and trim or just trim. What a cocky little shit. You'll break him one day, you swear it. [Tae-Tae] Care to find out? [you] Hmm... [Tae-Tae] I'll show you if you ask me. ;) [you] Nah, I think my own imagination is probably better. [Tae-Tae] :( It's not tho [you] Whatever you say, babe. [Tae-Tae] babe? I get nicknames now? What can I call you? How about baby doll? [you] Gross, veto. [Tae-Tae] Princess? [you]...I can work with that one, but it's not my favorite. [Tae-Tae] My queen? [you] Much better. I accept from you my humble servant.

You try to stifle your laughter as Taehyung suddenly appears down the aisle. He shoots you another boxy grin and leans over for a moment to whisper in your ear. "See, I told you. You can get guys to do their bidding. All you have to ask and your wish is my command. My queen." You look at him for a moment before staring back straight ahead. "I'd rather hear you beg." You watch his pupils dilate for a moment when you spare a short glance back his way, his head cocked to the side before he finally moves back over to his seat when a stewardess starts walking by.

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

A few days later and you're finally back in the comfort of your own home. In a strange way, you aren't actually that happy with it. Being out and exploring and...being with Tae...well it's fun. But meanwhile back at the ranch you just go through tedious monotonous tasks of daily life. Not that it's that bad, it's really nice to be able to catch up on all your favorite shows and finish a book in your favorite spot on the couch. It's just...well it's boring. You've been going and traveling nonstop for the last couple of months, and sure it could be stressful. Especially trying to get through an airport while not being caught with BTS and the constant reminder of 'no scandals, we hired you to be discrete' from the ever so lovely management. (Honestly, with some of the stunts you've seen the other girls pull you're surprised that there hasn't been a scandal yet. It's not that they aren't discrete, it's more that...well there's zero tolerance for bullshit from some of the other girls when fans get out of hand.) But with all its rules the job is still worth it. You got to explore museums and sites and food all over the world. Your bank account is certainly not a concern any time soon. But more importantly...with Tae. And when you're back at home...well you're just a regular old girl again. When you're with Tae it's like everything is an adventure, his optimistic boyish charm is infectious. When it's back to just you in your apartment though it's like everything is slightly muted. Your thoughts wander back to Taehyung for a moment. The tour had ended with things getting...slightly awkward between the two of you. You're pretty sure that both of you are getting tired of this little game, but both of you are too stubborn to try for something more. Each conversation with him lately has kept you on edge, both of you seem to be daring the other person to just say it first. You know you're in deep shit, you don't just like him...you love him. And that puts you in an odd spot. This is after all your job. And he is after all famous and under a microscope constantly. And then there's his personality. It's almost like there are two sides to him. The flirty grand charismatic face he shows the world and then the much more serious, sometimes stoic side he'll occasionally give you a glimpse of. But what's real with him? You can't help but wonder if he actually likes you, or if he more just enjoys teasing you. And this dilemma really isn't his fault, it's yours. You started this. You were the one challenging him, instead of just coming forward and being honest. But being honest is scary. Rejection is a serious possibility, and you're not sure if you'll ever be able to recover from it. I mean, sure you will, but...man it won't be easy. And let's say he does reject you, do you have to go back to your old routine at Tainted Souls all over again? You're in the middle of a deep True Blood binge under the confines of the pillow fort you've made when a knock at the door interrupts your thoughts and has you pausing the show. You have no clue who it could possibly be. Your friends rarely show up unannounced and all of them have day jobs so considering that it's only 1:00 in the afternoon it couldn't possibly be them. And you didn't order any food, you actually forced yourself to cook for once just a little while ago. You peak your head out the pillow fort and squint at the door (not that it's helpful in any way but you're hoping you can somehow will the person away if you do this long enough.) Another round of knocks, louder this time, ring through the apartment before the doorbell is rung no less than five times in under thirty seconds. You grunt as you crawl out of the fort before marching over to the door. Swinging it open you're ready to give an earful at your intruder before seeing that damn boxy grin. "Tae?" "Hiya, my queen. I was just bored and in the area and-" "How do you know where I live?" Taehyung stops for a moment and you see a mischevious glint in his eye. "I have my ways. Are you going to invite me in?" "What is this, some old-timey vamp shit? Yes, please, I invite you in oh undead one." Tae chuckles as he steps in, his shoulders brushing against yours momentarily before he steps aside to take off his shoes. "You aren't off the hook that easy though. How did you find out where I live?" "It's on your resume, duh." You watch him survey your small apartment before his eyes light. "Is that a pillow fort???" He skips with glee over to the area, a childlike innocence and enthusiasm taking over as he crawls down and shuffles into the area. "What are we watching?" "We're not watching anything. I was watching..." You stop yourself short. How do you explain to a vampire that you're basically watching a vampire porn show that got a disturbing amount of things about vampires right? I mean, the Dracula thing was already a bit embarrassing enough but hey, it's a classic! "What, cat got your tongue? Come on, come join me in the fort, my queen!" You glance over to see him patting at the side next to him before finally giving in with a reluctant sigh. You didn't exactly make enough space for two people though, so you're squeezed rather tightly next to his side. "So...were you watching porn?" "...no..." No that would almost be less embarrassing, unfortunately. "That...that wasn't the answer I was expecting. Oh...oh my god. You WERE weren't you?" You're struck with horror as he moves to press play. Why god? Why you? Why didn't you destroy all the evidence before opening the door? Why didn't you hide the remote? Why couldn't you have been watching anything else other than- The sounds of moaning fills the room. Of fucking course, this just had to be the worst possible scene for it to start on. And of course you just haaaad to watch the whole series over from the beginning and this is the part where they find the tape of the girl who died after sleeping with a vampire who chains her up has very rough sex with her and then drains her. "Holy shit, this is...this is really kinky. It feels like I'm watching some of Hobi-hyung's stash, but worse. Wow. It's always the ones you least expect I guess." His eyes are glued to the screen as it finally cuts back to the police. "No!!!! No, no no no no no no no!!!" You're smacking Tae repeatedly on his arm, hoping that you're somehow making your illiterate rant get across to him. "No, it's a TV show. It's called True Blood! It's about vampires and okay it's honestly trashy and kind of awful but I mean, they got so much right. A lot of it wrong, but so much right too! Like synthetic blood, and vampires coming out of the coffin! And and and..." You stop at the sound of Taehyung laughing maniacally at your outburst. "Oh fuck off Tae. Even if I was watching porn I'm allowed to do so! Who died and made you my dad? Also, what ARE you even doing here? Don't think I bought that 'I was in the area' bullshit! You're not getting off that easy mister!" "Mister, really?" Tae sighs before cuddling closer into your side, his face pressing into your shoulder. "I just missed you, if you really must know." "Oh." What does that admission mean? Does it mean...no he couldn't possibly be throwing in the towel. "Oh?" You glance down to see Tae looking up at you through his messy fringe. You hadn't really paid attention when he first came in, but he looks paler, tired. "OH, you're hungry." He rolls his eyes before he cuddles even closer and throws a leg over you. You pray that your heart will stop thundering soon because you know for a fact he can hear it. "Not really. I still have two more days before I need to eat. I told you, I just missed you. Is that such a crime?" "You look hungry. Tae, you don't need to lie. If you just came because you need to eat that's fine, I'm sure you've been working harder now that you're back and-" "I told you that's not why I'm here!" His face snaps up, and you're suddenly reminded by his inhuman speed that he is indeed a creature not to take lightly as he's straddling you. His eyes bore into yours, flickers of annoyance tracing over his features. "Why don't you believe me?" "What?" "Why, why do you do all these games? You fuck with me, and you play these games, and god I can't get you out of my fucking head. Your taste, your smell, your laugh fuck it's like they're just running through my mind all god damn day. And then you have the audacity to act surprised? How could I not miss you? Is this all it is to you, just some game? Because I swear to fucking god if it is I'm-" "It's not just a game. I mean, it kind of started that way but..." You trail off, your eyes refusing to look up at him for longer than a few seconds. Tae relaxes at your admission, but his gaze never wavers. He's clearly waiting for you to continue, but you're too stubborn. After a minute of the two of you daring the other to speak first, he finally gives a small chuckle before throwing his face into your neck. "God, you just really want to make me say it first, don't you?" "Yes." Your words come out tiny and small, and you suddenly feel incomprehensibly stupid for just not being honest with him sooner. "Why?" "Because you're you. You could get anything, anyone. And...I don't know at first it was just to get someone as great of a catch as you to look at me and I was kind of bored with having just one client. But then...it just morphed into something more. The more time I spent with you the more I wanted you to really like me. Like really really like me, not just want me...you know? But...I guess...I'm also just really afraid of rejection. A game of cat and mouse keeps things easy and light-hearted, feelings don't really have to be involved." "I fell for you so long ago it's ridiculous. I just figured it was all just fun and games for you so I didn't admit anything. We're both idiots aren't we?" You find yourself grinning up at his words. "Yeah but...we can be idiots together." "I like the sound of that, a lot." For a minute silence just fills the room, although it's not uncomfortable. It's more the two of you basking in the realization that there are no more games. Both of you are finally being honest with one another. And then after that warm and fuzzy glow starts to ebb away do you realize the rather compromising position you're in. He's still straddled over your hips, his hair falling down and eye's just barely peeking out, his hands resting on the side of your head and face just a few inches away. You're not sure what to do in this situation. Do you ask him to move? Do you kiss him? Do you touch him? What would be the most proper? Because really all you want is to feel his lips, but you're not sure if that's what he wants. You're pretty sure he can see each thought playing out based off of the way he cocks his head to the side and lifts an eyebrow. You've never been very good at concealing your inner thoughts. (Note to self, work on your poker face.) So you steel your nerves and finally say in a voice you hope doesn't give away your anxiety, "Tae?" When he hums in response you finally lift your eyes to him. "Tae, can I kiss you?" His smile stirs something in you, a frenzy of joy and something slightly more carnal caused by his fangs shining down at you. "Of course, my queen." He doesn't however budge. Clearly, he's going to make you work for it, and your stubborn side is starting to roll back in. You weave your hands into his hair (you'd like to note that it's oddly soft for all the chemical damage it's taken and you really should find out what shampoo he uses) to bring his lips down onto yours. The force of the movement causes a rather awkward clash of teeth, but neither of you seems to pay any mind. There's been too much build up, too much tension, to really care about little details like that. His lips are slightly chapped and he tastes faintly like mint. It's not long before the kiss deepens into something less chaste, tongues roaming and exploring and hunger starts to drive both of you. Your hands untangle from his hair and move to his arms before snaking around his waist to flip him over. There's something so euphoric about seeing him under you, at seeing the shift as his eyes start to shine red and the way his breathing starts to stagger under your touch. And it hits you, really hits you then, that he's yours. Maybe the world gets a lot of him, but right now you get a side of him that they don't. Your lips trail down his neck as your hands slide up his shirt to feel the cool skin underneath. The way his muscles clench under your touch coupled with his soft panting has desire pooling into your underwear. "You look so pretty like this." You grin as you peel his shirt off before leaving a wet trail of kisses down his torso. "Pretty, really? Wouldn't handsome be a more apt description?" His hands are wound into your hair, pushing you slightly further down as you get steadily closer to the waistband of his sweats. "Well, you are plenty handsome. But...I think you look pretty right now. Delectably pretty. Like a perfect meal presented to me." You linger at his pants, hands resting on the button before your attention flickers back to his face. "May I?" "Please. But I mean, really? If anyone is the meal here it's you." "The big bad vampire routine is unbecoming of you. Be a good boy though and you might just get a treat." The glare he levels at you has a giggle of elation bubbling up in your throat. "Really, still with the games?" "Do you want me to suck your dick or not Tae?" His head whips up as you slide down his pants and boxers, freeing his rapidly hardening cock only a mere few inches from your face. You'd like to note that he does, in fact, shave and groom. Guess the question is finally answered now that you're finally seeing the perfectly shaped triangle of hair in person. "Fuck, no I do." "Then just lie back down and be a good boy." He groans as he throws his head back, biting on his lip to stay quiet. You've always wanted to be the one to get under his skin, to make him fall apart, and now that you're finally here it's better than you ever imagined. You take a moment to just enjoy the site of him laying under you, twitching with barely controlled impatience. Your fingers ghost over his dick, lips coming down to pepper small kisses up along his thigh before halting right at his balls. His hips flex and shake the closer you get, precum beading up and falling onto his stomach. "Jesus, please (Y/N), please just fucking touch me. This is just torture, cruel and unusual punishment. I'll do whatever you want just please, please just touch me." "Whatever I want?" A cheshire cat grin is on your lips as you look at him. You get that technically you guys already agreed to be together, but hey you've been thinking for a long time about just what you would do when he finally breaks. And right now you're finally about to get what you've always wanted. "Fuck, yes, just please fucking touch me." "Hmm, okay, since you begged so nicely." You finally grasp his dick in your hand, tongue snaking along his balls before trailing up and enveloping his velvety head. The tangy precum smears over your lips as you lock eye contact with him, your smile growing wider at the long musical moan that falls out of him. Oh-ho, if Tae is already moaning he might just not be able to handle what you have prepared for him. You give him just a moment to calm down as you keep him resting in your mouth before finally sliding down to the base in one go. "Oh, holy fuck. Fuck, fuck, oh god. You weren't fucking kidding when you said you were a pro at sucking dick, oh my god." You stay stationed at the base for a moment before working up, setting an easy rhythm for yourself to breath in as you go up and exhale slowly as he reaches past your molars. The dull ache in your jaw is worth it for the sweet sounds he's gracing you with. You can feel your panties clinging onto you, your own need beginning to cause a different dull ache. But that's not important, what's important right now is staying in charge. You aren't about to pass up this opportunity that you've worked so hard to finally get. "(Y/N), if you don't stop I'm going to ah fuck!" Your hands massage his balls gently before his hips buck with force into your throat and his cum is filling your mouth in hot white ropes. His eyes are locked on yours as you finally pull away from him, giving small licks to clean up anything left behind before opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue. "All clean, my what a good girl you are." You can't help but preen a bit under the praise. There's something about hearing the words from Tae that make the (honestly almost unbearable) taste worth it. "But it's not fair, I'm almost completely undressed, and you're still in all of your clothes." His words come out whiney as he tries to grab the hem of your shirt, but you're quicker than him. You scooch your way out of the pillow fort, ignoring his whines of protests. "Come on Tae, you promised that you'd do whatever it is that I ask." You glance behind you to see Taehyung behind you, a deviant smirk plastered to his face as he tugs his pants back up. "Well, my queen, I'm hoping that your wish is for me to eat you out like a five-course meal." "No, but nice try. No no, I'd like something far less sexual, sorry to burst your bubble." You wrap your hands around his neck, fingers curling into the soft hair at his nape. "I'd like for you to take me shopping." "What?" "Shopping, I want to go shopping with you. More specifically I'd like to go out on a date with you. I think it would be fun to pick out some clothes with you. Oh, but I suppose I should tack on that I'd like to go to the new exhibit at the museum with you too if you have the time this month. It's not a permanent collection so I suppose that might have to take priority if you can manage the time." "You...you could have me do anything and you choose a date? I thought for sure you'd have me sit there and beg for you or something, or literally kiss your ass, or make me do something really embarrassing. But you...choose a date?" His shoulders are shaking with poorly contained laughter before he pulls you into a bone-crushing hug. "Just when I think I've got you all figured out you pull something like this. You're a weird one, you know that?" "Well at first I thought about making you beg, in fact, that was my original goal. But the plan changed a long time ago. I realized I didn't want to make you beg, I would never want to hear something like that forced out of you. I want to hear that you want me because you want me, not for any other reason. So then I started thinking about what I really wanted, and I realized that even though it's selfish and even though you can't technically go out on dates or be seen in public with me I'd still really like to go out on a date with you. I understand though if it's not really possible." You say the last words quietly as you reflect back on your contract and the firm words from management. Dating and scandals were absolutely not allowed, and while you wanted nothing more to be with Tae you also understood the precarious place dating would put him in. "Hey, don't worry about it. We can definitely go on a date. I can wear like a fake beard or something." "What?" "Ooh, or maybe I'll learn how to do some special effects makeup and turn myself into an old man. With a big beard." Tae is talking animatedly, his hands smoothing down his imaginary beard. "No fake beard, please." "Why not, I thought girls like beards." "Yes well I don't. Especially not fake ones. That's just weird. But I'm sure we'll figure something...less...abstract out." You watch his gaze flicker back down to you, his fingers tracing over your jaw before dipping lower until they finally grip at the soft flesh of your ass. "Well, I suppose that we can figure it out some other time. I don't have enough time for a date tonight, I still have to be back for practice in a couple of hours. But that does leave me with enough time to continue where we left off. What do you say?" His breath is warm on your neck and the fire that had begun to calm down is roaring back. That familiar ache, the need to finally be one with him begins driving all action again. You try leading him to the bedroom, but his hands pull your hips back flush to him. "Always so impatient. Let me take my time with you." His tongue trails slowly down your neck, over the prominent vein before he nips down slightly on your collarbone. Each movement is slow, precise, and it already has you wanting more. You're not normally so greedy, you usually enjoy dragging things out more. But Taehyung is masterful at this slow, erotic torture and it's quickly becoming too much for you. Each touch to your skin tingles and burns, his hands lazily roaming and groping has your hips rutting into his. "Tae, don't be a fucking tease." "Oh please, you've spent enough time torturing me let me have some fun." His eyes lock onto yours before he finally strips your shirt off of you before his mouth latches onto a nipple. His tongue swirls around the bud before he's tugging it in between his teeth with enough force to have you cry out. His mouth twitches into a grin at your moan and suddenly he's off of your breast and picking you up. He doesn't, however, take you down the hall into your bedroom as you initially guessed. No, instead he's leading you into the kitchen and placing you on the counter. He just gives a small chuckle at your cocked eyebrow before explaining. "Listen, this might sound ridiculous to you but I've always wanted to have sex in a kitchen but considering that I live in the dorm or I'm always in hotels I don't exactly get that chance often. Also, I really want to fuck you in a bathtub while we're on the subject. Honestly just about every surface of this apartment, but the kitchen is a good place to start. Don't you think?" Before you can respond his hands drag your ass to the edge of the counter and his mouth is on your thighs. Each wet kiss, each small nip, closer to your clothed and dripping core has you shaking with want. "Tae, please. Please, come on baby, please." You're not sure if it's the begging, or the use of the pet name, or just his own desires that finally cause him to peel away your panties but you really don't care. You just care that you're finally getting relief. "God, look at you. You're dripping all over the counter. What a pretty fucking pussy, and it smells so sweet." He licks one long stripe over your folds before clamping down on your throbbing clit. Before you can even react he has two fingers slipping into you, strangled moans bubbling out at the dual sensations. With each loud suck on your clit, his fingers prod deeper inside you, scissoring and stretching in all the right ways. You can feel that familiar coil tighten and lurch at his ministrations. Each time his tongue brushes against you, each time his fingers prod in just the right spot, you can feel yourself start to unravel. You want to tell him how good it feels, how amazing he is, but words get lost in your throaty moans. "You're going to cum already? You gonna cum all over my fingers? Come on (y/n), cum for me." That's all it takes to have you finally fall into your orgasm. Thighs clenching, abdomen tightening, toes curling. Faintly you know you're screaming his name loudly, but you're too far gone in bliss to fully register that it's you who's making those noises. By the time your opening your eyes back up he's finally pulled away from you. His mouth is still shining with your release and you can't help but groan at the sight of him slowly fisting his leaking cock. His mouth is on yours in an instant, both of you groaning at the taste of both your orgasms. Your hips jut into his, the desire to feel filled by him is starting to drive you into a frenzy. You need to feel him, one orgasm isn't enough. Never really has been for you, but especially not when it's finally with Tae. "Tae, come on, please fuck me." The way he groans low and sweet has you clenching around nothing and desire trickling out of you once again. You watch, entirely entranced, as he finally enters. You're well prepped enough that there's no burn, just sweet sweet satisfaction. His head rested in the crook of your neck, peppering small kisses along the vein as he stayed still before slowly pulling back out. His hands wrap your thighs around his waist before he starts moving rhythmically. Each movement is harsher, faster than the last. Each thrust has both of you groaning at the sensation. You can feel him everywhere, so utterly full as he prods away at the right spot that has nerves on fire. "God, you're so fucking tight. And wet, holy shit. Can I...can I feed from you?" You can't help but moan at his words again. He looks so perfect, almost like a sculpture has come to life. The sweat is making his hair cling to his face, casting a glow to his tan skin. "You have to say yes, I'm not taking a moan for an answer." "Yes, please Tae." At the green light, he nuzzled back into your neck, his tongue snaking along the pulsing vein before his fangs sunk in. There's something about the mix of pain and pleasure that almost feels like a high each time. Sinful, dirty, perfect. And it has you tumbling into another orgasm around him. Clenching, moaning, milking Tae to finally come to his own. His tongue laps up the last of the blood, seeling away the bite as his hips begin to rut sloppily through his own completion. He stays lodged inside as he starts to soften and presses a few soft kisses on your lips. You feel not just satisfied, but somewhere into a place of warm and fuzzy bliss. "You know, it was worth the wait." He sighs at the sound of his phone going off and grimaces as he finally pulls out to look at his phone. "I have to leave now so I won't be late to practice. Can I...come back over tomorrow? I don't have the day off, but I do have a break in the afternoon." "Of course, just text me when you're on your way over. Don't push yourself too hard." Tae gives a boxy grin as he pulls on his clothes before weaving his fingers into your hair and pulling you into a heated kiss. "As much as I love seeing you naked, you should probably put on some clothes so you don't catch a cold. I'll see you tomorrow, my queen." You watch him leave silently, a smile plastered to your face. You certainly weren't expecting for this to happen when you took on the job. You weren't expecting these blossoming feelings of love to take over when you started to first tease Tae. But the world works in mysterious ways, and you couldn't be happier with the results.

#btssmutclub #taehyung smut #tae smut #taehyung fanfic #taehyung fanfiction #tae fanfic #taehyung reader insert #v smut #bts smut #bts vampire au #vampire tae #vampire taehyung

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bevioletskies · 6 years

Text

everybody wants to rule the world [7/8]

characters: peter/gamora, guardians-centric

summary: peter is the one and only heir to the celestial throne. gamora is expected to successfully lead the titans to conquer the galaxy. a political alliance is in the works, and there may or may not be wedding bells in the air.

alternately: peter and gamora find themselves in an arranged marriage and want nothing to do with it, but might need each other more than they think if they want to escape their genocidal fathers forever.

word count: 12.7k

a/n: warning for creepy/abusive behavior from both thanos and ego towards their respective children throughout the entire fic. also note that this AU is very heavily based on the MCU versions of themselves, where things are basically only different because yondu took peter to ego after all.

although this fic is not MCU canon, i do borrow some elements from avengers: infinity war in this chapter, so spoiler warning if you haven't seen it yet. also, additional warning for mentions and descriptions of blood, injuries, canon-typical violence, and torture.

fic title is from the song everybody wants to rule the world by tears for fears.

so glad we've almost made it...so sad they had to fade it...

ao3 | tag

Peter woke to a persistent, high-pitched ringing in his ear and the muffled sound of his name being whispered urgently, over and over again. Someone’s fingers were digging so tightly in his shoulders that they were leaving welts in his skin, trying desperately to shake him awake. “Peter...Peter...come on, wake up…” He slowly propped himself up into a sitting position, his back against the scraggly cave wall. He blinked into the darkness, alarmed to find Gamora knelt in front of him, her face mere inches from his, a fresh cut across her forehead that left an unsightly streak of blood running down her cheek. She looked relieved to see him, though, gripping his arms to keep him steady. “Peter, listen to me. Mantis is in there and she’s holding him down, but she can’t do it alone, we have to help. Can you stand? Are you hurt?”

“Holding...holding who down?” Peter paused to cough out what felt like an entire desert’s worth of dust out of his lungs.

Gamora frowned. “Your...your father. Did you hit your head? Do you remember what happened?”

“Yeah.” Another hacking cough. “Yeah. D - Dad, he killed that boy. My brother. He’s killed...thousands of my...my siblings. And he killed my mom.”

She nodded sadly. “It would seem that way. I’m sorry, Peter.”

“I’m gonna kill him,” Peter muttered, clenching his fists. “I’m gonna find him, and I’m gonna kill him.”

“Not with everyone still on the planet,” Gamora said firmly. “We have to help Mantis first. She’s put Ego to sleep, but she won’t be able to hold him forever. Yondu already called Kraglin, they’re on their way with your ship.”

Wheezing softly, Peter stumbled to his feet. He nearly tripped over himself, but Gamora’s reflexes were faster, slipping under his shoulder to support him, though she hobbled as she did. He glanced down to see a large gash in her leg, similar to the one she had gotten during the battle at their wedding. “Wait...you’re hurt.”

Gamora shook her head adamantly. “I’ll be fine. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Let’s go.”

They slowly made their way into the cave, dreading what they might find. Mantis was knelt on the ground, her palms flat against the surface, her antennae angled forward in concentration. The guards were all unconscious, sprawled across the floor, while the captives appeared to be as unresponsive as before. Ego’s body, however, was nowhere to be found.

“Mantis…” Peter could only stare at her, speechless.

She looked up at him with big, watery eyes. “I’m so sorry,” Mantis whispered. “I am so, so sorry.”

“We...we can talk about this later.” Peter turned away. He wasn’t sure if he felt incredibly guilty for having left Mantis to deal with her secrets alone, or incredibly angry that she had never mentioned it before. “Where’s Dad?”

“His physical form evaporated a few moments ago. I suspect he is reforming into something stronger,” Mantis said quietly. “I cannot make him sleep forever. We need to evacuate, now.”

“Are we even gonna be able to get a hold of the Nova Corps in time? What do we - what do we even say to them? They have no clue what’s happening out here!” Peter groaned, running his hands through his hair.

“We don’t have to say anything.” Gamora unbuckled one of the pouches on her utility belt and pulled out the small camera that Rocket had given her the night before. “Rocket’s already downloading the feed to the Milano’s database. We’ll have a message out to them in fifteen minutes flat.”

“I could kiss you right now,” Peter said half-seriously. Gamora elbowed him in retaliation, though Mantis cracked a smile for the first time in what seemed like weeks. “And what about all these people? We gotta help ‘em get out of here. What’d Dad do to them, anyways?”

Mantis chewed her lip. “Actually...they are under my control right now.”

Peter blanched. “What?”

“I may be capable of more than I have ever shown you,” Mantis admitted, ducking her head. “When...when Ego first took me in, all I could do was help him sleep and regulate emotions. But after some time, he became very frustrated with my limitations. He wanted me to be of more use. So he took me to the Priests of Pama - ”

“Mantis...that’s a Kree faction,” Gamora interrupted, astonished. “He took you to the Kree when you were a child?”

“Yes,” Mantis said sadly. “I think I was four years old. They enhanced my existing abilities and gave me new powers that even I do not fully understand. But one of my new specialties is my ability to put hundreds of people in a dream-like stasis at once.” Peter and Gamora looked on at the unconscious crowd, their eyes glazed over, staring straight ahead at nothing. “If I take them out of it, they will not remember anything that has happened here. But we should take them somewhere safe first.”

“The Milano won’t be able to fit much more than just us, but I can get Kraglin to send for more ships,” Peter said, exhaling slowly. “The rest of us will pack up everything we can manage back at the palace and the armory, evacuate the planet, and…come back for you, since you gotta keep Dad down as long as possible.” He glanced at Gamora. “But I don’t like the idea of leaving Mantis here by herself.”

“Having someone else here will not make my sleep ability any stronger,” Mantis shrugged. “I will be okay, Peter.”

“You need someone to guard you in case Ego suddenly comes back,” Gamora said firmly. “Peter, you go with the others. I’ll stay.”

“What? I don’t like that idea, either!” Peter exclaimed.

“Someone has to do it. Do you want to waste more time by fighting over who it will be?” Gamora countered, narrowing her eyes at him, before softening. “Peter...I said my job was to keep everyone safe. Let me stay so I can do that. You need to take care of your people.”

Before Peter could respond, they were interrupted by an unceremoniously loud crash behind them. They turned to see the Milano coming to a rocky landing, its wings barely grazing the sides of the cave. Groot waved cheerily at them from the cockpit. Sighing, Peter knelt down beside Mantis, resting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll come back for you, okay? Just stay calm. Try not to think about all that other stuff.”

“Okay. And I’m sorry,” Mantis repeated softly.

“Seriously, don’t think about it. We can talk about it later.” Peter briefly kissed her forehead before getting to his feet, turning towards Gamora. “I don’t like this, but I ain’t about to tell you what to do,” he sighed. “Stay on comms so I know you’re both okay.”

Gamora stepped forward to pat him lightly on the chest, her hands coming to rest against his folded forearms. “You should get going. We’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

With one last worried look, Peter reluctantly pulled away and sprinted toward the ship. Gamora and Mantis watched as the Milano took off once more, a sense of dread settling firmly in their chests. ______

Peter was quick to fill in the others on the whole story, though unsurprisingly, Yondu already seemed fully informed, clenching his teeth throughout as if to stop himself from interrupting. The atmosphere on the ship was sobering after that - even Rocket had no wisecracks to make, and Nebula seemed uneasy about leaving Gamora behind. The atmosphere when they returned to the palace added a sense of manic frenzy as they swept through all the rooms, gathering up as many crucial belongings as they could. Peter glanced around his quarters in resignation while he packed up his and Gamora’s things, realizing this was going to be the last time he was ever going to be here, the last time this room, this palace, this planet was going to exist.

The servants were initially confused at what was going on, though Kraglin made quick work of ordering them to pack up their things, find their families, and prepare to leave. He also sent out his guards to the cities and sound the evacuation alert. Rocket, unfortunately, was less successful, unable to get a hold of the Nova Corps. “Are they on vacation or somethin’? What the hell’s going on?” Rocket exclaimed. “Quill, what do we do now?”

“The original plan it is,” Peter said. “I’ll go make the call now. Everyone head to the throne room. Check in with Kraglin on how we’re doing, make sure we’ve got numbers and a system going on, or boarding everyone’s just gonna be complete chaos.” He tossed his bags to Drax, who immediately dropped them all in confusion. “Dude. I kinda wanted you to take those for me?”

“Right, that makes more sense,” Drax nodded sheepishly. Rocket snorted, hefting his own bag over his shoulder before heading out the door, the others following closely behind. Peter turned back to enter his personal study, his heart racing in his throat.

Once he turned his computer back on, he pulled up the contact, trying his best to stay calm. Every minute he was away from Mantis and Gamora, every second that his people were still here, was another one wasted. “Hey, Ambassador Ragnarok - ”

“It’s Ragnvaldr, sire,” the man sighed, his face filling up the screen. “Ragnarok is a prophesied apocalyptic scenario - ”

“Yeah, yeah. Listen, I know I called off our arrangement yesterday, but I guess I spoke too soon. I’m gonna need your help after all, and I kinda need it...now?”

Ragnvaldr wrinkled his nose. “You should know the prince isn’t available at the moment. In fact, I believe he’s on Midgard right now.”

“That’s...weird. Well, whatever, we can do this without him. I just owe him, big time. If he ever, I dunno, gets stranded in space or whatever, I’ll pick him up! Give him a ride home,” Peter grinned toothily. “Please, Ambassador. My people could die at any minute if you don’t help us. Whatever Asgard needs from me afterward, I can provide. Just...please.”

Ragnvaldr sighed again, longer this time. “Alright, sire. I’ll tell Heimdall to open the Bifrost. Do be patient, we only just finished cleaning up after the Dark Elf incident from last week.” ______

“I would feel better if you were sitting down,” Mantis commented. Her eyes were following Gamora, who had been pacing restlessly for the last ten minutes. “You are making me very dizzy.”

“I can’t help it, it’s those people.” Gamora jabbed her finger at the nearest motionless captive. “I feel like they could jump out at me at any time. Or transform into your father.”

“He is no longer my father,” Mantis said darkly. “Now you have seen what he has me do. The horrible things he asks of me.”

“Why didn’t you tell Peter earlier?” Gamora crouched in front of Mantis, attempting to meet her eyes, but the other girl was too evasive. “It wouldn’t have escalated like this if he knew.”

“Ego said if I ever told Peter anything - about the people, the children, his mother - he would kill Peter. Without hesitation. At first, I wasn’t sure if he would, since he needs Peter’s powers to accomplish his goals, but - ”

“What? What goals?” Gamora frowned. “How many secrets have you been keeping, Mantis?”

“Too many.” Mantis smiled wryly. “I will explain everything when Peter comes back for us, I promise. I do not like holding all of these terrible things inside of me for so long. I felt like I was going to explode. But I could not risk losing Peter, even if it meant hiding things from him.”

Gamora finally sat down beside her, giving her a sympathetic smile. “This has been hard on you, too. Peter may have trouble understanding why, but I get it. You had a tough choice to make, and I would have done the same in your place. Thanos...he sometimes threatened to hurt Nebula if I didn’t do as he said. He knew we preferred each other over all of our other siblings. We spent more time together, were raised more closely together.”

“But you do not seem very close,” Mantis observed. “Like you do not know how to show love and affection.”

“Because we were never given any,” Gamora shrugged. “I suppose for us, love meant letting the other person live another day. Pulling our punches during training when Thanos wasn’t looking. Going back for the other if they were injured instead of leaving them to die. It isn’t always about hugs and happy memories.”

“But you have learned love. I can feel it.” Mantis smiled apologetically, shaking her head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. It just radiates off you so strongly. Like a beacon, calling out for something. Or someone.”

Gamora withdrew herself, instantly wary. “I thought I told you, I don’t want to have this conversation.”

“Interesting how you assumed I was talking about Peter,” Mantis said slyly. “Besides, what else is there to talk about?”

“The end of the world, maybe?” Gamora gestured at the crowd surrounding them, the crumbling rock and ash residue from Mantis’s attack. Mantis looked crestfallen, though, and Gamora couldn’t help but give in. After all, the other girl was probably desperate for something pleasant to focus on. “Fine. What?”

“Well, emotions are not always the same for every person,” Mantis said thoughtfully. “I mean, the way you feel love differs between the people that you love. Your heartbeat is steadiest when you are with Groot, because to you, he makes you feel calm and secure. Your brain is most active around Rocket and Drax, because they challenge you, in good ways and bad ways. And your head and your heart are most in sync around Nebula because you know her best.”

“That seems...accurate, actually,” Gamora admitted.

“Your brain is on alert around me and Yondu, because you still do not fully understand how to deal with us,” Mantis continued. “You worry about angering Yondu and upsetting me. Do not worry, Gamora. I am not afraid of you like I was when you first arrived. I am in awe of you, actually.”

“I’m not someone to be worshipped,” Gamora protested, thinking back to the Meredith statue. She really wasn’t looking for fame and fortune. She didn’t want a monument in her name or a plaque singing her praises. All she wanted was to live the rest of her life, sure of who she was, without needing anyone else’s affirmation. “I want to be a leader, not a god.”

“And Peter,” Mantis continued excitedly. “Oh, he cares so much about you. I think he would be embarrassed if I were to tell you the full extent of his emotions, but I promise that they are very sincere. He has had a few casual relationships, people that he has slept with. He liked them enough, but it was mostly about physical attraction for him. It is entirely different from the way he feels when you are around.”

There it was, that thing Gamora wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about. She had very barely skimmed the surface of her feelings in her discussion with Peter, even surprised herself at the extent of her confession to him. She wasn’t about to disclose it to Mantis, no matter what she “read” from her mind or her heart. Still, Mantis seemed persistent, and it was keeping her calm. She supposed she could afford to give Mantis a bit of a free pass if it meant that Ego would be kept at bay. “We had a conversation last night, actually. About what comes after all of...this. Who we would be to each other once this is all over.”

Mantis let out a delighted squeal. “And what did you decide on?”

“We didn’t.” Gamora had resorted to drawing mindlessly in the dust beneath her, her fingernails tracing out subconscious shapes that were somewhat beginning to resemble stars. She paused. “I think that’s something to be kept between me and him.”

“I understand,” Mantis nodded. “Ego always wanted Peter to settle down, but he had this idea in his head of what kind of woman Peter would like. He thought he would want someone glamorous and outgoing, someone who loves music as much as he does. Personally, I do not know if Peter would want to put up with someone who is too much like him,” she giggled. “I think you suit each other very well. You bring out the best parts of him. He seems more focused and more self-aware when you are with him. Does it feel that way for you, too?”

“You mean you aren’t trying to read me when I’m around him?” Gamora asked disbelievingly. Mantis shrugged innocently. “I don’t know. Being here...it makes me wonder what kind of person I really am. The person I was with Thanos, or the person that I am now, which one is for real?”

“I think you are the same regardless,” Mantis replied. “Do not undersell yourself, Gamora. You are not a ‘before’ or ‘after’ scenario. You are here, and now.”

Gamora was unsure of how to respond. All the facets of her own self - what she saw, what they saw - could never be fully reconciled, not when her whole life was definitively “before” and “after”. Before Thanos killed her parents, after he took her in. Before she arrived on Ego’s planet, after she made her true intentions clear. And here they were, right at the end of another “before”, about to cross the threshold into her next “after”. But what did that mean?

Before coming here, Gamora imagined that her “after” would mean either warming another jail cell for years to come or exiling herself to Sakaar so she could finally go down fighting. Now, “after” had the potential of being so much more. The Nova Corps had come to trust and respect her, her people seemed far more loyal and familial than they had three months ago, and Peter...well, he had made a promise of adventure, a great unknown. Strangely enough, it wasn’t as scary of a concept as it had first sounded. The idea of spending day after day, unsure of what was going to happen, but knowing that something would, seemed like the kind of adrenaline rush she needed, the reprieve from the fixation and routine she had been living through since she was a child. Spontaneity wasn’t in her nature, but maybe it could be. Hell, happiness hadn’t been in her nature, either, but being here made Gamora believe it was possible.

“I do not mean to overstep,” Mantis said, interrupting Gamora’s thoughts. “Sometimes my powers are more of a nuisance than an advantage. If I am around someone with such complex emotions, it is almost impossible for me to shut them out. Peter feels emotions very briefly most of the time, in small bursts. He does not let them linger in his head before he moves on to the next one. But you are the opposite. It is like your feelings simmer beneath the surface, growing stronger over time.”

“Mantis, I can’t...I can’t do this right now. Can we talk about something else?” A persistent throbbing was beginning to emanate through Gamora’s head, and she wasn’t sure if it was related to her wound.

“Sorry,” Mantis said sheepishly. “What would you like to discuss instead?”

Gamora settled back down, her breathing coming in a little less shallow. “What do you want to do after all this is over?”

“I am not sure. I would want to stay with Peter and Yondu, of course,” Mantis said thoughtfully. “We will have a small portion of Ego’s money, enough to last for a little while. I want to keep the outreach center open if it’s possible. I do not want to give all of those ex-criminals false hope.”

“Was it really your idea?” Gamora asked. “Your timing was...interesting. A little convenient, even.”

“It was,” Mantis promised. “But Ego accelerated the project’s timeline so that he would have another source of...well.” She nodded towards the unconscious captives around them with a sad smile. “Like I promised, I will explain everything when we are back with the others.”

“They sure are taking their time,” Gamora sighed, though she supposed she couldn’t blame them. Evacuating an entire planet wasn’t exactly an everyday task, though if they had the Nova Corps on their side -

“Hey! Hey, Gam!” Rocket’s voice crackled through Gamora’s communicator. “Gamora, you there? Mantis doing okay?”

“Yes, Rocket, we’re both here!” Gamora exclaimed immediately, unhitching the device from her belt and bringing it to her mouth. “Give me an update.”

“Not lookin’ great,” Rocket admitted. “We can’t get a hold of the Nova Corps. No clue why.”

Gamora furrowed her brow. “Do you think...could Ego be awake somehow?” she whispered to Mantis, who shook her head vehemently. “Rocket, please tell me you’ve got a solution.”

“Quill called the Asgardians like we were originally gonna do, they’re almost here,” Rocket promised. “Palace is already all packed up - what can I say, that Kraglin’s a real efficient dude. He’s got ships goin’ out to send emergency resources across the planet so everyone can get movin’ once the Asgardian vessels arrive. We’ve got another ship on our way to you for all those creepy zombies, and we’re gonna follow in the Milano and sit tight with you guys until the planet’s all clear. Then...well, then it’s take-off.”

Gamora let out a sigh of relief. “That all sounds good. Thank you, Rocket,” she added sincerely.

Rocket scoffed. “Don’t thank me yet, we got a while to go. Rocket, out.”

Another agonizingly long ten minutes passed before a ship touched down right outside the mouth of the cave, with a dozen guard members streaming in to help move the comatose people onboard. Gamora watched uneasily as their lifeless bodies were slung over the guards’ shoulders and strapped in the back. She lifted the communicator to her mouth again, turning away from the disturbing sight. “Rocket? Peter? Is anyone there? They’re evacuating the cave now, are you close?”

To Gamora’s surprise, it was Nebula who answered. “Rocket and Quill are piloting the ship right now. If we don’t crash first, we should be there in ten minutes.”

Gamora frowned. “Crash?”

There was a sharp crackling noise as Nebula stood and walked closer to the cockpit. “Look, I’ve been flyin’ this rig for years now - ”

“ - and I was cybernetically engineered to fly anything, so what’s your point, humie?”

“Oh, great, now you’re throwin’ slurs around now, that’s real nice - ”

“ - how’s that any better than you callin’ me a rat five minutes ago?!”

“I’m not liking our chances,” Nebula said dryly.

Gamora groaned, shaking her head. “Can you pass me over to Peter?”

Another horrible screeching sound, then - “Gamora! Gamora, hey, how’re you and Mantis holding up?”

A large rumble surged behind her, causing Gamora to turn around, watching as the guard’s ship took off, once again leaving her and Mantis alone. She shivered a little from the blast. “The guards just left with all of the victims on board. Mantis and I are fine, though can you please save the bickering for another time?”

“Oh, so you heard all of that,” Peter said sheepishly. “Sorry, Rocket’s just being a real jerk right now - ”

“HAH!”

“Peter,” Gamora said sternly. “Both of you, shut up and get everyone here in one piece, okay? We don’t have time for childish behavior, especially if you have everyone’s lives in your hands.”

“Tell that to him,” Peter grumbled. “By the way, all the capitals are cleared out already, they’re on to the towns and rural areas. Planet should be all clear in less than an hour.”

“That’s impressive,” Gamora commented, smiling a little, relieved. “We’ll have to find some way to repay the Asgardians for their help. That’s a big endeavor, even for a force as large as theirs.”

“We’ll think of somethin’,” Peter promised, pausing. “Does it...does it help if I keep talking? Maybe if you put Mantis on, I can talk to her, too.”

Gamora swallowed her disappointment down. As much as she wanted to keep listening to his voice, it wouldn’t do him any good if he were distracted. “No, you should concentrate on piloting the ship. We’ll see you soon.”

“Alright,” Peter said reluctantly. “Star-Lord, out.” Gamora chuckled to herself, letting the communicator linger against her mouth before tucking it back into her belt pouch. ______

Only moments later, Kraglin received an update from his guards on the ground, informing him that an astonishing seventy-five percent of the planet had already been emptied out, and were on their way to Asgard. “That Heimdall fella must be real powerful,” Kraglin commented, genuinely impressed. “We got a good chunk of ‘em over there already.”

“Awesome. Now if only we could fly faster,” Peter said, tapping rapidly at the console in front of him as if it would make a difference. “I don’t like being away from Mantis for this long, especially with her holding Dad down. He could come back any second.”

“Stop thinkin’ about it and just fly, Quill!” Rocket demanded, leaning over to swat Peter’s hands away from the screens. “If you’d let me tinker with this hunk of junk a few weeks ago like I asked - ”

“Don’t call her a piece of junk!” Peter snapped. “No one gets to touch the Milano ‘cept me and Yondu, you got that?”

“Boys,” Nebula interrupted sharply. “You do realize I’m going to tell Gamora about all of your petty squabbles, don’t you?” Peter and Rocker promptly went quiet, though they were still seething at each other in silence. Nebula smirked triumphantly.

It didn’t last for long, though, a sudden ominous cracking noise erupting from below them. It was shallow, almost quiet at first, before roaring into a rumbling storm. The ship swerved sharply through the air, rolling upside down and jerking back and forth like it was possessed, as the sudden winds started throwing them around. Nebula, who had been standing, tumbled over and slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch, while Rocket was nearly yanked out of his seat from the gravitational pull. Groot quickly snatched Nebula up and buckled her in, his branches growing outwards to brace the entire cockpit.

“What the hell is goin’ on?!” Peter shouted over the commotion.

“You guys ever have earthquakes like this before?” Rocket asked, pulling himself back up.

“No, Dad controls...Dad controls the entire ecosystem,” Peter said slowly. He turned to look at Yondu, whose eyes were blown wide in realization. “Crap, he’s awake!”

It was as if the floodgates opened the moment Peter spoke, the ship slamming about like they were in a pinball machine, everyone holding on to Groot’s extended branches for dear life as Peter and Rocket attempted to recalibrate the ship’s navigation. The winds picked up, louder and louder, practically howling as dust began swirling up from the desert beneath them, obscuring their vision. An alarm began blaring through the ship’s speakers, alerting them to a blown engine and a damaged wing.

“We gotta set ‘er down, Quill! We can’t get to the girls with all of this goin’ on!” Rocket hollered over the persistent siren.

“No! We have to save them, they’re in trouble!” Peter yelled back.

“We try to get to ‘em, we’re not gonna have a ship to leave in!” Rocket snapped.

“Then you’re not the amazing pilot you said you were!” Peter retorted. Groaning, Rocket rubbed agitatedly at his temples before gripping the steering once more, grumbling under his breath in resignation. Peter grinned, victorious, before turning back to his own position. They could do this. They had to do this.

Another few terrifying minutes passed as Peter and Rocket attempted to navigate the storm, Groot rapidly growing more and more in an attempt to stabilize the entire ship despite its growing list of issues. The others could only sit and hold on, trying not to vomit with every new sudden movement. After what felt like hours, they managed to crash right through the mouth of the cave, skidding to a halt a mere fifty feet from the girls. Peter’s heart leaped in horror at the sight before him.

Mantis was laid motionless on her side, blood trickling down her forehead. Gamora was crouched protectively over her, holding her sword high, as tendrils of light swooped down at them, dancing almost mockingly over their heads. There was a skeletal-like figure stood on the top of the large boulder in the middle, as Ego had done before, though it wasn’t talking, or even moving, its vacant eyeholes fixated intensively on Gamora.

“Gamora!” Peter sprinted towards her, his hands outstretched. Almost instinctively, she ducked, allowing Peter to shoot a dense beam of light to block all of Ego’s attacks, reflecting them back onto the walls. Several of them struck the skeleton, causing it to dissipate instantly, though Peter knew that couldn’t possibly be the end. Still, he ran the rest of the way, skidding on his knees in his haste to turn Mantis over. “Mantis...Mantis, wake up!”

“She’ll be okay,” Gamora wheezed, her sword falling to the ground as she clutched her side. “Ego, he suddenly - he came out of nowhere and hit Mantis on the head. He...he got me, too.” Peter’s gaze quickly traveled over Gamora’s body, noting the blood seeping through her tank top and the thigh of her pants, the burns and scrapes on her face and hands. Before he could stop himself, he reached to rest a hand on her stomach wound, disturbed how wet his hand felt as he did. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” Gamora promised, placing her hand over his. “I’ll need to treat it later, but I’m fine.”

Swallowing thickly, Peter looked back down at Mantis, who, despite being unconscious, looked better off, aside from the mild wound on her forehead where Ego must have struck her. He gently brushed her hair away from her face, noting the lump beginning to form beside her antennae, but she otherwise had no other visible injuries. “We gotta wake her up, we gotta put Dad back to sleep. We still got a bunch of people left - ”

“Peter.” Gamora trembled. “We need to leave now. I don’t think Mantis is going to wake anytime soon.”

“What’re you - no, we can’t leave yet! There’s still - ”

“We’ll hold out for as long as we can, but I think Mantis needs medical attention before she’ll wake again,” Gamora said gently. “Peter, I don’t like the idea either. But we’ve gotten this far, and we can’t risk our lives, either. Otherwise, no one will be around to take your father down for good.”

“So we’re choosing our own lives over the millions that we’re leaving behind?” Peter’s eyes welled up at the thought.

“We are choosing our own lives to save the billions that Ego is planning to kill,” Gamora said fiercely. “You know I’m right, Peter. So let’s take Mantis and go.”

He looked at her imploringly, a sort of frustrated desperation in his eyes that haunted her. For a split second, she felt her resolve crumble, but she knew this had to be the right call. With a shaky sigh, Peter gave in, sliding his arms under Mantis and hoisting her up, running back to the ship. Drax was already coming down to meet him on the landing ramp, taking Mantis and nodding wordlessly at Peter before carrying her inside to safety.

Gamora, however, hesitated, glancing down at her feet. The light was beginning to swirl dangerously between the cracks in the ground. “Gamora?” Peter called. “You said we gotta go, so let’s go.”

She drew her sword once more, though her hands were unsteady. “He’s coming back any minute now.”

“Gamora…” Peter said slowly, taking a few measured steps towards her. “What do you think you’re doin’?”

“I said we have to hold out for as long as we can. That means someone has to stay behind.” She gave him a wan smile.

Peter felt the breath get knocked out of him once more for what had to be the hundredth time that day. “No way.”

“How else is this going to get done, Peter?” Gamora said exasperatedly. Her voice was shaking, too.

Peter ran back to her, gripping her shoulders a little too tightly. “This is a team effort,” he repeated. “So, no, Gamora, I’m not leaving you behind. Not again, and not to die.”

“This isn’t up for debate, Peter - ”

“Please,” Peter begged. “I know I said I wouldn’t ever make you do anything you don’t wanna do. But if I have to pick you up and carry you onto the ship myself, I’ll...I’ll do it.” He choked out a sob. “Gamora, please. I can’t do this without you.”

A sudden blast of light shot up from beneath her, curling around her waist and hoisting her up high in the air, nearly crushing her into the ceiling from the sheer momentum. Gamora let out a terrified cry, her sword clattering to the ground in shock. Peter instinctively jumped as if to grab her, but was stopped by another light winding its way around his ankles, anchoring him down.

“Oh, Peter, Peter, Peter.” Chills went up Peter’s spine at the sound of Ego’s voice, though he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It was resonating off every wall, causing the Milano to rattle noisily behind him. “Like father, like son, isn’t it? I never thought you would find a girl who meant as much to you as Meredith did to me, but here we are. Or I guess I was the one who found your wife. I made a good choice, didn’t I?”

Peter held up his hands on the defense, light pulsing from his own palms. “You didn’t care about Mom, you killed her,” he growled. “Let Gamora go.”

A blinding flash surged before Peter, causing him to stumble back, falling onto his behind. A new, skeletal-like figure emerged from the light, its muscles knitting themselves together underneath its bones with every step it took. Then eyeballs, then teeth, then nails, notably lacking skin and hair. It looked like something out of a bad horror movie. “I killed her because I loved her, Peter,” Ego said patiently, almost mockingly. “And now, you have to make that choice, too. After all, if you’re trying to ‘defeat’ me or whatever it is you’re attempting to do here - and failing, I might add - tell me, how much does Gamora really mean to you?”

Peter wrenched his ankles out of the light’s grasp with an agonized shout, desperately crawling backward until his back hit the wall. “If you loved Mom, you would’ve found a way to be with her,” he panted. “Why didn’t you ask her if she wanted to come here with you instead? What was so goddamn important that you had to put a tumor in her brain?!”

“I just don’t think she would’ve understood,” Ego shrugged, advancing slowly. “You see, Peter, millions of years ago, when I first came into being, I found myself wandering for millennia, seeking life. But everything I came across...was disappointing. And so I knew, right then and there, that my true purpose...it was not to walk among that life. It was to recreate the universe.” He extended a skeletal hand in peace. “Peter, I will forgive you and your sister for everything you’ve done here tonight. I’ll even let Gamora go, and let you be with her if that’s what you want. I just need you to be on my side. You are the only one of my spawn to have a connection to the light. I need you to make the Expansion possible.”

Peter looked up at the ceiling, where Gamora was struggling fruitlessly, the light tightening more and more with every second, digging into her flesh. She let out another startled cry as it curled back around itself, winding around her throat and squeezing. Gamora began to choke, her eyes tearing up as she gasped for air. Swallowing, Peter turned back to Ego, narrowing his eyes.

“You’ll forgive me, huh? That’s funny, because I will never forgive you. You know why?” Peter struggled to his feet. “You’re hurting my wife. You’ve been abusing my sister. And you killed my mother.”

With a determined shout, Peter lifted both his hands and blasted with all his might, aiming a stream of light at Ego’s skeleton, and using the other to carry the Godslayer up to Gamora. She weakly grasped her sword, just barely wrapping her fingers around its hilt, before slashing through the light beneath her. It vanished, causing her to go tumbling through the air, before landing neatly on her feet right beside Peter. Gamora hesitated for a split second before taking a running leap forward, driving her sword straight through Ego’s heart. The skeleton dissolved, spraying them both in silt, and in a flash of light, he was gone once more.

Gamora practically collapsed into Peter’s side the moment Ego disappeared, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. There were new welts in her throat and face, and cuts all over her clothes, exposing raw skin and oozing blood. “P - Peter...the ship, now.”

Peter quickly lifted her into his arms and sprinted towards the Milano without another backward glance. The sound of Gamora’s chest rattling with every breath she took was starting to scare him. “Rocket, get us in the air!” he hollered the second he stepped foot onto the deck.

“What just happened?” Rocket exclaimed, twisting around in his seat. Nebula shot up the second she laid eyes on her sister, immediately running to her side.

“We can’t - we can’t stay, we - we gotta go - Kraglin, tell your men to keep evacuatin’, but it’s their call on when they wanna leave, too, they can’t - ”

“We couldn’t see what was goin’ on,” Kraglin said, brow furrowed. “What happened with your dad, Pete?”

“He’s gonna come back,” Peter said, still attempting to catch his breath. “Mantis and Gamora, we gotta take care of ‘em, we need to get people off this planet, we...we hafta…”

Peter only just managed to set Gamora down on the blankets Drax had laid out for her before his knees buckled underneath him. Yondu was by his side in an instant, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “Breathe, boy,” Yondu murmured. “Let me take care of the people, alright? You look after your girls. They need you.”

“The whole planet needs me, Yondu, and I failed,” Peter whispered, looking up. Mantis was still unconscious, laid out on her makeshift bed, while Gamora was struggling for air beside her. Nebula snatched the oxygen mask Kraglin was offering her right out of his hands and pulled it over her sister’s face, looking unusually grim.

“Go sit in your bunk for a minute, Quill,” Yondu said, squeezing his shoulders. “I don’t want you lookin’ out none of these windows when we take off, okay? You don’t need to see this. I’ll call you back out when we’re outta the atmosphere.”

Defeated, Peter slowly got to his feet and made his way down the corridor. This was only just the beginning of the end, but Peter felt like they had already lost. ______

Fifteen minutes in isolated silence later, Peter emerged from his bunk at Yondu’s request, promising they had officially left Ego behind and were on their way to Asgard to look after the survivors. Notably, Yondu didn��t mention how many people were still left, only that Gamora was in stable condition and needed company.

Peter felt numb as he made his way into the common area of the ship, taking a cursory glance out the vantage window to see nothing but the endless void of space. Drax was tending to Mantis in the kitchenette, who was awake, if a little drowsy. Groot was sat beside Gamora on one of the benches, rubbing her back comfortingly. He stood when he saw Peter approaching, nodding gravely at him before moving to join Drax.

Peter pulled the first aid kit out of its respective cabinet before kneeling wordlessly in front of Gamora, setting the kit down on his lap. It seemed almost too trivial to bother, considering her body modifications were going to do most of the work, but he needed to keep his mind and body busy, no matter how badly his hands shook. He slowly unwound the gauze from its roll, staring up at her in silent plea. Gamora blinked in confusion for a moment before realizing what he wanted, slowly peeling off her pants so he could tend to her leg wound. The blood was already drying, darkening in color, with bruising up and down her legs.

“Dumb question,” Peter said, hushed. It felt inappropriate to speak above a whisper. “Are you okay?”

“Are you?” Gamora countered. He only shrugged aimlessly in response, gently lifting her foot to rest it on his leg so he could reach the underside of her thigh, starting with a damp cloth so he could clean the wound. She hissed a little at the unexpected warmth of the towel. “You’re bleeding, too.”

“It’s...it’s fine.” Peter quickly readjusted the hem of his T-shirt to hide the scrape along his torso. He hesitated as he picked up the antibiotic cream, wondering if they were just going to throw their physical boundaries out the window. “Do you wanna do this part?” Gamora held up her taped fingers, courtesy of Drax. “Right, another stupid question.” Peter deposited a little on the palm of his hand before slowly massaging it into her skin. It stung, burning hot, but Gamora tried to focus on the feeling of Peter’s skin instead. As trivial as it seemed, the physical contact was almost familiar by now. She remembered the way the blisters of his palms felt against her own hands, and now he was practically knelt between her legs, rubbing circles into her thigh. She shivered, mentally reminding herself not to get too distracted.

“You don’t look fine.” Gamora watched as Peter began wrapping the gauze around her leg, completely uneven; it was too loose on the underside of her leg, and too tight as he looped it back around. He paused, lifting his head to finally meet her eyes. Gamora couldn’t take her gaze off the large gash on his cheek, the bruising forming around his left eye, his split lip.

“Well, how else am I s’posed to feel, Gamora? Over the last six hours, I learned that my Dad murdered thousands of my siblings that I didn’t know existed, that he was forcing Mantis to help him since she was a kid, that he’s been trafficking refugees into a battle slave trade, and that he killed my mother because, in his own twisted way, he thinks he loved her. Oh, yeah, and I just left millions of my people behind to die because I couldn’t fight him back.” Peter let out a hysterical laugh. It was awful, and hollow, and all wrong. “You know, I’d never seen anyone die before. Not until you killed those Kree soldiers at our wedding. I wasn’t even thinkin’ about it at the time, because all I could think about is how you were bleedin’ out right next to me, but...how do you get over something like that? How does that become...normal?”

“It doesn’t,” Gamora said quietly. “I don’t feel normal when I take a life, I just feel numb.”

“And I meant what I said before, how I can’t do this without you. But it also made me think, what would’ve happened if you never showed up here? Would I ever start giving a shit about somethin’ other than myself?” Peter tucked in the last of her bandages, throwing the gauze roll back into the first aid kit a little too forcefully. “Maybe I would’ve just let everything happen. Keep pretending my dad wasn’t seriously messed up.”

“I don’t believe that.” Gamora shook her head adamantly. “The very first day we met, I told you why I came here, and despite everything, you decided to help me. You said that...that you were no hero, but you would do whatever you could to help. You’ve never given me reason to believe otherwise.”

Peter turned away from her. “Sounds like you believe in me more than I believe in myself.”

“Don’t think like that, okay? We need to focus,” Gamora insisted, reaching for him. “We have to go back to Ego after we’ve made sure everyone is settled on Asgard. We have to finish this, once and for all.” When Peter didn’t respond, Gamora firmly patted his chest. “Peter, listen to me.”

“I’ve been listening to you!” Peter suddenly shot to his feet, sending the first aid kit clattering against the floor. “And look where it’s gotten us, Gamora!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I can’t tell if you’re thanking me or blaming me for everything that’s happened. And believe me, I won’t apologize for trying to accomplish the impossible. I couldn’t possibly stand by and let Ego and Thanos go.”

“I’m not blaming you, I just - ” Peter groaned, spinning on his heel as he rubbed agitatedly at his temples. “This whole time you’ve been here, people keep tellin’ me you seem to be making me a better person. And I think they’re right. But at what cost? How many people are we gonna lose today because we decided to get involved?”

Gamora would have stood to stare him dead in the eye, if not for the searing pain in her leg. “My only goal this entire time was to stop our fathers from destroying the universe. I am not here to make your life meaningful, and I am not here to make you a better person. If you have a problem with my priorities, you should have said so a long time ago. And if your...feelings towards me are clouding your judgment, then let them go.”

Peter scoffed. “So, what, I should’ve left you to die just now?”

“It would have saved the millions of people you keep prioritizing over the billions we’ve already saved!” Gamora snapped. “You keep choosing the one over the many, Peter. Face it. You can’t be objective.”

“You want me to apologize for caring about people?” Peter said incredulously. “That ain’t gonna happen. Don’t make me regret including you, too.”

With that, he stalked out of the room, giving Mantis a tight smile of acknowledgment before leaving. Gamora let out a frustrated cry, pounding her fist against the wall behind her. We don’t have time for this, she thought desperately. We’re running out of time. ______

Yondu found Peter in his bunk a few minutes later laying on his stomach, his face buried in his pillow. “Why do I feel like the only time we get to talk alone nowadays is after you have a fight with your missus?”

“Sorry, Yondu,” Peter mumbled, pushing himself up into a seated position. “Please tell me you didn’t hear all of that just now.”

“Kinda hard not to. You both got a pair of lungs on ya,” Yondu sighed, sitting beside him. “Why you tryin’ to turn all of your problems on her all of a sudden? I thought you liked her, boy.”

“I do, so much.” Peter pulled his knees into his chest, looking more like a young child than a grown man. “But you can’t deny things got way weirder once she showed up.”

“Sure. And better, too,” Yondu nodded. “Without her, Ego woulda killed or tortured more people. You and Mantis continue to sit pretty on your thrones instead of doin’ something about it, and hell - I’ve been the biggest coward this whole damn time. I let that man hurt you both, over and over again. I brought kids to him for the slaughter. For years. That’s gonna sit with me for a while. That’s not somethin’ I can forgive myself for too easy.”

“Dad would’ve killed you if you tried to stop him,” Peter protested.

“And that’s the price I’d pay if I got to take that bastard down with me,” Yondu growled. “For a kid who claims to understand people, you still don’t seem so good at understandin’ Gamora.” Peter frowned, gesturing for him to continue. “Now, you know I don’t talk about it much, but me and her, we got some similarities. Both grew up slaves. Can’t be close to other people, can’t speak up, can’t make our own choices. We went through our childhoods thinkin’ our lives weren’t worth savin’. Seein’ you value her life over the lives of your people, that’s not somethin’ she can understand just yet. So instead of blaming the millions we left behind on her choices, why don’t you try an’ see where she’s coming from?”

Peter hung his head in defeat. “Part of me thinks that we’re no good for each other. Like we’re causing all this destruction for nothing but think we’re doing the right thing, and it...it freaks me out.” He barely spoke above a whisper. “Is it bad that I’m thinkin’ about it like that?”

“Oh, hell, Quill, everyone’s got their issues,” Yondu scoffed. “But in the end, I think you’re leading each other down the right path. So buck up, go apologize to Gamora, and let’s get this job done. Clock’s tickin’, and Ego’s waitin’.” ______

To Peter’s disappointment, once he and Yondu stepped out to join the others in the cockpit again, Gamora was already preoccupied in conversation over the communication console, leaving his apology for another time. “We had to execute a change of plans at the very last second, Father. I was going to contact you after we were out of Ego’s orbit without the risk of him sending his guard after us.”

“I don’t believe you.” Thanos’s voice sent chills up Peter’s spine. “Why would you risk losing the Celestial source of power? You and I both know the consequences of Ego’s demise.”

“Ego’s pride is far too great for him to take his own life,” Gamora said, barely glancing over at Peter as he fully entered the room. “It was a necessary demonstration of my power. He was beginning to think I was disposable, so I showed him otherwise.”

“Then you ran away from him. What does that prove of your strength?” Thanos sneered.

“During my time on Ego, all he ever did was refer to me as the wife of his son. Now, he will only remember me as a daughter of Thanos,” Gamora said cooly, leaning back in her seat. “Ego will bend to our will. After all, my husband is in my possession.”

“You’re holding the Celestial son hostage?” Thanos almost sounded impressed.

“Along with Ego’s daughter. She is the only one who can maintain his sanity,” Gamora continued. “I also have his advisor and the head of his guard. The only allies he has left are his commonfolk, who lack the training and the knowledge to help him. He will come asking for a trade soon enough. And then his powers will be of great service to you in your search for the Infinity Stones.”

Thanos let out a low, sinister chuckle. “I should never doubt you, child.” Gamora wrinkled her nose in silent disgust. “We meet on Titan in twelve hours. I have to make a detour first. Prepare your prisoners for what is to come.”

“Yes, Father,” Gamora said obediently. The console blinked to signify the end of the call. She exhaled with a sort of determination, turning towards the others. “I bought us some time. Let’s not waste it.”

She got to her feet, crossing the room with a slight limp so she could pull down the screens over the table, opening up maps and contact sheets. “You really think Thanos would keep his word?” Nebula said uncertainly. “He could be on his way to us right now.”

“Which is why we have to get moving,” Gamora said testily, gesturing at the screens before her. “Now stop standing around and help.”

The minutes dragged on in tense silence as everyone scanned through everything they had - every document, every picture, every contact they had ever made over the last three months. Someone would occasionally speak up with an idea, barely a concept, only to get shot down almost instantly. Finally, after an hour had gone by with no solution in sight, Gamora called for a break. “I need everyone performing at their best. Go eat. Sleep if you have to,” she ordered. “Come back in an hour with something that actually works.”

Peter ducked in to grab Gamora’s attention as she stepped into the kitchenette, his hand quickly catching the fridge door as she opened it. “Hey, listen, can we talk? About earlier?” She promptly slammed the door shut, nearly catching his fingers in the process. “Ah - okay, I deserved that. But I just need to get some stuff off my chest. I was a big, selfish jerk, and I wanna fix it.”

Gamora briefly rolled her eyes to the heavens, her grip tightening on the water bottle she’d grabbed, before gesturing for him to follow her to the back of the ship so they could sit on the bench. “Talk,” she said tersely, taking a sip.

“Okay, so...the way I feel about you...the feelings I have for you...they’re complicated. And I’m never gonna be objective. I’m never gonna be able to make the call that hurts you. Even when you ask me to, I just...I freeze up. I can’t do it.” Peter glanced down at his lap, not wanting to see Gamora’s expression. “Maybe that makes me a bad leader after all. But I can’t apologize for caring, because that’s just who I am. I care about all of you, even your people, though they do kinda scare me sometimes. I’m not sorry about that. But I am sorry that I made it sound like my problems are your fault. Because this isn’t about me. This whole saving-the-world thing isn’t about me, it’s not about making me better or saving my life. You came to us so you could save the whole damn universe, and it’s...you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. I just wish I could make the decisions that you can. And I shouldn’t blame you because I can’t.”

Gamora didn’t speak for a moment, staring at her own hands in contemplation, before reaching over to take Peter’s, squeezing tight. “You’re far more mature than I think anyone gives you credit for,” she said quietly. “And you’re far more capable than you think you are. We may be complete opposites, Peter, but I think it’s why we make good leaders together. I think with my head, and you think with your heart.” She smiled. “So give yourself some credit, okay? And...my feelings for you are complex as well. But we can talk about that another time. If we make it out of this.”

“When we make it out of this,” Peter corrected, grinning. “Don’t jinx it.”

She continued to smile, pulling one hand away from their intertwined fingers so she could brush an unruly curl out of Peter’s face. “You should really eat. Take a nap if you can.”

“Same goes for you, too,” he insisted. “Hell, we’re gonna have to sleep for at least fifty hours after all this is over.”

“I think the others have already taken up the spare bunks,” she said, frowning.

“Oh, well then in that case, you can use - ” Before he could finish his sentence, the entire ship suddenly jerked sideways, accompanied by a loud crash against its side, sending them both flying to the floor. Peter’s head struck the metal grate beneath them, while Gamora’s instincts managed to keep her mostly upright at the last second.

“Peter! Are you okay?” Gamora barely had time to grab his shoulder and turn him over before the ship rattled again, nearly tossing them into the wall. She grasped desperately for her communicator, using her other arm to apply pressure to Peter’s fresh head wound before he could bleed out. “Rocket, tell me you know what’s happening.”

Silence. Then: “Gamora...he’s here.”

A sharp, high-pitched frequency blared through the entire ship. Gamora let out a cry of pain, momentarily lifting her hands to cover her ears as she attempted to pull a half-conscious Peter upright.

“Gamora. I’ve changed my mind.”

Gamora felt as if her heart was going to pulsate right out of her chest. “Father, I - ”

“You will board Sanctuary with your sister and your husband if you want the rest of your companions to be spared.” His voice echoed throughout the entire cabin, every word so crisp that it was like he was standing right over her. “I know your true intentions, daughter. You may be on the run from Ego, but you can’t run from me.” ______

Gamora trembled as she piloted the Milano’s escape pod to Sanctuary, barely noticing Peter and Nebula’s silent presence behind her. They were received by one of Thanos’s Chitauri soldiers immediately, slapped in chained cuffs on their wrists and ankles, before being led through the massive spacecraft to the throne room. It was just as dark, just as barren, just as cold as every other space that Thanos commanded. Every step echoed off the craggy walls and cracked floors, every breath shuddering and shivering with every movement.

Peter’s heart nearly stopped at the sight of Thanos as he turned away from the throne to stare them down. Peter guessed he had to be at least nine feet tall, making his adult daughters look positively juvenile in comparison. He bore a simple suit of armor, complete with a helmet, and on his left arm, the Infinity Gauntlet. Gamora swallowed down the bile rising in her throat when she realized he had acquired the Power Stone and the Reality Stone in her absence.

“I have many questions to ask of you, Gamora,” Thanos said, his dark eyes fixating on her. “I sent Korath to retrieve the Power Stone in Morag two months ago. Though I eventually found it myself in the Nova Corps’ possession, I have not been able to find Korath ever since. Even the other Children have failed to locate him. Where is he?”

“He was hired by Ego to infiltrate our wedding,” Gamora replied. “To prove my loyalty to the Celestial throne, I had to take him out, along with the rest of his Kree soldiers, to protect my husband. Ego only trusted me after that incident.”

“Yet in all our correspondence since then, you only bring it up now. How convenient,” Thanos sneered. “You also said Ego thought of you as disposable. Which one is it?”

“It is both, and neither. He’s an impulsive being. His feelings waver,” Gamora said evenly.

“Then we can’t trust him,” Thanos concluded. He turned his gaze to Peter. “And your husband?”

“My loyalty lies with your daughter, sir,” Peter half-stammered. “I don’t agree with my dad’s policies or his behavior.”

“Your usefulness relies on his very existence. Why did you attempt a siege on your own planet?” Thanos snarled, glaring at them both. “Gamora, I hope you realize by now that if Ego dies, your husband no longer serves any purpose.”

“With your permission, Father. I would prefer to keep him in my company regardless. He’s proven to be an innovative fighter and strategist, and his influence with the intergalactic councils makes him an invaluable asset.” Gamora bowed her head in false submission.

Thanos smirked. “You’ve become attached.”

“No, I’ve learned from you, Father. ‘Not everything can be won by force, but by cleverness’,” she quoted. “The Nova Corps listen to me because they listen to him. Killing him would be the wrong move. Utilizing his political power may even be of more use to us than his Celestial abilities ever would.”

Thanos finally sat back down on his throne, looking at her inquisitively. “You continue to impress me, Gamora. I always said you would take my place in this chair one day.” He waved for the Chitauri to remove their chains. “There are two more Infinity Stones on Terra. We move on them tomorrow after I acquire the Space Stone from another subordinate who has...failed me.” His lip curled in distaste. “Return to your quarters, daughters. You may take your husband with you, Gamora. Do with him as you wish.”

“I will, Father. Thank you,” Gamora nodded. With one last worried glance at Nebula, who had remained unmoving, emotionless the entire time, Gamora gestured for Peter to follow her out of the room. ______

“Well, that was super fun,” Peter drawled as Gamora shut the door behind them. “Always love talkin’ to your dad. What do we do now?”

“We tell the others to return to Ego and check the status of those who remain, see if they can do a second wave of evacuations,” Gamora sighed, sinking onto her bunk. “In the meantime, we play along with Thanos for as long as possible, until we can finally take out your father for good. But now that he has two Infinity Stones...I don’t know if we’ll be able to escape.”

“So we could be stuck here forever?” Peter sat beside her, looking despondent.

“The Nova Corps are probably out of commission if Thanos took the Power Stone from them, but we have other connections who can help us.” Gamora cupped Peter’s face reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Peter. This isn’t where we die.”

“Yeah, sure, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.” Still, Peter placed his hand over hers, holding it against his cheek. He turned his head slightly to press a kiss into her palm. Her cheeks warmed.

“I should call the Milano and give them their orders,” Gamora said, reluctantly pulling away. “You should get some sleep.”

“Fine, but once you’re done, you’re joining me,” Peter insisted.

She quirked an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we share my bed?”

“Maybe?” It came out more like a question. “Only if you want to! It doesn’t have to mean anything, I just thought - ”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she promised, smiling. “I should also check with Nebula after I call the Milano. I imagine she’s angry with me. She hates being here, even more than I do.”

“Isn’t she always mad at you?” Peter snorted as Gamora got to her feet. To his surprise, instead of chastising him, she slowly bent forward to kiss his temple, right on top of the bandage he’d applied to his recent head wound.

“Don’t wait up for me. Rest, Peter.” She gave him one last warm, pretty smile before ducking out of the room. Despite the turmoil of fear, anger, and physical and mental pain stirring in Peter’s being, he couldn’t help but be comforted by the knowledge that he wasn’t here alone. ______

Gamora made herself scarce in a secluded corridor a good distance away from the private quarters, curling up on the floor and pulling out her communicator. “Is anyone there? This is Gamora reporting in. We’re all okay on Sanctuary, but we won’t be returning anytime soon,” she whispered.

“Is Thanos holding you captive?” Drax asked intently.

“Not exactly. I’ve thrown him off our trail for now and convinced him of Peter’s relevance to his insane plan, so we should be safe. But I need you to return to Ego and help evacuate and destroy the planet once and for all.”

“We also got a call from that Heimdall dude.” It was Rocket who spoke this time. “Said all of Quill’s people are already there and settled in. You did good, Gam.”

Gamora let out a sigh of relief. “At least one thing is going right today. Did you finish building that bomb?”

“Y’know, it hurts when you think I haven’t,” Rocket scoffed. “Of course I did. Groot’s lookin’ after it.”

“You better hurry,” Gamora murmured. “Thanos now has the Reality Stone and the Power Stone, which was apparently with the Nova Corps. That’s probably why they weren’t responding to you before. And he’s in pursuit of someone who possesses another. I suspect Prince Loki of Asgard could be in trouble. Notify Heimdall and make sure he’s protected and that he’s kept away from Asgard; otherwise, transporting all of Peter’s people there would be for nothing.”

“And what will you do, Gamora? When will you return to us?” Drax said, worried.

“I have to keep Thanos happy while we wait for you to complete the job, and make sure nothing happens to Nebula and Peter,” Gamora said firmly. “Try not to contact us unless it’s an absolute emergency, we’re going to go dark so he doesn’t suspect anything. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“You look after my boy, Gamora,” Yondu ordered. “And take care of yourself and your sister, too.”

Gamora couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Yondu. And I will. On both counts.”

After she switched the communicator off and stashed it back on her belt, she made her way through the daunting halls of Sanctuary. It had been three months since she’d been here, and despite living here for so long, it had never felt like home. She knew now what a real home felt like.

Gamora rapped her knuckles gently on Nebula’s door, warily glancing around the hallway in curiosity, wondering if the other Children were home. “Nebula, it’s me,” she called. “I just want to talk.” When she didn’t get an immediate response - she expected, at best, a shout of anger, something being thrown at the door - she knocked again. “Sister, please. I know you didn’t want to come back here, but it was our only choice.” Silence. Sighing, Gamora turned the doorknob, surprised to find that the room wasn’t locked. “Nebula? I - oh.”

Nebula’s room was empty (well, more empty than usual). Her boots were still sitting by the door, her bedsheets thrown haphazardly across the floor, almost like she’d been - Gamora’s blood ran cold. Like she’d been taken. She glanced around wildly, her eyes landing on the dent in the doorframe, in the perfect shape of someone’s fingers, someone with steel grip.

Gamora bolted out into the corridor, sprinting towards her own room, only to find the door crushed inwards, dark burn marks tracked all over the walls and ceiling like someone had lit a fire, or maybe...shot a beam of light. “Peter!” she gasped, spinning on her heel, looking around desperately for a sign of where to go. “Peter? Nebula?”

“Oh, daughter.” Thanos chuckled as he emerged from the shadows, seemingly out of nowhere. “You have grown so soft in your time away. Why don’t you join me?”

“What did you do to them?” Gamora ran at him with the intent to attack, though Thanos merely grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her alongside him. She dug her heels into the ground, gritting her teeth in pain as the wounds in her leg and torso flared up again, but to no avail; he was much too strong. “Tell me! What did you to do them?!”

“Be patient, Gamora. You’ll see.”

Thanos practically dragged her all the way to the throne room, shoving her in front of him as they entered. She stared up in horror at the sight of Peter and Nebula, suspended from the ceiling, their limbs splayed apart. Nebula’s cybernetics were spread open, exposed for everyone to see, twitching like a raw nerve. Peter, meanwhile, was half-conscious, his head wound bleeding once more, light sparking from his body at random. “Gamora,” he croaked, lifting his head halfway in an attempt to look at her, though it seemed like he had no strength in his neck, or really his body, at all.

“Why are you doing this?” Gamora ran to them immediately, reaching to lay a gentle hand on both of their faces. She turned to look at Thanos, who was watching her patiently. “I speak the truth, Father, I have been nothing but loyal to you.”

“Do you love them, Gamora?” When she could only stare at him in disbelief, he merely smiled. “I asked you a question. Answer me. Do you love them?”

“I did as you asked, I am doing as you asked. Please, let them go.” Gamora’s eyes stung with unshed tears as she brushed her thumbs across their cheeks before finally pulling away. “Hurting them will only break my allegiance to you.”

“So you do,” Thanos hummed. “You see, Gamora, I picked up another straggler in space while you were off making your call to your companions.” Gamora shivered as he brandished the Infinity Gauntlet, now boasting a third stone - the Space Stone. “And thanks to the Maw, we discovered not only where the Soul Stone is, but how to get it.”

“I fail to see why this led you to torture them.” Gamora felt something wet fall on her face. She wiped it off, bringing it up to her eyeline. Turning, she realized it was a drop of blood from Peter’s mouth.

“It requires a sacrifice...of someone you love.” Thanos looked troubled all of a sudden, though she couldn’t possibly fathom why. “And I wonder, who is it that you love more? Who would you spare, and who would you use to obtain the Soul Stone? I’m of the opinion that we should keep Nebula - it would be a waste of parts to have her destroyed - but you’ve grown so attached to the boy, haven’t you?”

Gamora let out a tearful, hysterical laugh. “So this falls to me, Father? My ultimate purpose, my endgame, is to retrieve the Soul Stone for you. Because you knew.”

Thanos paused. “Knew what?”

“That you love nothing. No one.” Gamora took a shaky step towards him, staring him dead in the eye. “When I lived under your rule, even with everything you’ve taught me, I could bring myself to feel for others. For Nebula. But you? You care for no one but yourself.”

“You are gravely mistaken,” Thanos murmured. “Now tell me, daughter, who will you save?”

“It’s okay, Gamora,” Peter mumbled. “Not gonna have my powers soon...you...you save Nebula.”

Gamora’s breath became increasingly shallow as she turned back to look at them. Nebula was dead-eyed, resigned to her fate, like she had already accepted that her fight was over. Peter was growing paler by the second, though his wrists and ankles were increasingly reddened by his restraints, his eyes glazed over in a near-comatose state.

Gamora looked up at Thanos. “You will never know love.”

In one swift movement, she yanked her blade from her belt and drove it into her stomach with a loud cry. Peter and Nebula shouted in anguish, rattling their restraints, as Gamora fell to her knees. “GAMORA!” they yelled in near-perfect unison.

Gamora stuttered out a stilted breath, panting from her efforts, only to look down at her lap and realize her knife had evaporated into dust. She slowly lifted her head to find the Infinity Gauntlet in her face, the Reality Stone casting a red wash over her entire body with its glow.

Thanos lowered his arm. “Clever, but not clever enough,” he said tauntingly. “You’ve exposed yourself, Gamora. You’ve turned on me. And you’ve recruited your sister, your husband, and the rest of your little group to your cause.”

She trembled as Thanos approached her, moving as if to pet her head. “Don’t touch me,” she snarled, crawling away. “I will never give you what you want. I will never hurt them.”

“Then I will have to sacrifice you instead.”

Gamora felt bile rising in her throat once more. “You don’t mean…”

“I always said you were my favorite daughter,” Thanos murmured. “You just didn’t listen.”

“You love nothing, no one,” Gamora repeated, horrified. “I was told earlier by someone I care about that I have learned love. This isn’t love, Thanos. This is convenience. This is abuse.”

He loomed over her, gazing at her with a sort of sadness in his eyes. “I’m truly sorry, little one.”

Thanos leaned down to grab her again, though Gamora scrambled backward, her palms scraping against the ground until she was beneath Nebula and Peter’s suspended bodies. Then, her radio crackled to life. “Gamora? Gamora, we got it! Sixty seconds, and he’s deader than dead!”

“What is he talking about?” Thanos growled, snatching her up by the collar of her jacket and shaking her. “Tell me, what is he talking about?!”

“Gamora, duck!” Peter shouted hoarsely. She only had a split second to react before Thanos was struck in the face with light, sending him flying backward. Gamora fell to the ground, her blade reforming beside her as Thanos collapsed several feet away, the Reality Stone’s light fading into nothing. She snatched it up and quickly began slicing through Nebula’s restraints, glancing over her shoulder to keep an eye on Thanos. It was only when she moved to help Peter that she saw Thanos get to his feet. “Hey...you should go. I’m gonna be no use to you in ten seconds, anyways.”

“No, I’m not leaving you. This isn’t where we die,” Gamora insisted, reaching for his first restraint, but he only batted her hands away before lifting his towards Thanos.

“You’re one crazy purple bastard, y’know that?” Peter slurred. But before he could activate his Celestial light one last time, he let out an earth-shattering scream of pain, his restraints suddenly vanishing and dropping him to the floor.

Gamora could only watch, numb, in realization that Thanos had activated the Reality Stone and driven Gamora’s blade right through Peter’s stomach. The light was fading rapidly from his body as it finally died out, his mouth falling slightly open as if to cry out again. A sob of agony ripped right through Gamora as she collapsed on top of his body, the blade evaporating the second her head came to rest over his heart.

“It seems like you’ve made your decision after all.” Thanos turned and began striding away, slowly, almost deliberately. “I’ll leave you to mourn, daughter. And then we go to Vormir tonight.”

Nebula, who was half-lying on her side by Gamora’s feet, watched on in despair as her sister wept, cradling Peter’s head in her lap as his eyes rolled back, arms falling limp by his side. “Peter...no…” Gamora wrapped her arms around his shoulders and curled into his side like it would keep him from going cold. Her own heart felt as if it were going to burst as she burrowed her face further into his chest, desperate to hear his pulse. It was there, but only just. He was the quietest he had ever been.

The doors rattled in the distance, but neither sister bothered looking up, assuming it was just Thanos exiting the room, until they suddenly blew inwards, soaring across the room and clattering on the ground. Gamora lifted her head, eyes widening at the last thing she expected to see - Mantis, entirely alone, her hands braced outwards like Peter had done so many times before. She looked absolutely tiny compared to Thanos, who was standing over her, fists clenched in fury.

Mantis merely cocked her head to one side, assessing Thanos as if he were just a particularly interesting cloud in the sky. “You are Thanos?” she said, her voice bubbling with quiet anger. She leaped up in the air before he could respond, landing neatly on his shoulders, her fingers digging into his temples. “Sleep.”

Thanos went crashing down, Mantis’s legs wrapped snugly around his neck. His arms fell to his sides, his fists uncurling as they did, the last of the Infinity Gauntlet’s glow dying out. He wasn’t fully unconscious; the whites of his eyes were still visible, and his legs still twitched feebly behind Mantis’s back, but it was the most vulnerable they had seen him yet.

Mantis looked up, smiling weakly at the sisters, only to let out a startled gasp at the sight of Peter’s body, Gamora still bent protectively over him. “What happened?”

a/n: hey, all! we're super close to the end of this fic and i am super excited/kinda sad that it's almost over. as i said in the beginning notes, i obviously took some inspiration from infinity war (this chapter was originally not going to feature as much thanos as it ended up having), but i also borrowed a little bit of mantis's backstory from the comics, namely, the priests of pama and some of her other powers that we haven't seen in the mcu (as of yet, anyways).

the last chapter should be up in mid-june, though no guarantees as i've only just started working on it and i'm pretty sure it's going to be the longest one yet. i also have gotten five chapters deep into the next multi-chapter peter/gamora au i'm working on, and will be posting the first chapter of that the week after the last chapter of this and will (hopefully) be posting weekly throughout the summer, so i hope you'll check that one out as well! it's much more light-hearted than this one, since i figured we could all use a little less angst after infinity war.

thank you so much for reading! likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and i hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

#starmora #peter x gamora #gamora x peter #peter quill #gamora #myfic #myfic: rtw #marvel #we're (almost) in the endgame now!! hope y'all enjoy :)

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beatricethecat2 · 6 years

Text

out of place, out of mind - 1

Sequel to “one step forward, two steps back (v.2.0)” part 1+ part 2.

“These chapters are short,” she said to herself, “you can knock them out in no time!” But brevity does not equate with simplicity, nor is simplicity easy to accomplish, especially where writing is concerned (for me). So more time has passed before posting than I promised, but thankfully the upcoming holiday break will give me time to focus on future chapters.

This story is meant to replace “Instinct,” so the timeline starts after 4.14 and moves forward with it’s own trajectory. It does cull hints of plots from episodes afterwards (for instance, Claudia becomes caretaker, you’ll glean the rest) but then spins off in it’s own direction. It is a fix it on many levels and requires some knowledge of the show (as well as "part 1," linked above).

TV RULES APPLY to this whacky thing, so it moves pretty fast and loose, and hopefully works as a whole. I’m sure there are typos, I’ll fix them later. I hope you enjoy it!

///////////////

"What the hell, H.G.?“

Helena blinks awake and tries to focus on the faces above her, their identities hazy at best.

"Pete, she just woke up!”

“But Myka didn’t."

"Seriously bro, give her a sec.”

The name Myka prompts other names, such as Steve and Claudia, to pop into Helena's head.

“What happened to Myka,” Pete says, stressing each word.

“Mrs. Frederic sent me to help,” Helena says as if it were the answer to everything, unsure of what everything entails.

“A lotta good that did."

“Her vitals are dropping,” a woman’s voice says from across the room.

Pete turns to face the adjacent bed.

“Second’s over, H.G. Come on, think!"

Helena looks at Claudia, yes, Claudia is her name, then at the unconscious woman lying in front of Pete. “No!” she yelps and hops off of the bed, memories flooding back all at once. She dashes toward Myka, but Pete steps in front and holds her at arm's length.

“She’s been shot,” Helena says, glaring at Pete.

“With this?” Steve asks, holding up a static bag containing a pistol.

“Yes, that."

“Where? I don’t see a wound,” Dr. Calder says.

Helena pushes Pete aside and points to Myka’s chest just as a blood stain begins to appear.

“How?” Pete grunts, grabbing Helena's arm.

“A ‘gunfight.’ Duel gone awry.”

“Like in a western?” Claudia whips out her laptop and clicks on keys.

“We were digging through props on a soundstage,” Steve adds.

“Vitals still dropping,” Dr. Calder announces, now pressing gauze to the wound.

“I must go back,” Helena says, jerking free from Pete’s grip and striding towards Steve.

“Uh-uh. I’ll go,” Pete says, elbowing Helena aside and swiping the bag from Steve’s hand.

“You can’t. It won’t work.”

“You’ll screw it up again.”

“It has to be me,” Helena says, lunging at the bag, but Pete holds out of her reach.

“Why?”

“Give me the bloody artifact!” Helena jumps up, but Pete dips down low. “Only I know how to fix this.”

“Then tell me.”

“Dude, let her go,” Claudia says, pointing with her eyes at Myka.

Pete looks at Myka, and his mouth falls open, the artifact slipping from his hand.

“Helena, go. Quickly,” Dr. Calder says, swabbing a jellied wand over Myka’s swollen, exposed belly.

Helena crouches down and swipes the bag off the floor. “It’s mine, by the way,” she says to Pete, then marches towards the bathroom and slams the door.

----------

“No!” Myka yelps, lurching upright, eyes darting around the room. “Helena!” She jumps off the bed and rushes toward Helena, but a hand holds her back.

“Mykes, whoa," Pete says but Myka yanks her arm free and steps forward. “Is she ok?” she says to Dr. Calder, her eyes wild and round.

"She's stable,' Dr. Calder answers.

“Suave move getting yourself shot H.G.,” Claudia quips.

“Shot? Where?” Myka asks Dr. Calder.

“Nothing yet, but if our last encounter is any indication—”

“Last encounter?” Myka says.

“This was you last time. You don't remember?"

"No."

"She went back to save you.“

“All I remember is a shot,” Myka says and laces her fingers through Helena's as the heart monitor bleeps erratically.

“There’s the blood,” Dr. Calder says, then checks the wound. "No bullet. It went straight through.”

“We need the bullet the neutralize the artifact,” Claudia says.

Myka searches the faces in the room.

“It’s here somewhere,” Pete says.

"Maybe in the dirt by the gunfight. Wherever that was," Steve adds.

"She might bleed out by then," Claudia says, eyes glued to her laptop. "According to this, the actor died. Just like Myka's did last time."

Myka spies the static bagged pistol in on a table. She lunges to grab it, but Pete holds her back.

"I have to go back,” Myka says.

“We'll figure something out,” Pete says.

“I’m not losing her again!”

“Mykes--”

“Pete, don’t.” Myka glares, and Pete's eyes soften, in a "please give it a chance" kind of way. But Myka's resolve remains steady, his plea falling on deaf ears.

Claudia steps in and commanders the bag. “There’s stuff you should know before you go,” she says to Myka. She gives a quick rundown of her research and Myka fills in the blanks with what little she recalls from the artifact's world.

“I’ll be back,” Myka says, striding toward the bathroom.

“Wait!” Claudia yelps. "How did the gun go off in the first place? Pete pulled the trigger to hop in and save you, but nothing happened.”

“I dropped it, and it went off,” Myka answers without stopping.

“But both of you were whammied. How?"

“Best guess?” Myka pauses and looks over her shoulder. "We were kissing when it happened."

Claudia snaps her fingers and points at Pete. “Love's the secret ingredient!”

“Love. Great,” Myka says and pulls the door closed.

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

Myka faints upon arrival and is swept up by two women, who strip her down to her petticoats and lower onto a daybed. She's relieved to be lying down but disconcerted by her bulging stomach; Claudia explained the hows and whys, but the reality of being pregnant is beyond anything she could have imagined.

She tries to stand up, but queasiness doubles her over, and the women scoop her up and settle her back onto the bed. This time she stays horizontal and examines her surroundings; probably a parlor of sorts, with resplendent furniture for entertaining. The women must be servants of the house by the way the women dart about straighten every chair and doily. Her handmaids, she guesses, as they’re not wearing aprons, which, unfortunately, means they’ll constantly be by her side.

Her maids scurry towards the windows, and she feels compelled to follow, trailing sluggishly, unaccustomed to the extra weight. She peers into the backyard and sees men with guns and dogs walking in packs, not unlike manhunts in the Secret Service. Out of nowhere, a wave of queasiness returns, and she leans against the window. She focuses on searching for the artifact and Helena as well as she's hasn't a clue where to find her.

Claudia had pinpointed where they’d been sent, but the movie was never finished, so the finer points of the plot remain a mystery. “Ye olde railroad times,” she said, “on ye olde western ‘frontier,'” in air quotes, the exact time and place left open to interpretation.

There’s shouting in the distance and the men shift to the right, just as her maids notice Myka’s no longer in bed.

“Miss Mary, come away from the window!” one pleads, and yanks on her arm.

“You’re not safe, Miss Mary,” the other adds, scrambling to her side.

This “Miss Mary” business grates at Myka's nerves, but there’s no getting around it, she must stay in character for this to work.

“Stop fussing,” Myka snips, shooing them both away, the words rolling off her tongue without thought.

“But they’ll see you,” a maid pleads.

“I don’t care. I know he’s out there and I want to see him,” Myka replies, surprised by her petulant tone, that of the debutante she's meant to portray. She chuckles at the “him," but when her maids look at her oddly, she sees she needs to hone in any improv.

A shot is fired, and as the men surge to the left, Myka moves to the right and scours the yard for Helena. She startles when in a figure dressed in black shoots out from behind the barn, zipping behind a thicket of trees. They zig-zag forward, then scurry behind an outbuilding, close enough for Myka to make out their features.

It’s Helena for sure, clothed head to toe in cowboy finery, looking ruggedly and roguishly dust covered. As their gazes meet, Myka's heartbeat surges and Helena's eyes fill with love and longing. Both are scripted emotions, overacted for the camera, but Myka's caught off guard at their realness. Helena then lifts her stetson and runs a hand through her hair, looking every bit the handsome, misunderstood loner she's meant to be.

A shot sounds in the distance, and Helena turns back to the yard.

“Miss Mary,” a maid says, tugging on Myka’s arm, but Myka pays her no mind. The men circle back, and Helena draws her pistol, eyes scanning the horizon for an escape route. She glances at Myka, and touches the brim of her hat, nodding goodbye before disappearing behind the main building.

“Miss Mary, your father—“

“Tell him I’m ill, and I don’t want to see him. Tell him—“

“Mary!” a male voice booms from behind.

Myka's shoulders pinch together, and she turns slowly, reluctantly, not looking forward how this scene will play out.

--------

A whole day passes without further signs of Helena, though she’s heard whispers a larger search is underway. “The cowboy," she’s learned, has a bounty on his head, having sabotaged something, or robbed a bank, or killed man, depending on who you ask. Who exactly is out hunting for him is a genuine question, as the main characters all seem present in the house. Tonight is Mary's engagement party, and since her father is the mayor, the celebration includes nearly the whole town.

She hasn’t met him yet, but her betrothed is Jamison McAllister the Third, the son of a railroad magnate from New York. He was sent out to the sticks to oversee his father’s advancing empire, and from what she’s gathered, won little fondness within the town. He took a shine to Mary immediately, but Mary shunned his advances until Mary's father strongarmed them together.

It was a not very well-kept secret that Mary was stepping out with “the cowboy,” a man with a checkered past but a heart of gold. Then when Mary fell pregnant, her father forbade her from seeing “that bastard,” threatening to kill both of them if she ran. He forced her to marry Jamison, seeing dollar signs in their union, desperate to acquire the wealth and power Jamison's family possessed.

“Hey!” Myka cries, as her maid shuffles her down the hall, her nausea returning full force as they go.

“We must prepare for the ball!” the maid declares and deposits her in the middle of the room, but there’s a pause before anyone tends to her. Time is playing out chronologically, but when the action's happening elsewhere, Mary's thoughts shift back into her own.

After an unbearable amount of fussing, she’s strapped into a florid, lacy gown, then escorted by her maids to the mayoral ballroom. To complicate matters, it’s a costume themed ball, leaving her at a loss to know who's who as she greets them. Hefty men guard the exits, many of them in uniform, including her father, dressed in his Civil War officer’s regalia. He talks with a man in a severe brown suit, his mask slightly askew. Her eyes widen at the gun slung high on his hips, the very one she's been searching for. Her stomach knots as he approaches and she looks down at her feet, bracing herself for what happens next.

He kisses her awkwardly, then hooks their arms together and tugs her towards her father on the sidelines. As her father gives a speech, she thinks to steal the gun now, but there’s no way she can escape the room unnoticed. Plus she needs to find Helena, or is she looking for the man in black? Her character’s thoughts keep interrupting her own. Get a grip, she tells herself and tries to yank free from Jamison, but he tightens his hold.

When the speech ends, the band begins to play, and Jamison leads her to the dance floor. As they sway to a waltz, he grumbles in her ear that he’ll torture and kill “the cowboy” if she tries to escape. Her expression reflects Mary’s fear, but her hands have other plans, balling into fists where they sit on his shoulders.

As the next song begins, the floor fills with guests, and a figure in black mask taps Jamison on the shoulder.

“May I?” they say, in an American twang, but the voice is familiar to Myka.

“Huh?” Jamison grunts, but by then Myka's gone, swept up by the uniformed person in question.

Helena is light on her feet, which is a welcome change from Jamison, but does Helena know she’s Helena and not "the cowboy"? And if Helena does know she’s…he’s...Helena, does she know that she, Mary, is Myka? She nearly says something, but worries she'll mess up the scene. The last thing they need is to be stuck here until the movie ends.

“Your curls are magnificent, Miss Mary,” Helena says, her accent now back to English.

Myka nearly breaks out into a laugh, as way the line sounded is as circumspect as the ringlets her hair’s been forced into.

“Why thank you, sir,” Myka replies, emphasizing "sir" for effect.

“We’ve precious little time, my love,” Helena says, glancing at the band. “Two songs from now, near the far door, you must faint and insist only your maids may accompany you.”

Myka’s stomach flutters at being called ‘my love,’ drawn to Helena as both protector and lover, knowing in her heart “the cowboy" will save her from her horrible fate.

“They’ll be a ruckus out front, but we’ll escape out back.”

“By whom?” Myka asks but doesn't push for an answer as the way Helena looks at her tells her she’s gone off script.

They twirl to the left and Helena passes Myka off, taking the lead with another woman.

Can she faint convincingly? Pete says she’s a bad actress, though tonight she's dancing like a pro so allowing the movie to take over must be key. But she needs to be careful and monitor it's influence, at least until she and Helena manage to be alone.

-TBC-

#bering and wells #w13 #fanfiction #fixit #season 4 #Myka Bering #Helena HG Wells #OK - here this goes...finally!#this went though so many changes #but found it's footing once I finished part 1 #as they needed to reflect one another content wise #and have the same tone #my dad watches westerns all the time #so this is like a pastiche of them #at least in the beginning #also does anyone remember Gunsmoke?

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secretagentspydetectiveninja · 7 years

Text

The Misadventures of Prince Kim - chapter 39

me: I should update some of the fics I haven’t updated for ages, not this one

also me: SCREW YOU, VIVE LÊ CHIẾN

Also on AO3, as usual

Kim couldn’t help but be frustrated that he wasn’t good at lacrosse from the beginning. Of course he knew that all sports took practice and effort to get good at, but still! He was supposed to be sporty! That was what he was known for! But when he dropped the ball for about the twentieth time, hearing the servants on the sidelines of the pitch giggling at his incompetence, it was the worst feeling in the world.

“This game sucks!” He threw his lacrosse stick on the ground and crossed his arms.

“More like our team sucks,” Alya added, which didn’t make him feel much better.

“It’s okay guys, we can do it!” Nino called from the other end of the pitch. “Look at the crowd that’s here supporting us!”

Said “crowd” was a group of very unimpressed servants who had gathered to watch, finding this ridiculousness much more entertaining than their daily chores. Nino waved at them and they waved back, giggling some more.

“We’re gonna lose,” Kim muttered, kicking the lacrosse stick further away from him. Then he heard a voice that made him freeze up.

“That’s right, you certainly are!”

He turned to see that Adam was walking onto the pitch with a lacrosse stick in hand, a team of other equipment-wielding servants following him, brandishing their sticks like weapons.

Oh great… there was no way he could let Adam see their practice session. He would know they sucked.

“Why did you pick lacrosse in the first place?” Kim asked him.

“Oh, it’s simple,” Adam drawled. “I’m good at lacrosse. You’re not. And I want to win. How amazing would it feel to have beaten the infamous Prince Kim at one of his own challenges?”

Kim clenched his fists, very much wanting to grab the lacrosse stick out of Adam’s hand and hit him with it. “Well you’re not going to win, so there. My lacrosse team is amazing.”

“Ah yes. One over-competitive prince, a nerd for a goalie, some princess with fluffy hair that’s going to get in the way, a prince who’s too overenthusiastic for his own good, and a pharaoh who’s violent enough to turn the match into a brawl. Oh yes, and that snake. Wonderful choice of teammates, Emperor Palpatine.”

How could this servant be so open in dismissing royalty? Most servants didn’t even dare, usually just cowering away behind graces and manners. And even the ones who did speak their mind were at least respectful about it. Adam was something else entirely. Kim was surprised to find himself fighting off a smile.

He picked his lacrosse stick up off the floor and dusted it off. “Don’t underestimate my teammates. They’re amazing.”

“At ruling countries, maybe. Or maybe not. The pharaoh’s brother is running around in a rage because his little sister – quite literally little, judging by her height – is going to be late for today’s peace conference, which she seems to have forgotten about. So perhaps not as good at ruling countries as they seem.”

“That was TODAY?!” he heard Alix call from the other side of the pitch. “No no no no no I can’t be late! I’ll be in so much trouble – oh come on Max, let’s get going – sorry Kim, we’ll be back later–”

“What? I’m not going!” Max’s voice sounded muffled through his protective goalie gear.

“Why not? Aren’t you the crown prince of this kingdom?”

“Well yes, but I’m not a reigning monarch yet. I don’t have to be there and for now I would prefer not to be. Lacrosse sounds more fun, no offence.”

“What?! You like this kind of monarchy stuff though! I’m not going on my own, it’s gonna be so boring!”

“I can’t go,” Alya said, shrugging. “My country isn’t in the International Alliance.”

“I can’t either, not a reigning monarch,” Nino said. “Sorry dude.”

Alix turned to Kim. “Yo. I know you’re not a reigning monarch, you’re not even in the International Alliance, whatever. But you’re technically a refugee, right? You need all the support and alliances you can get. So if you come to this peace conference and tell everyone what’s happening, they might be more inclined to help your kingdom if war does break out…”

She hadn’t even needed to persuade him, really. He just wanted to get away from Adam for at least a little while. Even death would be preferable to letting that guy see his atrocious lacrosse skills. And plus, beneath it all, he really was worried about his kingdom. War with Agreste was seeming more and more inevitable, and as the future monarch, he felt like he ought to start pulling his weight and actually doing something about it. Not just challenging people to silly sports matches or moping over some guy he had a crush on.

“Sure, I’ll go with you,” he said.

“Yay! Thanks! Now come on, let’s hurry before we’re late and I get told off by the king of Ceylon or something…”

As they ran off Kim could hear Adam calling after him, “Very wise of you, Emperor Palpatine of Narnia! Run while you can!”

Ugh. That guy, honestly.

They made it to the base of the Peace Tower with just enough time to spare, luckily. Unluckily, the peace conference was being held in the hall right at the top of it, with a large spiral staircase being the most efficient way of getting up there.

“Stairs are fine when there’s not this many,” Alix sighed, looking up at them.

“Why don’t we take the lift?” Kim asked, pointing at the lift doors in the central column.

“That rickety old thing? It’s awful. The last time I was in there it stopped working halfway through, and me and Max were stuck in there for two hours. I ended up breaking my wrist because I was doing handstands out of boredom.”

“But I’ve never been in a lift before, we don’t have those in my kingdom! Please?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Being stuck in a lift with nothing to do is even worse than being stuck in a peace conference.”

They entered the lift. Kim had only read about these, or seen them from a distance, never having actually been inside one before. It was like being in a little metal box. There was a mirror on one of the walls too, and he couldn’t help taking a quick look at his reflection. Yep – he looked perfect, as always.

Alix pressed one of the little buttons on the side panel and the doors closed. The lift suddenly felt a lot smaller – he could now see why being stuck inside one of these probably wasn’t much fun. There was a jolt and a creaking noise, and then the unnerving feeling of going upwards, without anything visible suggesting movement.

“This is so weird but cool,” Kim said. “Sorta like that feeling when aeroplanes take off, except like… less cool.”

Within a few more seconds the lift stopped and the doors opened. It seemed that this time it didn’t get stuck halfway after all, thank goodness. And they had made it to the peace conference in time.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” said the servant standing at the ornate doors to the hall, bowing as they exited the lift. “And… friend?”

“This is Prince Kim, a guest to this country,” Alix explained. “He’s unable to go home because of the trouble the Agreste Empire is causing, so I said he could come along to this meeting to bring his own experiences to the discussion.”

“Excellent idea, Your Majesty. Please enter.”

The servant opened the doors to reveal a large square table inside that many famous figures of royalty were seated around. There were also plates of food to eat from various different countries, and many of the members of royalty had large files of paper in front of them, clearly very prepared for this meeting. Kim couldn’t help noticing that most of them were adults and looked like they actually knew what they were doing. He was starting to have second thoughts about coming here. This was way out of his depth.

They sat down at two of the free seats and scrawled their names and country onto the name cards that had been provided for them. Looking around, Kim could see monarchs from countries he had never even heard of before. And he thought he had been improving at his geography studies! Clearly he wasn’t doing well enough.

He’d have to get Max to help him with that…

Platonically, of course. Tutoring was something else entirely. Max had tutored Kim plenty before, and it worked well. And it would continue to work well. Kim would make sure of it. Of course, yes, Max was really cute, and listening to him drone on about nerdy things was just so dreamy, but it wasn’t like Kim was going to let that get in the way of him studying or anything…

Ugh, this wasn’t the time to be daydreaming about Max. That could wait for later. For now, the peace conference was starting. The head of the International Alliance had stood up and was beginning her welcome speech. Right. Time to pay attention.

Over in Bourgeois, Imperial Princess Chloé was sitting in on a meeting herself. Rather than paying attention, she had mostly been doodling on the piece of paper in front of her. All her father ever talked about was money! Money, money, money. But he was so bad at keeping it. Very good at spending it, and even better at squeezing every last drop of it out of the working people. That was for sure.

Oh, this empire was such a mess. And yet her father had already started construction on a new wing for the school! How was he funding that? By raising taxes again? The people were not going to like that. They were discontent, and Chloé knew it. She had seen them glaring at her through the windows when she passed their fields in her gold-plated carriage. She had seen the maids whispering to each other in darkened palace corners, stopping when she came near.

She knew of the consequences of unhappy citizens, too. Sabrina’s kingdom was in a worse state than this empire, and the effects were beginning to show. The army had already been sent to put down local rebellions here and there, farmers with pitchforks setting fires and causing mayhem. Nothing too serious, but still. The common people were unhappy, and raising taxes and continuing an unnecessarily lavish lifestyle would only cause that to escalate.

Chloé had never even cared about these things before. She used to only focus on herself, pride herself on how proper and beautiful she was. But ever since going to that school and starting to see things from a different perspective… well, being back home was stifling. No one here understood. And what was with all these formalities? So unnecessary. Such a waste of time. People outside were starving, and all anyone in here cared about was whether or not you curtseyed properly, or if your wig was tall enough.

No wonder the commoners were growing so discontent…

“…and so the money for the renovations will be provided by the Agreste Empire, so long as you help us with a little important matter of ours.”

“Is the important matter the young Imperial Prince Adrien?”

“We still need to know his whereabouts, and your assistance would be greatly appreciated.”

“We can direct our forces to search for him, if you would like. There’s also the option of posters with a reward, and stricter border controls, and of course keeping a closer eye on the school in case he does return.”

“Yes, that would be ideal. As long as you put your best efforts into the search for the prince, we will fully cover the costs of the new wing at the school.”

“So it’s a deal then! I believe this is another step towards a formal alliance between our empires.”

“If you manage to find Adrien and return him to us, then an alliance is guaranteed.”

“We will find him, I promise you.”

Chloé froze, not moving a muscle. Had she really just heard what she thought she had heard?

Slowly lifting her head, she watched as her father shook hands with the diplomat from Agreste. Now they were both signing a piece of paper. Now exchanging money.

No. This couldn’t be happening. Her father couldn’t be starting a manhunt for Adrien. No way. She had thought that now the guards from Agreste were gone from the school, Adrien would be safe there!

But now, if he came back, even if he tried to enter the empire, that would be it. The Bourgeois guards would hand him over to Agreste, and his freedom would be over. After everything he had gone through, after everything everyone had done for him…!

“Excuse me,” she said loudly, standing up and trying to ignore how stiff her dress was. “I would like to leave.”

“Sit down,” her father said, looking embarrassed. “We are in the middle of a meeting. You are not permitted to leave until it is over.”

“I need to leave, now,” she snapped. “I would like to use the latrine. It’s… that time of month.”

Her father’s eyes widened, and he quickly cleared his throat and said, “Very well then, you may go.”

“Thank you.”

She whipped round and strode towards the door, her outfit feeling so constraining and excessive compared to things she had been wearing at school recently.

She didn’t really need to use the toilet, and certainly wasn’t on her period right now. That had just been an excuse. Instead she made her way towards her room, where she opened her drawer and took out a pen, piece of paper, and some ink. Oh, how useful it would be to have one of those plastic pens from the techy countries right now, the ones that didn’t require a messy inkpot…

About to dip her pen into the ink, she stopped. No… writing a letter would be too risky. Letters could be intercepted. Heck, they probably would be intercepted, if this manhunt for Adrien really was going ahead. She couldn’t put him in danger by being careless when she was only trying to help. She had to find another way to warn him. But how?

Oh, of course – the telephone!

Every kingdom had at least one telephone, that was a widely quoted fact. Chloé just hoped that it was true. Her own empire had one, she knew that, it was in her father’s office. But did Cheng have one? Hopefully it did. That was the only way she could think of to safely get the message to Adrien.

Or at least… it would be safe for Adrien, but not for her. She wasn’t allowed in her father’s office. If she was caught in there, she would be in so much trouble.

But she had to try, didn’t she? A bit of trouble for her was nothing compared with what would befall poor Adrien if he tried to come back to school. And anyway, this really couldn’t wait. Her father was in a meeting right now, this was the perfect time for it. Cheng was far away and she didn’t even know when Adrien and Marinette would be leaving to return to school. There was no time to waste.

Putting her writing equipment away, she dashed down the corridor and towards her father’s room. There were guards outside, of course. How was she supposed to get past them? She had always heard Alix boasting about her escapades getting past guards, or persuading them not to stop her, or whatever else. But what could Chloé do? This empire was a very different place, and things simply didn’t work the same way.

What if she seduced them? Pfff, no, that would never work. What about distracting them? But how to do that?

Or what about a Lila tactic… just bluffing her way in…

“Good day to you,” she said as she walked towards them, nodding at them politely.

“Good day, Your Imperial Highness,” they replied in unison, bowing at her.

She walked right up to the door and simply opened it, smiling sweetly at the guards as she did so. They didn’t even make a move whatsoever. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. The guards still hadn’t done anything. Maybe they just expected her to be allowed inside, or assumed she must have had a valid reason for doing so.

Wow… they needed to be fired.

Right, anyway, she was in here now and needed to get on with the job before anyone found her. Hopefully her father’s meeting would still run for a bit longer. Now, where was that telephone? Ah yes, there on the corner of the desk. But wait… what was Cheng’s phone number?

Chloé quickly rifled through the drawers, having a look, feeling like such a spy. A part of her was almost excited about breaking the rules so badly like this. She couldn’t wait to tell Lila!

Papers, files, medals, stationery…

A phonebook!

Or at least, it said “phonebook” on the front of it, and it was a little book, so it was probably what she was looking for. Chloé carefully pulled it out of the drawer and put it onto the desk. Flipping through it, she saw phone numbers for various countries, ones that she had never been to and only seen on maps, ones that she knew didn’t even have monarchies, ones that she was forbidden from talking about. Vespuchia, Australis, Aotearoa… what must it be like to live in a country where there was no monarch in charge?

Oh, there it was – Cheng. Chloé picked up the phone receiver, dialled the number in, then pressed the call button and waited.

Please let this work, oh please, Adrien deserves better than being locked up by his own family–

“Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty, you have reached the kingdom of Cheng. What can we do for you today?”

Thank goodness! Chloé gripped the receiver tightly and said, “This is Imperial Princess Chloé of Bourgeois, and I would like to speak to Princess Marinette and the guest that she brought from school.”

“I’m sorry, Your Imperial Highness, they are asleep right now. It is late night here.”

No! How could she have forgotten that Cheng was in a different time zone, far to the east? Of course they’d be asleep now! But this really couldn’t wait.

“Is it possible to wake them up? Tell them it is extremely urgent. They’ll understand. If it causes any trouble, I will take the responsibility for that.”

“Very well. Please hold while we see what we can do.”

Phew, hopefully they wouldn’t be too grumpy at being woken up for a phone call. Well, Adrien probably wouldn’t. But as for Marinette? Chloé got the feeling Marinette still didn’t like her very much. That was fair enough – a lot of people did not like Chloé. The important thing was that she was trying to change that.

“Chloé, ‘s that you? It’s so late…”

Marinette’s voice! She’d never felt so happy to hear it.

“Yes, Marinette, it’s me! Is Adrien there with you?”

“Yep, I’m here,” came the sound of Adrien’s voice. “I’m called Felix, by the way.”

Right. Felix. A codename. She should probably use that, just to be on the safe side.

“I have very important, disturbing news,” she said. “My father is building a new wing of the school but didn’t have the funds for it, so he’s made a deal with Agreste. They provide the money, and in return, he’s starting a manhunt to find you. They know you’ll probably come back to school, so they’re upping the guards, upping the border patrols, the police, the military – everything! You can’t come back!”

There was a pause for a few seconds before Adrien spoke.

“You mean… I have to stay here?”

“Yes, for your safety. I don’t have any proof or anything, I’m sorry, it’s too dangerous – I’m not even supposed to be in here, on the phone, telling you this, anything like that. But I don’t want you to be found! And trust me, I know my father. He’ll put all his efforts into this. He’s always trying to get on Agreste’s good side, and they said that if he manages to hunt you down, they’ll officially ally with Bourgeois. That’s a dream come true for my father, and a nightmare for you.”

Adrien sighed. “Well… I guess if it’s for the best, then…”

“It’s okay,” Marinette said, “I’ll stay here with you.”

“Is that really a good idea?” Chloé asked, knowing Marinette would hate her for it. “That will be so suspicious. They’ll know you’re hiding him then. And like I said, my father would do anything to get an official alliance with Agreste. The Bourgeois Empire is currently running on fumes alone and on the verge of economic collapse, especially with colonies seceding from us everywhere, and he needs the support. He would absolutely send his lackeys to Cheng to drag you away. And then the only choice for you would be to escape into exile.”

“But I can’t just leave Adrien all alone!”

“He’ll have your family, won’t he? And he’ll be safe! That’s the most important thing!”

“But how long will he have to stay hidden in Cheng?”

“I have no idea, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, honestly I am. But this is all I can do to help. I’m sorry I can’t offer much more than a warning or advice.”

When Adrien spoke again, it sounded like his voice was cracking. “Thank you, Chlo. Thank you so much for warning me.”

She just wanted to hug him through the phone, she really did. Her best friend. Her first friend. “You mean so much to me, I will always do my utmost to protect you! I promise.”

“You’re the best. I’ll stay here, then, until it’s safer for me.”

“I suppose I’ll have to go back to school without you then,” Marinette said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears too. “As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters.”

“I’ll stay safe. I’ve managed it this far, right?”

“Yes… you have…”

“Anyway, I really ought to go,” Chloé said. “I’m not supposed to be here and I don’t know how much time I have. Take care, both of you.”

“You too, Chloé!”

“Goodbye.”

She hung up and put the receiver back down, wiping it with her sleeve to get rid of the greasy powder smudges from her makeup. (Ugh, why did she have to cover her whole body in the stuff here? At school she only ever bothered making up her face!) Then she hastily put the phonebook back in the drawer.

Okay, she had managed that phone call without being caught. Now whatever happened, even if she did get into trouble, at least Adrien would be safe. She had done her duty.

Heading for the door, she was just about to go through when someone opened it from the other side. There was no time for her to hide. She just stood there in complete dread as she watched her father walk into the room.

He looked down at her for a few seconds, his expression slowly changing to one she wished she didn’t have to see. When she had been a little girl, her father never got angry at her. He’d give her all the gifts she ever wanted, always making sure she was happy, spoiling her rotten. But these past few years he really had been starting to take his parenting job more seriously. And especially since she had been at school.

For a few awful moments he simply glared at her coldly. Then he said, rather slowly, “What do you think you’re doing in my office?”

Her throat felt dry. She hadn’t really thought of an excuse. Why couldn’t she be as good at Lila was at coming up with lies on the spot?

Wait… Lila!

“I was using the telephone,” Chloé said, standing up tall and trying not to let her voice tremble.

“And why would you be doing that?”

“I was phoning up Lila. My… friend.”

Best to leave it at that for now, no need to get into more trouble than was necessary.

“Why were you phoning up Marchesa Lila, may I ask?”

“Because she is my close friend and I miss her, so I wanted to speak to her. Since telephones exist, I decided to make use of this convenient piece of modern technology.”

Emperor André sighed, looking more disappointed than anything else. “Lila is not proper royalty, so really, you have no reason to be associating with her enough to call her a close friend, and you especially should not need to be telephoning her.”

A surge of anger ran through her. “Does it matter if she’s not ‘proper’ royalty? She’s a human being, just like any other, and so deserving of basic respect!”

“But her blood status–”

“O+, maybe, AB, who knows, it doesn’t matter! It’s just blood! It doesn’t mean a thing, father, and you would do well to learn that.”

“Now young lady,” he said, more sternly all of a sudden, “don’t talk to me in that tone of voice. You are not to call Lila again, do you hear me?”

“Fine!”

“And stop with all this nonsense. I don’t know where you’ve got all these ideas into your head, but you can get rid of them. Lila is a marquise, whether in your class at school or not, and you will treat her as such. Is that clear?”

As much as it hurt her to say it, Chloé nodded and said, “Yes father.”

“Good. And the next time I find you trespassing in my office, you’ll get a much harsher punishment than just a telling-off. I’m only letting you go now because I would rather you not make a scene. Alright? You’d better run along now and get back to whatever duties you ought to be doing.”

Chloé stormed past him without another word. She didn’t want to get into trouble but she knew if she stayed, she would end up arguing, and that would not turn out well. Why were the upper class of her empire so backwards all the time? And how could she ever have been one of them?

Three hours into the peace conference, Kim had long given up paying attention. He really had no clue what was going on. Instead he was fiddling about with the piece of paper in front of him, folding it into a boat, now a plane, now a frog, now Max… His thoughts always went back to Max in the end, didn’t they?

Oh, he had tried to concentrate. Something about some humanitarian crisis in Haprèle which they needed funds to send aid to (and why did that name sound so familiar to him?), a new rail line construction from Persia to Baluchistan being prevented by activities from the Agreste Empire, Iberia wanting to join the International Alliance now that it had successfully seceded from the Bourgeois Empire…

“…and now we feel it would be a good opportunity to hear from Prince Kim, who is here not just as a guest, but as someone who has been prevented from returning home due to the Agreste Empire’s violence. Lê Chiến may not be officially part of the International Alliance, but we are always ready to hear you speak. So if you would say a few words…?”

Queen Sol of Nubia was gesturing at him. Oh right, did he have to speak now? Maybe he should have been using this time to prepare something rather than just… ugh… daydreaming about Max again… He really was too sappy for his own good.

Everyone was looking at him expectantly. He stood up, acutely realizing he was still wearing rather sporty clothes as opposed to something formal, and cleared his throat.

“Good afternoon everyone,” he began. “I am Prince Kim from the kingdom of Lê Chiến. Unfortunately I cannot return home, as the Agreste Empire has been trying to take more land from my kingdom and their troops have been making the borders unsafe, even for trade. There were plans for a peace offering, but Agreste’s idea of a peace gift was to give us back land that they had totally stripped, leaving it worthless and barren. There are also suspicions that my grandfather’s recent death may not have been an accident, though we don’t know who was behind it.”

Okay, that speech hadn’t been too bad. He hadn’t really ended it so much as just stopped talking, so everyone stared at him in a few seconds of confused silence before Sol stood up again to speak.

“Thank you for your words, Your Highness. Your input is very valuable, and I am sorry that you are unable to return to your home. That must be very difficult for you.”

He nodded, not really sure whether or not to say something.

“Just know that the Agreste Empire is not allied with us in any way at all, and we thoroughly despise of many of their violent actions, so you will always be welcome in any of our countries here. I also offer my consolations for your grandfather’s death, that cannot have been easy for you. As you will be ascending the throne soon yourself at this young age, if you ever would like any assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask the International Alliance. Perhaps you will be part of it too one day.”

Kim was surprised to find himself tearing up a little. Why was Queen Sol so nice? So… motherly? He just wanted her to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. He would believe it if she was the one saying it.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, then sat down again. The other royals were all looking at him with expressions of soft concern, like they too wanted to help him in some way. It was just too much – they were so nice! Why? How?

Queen Sol continued talking, sounding like she was finishing off the conference now. There were going to be more in the next few weeks as everything could not be discussed in just one meeting. Wow, ruling a country did seem like a lot of work, didn’t it?

“Good job, Emperor Palpatine,” Alix whispered next to him.

“I’m throwing you off the top of this tower,” he whispered back, trying not to laugh. That nickname was never going to leave, was it?

The conference finished shortly afterwards and everyone was let out of the hall. The monarchs all seemed to be giving Kim encouraging smiles as they passed, like they felt sorry for him or something. Well, to be fair, practically all of these countries were very well-off and very tech-advanced. The same couldn’t be said for Lê Chiến.

“Let’s go down in the lift again,” he said to Alix, not admitting out loud that he would rather run down all these stairs as fast as he could but didn’t want to in front of all these royals. “It didn’t break on the way up here, right? It’s probably permanently fixed or something.”

“I wouldn’t use that lift if I were you,” the passing Queen of Hindustan muttered. “A servant told me it gets stuck a lot.”

“See Kim?” Alix said, as the queen passed them and went for the stairs instead. “It’s gonna get stuck.”

“No it won’t!” he said. “And the lift is way cooler than the stairs! Lifts are like, electric and stuff! You literally stand in a box and it takes you down on its own and you can’t even see it from the inside, how cool is that?”

She smiled. “You really love tech, don’t you?”

“Yeah, who doesn’t?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. But fine, we’ll go in the lift. If it gets stuck then I’m blaming you.”

“That’s fine. It won’t get stuck.”

They went into the lift and pressed the button to send it downwards. The door closed, and off the lift went.

“See?” Kim said. “It’s moving just fine. Did you know, Max said that in Atlantica, lifts are called elevators? Isn’t that weird?”

At that exact moment, there was a crunching sound and the lift stopped moving. The doors did not open. Alix pressed the open button a few times, but it did nothing. She gave the doors a kick, too, and they still didn’t budge. She turned to Kim, looking more unimpressed than he had ever seen her.

“You imbecile, you – you – Kimbecile! Didn’t I tell you it was gonna get stuck?!”

Kim scratched the back of his head nervously. “Um… yeah… whoops…”

“We should have taken the stairs. Now I’m gonna ending up breaking another wrist and it’ll be your fault.” She sat down on the floor. The snake looked at Kim and hissed angrily. Did that snake understand French or something? It always seemed to react to whatever Alix was saying.

“I’ve got my phone,” Kim said. “I can just call Max, and then…”

Unexpectedly, she started laughing.

“What?”

“Don’t count on it,” she said.

“Why not?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried calling Max. For some reason the call wouldn’t go through. He tried sending a message, and that wouldn’t work either. “Why isn’t this working?”

“No signal in here, that’s why. Same thing happened with me and Max last time. We’ve just gotta wait it out until someone checks this stupid lift.”

“So like… we’re stuck in here for a few hours?”

“Yep.”

“But then what do we do?”

“I don’t know. Start brainstorming.”

He tried to think of ideas, but nothing was coming to mind. Play lacrosse? Pffff, not in a lift, where they didn’t even have lacrosse sticks. Read a book? Watch a movie? Not possible. Call Max? Super not possible! What had he done last time he was bored that didn’t require any equipment or anything? Well… there was always…

At the same time as Alix suggested, “We should have a fist fight!” Kim suggested, “We should make out!”

For a few seconds they just stared at each other in disbelief.

“Those are… both very bad ideas, actually,” Alix said finally.

“Then I guess we just sit here bored?”

“Well… a little fist fight maybe? Come on, remember that one time in that one Monopoly game where we both wanted the last dark blue card, and it got a bit… violent…”

“That wasn’t exactly fun though,” Kim said. “Okay, how about a compromise – we have a fist fight, then make out. And that way any hickeys will be mistaken for bruises. Oh wait – what did you call them at the winter party? Hockeys…”

She rolled her eyes. “I know they’re not called that, I just couldn’t remember the word.”

“Hey – if my nickname is Emperor Palpatine, yours should be Hockey! Yeah!”

“Don’t even think about it or I will start that fist fight right now.”

“You really wanna fight me, don’t you, Hockey?”

She grinned and hit him in the arm. “Well, Emperor Palpatine, I very much want to, but I also know that would be a bad idea, and I’ve been trying to get my recklessness under control lately, so you should probably do the same.”

“Yeah… I wish Max was here with us. N-not because I like him! I mean, because I don’t act so stupid when he’s around. And maybe then I would be able to think of something sensible to do.”

“True. Us two being stuck indefinitely in a lift without Max is probably the worst thing that could happen.”

“Hmm… another compromise. We can make it less stupid. You punch me, and then I get to kiss you.”

She just sighed. “Only one punch? Just one?”

“Look, why do you even want to fight me so bad? Aren’t I your best friend?”

“Well I could ask you the same – why are you so hell-bent on kissing me? You said you were long over me! You’re head over heels for Max!”

“Hey, I asked you first. You answer first.”

“Fine.” Alix put down her snake and let it wander around the lift on its own accord. “I hate being short. There, I said it! I’m short and I hate it. I’m small and scrawny and people don’t take me seriously. And it’s not that I want people to be scared of me, because I don’t! But no one looks at me and thinks I’m strong. That I’m sporty, or can win arm wrestles, or whatever. So I wanna fight, because it makes me think I can actually do stuff. All short people wanna fight. It’s a thing.”

“So… you want to fight because you’re short.”

“Yes.”

“Okay…”

“Now your turn.”

“Oh, well…”

He hadn’t really thought about it. He was just bored, and it was the first thing that came to mind that was fun. It had been fun at the winter party, anyway.

“I know you won’t agree,” he started off, feeling kind of awkward, “but like… kissing’s pretty fun, okay? Sometimes I just want to, it doesn’t matter who with, it just… I don’t know how to describe it. I’m not the only one, I know that! Marinette says it happens to her too. Maybe it’s a teenagery thing. Well, some teenagers. So yeah. I’m bored and maybe a bit horny and I wanna make out.”

She winced. “That stupid timeline twin is yelling at me a lot right now. I thought she had stopped talking to me after running off with Adrien, but apparently not. She’s telling me not to be reckless.”

“Oh… so does your timeline twin count as our ‘Max’ then? Our impulse control?”

“Heck no, I’m not listening to her! She’s annoying. Maybe right sometimes about some things, but mostly annoying. So I’m just gonna ignore her.”

“So uh, anyway... we still need to decide what to do…”

“Whatever happens, I get to punch you at least twice. And for the record, what happens in the lift stays in the lift. No telling anyone I beat you up. Or kissed you, if that happens, which I am still considering because honestly it’s kinda gross, no offence.”

“Of course I won’t tell anyone,” he said. “And I’m still considering the ‘getting beaten up’ part, because like… it’s kinda painful, so…”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

“How long have we been stuck in here anyway?”

Alix checked the watch on her sceptre. “Like four minutes.”

“Only?! And how long were you stuck in here with Max last time?”

“Two hours.”

Kim put his head in his hands. “Oh man, this is gonna be so long…”

#why this chapter gotta be so looooooong #it's almost 2am and i can't stop laughing at myself #'i too would like to beat up my best friend in a lift' is not actually Relatable for once #royalty au #miraculous ladybug #le chien kim #chloe bourgeois #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #alix kubdel #random stuff #the misadventures of prince kim #aish writes

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