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riddledwithrats · 1 year

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In The Midnight Hour

Oz Cobblepot x afab!Reader

Chapter One: Life Is A Mystery

-chapter two, chapter three

Chapter Summary: Y/n reflects on her situation as her interest in Oz grows.

Story Summary: Y/n is Carmine Falcones girl/sugar baby, but she finds herself in deep trouble when she begins to develop feelings for Falcones right-hand man, Oz Cobblepot.

Words: 2,630

Warnings: mention of sex, violence, vague dubcon, sugar baby dynamics, forbidden love, vague religious imagery, abuse/domestic violence, 18+

“Now, I don’t know if I see it that way…” You trail off and look at the other women around the table. You weren’t sure how you joined this conversation with the dancers here at the club but you weren’t opposed to it.

“How do you see it then?” Said one of the girls, her face scrunching up a little in curiosity.

“Well, I don’t know. What if he didn’t give them the apple because he was evil, what if he was in love with Eve? And that’s why he tricked them into eating the apple? So that she’d have free will, she’d have the ability to choose him over Adam.” It wasn’t exactly orthodox, and quite possibly it didn’t even make sense, but ever since you were a kid you’ve seen it this way. It just seemed more plausible, more romantic than what everyone else said.

The girls look at you quizzically, but before they can say anything a rough voice cracks through the booming club music playing.

“What the hell are you talking about, girl?”

You look up at Carmine, his hollow eyes staring down at you incredulously. Nothing, you tell him, Just nonsense. You stand up and follow him, merging into his entourage. A large man stands next to you and Carmine, you’ve seen him lots before and you know by now that he’s an important person in all of this. Even if you hadn’t seen him before, just his presence alone demands attention.

You don’t know his name, you weren’t included in Carmine's business. If anything he might just kill you if you got too close… Or maybe just for fun. The man shuffles a little next to you, getting a little antsy under your gaze. He looks down at you, his deep brown eyes searching yours. There’s a large scar running through his top lip and over his right cheek. It looks old, and it makes you wonder just how he got it.

The men are having a conversation about something you’ve never even heard of, and the man next to you chimes in quite a bit. Even as the elevator comes to a stop and they all start piling out into Falcone's office above the club, they continue their incessant chattering.

You try to be inconspicuous as you try and listen for the man’s name. The other guys like calling him Penguin, but by the way his face scrunches up every time they say it you can assume he doesn’t necessarily like that name. You trail behind Carmine, watching as Penguin hobbles around. That must be why they call him that. It makes you roll your eyes as you think about it, these men still act like middle schoolers.

“Oz,” Carmine says suddenly, the Penguin turns towards him expectantly. Oh, so that’s his name. It’s… endearing. You don’t pay attention to what Carmine says next but soon enough he, Oz, and a few of the other guys start a game of pool.

Your job is to sit and look pretty, so you sit down on the couch to get ready for a long day of work. Technically, Falcone is supposed to be paying you to have sex with him but, after a few unsuccessful tries, he’s realized he can’t do that anymore. And when you first suggested maybe getting some pills, he smacked you upside the head and told you to get out of his sight. So, you don’t suggest anything anymore.

You feel eyes on you for the next few hours, you try to ignore it as you text a friend of yours to pass the time. You had assumed it was Falcone, but out of curiosity, you take a glance at the pool table full of men behind you. Deep brown eyes stare back before quickly turning back to the game. The hair stands on the back of your neck, Oz has been sneaking glances at you for the past few hours.

This newfound information makes you feel uneasy, but excited too all at the same time. A man hasn’t dared look at you since you got with Falcone. Everyone believes that you and he are dating, he’s insisted that no one knows about the checks he sends you or the arrangement you have. You wonder if maybe he’s ashamed.

You lose yourself in thought and it isn’t until later that night that you think about Oz again. Carmine has a small penthouse not far from the Iceberg Lounge, and that’s where you lay side by side with him as he lets out broken snores. Just ten minutes ago he had finished trying to please himself with your mouth, tonight he had gotten it up just enough to cum and dribble down your throat.

As you lay silently next to him, you absentmindedly wonder what Oz would be like in bed. You’re sure the limp would restrict him a little, and while he may be older than you, he still looks like he’s got some energy left. You’d probably peg him to be around mid to late fifties, which is younger than Carmine who’s deep in his sixties by now.

You never really had an issue with finding older men attractive, in fact, you often sought them out. Before Carmine, you never really had any issues with abuse or differing opinions in a relationship with an older man. Often the only issue was that they never understood your jokes or reverences and you never understood theirs. But it was only a matter of time til you got mixed up with the wrong man. Carmine is not a gentle person, he often teases you under the guise of being sweet but his tone always gives him away.

The first time he hit you was terrifying. You had listened in on a conversation you shouldn’t have, but lucky for you it wasn’t murder-worthy. He still had to teach you a lesson though, there’s no way he’d let you off easy.

You turn on your side, the cold sheets twisting around your naked body. You wonder if Oz has a gentle hand and if he’s a kind man. You scoff internally, what man in this industry is kind? But you can’t stop yourself from imagining him trailing his thick, warm fingers over your shoulder and down your arm. You think of how his breath might fan over your neck as he whispers sweet nothings to you in his heavy voice.

Subconsciously, you compare Oz to Carmine. You know it’s wrong to do so, but is it wrong to wish for better? To want out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself?

The next few days you watch Oz interact with the dancers, and how polite and kind he is to them. They often seem very comfortable in his presence, like he offers them a safe haven through the uncertainty of the club. He knows just how difficult and dangerous it can be for girls here, especially down in the 44 Below.

You catch on to the fact that if a dancer wants to pick up a shift at the 44, he often talks them out of it and pays them whatever they need. It makes your heart race. How can someone be so generous? Why does he care?

But you also see the other side of him as well, especially in meetings with Falcone. You can tell Oz is teetering on the precipice, he’s cracking under the constant berating and ridicule Carmine and the others throw at him. You can see the fire in his eyes every time they make a comment, but you can also see when he catches his tongue. He’s a smart man, he knows when to shut up and when to strike.

One day he tells Carmine off in front of you. Carmine had said something nonchalant about Oz fucking some of the girls he employs, that must’ve been the tipping point for Oz because he yells and breaks Carmine's nose in a second and the old man has nothing he can do except fall back into his chair and sit in silence. You rush over to Carmine in a faux show of concern when in reality, your belly fills with a warmth you haven’t felt in a long time and suddenly you feel the urge to change your panties.

Carmine does his best to push you away once Oz leaves the room, satisfied with himself. Carmine looks at you in disdain.

“You think this is funny? Think I couldn’t have fought back if I wanted? I OWN THIS CITY!” He shouts at you and backs you into a wall, you know this is just a desperate grab for control but it still frightens you every time he does it. He knows his grasp is slipping, he knows he’s not going to be around forever.

As you trip and fall onto the floor he kicks you once, deep in your stomach and trods off to find a bathroom to clean up in. You cough and cradle your now bruised belly, you stand up shakily when he comes back into the room and mumbles in your direction.

He sits down in the leather chair he always sits in and beckons you closer, he has tissues in his nose and a bruise is already forming.

“I’m sorry, baby,” He says in his mock-apologetic tone. “I don’t know what came over me.”

You nod and sit in his lap for about ten minutes, he seems defeated. When you first had agreed to be his girl, you were attracted to him, though as the rose colored glasses were lifted off your eyes, you came to see him for who he truly was. There was no heart beating in his ancient body. Just cruel and blatant dishonesty.

That night he had told you to go back to your apartment, to recover from the shock of the night. As you left the club you saw Oz leaving as well, climbing carefully into his purple Maserati. Alone. Every time you watched him leave the club he was always alone. It didn’t matter what arm candy he had with him that night, he never took them home and he was never seen alone with them. He’s not that kind of man it seems.

As you toss and turn during the night, trying to get some semblance of sleep you take into account the man beside you. Carmine Falcone. Possibly the most dangerous man in the city… But maybe he’s losing his grip? Maybe there’s someone bigger, someone badder who can take charge.

You hope Oz takes charge. Whether or not Carmine is willing to admit it, Oz holds more power than he does. He owns the club, he’s the boss of everyone here. Carmine is the vermin in the attic, hiding from something he’s destined to collide with.

Carmine doesn’t even own the penthouse he takes you back to, it’s in Oz’s name. Everything Carmine has, never was and never will be his own truly. He isn’t what he used to be, he’s washed up and losing his once unshakable power.

The next morning is hazy, you always leave the penthouse before Falcone as he doesn’t have any real or proper job he has to get to. You, on the other hand, have become fairly good friends with the dancers from the club. They like it when you come to hang out with them before the club opens fully, and it’s a great chance to get to watch Oz in his element.

You’ve been growing more and more interested in him, you’re beginning to worry if Falcone has noticed. If he has, he hasn’t mentioned it. You haven’t seen him jealous, and you’re worried about how he would react if he knew of your fascination with Oz.

“So, I told him to get lost obviously,” one of the girls, Natalia, says, dressed in a tight dark pink strapless dress. “I mean, what guy goes around asking if you wanna be his mistress?”

The rest of girls reply, murmuring their distaste.

“What about you? Whats the worst encounter you’ve had with a guy, Y/n?” Another girl, Hailey, asks you in her soft voice. You think for a few seconds but nothing really comes to mind, and you don’t think gossiping about Falcone would be a good idea.

“Oh, I don’t know, I can’t really think of one.” You laugh nervously, you feel bad for not providing the girls the entertainment they so obviously wish they could get.

A chorus of awe’s and boo’s sing through the little dressing room, some girls are half-way done getting ready while some others have been ready for a while. Through the lighthearted chaos, a voice you know by heart calls out.

“Excuse me, girls.” Oz knocks on the half open door, and steps in when the girls tell him he can. “Ah, there you are! Mr. Falcones been looking for you everywhere, doll.”

His arms are stretched out in greeting towards you, almost like he’s waiting for a hug but they fall back to his sides quickly as he shifts his weight from leg to leg. He’s never spoken to you directly, it sends a shiver down your spine. You whisper your thanks to him and look down at the floor, it feels like it’s the only thing you can do as Oz leads you out of the room.

You both meander to the steps down from the dressing room, close to where Oz’s office is. The club is mostly empty except for waiters and bartenders getting things ready for a night of business. Oz is walking slightly slower than you, his big, warm hand resting gently on your shoulder as you wait patiently. He takes the stairs slowly, one step at a time.

“So, uh, you and Falcone been together long?” He flashes a charming grin your way, his gold teeth shining under the dim light of the club. He seems in pain as he asks the question, but you chalk it up to the stairs being a burden on his bad leg. You look down, listening to the soft clink of the barely visible brace connected to his right dress shoe.

“No, not really,” You reply softly, you’ve always been a quiet person but something about him brings the shyness out of you. “Only a few months.”

“Oh, I-uh, I hope he ain’t treating you too bad. I know he can be a little rough with his girls.” He leans in closer to you as you both make your way to the elevator, he says it quietly like he doesn’t want anyone else but you to hear.

“He…” You have to decide whether or not you want to lie to him. “He has his bad days, like anyone else.”

You can see the recognition in his eyes as he absorbs your words, his hand rests firmly on your shoulder as the elevator doors shut and it takes you slowly up to Carmines office. Oz sighs and looks at you, not with pity, but with a sort of melancholy. Like he wishes it didn’t have to be this way.

Your mind flicks back to the conversation with the dancers a few weeks ago, about Eve and the Apple. You wonder how long it’ll take before this serpent before you hands you an apple of his own making. You dismiss the idea as the elevator dings and comes to a stop, the doors open to reveal Carmine already lounging about in his leather chair.

You step in hesitantly and head over to him, only glancing back at Oz to see the look of regret that comes over him as the elevator doors shut once more and he’s on his way back down to the club.

#hoooo weee i had a lot of fun writing this so i hope it’s a good start to the storyyyy #oz cobblepot x reader #oswald cobblepot x reader #farrell!penguin x reader #the batman (2022)#my writing

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basic-bitch-alkali · 8 months

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ANNOUNCEMENT- New story

A virus outbreak. City on lockdown. Antidote-unknown. Will these 10th graders survive or will they succumb to the virus?

taglist : @lovee-is-a-laserquest @tiredguyswag @forgotten-by-the-stars @redvelvetpdf @ashlakh @beforethemoongoesdown @hinsaa-paramo-dharma @mishti-doi @morally-gayy @tiredandcaffeinated @waitingforthesunrise @trashmeowcan

#NEW STORYYYY #nova's writing #our last days

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wingedflight · 6 months

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Ectober: Portal Shenanigans

A part of the Paulina Phantom AU.

It’s not like Paulina had wanted to visit the lab belonging to a pair of mad scientists. If she’d been given a choice, the afternoon would have been spent at the mall along with her besties. She could have been shopping, gossiping, and passing out catty remarks. Instead, she’d been guilt-tripped into spending more time with her father, which really meant accompanying him while he checked up on his angel investor projects.

Look, she loved that her father was rich enough to hand out money to every crackpot inventor that caught his interest. She just didn’t want to spend her afternoon surrounded by strange beeping machines with no discernable purpose while her father discussed such fascinating things as timelines and budgets and expected ROIs.

Boooring.

At least he’d promised they’d stop for milkshakes at Lola’s Diner afterwards. Paulina might have been watching her figure, but she also wasn’t going to turn down a Lola’s Shake with her father. She would just have to skip the dressing on her salad at supper, and maybe hit the treadmill tomorrow morning even though she didn’t usually do cardio on the same day as cheer practice.

It was halfway through this mental planning that her father pulled up in front of the last stop on the list. Paulina looked out the window at the flashing neon sign and cringed hard. “I’ll wait in the car, Daddy.”

“No, you won’t,” he said. “There’s nothing to do in here. Come on, stretch your legs. Say hello. Let me show off my pride and joy.”

There would be nothing for her to do inside the lab, either, once her father had finished showing her off. Worse, this was the Fenton lab, situated in the basement of the Fenton home, where the Fenton scientists lived with their two Fenton children--one of whom had the most loud, embarrassing, disgusting crush on her.

But there was no talking her father out of something once he’d made up his mind, and he was apparently dead set on introducing her to absolutely everybody. So Paulina bit down her protests, made sure her new phone was in her pocket, and followed him up to the door.

They were down in the laboratory, and Danny Fenton was staring at her--had been staring at her from the moment Paulina stepped foot in their house. Paulina was doing her best to ignore him in return. She’d given the Doctors Fenton very professional handshakes while her father beamed with pride, dutifully followed the adults down the stairs to their basement lab, and then whipped out her phone the instant their attention turned away.

Star and Valerie were at the mall, and had started texting her pictures of potential new outfits. It was Paulina’s sworn duty as top fashion expert of their trio to thoroughly evaluate every single option, even if she couldn’t be there with them in person.

It was almost enough to keep her entertained while the adults talked about investments and testing procedures and expected timelines to launch. The three of them were crowded at the far end of the room, attention split between diagrams pinned to the wall and a huge metal construct built into the wall itself.

Her phone pinged again. It was Star in another crop top, with the caption: Rad or bad?

So rad, Paulina decided. She sent her reply, and then made the mistake of locking eyes with Danny when she glanced up again. He gave her a hopeful smile and Paulina responded with her best get lost, twerp scowl--only to hastily wipe the expression from her face as the adults moved away from the huge device.

“We keep all the financials in here,” Dr. Jack Fenton was saying, leading the others into a side-room.

“So,” said Danny as soon as the door closed behind them, “Guess it’s just you and me, now.”

Paulina snorted. “As if.”

He was not deterred. “Wanna see something cool?”

She waved her Motorola. “The only cool thing to look at is on here.” She paused, then added, “And myself, of course.”

“Of course,” echoed Danny, still unphased. He was already sauntering backwards toward the huge device his parents had been showing off. “Come on, don’t you want to see?”

Paulina lowered her phone and rolled her eyes. “No.” But despite this, she found herself following Danny across the lab until they both stood side-to-side in front of the huge, dark opening.

“Cool, right?” asked Danny.

“So cool--not.” Paulina made a face. “It’s a bunch of metal and wires. What’s it even supposed to be, a giant cave?”

Danny started to wave his hands with far to much enthusiasm. “When this thing works, it’s going to punch a hole right into another dimension.”

“When it works,” she repeated dryly.

He started to explain the different parts of the device, as if Paulina might possibly care. Her level of interest was way negative. But she hadn’t received any new texts from Star or Valerie yet, which meant she had to find some way to entertain herself in the meantime.

“You sure know a lot about this thing,” she purred, slipping the phone into her pocket. “You work on this with your parents?”

Danny stuttered, caught off-guard by her sudden change in attitude. “O-o-oh. Um. Not really, I just listen.”

“And yet you’ve picked up all that? You must be so smart.”

Danny’s face went suddenly, hilariously red. “Oh. Well, maybe.”

“What happens if you stand inside this thing?”

His forehead creased. “Well… I don’t.”

“But it’s not turned on, right?” She made a show of stepping over the trailing wires and ducking beneath the curving metal chassis. “Look at me, I’m spelunking.”

Danny forced a laugh.

Paulina made it to the back wall of the device, which was only a few steps within, and gave it a loving tap before turning around. “You’re telling me you’ve never done that?” she asked, before catching sight of Danny’s face and bursting into giggles.

The poor kid’s face was still red but now it was also twisted up in a hilarious confusion of emotions, like he couldn’t decide whether to be mad at her or scared they were going to get caught. “You shouldn’t do that,” he said in a strained voice.

“Relax.” Just to mess with him further, Paulina took out her phone and pretended to browse through old messages.

Danny’s face settled on mad. “Paulina,” he hissed.

She shifted her weight, slouching to the side to lean one shoulder against the metal frame, and then froze as something clicked under her weight.

“What was that,” whispered Danny, as two of the wires sparked.

Paulina straightened.

And the world exploded around her.

👻👻👻👻

This October, @marzfartz and I have split the prompts between us with the intention of creating non-stop Paulina Phantom content! Check out the #paulina phantom au tag for more!

#eh #ectoberhaunt23 #day 22 #portal shenanigans #paulina phantom au #danny phantom #origin storyyyy

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sadiecoocoo · 4 months

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I JUST THOUGHT IF THE BEST PIECE OF DIALOGUE TO GO IN SEAL SHENANIGANS AND UGHHHH I PHYSICALLY CANT WAIT TO PUT IN THIS IS KILLING MEEEE

#rick and morty #morty smith #rick sanchez #rick and morty fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ughhhh #I need to write it now #but it’s too early in the storyyyy #don’t worry #I put it in my notes doc so I won’t forget #god I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to itttt #<3

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jahiera · 7 months

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me when someone is nice about emrys

#I babble a LOT about her and it is quite incessant so 🥹🥹🥹 psh…. it perhaps means the world I enjoy her sooo much #so happy with how her character is developing … It gets me!!#anyways. everyone is Always open to infodumping their tav to me—I love hearing about them & where you take the storyyyy

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myfriendtheghost · 11 months

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WAHHH

#josh posting music on his storyyyy he’s so cute :((((

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jack-and-pax · 22 days

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Tales From Mount Othrys

Axel: Into the Lion’s Maw VI

The trap was a simple one. There was a chain across the floor at shin level. That, alone, didn’t reveal if the chain triggered a secondary trap, maybe Mathias’ dream: a shower of Happy Meal toys.

However, the scattered skeletal and not-so-skeletal limbs and dismembered bodies decorating the area in a half-circle? That and the massive axe blades poking out of the walls? Axel had a guess it wasn’t McDonald’s related.[1]

Axel caught up with them as Mary and Ethan triggered Part II of the Fancy Death Machine.

He tackled them from behind. Blades swooped above them as they hit the floor. Ethan’s sword and the lighter clattered to the stone ahead.

“Get off of me!” Ethan snapped.

Axel altered his weight to pin Ethan down, praying that Mary didn’t try to fight him too.[2] He knew how strong she was and didn’t want her to lift all three of them into the still-swinging blades.

“‘Swish Swoosh,’ says the pendulum! ‘Did you know that I’m but a clock unwound? Tic-Tok!’” she shrieked in glee. She rested her hands over the back of her head, like this was a game of hide-and-go seek. “‘Slooth, slosh, I’m too tired to go on.’”

Only two swooshes of death above them. Ethan, fortunately, had gotten the message and stopped struggling. Axel hoped the blades didn’t swing in a descending pattern.

Several mechanical clicks later, the axe blades settled back into place.

Axel puffed up his cheeks and popped them. His lighter’s flame hadn’t gone out. The turquoise blaze spiraled lazily ahead of them, lighting up several dismembered limbs. Axel could see one wore a Happy Meal crown like a bracelet. Maybe he shouldn’t tell Matthias about that one.

Carefully, Axel sat up. He glanced to see how close the chain was. Several feet back. He didn’t readily see another trap.

“You could have gotten us killed,” Ethan snarled at Mary.

She didn’t respond. Her gaze had gone unfocused on Axel’s lighter.

Axel picked it up, watching her reaction as he did. She didn’t blink or follow the flame. She stared into the darkness. He didn’t know if that was more or less comforting than her earlier attention.

Ethan snatched up his sword. “We should leave her and get out of here,” he hissed.

Axel hesitated. She seemed completely nonresponsive. “I don’t want her to pick us off, one by one.” Axel could imagine her popping out of various doors in the labyrinth, Scooby Doo style, hoisting off demigods.

“What do you propose, genius?” Ethan Nakamura snapped.

We could unleash her onto Camp Half-Blood, the helm rumbled.

Axel liked that idea even less. She wasn’t a weapon. Unlike most gods, Axel didn’t get the vibe she was intentionally hurting people. He wondered if Prometheus could help her remember herself. He doubted “Mary” was her godly moniker. And, if it was, Catholicism had quite a few delusions that needed untangling.

“She could come with us,” Axel said.

Ethan glared, pointedly, at Axel’s bent shoulder pauldron then at the finger prints she’d left on Ethan’s arm bracer.

Point taken. They couldn’t exactly stroll merrily arm-in-arm.

Axel glanced at the pile of corpses. “If we have her hold a severed limb as we walked, she’d crush that instead of our hands.”

Ethan’s glare deepened. “I don’t like being mocked, Mayan,” he spat the last word like an insult.

Axel clenched his jaw. Anger boiled in his stomach. It eased when his helm spoke, Sacrifice him to this goddess to assure safe passage.

It was strangely calming. Maybe it shouldn’t have been comforting to be the reasonable one between you and your enchanted armor, but Axel would take the wins he could.

“I wasn’t mocking you or joking about the limb,” Axel said once he could keep his voice even. Alabaster or Pax would have brainstormed with him. He desperately wanted that right now. Maybe Ethan hadn’t carried enough limbless Titans around to know about the mythological options. “I was trying to figure out how to bring a lost minor goddess back to camp.”

Ethan lowered his gaze. He adjusted his shoulder straps.

At least he wasn’t arguing.

Axel crouched down near Mary, but not within touching distance. “Mary, what do you want to do?”

She blinked, still staring absently into the dark. “I don’t want to do anything.” Her voice was a soft drone compared to the previous fluttery tone.

Axel hesitated again. “Are you dangerous?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She dug her nails deeper into her scabs. “No.”

If she hadn’t proved how easily she could snap his arm, he might have touched her shoulder.

“You heard her. She wants to be left here,” Ethan said, “We need to get back to the others.”

The sacrifice is correct. We must rally your troops for battle.

Axel swallowed and rose. He would be sure to tell the other minor gods and titans about her. She shouldn’t be left to wander like this in the labyrinth. “I’ll make sure others know you’re here.”

She continued to silently weep as Axel and Ethan cautiously retreated. When they stepped over the trip chain, Axel lost sight of her amidst the dismembered corpses.

“This feels wrong,” he murmured. Which titans would be able to help her—? “Oh—this way.”

Ethan had turned down an unlit corridor. He paused and glared back. “How can you tell?”

Axel gestured towards the dim glow of the corridor beyond his turquoise firelight. “Can you not see it?”

“I can still see,” Ethan snapped, a little too quickly.

Axel paused, considering Camp Othrys’ newest recruit, examining his weathered eye patch in the flickering light. Ethan was very quick to assume others intended insult. “Where were you? Before here.”

Ethan looked away. He fidgeted with his shoulder straps again. “Cabin Eleven.”

“The children of Hermes weren’t particularly kind about your eye?”

He sneered. “Children of the trickster god. What do you think?”

Axel nodded in understanding. Maybe Ethan wouldn’t be shedding any tears for the missing Chris Rodriguez. “I didn’t mean anything about your vision. The floor has a glow to it in the direction we need to travel.” He would need to ask Alabaster why no one else could see it. Navigating the labyrinth didn’t seem that daunting. Axel took a step forward, then paused one more time. “Which side do you prefer I walk on?”

If Ethan had previous cabin mates that teased him about his vision, Axel imagined he would have a preference that was frequently denied.

Ethan gave him a suspicious look. He pointed to his blindside. “Make sure nothing attacks us from your direction.”

Strategic, Axel mused, trusting Ethan to guard their other side.

They began walking.

The corridor seemed to have elongated. Axel hoped the other demigods were still there. He hoped Mary hadn’t sprinted them away in a sack like a evil Santa Claus, handing demigods out to hungry mythological creatures like presents.

“I’m sorry about the Mayan thing,” Ethan said.

Axel grunted.

“I thought only mortals could have clear sight that strong,” Ethan said, “Why didn’t you tell Lord Kronos that sooner? You could have saved us a lot of trouble navigating the labyrinth.” It sounded accusatory.

In answer to both, Axel asked, “What is clear sight?” He thought about it. “You mean that I can see through the Mist? I don’t hide that. I didn’t know that would affect how we travel the labyrinth.”

Ethan snorted. Axel was getting the vibe this kid didn’t like him. “That seems convenient. Alongside the fact that you haven’t pledged your soul to Lord Kronos.”

Axel stopped walking and pivoted to face Ethan, only to realize Ethan couldn’t see the movement. Convenient? The lion’s helm felt heavy on his back. Did—did Ethan somehow know about—there was no way he could know about Alabaster’s meeting. That happened in Hecate’s realm—probably somewhere in Erebos. “I can’t. I’m not a half-blood.” He gritted his teeth. “And who told you that?”

Not many people knew. Except Pax, Alabaster, and—

“Lord Kronos.”

He couldn’t help it. “You mean Luke?” Axel resumed walking.

“Show him respect,” Ethan snapped.

Axel didn’t know how to break it to Ethan: he’d seen Luke so drunk he could barely sit on his barstool as he babbled about how beautiful Thalia was. There would be no “lord” when talking about his friend.

Ethan seemed to straighten his posture. “Lord Kronos will be sending me on a secret mission.”

Maybe Axel should point out the definition of “secret” in a dictionary to Ethan. Instead, Axel grunted, “Good for you.”

“And I plan to assure no one gets in the way of it.” Ethan turned his head sharply, so he could see Axel. This time, his expression was one of wary curiosity. “You’re really not the spy, are you? You’re not going to ask me any question about it?”

“What are you talking about?” Axel made sure not to make eye contact. He missed the standard issue helmet that covered his ears. They could be a dead giveaway when he was uncomfortable. He wasn’t a spy though. He was just making back-up plans to kill Luke if his friend totally lost his mind. Axel refrained from rolling his eyes, wondering which “Lord Kronos” would find more treacherous.

“The Romans knew about the Hecate child’s lab,” Ethan pushed, like Axel hadn’t been there, “I’ve heard what some of the monsters are saying. There have been other times the Romans knew too much.”

“I almost died in that raid,” Axel growled. He’d just been happy that he and Alabaster managed to keep Pax somewhat safe.

“And you got elevated to a hero with your brother and friend. I think you three have been very… lucky,” Ethan said the word like it was vulgar.

Lucky?! Axel barely refrained from pivoting to hit Ethan.

No one will find his body in the labyrinth.

This helm kept making excellent points.

Clutching the helm’s cold metal over his shoulder, Axel managed to control his temper. “What does that have to do with me not being or being a spy?”

“Sometimes you need to take things into your own hands. Make your own destiny.” Ethan tapped his eye patch. “Before someone steals it away. I’m going to find this spy, and I’m going to kill them.”

Axel didn’t like that Ethan was investigating this behind Mercedes’ back. He knew Mercedes had been working tirelessly. He wondered if he could—no, if Pax could—ask her about her best guesses. Axel and Alabaster still wanted Camp Jupiter to fall, but maybe this Roman spy would be useful to their cause. Maybe they could work together.

In the meantime, Axel didn’t like that Ethan’s investigation had come near him or his friends. “Nakamura, don’t go around accusing others without evidence.”

That’s what he meant to say. But lion’s helm chose then to speak, “Child of Nemesis, if you hurt anyone under my protection, I will break every bone in your body, starting with your left hand. And when I’m done with you, you will have neither an eye with which to see nor a tongue with which to slander.”

Axel was beginning to really enjoy this helm’s input.

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Thank you for reading! And thank you for your patience! Life should be hopefully settling down in the next month or so. (I feel like I’ve been saying this for awhile, but let me live in my delusions, damn it! XD)

I hope you enjoyed! This chapter felt janky to edit since it has been awhile. Hoping, as always, to get back onto a regular writing/upload schedule, but we might have another skip while life gets settled.

Thank all of you for your continued support! You guys rock and all your asks, comments, and likes have been very encouraging! (Which, I promise, I will one day get to! XD)

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Footnotes:

[1] Pax wanted to point out that it is: just Ronald McDonald FNAF edition.

[2] I don’t think you’d be in my fan base, but for those of you who were looking for Axamura—

Pax, singing from somewhere, “When the cat hits your back in a Paxboy attack, Axamura!“ (Name that song--!)

#percy jackson and the olympian #PJO #ethan nakamura #Mary #Tales from mount Othrys #hoo #heroes of olympus #writing #fanfiction #pjo fanfiction #axel #tfmo #The start of Axel's bromance with his helm #er--horror storyyyy #legit though thank you guys for the support #AND PAX's BIRTHDAY WISHES

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