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sgt-scottymoreau · 29 days

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Rogue Soldier

Summary: Scotty dissapear after a previous mission went south. For months, no one can't figure out where she is, till one day.

Warning: Violence, description of injuries/pain

Words: 4k // Masterlist

A/N: Another cheesy fic slightly inspired by the Winter Soldier idea. I wrote that like over a year ago and only post it now because I'm running low in Canon content lol Enjoy!

Every night for the last months, he woke up in cold sweat, dreaming again and again about the same failure he did. Price told him over and over that it wasn't his fault, so did Soap and Gaz. They all tried to support him, but it happened under his watch. He was supposed to protect her. He pushed the blanket, heading to the bathroom to wash up his face. He closed the tap, his eyes lifted to the mirror in front. Ghost saw how tired and horrible he looked. Worse than usual. He could hear her saying so and a small smile drew on his lips. Which then was followed again by her screaming out his name. His knuckles tighten around the towel.

During a mission, Scotty had been kidnapped. They tried their best, pulled every string from all their connections without avail. Laswell didn't find anything, neither did Nikolai or Farah. Even Alenjandro and his Vaqueros had no intel. The 141 kept this secret for a month, before the day he dreaded happened. Without any news on her whereabouts, she had to be declared M.I.A and the news had to be brought to her family. Ghost was glad he was not the one who explained them, Price had the obligation as her captain to do it. Nonetheless he was there when the news was spoken. It felt like once again he let down his family. Another failure on his part. Scotty's dad remained clear headed the whole time, her mother wasn't hysterical but no amount of reassurance would calm her. Gabrielle was also there and she was speechless, but her face spoke of the pain. She was in shock. None of them promised the family they would find her again, but they would never stop looking.

Despite all of this everyone refused to believe Scotty was dead. They had no body to prove she was dead. So maybe there were still small hopes. Hopes who were slowly dimming away as more weeks passed by. He returned to bed. A bed that felt so empty now. That's why he never wanted to get attached because in their line of work you never knew when one wouldn't not come back home. Ghost turned around in the bedsheet, gazing at the ceiling, watching the clock, trying to sleep. He was restless. He thought that mindless scrolling on his phone would help. It did till, for whatever reasons, Ghost went to check the pictures. Not that he had taken much of her; it was in fact the other way around. Scotty was always taking pictures of them and would send them to him. He simply saved them. He looked at her smile or that one silly picture she sent or the one he took of her sleeping on the couch in the most uncomfortable position, yet looked beautiful to his eyes. His heart ached.

Ghost would never admit but he was thankful to his friends to be there for him. It was hard for everyone, but they knew how it was harder for him. She meant everything to him. So they kept taking turns to keep his mind off the darkness, not leave him alone too much even if it was all he said he wanted. Soap remembered one day he went to Ghost's place, only to find him looking more miserable than usual. Like he hadn't showered or eaten in days. He really felt bad for him. After some encouragement, the Scotsman finally made him dress up and they went out for a drink. Ghost needed some fresh air according to him.

They enjoyed some snacks and drinks at the local pub. Ghost was still brooding, but Soap terrible attempts at jokes did drag a smile out of him here and there. He was fidgeting with his drink when two girls showed up at their tables. He did not even bother lifting his head to face them. "Come here often, handsome?" One of them advanced to Soap.

"Sorry ladies, not interested tonight." He shut them down quickly.

"What about your friend here?" One lady asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ghost tensed up and shifted away. "Jeez no need to be so rude. Not with an attitude like this and this… mask that you gonna get a girl."

The glare he gave her made the girl move five steps back. "I suggest you leave." He let out coldly. The two girls didn't try to argue. Ghost sipped on his drink. If only they had known how this mask and attitude indeed got him a girl…

Missions felt different. Not too much, they were used to missions where she wasn't there. But her snarky comments, her goofing around with Soap and Gaz, her accidental flirting with Ghost, all were missing. Just like today. Soap was complaining on the com. Till Gaz replied. "Pretty sure Captain, don't want someone to go full clean everywhere."

"I know my tactics are brute force sometimes, but do I really need to be overwatch?"

"A little focus, lads." Price intervened.

Despite her absence, Soap and Ghost both heard her. Her remark every time Price would say this. And girl. Obviously their coms never sparked her chuckles. Soap looked at his friend who focused himself on his scope. He had a visual on Price, Gaz and Stevenson. Someone who had worked with them before and was again paired up for this mission.

"I got a visual on the target. He's talking with someone." Ghost said. "Garrick, he is only a few meters away from you."

"Any hostiles that might be with him?" Price asked.

"I see nothing sir." Soap replied while scouting with the binocular.

Ghost watched through the small crowd. "Hold that thought…" He noticed something off. Someone who was trying to blend in the crowd. However, said person did not look to be part of their current target affiliation. He adjusted his snipe. His blood went cold when the person turned around. "Johnny!" He shouted louder than expected, making him jump. "Check the person with the black hood, near the restaurant, there!"

Soap wasn't sure why. Ghost wouldn't be vague like this for no reason, he was always direct. His gaze followed the instruction and his own heart skipped a beat. "It's her!" He exclaimed. The two men looked at each other; they had to focus on the mission but how did she just reappear out of nowhere. "Captain! We have a visual on Scotty!" Soap radioed quickly.

Price, who was sitting on a bench, tried to look for the position they pointed him to. He couldn't make up her face, but he did see the woman with the hood. Gaz, who was also nearby, lost focus for a moment and searched for her. Being closer, he saw her features. "I would say you guys are crazy, but no it is her." He confirmed.

"I saw her too." Stevenson came in. "Keep your eyes on the main target, I'll make contact with her.”

From their spot, Ghost told Soap to keep watch on target, he will keep eyes on Scotty. He lost her once, he won't lose her a second time. Through his scope, he watched Stevenson approach with a friendly embrace. But something was off. She didn't seem to remember him? Ghost kept watching. They had worked with the man not long before she was kidnapped. For sure she would know his face. Ghost gestured at Soap to also watch, confirming that it wasn't his mind playing tricks. Her stance was stern and cold. They both saw Stevenson only at arm length. He seemed like he said something. Her course of action took their breath away. Scotty grabbed the man's arm, swiftly flipped him around, forced him on his knee and plunged a knife in his neck. The crowd scattered in fear, causing chaos to their main mission.

"What the fuck happened?" Price yelled getting up ready to jump in the action.

Ghost's words almost got caught in his throat. "It's Scotty… she is… hostile."

Soap turned to him with confusion on his face. Price was also stunned by this realization but kept his head straight. With the crowd panicking, their target could get away easily. He ordered Gaz to capture him before he could ask. The sergeant agreed and swiftly made his way through the crowd. From their higher ground, Ghost and Soap didn't let go of both, giving updates on their movements. Gaz was about to intercept the target, when Ghost saw it.

"Garrick! Watch your back!" He yelled in the radio quickly.

Gaz turned around to see Scotty about to knock him out. He ducked in the time and slipped to the side. The woman placed herself between the two men, almost as she was protecting him. The target smiled. "Do you like my new pet? She turned out to be quite an asset once we were done." He explained.

Ghost's hands gripped his sniper so hard, his knuckles hurted. He did not like the way he was talking about her. "What did you do to her?" Gaz asked, taking a defensive stance.

"Isn't it obvious? She is here to protect me… and kill all of you. Isn't that right, love? It's the 141 after all." With this, Gaz saw her pull a gun out and aim at him. He dodged quickly before trying to find cover.

"She has a gun. We can't let her be in the middle of this chaos, going around shooting!" Gaz radioed to be sure everyone would hear. Price was already by his side by then. He had to think quickly of a solution, while he could see the gun being pointed in his direction. It wouldn't take long for local authorities to also show up. She had to be drawn somewhere else without any civilians being able to point out the direction. However one detail made no sense to him. If Scotty was indeed the target's protection, why would she keep her face out in the open? Anyone would be able to identify her. Unless this was part of their enemy's plan. But for what? Price pushed Gaz behind cover with him. By reflex, they both grab their weapon, fully aware that none of them wished to arm her.

Ghost followed the exchange with a caution eye. He wasn't the type of man to lose his cool during a mission or a high stake moment. But right now, he felt his body being tense; his breathing was heavy, his grip was strong and his mind racing. Price hadn't ordered anything yet, which gave him the idea that he was probably in the same mindset as him. Finding a solution that would not result in more blood. The crowd cleared from their position. This gave Ghost an opportunity to test something. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the ground right behind her. By her surprised reaction, his guess was right. She was not aware of their position.

Price and Gaz took advantage of this distraction to jump on the woman. With not much success. Gaz had sparred with her in the past, he knew how she danced. Now, it felt like he was fighting someone else. She easily got the upper hand. A pressure on his shoulder followed by a loud bang made him realize much. A stinging pain and warmth overwhelmed this part. Another sniper shot was fired and Scotty jumped back again. Price tempted another attempt at getting a hold of her. Despite the confusion, Scotty was able to get him first. With a quick move, Scotty spinned him around, his back against her, his arm above her shoulder and pulled on it. A loud crack and pain jolted through his elbow to his shoulder. If it wasn't for a third snipe shot, Price would have probably received a gunshot wound after the broken arm.

Ghost saw that he finally had her full attention to the building when she dropped Price and scouted their direction. Soap had a better idea to help. He stood at the window, waving. "Hey! Over here!" He shouted. As expected, they watched her rush toward their position.

"What do we do now? It's not like we can shoot her…" Soap groaned. "We don't even know why she's acting like that!"

"I have an idea why…" An idea that made him sick and enraged. "We need to stop her without any harm."

Soap agreed. The two men took position for ambush. They waited…waited…and waited. Ghost glanced by the window. Price was taking care of Gaz, but no Scotty in sight. What was she doing? The lieutenant gestured to Soap to slowly move from his position to check out. He did so, crouching to reach the door. He pushed it with his gun. No riposte. Was she in the building or not? Soap tempted a check; his head picking just a little to see the hallway. Nothing. "Negative on…" He was interrupted by the door slamming on his face violently. Soap stumbled back, broken nose. He lost balance, fell flat on his back and a foot stopped on his chest pinning him down. Scotty was above him, ready to shoot. The sergeant grabbed her leg and pulled as hard as he could to destabilize her. It worked, although in her fall she did pull the trigger. The bullet grazed his arm. Ghost sent a warning shot to get her attention. He saw enough friends being hurt.

‘‘Drop the gun!’’ He ordered, doing the same. ‘‘We are not gonna hurt, but if you force our hands.’’ Scotty did not move a muscle, always aiming at him. At the moment he was the treat. Ghost’s brain was working overclock to make sense of what was going on. Try to piece together what was happening to her, with his own experience. Disappearing for months, reappearing as a changed person, ready to kill in cold blood… He gritted his teeth. Soap took the opportunity of their silent exchange to push back one more time. He pushed himself on his feet despite the pain and disarmed her. Not without struggle, but he was able to get the gun out of her grip. He had forgotten about the knife though. Something he was reminded of when he avoided it just by an inch, his cheek being cut in the process still.

It was a game of distraction and action. Ghost took Soap’s distraction to his advantage this time, jumping on her, holding her as much as he could. Scotty squirmed to get out of his grip, kicking him. Her head hit his own. Thanks to the mask, he did not get anything broken but the shock was enough for him to lose his grip. Which was all she needed to slip away. The rogue soldier spinned around with the knife about to dig in Ghost’s tight. He avoided it just on time. She riposted by swiftly going for a slice up. All she managed was to graze his bulletproof vest. Ghost could have gone for his own knife or gun or anything to stop her, but he couldn’t get himself to hurt her. The last time he had to face someone in the same situation it had been so easy to kill him. No second thoughts. However this time, it wasn’t so easy. He dodged every single of her attempts to kill him. ‘‘Come Scotty! Don’t you recognize us? Me?’’

‘‘You are 141, you need to be killed!’’ These were not the words he expected to hear from her after months. But at least it made everything clear. It did clear up that this wouldn’t finish with either them dead or her knock out. Ghost will apologize for it later, for now he has to protect his team. Just like Gaz, he noticed her different fightstyle and had to adapt to it. He had to give it to her, she was still able to get him a few times. Knife cutting through his clothes dragging blood. Despite hating this, he did succeed one or two hits on her too. A bleeding lip, bruised cheeks, kick in the shin. Yet, she was still standing, always coming back at him with the same energy. Whatever the enemy used to brainwash her, they really worked her resolve into not giving up till they were dead. Even if it killed her. On the outside, sirens from ambulances and police flooded the place. Even if they made it out alive, it would be hard for extraction. This had to finish now.

He saw the opening and went for it. Ghost rolled under her leg, pushing her up with his shoulder. Before she even tried to regain her balance in the fall, he slammed her against the floor. The shock knocked the air out of her lungs. He had only a fraction of a second to get her and knock her out. She kicked and tried to punch him before she went limp. Ghost let go quickly before it would kill her. Out of breath, Soap and him looked at each other now that the heat had cooled off. It was time to leave without attracting attention.

****

When she finally came back to herself, she was at the base’s infirmary. Her head was aching like the worst hangover she ever had. With a grunt, Scotty tried to lift her hand to massage her temples but restraints held her down. She was confused for a moment. While would she need these? The same for her ankles. ‘‘What the fuck.’’ Scotty breathed. She tried to put the pieces back together, thinking of what happened before she found herself here. But everything was a blur. Did she really drink that much and this was some sort of joke? Soap was probably behind this. Incapable of moving more than her head, she looked around. She was plugged to a bunch of wires, a beeping machine and a half asleep Soap in the chair, with his feet resting on the bed, next to her.

‘‘Hey McTavish!’’ She called him out, making him jump. He looked terrible. Left over of a broken nose, healing bruises on his face. ‘‘What happened to you, you look like shit.’’

‘‘You happened.’’ He shifted in his seat stretching his muscles. ‘‘You think we can remove the restraint or you will jump on me again?’’

‘‘The fuck are you talking about?’’

‘‘Let me get the captain. I think we have a lot to explain…’’ He left her to her wondering. She must have missed a good one. Five minutes later, Soap came back with Price and the other two. They all looked like hell. Ghost much less than the other, but when was the last time he had some good sleep? Both Price and Gaz had splints.

‘‘How are you doing, lass?’’ The captain asked to take a seat.

‘‘Like I have the worst headache and everything is fuzzy in the brain. Still it seems like I’m doing better than all of you.’’ They all chuckled at her remark.

‘‘You have been in and out for a week now. I know it might be hard but I need you to tell me what happened three months ago. Do you remember anything?’’

Scotty took a moment to think. ‘‘We were in Germany, trying to take down someone… Then…I think something went wrong… and…’’ The memories hit back hard. They were more flashes, but enough that she could recall what happened after the enemies got their hands on her. A cold cell, sleepless night, needles, burning sensation in her body… Bright light… Electric shock… Pain. Then nothing. Till now. Her skin itched at the ghostly sensation of the needles and the shocks, maybe her brain was blocking the memory but her muscles hadn’t forgotten. ‘‘I remember people talking, like they are giving me instruction…’’

‘‘Like kill the… 141?’’ Gaz said. She noticed them tense up at the word. Scotty watched them confused. A wave of relief took them when they saw how calm she remained. Price allowed the restraints to be removed. The captain took the time to explain all that happened a few days ago, not chewing his words when it came to what she did to them. Scotty sunk in the bed. She was the one responsible for their state. She almost killed them all… because she had been told to do so.

‘‘We figured out that you might have been brainwashed, with a trigger. It seems like 141 was it.’’ Price explained. ‘‘Glad to see it seems to not be the case. I still want you to see a psychologist when you are out. I don’t want to take the risk.’’

‘‘Sure captain.’’ She fidgeted with the sheet. Tears blurring her vision. ‘‘Guys, I’m so sorry! I hurted you so bad, tried to kill you and…’’ Any more words got lost in sobs.

‘‘We’re good Scotty. Don’t worry, mate.’’ Soap reassured her. ‘‘Gaz gets some days off and needs physical rehabilitation, but at least he lives. Cap is also alive with a painful shoulder nothing different than his old bones and I just get a re-facing, I’ll be pretty in no long. Don’t sweat it.’’ Between sobs, she laughed at his casual description of everything, but she still felt guilty. The only one who still hadn’t talked since was Ghost. He actually kept himself a bit aside from the small crowd. Price knew why and after a quick wrap up, he gestured to the two other sergeants to leave the room. Gaz closed the door behind him, allowing some privacy.

Scotty was whipping her tears while Ghost sat on the bed. They remained silent for a minute. ‘‘Looks like you are the one with the least damage.’’ She smiled. ‘‘I really feel bad for Gaz; he is the one I hurt the most.’’

Ghost kept silent. He didn’t know where to even begin. ‘‘Don’t worry about us. You should take care of yourself. I know too well how brainwash can leave damage.’’ He didn’t have to explain more on what he meant, nor that she would have to explain to him in detail what she had been through. He knew first hand. Her hand slided towards him and her fingers wrapped around his hand. His shoulders fell down. Ghost had been holding a lot of tension and this small touch made it melt away. To hell with being professional, there was no one in the room. He wrapped his arms around her, hugged her so tight she could barely breathe.

‘‘I thought you were dead. I was sure I would never see you again, that I lost you forever.’’ He wasn’t quite crying, but every word was punctuated with emotions. Scotty slowly raised her arm, gripped on his back and buried her face in the crock of his neck.

‘‘You are the reason why it took them a while to break me and even then. As much as they wanted me to, I can’t kill my friend and I definitely can’t kill you.’’ Their hug lasted a few minutes, letting go only because their muscles were sore. Ghost didn’t take off his mask, but lifted it enough to have his lips free and kiss her. God he missed that. To feel her against him, to have his anchor to sanity and the world, his love.

‘‘I’m sorry I was not able to protect you back when they got you. I should have been able to stop them.’’ He said, his forehead against hers. ‘‘Don’t say it’s not my fault, it was.’’

‘‘I don’t want to think about who’s fault it was or not. I’m just glad to be home.’’ She would never blame him for this. It was a risk she was aware of. No amount of preps could have prevented something that was supposed to happen. But for now, she was back home and it was time to heal. And make up for the trouble she caused. Ghost was happy that he wouldn’t sleep alone after so long.

#cod fanfic #call of duty fanfic #cod fanfiction #cod oc #simon ghost riley #john price #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick #oc:camille scotty moreau #not canon #ghost x scotty

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sw33tsnow · 4 months

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Hurts so good

- (I) / (II)

Alex Keller x F!Reader

Summary: Does he love you, or he only sees you as Farah's sister.

Warning: NOT FOR MINORS, Sunshine!Alex, Grumpy!Reader, heavy plot + lots of conversations, spoilers, mentions of violence, mentions of injuries, mentions of blood, angst, triangle relationship, etc. Wordcount: 2k2

NOTE(s):

I love Farah so so much, this's just a scenario.

Might appears some grammar errs (APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE)

Better understanding (suggested): CoD MWI , CoD MWII - Atomgrad Raid

||THE LAST PART||

Standing outside the Furnace, you listened intently to Alex and Farah's conversation. You split a few minutes ago and were given orders to team up with Cpt. Jonathan Price, finally catching up with them but refused to interfere. The clanking of empty bullet casings falling to the cold stone floor, the smell of firearms, and the continual barking of commands appear to have vanished as you stand silently, nearly undetectable at the doorway.

You didn't catch much, but it's understandable that the detonator was fucked and couldn't be detonated from the control room.

"I'll go in there," Farah's voice was gentle.

"And what do you do?" The man asked, panting.

"Ignite the furnace" Plain and simple.

Gritting your teeth, you clutched the rifle tightly to the front of your body and stared towards the stairs, keeping an eye out for any suspicious intrusions while maintaining your attention to the chat inside.

"....I'm asking you to give me the order"

Something snapped and your hearing stopped functioning immediately. No, no, Alex's insane, please don't be what you're thinking - no, doubting about. And Farah could not agree to this shitty god-knows-what this man means.

"I've been on assignment my whole life. This….is what I believe in" There was some back and forth before the man spoke, “Give me the order”.

Followed by the heavy boot soles being stumbled, the upright posture of the soldier waiting for commands. For fuck sake, you were reluctant to admit it but the brunett's eyes, which carry more than speeches could seem clearer than ever in the back of your mind making you even more heartbroken as all the buried hints of those emerald blue pupils ain't meant for you.

“You are a freedom fighter, Alex” Farah grimaced as you whispered, in sync.

“You’re a born leader, Farah” He’s not talking to you, you reminded yourself, “Say the word” The man repeated sternly.

“Go”

“Yes, ma’am”

More words needed? Alex would never be able to get out of there in one piece, and as if you're letting that happen under your sight.

“Farah, wha’s yer status?” Price grunted through the comms.

“Captain, Barkov is dead”

“Roger that….Alex, charges set?”

“Affirmative, sir” The brunett calmly answered.

“Alex…?” Farah hesitated, “I’m not getting out of here, let’s do this”

“Thank you” - “Yes ma’am”

The detonation was carried out under Price's commands.

However - whatever happened inside the building, shall remain inside the building.

“...3”

In the blink of an eye, you burst through the door and marched to where Alex was standing. Swiftly inserting the removed initiator of a grenade into the empty area of the trigger device, you punched the activation button then grabbed the hem of the brunett's bulletproof vest and dragged him out of the danger zone.

"The fuck was that?" Alex turned to pose a query while sprinting parallel to you.

"It'll slow down the detonation process, give us more time to run....now, up the stairs" You cocked your head towards the rusty ladder leading to the roof of the building and the man just smiled amusingly and followed suit.

Undoubtedly, you always bring many surprises, especially to Alex.

".....2" The two of you made it outdoors and instantly began racing forward.

"....1"

"JUMP!" You shouted.

With all his strength, Alex jumped over to the exposed yard of the nearest building and assisted you up in continuing sprinting. It took a lot of evading and hiding, but eventually the two of you managed to escape to the opposite forest but the fire was directly behind you.

There was little else that could be done, you aggressively nudged your shoulder to the man's back as the explosion threw the two of you to the grass. Even though you had slipped quite far from the surrounding fences, you still pinned him to the ground, not moving until the entire factory had collapsed, as if shielding him.

"Ah...hey, it's alright now, you can come down" Alex peered over his shoulder at you, only seeing the top of your head.

You grumbled softly before sliding down from Brunette's back and he wasted no time flipping over to catch you. You swore you despise it when he's so exceptionally kind to you everyone, always making you melt with even the tiniest act of caring.

"That shit's crazy" Alex chuckled, "You're fucking crazy"

And you started giggling right after, causing the itchy grass pressing against your back as your body moved, forcing the laughter to fade into a sob of pain.

"You alright?" The man anxiously reached for your shoulder blades, only to be stopped when you grimaced and tears reflexively streamed from the corner of your eyes.

Your hiss was the cue Alex needed to hoist you up and bring you back into his line of sight for a closer examination.

"Dear god...." The man was stunned, damn, it surely looked dreadful.

A major burn covered the full right-aspect of your back, from your shoulder to your waist with Dried blood and dark stains from the burn were still apparent. You felt nauseated as recalling how your physique was bared to the view of the brunett's vision, so you suddenly shoved him away and collapsed to the ground. Propping yourself up and started vomiting, your fingers collecting the wet soil as you felt the bitter taste in your throat arriving from your gallbladder.

"Easy....easy, yeah? I got you" Alex carefully tucked the stray locks behind your ear while calling your name to help you relax.

"This is Echo 3-1 to Watcher, requesting Med Evac asap....over" Removing his hand off the radio, he turned to check on you and lifted you up, holding you securely in his embrace to keep you from falling again.

"Solid copy, Echo 3-1"

"You should let me go, Alex" You were worn out to resist, so you allowed yourself to lean toward the sturdy torso in front of you.

"And you’re doing the opposite, Lieutenant" Alex only grinned, his chest rising and falling close to yours, his beard gently caressing your shoulder, bringing a pleasant tickling sensation.

"Jerk…also you and I are on the same rank" You turned your face to the man's neck and muttered, making his body stiffened up and he had to clear his throat as your lips grazed across his moist skin.

"Copy that, Shabah"

_-_-_-_-_-_

In 1999, Cpt. Jonathan Price was still a Lieutenant and had successfully rescued Farah and her comrades from Barkov's captivity. When Urzikstan was given additional weaponry and manpower, that explained why you were assigned. You were John's best Sergeant, and due to several undercover and assassination missions, Laswell had to conceal your identity and report you as M.I.A for the purpose to transfer you to Urzikstan, where you could operate under Commander Farah Karim's commands.

From years to years, you've become an irreplaceable member of this large family, all of the army members treated you as relatives, without discrimination or alienation, despite the fact that you were fairly distant when you first joined.

And as the second most trusted soldier after Hadir - Farah's younger brother, you're ordered to proceed to the location where the gas was stolen and detain any survivors for interrogation after receiving the urgent call. No dangers were spotted, only one brown-haired man struggling to stay sober as his wounds have turned worse, therefore you instantly approached and directly assisted in bringing him back to your HQ.

“What is your message from Captain Price?” The woman cautiously stepped out of the hidden corner to the table, which was being used to mount a map on its surface.

"Commander Karim, call me Alex" the soldier who had just been hauled in and thrown down on the chair said, looking directly into Farah's eyes.

"I'm listening, Alex," she repeated.

"This is classified...." The man's boldness made you raise your eyebrows and Farah told all of them to leave the room, yet you remained in your post.

"She's Laswell's, don't worry," she assured him.

Generally, forty-eight hours ago, terrorists - as known as the Al-Qatala - stole a shipment of Russian gas. Ironically, the Russians make no distinction between them and Farah's, same went with the Arabic forces, you knew more than well Farah's disgust toward both Al-Qatala and the Russian army.

"They're both terrorists" That's what she stated.

Hadir interrupted the talk by running in to call his sister. After a few confirmations, Farah began pointing out regions and features worth searching for on the map, while you leaned against the wall and silently observed them without making a sound. When Alex looked over, he bet he saw your pupils luminous in the darkness, boring a hole right through his body. The man understanded that you weren't obligated to look at the map to figure out the strategy, no wonder why Hadir or Farah had to call for you. Even after Farah dismissed them, Alex noticed you didn't shift an inch from where you were standing but as soon as he turned his back on you to catch the rifle tossed at him by the opposing man, you showed up right next to Farah, facing him.

"You're staying with my brother, شبح" is a more intimate callsign.

شبح - pronounced Shabah, meaning Phantom. How suitable.

Fought alongside one another at Barkov's base, capturing then eliminating the Wolf with the backing of Captain Price and Garrick. Alex had begun to form tight ties with the Arab army, implying that he's also growing attached to you. Perhaps it was owing to his stubbornness that the two of you quickly became great friends, after all, you were the only foreigners in the forces. If you have any regrets - and there can only be one - you regretted developing needless sentiments for the brunett and having to watch his face brighten when he looks at the woman you view as your sister.

It's not that Alex neglected you or anything, but his interaction with Farah was more than merely colleagues. You know that far better than anyone else. The miserable feeling of your chest tightening every time you hear them laughing with each other without daring to turn around and occasionally when you stumble across late-night rallies, you feel like a coward just hiding in an unseen spot, afraid to confront the harsh truth.

Waking up to the smell of antiseptic and dozens of blinding lights shooting into your eyeballs, you scowl and carefully set your palms down to prop yourself up from the prone position.

"Fuck me" you murmured and stretched, only to quickly pull your arms back because the burn on your back turned out to be way more severe for your liking.

Behind you, the creak of the door causing your head to whip back to see Alex stood there with a flushed face. From this angle plus your upper body was not covered, he could have had an elite view of half of your chest area.

Smirking at his reaction, you drew the blanket up to drape it over your front and sat on the mattress with your vision to the man. At the moment you signaled him to keep on going forward, the sound of metal hitting the floor drove your smile to fade away as you really took him in.

"Alex....your-" You gaped, "What happened?" Every single part of your cell shriveled up in confusing anguish as you peer unblinking at the mechanical limb instead of the real one.

"I'm not sure, but the doc said it was due to a strong impact from falling or crashing" He shrugged as if this was not a big deal, at all.

Tears pricked in your eyes as you looked up at him. The man was right within your grasp, but you couldn't draw him into a soothing hug and rub his back like he did for you in the forest just a few hours before.

“I’m sorry…I thought tha-”

“Shhh, do not apologize to me” Alex cupped your chin and knelt down to your eye-level, thumbs lightly caressing your cheeks, “None of this was your fault, you hear me? In fact, the burn on your back, wasn't it my fault then?”

“I chose to protect you, you cannot blame yourself ‘bout that” You argued back.

“So do you, Lt.”

Your mouth shut as your lower lip trembled, but you refused to cry. With the sunglasses and the thin cloth constantly concealing your facial patterns, Alex was taken aback and charmed by the expression you rarely displayed. He has spent enough time with you to get the idea that your seemingly oblivious glances always uphold and pay attention to your surroundings.

You're the last person to leave the target once ensuring that nobody was left behind, not a talkative person yet you silently care for others through your subtle deeds, and the soldiers would flock to you whenever they need someone to confide in. Given that you hadn't been working together for lengthy, Alex acknowledged that you're an incredibly warm woman. He's just so deeply concentrated on Farah that he probably forgot about you.

Unlike the man who believed he had treated you improperly, you're ashamed for leading him to lose a vital part of his body as a soldier. You should've avoided him from the start, otherwise he'd not have had such an awful fate.

It's entirely your responsibility.

Taglist: @shadowlali , @ghostlythots

#call of duty #cod #alex keller x f!reader #cod alex #alex keller x reader #alex cod #alex keller #alex keller x you #modern warfare #cod modern warfare #cod mw2 #cod mwii #cod angst #cod fluff #cod mw #cod x you #cod x reader #call of duty modern warfare

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callsign-bunnie · 1 year

Note

Hello...

Is the ask game open???

I have a crossover brainrot that's been bugging me and I want to speak about it so pardon me-

How would everybody react to finding out their resident cinnamon roll Roach is an ex-Assassin like the ones from Assassin's Creed.

Okay, bye now, Imma go scream about this Au for the next few weeks-

Okay if you like assassin AUs, I just did one with Merc!Rodolfo for Aledolfo! It’s on my AO3, I can link it if you want! (ALSO I AM ALWAYS DOING THE ASK GAMES)

Soap: Definitely keeps an eye open when he’s alone with Roach.

Ghost: Not even remotely shocked, just says “that tracks” and moves on.

Rodolfo: Immediately curious about it and asks a ton of questions.

Alejandro: Shocked as hell, unsure how that would even happen

Price: Also already knew

Gaz: Does not believe it, just laughs until he realizes everyone is dead serious and then he just stares at Roach

Graves: Refuses to believe it, thinks there’s no way

Valeria: Immediately asks if he’s willing to kill some people for her

Farah: Thinks it’s cool as hell and rapid fires questions with Rudy

Alex: Thinks it just figures but doesn’t say anything

Laswell: Already knew

Roach: Never actually hid it, thought he was super obvious.

#Johnny Soap Mactavish #Simon Ghost Riley #Rodolfo Parra #Alejandro Vargas #John Price #Kyle Gaz Garrick #Phillip Graves #Valeria Garza #Farah Karim #Alex COD #Kate Laswell #Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II #Call of Duty #Gary Roach Sanderson

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simplytheevebest · 2 years

Text

Spoilers for Season 2 of Fate: The Winx Saga Concerning *That One Specific Spoiler*

It's Farah. The spoiler is Farah coming back.

I know there are a lot of thoughts and emotions about Farah’s return and I know that there are some that aren’t going to agree with me just as I don’t agree with others. I wrote this very shortly after watching, and then after I could sit with my thoughts and feelings I made edits so. Here we go.

They brought Farah back exactly as we imagined. Her magic was kept in a plant and the girls released it with their combined magic (through the crystal). I love that. It’s such a clear nod to the OG cartoon I can’t help but like it. It’s what we suspected all along. Go cartoon super sleuths! So either we truly were right, or they saw our speculations and that made an impact on the script.

Farah returning... and then immediately leaving again. My heart is broken. Beautiful. Upset. I refuse to accept it as canon, but it was a nice moment. Farah is alive. We did it guys. Manifestation. I so badly wanted her to be back for good, and I am a confusing mess of emotions about her being back but not back. I think it’s best if I answer targeted questions.

Am I happy Farah is back? Abso-fucking-lutely. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s all I and most of the fandom have been harping on about since the conclusion of season 1.

Do I think her being dead for good at the end of season 1 is better than the short bit we got in season 2? I have seen other opinions on this, but for me? No. Absolutely not. Because we all agree, her death was an insult. It was naive. Weak. Not the Farah Dowling we know and love, to turn her back on her enemy like a wounded hare to a wolf.

Does it make it worse that she admits she “didn’t survive” Rosalind’s attack and that actually was her death in season 1? Immediately my response is: yes. It’s the worst thing, for me, to think that not only did Farah die in that way, she then died again for real and left for good. But then I thought about it, and here’s where we stray into headcanon territory. The fact that Farah had no body and her energy was encapsulated in the fern is deliberate. We saw the sinkhole of magic being funneled into that little plant and keeping Farah’s spirit alive. That was a LOT of energy. Not just any fairy could do that, but Farah is (not was, is) the most powerful fairy, more so than Rosalind. So naturally, not just because I didn’t want her death to be true, I believed she was strong enough to survive Rosalind’s attack on her life. But in order for Rosalind to gain control, in order for Farah to have influence, Rosalind had to believe Farah didn’t survive. It had to look real. And an illusion wasn’t enough. So effectively, Farah had to not survive because otherwise it wouldn’t have worked. And the fern was the only way she did, in some way. In soul, if not also body. And she admits that as soon as she knew what Rosalind was going to do, she reached out to nature to preserve her. So she did survive. It's just that her body did not. And no, I don’t accept it as canon, but she came back. She did not go out at the end of s1 never to be heard from again.

In short, I’m still living in denial, and I refuse to believe that that’s really how Farah went out, and that we only saw her force ghost.

Look, at the end of the day, we all wanted Farah back. And we would’ve raised hell if she wasn’t. And yeah, we can be upset that she’s back-not-back, or we can do what we do best, and write fanfics and make fanart and edits and reject canon and say you know what? She is back. She came back, and then went on vacation, and that’s why she’s not in season 3 if they get one. Or she is, and we remake the canon. Because let’s be honest, we’re going to anyway, and we’re going to do it better.

As for the lack of Silrah, I too am upset we didn’t get even a single interaction with them, not even a hug. I’m not upset we didn’t get a romantic moment, because honestly we the fandom can and have and will write and draw it better anyway. Again, I’m upset we got nothing. But because we were lucky to even get Eve Best in her scenes and I can imagine there was conflicts of schedules meaning the actors couldn’t film together, I can’t be too mad.

She came back, guys. And remember this is a show about teen fairies targeted towards a teen demographic. We were not supposed to care this much about the adults. And if we hadn’t, I 100% believe Farah would’ve stayed dead. I believe, and I will believe until Brian himself looks me in the eyes and says “you’re wrong” that we the fandom had a direct hand in getting that ending for Farah. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than it was? For me, yes. Was it fan service? Hell yeah. But God did I love it.

So, though others may not agree and that’s okay, I say thank you to the creators and show runners and ESPECIALLY Eve Best for making this happen. I would not have enjoyed season 2 as much as I did if I’d known in my heart of hearts and my head that she wasn’t making an appearance. Just in bringing her back they’ve eased the insult of her “death,” and if I must accept her send-off as goodbye, at least it was emotional and proper and not off screen or minimized. Could there have been more? Sure, but we forget this show isn’t about her, as much as we want it to be.

Now let’s all get back out there and write/draw/create/edit/etc to our Farah-loving hearts’ content!

#fate: the winx saga #eve best #fate the winx saga #ftws #fate winx saga #farah dowling #saul silva #rob james collier #farah dowling x saul silva #farah x saul

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lemonkeiku · 5 months

Text

After Ending - Chapter 1 : Bitter Pill

Summary : Soap's death brought a storm of grief to certain people. Freya, an international mercenary who knew Soap well, was no exception. She's determined to find out what really happened to Soap.

Words count: 3,765

On this chapter include: Alex Keller and Farah Karim

Warnings: alternate universe, soap's death is canon here and he's already dead since the begining, call of duty: mobile character.

⚠ Important note ⚠ Freya is originally a character from Call of Duty: Mobile with name Vagr Modir. With the limited lore and background since it came from the mobile game, I created most of the lore and background myself, including the original name. The only things I used from the original character were the character's appearance description and nickname. The point is I don't know if I can call her as my original character or not.

24 NOVEMBER 2023 NORWAY – FREYA “VAGR MODIR” PETTERSEN

“Modir... Soap is dead.”

What the hell, she thought.

She didn't know what to think. It was almost impossible for her to react to such shocking news, in fact it was difficult for her to even comprehend it. But of course, the first thing that came to her mind was that it was kinda nonsense. She just talked to Soap a few days ago–maybe a week.

He sounded perfectly fine to her at that time. He might have sounded upset, but everything he said seemed fine. The last time she'd talked to Soap, he'd asked her a few things, but nothing concerning. They'd even had time to catch up, since they hadn't spoken in a while. It had been their first conversation in a long time. And now it was their last? She tried to recall the last conversation with Soap. About what they discussed and what things he asked, in case she could find clues as to how Soap had ended up like that. But unfortunately nothing came up, like she couldn't remember anything.

“He died here. In London,” they added.

She paused, trying to figure out what kind of answer she could give them. Her mind was now filled with a multitude of questions and doubts. Her heart stopped beating for a moment before it started pounding again. She tried to pull herself together as she tried to catch her breath, which now felt so heavy. Hot steam blew out of her mouth along with the wind, which felt colder from thirty minutes ago. The once clear sky was now overcast, blocking out the sun's warming rays.

On the other hand, Fenrir, one of her pet wolves who had been sitting beside her the entire time, knew her enough to understand that Freya was upset. He noticed the change in his mother's expression, tilting his head as if asking what was wrong. Freya, who noticed it, could only rub the top of his head.

She let out a heavy breath once more.

“Oh, is that so?” her response eventually. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

She hung up immediately, without waiting for any response from the other end.

She remained silent for a while, standing still at the top of the hill, gazing impassively at the expanse of the forest. Part of her wanted to deny it, maybe most of it wanted to deny it. For all she knew, Soap was a tough guy. Didn’t mean he was immortal but it was almost impossible to think that someone like him could die just like that. But she had to realise that the message came from one of her most trusted informants. It couldn't be fake, no matter how many times Freya refused to believe it.

She quickly used her phone again, trying to dial the last number she knew to be Soap's. The call rang for a few moments and Freya hoped that someone would pick up. Her mind could not settle, her body could not stay still as she spun restlessly in place, waiting for the phone to ring. She hoped Soap would pick up.

“It's John. I can't get y’call, try again later o’ leave a message.”

The call went straight to voicemail. Of course, she should have known better that there was no way that anyone was going to answer. Even if Freya tried several times, the result would be the same and by knowing it, it felt hurt. It was hurt like someone stabbed a dagger straight to her chest and hit her kneecaps until she could barely support her own weight. She tried to lean on a nearby tree to stay on her feet. Fenrir became concerned and tried to help her as well.

It hurts even more just to think about it. She could no longer hide her expression, especially from Fenrir. That wolf could read her face so easily. She wondered if he would understand if Freya told him about Soap.

“I guess we won’t see Soap again.” Her voice sounded as if it had no strength left. Almost as if she had given up, although she still tried to deny it. “I know you always miss him.”

Fenrir whimpered in response, as if he understood what she was saying.

Eventually she started to walk away with the black wolf, leaving her favourite spot and heading into the woods. She picked up her phone–again and called another number. She still didn't want to believe it, of course, so she had to do something to check the truth. This time the phone was answered.

“Hey, you busy?” Freya greeted, matter-of-factly.

“Not really,” replied the person on the other end of the phone. “What’s up? You need a ride?”

“Yeah, can you take me to Urzikstan?” she asked.

“It depends. When do you want to go?”

“Soon,” Freya replied with certainty. “Don't worry about the pay. I'll pay you more if you can take me sooner.”

“Heh, I never worry about that with you. No problem, I'll drop you off early in the morning. You know where to go.”

After getting the deal, Freya quickly hung up the phone. In truth, she didn't have the energy to say much more than that either. Her mind was still on the news of Soap's death as she walked on through the trees. She tried to find the most plausible cause of Soap's death.

Who killed him? And how? These questions kept swirling around in her head.

She wanted to come back as soon as possible for several reasons. Especially when she witness how the weather had changed. The air grew colder with every step she took. The weather was supposed to be nice today, Freya had checked the weather report. But for some reason the sky was changing rapidly. It felt like a storm was coming. Even though it hadn't snowed yet, winter was just around the corner.

By the time she arrived at her house, the whole pack of her children had gathered. They were smart enough to understand that the weather was deteriorating. He led them quickly into their makeshift cave, making sure they would be safe no matter what happened tonight. They probably wouldn't sleep tonight. If the weather didn't get any worse, they would probably go out anyway.

After she had made sure that all of her children were all inside, she went into her own home, with Fenrir following her. That black wolf was indeed a big exception. He immediately sat down in front of the fireplace, which was his favourite spot, as Freya began to prepare her things for the next trip.

She had to confirm that Soap was really dead. She knew the only person she could ask, and that was what this trip was about. But it had been a long time since she had seen that person, who knew how he was going to react when Freya showed up.

26 NOVEMBER 2023U.L.F. MAIN BASE, URZIKSTAN – ALEX KELLER

The atmosphere at the base was tense recently. After Makarov's attempt to blame the ULF for the attack on the Russian plane, they knew that Makarov would not stop pitting them against each other and stirring up trouble. Even after Shepherd acknowledged the ULF's effort to form an alliance with the US, the threat to peace in Urzikstan would not go away.

This problem was not lost on Alex. He couldn't stop thinking of new ways to prevent the outbreak of war in Urzikstan. After Farah's return, the situation at the base became even more alarming. It has kept Alex awake for the past few days.

Like today, Alex didn't spend the nights in his room anymore. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, so he decided to stand guard at one of the sentry posts with only a cup of black coffee. He knew he probably wouldn't get much out of his watch, nor did he really expect anything to happen. But at least he had something to do with his time. He really didn't need any more threats.

His eyes scanned the vast expanse of the desert. There wasn't much to see considering how dark it was out there, but at least the moon was shining brightly tonight. After standing for almost two hours, he finally decided to pull up a nearby chair and sit down facing outwards. He took occasional sips of his coffee, hoping the caffeine would keep him awake.

Alex had just placed his coffee cup on the table when he heard the creaking of the wooden floor echoing in his ears. He immediately got out of his chair and turned towards the source of the sound, searching for the cause, when a figure of someone standing outside the window. It was dark outside, making it difficult to see the figure clearly. The door of the post office was not closed, so it was easy for the figure to enter.

Strangely, Alex did not react or even take action against the stranger who appeared without any sign or even annoucement. He just stood still and watched as the figure approached him from the outside. It was as if Alex could make out the figure that was only a silhouette at the moment.

“Alex," the figure greeted. "Been a while, huh?”

The voice sounded so familiar. Especially when combined with the silhouette of the figure, Alex knew very well who it was. His memory immediately gave him the answer before he could ask himself.

“Mother!” Alex almost shouted.

His eyes blinked repeatedly, as if trying to make sure what he was seeing was real. Alex couldn't hide his surprise. She was a person Alex had known 3 years ago and he had never imagined that he would meet her again, let alone appear here.

“You look like someone who's seen a ghost.” Her voice made him shiver as he couldn’t guess why she was here. Her unpredictable tone didn't give him any clue, nor did her expression.

“How can't I ?” he responded. “A dead person shouldn’t be walking around.”

His answer left a small grin on her face as she walked toward the light, finally showing her face to him.

Seeing her standing there made Alex uneasy. She was a person who should have died 3 years ago, it seemed natural for Alex to be so cautious. His eyes could not escape the woman he knew as Vagr Modir, the Wolf Mother. As hard as it was to figure her out, Alex had to at least get some idea of why she was here.

“You should confirm by yourself next time.” Again, her voice sounded calm, but with a slight joking tone this time.

“How did you find me?”

“That was easy. You don’t have to know the details.”

“Then... What brought you here?” he asked, trying to remain calm. He put his hands on his waist, trying not to provoke her, so she knew he wouldn't do anything stupid. “Surely not to ask how I'm doing, right?”

“What’s wrong with catching up with an old friend?” She took a few steps around the room, as if scanning her surroundings. Her eyes wandered here and there before returning to Alex.

“We know that doesn't sound like you.”

“Did I really not leave a good impression on you?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s a shame.” She crossed her arms on top of her chest. “I'm here to confirm the death of someone else. I'm sure only you can give me that.”

“Who?” he was puzzled.

“A friend of ours, Soap. I was told that he was dead.”

“What are you talking about?”

This was the second time Alex had been caught off guard. This time it even caused him to let his guard down drastically. For a moment he wondered if he had heard wrong or if Modir was lying to him. He had plenty of reasons why he couldn’t trust her. He hadn't heard anything about it. If it was really someone from 141's death, he should know by now. But by the serious look on Modir's face, she might be right.

“You know exactly what I was talking about,” she argued. “I got a report, Soap was killed. No details, that's why I came to you. You should have heard about it.”

“Who's your intel?”

“It doesn't matter.”

“Then how would I know if it is true?”

“I wouldn't fly this far if I couldn't trust them, would I?”

“Fair enough.” Alex rubbed his face out of disbelief. This kind of information managed to keep him more awake than strong black coffee. “Well then... if it is true, I guess the news travelled faster to Norway.”

“So you really don't know?”

“The last thing we know, Soap and his team were in London. But I can look into it, see if your intel is reliable.”

“My intel is always reliable, Alex. I just need confirmation from you,” Modir insisted.

Their conversation was interrupted for a moment when they both heard the rumbling sound of someone climbing the wooden stairs of the guard post. It seemed strange, considering that Alex had not heard any footsteps when Modir had appeared.

The footsteps stopped as Farah reached the door. She had a look as if she was out of breath, as if she was in a hurry to find Alex.

“Hey Alex, we got some—” Her words were cut off when she noticed Modir was there, who was an unidentified figure. “Who is this?”

Alex could see the change in Farah's expression, she became alarmed as her hand almost pulled her gun from its holster. A reasonable reaction in Alex's opinion but he couldn’t let that happen.

“It’s okay, Farah. She's…” he hung on his words, trying to find the right one. “She’s a friend.”

It was clear that Farah didn't immediately believe it. But Alex had to try to convince Farah so that there would be no unwanted conflict.

“And what brings your friend here?” she demanded.

Alex tried to exchange glances with Modir. He didn't know what to expect when he looked at her, but Modir gave him no clues. Whether or not he could tell Farah about the news of Soap's death that neither of them had even heard.

“She said Soap is dead. She's here to confirm it,” he replied, almost hesitated.

Farah reacted as soon as she heard. But her reaction was a little different than Alex had expected. Her eyes were wide open, as if surprised, but her expression was as if she hadn't heard the news for the first time.

“How did you…”

“Is it true, Farah?” he asked, emphasising.

Farah sighed as her shoulders slumped, no longer tense. Her face became sad, with a furrowed brow and a mournful look. Alex should have been able to tell from Farah's expression that Soap was indeed dead. She no longer needs to explain.

“I just got a call from Price. Soap was killed a few days ago. I was about to tell you that.”

Now Alex knew that it was true. He still wanted to question how Modir knew before them, but it didn’t matter anymore. There was no response from Modir for a few moments, but Alex could see that she was clenching her jaw. As if Farah's confirmation was not something she had expected.

“Is it Makarov?” Modir questioned, again, like she already knew and asked just to make sure.

Farah didn't say anything at first, just stared at Alex. She obviously still didn't believe Modir, a stranger who had come out of nowhere. Alex could not trust Modir completely. He did not know her true intentions. But if she was going to do something to threaten him, Alex was sure she would have done it sooner.

With a nod of his head, he tried to reassure Farah. “You can tell her, Farah.”

“Yes. He was killed when he tried to stop him,” Farah eventually answered.

“Thank you,” Modir said. “Sorry for coming unannounced. I hope I didn't take up too much of your time.”

Modir immediately turned around and left the room through the door. He didn't even give Alex or Farah a chance to say anything. This time the sound of her steps could be heard, rushing down the stairs.

“Wait—Mother! Stop!” He tried to stop her, leaving Farah alone in that room. He ran down the stairs, trying to catch up with Modir before that woman disappeared just like how she came.

She went straight to the outside of the barrier. By the time Alex had almost caught up with her, Modir was already on a bike, preparing to leave. Alex had shouted at her several times, but Modir had no intention of stopping as she started her bike.

With no choice, Alex immediately jumped in front of Modir's bike. He pulled out his gun and even pointed it at Modir to stop her from riding away. Thankfully it worked, Modir didn't move–or at least she didn't ride off and hit Alex.

“I said, stop!” he commanded.

“You won’t shoot me,” she challenged him.

“And yet you stay.”

It took some time for the two of them to work out their egos. Alex was still pointing his gun straight at Modir, unwilling to move or even lower his weapon. Meanwhile, with both hands still on her bike, Modir was not about to give up her intention either.

But at the end it was Modir who gave in. It didn't take long for her to change her mind. At least for a moment. She took both hands off the bike and sat upright to show that this time she was listening to Alex. She also turned off her bike as a sign of good intentions.

“What do you want?” she asked bluntly. “You can lower your weapon. I'm not that stupid to run you over.”

Alex hesitated at first, but decided to listen to Modir's words and slowly lowered his weapon. By her tone alone, his curiosity outweighed his doubts about Modir and made him willing to lower his guard a little. He also took the opportunity to keep his weapon before beginning to speak.

“Why are you here?” he interrogated her.

“To confirm Soap’s death.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I want to know if he’s really dead and your Commander just confirmed it.”

“What else?”

“What do you mean “what else”? Wasn't that clear enough for you?”

“Of course not,” he was being doubtful. “Do you really expect me to believe that you're just here to confirm Soap's death?”

Modir raised one of her eyebrows. “And I left right after I got the confirmation. I’m sure it was pretty clear. Can I go?”

He didn't really like it, but he had to admit that it made sense, even if the rest didn't.

“Now you got your confirmation. What are you going to do about it?”

“I don't think it's any of your business.”

“It is!” he grunted. “You can't just barge into my base and leave without any explanation. You were lucky Farah didn't shoot you up there.”

Modir sighed loudly, her jaw tensing as her forehead creased. Her eyes were now fixed on Alex, and he could sense the woman's frustration. But here, too, Alex was annoyed because he was not getting a clear answer from Modir.

“You'd better stay out of my way, Alex. I'm no threat to you if that is what you worry about. Unless you’d try to hold me back, I’d have no second thought to fucking shoot your head . Now, move!”

At this point, Alex had no reason to continue to stand in Modir's way. True, he had gotten no explanation, but Modir herself had assured him that she was no threat. At least for now. Eventually, he stepped aside from the front of her bike and let Modir go. He took a moment to stare at the woman as she drove away, until she was out of sight.

He went back to his post when Farah was standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was not sure if she had seen or even heard his conversation with Modir.

“Alex… Who is she?” she asked right away.

“An acquaintance.”

“From the CIA?”

Alex shook his head. “No, no... She’s a mercenary. We crossed paths once,” he tried to explain. “We worked together– short of. Well… at least not at first.”

The two of them walked up the stairs, back into the room. It was Alex who invited Farah to continue their conversation inside. He knew she must have many questions. It would also be better if no one overheard their next conversation. He closed the door behind him as soon as Farah walked through it.

“So what does she have to do with Soap?” She crossed her arms.

“Soap was there with me. Y’know… That one time I went to Alaska.” Alex took the chair he previously used and sat there. “I never expected she would show up here.”

“Why is that?”

“The last time I met her was 3 years ago in Alaska. More importantly, she was supposed to be dead. She was reported K.I.A. during that time.”

Alex would never forget his first and last meeting with Modir. Especially the last moment when he witnessed how Modir was killed in front of him. As Modir said before, he did not check whether Modir was really dead or not, he just received the report that Modir was K.I.A..

After seeing Modir alive and appearing at the ULF headquarters, Alex couldn't stop thinking about a few things. When Modir appeared earlier, he thought that she had come for him with bad intentions. Even when she questioned him about Soap's death, Alex thought she had other plans about it.

It felt as if the adrenaline was still pumping, his heart was still pounding and even his hands were sweating in their gloves. He had good reason to be anxious. He thought Modir was coming to kill him.

“Are you planning to inform Price about her?” she asked.

Alex was silent. He thought about whether it was necessary to tell others. Apart from the fact that Modir didn't ask about anything other than Soap's death, she didn't mention anything about the team either.

He thought so hard that his forehead furrowed and he sniffed the air from behind his moustache.

“Let’s keep this between us for now. I don’t think she’ll be a threat to them.”

Thank you for reaching the end of first chapter 💕💕 I really hope you like it and excited for the next chapter^^

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theyhaveacavetroll · 1 year

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saundreas + their wedding

The first time, it's the night before what will come to be known as the Battle of Maravet Falls, and they hammer on the high priest's door at four a.m. until he finally opens it.

"We want to get married," Saul says, and it doesn't occur to him that neither of them believe in the religion being peddled at the stone circle in the village. It doesn't matter that he's Jewish and Andreas follows the old Eraklyan ways passed down from his ancestors - they might die in the morning, and they want, more than anything, to be married here, now, tonight. If they live, they can take it to their elders for their blessing, but for now they want these few hours of nothing in the world mattering more than their love, and after they drag Farah and Ben to the menhir, and Andreas pulls out the rings he's been carrying in his pocket - after they finish all of that, they are married in the sight of gods and men and they swear to consummate the marriage as soon as the battle's won. Farah thinks they're mad. Rosalind knows they are, but for once says nothing.

The battle is a disaster, and at the end of it, they stand, staring as the fairies put out the last of the fires in the town. The priest is dead. So is half the village.

They're alive, and still married, and they cling to each other for comfort all the way until Aster Dell.

"Luna's refusing to recognize the marriage without the paperwork," Saul informs Andreas eighteen years and a great deal of heartache later, and Andreas makes a wordless noise of protest.

"The witnesses are still alive, surely that's the point of having them!" he protests, and Saul shrugs.

"What can I say? Luna's always loved her extra taxes."

"A tax for being single," Andreas scoffs. "Typical. Tax the peasants until they can't so much as dream of rebellion any longer."

"You should talk," Saul says wryly. "Which noble house are you from again? Third House in the noble line of -"

Andreas tackles him, and Saul laughs at his husband's antics.

"We could always get married again," Saul suggests. It takes six months to do it.

Saul demands a rabbi. Andreas wants to be married on a Friday, and they compromise on the issue of exchanging swords, agreeing to swap their own since neither of them truly want to go all the way to the graves of Andreas' ancestors in Eraklyon or ask around among Saul's friends. Saul puts his foot down about flowers, and Andreas throws a small but impressive fit about seeking a blessing from his mother, or rather not doing so. He is not, he insists, property, and he will never again ask permission from any to do what he wants to do with his life.

They laugh with each other through the whole process, and act exactly like the engaged couple they're meant to be. Sky tries very hard to start knocking before entering the room, and Beatrix simply giggles and oversees the weather on the day.

In the end, they are married again in the Spring, and if Farah is a little misty-eyed, or Ben Harvey goes a little overboard with the floral decorations, nobody says a thing.

#fate winx saga #fate the winx saga #ftws #Saul Silva #Andreas of Eraklyon

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timey-wimey-consulting-dragon · 3 years

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I had lots of fun (and also some frustration) figuring out how to do Farah's hair here 😂 Can't wait to see Farah Dowling in S2! I refuse to believe she's dead.

#eve best #farah dowling #fate the winx saga #Ftws #bring back farah dowling 2k22

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imkylotrash · 3 years

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Night Hunting

Pairing: Saul Silva x reader

Request: She met him in pub, after one of the hunts and they've kept in touch. But he didn't tell her where he's from and she didn't tell him that she is a hunter. Things change when one of the hunts goes wrong and reader somehow gets to the Alfea. One of the kids get hurt and reader is suspected, but she recognizes which monster it is and goes on a hunt. Anonymous

Tagging: @grey-girl @intoanothermind @anreeixcobra @kingunder221b @lflores2008 @alexiapayne12 @quuenofblacks @quarterback-5 @estelmei @bitchwhytho @music-of-melody @artsyle @baueoud @glowingatdawn @shadowhuntyi @alice-the-nerd

"You're looking awfully lonely," you state sitting down next to the stranger in the bar. You're lucky enough to have the evening to yourself as you wait for Sam and Dean to return from the library. You only just got to town and Sam was already doing the research while Dean had been dragged along much against his will.

"I have company," he says holding up his beer. He sounds grumpy and like he's looking for a distraction. You can definitely be his distraction.

It's not the last time you meet the stranger called Saul. It becomes somewhat of a tradition to meet up whenever you're in town. And with a face like Saul's, you make sure you're in town a lot. You admit to Dean why you're always so eager to return to California because he's your twin and you've never been able to hide anything from him but Sam remains in the dark. You don't need two brothers teasing you about your little crush.

"You know what it'll cost you if I'm going to keep your secret," Dean says very matter-of-factly.

"What?" you ask already regretting the decision to confide in Dean.

"My music plays for all of four months in the car with no objection. And you buy me every piece of pie I even look at," he says and you groan in protest. It's the one thing you've always disagreed about. You both hate each other's music taste.

"Deal," you say somewhat begrudgingly before getting ready for the hunt. You're already wishing for it to be over so you can meet up with Saul. You have no idea what goes wrong but the wendigo gets you with its claws. In the chaos of the fight, you stumble through a portal of some kind leaving behind the tiny town of Gardenia and your brothers only to find your way to a forest. You try to head back but the door refuses to budge which concerns you a little because Sam and Dean are still back there with the monster.

It's the screeching noise that convinces you to move away from the shed and into a world, you didn't even know existed. It's pure luck that you make it through the forest to find some huge mansion. It's eerily quiet in the darkness of the night which makes you feel even more uneasy. Where the hell did you end up? Blood is still pouring from the gash and you have nothing to bandage it with.

"Shit," you mumble as you spot the lights of a car heading your way. You hide behind a tree feeling yourself grow weaker from the blood loss. The last thing you remember is someone saying your name before you pass out.

When you come to, you're lying in a soft bed that you definitely didn't find on your own. It takes you a few seconds to realise that this is not a good sign. You have no idea where you are and how you got here. Dean would be disappointed in you. The hunter in you takes over as you quietly get to your feet ignoring the throbbing pain in your abdomen. You're about to open the door to take a peek at what's outside of this room when someone beats you to it.

"Saul?" You don't believe your eyes. What is he doing here?

"What are you doing out of bed?" he ushers you back to bed and he means it nicely but you're already wondering how you could miss that he wasn't a normal human being. There are about two dozen theories running through your mind as you try to remember every little detail of what's happened up until now.

"How did you find this place?" he asks more serious than you've ever seen him. You keep quiet not wanting to give away your only advantage right now. You know

"Look, I know this is all very scary but I need you to talk to me because right now, I've got people on the other side of that door suspecting you of almost killing one of our students last night. And I'm trying to convince them that you're not that type of person." Your eyes open wide from pure shock. The wendigo must've followed you instead of the guys. But how did the student get away from the wendigo? It's near impossible to win over a wendigo at night.

"I didn't hurt anyone. But I think I know what did." He doesn't stop you this time when you get out of bed. Instead, he lets you lean on him for support.

"I need to see the student before I'm sure," you inform Saul and he takes you to the infirmary right away leading you past a man and a woman who looks ready to murder you.

"Friendly crowd," you mumble and Saul has to contain a smile.

"It's definitely a wendigo. I was hunting one last night and it must've followed me here." Imagine your surprise when all they do is look at you like you've gone completely crazy. It's so weird being around people who are not used to this life. If this had been Sam and Dean, you'd already be out looking for it.

"Care to elaborate a little?" Saul asks. The student is completely passed out but you still feel weird talking about it in front of him.

"Maybe we could go somewhere private then? I need to sit down anyway." You need to gather as much strength as you possibly can if you're going to go out and kill a wendigo - and time is ticking. The sun will go down in a couple of hours and you're not hunting that thing in the dark.

"What's a wendigo?" It's the first time the woman has spoken directly to you and you sort of wish she would've continued not talking to you. Her appearance scares you more than most of the monsters you've hunted.

"To keep it short, it was once a human and now it's a monster feeding on human beings. It normally hibernates with enough victims to keep it fed. Fire is the easiest way to kill it but I assure you, it's not as easy as it sounds." You still want to know how the hell the student got away from the wendigo considering they've never faced one before. How is he not dead?

"Have you killed one before?" the woman asks and you just nod.

"It's not easy. That kid in there should feel lucky he survived. I've never seen a human escape the claws of a wendigo." The tension is thick enough to cut it with a knife. Saul clears his throat ignoring the pointed look from the woman.

"We run a school for fairies. The student is a fire fairy. We're assuming he used his powers to escape." Fire fairy? This is definitely not good.

"Farah, we'll need to close off the school until we find it." The woman, who you now know is called Farah, agrees. She hurries off with the other man leaving you alone with Saul.

"You're a fairy?"

"No. I'm a specialist." You have so many questions but you sort through them only asking the most vital ones for now. The clock is ticking and you need to get out there.

"You can't hunt like that," Saul protests but he has no idea that you've been in much worse shape than this.

"I'll be fine." You lean in and kiss him because it's been a weird day and you need just one normal thing to happen. Kissing Saul is that normal thing.

"Just in case I don't get to do that again," you say but you can't keep a straight face. Saul looks about ready to chain you to the bed just to make sure you don't go anywhere.

"You need to learn how to take a joke. This is what I do for a living, Saul. I'll be fine," you chuckle but it's clear that you out there hunting definitely doesn't seem like a good idea to Saul. Lucky for you, you won't have to go out there alone. In the blink of an eye, your brothers and Crowley have teleported into the room. Dean immediately pins Saul against the wall.

"Are you okay?" he yells making you roll your eyes.

"Let him go, Dean. That's Saul." It takes a second for Dean to realise what you're saying and even longer for Crowley and Sam.

"He's sort of my boyfriend ish. We haven't really discussed the terms yet." Your cheeks turn red as you lock eyes with Saul. You've just thrown the b-word but he doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

"Wait, how did you even get here?"

"I'm the King of Hell, love. It's my job to know about all realms." There's going to be a long conversation between you and Saul to explain everything but right now the focus needs to be on the wendigo.

"Let's go hunting."

#saul silva x reader #saul silva imagine #saul silva blurb #saul silva #winx saul silva #winx club #fate the winx saga #fate the winx club #fate the winx icons #fate netflix #winx netflix #fate saga

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lover-of-queens · 3 years

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Farah Dowling is Alive Part 2

The follow up to Part 1 or as I like to call it: look mom, I told you this degree would have uses in the real world!

If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, you can find Part 1: Here

You know the drill, under the cut cause this is probably going to get long!

Episode 4: Some Wrecked Angel

Episode opens with our favourite trio. If you’ve read the first part then you’ll be familiar with my argument that it could be possible the writers are leaving Farah x Saul threads to pick up at a later date. I think this scene has some interesting ones. There’s a lot of effort in this scene to set Farah and Saul up as parallels - in a way that also makes them stand apart from Ben. We have them saying his name together, but also, when they discover Callum’s body, both Farah and Saul are in sync as they move into a kneeling position.

I don’t necessarily know if this could be considered an argument for them bringing Farah back, however, in the scene with Farah, Stella and Luna, Stella brings up an interesting point about Farah’s pedagogy. We’re told that Farah chooses care and time over “solely results” when it comes to teaching. In the next episode we learn Rosalind’s own teaching style involves putting her students “through hell”. I don’t necessarily know when the change will happen but given this, I don’t see any way Rosalind can remain Headmistress, especially when they’re taking pains to show Farah as better suited for the role.

Also important in this scene is Farah and Luna’s last exchange. We know what appearances Luna has helped Farah maintain - the barrier/illusion that stops Aster Dell from being seen. So, what’s interesting is Farah’s next line:

Farah: “Yes, we’ve both done a great deal to preserve Solaria’s reputation.”

This does not get addressed during the remaining episodes. Personally, this line and the amount of tension between Farah and Luna also strikes me as a potential thread that could be picked up later. I’m going to wager that I’m not alone in wanting to know what exactly they did to “preserve” Solaria’s rep. And my guess is, because Brian has mentioned that they’re going to expand on the winx world, we’re going to be finding out more about Solaria in S2. Theoretically, I suppose whatever event that is being referenced here could be dealt with without Farah on screen, but then we’d miss out on all the fun tension! Also, as of right now, fan response to Luna is nothing compared to Farah (at least from what I’ve seen).

Tattoo theory, several people have already spoken on this and I don’t want to speak over them. I’m still sorting out my own thoughts on whether it’s Farah’s or Eve’s but I will say that Farah is always wearing rings so it seems to me that if they wanted it covered they could easily do it with a ring (or makeup). If the tattoo is purposely put there then I’m going to assume its for a reason that the writers may want to deal with at a later date (hint, hint: bring back Farah).

Episode 5: Wither Into the Truth

I may do another post on this at some point if I can find enough to say to warrant it but Farah’s eye colour when she does magic. Up until now every time Farah’s done magic her eyes have glowed blue and yet in the scene where she questions Beatrix they glow light orange. Now I’d always assumed that the colour of the glow = element, which was why I didn’t know why Farah’s glowed blue to begin with; she’s a mind fairy so I would have expected the purple that Musa has. And actually the confirmation of her being a mind fairy comes from Fate’s IG page shown below, I don’t know if it’s ever explicitly stated in the show? Further, to my knowledge, Farah is the only fairy we’ve seen whose eyes glow different colours. So, a thread to pick up in season 2, perhaps?

Also I’m very interested in the use of the word “Once”. In this instance I would almost take it to mean ‘no longer is’ but the tense is present perfect (I think?) which can suggest the continuance of an action. But now I’m being overly nitpicky and technical. Also I don’t know how ‘principle’ made it through what I’m assuming are several stages before making it onto IG, but it gave me a laugh!

“Incredibly powerful” yet loses to Rosalind without a fight? Not buying it. Additionally, the use of “other forms of magic” is interesting and I figure could be taken to mean other elements. But I wonder if there’s more to it than just that. Farah shows knowledge of archaic Fairy Magic with the Nettle Amalgam, so maybe there’s more archaic knowledge out there that she knows ... that could prove helpful.

Now, back to the episode. When Farah and Hologram Luna are talking, the fact that there are two burned ones travelling together is cause for concern.

Farah: “There are two of them travelling together. That hasn’t happened since … In a long time.”

Once again we are left with a thread of something that has happened. In the same IG post as above, in the section for Saul, it mentions that he and Farah became confidants “after experiencing the Black Woods Massacre”. I wonder if that could be what Farah’s referring to here? I know the massacre has come up once or twice in conversation and correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t believe it’s ever been properly explained? To me, it looks like a great bit of backstory to get into at a later date. It may not confirm Farah being alive necessarily, but you could take it as a sign that we might see Eve again.

Lastly, for this episode, is the scene between Farah and Bloom. Specifically this part:

Farah: “I will help you get the answers you need. I give you my word.”

You can probably guess what I’m going to say at this point, a thread that can be picked up in season 2! You could counterargue that Rosalind could help Bloom with answers (as she offers in the next episode) but in my humble opinion, I don’t think it would offer narrative satisfaction. First, because we’ve been shown what a terrible mentor Rosalind is. Second, they’ve spent the first season showing how Farah and Bloom’s mentor-student relationship has developed (bloomed?) so it seems a waste to go through all of that development for nothing.

Episode 6: A Fanatic Heart

Rosalind has her little prison break. Personally, I still think there’s a lot of unanswered questions about what happened after Aster Dell, how they imprisoned Rosalind, etc. And I do hope that we get some answers in Season 2 - again these answers may not necessarily involve Farah on the screen but as every writer gets told the age old advice of “show, don’t tell”, I think there’s potential for that.

Farah immediately tries to disprove my points about her intelligence by wandering alone in the woods at night. But she’s pretty, so I’ll allow it.

Rosalind gives Bloom some answers but not all, so I do think that my point above about Farah helping Bloom find more answers still stands. Further, I find the Farah is Bloom’s mother theory to be unlikely for several reasons (this is not the post for them) but I do want to draw our attention to several lines of dialogue here.

Bloom: “You hid me from Miss Dowling.” ….

Rosalind: “The guidance you needed was love. Farah couldn’t give that to you. Vanessa and Michael could.”

There are SO many reasons why this exchange is fascinating. I’m interested in why Bloom brings up Farah to begin with - her other points could stand alone to the same affect. I’m also really interested in the direct comparison between Farah and Bloom’s adoptive parents -- if Bloom hadn’t gone to them, she would have gone to Farah? It almost seems as though the direct comparison implies that. Also, considering Bloom’s relationship with her adoptive parents, I really doubt the validity of the statement. Plus, I wouldn’t trust Rosalind’s idea of love in general.

Also, Rosalind is just so certain that Farah couldn’t love Bloom … can’t love in general? There’s just so much of Farah and Rosalind’s relationship that hasn’t been explored that I think really needs to be.

Now, the scene that always makes me cry! Farah and Bloom have had a difficult time this season and it’s all lead up to this moment of trust and vulnerability - on both sides. If you ask me, this season has been setting Farah up to be the mentor figure that Rosalind was not - Rosalind’s opposite. And they’ve worked hard at it, even when they were trying to convince us Farah might be the evil one which like lmao. I find it hard to believe that they would go through all of that work just to discard it by leaving Farah dead. Especially because what Farah admits to Bloom in this sequence feels like a changing moment for her - she recognizes things she wishes she would have done differently (being less of a figurehead, being more open) and I think its only fair that Fate allows her to follow through on those things.

And onto the scene that I really don’t want to rewatch but I’m going to do it for y’all. I’ve touched on Farah x Saul moments so it’s only fair that I touch on Farah x Rosalind ones. There is tension here (looking at each other’s lips, Rosalind getting closer to Farah, Farah grabbing her), I mean the cast has joked about shipping them. But there are several different ways to read this and you are more than welcome to your pick! It doesn’t really change my point, which is … thread to pick up in season 2? Have you started taking a shot every time I’ve said that (please don’t <3).

Farah who has shown herself to be incredibly intelligent and cautious when it comes to Rosalind turns her back on her. And we get what is probably the most important piece of evidence: the eye glow. It can mean absolutely anything, but I’d wager one of the reasons its there is to have people do exactly what I’m doing here. Theorizing about whether Farah could still be alive. I’m going to take that as a sign there’s hope (mainly because I think it would be cruel to suggest a ‘could she come back narrative’ and then … not have her come back). Also, in the Fate novel, it describes Farah’s death as “too easy”. I absolutely refuse to believe that it could be easy to kill Farah when she’s proved time and time again how powerful she is.

That finishes my episode by episode analysis. It totals well over 2500 words. If you can believe me, I still have more to say on this topic (discussing general counterarguments and possible logistics of Eve’s filming), so stay tuned for a Part 3?

#Farah Dowling #fate: the winx saga #fate the winx saga #fate SPOILERS

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mynameissil · 3 years

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I do not know about anyone else - but I needed fanfiction following the end of Series 1, especially with the fates of Farah and Saul in the air (I refuse to believe she is dead). I absolutley adore these characters and would loved to have seen more of them throughout the first series.

I have taken some liberties with how I have written this but I am trying to stay as true to their characters as I can and look forward to carrying this story on - so I hope anyone who wants to read enjoys this and looks forward to the next part.

#fate: the winx saga #farah dowling #saul silva #farah x saul #fanfiction

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amlovelies · 3 years

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a discovery

chapter 14 of Just Another Liability

pairing: mason/f!oc (Serena Willis)

warnings: some angst and cursing. mention of childhood neglect/abandonment issues

words: 3k (I know! this is the longest installment I’ve written by far)

read on ao3

I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. Agent Greene needed me to meet her at the Warehouse, and by the tone of her voice I knew better than to argue. I could refuse to go, but part of me is nervous. I can’t think what would be so important.

The drive back to Wayhaven is stressful. It’s my first time returning, and I don’t know the roads very well. At least it gives me something to focus on. Something besides the gnawing worry about seeing Mason. It took me too long to decide what to wear and I’m sure Agent Greene will be pissed when I show up. I probably shouldn’t have taken the time to apply a little eyeliner and mascara, but I had to.

I need some sort of armor.

I waste even more time at the front door. Everything looks the same. It’s strange to think it’s been almost a month since I was here last.

They’re probably all in the living room; I move through the labyrinthian hallway on autopilot trying to focus more on what could be so important to have me come out here rather than seeing Mason. I mean really, I need to get it together and get my priorities straight.

Besides I should be used to people not loving me. My mom made it clear how much I ruined her life. My dad didn’t even care that I was born. On the scale of things, my fuck buddy not catching feels isn’t that big a deal.

Except it feels like a huge fucking deal when I turn the corner and find him walking towards me.

“Shit.” I feel my heart drop to my stomach. I think this is the first time we’ve been alone together since that night. I feel his eyes sweep over me and I’m glad I took the extra time to get ready.

“Took you long enough, swe—” he stumbles over the word. We both know what he was going to say. “Everyone’s waiting on you.”

“Yeah, well it’s not like I was given much of a heads up. Just a cryptic fucking call. I do have my own life you know.” That’s not exactly true. I worked a few days a week at an agency dispensary for supernaturals in the area, and while I was on friendly terms with the coworkers there, I didn’t have any social life to speak off. The most exciting thing on my calendar would be my bi-weekly visits to the facility to use their training room.

He shrugs, “that’s the agency for you.”

“Let’s just get this over with,” I won’t let myself meet his eyes as I move to walk past him.

He falls into step alongside me. Once or twice our arms brush, and I my skin itches with the proximity. I don’t know if he’s trying to put me at ease, to show me that everything can be normal, but it’s having the opposite effect. Which he probably knows because of his stupid vampire super senses. With any luck he’ll think I’m just nervous about his meeting. Sure, let’s go with that.

I enter the room first, and walk towards what used to be my usual chair.

“How nice of you to make sure Serena didn’t get lost in her old home,” Farah quips and I hear a low growl from Mason in response.

Please don’t let her be like that through this whole meeting.

Everyone is in their familiar places spread out across the room, but there’s a tension in the room I don’t recognize. It’s then that I notice the vaguely familiar looking man standing off to the side. He looks uncomfortable, always shifting his weight from side to side.

“So, what’s so important that I needed to come down here,” I ask as I settle into the chair. Out of the corner of my eye I can see where Mason has perched himself against one of the side tables. I’m torn between my desire to ignore him, to put a brave face on it, and my need to drink in the sight of him. To memorize the placement of every freckle on his face for my lonely days back in the city, but I won’t do that because that would be pathetic.

Dinah speaks first, “it’s my fault, Serena. I told Agent Greene we couldn’t continue without you here. This concerns you too.”

“As you know we took samples and did extensive testing when you first arrived here,” Agent Greene interjects and I stiffen in anticipation for what will come next. Is there something wrong with me?

“Well, that’s ominous. What do I have cancer or something?”

“No, no I can assure you that you are in perfect health,” the man speaks up. “You may not remember me, but I assisted with some of the testing when you first arrived at the facility.

“Dr. Franks also did extensive testing on me,” Dinah says from where she is seated next to Nate. She’s on the edge of her seat. Elbows resting on her knees and staring at me so intently I almost wonder if I have something on my face.

“I thank you both for your cooperation,” the man says before turning to face me. “It’s specially exciting to get to meet the first arrival from a new portal.”

A scoff from Dinah interrupts him and I see Agent Greene stiffen.

“Okay so I’m not about to drop dead, good to know, but that still doesn’t explain what’s going on.”

“Dr. Franks, noticed a pattern between yourself and Detective Greene.” I raise my eyebrow to hear her address her daughter so formally. “As of yet, no one outside of this room has been informed. We already know there are moles within the agency, and for her safety I would like to keep it that way.

“Right, it’s my safety your worried about,” Agent Greene pretends not to hear the outburst from Dinah.

“I was hesitant to include you, given your current status.”

“But Dinah insisted.” I finish the thought.

“Yes,” Agent Greene says as she clasps her hands in front of her and if I didn’t know any better, I would say they shaking. the look she gives me is not a kind one. I’ve never found myself comfortable with Agent Greene, but the effect is worse than usual today.

“So, what do I have crazy super blood as well?”

“No. Your blood doesn’t appear to have any amplifying effect.” Dr. Franks answers.

“Then what the fuck is it?”

“They think we’re related.” Dinah’s voice is soft and it takes me a second to process the words. “We are about a 25% match; it would be consistent with half siblings.”

“Okay, sure, and I’m also long-lost royalty.” I say with a roll of my eyes, but no one laughs. If anything, the tension in the room amplifies. Half siblings. One parent in common. God knows it isn’t my bitch of a mother, Dinah has her own one of those.

“This has to be some sort of mistake. I know who my father is. There’s no way. I’m not ever from this world.”

“Apparently you weren’t the first to come through that portal,” Dinah says her voice like ice and her eyes never leaving Rebecca.

Rebecca won’t meet her gaze. Dinah shakes her head and shakes off the reassuring hand Nate tries to place on her arm, “and I thought we were done with secrets.” She says with a bitter laugh.

“So, what, your dad was actually from my world? But I thought the agency didn’t have any records of other portals?” I ask trying to get all the pieces to fit together in my head. It feels like too much.

“Yes. You are the first person that the agency knows of,” Rebecca says her eyes sliding over to where Dr. Franks stands, “we are all shocked to learn about it. My late husband didn’t talk a lot about his past, and I respected his wish for privacy.”

I don’t believe her for a second. She knew. She knew all this time that I wasn’t the first. I run my hands over my face and try to wrap my head around it all. It’s bad enough trying to consider the fact that there might be other trapped here like me. I don’t know if I can even begin to grabble with the dad stuff. It’s not much of a loss discovering my father is not actually my father. He decided he didn’t want a daughter anymore when I was about four and I hadn’t seen or heard from him.

I remember seeing photos of Dinah’s dad in her office. He had an open face, always smiling holding her tight. Not just Dinah’s dad that could have been my dad.

“I will need to do further testing, but I believe that Detective’s Greene’s mutation may be caused by her unique heritage. If that is the case, there is a good chance that any children you might have would exhibit that same mutation.”

“Any what now?” I ask surprised.

“I would have to do further testing, but there’s a good chance that this is the source of the mutation. We couldn’t understand it before because we believed that Detective Greene had human parentage, but now knowing it is more complicated opens up other avenues of possibilities.”

He’s talking more to himself than us at this point and I tune it out. I run my hands over my face and try and keep above the swirling maelstrom that my thoughts have turned into. Knowing he wasn’t my father isn’t much of a loss. He stopped being a dad to me when I was four, but what did that leave me? Just the mistaken product of a one-night stand? I always knew I wasn’t planned, wasn’t wanted, the only reason for my mom’s first marriage. Was that why they got divorced, did he figure out he wasn’t my father? Maybe I really did ruin her life. It’s getting harder to breath and I think I might throw up.

A banging sound brings me back to the present and I look up to see Mason half way between the side table and my chair. Our eyes meet for a moment and against all reason I feel a little calmer. I lose myself a little in his grey depths and my racing thoughts begin to settle. There will be time to deal with my feelings about this. I say deal as if I won’t just bury it down like I do with everything else. What matters right now is what this means for us now.

“Okay, so say this is really true, what does it change?” I ask looking around the room.

Adam speaks up from the window, “I don’t think you should return to your apartment. I think for the time being you should return to the warehouse.”

I tense up at the thought, “I don’t really think that’s necessary. It’s not like my blood is super powered.”

“Perhaps not, but supernaturals have long lives. They may be willing to wait a generation to have access to the boost the mutation supplies.” Adam says with a grimace.

“Fine.” I concede and the tension in the room eases up a bit. “I’ll need a change of clothes and my stuff though.”

Adam nods, “make us a list and we will go grab them for you.”

“I will accompany Dr. Franks back to the facility and see if there is anything else, we missed in the test.” Agent Greene says signaling the end of the meeting.

Farah nearly knocks me over in her excitement to hug me. “You must be so excited! I told you Unit Bravo was a family, and now look it really is.”

I try and match her excitement. I really do, but it’s not easy.

Now that Agent Greene has left, Dinah is closer to her usual warm self. She hugs me for a long time, talking about how she always wanted a sister, that she had already thought of me as almost a sister.

It’s overwhelming. I think I say the right things. I think I look like I’m fine.

Dinah begins to tell me everything she can remember about her father, our father. How he was such a great dad, how much he cared, how much she misses him, how much she wished she had been able to know he better.

I feel like I can’t breathe. How different would my life had been if he never fell through the portal? What I wouldn’t have given to have a father like him, to feel loved and cherished even all these years later. What I wouldn’t give to remember a parent with love rather than bitterness, to have just one person in my life who looked out for me. But I didn’t get that. He fell through a hole in the world and Dinah got that instead. I feel so bitter I think I might chock on it.

I lie and say I need to go to the bathroom.

I don’t have a plan besides getting away from all the attention. I let me feet guide me and end up at the training room. Hitting something matches my mood exactly.

I fall into a rhythm. The sound of my fists hitting the dummy echoing in the empty space of the training room.

How did I ever get by without this before? Maybe my life wouldn’t have been so messy if I’d just let myself hit things.

I don’t notice him at first. Not until I stop to grab some water and I see him leaning against the door frame. If I wasn’t already winded from my excursions the intensity of his gaze would probably take my breath away.

I let myself look at him really look at him. Is it possible that I forgot how beautiful he is? I thought I could recall him well, the way the light catches in his eyes, the delicate spray of freckles across his golden skin, but my memories pale in comparison to the reality.

“Mason,” I say with a nod raising the water bottle to my lips.

He pushes off the wall and I watch his movements with rapt attention. He turns to face me in the center of the training mats before tying his hair back and sinking into a familiar position.

It’s an invitation.

Sparring with Mason isn’t a graceful dance. It is brutal, and it suits my mood just fine. Oh, sure he’s pulling his punches back, but even then, it still stings when he lands a hit. It still takes me a moment to recover when I land flat on my ass.

I manage to land a few hits, and I don’t know if it’s a testament to my skill improving, or if he’s letting me, but I don’t care. It’s still satisfying. It’s still distracting. It’s still what I need.

The next time he knocks me down I stay on the ground. I’m too tired to keep going, and the tangled knot of emotions in my chest feels less overwhelming.

“Better?” Mason asks.

“Yes, thank you.” I mean it. After all my stupidity, he should be the last person I want to be around, but I don’t know if I could stand being around anyone else right now. Between Farah and her excitement and questions, and Nate’s whole idolization of family ties, I’d felt like screaming.

“Dinah seems happy.”

“Yeah,” I say as I rise to a sitting position.

“but you’re not.”

I pull my legs in close and rest my head on my knees, “I’m too many things right now.”

If this was a few months ago, this would be the part where he offers to distract me. This is where he would say something crass like he’d be happy to make me cum too many times. But he can’t say that now, so he just shifts his weight from side to side looking uncomfortable.

“Thank you for the sparring, it helped, but you don’t need to do this.” I say with a sigh.

“Do what?”

“Stick around, check on me. I’ll be fine. I’m always fine.” Except my voice cracks a little on that last syllable. Once I start crying it hits hard. I can’t even figure out what exactly I’m crying about, there’s just this needy little part of me that’s angry and sad and normally I can keep her under control, but today was too much. Today was too many memories and reminders.

I don’t expect the tentative touch to my back, the weight of his hand, the quiet reassurance that he is there. I don’t know why he is here, or what it means, but right now I don’t care. I just want. I lean against him and let his arms wrap around me.

We stay that way for several minutes, until my tears slow down, until I feel calmer. When he pulls away, he does so quickly. All too soon he is standing several feet away.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” I say with a wave of my hand.

His brow furrows before he answers, “I do though.”

Oh, my traitorous heart thrills at that. How little does that fool need to threaten to come bursting out of my chest and follow him as he walks towards the door.

tag list for the au (let me know if you would like to be added or removed): @lord-king-saint, @lilyoffandoms, @tracing-freckled-constellations, @vienocalledmebuddy, @freckles-spangledvampire, @utterlyinevitable, @whippedforethanfreakingramsey

#the wayhaven chronicles #just another liability #twc mason #oc: serena willis #fanficiton #lovelieswrites

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kazbrkker · 4 years

Text

Chapter 6: Distant Reminders

Chapter summary: Finally a glimpse of the day Farah, Hadir and Alexis met, told from both perspectives. Some fluff between Alexis and Alex. Slight confession (blink and you miss it.) [3870 words]

Warnings: pretty dark chapter – please be careful. Mentions of wounds, burns and blood. Implied mentions of sexual assault.

27 October 2019, 0600 "Alexis" & "Alex" | Codename Aces CIA agents with Urzik militia Liberation Force Base, Urzikstan.

Truth be told, Urzikstan was starting to grow on the CIA agent. Used to working in much less hostile environments than this, Alexis figured it would take time before she could adapt. But between the constantly rowdy, yet lively compound and the unpolluted Urzikstan night sky that smiled down at her—it wasn't difficult for Urzikstan to imprint on her.

It was 6 on the clock when she awoke, a wired response. Judging from the unslept sleeping bag, Alex was still on lookout duty. Five minutes later, he entered the room.

"Wow, cute bed hair."

"Morning to you too." Alexis ignored his sarcasm, starting to roll her sleeping bag but halted at Alex's request—questionably saying hers was more comfortable. "They're the exact same," She deadpanned.

"Fine, I like your smell. Consider me obsessed." Alex lazily pulled his shirt over his head and grabbed his towel. Her laughter was airy among the morning stillness.

"Dial the creepiness to a min, 'kay?"

They walked to the makeshift showers that Farah had shown them—grimy and borderline filthy but they couldn't be bothered, instead, grateful that showers were even a possibility. Alex stepped one foot in when Alexis opened her bathroom door, "Quick proposition, wanna save some water?"

Alex dramatically clasped a hand on his chest at her vexed jab.

"What? It's our part to save the Earth, isn't it?" His voice lowered to a whisper, as if he was sharing the best-kept secret. Their foreheads were practically touching, his breath fanning on her cheeks. Their height difference made Alex peer down at her, thumb boldly rubbing across her cheekbones. "I'm just offering, I take my responsibility very seriously."

"Mm. I bet. Just get your ass in the shower." Back against the bathroom door, Alexis chuckled at how ridiculous he was, but it was a normalcy she got used to. Even at 6 in the dead morning, there was already an irrepressible smirk on display. The warmth that radiated off his bare torso did nothing but intensified her need for a freezing shower. He didn't even budge under her shove.

"Ooh. Grumpypants."

Rolling her eyes, she briefly glanced at the muscular arms that encaged her, silently tracing the intricacy of his tattoo sleeves, "Can I leave now?"

"Sure, excuse me then." He gripped onto her hips as though squeezing through a narrowed pathway—except it wasn't, there was plenty of room. All he had to do was release her.

It was pointless to try and ignore the heat of his touch, her thin cotton t-shirt could only do so much.

Alex stepped away, chuckling knowingly. She almost felt cold. A flustered Alexis stood rooted for a few seconds before rapidly blinking, breaking the... whatever this was. "I hope the water doesn't run out when you have shampoo in your eyes!" She shook the feeling out of her system, harshly biting her lip to reprimand herself.

'Jesus. Drag your mind out of the gutter, will you?' Although the devil on her shoulder tempted her with an exhilarating idea. Alexis swung the door shut with a bang, hopefully, loud enough to scare those thoughts away.

She heard his muffled yells from outside. "Point taken, you're a devious thing, aren't you!"

After a much needed shower, she found her partner back in their room. His hands tucked behind his head, droopy eyelids signified his sleepiness but held open with resistance. She entertained his cheeky statements while drying her hair.

"You look great."

"Tuck me in?" His persistence eventually honeyed her. This half-asleep state was endearing, albeit laughable and unbelievable to anybody else.

"Night." She squatted down to face the now tucked-in Alex. He answered back, words blurred from exhaustion, clearly delirious since he audaciously asked for a goodnight kiss, but was met a splash of cold water. "Well, it's officially morning, but... semantics. Answer is no." Refusing to witness her smug face, within two minutes, the said man passed out.

An amused curve played on her lips, observing her friend. Once he was truly asleep, judging from his unfurrowed eyebrows and slightly parted lips, she kneeled to land a soft kiss on the crown of his head. Her movements trembled ever so slightly as her lips brushed against his forehead, diligent to not rouse the light-sleeper.

Otherwise, she'd never hear the end of it.

Alex had slipped into unconscious blissfulness by now, leaving her alone with her raging thoughts. Looking at him, she thought of a few words that she would never utter out loud, even if her life had been beaten to shy of an inch. She was no idiot, nor a teenage girl struggling to analyse her feelings.

Alexis had feelings for Alex, she resigned to it ever since her return from St. Petersburg. Staring death in the face can do that to somebody.

It was a fool's errand to think it would ever work out. A bigger mistake if she destroyed the most important person in her universe. It didn't help that they were in the middle of a war, and they always were.

Besides, love was overrated. But try telling that to her defying heart for not letting it go even after five unreciprocated years. Alexis quietly untied the curtains covering their partition of the compound, leaving more than one thing to rest.

It was a nightmare to work out in jeans, but to respect their culture, she obviously had no complaints. Alexis convened with Farah, Hadir and another group of militia fighters for their first training today. Today's lesson resolved around stealth—her speciality. She taught them everything to know about sneak attacks, efficient knifing and using unconventional weapons like a belt or a pen.

They were an easy bunch to teach, like a sponge readily soaking up whatever she had to give. Somehow standing here reminded her when she was an insignificant recruit back in Fort Benning, how time flew. "Being stealthy is more than sneaking around and keeping quiet. It conserves ammo and your energy. Tradecraft 101: if you can't identify the target, you are the target."

They wrapped around 9.15am, concluding the lesson by teaching them her neat trick, emptying her shoes to reveal razors pasted against her ankle. "Hide these in your socks. It will get you out, trust me." She drawled out the last part, unintentionally grinning at a funny memory.

Farah smiled, asking her fighters to head to breakfast. Hadir, with his stomach growling embarrassingly loud throughout the training, eagerly led the beeline to the kitchen. The commander spoke gratitude to her informative lesson again, before a small tap on Alexis' shoulders pulled her attention away. It belonged to a young woman, not older than 15, she guessed.

"I... want to learn more... Can you teach me?"

"Your English is flawless..." Alexis waited for her name, the young woman was fidgety, only met her gaze meekly upon asking.

"Alia."

"Beautiful name." A smile fell on both the commander and the agent's lips. "Well, nice to meet you, Alia. Maybe we can meet back here after breakfast?"

The young woman nodded eagerly, shoulders now loosened. There was a slight skip in her steps when she walked in the kitchen's direction, joining the rest.

The corpse of the young child she witnessed the yesterday unwillingly flashed before her eyes. If she shut her eyes, she'd bet she could still smell the unholy putrid decay of human flesh.

"Alen– Alexis?" The sound of her name dragged her out of her thoughts, the excitable yells and rowdy chatter from the kitchen now of tangible existence. Farah waited for her expectingly, "Lost you for a minute."

They walked away to the rooftops. "Oh. Sorry, just... I didn't see her when I was here the last time... She's so young."

"War waits for no one," Farah replied truthfully. "We found Alia in a sewage tunnel three years ago, she was the only one left in her family. We found her before the soldiers did..."

She didn't explain further; for they both knew the tragic outcome of a young girl living alone in this occupation. Farah continued on a solemn note, "Barkov does not inflict pain only from his bombs and massacre. He tears families apart, ruin our children's innocence. Barkov and his army do... unspeakable things..."

Farah didn't explicitly state it, but there was a shared understanding. It was terrifying to be a woman in Urzikstan. Or really, be a woman anywhere near this life...

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you the last time."

Fazed by the unexpected mention of old events, Farah replied a few seconds later. "It's okay. You came back."

"Still, five years is a long time when freedom is on the line."

"Alexis," Their gaze connected meaningfully, "I have waited all my life. Five years is nothing. Plus. you came with backup. You brought me victory."

The agent's nose scrunched in grimace, "Don't jinx it." The commander looked perplexed at her words, "It's bad luck to say you've already won before you actually did."

"You believe in luck?"

"I didn't, but after you saved me... Let's just say I'm a believer." Although there was nothing cheery in her tone. "Luck can go a long way, I'm living proof." The distant look in her eyes and made Farah caution around her next words.

Farah remembered the day she stumbled upon Alexis. Stumbled would be the right word, seeing she literally walked in a chamber with Alexis in it.

Same shit, different day. Only today Farah and her fighters received intel of a new mob that moved operations just outside the borders of Urzikstan. As if Barkov wasn't enough, they were terrorising and robbing farmers of their already piss-poor life.

They utilised the element of surprise, showing up in the dead middle of the night. Also dousing the enemy's compound in petrol was an easy and foolproof way to get the job done.

"Sister!" When Hadir yelled for her, she was terrified something had happened to her brother—who was still inside, drenching the house with more petrol. "There is a woman... Prisoner! She doesn't look like she's with them!"

"Bring her out!"

Hadir balanced a bloodied woman on his back, carrying her all the way back to their waiting trucks in the woods. Farah immediately demanded her male fighters to look away, covering the skimpily dressed woman with a canvas mat. Not that it mattered, really—the unknown woman's face was unrecognisable, bruises and blood littered all over her body, her natural skin colour a mystery to them.

"She's alive! Barely breathing, but still here." One of her fighters announced. At that, they floored back to their compound. Farah was the one to clean her up, horrified by the state she was in. The commander had seen her fair share of gore, but even she didn't want to imagine what the mob did to the woman. Under the cuts, wounds and burns Farah could see a peek of the woman's skin colour. After dabbing some water on her face, her American features came into view.

There was no patch on her, no dog tags to identify her. Soldier? No, spy, she concluded. The woman looked far too beautiful for a wise commander to send into an active, hostile battlefield like Urzikstan.

Farah shook her head dismissively. "You give me too much credit, Alexis. You were the one strong enough to live through all that."

"If it weren't for you, the mob would have killed me. Hopefully." The agent swung her legs freely over the rooftop's edge. Her solemness didn't bypass the commander. "I'm serious, Farah. If I wasn't so lucky to meet you, even though it was in a burning fire, I wouldn't be here..." Their sight fell upon a faintly wrinkled patch of skin that covered a part of Alexis' left shin. "You saved my life, Farah. Thank you."

Through blurry vision, it was hard to make the commander's face, but she roughly pictured the curve on her lips. She made no efforts to hide her tears, knowing Farah had seen her worse. Recalling St. Petersburg drained every ounce of life in her, a dark stain of her past that no matter what, she couldn't scrub away.

And believe her, she had scrubbed her skin raw trying to erase it. But it still lived, crawled under her skin.

After the annoying tear dropped, her vision cleared. Now facing Farah, who seemingly had the same sentimental expression on her face, the two women engulfed in a tight embrace. There was a kind of serenity residing in the knowledge that Farah still smelled the way Alexis remembered.

When Alexis, then Alena first woke, she was quick to hold a scalpel against the first person she saw. It didn't help that it was a man.

Digging relentlessly into the guy's neck, she ignored the electrifying pain all over her body yelling at her to stop.

"Stop! Stop!" A young female dashed into the room, frantic arms flailing about. Alexis recognised the authority that radiated off this woman, so she jerked her head at the exit.

"I cannot let you leave. Look at you, you need to recover."

Displeased, the scalpel pierced through the man's skin. Eyes averting in a frenzy, she tried to work the best escape plan in her jumbled mind. "I'll recover somewhere fucking else. Let me go."

"We are not the enemy here–"

"'Cause the bad guys are so honest?" Alexis spat, using the guy as her human shield to inch towards the entrance. Her antics were gaining a ton of spectators, lining alongside the exit with firearms. "Tell your men to back off. Now! Or I fucking shoot my way through."

Alexis dropped unconscious after that statement, apparently, someone had hit her with a dose of anaesthetic. She half-imagined she would be restrained, but surprisingly, not only was she not, but the same woman slept beside her bed defenceless too.

Maybe it was pure stupidity, or kindness.

"Hate to interrupt, but Laswell's calling." Alex's voice boomed from the rooftop's entrance, making her jump. Back-facing him, she hastily wiped her tears and at a confirming nod from Farah, she turned around—all traces of tears disappeared from her face.

Farah watched the brunette agent retreat, a sad yet proud smile resting on her face when she thought about how far they both had come.

"Everything okay?" Alex inquired warily, shutting the door behind him for complete privacy.

"Yeah, perfect. Why?"

"Nothing. Just looked intense, that's all. And you're usually not big on hugs."

An uncharming snort escaped from her. Leaning against a table, she said, "Maybe that's just when it comes to you. Enough, where's Laswell?"

Alex was about to probe further but an unceremonious ring of the satellite phone stopped him. He huffed, having half a feeling that Laswell was a genie or something borderline supernatural, summoned at the mere mention of her name.

"You got Saint and Echo 3-1 on the line."

"Sorry for the early call, but I got good news. The attic of the Al-Qatala townhouse was a gold mine. It looks like we found the Wolf."

"Good news indeed," Alex commented.

"Communications from the laptop were tracked to Ramaza Hospital in Urzikstan, where the Al-Qatala leader is believed to be holed-up. Farah's forces will track terror activity at the hospital while a Marine ground force will advance on the complex."

At that, they arched a questioning brow, "Why the extra heat? We already have Farah's forces."

"Not my call, Saint. Colonel Norris suggested it and the General agrees. We only have one shot at this, the plan needs to be flawless." She almost scoffed at the same old excuse, but couldn't really blame Laswell. "You two will link up with Sergeant Griggs, the main priority is to capture the Wolf. Saint, you will lead interrogation about the stolen gas. I want him alive, can I trust you?"

Alexis shrugged casually. "Of course, death would be too easy for the bastard... Excuse my language, Watcher."

"Agreed. But, I still want him to look presentable, got it?"

"Are we talking face? Or waist down?"

"Saint..."

The female agent received a defeated laughter from her partner, mouthing at her to stop it. Suddenly the minuscule guilt in him for executing Alexis' punishment for "insolence" disappeared. She had a true gift for pushing the limit, and then some. Consider it her cheap thrill—testing how far she could resist the CIA's chain of command. Alex sometimes wondered if Alexis was actively trying to court her death.

It was humorous watching her try though, knowing she was too precious of an asset to the CIA and JSOC to really punish. She'd only get a light slap on the wrist for trying—only irritating her further.

"Just kidding, Watcher. You can count on me."

━━━━

28 October 2019, 0530 Rammazan, Urzikstan.

Soldiers or agents, everyone had their pre-mission rituals. The familiarity of routines helped to comfort soldiers who fear they might not return from their voyages.

Every day might be their last.

For Task Force Black, it was a last-minute poker game until somebody won three streaks in a row—freeing themselves from carrying claymores for that mission. Usually, Commander Maddox would win, but observing their games for a prolonged period of time, something told Alexis her commander was playing cheat.

Their games, albeit entertaining, was not her thing. She liked her silence, enjoy the isolation before entering another war—she'd never know how long a mission was. Days, weeks, months.

Her incident changed her, after that, she could never really be alone anymore—feeling the urge to always be surrounded by people. So there she was, sitting on yet another rooftop that oversaw the hospital the Wolf was in, even though it wasn't her shift.

A waft of smoke filled her nostrils unpleasantly, immediately catching her attention. "I can feel you looking," Farah said from her right.

Busted.

"6 minutes." The agent subconsciously mumbled, earning a confused look from the commander.

"She means you're killing 6 minutes off your life." Alex continued after Farah's narrowed eyes, "She used to annoy me with this every time I pick up a stick. Mildly efficient. If you have iron willpower like me...Alexis can be very persuasive." He winced at the reminder of her 'detox' sessions, truly terrifying.

Alexis rolled her eyes.

Their conversation ceased when Farah's walkie-talkie announced Al-Qatala was firing in the hospital. "My soldiers confirm that the hospital is under siege. Al-Qatala is taking civilians as human shields. They're protecting someone."

"Or something."

Farah shrugged, "The more we find out... Hadir is my best sniper. You can rely on him and all my fighters."

"Well... This one is my best sniper. You can rely on her as long as she's well-fed— Ow! See my point?"

"Keep talking... I'll leave you to die."

Taking the opportunity when Hadir and Alexis engaged in small talk, seemingly part of their ruse, Farah successfully sneaked Alex her cigarette. He managed to pass it back before his partner swivelled back.

"Marines want their pound of flesh. They're leading the charge on this."

"I told you we would help you."

"And you're keeping your word."

"I don't do this to keep my word." Farah hesitated, "The invaders of my country have no regard for human life. The gas kills all things. Even food in our gardens. If you use these tactics, you are my enemy."

"No exceptions?"

"None. Al-Qatala has given my people a bad name, and we have paid dearly for their crimes. I want to see the Wolf punished."

The two CIA agents nodded coherently, "We'll make sure you're at the embassy for the handoff to Price."

"And you? Where will you two go when this is over?"

"Wherever they send me," Alex stared into the distance, casually nudging Alexis, "Hopefully this time to somewhere with a view."

Alexis chuckled, rolling up the hems of her jeans, "Urzikstan isn't so bad... you know. After we kill Barkov."

At their sighs, the commander finally understood. "You don't choose?"

"Ha. Not exactly." There was a price to pay to be the best out of the best, spoiler alert, it sucked.

They spilt, each taking different corners to defend until sunrise. Knowing his best friend couldn't be alone, Alex's fingers thoughtlessly slipped between hers and pulled her along.

Hadir called for the female agent, "Want to spot for me?"

Alex's grip tightened significantly. Her blood spiked from being put on the spot. "Um. I don't know... Hadir said he kept my fried rice—" Alex grumbled an insincere apology on her behalf before dragging her away. He hoped she couldn't hear the way his teeth grounded in irritation.

They settled on an isolated corner, away from eager ears. "Okay, I really wanted to eat that–"

"I'm a better eating partner. A better partner, overall, not that I'm trying to compete." He boasted with a wink, "But if I have to, I'll definitely win."

"Ah, the lovely smell of testosterone. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're tiptoeing on jealousy," Alexis mumbled sardonically, the scope on her sniper rifle clicking rhythmically.

"I'm not jealous."

At the realisation, a wry smile appeared on her lips, taking a break to harshly shove Alex's left shoulder. "My goodness, you are jealous! Don't worry, Hadir won't sweep me off my feet, pretty sure he has bigger things to worry about..." Alexis cleared her throat sarcastically, "Like a war?"

"You know me, I hate sharing. Especially my best friend." He shrugged dismissively after flicking her nose, only to be met with a pair of mocking eyes. "Can't you pretend to love me, just once? Come on, Lexi, say it. I'll cover your eyes." He whispered, the best friend part doused her with a bucket of cold water. Undeniably her heart lurched, though it was a simple joke, her stubborn heart had a mind of its own.

The rifle laid in her hands, forgotten. Under the rising sun, her voice was reduced to a whisper. Alexis swallowed a thick gulp, deciding to wave the white flag so she could calm her fiercely pounding heart.

"I don't have to pretend, Alex. You are my best friend. There's nobody else I can physically stand being in a room longer for five minutes."

For a cynical person like Alexis, this was basically a confession.

Alex arched a brow, still waiting.

"Fine. Love you."

Just as the Urzikstan sun finally pierced through the clouds, shining streaks of blood orange on their faces, it charmed a spell in Alex. The man couldn't help but be enamoured at this gorgeous sight.

"Yeah." He replied mindlessly, chewing down his lips while watching Alexis close an eye in concentration through her scope.

"Love you too."

‧͙⁺˚*･༓

alex, deadly c.i.a agent/prev delta force soldier: "tuck me innnnnn. 'kay gr8, now give me a goodnight kiss."

a/n: i gotta admit, i was so sleepy writing the first half i typed "fuck me in?" instead of "tuck" i mean... if u insist 😳

taglist: @flyboidameron

want to be tagged? just let me know!

#call of duty x oc #call of duty x reader #alex modern warfare #echo 3-1 #alex cod #john price #kyle garrick #farah karim #hadir karim #kate laswell #oc: alexis #fanfiction #call of duty #modern warfare #killer instinct #ysr writes: kl #please read tw carefully

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sapphicvevo · 6 years

Note

:O wait can you talk about your story? i'm interested :3!!!

AAHH THANK YOU FOR BEING INTERESTED!!!! sorry for the late reply i wanted to be able to format BUT YKNOW

so basically it’s a mismatch of fantasy and scifi that leans more towards sci-fi if anything. it’s not based on earth or our solar system, and its a bit of like… cyberpunk in terms of cybernetic modifications + technology with a steampunk aesthetic. so like a few technologically advanced cities that are huge scattered throughout the world, and the further out you go from these cities, the less technologically advanced they are. there’s also a bit of magic, creatures, and quests that make up the fantasy elements.

it’s set five years after a huge world war that devastated the planet. the planet’s currently rebuilding, but resources are scarce, quality of life is impaired significantly, and there’s rebuilding but it’s slow. the good guys won, but they’re considerably weak and are still in the process of freeing some of the smaller societies that are still under siege (by the imperialists).

in the background there’s a secret organization of assassins who’ve been in stasis until the war ended. they believe they’re the answer to the problems of the world, and believe that people should be controlled without knowing they are. they’ve waited in stasis during the war, refusing to help either side, and are now in the process of wiping out political leaders and sending in those they’ve placed to take over without anyone knowing.

originally they were formed to be neutral and their sole goal was to maintain peace for the planet, and started off with good intentions and the belief that humanity as a whole were good and they were merely protectors. however, as time went on, corruption and a lack of desire to change and adapt to the world around them + growing cynicism made them into the organization they are currently.

this organization would take children during the war, either in the dead of night, or were given away by parents who believed them when the organization said they would protect these children during the war. of course, the parents never saw them again. these children were trained as elite warriors and depending on how well they did as children, would rank up within the organization or be sent out to the world to spread peace throughout the masses.

there’s a few conspiracy theorists that talk about the group existing, but it’s mostly seen as spooky campfire stories by the gen population at large about children going missing in the dead of night.

MY CHARACTERS… MY OCS.. MY BABIES UNDER THE CUT FOR THE LENGTH AND NOT WANTING TO CLUTTER THE DASH

so the protag is a former assassin of the group whose name is azura! she’s the only one who managed to escape from the organization. on her first assassination mission, she couldn’t kill someone, especially while they were asleep and weaponless, so she faked their deaths and ran.

at the start she’s very on edge despite her very blasé personality. she’s crude, funny, cocky, and has a habit of running when things get too real. she found the biggest city closest to her, changed her name, and decided to hide within a crowd.

most of her skills are based in fighting, so she’s made a living as a merc for hire because… well she doesn’t have any other skills that are worthwhile to a nonviolent lifestyle and nobody would hire her. she doesn’t kill, but she’ll find people, objects, etc. for anyone after she’s gotten a reasonable background check on them.

bisexual former assassin who’s got a heart of gold who’s trying her best despite her mouth getting in the way

her main goal is to help bring peace to the world after realizing her hand in what made the world the way it is. also to make sure ajur gets justice after trying to kill her lol (a lot of vengeance vs justice ties in between her and ajur)

she also has a robo dog named fish!

my antag is named ajur and him and azura were raised in the same organization together. same teacher, and were neck and neck for the top spot, but they actually got along really well together. he actually considers her his sister, so when she left, it felt like a betrayal.

since she failed to complete her first mission, his first mission was to kill her. he spends the whole year she’s gone searching for her, and the only reason he finds her is because she takes a job with a higher pay roll then she usually does.

farah and ajur are both traumatized survivors who are raised the same way and in the same place, but have both made choices that lead them on very different paths. i just wanted to show that you have the choice to be good or not based on your choices, not your upbringing and i wanted to highlight that

while azura is more skilled in combat, he’s more skilled in leadership and is more charismatic than she is, and has the backing of many young members of the organization who feel the same as he does

his main goal is to also bring peace to the world, first by dismantling the organization of assassins and leading them and the rest of the world into a new age of safety (through murder, manipulation, and false sense of security - is very pragmatic and believes the ends justifies the means, and if the world needs a person to be the one to kickstart with violence in order for the world to know no violence, he will take on the role)

then my side charas are farah, a runaway lesbian who azura first met when she came to the city then left because of how strong their connection was. (bisexual disaster.) nobody knows she’s a princess, and for good reason. her kingdom is still under siege by imperialists and she was the only one of her family to escape. she’s the head to azura’s heart, very logical, charismatic, and good with a sniper.

there’s eva and bones hawthorne, my twins!!! eva is a pilot/mechanic and bones is a hacker/cyborg/dabbles in the occasional engineering. their older brother died during the war, and their family and village are still recovering from the effects of it. they learned their skills from their family, and are heavily involved with resistance groups.

eva’s very head in the clouds, a little naive, but very protective over bones. she learned to pilot from her older brother, and how to maintain the ship too. she believes there’s good in everyone, you just have to look for it.

bones is a little more realistic than his sister, and is also very protective over her even though they have that ‘hey ugly’ ‘what’ ‘lol’ ‘omg shut up’ relationship. he lost his his leg up to his knee from an attack on their village, and feels guilty because their family had to give up nearly everything in order to get a cybernetic replacement so he does jobs here and there that are a little more criminally inclined to help his family.

then comes ari malloy, eva’s boyfriend! he’s the one who hired azura to retrieve a part of a map that leads to a mystical force that could restore the planet to its former glory (the fantasy quest-ish part, which i havent completely figured out yet lol). he’s a scout for the resistance, good with medicine, and average in combat. he’s also pretty much the glue of the team, and takes on a more parental role for the team.

and last but not least is ronan acosta. he’s a seer who is plagued by visions of the planet’s inevitable destruction due to humanity, and has a big hatred for it, partly due to his vision of the end and how he was treated because of his ‘curse’ as he sees it. he’s also able to talk with those from beyond to gather information, but it comes at a cost to his health where he gets migraines, passes out, or goes into seizures. he’s very closed off, angry, and not willing to help azura and co. with their quest at first, but he’s got a secret soft side where he just yearns to be a kid and have a family considering his abandoned him. (he’s also bones’ love interest)

I’M SORRY THIS IS KIND OF LONG BUT YKNOW I WARNED YA !!!!! this is my very vague outline/cast and i need to fill out names/timelines and other minor characters but this is the gist!! :~) thank u so much for asking

#answered #untitled project #and of course i have my superhero au i wanted to make into its own original work #and a novel thats basically like... abt my life #long post #AHHHH i wrote sm lmao #Anonymous

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thats-entirely-too-much-tuna · 7 years

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My slightly belated thoughts on Shapes and Colors

It’s taken me a couple of days (and four re-watches) to gather my thoughts, but voila.

1) Welp, now we know why Max hired actresses to play hands. Wuddup, Wakti Wapnasi? Wanna tell me how the hell you manage that fifty-pound headpiece? Every time you tilted your head, I was afraid you were gonna fall over. Is that the same hat Max hinted at Amanda and Todd wearing later?

2) Every time I watch Farah getting deputized, I tear up. I’m so proud of our girl. And Jade does such stunning work in that scene.

3) Is it just me, or did Suzie’s accent get like ten times stronger when she was talking to Hobbs and Farah? The little sneak.

4) I’m really enjoying imagining Dirk seeing that guy in the red jacket and thinking to himself, “Ooh, I’ll have that, thanks.” Can we see that scene? Did they go into separate stalls and throw the clothes over the top? Did they change in front of each other? I need answers.

5) It seems that Dirk “Pink-Lemonade-and-Pancakes” Gently is continuing his tradition of having no nutrition in his diet.

6) I love that all of Dirk’s attempts to be a normal detective are instantly foiled by the universe. This is the only show I can think of where it absolutely works to have things fall so conveniently in our characters’ laps, and it’s so refreshing.

7) When I watched this with my roommate, she misheard Bofuki Nepoo as “fookin’ the poo” and I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard.

8) I am Tina, casually eating bacon in my car while people do work around me.

9) The way Dirk flinches when he says “It was an accident” to Arnold made me think of Little Dirk at Blackwing, afraid to be punished after making a mistake. My heart can’t stand it.

10) Do yourselves a favor and really look closely at both Scott’s school picture, and the family photo. Because my roommates and I were on the floor.

11) Hannah was so fucking good in this episode. You go, A-MAN-DA BROTZ-MAN. You did that.

12) I am a huge fan of Dirk’s frustrated little growl, and he did it like three times in this episode. Rejoice with me!

13) Vogel in a flower crown. I repeat, Vogel in a literal flower crown.

14) Okay, the entirety of Sound of Nothing has gotta be my new favorite Dirk Gently sequence, if not my favorite sequence in anything ever. Dirk with glowsticks around his neck, a green solo cup, and a random-ass hat... it’s just such a look. Also, what was in that cup? Was it alcohol? Was he drinking alcohol? And for him to go from fearfully squawking Farah’s name in a crowd to being completely love-drunk, running his knuckles down his cheeks and neck because it probably just feels really nice??? I couldn’t have asked for more from that scene. Our children got to express themselves, and they all got to share a moment of ecstatic happiness and love with Alive playing in the background and holy shit when the beat drops and they’re all just cheering and holding each other and then Bart and Panto are dancing and they’re so pure and Amanda reunites the Rowdies and oh my fucking god it was so perfect and they couldn’t have used the song in a better way and I CAN’T EXPRESS HOW OVERWHELMED WITH HAPPINESS I GET EVERY TIME I WATCH THAT SCENE SOMEONEPLEASESTOPMEGODDAMN

15) Um, I refuse to believe Hobbs is dead, okay? Because we clearly see him getting shot through the chest in Amanda’s vision and that hasn’t happened yet, so he’s gotta survive for a little while longer, right???

Bonus: We better find out how the hell everyone magically switches clothes. Please give me a montage of everyone at Sound of Nothing just... taking off their clothes and offering each other various garments. Give me Todd nuzzling against someone and getting blue glitter all over his face. Give me Dirk strutting around in a pink fur coat. I need this to live, thanks.

#dghda #dirk gently #dghda spoilers #dirk gently spoilers #dirk gently's holistic detective agency #dirk gently season 2

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necesreviews · 4 years

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A Dark and Stormy Knight Book Review

A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan Byrne

This is the latest book in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne, a series which I absolutely love. With that said, I went in with some high hopes and high expectations and was unfortunately a little let down at the end. The writing was superb as always and the H was just how I like them...but there was just something missing. It was like a chunk of the entire plot was just not there.

The way the book opens up is typical enough...our h, Pru, is engaged to an earl and fancies herself in a love match. However, on an outing with her sister and best friend, she overhears them speaking about the various affairs and bastards he has and openly discusses leaving Pru in the dark as he needs her dowry to finance his life and illegitimate children. Understandably, Pru is devastated and after her family refuses to break the engagement she decides to take things into her own hands. Now this is where shit gets weird. My good sis Pru decides to go to a reverse brothel, where women pay to have sex with men, to lose her virginity before she’s tied to her fiancee for life. I just cannot! This was so far fetched and extreme that I couldn’t even attempt to grasp what was going on.

The H of this book is our old friend Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Sir Carlton Morley. Morley has been around since book one as the other man/antagonist in The Highwayman, so it was nice to see him finally get his own book. The beginning of the book tells us about his childhood being a street thief with his brother in arms Dorian Blackwell (who eventually became the pirate the Rook) and sister. He witnesses his sisters dead body being pulled out the Thames and as usual his entire life changes from there. He is the Chief Inspector by day the the Knight of Shadows vigilante by night. During his vigilante escapades, he stumbles across the reverse brothel Pru is in. One thing leads to another and they sleep together and he leaves without telling Pru his name. Harsh.

Fast forward three months and not only is Pru pregnant with his child on her wedding day but she is discovered over her dead fiancee’s body, in the church, with a bloody (literally) knife in her hand. Morley who is attending the wedding, not knowing it is hers, is called onto the scene and see’s that the girl he has been thinking nonstop about for months is the suspect. He arrests her and for some reason marries her the next day. He is determined to protect his child, lest it turn out like his twin sister.

This is where I started getting annoyed with he book. It was just entirely inconceivable that he could marry her and just by sending away the dead fiancee’s brother and Pru’s sister, who is married to him, that there was absolutely no one in London who knew how she looked or would be able to recognise her. She was engaged to an earl! I found this so hard to believe. What was believable was Carlton’s coldness and aloofness at first, as we still do not know who murdered her fiancee, but it switches so suddenly I felt like there was no buildup. She just shows up at his office one day, they have sex in the basement and boom now they are the most lovey couple who go on dinner dates every night. It just made no sense and I really didn't like how it changed so suddenly. There was no realistic build up or climax to the change in their relationship.

Other things I did not like was how they barely focused on Pru’s family, or her friend that betrayed her who was literally never mentioned again. I also didn’t like how there was next to nothing in terms of investigation scenes, interrogating, attempts at finding out who did this. It was just always passively mentioned by Carlton when Pru asked. There are a couple scenes with Carlton out as the Knight of Shadows, but they are usually short or cut at the end right before he beats someone up. I would have really liked to see these investigative scenes in the book to offset the unrealistic melodrama that was Pru and Carlton. I admit, I really liked some of their dinner scenes and touching moments of thoughtfulness by Carlton, but sometimes you need a little offsetting of that. There was an entire subplot of Pru’s father being involved in cocaine smuggling for crying out loud! There’s so much more that could have been done with that.

In the end, it was Pru’s brother in law who was responsible for the death and for framing Pru. It is also revealed that he is a sadistic person who beats Pru’s sister because she is not faithful to him and takes lovers. Shockingly, he reveals that Pru’s own sister had sex with her fiancee! I can’t make this shit up! The whole climax scene was super over the top but in the end the antagonist died so that is all that matters. Pru’s father was also guilty of being involved in the importation of cocaine but they did not really go into how that played out. In the end, all is well.

All in all, I felt there was a lot lacking in this story. I LOVED Pru and Carlton as individual characters, but the story they were put in is what bogged this book down. There was just too many skipped over events, skimmed over investigating, and I am extremely sad I hardly saw any of the previous heroines in this book. Only Farah was present. I am praying the next book is a huge improvement as its H and h are two that I am SUPER excited to see get their own story. Well, here’s good luck to the next one!

Rating: 3/5

#book review #a dark and stormy knight #kerrigan byrne #review #book #romance #historical romance

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