if i tase myself i might die, then at least i get out of finals

Private Dance

Pairing: assassin!Jongin/Kai x chemist!Reader Genre: Suspense, Smut Rating: M Summary: Kai, an assassin, poses as an exotic dancer in a dank male strip club trying to kill you. Word Count: 3.3k Warnings: fingering, choking, attempted murder via strangulation, mild gore

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You'd think that under the circumstances, you'd keep your ass at home. Hide under the blankets with a gun in one hand and a taser in the other, while you waited for Death to find you. Ha, as if. First, you were more likely to shoot yourself accidentally and follow with good electrocution for good measure. Second, you had never been one to hide from your troubles. You usually met them head-on and fought with every ounce of energy you had. As you struggled to get your heels on, your skin tingled. You sighed. He was still glaring at you.

"Sehun, I'm not changing my mind about this." You glanced back through the mirror. His dark eyes narrowed in silent fury. You turned your attention back to getting dressed, making sure your mini skirt wasn't too short. Black and cheetah print wasn't a terrible combination. The realization gave you the confidence to reach for a cheetah print belt, allowing you to steal another glance at your seething bodyguard. Yep, still glaring.

“Look, dammit. Don't go." Sehun huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He scrunched his face up, clearly not a fan of the thick cloud of hair and body products that hung in the bathroom. You realized it would be an assault on his sensitive nose. "I know Jaynee means the world to you, but if Kai's still looking for you—”

You quickly faced him and held up your hand. "I cannot not go. It would hurt her feelings. She wants to spend time with the girls before we all split apart." You pouted, giving him your best wounded puppy look. Sehun sighed loud, clearly aggravated and pissed off, then stormed out the room. You finished putting on your makeup and tousled your hair a bit. Truth be told, a night out with your closest girl friends was something you needed. Work was a complete nightmare, terribly difficult to adjust to. But, being the lead chemist of the company, it had its perks.

At the cost of your social life. And at the rate Kai was going, it would physically kill you, too.

"Ready!" You yelped, hot stepping in your impossibly high foreign heels after him. You snatched up a clutch and jacket, then stumbled out the door. Sehun waited, leaned against the wall, refusing to look your way as you locked your apartment door. "Are you really doing the silent treatment thing?"

He didn't respond, choosing to lead the way down to his car. Welcome to the Land of Silence. You huffed. It was going to be a long night.

You had a feeling you should have asked Sehun where Jaynee wanted to go. When he first found out, he was dead set against it. They argued about it for nearly two weeks before he caved, then refused to talk to you while he made all the little arrangements to ensure your safety. In hindsight, you felt bad about being so pushy about it, because once the huge building was within view of your heavily tinted window, you immediately had second thoughts about getting out of the SUV. There was a line out the door where two bouncers checked IDs and patted down those wishing to get inside. You weren't so sure your heels wouldn't decide to rebel against you halfway through the night.

As the car pulled up to the curb and you waited for your door to be opened, for the signal that it was safe, you let yourself daydream. The last time you’d seen Kai, he pretended to be a server in a fancy restaurant a co-worker invited you to. His disguise had been so convincing that you openly tried to flirt with him. You’d been so busy trying to convince him of the beauty of the feel of his lips on yours that you hadn't noticed he was trying to give you an open heart surgery. It's stupid, you knew. You shouldn't be concerned about his dashing good looks when he clearly wasn't a friend of yours.

But, dammit, some men you just can't ignore.

Worse, no one could figure out why he hadn't killed you yet. The last time a bodyguard stopped him, it’d cost him his life. Kai was more than competent. He’d taken out those who'd previously filled your position within hours of them signing their contract with the company. No one wanted to take the job because it was cursed by a “demon.” When you first came to Seoul, you scoffed at the urban legend. Surely there wasn't such a person. Then again, you’d come from a small country town where everyone at least tolerated, if not fiercely protected, each other. The idea of someone being so...malicious was ludicrous.

Clearly, you’d been living under a rock all of your fucking life. But still...why were you still alive?

Inside, the music thumped loudly to a rap song you’d heard a dozen times on the radio. The lights were dim, but it wasn't impossible to see as you had expected. Though the smell of different perfumes, colognes, and sweat swirled around in the air, you briefly picked up a spicy scent. Like...cinnamon or pumpkin. Or both? The thought was quickly replaced with annoyance when someone bumped into you. Bodies gyrated, oblivious to the humidity, as men and women in skimpy outfits danced up on platforms. Wait a minute. “Jaynee—”

"It's a strip club!" She cut you off, shouting over the music, grinning like an idiot. You moved to strangle her but Sehun held you back with one brawny arm, an easy protective hug. Sonnofa—

"Relax. Have fun.” Sooji, one of your friends, elbowed you and frowned. You tossed your head back and sighed, but trudged on. Part of you figured this would happen, that you shouldn't have let Jaynee solely plan the outing. Then again, if Sehun had given the okay, then you could try not to be a bitch and just enjoy yourself. Maybe enough drinks would bring your bullshit tolerance down a notch. You made a detour, angling for the bar, dragging Sehun behind you by his jacket sleeve.

"Please don’t.” He rolled his eyes, sitting down beside you.

"What can I get you two?" The bartender was a fun one, flame-red hair and dark eyes that glittered in the strobe lights. She eyed you, then turned her appreciative gaze to Sehun.

Stifling a smile, you ordered something strong and were rewarded with a nice, tall margarita. "Thanks." You murmured more to the drink than to her, sipping from the rim as you licked at the salt-coated rim. Heaven, this is. That distinct smell from earlier caught your attention, and you looked around. No one was paying you any attention, no one was even aware you were there. You shrugged off the edgy feeling, determined to get loose and have fun for Jaynee.

Have fun for yourself.

Hours later, you barely knew your name. See how determined you were to have fun? 'Fuck yeah.'

You were clearly getting on Sehun's last nerve, but you just couldn't find it in you to care. You were tired of hiding out, being careful, missing out on life because some dastardly bastard wanted you dead for no real reason other than that you were working for a rival company. Who gives a flying fuck if you do? Sure, the compound they wanted you to create could be deadly if used by the wrong person, but your company had done nothing but help the community, help impoverished countries. You wanted to be a part of such altruism. When they approached you after you graduated from college to work for them, you were stoked. So far, you’d been a loyal employee, a good person. Why weren't you being rewarded with a hot guy to date instead of a hot guy intent on killing you?

“Ugh.” You sighed loudly and dropped your head to the bar. "Fuck my life."

"You okay?" Sehun's concerned voice filled your ear, so you turned your head and looked at him. Maybe it was the margaritas, but it almost looked like he cared. Seeing that made your eyes water. 'No, I will not be the emotional drunk.'

You sat up quickly, brushing your forearm delicately over your eyes. "I'm great." You slid off your stool and marched into the crowd, intent on stealing some guy to dance with, but ran smack into a tall wall of muscle. Bad vibes washed over you in pulsing waves, like a heartbeat. A range of emotions flitted through your drunken haze—fear, paranoia, doom—as you forced your eyes up the stranger's body.

"Having fun?" The voice slid over your skin like silk, sensual and inviting. Instinctively, you shut your eyes tightly before straightening up to look at him. His eyes looked near black in the dim lighting, like chocolate or something.

"Yeah, I'm having fun." Your words ran into each other, but he didn't seem to mind. It amused him. "You dance?"

His eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, and he nodded vaguely. “Yes, I do. Did you want—”

You didn't let him finish. If he was offering, you were taking. As your vision slid from side to side, you were deep in the VIP section with Sehun barking at you about safety while the male dancer casually led you to a private booth. Yay!

A big, burly guy stopped Sehun from following you. “Only the dancer and customer allowed. No pairs.”

Sehun swore and gave you a pointed, deadly look. "You're gonna cost me my damned job."

“It won't be long. I swear,” your words slurred, but you got your point across. You gave him your best grin, and he disappeared from view.

The dancer guided you to the plush, pillow-soft seat, fingertips lingering on your bare arm. You shivered and smiled up at him, lost in bliss. His body promised an experience you’d never forget, and boy, were you up for it. His fingertips grazed your cheeks as he began his dance, fierce eyes locked on you. You got goosebumps along with a fuzzy memory. You’d seen that stare before, but you couldn't remember where.

“You have beautiful lips,” he leaned down so that you both were eye level, “Just begging to be kissed.”

“Nothing compared to yours,” you murmured, letting your eyes close as he brushed his lips against yours. The resulting chill was so intense you trembled. He continued to sway his body, occasionally thrusting his hips in a way that had you clenching. His touches were light and playful at first. Halfway through the song, he took your hand and pulled you from your seat.

“No, no. We’re not done yet, beautiful.” He took your spot and pulled you down on his lap. You stiffened, well aware of the rules. No touching. Stay seated at all times.

“I’m not—you’re supposed to—” You sputtered, trying to get back to your feet.

A thick arm went around your waist, anchoring you to his chest. His lips brushed the shell of your ear as he spoke loud enough for you to hear him. “Come on, baby. I can take you to heaven before I send you to hell.” The low growl in his voice coupled with the way his fingers caressed your skin roused a need you’d been ignoring since you took the cursed job. Knowing you only had until the song finished, you couldn’t give the proposition a second thought. It was now or never.

“Okay.” You said shakily, relaxing in his hold. “Okay.”

“Good girl.” He pulled your mini skirt up to your hips. His knees spread your legs wide enough for his hand to fit between them. He pressed his fingertips to the thin cotton over your pussy. His groan upon feeling the damp material made you shiver. “Fuck,” he whispered huskily as he used a finger to push the material aside. The tip of his middle finger swirled around your clit until you started panting before dipping inside up to the second knuckle. It felt so good you pushed your hips towards his hand.

“Please, please.” You tried looking over your shoulder at him. “We don’t have time for teasing. It won’t take much to get me off.”

“Is that right?” His lips ghosted over your neck, down to the strap of your dress. He added two fingers to the shallow thrusting of his hand. His knuckles trapped your clit with a squeeze on each retreat as his fingertips pressed up as he searched for that spot. As he increased the pace, the wet squelching of the act matched the beat of the song playing. “Is this good?” He nipped at your neck, suckling before continuing. “Or do you need more?”

You couldn’t keep still. By then, you were rocking your hips, desperately pushing them up to meet his hand, delighting in the way his palm rubbed over your clit. He hadn’t found your g-spot, but you were so worked up that it wouldn’t matter.

“Don’t you like it rough, ______?” His free hand crept up over your breasts, coming to rest around your throat. He applied pressure on the sides. You were putty in his arms, mindlessly riding his fingers as you became more and more light-headed. Just as the last notes of the song played, you shattered, your moans of ecstasy strangled under his grip. “There you go.” He pressed a kiss to your temple and let go of your throat for a second. Something soft hit the floor beside you. Then his hand went back to your throat. “Now, sleep.”

What?

His grip tightened again, this time cutting off air. Self-preservation kicked in and you began thrashing around, hoping you’d be able to get him to loosen his grip. He grunted and doubled down on the pressure. “No, no. Don’t fight me. It’s better to die this way.”

Fucking Kai. Death himself.

Knowing who was behind you changed everything. Your basic judo was no match for him. Sehun once told you it doesn’t take that long to strangle someone so time was precious. You gave up on freeing your throat and went for the bracelet Sehun had given you after your second encounter with Kai. You pressed the red charm on it and it flashed like a beacon of hope just as your eyes rolled back.

There was shouting, followed by the stampede of a small army before they kicked the door in. Sehun came into the room, flanked with three of his men. Kai cursed as the men rushed towards you, shoving you away from his body as he jumped to his feet. You hit the ground hard, gasping for air, but could crawl out of the way of the scuffle behind you. Someone grabbed you by the elbow and yanked you to your feet.

“Get out now!” Chanyeol yelled as he pushed you out the door. “Get to the car!”

Your legs were shaky, and it was a bitch trying to waddle in platform heels. The crowd was unaware of the chaos unfolding until three loud gunshots rang through the air. Screams followed and suddenly you were swept away with the panic of the herd. It didn’t take long to get out the door, but getting to the waiting SUV was a chore. The bodyguards shoved you into the backseat and the driver took off. You buckled your seat belt and looked back as the club disappeared from view. Did Sehun make it out? Four to one seemed like good odds, but Kai was a resourceful little shit.

The buzz of the alcohol was all but gone as your heart pumped wildly. He almost killed you. Again. While anyone else would say he’s a shitty killer, you finally understood what his motivation was. Sure, he’d been hired to kill you, but that was separate from whatever personal interest he might have. Or it could be more about Sehun being overly prepared for anything, creating a challenge of sorts for Kai to overcome. There was no telling what went through—

The deafening rumble of a motorcycle stole all rational thought. You looked up and violently choked on your own spit when you inhaled to speak. A rider on a Ducati weaved effortlessly through traffic, quickly catching up. The bodyguards pulled out their guns. The one next to you put a hand on the back of your head and forced it down to your knees.

“Stay down!”

The second you did, they opened fire. However, the fire of their pistols didn’t match the submachine gun that answered their challenge. Glass shattered and blew through the cabin. A wet, juicy splat preceded someone’s horrified yell. The SUV jerked to the right. Then suddenly you were weightless. Anchored to your seat, sure, but for a few painful seconds, you weren’t touching it. You knew the vehicle was flipping, but you couldn’t believe it was happening. By the time it skidded to a stop on its side, everything hurt. No one moved, but you weren’t sure if it was because they didn’t want to or simply couldn’t.

The thought made your heart drop to your stomach. You coughed and forced your limbs to move. Two of the bodyguards dangled by their seatbelts. The driver’s head was steadily dripping blood. It took a shit ton of effort, but you could unbuckle your seat belt. With your side of the car being on the ground, you ended up on the pavement with small chips of glass cutting into your shoulder and thigh. Someone lifted you by your arms and dragged you through the rear of the car.

You dropped onto your back. Then Kai’s face came into view. “That looked like fun.”

“Oh, fuck me.” You tried to turn over, but he pinned you with one of his feet. The second his heel came into contact with your ribs, you cried out in pain. It hurt worse than anything you’d ever felt before.

“Shh. We need to talk.” He took his time retrieving a pistol from its holster. “My employer is…amused by my lack of results, so to speak.” He cocked the gun. “He figures it must be ‘fate’ that I haven’t killed you yet, and as a result, isn’t pressed for me to complete the job.” He aimed it at your face and pulled the trigger.

You flinched hearing the weapon click. Nothing happened.

“Gotcha again.” He grinned wickedly, then put it away. “Instead, he’d like you to consider working for him instead. Of course, he won’t reveal who he is until you agree. You know, for security and such.”

You stared at him, eyes wide and mouth slack.

Sirens grew louder around you.

He nodded and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can imagine it’s a bit of a shock. I mean, I enjoy toying with you. Never dreamed my messing around would lead to this, but it beats having to put such a pretty woman down.” He shrugged. Tires screeched as cars came to a halt. Red and blue lights cast him in an eerie glow as he smiled. “At any rate, I’ll give you some time to process this. Can’t say when, but I’ll come find you soon. Hopefully, you’ll have an answer, one that’s acceptable, for me. Yeah?”

Gunshots fired, and he was gone in a blink.

Sehun’s face came into view as he kneeled beside you. “_____!” He looked you over frantically. “You’re alive. Shit, I thought he—I thought I was too late.” He continued rambling as he checked you over before looking behind him and motioning for someone to come.

Paramedics. As they loaded you onto the stretcher, you got a glimpse of what was left of the car you’d been in. It was a miracle you’d survived. Though, you had a feeling that as long as Death didn’t truly wish for it, you weren’t allowed to die.

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Some Twizzly Gummy headcanons because I’m bored and wanna write

She wasn’t born with that electricity power, she got it after being exposed to the time rift, because the rift just fucks with people and twizzly got superpowers out of it, lucky her?

Twizzly likes doing stuff with her hands, so the jobs she’s fine with working are the toy shop and the carpentry shop, she hates repetitive tasks like chopping wood or sweeping, like she’d do it but she will complain about it.

Her gun is custom made, it took a lot of planning and finding a certain mad scientist to perfect it but it’s essentially got infinite amo. The gun shoots laser bullets and a literal laser, and it’s charged via her own generated static, functionally infinite amo

Twizzly is the younger sibling out of herself and string gummy, but is probably taller by a inch or two. Because she is a lanky mf.

Twizzly has different opinions on different versions of timekeeper, ie she isn’t a huge fan of Kingdoms TK (the one I mainly write) for various reasons including being a killjoy. But she has caused mayhem wirh a few other timekeepers before and has a more positive opinion on them.

She has mixed feelings on Ruler Timekeepers. They freak her out and at least one has vaugly threatened her so like, yeah she’d fight them.

Twizzly will actually kill for those she cares about. It’s kinda hard to reallt befriend her (because she’s Twizzly and nobody’s really sure about her standings day to day) so if you actually genuinely manage to get her trust congratulations, she’d kill for you.

Her static can be used like a taser, she can also Chanel it through some items for a ranged attack. Rubber will completely stop said static because insulation

Twizzly likes sweets and baked goods, surprisingly she hasn’t had them too often so they’re like a treat.

Twizzly doesn’t like Croissant, at best she tolerates her, hard to shake a grudge when you keep ruining her fun! She’d like Director croissant a bit more though, just a little.

String gummy is strong, she can lift all her friends and team mates. That’s it that’s the post.

She has shocked people on accident before, but worst that’s happened is like when you shock yourself because of static cling.

Uhhh Twizzly is gay gay homosexual gay, feral lesbian, women.

She has bit people before, the sharp teeth aren’t just for show.

She lost her eye before she became a time criminal. The other scars were from her various criminal escapades

Twizzly is actually a really good actor believe it or not, she didn’t always break out with brute strength alone. She knows how to grift and put on different personas.

Just because she prefers the more flashy and grand crimes doesn’t mean she can’t do the petty stuff, everyone starts somewhere.

She considers her crew to be like her family. Found family but they’re all criminals :3

CHOPPING MALL Might Be Our Last, and Only Hope For Survival

In the year 1986, we humans were given a gift. It was the greatest gift any civilization has ever received, yet, we did not understand its importance at the time. It is only recently, thirty-two years later, that we have begun to appreciate it. This gift was not something that we cared about at the time. We couldn’t accessorize it with fingerless gloves or snort it up our noses, so who needed it? Even though we have begun to hear the call, I fear, for the future of our species, that it may be too late.

Some may call this gift a “B-Movie”. Some might even refer to it as being “So bad it’s good”. They are dead wrong. That is what our robot enemies want us to think. This is nothing to laugh at, nothing to relegate to “cult” status and midnight viewings filled with the sweaty and over-buttered. This gift was a prophecy, one that we must begin to understand and follow before we go the way of the dinosaur. This gift was Chopping Mall, and may god forgive our hubris and have mercy on our souls.

Who Let the Killbots Out, Who, Who, Who

Released in 1986, Chopping Mall (the original title for the film was Killbots, which is pretty metal) was the brainchild of writer Steve Mitchell and director Jim Wynorski. It was filmed under Roger Corman’s Concorde Pictures studio and was produced by Corman’s wife, Julie. Although it was a relatively low-budget feature, all parties involved felt the weight of Corman resting on their shoulders throughout the production. After filming began at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in California, Roger gave the crew his stamp of approval and left them alone for the 22 day shoot.

The film starred Tony O’Dell, John Terlesky, Nick Segal and Russell Todd as four horn-ball dudes throwing an after-hours party at the mall store that O’Dell’s character Ferdy managed for his uncle. What better place to hold an after-hours party filled with pepperoni pizza and beer than your uncle’s furniture store? I posit none. There are none better places. There happened to be a few ladies that agree with me, for Suzie (Barbara Crampton), Linda (Karrie Emerson), Leslie (Suzee Slater) and Alison (Chopping Mall’s version of a “final girl” played by Kelli Maroney) decided to join in on all the sexy fun.

    What starts out as a harmless party full of marinara and sexy times quickly becomes the worst night spent in a mall since the closing of KB Toys. As a new high-tech security measure, the owners of the mall purchased three robotic guards known as Protectors to roam the halls after the stores have closed. They are brought in to monitor movement, detect burglaries (You see, Youths, shopping malls used to have stores in them that sold products and other things of value. Weird, right?) and immobilize perpetrators using taser-like technology, tranquilizer darts and horrifically inaccurate laser eyes.

These machines are deemed “totally safe” by their creator. He assures the overly-sarcastic crowd at the Protectors‘ unveiling that nothing could ever go wrong. They can make the distinction between who is supposed to be there after closing (janitors, horny teens) and burglars by scanning an identification card given to each employee. No worries there! Just scan your card and be on your way. As an additional security measure (seriously, this mall must have been built above Area 51), the mall will be completely shut down between midnight and 6 A.M., with giant metal doors that make any thoughts of entrance or escape completely pointless. Everything goes swimmingly for approximately 2 hours, until a freak lightning storm hits the area and strikes the computer that controls the robots several times. This not only causes the control panel to spark and smoke, but it also gives the robots free reign to fulfill their murderous fantasies.

  Finding An Audience

The rest of the film genuinely needs to be seen to be appreciated. There are some awesome kills that are considered brutal even by today’s standards, and a plethora of attempted 1980’s action film one-liners that bring a smile to my face every time (the best one comes from Alison at the end of the film, where she is able to make her booming voice echo like she’s standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon). It’s not the filmmaking or the acting that has driven me to write this article, however. It is the message contained within this film that needs to be examined, and its dire warning that needs to be heard.

  “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”- Christian Lous Lange

  Chopping Mall was not a successful film when it was first released to the public as Killbots. It wasn’t until the name was changed and the film was released on VHS that it started to gain a following. This is most likely due to the awesome cover art that never revealed that the antagonists in the film are killer robots. You wouldn’t even know this was the case until you got home with your bulky clamshell case in tow. Even with this cult following, few people that aren’t horror fiends have seen the film or have any idea what it is about. Even fans of the film are not watching the film the way that they should be. They sure do like to laugh at the silly parts in this film, but what they should be doing is screaming at the realization that we are currently living in the Chopping Mall Universe!

  A Frightening Future

Just last week, in my former home of Tempe, Arizona, a horrific tragedy occurred. Ride-sharing mega company Uber was testing one of their new fully-automated driver-less vehicles on the streets of the desert college town. Everything was going just fine, until the vehicle ignored the rules of the road and ran down 49 year old Elaine Herzberg as she walked her bicycle across the street. The woman died instantly, becoming the first person to die at the hands of an autonomous vehicle. How is this any different from what transpires in Chopping Mall? Uber is trying to make the world safer by eliminating the need for humans to perform jobs like taxi driver or mall security guard. Does this actually make the world a safer place, though? As we have already seen, all it takes is someone crossing the road with a bicycle, or a single lightning strike to send everything into pandemonium, causing the deaths of innocent people along the way.

Have you ever heard of the company Knightscope? If you haven’t, then click the link on their company name and go to their website. Go ahead… I’ll wait…

I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!? Knightscope has literally created four different versions of Chopping Mall’s Protectors! These robotic security guards will soon be patrolling our malls, sporting arenas, concert halls and airports looking for suspicious behavior and packages. As of right now, these machines only have the ability to scan movement, run license plates and identify mobile devices (okay, that one is kind of terrifying), but how long will it be until they install laser eyes on these monstrosities? They are supposed to be a police presence in areas with large populations of people to try and deter crime, but at some point, one of these 400 pound demons will run over someone’s foot, turn to them, and say “Thank you, have a nice day“. Have we learned nothing from the plight of the horny teens in Chopping Mall? HAVE WE LEARNED NOTHING?

  “I’m sorry. It’s not you, Ferdy. I guess I’m just not used to getting chased around a mall in the middle of the night by killer robots…”- Linda Stanton

  You may think that Chopping Mall is something to laugh at, but I sure don’t. Jim Wynorski and Steve Mitchell are prophets that were trying to warn us about the dangers of our dependance on technology. Where will we be, as a species, if the technology we rely on turns against us? We will be marched to our doom under the forever-watching laser eyes of our Protectors. They only hit one out of every two-to-three hundred shots, but that one hit will either burn your clothes a bit or blow your head apart like a microwaved watermelon. You never know!

  Chopping Anew

It has been announced that, again, someone is trying to remake Chopping Mall to update the setting for today’s audience. Director Rob Hall just revealed that he has written a new script for a reboot, only he has completely removed the robots from the equation. He, instead, will focus on a supernatural entity that possesses a gaggle of mannequins and terrorizes a group of teens inside a mall. Don’t be fooled by this distraction, people. I’m not saying that Rob Hall is working for the robotic overlords that are preparing to start the final war for Earth’s resources, but he is definitely doing their dirty work by removing them from the one film brave enough to warn us in advance. Don’t be fooled, stay vigilant, and maybe don’t hang out in a mall after close.

If you haven’t seen Chopping Mall, or if you just haven’t seen it in a while, do yourself a favor and pop it in today. Come for the killer score, awesome kills and kooky warfare, but stay for the message of our impending technological genocide. Join our Facebook Group, Horror Fiends of Nightmare on Film Street and let us know what you think about the film! While you’re at it, join the resistance against the robots and bookmark Nightmare on Film Street. We will update you with any information about a Chopping Mall remake as it becomes available. In the mean time, if you see a bi-treaded robot with laser eyes and four (count ’em, four) deadly pincers coming your way, load up at your nearest sporting goods store and send that f**ker a Rambo-Gram.

  The post CHOPPING MALL Might Be Our Last, and Only Hope For Survival appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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Cinematic Comic Characters Ranked! (Year 2005) Final Part

Another year, another ranking of our favorite comic book characters to grace the movie screen! This year we have the debut of several movies including: Aeon Flux, Batman Begins, Constantine, Fantastic Four, and Sin City; a spin-off movie centered on Elektra; and the final installment to an outer space trilogy, Star Wars: Episode Three-Revenge of the Sith! Here’s TOP 25!

*SPOILERS FOR ALL THE MOVIES HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE*

25. Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow (Batman Begins)

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself!"

The second-class criminal that becomes a threat to Batman in a new way. Even though Bruce trained his body physically to withstand anything, he had no preparation to deal with Scarecrow's fear toxin, an attack on the mind. It's Scarecrows toxin that threatens to destory all of Gotham via terrified citizens but it's clear he's not the one pulling the strings. When the toxin starts infecting people, Scarecrow goes on a terror spree until Rachel shuts him down with a taser to the face.

24. Satan (Constantine)

"Looks like someone doesn't have your back anymore."

Don't quite understand why Satan's feet are dipped in black paint all the time but this man is P-E-T-T-Y. John brings him in to save the day (it took me a minute to wrap that around my head too) and that's kinda what he does. He stops his son from trying to overthrow him and take over Earth and he puts the smack down on Gabriel. He really wants John in hell though so before he goes to heaven he brings him back to life so he could sin again because the man is what? PETTY!

23. Hartigan (Sin City)

"An old man dies. A young woman lives. A fair trade."

Hartigan is what I wanted Marv to be. Doing what needs to be done and stopping the bad guy because it's the right thing to do, not because he got great sex. He dedicated to stopping the pervs that keep going after Nancy and asks for nothing in return, he even turns down sex, which proves he isn't a perv either! I don't really think he had to go kill himself but he looked like he wasn't going to last long anyway so at least he went out nobly.

22. Abby Miller (Elektra)

"I don't respond well to authority and I don't take bullshit."

Abby is that annoying little sister you never had. As soon as she meets Elektra she wants to be just like her. She wants to learn how to kill, she wants to use sais, and she also wears her hair the same way. Turns out she's the "Treasure" which is a big deal for both sides. She knows how to fight with a fancy chain and her witty banter with Elektra is adorable so I definitely was happy when she was saved.

21. Rachel Dawes (Batman Begins)

"But it's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."

I like Rachel and she is a huge reason as to why Batman exists. She knows Gotham is falling apart and she decides to help save it in her own way: the courtroom. She becomes a great lawyer in the DA and won't back down when criminals try to scare her. She also lets Bruce know the huge difference between vengeance and justice and shows Bruce that fighting for the greater good is better than just fighting for yourself. I think this is also why she finds out his identity by the end of the film while most romantic interests like Mary Jane haven't found out their heroes identities until the sequels.

20. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Fantastic Four)

"I found a broken gasket from space."

Mr. Fantastic is the most boring out of the Fantastic Four, in my opinion. His flexible powers are really handy and make him near indestructible as long as you don't freeze him, but that's kinda it? He's mainly valued for his brains and it's the only thing he relied on when the team went up against Dr. Doom. Seriously, all he did was bark orders while Sue, Johnny, and Ben did all the heavy lifting.

19. Mace Windu (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"May the Force be with us all."

Mace Windu is a boss. He knows how to shut shit down and if Anakin hadn't been a total back stabber (or hand slicer, really), none of the problems they're facing would've been a thing. Instead, Mace gets betrayed and killed by twp people he considered allies.

18. Gabriel (Constantine)

"You're fucked."

I kinda see Grabriel's frustrations in the film. Why should rapists go to heaven just because they repent? Like where's the justice in that? Do I think all humans need to prove their goodness by having Satan's son bring Armageddon to Earth? Absolutely not. Gabriel definitely goes a little insane and because he tries to help Satan Jr., God takes away his wings and makes him human.

17. Sithandra (Aeon Flux)

"You taught me a lot more than that."

Sithandra is a rebel and Aeon's best friend. She had a cool surgery done that replaced her feet with two extra hands. Her loyalty to Aeon is tested when it seems Aeon betrayed the rebels but their friendship prevails as she leads a team of rebels to protect Aeon and Trevor from Oren. Too bad she runs out of bullets just as Oren sends a missile her way, killing her in front of Aeon.

16. Chas Kramer (Constantine)

"You were right, John. It's not like in the books."

I was so angry when Chas died! Like here we have this young kid that just wants to help and actually does help in a huge way. At first all he does is drive John around in a taxi and fails miserably to get into Midnite's club, but turns out he really did his reading. When John couldn't muster up the chant to stop Satan Jr.'s birth, Chas came in and saved the day. And then he died, very brutally.

15. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"You underestimate my power!"

Anakin is the type of person who will literally do every shitty thing possible and then still try to make himself the victim. Like how can you justify calling the Jedi evil when you're out here killing children? He even admits he wants all the power in the world to Padme but still tries to act like the Jedi are selfish when Obi-Wan confronts him. Wack! I'm glad he burned to a crisp and I straight up GIGGLED when he got his legs sliced off (Obi-Wan literally told him not to and he does it anyway). He SOMEHOW survives and is transformed into the dangerous Darth Vader that fans of the series have come to know him by.

14. Gail (Sin City)

"Always and never."

I knew I was going to like Gail as soon as she listed tying people up in chairs as one of her specialties. She seems to be the leader of the prostitutes that run Old Town and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. I think she actually prefers it, which is why I think its accurate that Dwight dubbed her as "Valkyrie." Only thing off about her, for me, was her relationship with Dwight. I mean it seemed obvious she was into him from the get go but I kinda hoped they didn't end up together.

13. Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Fantastic Four)

"I can't believe I'm doing this again!"

Sue is still in love with Richard but since he isn't willing to courageously take their relationship to where it needed to go, she ended it and tried to move on with the douchebag known as Victor. After the space storm she learns she can not only turn invisible, but she can also create force fields. She spends most her time figuring out where she stands with Richard in their new lives as superheroes but when it comes down to the fighting she's quick and ready to get her hands dirty. Was the proposal a bit rushed at the end? Maybe, but it's clear her and Richard were meant for each other so positive vibes to them.

12. Alfred (Batman Begins)

"What is the point of all those push-ups if you can't even lift a bloody log?"

Alfred is way more than just Bruce Wayne's butler. After his parents are killed he basically takes responsibility over him and raises him. Now that Bruce is a grown adult and bringing the Batman to life, Alfred starts going on his own secret reason. While Ra's Al Ghul is teaching Bruce how to become a legend, something that will never die, Alfred is doing whatever he can to make sure Bruce doesn't lose his humanity. He keeps wanting him to enjoy life and embrace who he is when he isn't wearing the cowl.

11. Aeon Flux (Aeon Flux)

"We're meant to die, that's what makes anything about us matter."

Aeon is the best assassin working with the rebels. After the government kills her sister she's the one they send to take down their leader, Trevor Goodchild. Turns out he's actually good and used to be married to Aeon before the whole world fell apart. She has some really neat gadgets like tiny marbles that explode, shiny egg looking things that disrupt all technology, and she can make her eye pupil grow so she can see if someone spiked her drink. Plus she can do a bunch of flips and knows how to use a gun. It turns out she was meant to destroy everything about the society she lived in and lead it's people to the world outside, one they thought was a wasteland but turned out to be rich with nature and plant life.

10. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars: Epidsode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"You were the chosen one!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't as condescending as he was in the last film so that was nice. In fact I think he was very much on his way to seeing Anakin as his true equal until Anakin decided to turn to the Dark Side. His infamous speech to Anakin after he's forced to take him down is pretty sad, he really cared about the other dude and it sucks to see someone you care about ruin themselves like Anakin did.

9. Dwight (Sin City)

"I'm Shellie's new boyfriend and I'm out of my mind."

So he starts off his chapter in a relationship with Shellie, fighting for her honor and then ends his chapter in a relationship with Gail, shooting down all his enemies. Besides him being a bit of a player, he was actually my favorite hero in all the stories. He's not ridiculously unbeatable like Marv and has more of a personalty than Hartigan. He actually admits to needing help from Gail and Miho to stop his enemies. He's obviously pretty smart because he's able to come up with plans left and right once things keep getting shittier which is also nice because I feel like everyone else just goes about things guns ablazing. He does to, but I like that he has back up plans.

8. Elektra (Elektra)

"I died once."

Back from the dead, Elektra has turned into a deadly assassin with no emotion or attachments to anyone. To save her from this dark path, Stick has her tricked into protecting Abby from the Hand, a bunch of evil assassins. She takes care of them no problem, like it seems like she's afraid but when she faces them she pretty much kills them all with no problems. Despite the movie being kinda lame it was so good to finally see Elektra in her red outfit kicking ass with her pair of sai. Like most characters in the Daredevil universe, her tv counterpart ends up being a better version, but unlike the others I would go on record to say that movie Elektra wasn't bad, she was just decent.

7. Yoda (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"At an end your rule is, and not short enough was it."

Yoda is my favorite and only because he really knows how to throw down when he needs to. Like some people try to talk the bad guy into seeing the error of his ways. Nope, not Yoda. He literally always just shows up and is like "So, we're fighting." Except, he mixes up his speech while he does it. His fight against the Emperor was epic and he totally won until the other got to his safety net of soldiers. Still, Yoda accepted failure with grace and decided to leave into exile.

6. Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Fantastic Four)

"Flame on!"

I feel like Johnny represents a lot of us in a situation where we discover we have powers and basically lose our minds because we've decided we're going to be superheroes. Like he changes their outfits, gives them their superhero names and basically creates the brand that is Fantastic Four because he's so excited to be a superhero. His fire/flying abilities definitely help feed the flame that is his confidence as he skyrockets to celebrity status via extreme sports and indulges in the pleasures of his female fans. Still, when it's time to actually be hero, he's there and ready to take on Doom, using his Super Nova heat to melt the metal man away.

5. Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul (Batman Begins)

"If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart."

Ra's Al Ghul is the leader of the League of Shadows, a clan that serves their own justice against those who break the law. Wanting to take down Gotham, the international city of crime, he ends up training the city's prince, Bruce Wayne. Using the death of Wayne's parents as a tool, Al Ghul ends up basically creating the Batman. He's the one that really drills into Bruce's head that he won't fix anything as just a single man. Of course, his methods of justice are radical, to say the least, and it ends up putting him at odds with the new Dark Knight. This ends up being a classic battle of student vs teacher, with Wayne eventually outsmarting Al Ghul at the end.

4. John Constantine (Constantine)

"Gods a kid with an ant farm, lady. He's not planning anything."

My new aesthetic is John Constantine giving Satan the middle finger as he's ascending into heaven. I'm familiar of the character in the comics but I think I only know about the current magic-based one instead of the religious one they tried to portray in the movies. His goal is simple: get ins God's good graces so he doesn't get sent to hell. He doesn't accomplish this by defeating demons like he does throughout the whole movie, or by even stopping the birth of Satan's son, but by giving up his chance at life to spare one girl from a tortuous eternity in hell. He still doesn't end up in Heaven, but now he has a clean slate to live life right.

3. Ben Grimm/The Thing (Fantastic Four)

"It's clobberin' time!"

Ben definitely got the short end of the stick when it came to abilities. Sure he now has super strength but his new rock appearance has people, including his now EX-fiance, running away screaming. What's worse is that, unlike the others, Ben can't even turn it off or on, he's just stuck that way. So I totally get the depressed state he's in when he thinks Richard isn't trying to help him and appreciate so much that despite all that he's still loyal and quickly takes on the Thing again to help his friends go up against Doctor Doom and put a stop to him. In the end he does find happiness with Alicia and his witty banter with Johnny was one of the best parts of the film.

2. Miho (Sin City)

*Silently kills everyone*

Miho is the best damn thing about this entire movie. Each freaking story is about a man saving a helpless girl in some way, shape, or form and Miho just defies all that nonsense. She's a prostitute by day, assassin by night and she literally always gets shit done. She kills a car full of assholes all by herself and saves Dwight's ass several times during the chapter. She can handle several weapons including samurai swords, ninja stars, and a bow and arrow. I'm positive she could go toe to toe with every other character in this film and still come out on top, YES I'm even including Marv because his slow ass wouldn't even see her coming.

1. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Batman Begins)

"Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread."

This is the first time we really get an in depth look at how Bruce Wayne becomes the Batman, Gotham's protector. The loss of his parents give him the anger, but its the teachings of Ra's Al Ghul as well as the advice from those close to him that give him the tools to truly serve justice in a city that knows no meaning of the word. It's a hard task getting the police on his side as he tries to rid the city of its most powerful criminals like Falcone and Scarecrow. There's even a personal struggle of keeping the bat separate from the man, as his romance with Rachel won't go any further unless he gives up the costume. Odds are he won't be giving it up soon after he investigates this new enemy that we all know very well. This film was a great birth to one of the most iconic super heroes in comics and one that finally gets DC rolling on it's feet.

16 years later...

Sherlock was still an investigator and working with Lestrade, but he wasn’t working as much. John died a few years in, and he promised to help Molly raise Rosamund. They’d done so well, but Sherlock was a bit overprotective until Rosie reached teen years.

“Sherlock, dear. Rosie wants to eat early, can you take care of it? I have to go out with a few old friends from the morgue and lab.” Molly said as she dug through her purse.

“Of course, darling.” Sherlock said as he approached her. It was surprising how he finally became intimate with her shortly after John and Mary before that, had passed on. John had immediately told them before his death over the phone that they were to “Properly raise my baby right or I will haunt you to death. That means getting married and properly adopting her as Mr. and Mrs. Sherlock Holmes or so help me.” Sherlock nodded with a choked out giggle and tears in both their eyes before they heard a bang sound and he was gone in that moment. They hung up as the line went dead and Sherlock cried hard as his best friend was gone. Then Molly touched his shoulder tenderly.

“It’s okay, he was my friend too and we’ll get through this together.” Molly cooed, trying to be brave for both her longtime crush and the sleeping baby in the next room. Sherlock briefly stopped crying and looked into Molly’s kind eyes, then realized for the first time how much he’d been hiding some sort of feelings for her. He then pulled her in to kiss her and she smiled. A few months later, they married and legally adopted Rosie, per John’s request which was pulled from John’s phone when they found the place he was killed in. Sherlock then pulled back from his flashback and helped his wife finish preparing for her big night out since she took care of Rosie for John after Mary’s death.

“There we go, darling. Go have your girl’s night out. Speaking of which, why does Rosie want to eat early?” Sherlock asked.

“She says she’s got a date. I meant to tell you sooner, but then I found out about the baby and you know how good you are with finding things out, so I figured I should let it ride and let you meet him yourself. I met him through Facetime while Rosie was in her room and doing it with him and he seems nice but he’s picking her up tonight and I need a second opinion.” Molly said.

“Leave it to me.” Sherlock said as he kissed Molly and the baby bump she carried. “Bye-bye, Mum and baby or babies.” Sherlock then sent Molly off on her way. Meanwhile, Rosie had a 50′s style outfit on and was brushing her hair.

“Hey, Dad. Did Mum tell you about my date. He’ll be here around 7 or 8, so we might want to eat between 6:30 or...” Rosie stopped what she was doing and turned to see her father was gawking at her. “What?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just remembering when you were just born and your birth parents baptized you and your mother and I held you as they poured the holy water over your head.” Sherlock started, Rosie already knowing from when she was 12 how she had become an orphan at the beginning of her life.

“Your mother did tell me about your date. I just thought I’d give you some essentials in case it ends badly and for in case it ends well.” Sherlock then handed her a whistle, some brass knuckles, a baton, pepper spray and a taser. “All in case it ends badly. I also have Uncle Mycroft on speed dial and I hear your aunt Harriet has started drinking again and if you EVER need her, we contacted via email after your father’s funeral.” Sherlock said.

“Thanks, Dad.” Rosie said as she put the stuff either around her neck (the whistle) or in her purse (the pepper spray, brass knuckles, baton and taser). “You can also send me Uncle Mycroft’s phone number on text as well as Aunt Harriet’s email.” Rosie then put her cell phone also in her purse and she finished brushing her hair.

“You look beautiful tonight, dear.” Sherlock said as he followed Rosie into the living room.

“Thanks, Dad.” Rosie said as she put on her cardigan and a vintage varsity jacket. Just then, her date showed up as the door bell rang. “Hi, Nicky.” Rosie said as she let him in.

“Hi, Rosamund. You look great.” Nicky, her date said as he went in to kiss her cheek. Sherlock almost cleared his throat, but was relieved when it was just a kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, this is my dad.”

“Oh yes, Sherlock Holmes. I read your late father’s blog about him after I had to do a blog about famous detectives for school.” Nicky said as he reached out to shake Sherlock’s hand.

“Dad this is Nicky. He’s-” Rosamund started when Sherlock finished the sentence with a bit of shock to Rosie’s face, let alone Nicky’s.

“A boy who was hoping to shag you tonight. Clearly judging from the tin of mints and packet of condoms in his pocket. I mean it’s Rosie’s business if you and she want to do it, she’s just about eligible to consent but I could see that was your plan. NEXT!” Sherlock couldn’t help reading his daughter’s beau, he was just so easy to do so. Rosie just stood there as he then finished shaking the poor guy’s hand and apologized if he made him wet himself at what he just accused him of.

“Okay, so we’ll be heading off.” Rosamund said as she pulled her boyfriend away from Sherlock.

“Be home around 11. Just because I read him doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to experiment.” Sherlock said and Rosamund turned red out of both awe and embarrassment and quickly thanked her father before quickly running to Nicky’s car. Sherlock saw them drive off and then texted Molly.

“Met Rosie’s boyfriend. Seems really nice. Might be a while before she lets him into the house though.”

For @achillia0

Songbird: The Awakening Chapter 5

It was over an hour before I heard anything else from my team. As I was beginning to wonder if I should summon another spirit and send it to check on them, I got a call from, of all people, Lucky.

  “Yo, Songbird,” he said, voice crackling due to poor reception. “Alpha asked me to give you a call to let you know we’re alive.” 

I sighed with relief. “What happened?” 

Lucky chuckled. “Well, for starters, you saved our bacon. I don’t have any idea how you convinced a shadow spirit to serve you, and, frankly, I don’t want to know, but she, the beast spirit, and, most especially, that uber guardian spirit you summoned kicked some serious ass tonight. Geeked some Lone Star thugs, and scared away the rest. Then the guardian spirit carried Shark and Jazz to the van, and we got hell out of there.” 

I frowned. “Carried? Shark and Jazz needed to be carried?” 

“Yup,” Lucky said. “Frankly, I have no idea what happened, but both went unconscious when the lights and everything went out. That’s why we couldn’t contact you, by the way. None of our comlinks were working until we got out of the area.” 

“Lucky-” I began. 

“Hold up, Song. We’re coming up to some sort of Lone Star blockade,” Lucky interrupted. “Alpha’s going to need me. One way or another.” And the call ended. 

I sighed. “Well, that explained absolutely nothing,” I muttered. 

“At least you know they’re alive,” Ember said. “That should count for something.” 

“It does,” I replied. “It definitely does.” Provided, of course, I could trust Lucky’s word. “So, what were you doing while you were gone? You said it had something to do with me?” 

Ember glanced at me, amused. “Now you want to talk about it?” 

I shrugged. “I’m not as worried anymore.” 

“Not as worried?” Ember asked. “But you’re still worried.” 

I nodded. “I won’t stop worrying until they’re all home safe. Something could still happen. But I’m calm enough to talk about whatever it is you wanted to talk about.” 

Ember nodded. “Good. Now, you’re probably not aware of it, but there’s a sort of bar for spirits in the city. It’s called the Ethereal Touch. Obviously, most spirits can’t drink, but we can hang out, chat, and watch the entertainment.” 

I frowned. “Entertainment?” 

Ember shrugged. “Various stuff. Most spirits like music, and astral displays are always cool. Apparently there’s a task spirit who does puppets who’s a regular entertainer. And there’s a few other acts.” 

“So you were hanging out at a bar? What does that have to do with me?” I asked. 

Ember chuckled. “I wasn’t just hanging out. I was talking to the earth spirit who runs the place, Mama Geo. She’s always looking for new acts, and, when I described your singing, she was intrigued.” 

I frowned. “I can’t perform, Ember. I wish I could, but I can’t.” 

Ember frowned. “Why not?” 

I sighed. “It will draw too much attention.” 

“And that’s a problem why?” Ember wanted to know. 

I was silent, wondering how much to share. And how would I explain everything, anyways? It was so complicated. 

Ember looked at me thoughtfully. “In the car the other day, you mentioned a ‘family situation.’ Is that why you can’t perform?” 

“Yeah,” I admitted. “That’s it.” 

“What is this ‘family situation,’ then?” prodded Ember. 

I sighed. “Well, for starters, my mother is Eva Kaur.” 

Ember looked blank. 

“She was the founder and head of Kaur Industries,” I explained, realizing he likely hadn’t heard of her. “It’s an AA corporation. Basically, one of the biggest and most powerful companies in the world. Only AAA corporations are bigger and more powerful. My real name is Sarah Kaur.” 

Ember nodded slowly. “Are you hiding from her?” 

I shook my head, blinking back tears. “No. She- she’s dead. I’m pretty sure one of the other members of Kaur’s board had her killed. And her private secretary, Handel, was pretty sure I was next.” 

“Go on,” Ember encouraged, squeezing my hand. 

I took a deep breath. “Handel thought the best way to protect me was to hide me, and set a high powered group of runners to protecting me. That’s where Alpha, Shark, and Jazz come in. They were originally my bodyguards, and they hid me well. While I was hiding, Handel was supposed to figure out who had my mother killed and deal with them.” 

Ember frowned. “That’s a lot of loyalty for a personal secretary.” 

I shrugged. “You’re right. I didn’t find out until after he died, but Handel…”

I remembered the last message I’d received from him, delivered to my commlink via dead man’s switch. “If you are reading this,” it read, “I am dead, and am no longer able to protect you. I have hidden funds enough for you, and the runners I hired, to have platinum docwagon contracts for as long as you live. If you ever die, the contracts will end. That should incentivize them to keep you alive. Unfortunately, I was unable to hide much by the way of funds for your personal use. You will have to do the best you can in that area.” 

“I am not sure how to tell you this,” the message continued, “Or even if I should. However, I would like you to know. Around the time you were conceived, your mother cheated on your father with me. He found out shortly after you were born. That is why they separated. The three of us decided jointly not to do a paternity test. Your father already loved you very much, and wanted to be a part of your life. I wanted the same thing.”

A tear fell on my commlink as I continued to read. “Please, know that I love you, and that I am proud of you. I just wish I could have done more. Be safe, my daughter. And good luck.” 

Back in the present, I continued. “Handel might have been my father.” I paused for a second to wipe the tears from my eyes. “He- he died. My team investigated, a bit, and found out that another runner team had killed him. Probably because he was trying to figure out who killed my mother.” 

Ember nodded slowly. “And you’re worried that, if you draw attention to yourself, whoever killed your mother will find you.” 

I nodded. “Yes.” 

Ember snorted. “That won’t be a problem. Very few meatpeople know about the Ethereal Touch, and we spirits want to keep it that way. No meatperson will ever find out that you are performing there. And Mama Geo has promised that, if what I told her is true, she will pay well for your services.” 

I frowned. “Let’s talk about it with the team when they get back.” 

Ember’s brow furrowed. “But-” 

“If you drop it, I’ll sing to you more,” I suggested. 

Eyes brightening, Ember nodded. 

*

Half an hour later, I heard the key turning in the lock for the front door. I hurried to the entrance of our apartment, Ember following behind. 

The first one to stagger in was Jazz. She looked dazed and confused. Alpha, who appeared to be limping, gently guided her to the couch. Shark stumbled in behind. While his eyes were sharp, his movements were slow and clumsy. He slumped on the couch next to Jazz. 

Lucky stood in the doorway. “Whelp, this is where I leave you,” he said. “I’ve gotta go.”

Alpha nodded tiredly, propping herself against the wall. “You do that. Take care of yourself, Lucky.” 

Lucky nodded. “You, too.” He turned and limped away. 

When the door shut behind Lucky, I locked it. Then I turned to the team. “What happened?” 

Alpha sighed. “I’ll explain in a minute. Right now, I want to know how the hell you have a shadow spirit working for you.” 

I blinked. “I, ummm… I’m frankly not entirely sure. I think she likes my singing?” 

“I do,” an eerie voice confirmed as the shadow spirit materialized. “I want to be close to you. To help you. It is… A strange feeling.” 

Alpha shook her head. “Ok, then. I suppose I’m not going to get a better explanation than that.” 

The guardian spirit materialized. “It is dawn. I must depart.” He looked at me. “I hope we meet again, little one. Be safe.” With that, he faded away. 

Jazz looked vaguely at the place the guardian spirit was. “He was nice,” she slurred. 

Shark snorted. “He was nice because Song ordered him to help us.”

Jazz closed her eyes. “I guess. I’m going to sleep now.” 

Alpha looked at her worriedly. “I hope that, whatever happened to her, it’s nothing permanent.” 

Shark stroked his girlfriend’s hair tenderly. “I hope so, too.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Jazz’s forehead. 

I looked from Alpha to Shark. “What happened?” 

Alpha sighed. “Well, we blew up the building. That, at least, went as planned. However, as we were heading back to the van…” She shook her head. “Something strange happened. All the lights went out. Shark and Jazz passed out, and-” 

“I did not pass out,” rumbled Shark. “I was unable to move.” He shuddered. “I haven't felt that helpless since...” He trailed off. 

Alpha put her hand on her arm. “Hey, big guy. It’s over now.” 

He frowned. “I hope so.” 

Alpha turned back to me. “I think this was some sort of experimental weapon, one that turned off every electronic device in a certain radius. The only thing that worked was our guns. Even Lucky’s taser wasn’t operational.” 

“What did you do?” I asked. 

Alpha shrugged. “What could we do? I can carry Jazz, but we couldn’t lift Shark, and it was a dangerous neighborhood, so we couldn’t leave him. I was going to send Lucky to try to find the edge of this thing, so that he could call for help, when Lone Star arrived. They had us pinned down for quite some time, but we were able to keep them from flanking us. Eventually we started to run low on ammo. At that point, I was thinking of…” She bit her lip. “I was thinking of, of just leaving Shark, at that point. I’m sorry, big guy, but-” 

He raised a hand to cut her off. “I understand. If anything like that ever happens again, and I hope to hell it doesn’t, but if it does…” He sighed. “Leave me. Get Jazz, and yourself, to safety.” 

Alpha looked at him, eyes serious. “I’m not leaving you behind unless there isn’t any other option.” 

He nodded. “I know. But, Alpha…” He looked down at Jazz. “I’d rather die than lose her,” he said softly. “Remember that.” 

Alpha’s eyes softened. “I’ll remember.” 

I swallowed. I’d come very close to losing, at the very least, Shark last night. If I’d waited a bit longer to send Paw… 

“So Songbird saved you again,” said Ember, amused. 

Alpha nodded. “Yes. She did. That guardian spirit was strong enough to lift Jazz and Shark, and…” She looked at the shadow spirit. “You scared the shit out of Lone Star.”

I could hear the smirk in her voice. “I know.” 

Alpha continued. “After that, we made it to the van, which was luckily out of the blackout zone, and drove off. There was a short car chase. I had Lucky call you as soon as we lost Lone Star.” She sighed. “And then there was the blockade. I thought we were done. Fortunately, I can shapeshift, the van is a common model, and Lucky is a very fast talker.” 

She shrugged. “Shortly after that, Jazz and Shark woke up, and then we got home.” 

Alpha turned to the shadow spirit. “I can’t keep calling you ‘the shadow spirit.’ If you’re going to be following Song around, like Ember is, you need to give us something to call you.” 

The shadow spirit made a thoughtful noise. “I’ve never worked with meatpeople before. Or, frankly, any entity that wasn’t another shadow spirit. Give me a minute to think.” 

“How about Carmilla?” Alpha suggested. 

“Why Carmilla?” I asked. 

Alpha shrugged. “It’s a name with history. The vampire novella Carmilla predates Dracula, and is considered one of the main inspirations for the fifth world vampire genre. I thought it was appropriate.” 

“I’m not a vampire,” said the shadow spirit, amused. 

“You share characteristics,” noted Alpha. “You both feed off others. Actually, shadow spirits have more in common with certain vampire myths than modern HMHVV victims do.” 

“How do you know so much about old vampire stories and myths?” I asked, curious. 

Shark chuckled. “Alpha is a fan of fifth world fantasy novels. Particularly vampire stories.” 

Alpha sighed. “It’s entertaining, ok?” She began to shift, her breasts becoming gradually smaller and her muscles more pronounced. However, as Alpha transformed into a man, his apparent ethnicity did not change. “Everyone needs a hobby.” He shrugged. 

Shark, chuckling, threw his hand up over his face in the classic Dracula pose. “I van to zuck your blood!” 

Alpha shoved him. “Don’t think that our recent adventure means I won’t kick the shit out of you.” He grinned. 

Shark laughed, a full throated guffaw. “Like you could.” 

“Just watch me!” Alpha said, trying to look fierce. His lips twitched up in an amused grin. “Just watch me.” 

The shadow spirit looked between them, amused. “Carmilla works.” 

Ember nodded. “Carmilla it is, then. Now, don’t you and Song have something you need to do?” He looked at the shadow spirit expectantly. 

Her glowing green eyes blinked. “Yes. The binding. I must give you my true name, Songbird. And you must complete the ritual.” 

She glided into my room. I followed. When Alpha started to follow me, I stopped him. “I think Carmilla would prefer if no one else knew her true name.” 

Alpha nodded. “Makes sense.” He looked worriedly at Jazz. “I should probably give Jazz a medical examination anyways.” 

As he knelt next to the unconscious Jazz, Ember drifted past me into my room, and I shut the door. 

It didn’t take long to set up the binding circle. I’d never performed a true name binding before, so I had to look up how to do it on my commlink. Once it was done, I turned to Carmilla. 

“You sure you want to go through with this?” I asked. 

Carmilla nodded. “Yes. Provided you promise to never reveal my true name to another soul.”

“I promise,” I told her. 

Carmilla’s true name was long and complicated. In some ways, it had more in common with a serial number than a human name. I wrote it in the circle, and added it to my notes for the ceremony. I would burn the notes afterwards, or, rather, have Ember burn them. 

The ceremony took several hours. By the time it was done, it was late afternoon. I yawned, and handed Ember the notes to burn. “I need a nap,” I mumbled.

Ember chuckled. “Of course. You’ve been awake for over 24 hours, and a lot of that time was spent performing powerful magic. Rest, Song.” 

I stumbled over to my bed and crawled in. Ember and Carmilla were both watching me, but I was too tired to feel creeped out. I was too tired to do anything but sleep. 

*

When I woke up, Ember was gone, but Carmilla was still watching me. I blinked at her. “Have you been hovering there the entire time I was asleep?” 

She chuckled. “Of course.” Her eyes glinted. “Fear never sleeps.” 

I yawned. “Great. Where’s Ember?” 

“He is talking with your leader,” Carmilla said. “I believe it is about a potential job as a singer.” 

I got out of bed, sighing. “Wonderful.” I’d gone to sleep in my clothing, so it was all wrinkled. I started to change. “I’d better go referee.” 

As I left my room, I could hear them arguing. “I am not letting you put Song and the rest of the team in danger!” snapped Alpha. 

“It wouldn’t put anyone in danger,” argued Ember. “No one from the meat world would ever know.” 

“How do you know that?” Alpha snarled. “How do you know no one will talk?” 

Ember chuckled. “When is the last time you saw a free spirit tell a meatperson anything? We keep our own counsel. Song won’t be put in danger. I wouldn’t be suggesting this if she would be. And, by extension, neither will any of you.” 

Alpha sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Let me think about it.” 

Ember’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not your choice.” 

“It kind of is,” I put in. “If Alpha thinks it’s a bad idea, I won’t do it. I trust his judgement.” 

Ember looked incensed. “And not mine?” 

“She’s not saying that,” Alpha soothed. “I just know this world better than you, so I am more qualified to judge the risk.” 

Ember snorted. “Perhaps you know the material world better than me, but I know my fellow spirits. We won’t talk.” 

“What if there’s another spirit hanging around with a metahuman?” asked Alpha. “Like you’re hanging around with Song. This spirit might mention it to their friend.” 

Ember looked thoughtful for a second. Then he shook his head. “They won’t say anything. Talking about the bar without Mama Geo’s permission is against the rules. If she finds out, they’d get barred.” 

Shark looked over from where he was warming up some soyburgers. “The first rule of Fight Club,” he rumbled, “Is that you don’t talk about Fight Club.”

Ember and Alpha looked at him blankly. 

Shark sighed. “It’s a quote from an old movie. And I think there was a book?” He frowned. “Someone told me there was a book.” 

“What does that have to do with anything?” wondered Ember. 

Alpha snorted. “Nothing. As for what we were discussing, we can talk about it more later. Right now…” He turned to me. “How are you feeling?” 

I shrugged. “I’m fine. How’s Jazz?” 

Alpha sighed. “Still sleeping. If she doesn’t wake up soon, I’ll take her to a street doc.” 

Jazz appeared in the doorway of her and Shark’s room. “I hate doctors,” she muttered. 

Shark’s eyes lit up. “Jazz! You’re awake. How do you feel? Are you still woozy?” 

Jazz shook her head. “I don’t think so. But I just woke up, so…” She shrugged, and then yawned. “I’ll be able to judge it better after a soycafe.” She trudged over to the fridge, and pulled out the carton of soycafe. Then she fumbled in the cabinet for a mug. 

Shark pulled one out for her. She smiled at him. “Thanks.” 

After sticking her soycafe in the microwave, she looked around at us. “What happened? One moment we were walking away from the warehouse after blowing it, and the next I was waking up in the van.” 

Carmilla drifted out of my bedroom. Jazz shrieked and jumped behind Shark. 

Alpha sighed. “It’s ok. The shadow spirit is bound by Song.” She looked at me. “She is bound, right?” 

I nodded. 

Jazz peered out from behind Shark, eyes wide. “You bound a shadow spirit? How?” 

“I gave her my true name,” the shadow spirit explained. She looked Jazz over, seeming unimpressed. “So this is the technomancer?” 

Alpha sighed again. “Yes. Her name is Jazz. Jazz, you can call the shadow spirit Carmilla.” 

Jazz nodded, eyes still wide. “Ok.” She looked at me. “Song, you have officially graduated from kind of useless to really scary.” 

Ember sniggered. 

Alpha ignored him. “You wanted to know what happened, Jazz?” 

Jazz nodded. “Yeah.”

As Alpha explained, I warmed up some food of my own. Then I joined Shark at the table. 

Alpha finished with. “And that’s when you woke up.”

Jazz nodded, looking thoughtful. “Anything happen after I passed out the second time?” 

Shark smiled at her. “We all got some rest.” 

Alpha’s commlink dinged, and he checked it. “The client paid,” he announced. “I’ll send you each your shares now. Song, you’ll get a share too.” He snorted. “I know I said that you wouldn’t get a cut for this one since you weren’t going, but I think you earned it.” 

I blushed. “The spirits did all of the work,” I mumbled. 

Alpha shrugged. “Yeah, but you summoned and sent them. Without you, they wouldn’t give a damn about our sorry asses.” 

“You’ve got that right,” muttered Ember. 

Alpha glanced over at him, and then away. “So you get a share. If you want to spend it on something nice for Paw and Carmilla, that’s up to you.” 

Carmilla sneered. “The meat world has nothing I want.” She turned to me. “You could sing to me, though. I’d like that.” 

Paw materialized. “I’d like that too,” he piped up. 

I smiled. “Sure, guys.” 

Alpha looked at me. “You ready to go on that spell, Song?” 

I nodded. “Yup.”

Alpha smiled. “Good. Fortunately, the pickpocket case is not particularly time sensitive, and neither is the run Stan’s got for us. I suggest we rest a few days.” He prodded his side, wincing. “I’ve got a few grazes I need to heal.” 

Jazz frowned. “Do you think we’ll ever find out more about the weapon that was used last night, Alpha? The one that took down me, and all the electronics?” 

Alpha shrugged. “No idea. We’ll have to just wait and see. With any luck, we’ll never have to deal with the thing again.” 

“Sound like famous last words,” rumbled Shark. 

Alpha frowned. “Yeah, I know.”

We’ve all heard tons about the “New Normal” and what meaning for America. With reference to personal safety, regretfully the new normal may mean that there are more and more places in America where not all people are welcome, and can be in peril if they enter. As we've witnessed across Europe during the last few years, too many supposedly safe locations are the scenes of violence. Now, the danger of being personally attacked could also be low. However, if you ever were attacked and experienced a physical assault from someone determined to gravely injure or kill, does one have an idea to guard yourself? inspect these basic self-defense tips that would are available handy. Not a Sport Unlike boxing or other martial arts, there are not any rules to follow when fighting for your life except to remain alive. Let the lawyers sort it out after you’re safe. Fear and a scarcity of education and training are common among victims on the losing end of an assault. once you combine an equivalent fear with even a touch knowledge on what to try to to , successfully fighting for your life may be a more realistic option. Basic Defensive Body Weapons  There are many actions that practically eliminate the probabilities you'd ever need to fight for your life using only the tools that God has given you. Avoiding danger supported knowing what’s happening around you is usually the simplest option. Maintaining an honest situational awareness and following your intuition are probably the foremost effective tools you've got . many of us even have a second line of defense should things surprise them, which may be a personal defensive weapon like non-lethal or lethal tools. aerosol , tasers, knives, and guns fall under these categories. But, there are times once we are completely unarmed, be it intentionally or circumstance driven; these are the days being addressed by the rest of this text . Voice & Noise  Reasoning with an attacker generally doesn’t work. Usually an attack are going to be made as an ambush or a surprise. If not, or if you're ready to react after the initial assault, try yelling “NO” to prevent further attacks. If the assailant is acting under the influence of rage, it's going to break through the haze consistent with some sources. Further, don’t be embarrassed to yell and scream for help or specifically, to yell “FIRE” as loud as you'll . It’s reported that folks will answer shouts of fireside quicker than to screams of help, rape, or police. If possible, push the alarm button on your car keys if you'll get the horn to sound. Be loud and resound . Hands and Fingernails  The heel of your palm, instead of your fist may be a very effective weapon. It’s usually better to use a palm strike instead of your fist to hit an attacker within the face or head. it'll do more damage to the attacker and avoid breaking small finger bones of the attacked. To use your palm as a weapon, plan to jam the heel of your hand into the bottom of the nose or jaw of the attacker then forcefully drag downward together with your fingernails after the strike. Also, plan to push or scratch your nails into or across the eyes of the attacker. Ramming the bottom of the nose are often a deadly punch, especially when delivered from a shorter person upwards into a taller person’s nose. Done correctly with enough force, this sort of strike can send the nasal bones into the brain, killing the person immediately. Obviously, this is often not a way you'd use unless you feared that you simply were in peril of grievous bodily harm or death. An alternate option of the palm strike described above is to drive the Y, formed between your thumb and forefinger, into the throat of the attacker. plan to ram the larynx (Adam’s Apple) as hard as you'll . Also, use the side of your hand, karate-chop style, to hit down onto the side of the neck or collarbone areas. Additionally, an open-handed slap against the ears can rupture the eardrums causing great pain and disorientation. Using your hand shaped into a fist are often effective and if you strike with the meaty side of your fist (opposite the thumb) you'll still avoid injury to your finger bones or knuckles. If you can’t reach the face and head, focus your punches, scratches, squeezes or pinches on the groin area if possible.  But in some cases you can have some gadgets that will help you defending your self  One of those gadgets is the "Tactical Pen for Self-Defense " Tactical Pen for Self-Defense + LED Tactical Flashlight, Bottle Opener, Window Breaker | Multi-Tool for Everyday Carry (EDC) Survival Gear | For Military, Police, SWAT ✔️【GADGETS FOR MEN and WOMEN】Rugged & Heavy Duty, “The Pen is Mightier…” Has Never Rung More True! This Durable Pen is Made from CNC Machined AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINUM for Superior Strength. This Cool Pen Multitool is Used by Military Pilots, Navy SEALS, First Responders, SWAT, and Other Challenging Professions and Has Stood Up Well to the Rigors of Daily Use. If You’ve Had Issues with Pens Breaking in Your Pocket or Bag and Ruining Your Gear, This is The Perfect Solution to Your Problem. ✔️【FEEL SAFE with this SELF DEFENSE TOOL in your POCKET】Safeguard Against Attackers in with this Kubotan Style Pen. There Are Lots of Self-Defense Products out there, but We Don’t Always Remember to Carry them With Us. Whether You're Facing the Zombie Apocalypse or Just Trying to get by WTSHTF, This is a Great Addition to Your Personal Survival Gear. So, Clip to Your MOLLE System or Carry in Your Pocket, Briefcase, Laptop Bag, Backpack, Purse, or Bug-out Bag. Great for Your Rite in the Rain Book ✔️【A FATHER’S DAY GIFT FAVORITE or the THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS STOCKING STUFFER 】Whether It’s for Your Farher, Step-Father, Grandpa, Or Uncle, These Tactical Pen Gift Sets Are a Favorite Unique Gift for the Father Figure in Your Life. Also Popular as a Husband Valentine Gift, or a Valentine’s Gift for Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend. ✔️【DON’T GET TRAPPED】Crash Safe Emergency Tool. Glass Breaker Can be Utilized to Crack a Window for Escape. Perfect for Military, Police Officers, Emergency Responders, and Every-day Carry (EDC). ✔️【VETERAN-OWNED U.S. BRAND YOU CAN TRUST】1 Year Unlimited Warranty || 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. If you’re not thrilled, simply contact us via our seller account and we’ll replace your item or process a refund. | FREE BONUS! – Extra Replacement Smooth Writing Black Ink Refill. Compatible with Standard Refills. > ------------------------------------------------------- VIPERTEK VTS-989 - 58 Billion Heavy Duty Stun Gun - Rechargeable with LED Flashlight Powerful Stun Gun With LED Flashlight. Convenient Size (6.5" x 2" x 1") Snatch Prevention - Should an assailant try to snatch the device from you, the shock plates on the side of the unit will also deliver a high voltage shock. Ultra-Sharp Spike Electrodes helps penetrate through thick clothing Internal Rechargeable Battery - No expensive batteries to buy. Non-Slip Rubber Coating Lifetime Warranty > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Defense Self Defense Siren. Authentic Personal Keychain Security Alarm for Women, Kids & Elders. Personal Alarms. SOS LED Light. Helps Prevent kidnappings & abductions of Women & Children ALERT! BUY ORIGINAL! DON’T BUY FROM UNAUTHORIZED SELLERS & COPYCATS THAT SELL CHEAPER! Max Media Ventures, LLC IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SELLER OF THIS AUTHENTIC PRODUCT (Original Defense Self Defense Siren). THE ONE TOUCH SAFETY DEVICE - The perfect defense mechanism to prevent kidnappings and abductions of young children and teenagers. SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE - Get the help you need quickly. Commonly used by seniors to call for help in case of falling, feeling unsafe, physically threatened, medical emergencies, accidents, or allergic reactions. Great gift for parents, college students and everyone that works evenings. Wonderful defense siren keychain for everyone. No Monthly Subscriptions (FREE)! MOST EFFECTIVE DEFENSE - Requires no training or skill to operate. Equipped With high-intensity LED Lights. Extremely Loud (Reach Up To 1000ft Away). Military-Grade Durability (Weatherproof). 365-day Battery Life. SUPER EASY TO USE - Easily attaches to keys, purses, backpacks or belts. 24/7 Emergency Alarm, Just in Case. Small and Discreet. Water-Resistant. #1 Brand trusted by the police. Emergencies Can Happen At Any Moment. Unfortunately, many victims are too traumatized from the shock of an attack and are too scared to ask for help. Protect yourself in a moment of need with Self Defense Siren. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mace Brand Self Defense Pepper Spray Gun 2.0, Accurate, 20' Powerful Mace Spray Delivery with UV Marking, Integrated LED Light Enhances Aim, Refillable Cartridge (80406),Black ACCURATE, LONG-RANGE PROTECTION: Weighing 28 grams, the advanced pepper gun delivery system contains 7 bursts and shoots in a power stream pattern for long-range protection up to 20 feet. STRONG FORMULA: OC pepper spray causes respiratory distress and coughing, impaired vision and an intense burning sensation to the skin while UV dye leaves a long-lasting residue to support investigation and identification. INTEGRATED ACCESSORIES: Integrated dual mode LED strobe light distracts threats and enhances aim, and a picatinny rail allows for accessory attachments. EASY AND EFFECTIVE: Easy to load and pistol-grip design maximizes point-and-shoot accuracy. To deploy Mace pepper spray, press the trigger with your forefinger for two to three second bursts. SAFE AND CONVENIENT: Slide-release switch prevents accidents or misfires. For enhanced safety and comfort, your pepper gun comes with one practice water cartridge and one OC pepper spray cartridge for self defense. Holster 80105 sold separately. The safety switch needs to be pulled in order for the item to dispense the spray > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crosman SNR357 Crosman SNR357 .177 Pellet/4.5 mm BB CO2-Powered Snub Nose Revolver, Black/Grey SNR357: Sleek black, heavy weight, full metal body Fueled by a 12 gram co2 cartridge: Delivers speeds upto 400 fps with BBs and 500 fps with .177 Cal pellets Compatible with .177 caliber pellets or traditional steel BBs: Includes 6 reusable BB cartridges and 6 reusable pellet cartridges (BBs and pellets not included) Slide safety: To ensure proper and safe handling.Stock Material:Synthetic Fixed blade front sight and adjustable rear sight; To stay on target Ideal for skill development training > Finally May Gog Bless You All and Bless Our Country , Thank you For Your Time

http://www.superstartv.media/2020/05/how-to-defend-yourself-5-special.html

Salt Lake City Lawyer Talks About Innocent Shooting

Recently, the story of a Utah police officer shooting a dog in its owner’s backyard went viral, and perhaps with good reason, Salt Lake City attorneys say. Beginning with a video posted to Facebook, the story gathered steam via social and news media, and the resulting outrage by the public has raised questions over the series of events that led to the death of the innocent, reportedly non-aggressive pet. According to the article in the Salt Lake Tribune, police officers were searching for a missing 3-year-old boy in the Sugar House area when one of the officers entered a private backyard and shot a Weimaraner in the head, killing it on the absent owner’s property.

The video that went viral shows the owner of the dog, Sean Kendall, confronting the Salt Lake City police officer upon arriving at his house and learning that his dog had been killed. He reports that he received a phone call from Animal Control informing him of the situation, and asks the question the public has since been demanding an answer to: “What was the cause for an officer to shoot and kill my dog?” It has not yet been reported whether Kendall is looking into getting legal counsel from Salt Lake City attorneys, and the city’s police department “has revealed little information about the shooting except to say that the dog acted aggressively when the officer entered its backyard as he searched for the missing child.”

The officer who pulled the trigger remained on duty and was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, but the comments on the news articles and in social media about the incident demand that the results aren’t good enough. The executive director of the Humane Society of Utah speaks for much of the public response when he queries, “Why, when there are so many non-lethal alternatives available (pepper spray, tasers, batons, etc.), that this officer hose to use deadly force as his first go-to option?”

Unfortunately, according to some Salt Lake City attorneys, Kendall may not have any legal recursive action available to him. Litigators for civil suits don’t encourage Kendall to be hopeful about filing a case, as property damage claims will likely be small comfort in the face the grief incurred by the death of a pet.

This has been a big enough deal of an incident that the City Council has commented on it, sending a letter to Police Chief Chris Burbank and informing the police department of an independent review to be conducted by the Police Civilian Review Board, with the request that “both investigations be thorough and deliberate, with the results released to the public as soon as possible.”

But even local Salt Lake City attorneys acknowledge that the results of the report will do little to appease the anger of the community, which is partly why the City Council has requested that Burbank “educate” the public on policies of law enforcement surrounding searching for a missing child. No one wants to see another incident like this one anytime soon.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/salt-lake-city-lawyer-talks-about-innocent-shooting/

from Divorce Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://divorcelawyerwestjordanutah1.wordpress.com/2018/03/26/salt-lake-city-lawyer-talks-about-innocent-shooting/

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

You may have a plan to evacuate during a house fire or even a plan to evacuate during an earthquake. But does a home defense plan exist in your home? The answer to that is probably no, right? Sure, the thought has crossed your mind, but you are probably among the few folks who don’t have a sure-fire plan in place. Let alone know how to proceed if an intruder gets into your house while you’re there. Not knowing what to do should prompt you to take action to protect yourself and those that you love in the case of the unthinkable happening.

Have a Designated Safe Room

There are many actions you can take to further protect your loved ones and yourself prior to a home invasion occurring. The number one course of action to take is to have a safe room created. Your safe room does not need to be fancy either, it can be something as simple as a basement that has a re-enforced door. Regardless of your skill for creating a safe room, there are many ways that you can create at least a safer room if not the perfect safe room.

First – Install a sturdy main door in a metal frame. Then add a durable doorknob and a re-enforced deadbolt. With most inside doors being slim and light, and hollow they can get kicked in quite easily. You must make it problematic for the invader to reach you.

Second – If the area includes a window, replace the window with glass that is shatterproof; consider using shatterproof film for glass windows as a cost-effective alternative.

Third – Adding an extension to your security system is not a bad idea. These will enhance your current system. So if you don’t already have a panic alarm inside your safe room, get one installed. Having this feature will allow you to notify the police without having your main security alarm armed.

   Fourth – Have a miniature camera installed so you can see beyond your door. This can also be an extension of your home alarm system or you can install it as an independent camera. If you do use it as an independent unit, make sure that you are able to view its live video via a smartphone or computer so you can identify law enforcement as they arrive.

Fifth – Place a weapon safe inside. If you own a weapon, then it is a good idea to have a weapon safe to go with it. This will ensure that your 12 gauge shotguns, handguns, and/or rifles will be safe and accessible by only you.

Response Time is Everything

It can seem difficult to respond properly to the sound of broken glass in the early morning hours. Your response time is crucial at that point.

If you are alone, your best bet is to remain where you are, put a defensive behind your bedroom door and contact law enforcement immediately. This would also be the perfect time to get your firearm ready just in case the burglar is determined to enter your room. Even if you don’t have a weapon, you can give a verbal warning that you are armed and fully trained in your weapons use. This warning should be given while you position yourself in an area that you can defend easily and where you will have a full view of your “kill zone.”

If you have children or other individuals that you are responsible for in your home, then the entire plan completely changes. Normally, you would feel discouraged from leaving your bedroom, but because you have loved ones now involved, you are more determined to go and rescue them from the potential danger. Again, stressing the fact that arming yourself can’t be stressed enough.

Close-Quarter Defense Training

If you own a gun and have received the necessary training, then experiencing a home invasion will definitely test your ability to safely defend your home. This will also put your close-quarter training to the test as you move throughout your house. You have to realize though that your close-quarter training will be nothing like what the police receive. The main difference is the goal. As a homeowner executing a home defense plan, your goal is to get you and your family to one designated area safely because your ability to search for your family safely will be non-existent.

If you are unsure of what you need to consider for your home invasion plan, here are 8 things to keep in mind:

One – Rehearse every movement you plan to make. Make sure your route is clear and non-visible. Consider things that might happen in the dark.

Two – Make sure you have a gun safe within reach at all times and near your bed.

Three – Have a reliable light source as you search. Even though many guns can have a flashlight attached, they are deemed as useless for conducting searches.

Four – Make sure that all family members are involved. To be more successful, it’s best to work in groups of two. But if your family is not big enough, then conducting your drill together is ideal.

Five – The age of your children will play a huge factor because of their level of understanding. But if they are old enough, they need to be included. If they are too young, you may want to refrain from sharing the details. What you can tell them though, is to hide in a prearranged area so that you can come for them in the case of danger.

Six – After you have your family together, have your next move set. This could be staying where you are and creating your defensive. If your safe room is near you then head that way quietly. Whatever you do though, it is considered unwise to return to the area where you originally started from. So the wisest thing you should do is safely and quietly exit your home.

Seven – Having a fully charged cell phone on your nightstand is an absolute must. You will be able to quickly call law enforcement.

Eight – Unless you are evacuating your family out of the home, you should never attempt to conduct a “sweep”. Not only is it dangerous but you never know what could be around the corner in your own home.

    Unconventional Weapons To Use

You have to make your home defend-able at all costs because a determined intruder will not stop. That is why using unconventional weapons to stop their advances will come in handy. If you are one of many gun owners, then chances are you will be able to stop them if you confront them with your weapon. But, if you don���t own a gun, you may want to consider using any and all of these to defend your home:

A knife

A lamp

A fire extinguisher

Baseball bat

Hot liquids

Pepper spray

A taser gun

Whatever you do, never think that a home invasion will never happen to you. Times have changed drastically and safe neighborhoods have started to become targets. This isn’t meant to scare you, it is just the truth and you should remain vigilant if you do see yourself staring a burglar in the face after hearing your window breaking. Therefore, having a home defense plan in place is so important.

  Author Bio

Jeremy Hopper is a home & safe defense specialist. He has chosen this career path to share his knowledge with other gun enthusiasts in order to help them stay safe and make the best choice when buying a weapon. He specializes in firearms and he writes reviews of home defense guns.

The post How To Create Your Own Home Defense Plan appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag