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writing-the-end · 4 years

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LoL Chapter 18- Mind and Body

Masterpost

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU and Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland )

After the success of their first day among the elite, a new dawn rises and the hermits continue to prove their worth as a guild and as wizards. From the distance, however, people are watching the hermits much more closely than just if they win or lose.

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Somehow, the hermits were in the lead. By the end of the first day, they were leading the boards. Even though they lost the pageant and footrace, their domination of the quick draw, the sea race, and Tango’s evening flight race has them ahead. Behind them, the other two nonguild teams were tied for second. The points from there on were a mess between the guilds.

It was an underdog story for the ages. Three ragtag teams leading the Chimaera’s Championship. Guilds will train for years to win even a bronze medal in the games. They select their teams from only the best, never ceasing to push their limits. And yet, nothing can compare to the determination and skill these outcasts held. Even the hermits had to admit, Team Crafted and the wanderers were strong. But more than that, they were both a team. Just like the hermits.

“I’ve got this, guys.” Iskall laughs, twirling a rod of iskallium in his hand. “These mega guilds won’t know what hit them when they see my sharpshooting skills.”

“I mean, we are winning right now, but...I really wanna win them all.” Mumbo’s had a taste for competition, and now he wants more. “But I’m not so worried about the guilds as I am the other teams that are tied.”

Iskall looks over his shoulder, seeing Avon observing the distance between where she stands to the target down the field. “I think she’s all bark and no bite. I’m gonna show everyone the power of iskallium after today.”

“What kind of mage even is that?” Mumbo questions, noticing the massive black wings on his opponents back. “Is that like Ren’s misfired werewolf mimic?”

“Nah dude, don’t you know anything?” Iskall spikes his iskallium rod into the ground. “That’s a draconic mage.”

“Are they rare? Like...rare as Grian’s sky angel magic or my multi-magic?” Mumbo has never heard of a draconic mage, though he never really learned things like this from his parents. His mood immediately sours at the thought of them. He hopes they’re not here, watching. Or does he?

“Eh, in a way. Not quite like you guys. It’s more of a… finding the right teacher kind of problem.” Iskall sees Mumbo’s confusion only grow. “They have to learn from dragons, dude. Not exactly the most trusting beasts, those big lizards of doom. But don’t worry about that- it’s not like you’ll have to face anything like that.”

“Good luck, Iskall.” Mumbo whispers, retreating as the event starts. He was the only hermit willing to wake up this early for the event. Most are still somewhat drunk from celebrating their victories yesterday. No one imagined they’d do this well. Though, a few were dizzy, and Tango even struggled to get out of bed.

One by one, down the line, wizards use their magic to strike the target. Everything from flecks of dirt to pillows shot at the haybales. One art mage even draws up their own arrows and sends them flying. Some strike near the bullseye, others don’t even reach the target. It was a close match for the former. The drawn arrow was almost perfectly center, just millimeters from landing a perfect score.

Iskall knows he has to be better. He gets three shots. Three tries. His emerald eye flicks across the field, measuring the distance between himself and the target. Three shots and he’ll win. He feels the wind in his hair, blustering for a second and ruining a shot of the person next to him. Three shots and he’ll prove he’s a mega sharpshooter.

It’s his turn. He draws out his rod of iskallium, his own element of creation. It’s radioactive, but he’s immune to it. He can feel the power, the energy within the rod. Energy he plans to use to make a clear, perfect shot. He reels his arm back, and throws the first rod. As soon as it’s airborne, he releases a burst of radioactive energy from the projectile, sending it burying into the target. A near perfect hit.

His next shot is almost identical, though the wind as his rod nears the target pushes it slightly off center. His shoulders sag, a weight pressing down on him, pressing in on his lungs. As long as he doesn’t miss the center ring, he’s got the event in the bag.

He doesn’t miss. Iskall offers a coy smile beneath his beard, though inside he’s freaking out. He’s currently winning a championship event. He stays calm, but in his mind he’s already celebrating. Doing his own little dance in the sand at his feet.

Until a barb whizzes down the field, burying into the center ring. He opens his eye, staring at Avon beside him. Her eyes are trained on the target, like a predator stalking it’s prey. Her wings are slightly ajar, counterbalancing her weight from throwing the poison barb forward. She straightens, another projectile appearing in her fingers. He can see purple toxin dribbling from the tip of the barb. The gaze never falters, determination locking her in. She twists around, launching the barb like an arrow in the wind. It digs into the hay-filled target, the larger base of the barb brushing against her first target.

“No...way.” Iskall whispers. The wind picks up. Surely that will mess her up, right? He was Iskall, deadeye of doom. Nothing can stop him. The last barb flies in slow motion, her throw slightly curved against the wind. Letting the breeze push it to center.

The tip of the barb splits through the first shot. A perfect bullseye, not once but twice. Iskall has no ability to be bummed that he only got silver- that was mega awesome. Avon seems calm, collected even as she receives her medal, albeit tired. Exhausted physically, but never betraying what she’s thinking or feeling.

Mumbo and Iskall are still talking about the sight when Grian and a few other hermits join them in the stands. “So, how’d it go?” Grian sings, trying to be as bouncy as usual despite sleep still holding his eyes. He notices the silver medal hanging off Iskall’s neck. “What?! How’d you only get second? You’re like...the best shot i’ve ever seen, Iskall.”

“Those three wanderers, bro. I’ve never seen a least conspicuous group ever...but wow.” If it wasn’t for their lack of members, they’d give the hermits a run for their money. At least they have that going for them. “So G-man, you ready to prove your true talent?”

“Flying? You bet.” Grian flicks his arms out, and his angelic blue and white wings unfurl from nowhere, appearing like clouds in the sky. “That pageant was just a warmup.”

He hops onto the railing of the seats, before taking off into the air. Flying among other winged wizards, the hermits can already see his mastery of the sky. On the ground, Etho is warming his muscles as obstacles rise above the stadium. Pillars and rings teeter into the sky, caves and ravines digging in the ground, the dual events taking place at the same time. Neither Etho or Grian were the only nonguild wizards- Ecto is back, snacking on a cactus as she watches the course construct before her. In the air, the basilisk mage, Ty, is testing his wings against his short, lanky body.

“I don’t know who to watch!” Mumbo whispers, glancing from one course to the next. A firework crackles in the air, and in both the sky and the sand wizards take off. Across the obstacle course.

“You watch Grian, I’ll watch Etho.” Iskall chuckles, observing as the shadow ninja disappears through a shadow, reappearing in the lead. He bounces off a wall, dropping onto a raised bar and flipping across a pit of acid. Who even made that pit? Seems dangerous. But danger means nothing for Etho, and his incredible agility across the course.

Mumbo is biting his lip, watching as Grian brushes against a pillar of stone in the sky. Grian’s flying is risky, even in the best of times. The amount of heart attacks Grian gives his best friend on a normal day is spectacular. Today is even worse. He loses a year of his life watching the sky angel plummet from the sky, wings snapping open just in time to fly through a ring, pulling into the lead. Mumbo swears he can see a blue feather sheared off Grian’s wing as his friend squeezes between two rocks.

“Oh no, not again!” Iskall’s groan turns Mumbo’s attention to the ground. Ecto and Etho are both at the finish line, huffing and puffing as they clasp hands and congratulate one another. Mischievous eyes glimmer and grin, sharing quips and laughing. The two look at the other contestants, but based on Iskall’s outburst Mumbo knows who won. Again.

“Grian’s winning though!” The two look up, a shadow passing over their seats in the crowd. He’s got a heavy lead, while Ty and a gryphon wizard battle for second. Ty takes the lead, his scaly wings fluttering in the wind and ducking low to go under a blockade. The guild mage flies over, swinging his arm. Magic shoots out, aimed directly at Grian.

“Is that allowed?” Mumbo gasps, standing up. Grian’s almost at the finish line. He can’t let himself get hit by whatever spell the mage just cast.

“Go Grian!” Iskall shouts. “Watch out!”

Grian looks back, eyes widening as the golden magic hurdles his way. He’s so close...he’s not going to lose this. Grian curls his wings, tightening them against his body. He plummets from the sky. Wind whistles across his ears, feathers fluttering and the ground quickly rising up to meet him. But so is the finish line. A blast at his back pushes him into terminal velocity, the guild wizard’s magic blossoming into an explosive barrier. He needs to open his wings, to slow down. But he’ll become a target. So what does he do?

He closes his eyes. And crashes into the ground. Bouncing off the grass and hurtling over the finish line, Grian wins first place. Blood and bruises quickly appear on his skin and face, but he’s conscious and sitting upright as the coliseum erupts into cheers. Iskall and Mumbo only sigh. For the healer of the guild, he gets himself hurt more often than anyone.

Once on the sidelines, Etho helps Mumbo wrap bandages around Grian’s wounds. Mumbo shakes his head, prodding a bruise. “That was totally an illegal move, that explosion.”

“The guilds are pissed that we’re winning.” Etho hums. He tries to manipulate a shadow to cover him against the sun, but frowns when his magic refuses to appear. “You should’ve heard the wizards in the agility course. They think we’re cheating. They don’t get how a bunch of misfits are winning in almost every event.”

“It’s just cause we’re that much mega better.” Iskall chuckles. “They don’t have the awesome teamwork and diverse wizards like us.” He leans back, watching Joe standing before a sphinx. It’s the riddle event. “Maybe if they stopped worrying about money and status they’d do better.”

Grian hisses in pain, only for Etho to hush him. From the field, the sphinx stalks Joe. “I am alive, but without breath. I am as cold as life in death. I’m never thirsty, though I always drink.” The feminine voice purrs from the sandy skin of the sphinx’s human face. Feline haunches roll and rock under feathered wings and fur, but Joe only looks to the sky, his glasses hiding the emotions in his eyes as he thinks. “What am I?”

The hermits hold their breath, watching Joe in the lion’s den. His lips curl up, and his clasps his hands behind his back. “You’re a fish.”

The sphinx pauses, then dips her head. “Well done, poet. How about this? What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?”

Joe snickers. “Easy, a heart.”

“How very poetic, Joe of the Hills.” The creature pauses directly in front of him. “But not what I was looking for.” Teeth snarl and claws glisten, and the embroidered fabric of Joe’s cape is flung across the field, glasses clattering to the side. The hermits collectively wince, even Grian feeling the ache in his bones that Joe will feel come tomorrow. “The next contestant. Ian.”

The engineer mage bounces to the mark, completely unconcerned by the vicious lion-bodied creature before him. He wipes his brow, leaving a trail of black oil across his forehead. “I’m ready for whatever you got, miss sphinx!”

“Hmm, alright then.” She chuckles, sitting on her haunches. A lion’s tail, with feathered tips, flicks like a clock against the grass. “What can bring back the dead; make you cry, make you laugh, make you young; is born in an instant, yet lasts a lifetime?”

“Memories!” Ian quips, grinning proudly. “Let’s see if you got any better.”

The sphinx growls. “Alright, engineer.” She offers another riddle. And another answer. Iskall leans forward, biting his lip. The current leader has only two correct answers- Joe and another wizard were the only ones clever enough to come up with correct answers with enough time. One final question. And one final answer. The sphinx stands up after Ian responds, shoulders rolling. “Congratulations, Ian of the Crafted. You have won my challenge.”

“At least it wasn’t a guild that won. I don’t think we’ve heard the end of it.” Mumbo whispers, sitting back. Grian winces, pulling his arm against the sling it’s in, to which Etho swats him to keep it still.

“Stress is next!” Iskall grins, exciting to see his friend perform. Stress chose this event herself, and no one dared question her claim. And as she stands among the other wizards, she’s easily the most out of place. Surrounded by large men and mages of strength and muscle, many hardly wearing much more than whatever their guild deems necessary and often glistening in oil, Stress crosses her legs and pats the warm material of her ice blue dress. She casts a quick spell, and her short brown hair caresses pale cheeks as an icy wind cools her down. Iskall leans back, shaking his head. “She’s going to freaking crush this.”

And crush it she does. No one, not even the audience is prepared to watch the short, dainty ice wizard lift more weight than any oiled, burly man around her. Her magic, and her own strength, easily lifts the shelled form of a tarasque, a hydra, and a baku in one wall of ice. Not just lift the still living creatures, but doing so with enough care that each beast is left unharmed and even cradled by the ice rink beneath their feet. As soon as the creatures are back on their feet, Stress is immediately cooing- ignoring her gold medal in lieu of praising the hydra’s many heads for all their work helping her win.

Truly a strange mage for the strength event.

__________________________

“Are you sure they’re not here just to compete? You really think they’re here to...stop him?” A black cloaked figure whispers, eyes following the ice wizard as she skips to her friends. From the nosebleed section, the brothers can hardly see each individual person. But the hermits are easy enough to pick out. They stand out, unlike the other guilds. Each person with a unique outfit, unique features.

“If I know my brother, he can never take anything sitting down.” Red fabric moves as the white haired wizard talks, sharp eyes never leaving their target. A mask like that can be seen from a mile away. “And his friends aren’t much better.”

“They’re incredible!” The third figure, clad in a white cloak to hide his mop of rainbow hair, stands to get a better look. His friend grabs him by the arm and pulls his rear back to his seat. “These people are the true heroes we nee-”

“Can’t you be quiet for a minute, loudmouth?” His brother seethes, glancing at their contact. They’ve only just met him today, despite being in contact for much longer.

“I don’t know if I’d call them ‘heroes’, but they’re all Lairyon has.” The contact pulls his cloak’s mask up over his nose, tugging on the long white hairs stuck in between.

“A ragtag team of criminals, rejects, and outcasts is the only hope for Lairyon. Great.” The black cloaked brother huffs, setting his head on a propped up hand.

“How much different is that from us- or, I mean, the crown and his advisor?” The white robe lowers his voice after his brother slaps his arm, sharp gaze daring for him to try that again. “Lairyon needs light to return, and I think these hermits are exactly what we need.”

“I hope you’re right, your majesty.” The contact tugs on his long white ponytail. “They’ll need more help if they expect to survive. Which is why I came to you.”

“Well, let’s get started?” The three stand up, disappearing amongst the crowd. There’s a few people they’ve seen on the field who can help the hermits. Help from afar- as Ex always does.

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smokeycemetery · 4 years

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JA ONE XTC

JA • • •

KEVIN HELDMAN lives in New York. This is his first piece for "Rolling Stone." (ROLLING STONE,FEB 9,1995)

THE FIRST TIME I meet JA, he skates up to me wearing Rollerblades, his cap played backward, on a street corner in Manhattan at around midnight. He's white, 24 years old, with a short, muscular build and a blond crew cut. He has been writing graffiti off and on in New York for almost 10 years and is the founder of a loosely affiliated crew called XTC. His hands, arms, legs and scalp show a variety of scars from nightsticks, razor wire, fists and sharp, jagged things he has climbed up, on or over. He has been beaten by the police -- a "wood shampoo," he calls it -- has been shot at, has fallen off a highway sign into moving traffic, has run naked through train yards tagging, has been chased down highways by rival writers wielding golf clubs and has risked his life innumerable times writing graffiti -- bombing, getting up.

JA lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment. There's graffiti on a wall-length mirror, a weight bench, a Lava lamp to bug out on, cans of paint stacked in the corner, a large Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) sticker on the side of the refrigerator. The buzzer to his apartment lists a false name; his phone number is unlisted to avoid law-enforcement representatives as well as conflicts with other writers. While JA and one of his writing partners, JD, and I are discussing their apprehension about this story, JD, offering up a maxim from the graffiti life, tells me matter-of-factly, "You wouldn't fuck us over, we know where you live."

At JA's apartment we look through photos. There are hundreds of pictures of writers inside out-of-service subway cars that they've just covered completely with their tags, pictures of writers wearing orange safety vests -- to impersonate transit workers -- and walking subway tracks, pictures of detectives and transit workers inspecting graffiti that JA and crew put up the previous night, pictures of stylized JA 'throw-ups' large, bubble-lettered logos written 15 feet up and 50 times across a highway retaining wall. Picture after picture of JA's on trains, JA's on trucks, on store gates, bridges, rooftops, billboards -- all labeled, claimed and recorded on film.

JA comes from a well-to-do family; his parents are divorced; his father holds a high-profile position in the entertainment industry. JA is aware that in some people's minds this last fact calls into question his street legitimacy, and he has put a great deal of effort into resisting the correlation between privileged and soft. He estimates he has been arrested 15 times for various crimes. He doesn't have a job, and it's unclear how he supports himself. Every time we've been together, he's been high or going to get high. Once he called me from Rikers Island prison, where he was serving a couple of months for disorderly conduct and a probation violation. He said some of the inmates saw him tagging in a notebook and asked him to do tattoos for them.

It sounds right. Wherever he is, JA dominates his surroundings. With his crew, he picks the spots to hit, the stores to rack from; he controls the mission. He gives directions in the car, plans the activities, sets the mood. And he takes everything a step further than the people he's with. He climbs higher, stays awake longer, sucks deepest on the blunt, writes the most graffiti. And though he's respected by other writers for testing the limits -- he has been described to me by other writers as a king and, by way of compliment, as "the sickest guy I ever met" -- that same recklessness sometimes alienates him from the majority who don't have such a huge appetite for chaos, adrenaline, self-destruction.

When I ask a city detective who specializes in combating graffiti if there are any particularly well-known writers, he immediately mentions JA and adds with a bit of pride in his voice, "We know each other." He calls JA the "biggest graffiti writer of all time" (though the detective would prefer that I didn't mention that, because it'll only encourage JA). "He's probably got the most throw-ups in the city, in the country, in the world," the detective says. "If the average big-time graffiti vandal has 10,000 tags, JA's got 100,000. He's probably done -- in New York City alone -- at least $5 million worth of damage."

AT ABOUT 3 A.M., JA AND TWO OTHER WRITERS go out to hit a billboard off the West Side Highway in Harlem. Tonight there are SET, a 21-year-old white writer from Queens, N.Y., and JD, a black Latino writer the same age, also from Queens. They load their backpacks with racked cans of Rustoleum, fat cap nozzles, heavy 2-foot industrial bolt cutters and surgical gloves. We pile into a car and start driving, Schooly D blasting on the radio. First a stop at a deli where JA and SET go in and steal beer. Then we drive around Harlem trying a number of different dope spots, keeping an eye out for "berries" -- police cars. JA tosses a finished 40-ounce out the window in a high arc, and it smashes on the street.

At different points, JA gets out of the car and casually walks the streets and into buildings, looking for dealers. A good part of the graffiti life involves walking anywhere in the city, at any time, and not being afraid -- or being afraid and doing it anyway.

We arrive at a spot where JA has tagged the dealer's name on a wall in his territory. The three writers buy a vial of crack and a vial of angel dust and combine them ("spacebase") in a hollowed-out Phillies blunt. JD tells me that "certain drugs will enhance your bombing," citing dust for courage and strength ("bionics"). They've also bombed on mescaline, Valium, marijuana, crack and malt liquor. SET tells a story of climbing highway poles with a spray can at 6 a.m., "all Xanaxed out."

While JD is preparing the blunt, JA walks across the street with a spray can and throws up all three of their tags in 4-foot-high bubbled, connected letters. In the corner, he writes my name.

We then drive to a waterfront area at the edge of the city -- a deserted site with warehouses, railroad tracks and patches of urban wilderness dotted with high-rise billboards. All three writers are now high, and we sit on a curb outside the car smoking cigarettes. From a distance we can see a group of men milling around a parked car near a loading dock that we have to pass. This provokes 30 minutes of obsessive speculation, a stoned stakeout with play by play:

"Dude, they're writers," says SET. "Let's go down and check them out," says JD. "Wait, let's see what they write," says JA. "Yo -- they're going into the trunk," says SET. "Cans, dude, they're going for their cans. Dude, they're writers. "There could be beef, possible beef," says JA. "Can we confirm cans, do we see cans?" SET wants to know. Yes, they do have cans," SET answers for himself. "There are cans. They are writers." It turns out that the men are thieves, part of a group robbing a nearby truck. In a few moments guards appear with flashlights and at least one drawn gun. The thieves scatter as guard dogs fan out around the area, barking crazily.

We wait this out a bit until JA announces, "It's on." Hood pulled up on his head, he leads us creeping through the woods (which for JA has become the cinematic jungles of Nam). It's stop and go, JA crawling on his stomach, unnecessarily close to one of the guards who's searching nearby. We pass through graffiti-covered tunnels (with the requisite cinematic drip drip), over crumbling stairs overgrown with weeds and brush, along dark, heavily littered trails used by crackheads.

We get near the billboard, and JA uses the bolt cutters to cut holes in two chain-link fences. We crawl through and walk along the railroad tracks until we get to the base of the sign. JA, with his backpack on, climbs about 40 feet on a thin piece of metal pipe attached to the main pillar. JD, after a few failed attempts, follows with the bolt cutters shoved down his pants and passes them to JA. Hanging in midair, his legs wrapped around a small piece of ladder, JA cuts the padlock and opens up the hatch to the catwalk. He then lowers his arm to JD, who is wrapped around the pole just below him, struggling. "J, give me your hand, "I'll pull you up," JA tells him. JD hesitates. He is reluctant to let go and continues treadmilling on the pole, trying to make it up. JD, give me your hand." JD doesn't want to refuse, but he's uncomfortable entrusting his life to JA. He won't let go of the pole. JA says it again, firmly, calmly, utterly confident: "J give me your hand." JD's arm reaches up, and JA pulls JD up onto the catwalk. Next, SET, the frailest of the three, follows unsteadily. They've called down and offered to put up his tag, but he insists on going up. "Dude, fuck that, I'm down," he says. I look away while he makes his way up, sure that he's going to fall (he almost does twice). The three have developed a set pattern for dividing the labor when they're "blowing up," one writer outlining, another working behind him, filling in. For 40 minutes I watch them working furiously, throwing shadows as they cover ads for Parliament and Amtrak with large multicolored throw-ups SET and JD bickering about space, JA scolding them, tossing down empty cans.

They risk their lives again climbing down. Parts of their faces are covered in paint, and their eyes beam as all three stare at the billboard, asking, "Isn't it beautiful?' And there is something intoxicating about seeing such an inaccessible, clean object gotten to and made gaudy. We get in the car and drive the West Side Highway northbound and then southbound so they can critique their work. "Damn, I should've used the white," JD says.

The next day both billboards are newly re-covered, all the graffiti gone. JA tells me the three went back earlier to get pictures and made small talk with the workers who were cleaning it off.

GRAFFITI HAS BEEN THROUGH A NUMBER OF incarnations since it surfaced in New York in the early 70s with a Greek teen-ager named Taki 183. It developed from the straightforward writing of a name to highly stylized, seemingly illegible tags (a kind of penmanship slang) to wild-style throw-ups and elaborate (master) "pieces" and character art. There has been racist graffiti political writing, drug advertising, gang graffiti. There is an art-graf scene from which Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiac, LEE, Futura 2000, Lady Pink and others emerged; aerosol advertising; techno graffiti written into computer programs; anti-billboard graffiti; stickers; and stencil writing. There are art students doing street work in San Francisco ("nonpermissional public art"); mural work in underground tunnels in New York; gallery shows from Colorado to New Jersey; all-day Graffiti-a-Thons; and there are graffiti artists lecturing art classes at universities. Graffiti has become part of urban culture, hip-hop culture and commercial culture, has spread to the suburbs and can be found in the backwoods of California's national forests. There are graffiti magazines, graffiti stores, commissioned walls, walls of fame and a video series available (Out to bomb) documenting writers going out on graffiti missions, complete with soundtrack. Graffiti was celebrated as a metaphor in the 70s (Norman Mailer's "The Faith of Graffiti"); it went Hollywood in the '80s (Beat Street, Turk 182!, Wild Style); and in the '90s it has been increasingly used to memorialize the inner-city dead.

But as much as graffiti has found acceptance, it has been vilified a hundred times more. Writers are now being charged with felonies and given lengthy jail terms -- a 15-year-old in California was recently sentenced to eight years in a juvenile detention center. Writers have been given up to 1000 hours of community service and forced to undergo years of psychological counseling; their parents have been hit with civil suits. In California a graffiti writer's driver's license can be revoked for a year; high-school diplomas and transcripts can also be withheld until parents make restitution. In some cities property owners who fail to remove graffiti from their property are subject to fines and possible jail time. Last spring in St. Louis, Cincinnati, San Antonio and Sacramento, Calif., politicians proposed legislation to cane graffiti writers (four to 10 hits with a wooden paddle, administered by parents or by a bailiff in a public courtroom). Across the nation, legislation has been passed making it illegal to sell spray paint and wide-tipped markers to anyone under 18, and often the materials must be kept locked up in the stores. Several cities have tried to ban the sales altogether, license sellers of spray paint and require customers to give their name and address when purchasing paint. In New York some hardware-store owners will give a surveillance photo of anyone buying a large quantity of spray cans to the police. In Chicago people have been charged with possession of paint. In San Jose, Calif., undercover police officers ran a sting operation -- posing as filmmakers working on a graffiti documentary -- and arrested 31 writers.

Hidden cameras, motion detectors, laser removal, specially developed chemical coatings, night goggles, razor wire, guard dogs, a National Graffiti Information Network, graffiti hot lines, bounties paid to informers -- one estimate is that it costs $4 billion a year nationally to clean graffiti -- all in an effort to stop those who "visually laugh in the face of communities," as a Wall Street Journal editorial raged.

The popular perception is that since the late 1980s when New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority adopted a zero tolerance toward subway graffiti (the MTA either cleaned or destroyed more than 6,000 graffiti-covered subway cars, immediately pulling a train out of service if any graffiti appeared on it), graffiti culture had died in the place of its birth. According to many graffiti writers, however, the MTA, in its attempt to kill graffiti, only succeeded in bringing it out of the tunnels and train yards and making it angry. Or as Jeff Ferrell, a criminologist who has chronicled the Denver graffiti scene, theorizes, the authorities' crackdown moved graffiti writing from subculture to counterculture. The work on the trains no longer ran, so writers started hitting the streets. Out in the open they had to work faster and more often. The artistry started to matter less and less. Throw-ups, small cryptic tags done in marker and even the straightforward writing of a name became the dominant imagery. What mattered was quantity ("making noise"), whether the writer had heart, was true to the game, was "real." And the graffiti world started to attract more and more people who weren't looking for an alternative art canvas but simply wanted to be connected to an outlaw community, to a venerable street tradition that allowed the opportunity to advertise their defiance. "It's that I'm doing it that I get my rush, not by everyone seeing it," says JA. "Yeah, that's nice, but if that's all that's gonna motivate you to do it, you're gonna stop writing. That's what happened to a lot of writers." JD tells me: "We're just putting it in their faces; it's like 'Yo, you gotta put up with it.'"

Newspapers have now settled on the term "graffiti vandal" rather than "artist" or "writer." Graffiti writers casually refer to their work as doing destruction." In recent years graffiti has become more and more about beefs and wars, about "fucking up the MTA," "fucking up the city."

Writers started taking a jock attitude toward getting up frequently and tagging in hard-to-reach places, adopting a machismo toward going over other writers' work and defending their own ("If you can write, you can fight"). Whereas graffiti writing was once considered an alternative to the street, now it imports drugs, violence, weapons and theft from that world -- the romance of the criminal deviant rather than the artistic deviant. In New York today, one police source estimates there are approximately 100,000 people involved in a variety of types of graffiti writing. The police have caught writers as young as 8 and as old as 42. And there's a small group of hard-core writers who are getting older who either wrote when graffiti was in its prime or long for the days when it was, those who write out of compulsion, for each other and for the authorities who try to combat graffiti, writers who haven't found anything in their lives substantial or hype enough to replace graffiti writing.

The writers in their 20s come mostly from working-class families and have limited prospects and ambitions for the future. SET works in a drugstore and has taken lithium and Prozac for occasional depression; JD dropped out of high school and is unemployed, last working as a messenger, where he met JA. They spend their nights driving 80 miles an hour down city highways, balancing 40-ounce bottles of Old English 800 between their legs, smoking blunts and crack-laced cigarettes called coolies, always playing with the radio. They reminisce endlessly about the past, when graf was real, when graf ran on the trains, and they swap stories about who's doing what on the scene. The talk is a combo platter of Spicoli, homeboy, New Age jock and eighth grade: The dude is a fuckin' total turd. . . . I definitely would've gotten waxed. . . . It's like some bogus job. . . . I'm amped, I'm Audi, you buggin . . . You gotta be there fully, go all out, focus. . . . Dudes have bitten off SET, he's got toys jockin' him. . . .

They carry beepers, sometimes guns, go upstate or to Long Island to "prey on the hicks" and to rack cans of spray paint. They talk about upcoming court cases and probation, about quitting, getting their lives together, even as they plan new spots to hit, practice their style by writing on the walls of their apartments, on boxes of food, on any stray piece of paper (younger writers practice on school notebooks that teachers have been known to confiscate and turn over to the police). They call graffiti a "social tool" and "some kind of ill form of communication," refer to every writer no matter his age as "kid." Talk in the graffiti life vacillates between banality and mythology, much like the activity itself: hours of drudgery, hanging out, waiting, interrupted by brief episodes of exhilaration. JD, echoing a common refrain, says, "Graffiti writers are like bitches: a lot of lying, a lot of talking, a lot of gossip." They don't like tagging with girls ("cuties," or if they use drugs, "zooties") around because all they say is (in a whiny voice), You're crazy. . . . Write my name."

WHEN JA TALKS ABOUT GRAFFITI, HE'S reluctant to offer up any of the media-ready cliches about the culture (and he knows most of them). He's more inclined to say, "Fuck the graffiti world," and scoff at graf shops, videos, conventions and 'zines. But he can be sentimental about how he began -- riding the No. 1, 2 and 3 trains when he was young, bugging out on the graffiti-covered cars, asking himself, "How did they do that? Who are they?" And he'll respectfully invoke the names of long-gone writers he admired when he was just starting out: SKEME, ZEPHYR, REVOLT, MIN.

JA, typical of the new school, primarily bombs, covering wide areas with throw-ups. He treats graffiti less as an art form than as an athletic competition, concentrating on getting his tag in difficult-to-reach places, focusing on quantity and working in defiance of an aesthetic that demands that public property be kept clean. (Writers almost exclusively hit public or commercial property.)

And when JA is not being cynical, he can talk for hours about the technique, the plotting, the logistics of the game like "motion bombing" by clockwork a carefully scoped subway train that he knows has to stop for a set time, at a set place, when it gets a certain signal in the tunnels. He says, "To me, the challenge that graffiti poses, there's something very invigorating and freeing about it, something almost spiritual. There's a kind of euphoria, more than any kind of drug or sex can give you, give me . . . for real."

JA says he wants to quit, and he talks about doing it as if he were in a 12-step program. "How a person in recovery takes it one day a time, that's how I gotta take it," he says. You get burnt out. There's pretty much nothing more the city can throw at me; it's all been done." But then he'll hear about a yard full of clean sanitation trucks, the upcoming Puerto Rican Day Parade (a reason to bomb Fifth Avenue) or a billboard in an isolated area; or it'll be 3 a.m., he'll be stoned, driving around or sitting in the living room, playing NBA Jam, and someone will say it: "Yo, I got a couple of cans in the trunk. . . ." REAS, an old-school writer of 12 years who, after a struggle and a number of relapses, eventually quit the life, says, "Graffiti can become like a hole you're stuck in; it can just keep on going and going, there's always another spot to write on."

SAST is in his late 20s and calls himself semiretired after 13 years in the graf scene. He still carries around a marker with him wherever he goes and cops little STONE tags (when he's high, he writes, STONED). He's driving JA and me around the city one night, showing me different objects they've tagged, returning again and again to drug spots to buy dust and crack, smoking, with the radio blasting; he's telling war stories about JA jumping onto moving trains, JA hanging off the outside of a speeding four-wheel drive. SAST is driving at top speed, cutting in between cars, tailgating, swerving. A number of times as we're racing down the highway, I ask him if he could slow down. He smiles, asks if I'm scared, tells me not to worry, that he's a more cautious driver when he's dusted. At one point on the FDR, a car cuts in front of us. JA decides to have some fun.

"Yo, he burnt you, SAST," JA says. We start to pick up speed. Yo, SAST, he dissed you, he cold dissed you, SAST." SAST is buying it, the look on his face becoming more determined as we go 70, 80, 90 miles an hour, hugging the divider, flying between cars. I turn to JA, who's in the back seat, and I try to get him to stop. JA ignores me, sitting back perfectly relaxed, smiling, urging SAST to go faster and faster, getting off, my fear adding to his rush.

At around 4 a.m., SAST drops us off on the middle of the Manhattan Bridge and leaves. JA wants to show me a throw-up he did the week before. We climb over the divider from the roadway to the subway tracks. JA explains that we have to cross the north and the southbound tracks to get to the outer part of the bridge. In between there are a number of large gaps and two electrified third rails, and we're 135 feet above the East River. As we're standing on the tracks, we hear the sound of an oncoming train. JA tells me to hide, to crouch down in the V where two diagonal braces meet just beside the tracks.

I climb into position, holding on to the metal beams, head down, looking at the water as the train slams by the side of my body. This happens twice more. Eventually, I cross over to the outer edge of the bridge, which is under construction, and JA points out his tag about 40 feet above on what looks like a crow's-nest on a support pillar. After a few moments of admiring the view, stepping carefully around the many opportunities to fall, JA hands me his cigarettes and keys. He starts crawling up one of the braces on the side of the bridge, disappears within the structure for a moment, emerges and makes his way to an electrical box on a pillar. Then he snakes his way up the piping and grabs on to a curved support. Using only his hands he starts to shimmy up; at one point he's hanging almost completely upside down. If he falls now, he'll land backward onto one of the tiers and drop into the river below. He continues to pull himself up, the old paint breaking off in his hands, and finally he flips his body over a railing to get to the spot where he tagged. He doesn't have a can or a marker with him, and at this point graffiti seems incidental. He comes down and tells me that when he did the original tag he was with two writers; one he half carried up, the other stopped at a certain point and later told JA that watching him do that tag made him appreciate life, being alive.

We walk for 10 minutes along a narrow, grooved catwalk on the side of the tracks; a thin wire cable prevents a fall into the river. A few times, looking down through the grooves, I have to stop, force myself to take the next step straight ahead, shake off the vertigo. JA is practically jogging ahead of me. We exit the bridge into Chinatown as the sun comes up and go to eat breakfast. JA tells me he's a vegetarian.

IF YOU TALK TO SERIOUS GRAFFITI writers, most of them will echo the same themes; they decry the commercialization of graf, condemn the toys and poseurs and alternately hate and feel attached to the authorities who try to stop them. They say with equal parts bravado and self-deprecation that a graffiti writer is a bum, a criminal, a vandal, slick, sick, obsessed, sneaky, street-smart, living on edges figurative and literal. They show and catalog cuts and scars on their bodies from razor wire, pieces of metal, knives, box cutters. I once casually asked a writer named GHOST if he knew another writer whose work I had seen in a graf'zine. "Yeah, I know him, he stabbed me," GHOST replies matter-of-factly. "We've still got beef." SET tells me he was caught by two DTs (detectives) who assaulted him, took his cans of paint and sprayed his body and face. JA tells similar stories of police beatings for his making officers run after him, of cops making him empty his spray cans on his sneakers or on the back of a fellow writer's jacket. JD has had 48 stitches in his back and 18 in his head over "graffiti-related beef." JA's best friend and writing partner, SANE SMITH, a legendary all-city writer who was sued by the city and the MTA for graffiti, was found dead, floating in Jamaica Bay. There's endless speculation in the grafworld as to whether he was pushed, fell or jumped off a bridge. SANE is so respected, there are some writers today who spend time in public libraries reading and rereading the newspaper microfilm about his death, his arrests, his career. According to JA, after SANE's death, his brother, SMiTH, also a respected graffiti artist, found a piece of paper on which SANE had written his and JA's tag and off to the side, FLYING HIGH THE XTC WAY. It now hangs on JA's apartment wall.

One morning, JA and I jump off the end of a subway platform and head into the tunnels. He shows me hidden rooms, emergency hatches that open to the sidewalk, where to stand when the trains come by. He tells me about the time SANE lay face down in a shallow drainage ditch on the tracks as an express train ran inches above him. JA says anytime he was being chased by the police he would run into a nearby subway station, jump off the platform and run into the tunnels. The police would never follow. KET, a veteran graffiti writer, tells me how in the tunnels he would accidentally step on homeless people sleeping. They'd see him tagging and would occasionally ask that he "throw them up," write their names on the wall. He usually would. Walking in the darkness between the electrified rails as trains race by, JA tells me the story of two writers he had beef with who came into the tunnels to cross out his tags. Where the cross-outs stop is where they were killed by an approaching train.

The last time I go out with JA, SET and JD, they pick me up at around 2 am. We drive down to the Lower East Side to hit a yard where about 60 trucks and vans are parked next to one another. Every vehicle is already covered with throw-ups and tags, but the three start to write anyway, JA in a near frenzy. They're running in between the rows, crawling under trucks, jumping from roof to roof, wedged down in between the trailers, engulfed in nauseating clouds of paint fumes (the writers sometimes blow multicolored mucous out of their noses), going over some writers' tags, respecting others, JA throwing up SANE's name, searching for any little piece of clean space to write on. JA, who had once again been talking about retirement, is now hungry to write and wants to hit another spot. But JD doesn't have any paint, SET needs gas money for his car, and they have to drive upstate the next morning to appear in court for a paint-theft charge.

During the ride back uptown the car is mostly quiet, the mood depressed. And even when the three were in the truck yard, even when JA was at his most intense, it seemed closer to work, routine, habit. There are moments like this when they seem genuinely worn out by the constant stress, the danger, the legal problems, the drugging, the fighting, the obligation to always hit another spot. And it's usually when the day is starting.

About a week later I get a call from another writer whom JA had told I was writing an article on graffiti. He tells me he has never been king, never gone all city, but now he is making a comeback, coming out of retirement with a new tag. He says he could do it easily today because there is no real competition. He says he was thinking about trying to make some money off of graffiti -- galleries. canvases, whatever . . . to get paid.

"I gotta do something," the writer says. "I can't rap, I can't dance, I got this silly little job." We talk more, and he tells me he appreciates that I'm writing about writers, trying to get inside the head of a vandal, telling the real deal. He also tells me that graffiti is dying, that the city is buffing it, that new writers are all toys and are letting it die, but it's still worth it to write.

I ask why, and then comes the inevitable justification that every writer has to believe and take pleasure in, the idea that order will always have to play catch-up with them. "It takes me seconds to do a quick throw-up; it takes them like 10 minutes to clean it," he says. "Who's coming out on top?"

#graffiti #ja #ja one #ja nyc #ja one nyc #new york graffiti #xtc crew #xtc #graff nyc #ja graffiti #ja one graffiti

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herocentral · 4 years

Text

Possible Hero 6

Afternoon Folks first of all apologies for the long delay to chapter 5 of this story I’ve been a bit swamped with my uni work as we have begun animating our projects and so I haven't been in the right frame of mind to work on this. However now I’ve found the time to work on PH6 and so without any delay let’s begin.

Big Hero 6 & Kim Possible (c) Disney,2020

Chapter 5 Undercover Hero 6

Morning rises in the aftermath of last nights fight between Big Hero 6, Team Possible and the Mad Jacks. However one thing stood out from the struggle at the bridge and that was the remains of a burnt down warehouse on the far side of town fire trucks were busy extinguishing the last of the fires. The scene switches to a television news studio as a news cast is presented by Duff Dunderson.

“Last night at the San Fransokyo bridge an epic conflict between heroes and villains occurred but thanks to the efforts of Big Hero 6 and the aid of teen hero Kim Possible the disaster was averted.” Duff said showing a photo of Big Hero 6 and Team Possible defeating the Mad Jacks.

“Anyway in other news a mysterious fire occurred last night at a condemned warehouse on the east side of the city, police and city officials have narrowed it down to electrical issues within the old building..” Duff reports showing an image of the fire.

The screen turns black and shows it was on a television in Gogo’s apartment where Honey Lemon also resides due to a frosty incident in her dorm room.

“Please I seriously doubt electrical mishaps could cause a fire like that.” Gogo observed. “Well people like spectacle not truth even though nothing could cause an electrical fire that big.” Honey Lemon agreed.

Just then Gogos computer sounded off and they went over it to answer a video call from Hiro and the others.

“I’m guessing you guys saw the news?” Hiro asked. “Yeah, there’s no way an electrical mishap caused that.” Wasabi said.

Just then Kim buzzes in. “Your right guys there’s no chance it was an accident.” “We’ve gotta take a look at the site and see if we can find some clues.” Kim then added.

Hiro’s Room:

“Okay lets meet up and…” “Hiro” Baymax then interrupted.

“You have a class scheduled at 9am.” Baymax reminded showing a university timetable on his chest monitor. Hiro just looked in shock as he had forgotten about his class for this morning.

“Whoops!” Hiro exclaimed. “Oh man we’ve got class! We must’ve gotten caught up with training!” Wasabi said on the video chat.

“But what about the case?” Fred asked. “Guys its no big Ron and I can take this just go to your classes and we’ll meet up later.” Kim said understanding.

“I’m not a student I’ll come help.” Fred offered.

Hiro nodded in agreement and then turned to his health care companion.

“Baymax you should go with them too.” He said. “Alright Hiro.” Baymax agreed.

“Thanks Hiro and don’t worry Baymax will be in good hands.” Kim thanked and they ended the video chat and hurried to SFIT

Condemned building (formerly)

The remains of the building site was closed off by the police with police tape with some of the officers standing watch. Just then as one of the officers yawned he could see something coming towards them and then landing in front of them was Baymax armoured up and riding on his back was Kim and Ron in their mission gear and Fred in his Fredzilla suit. Rufus also bore his armour too.

The three dismounted from the red robots back and onto the ground Ron took his time as he was still a little scared from flying round.

“Whew glad that’s over.” Ron breathed. The group then approached the police officers on duty.

“Good morning officers.” Kim greeted. “Oh uh miss Possible and company it seems.” Said the police officer gesturing to the two members of BH6.

“Yes I don’t suppose there’s a chance we could examine the crime scene?” Kim asked.

“Uh sorry miss no can do we can’t contaminate the scene besides its already been narrowed down to electrical fault.” The officer said politely.

“Yeah but no offence maybe there’s more than what your seeing.” Ron added to which Fred nodded

“What Rons saying is maybe we can find some clues we believe it’s connected to a case of our own.” Kim explained.

The officer considered what was said and whilst he couldn’t have them contaminate the crime scene he was familiar with Kims work.

“Okay I don’t see any harm. At least officially.” The officer said standing aside and letting the team through to the crime scene.

“Oh I don’t suppose later I could get an autograph, it’s for my niece.” The officer offered.

“Sure no problem.” Kim answered. “Yeah I’ll even throw one in from me!” Fredzilla said as they entered the crime scene. Baymax stopped for a moment and looked to the officers.

“Thank you officers for your service.” Baymax said with a thumbs up.

Soon the team was examining the crime scene Rufus was scurrying around on the rubble, whilst Baymax was wandering around scanning the area whilst Kim was using her Kimmunicator to analyse the rubble. Ron and Fred just looked around.

“Anything Wade?” Kim asked. “Well the police were right this was some kind of fire but it wasn’t an electrical one.” Wade said analysing the scan from his computer.

“So who would blow up a warehouse?” Ron asked.

“No clue.” Fredzilla said. “The building was condemned so there was no harm to surrounding citizens.” Baymax said scanning the area.

Soon he heard Rufus squeaking and went over to what he had found. He found the small armoured molerat standing next to what remains of one of the support pillars.

“Rufus has found something.” Baymax called. Kim, Ron, and Fredzilla came over to see what it was Rufus had found. They looked and Rufus pointed to the pillar like a watch dog and sniffed it.

“Blech Shego!” Rufus squeaked. Kim looked closer at the pillar and frowned knowing she now had a pretty good idea of what or rather who did this.

Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab: SFIT (later that day)

Later when classes ended Kim and Ron met with Hiro and the rest of the team at SFIT to discuss their findings at the condemned building remains.

“So Shego’s going around blowing up buildings now?” Wasabi said with a hint of suspicion.

“I don’t know about that it’s not her style.” Kim said given her experience with the green rouge in the past.

“Why does anyone need a reason to do anything?” Gogo said working on her mag lev bike.

Just then the Kimmunicator sounds off and Kim answers it.

“Hold on, what’s the sitch Wade?” Kim asked.

“Kim I’ve just finished looking through the Krei tech data base to find out about the hard drive that was stolen.” Wade said then bringing up a circuit diagram of a robotic prototype.

“Apparently they stole robotic blue prints to some kind of decommissioned prototype that was never put into production for military use.” Wade described and this peaked Hiro’s attention.

“Hold on let me see.” Hiro said and Kim handed him the Kimmunicator so he could look over the schematics his face turned to horror as he knew where he’d seen this before.

“I know these schematics.” Hiro said. “It was an old military project that was never put into production and was repurposed for commercial uses.” Hiro described.

“Yeah and that was as Noodle Burgers mascot Noodle Burger Boy which was then high jacked by a villain of ours and turned into a fighting machine.” Fred added.

“So Krei turned a robot fighting machine into a fast food mascot?” Ron asked “Dude talk about bad choices.”

“You’ve no idea” Wasabi said. “But what would Drakken want with them?” Honey Lemon asked. “And how would he know about them and where to look?” Gogo added.

“Unless he’s working with someone who told him about them so he could reverse engineer it into something else.” Hiro said. “How dangerous would it be?” Kim asked

“Very, Noodle Burger boy was able to highjack and adapt an exo skeleton me an Wasabi built for a school competition and it can scan anyone and use its AI programming to know what we want or in this case what we plan on doing.” Hiro explained.

“Artificial intelligence, never good in the wrong hands.” Kim deduced having dealt with artificial intelligent robots before.

“We need to find them, Wade any leads?” Kim then asked.

“No nothing, it’s weird I can usually track them down through leads or trails but so far nothing?” Wade said.

“Relax Wade I got this.” Hiro said. “Baymax find Shego.”

Baymax began scanning, unfortunately. “I am unable to locate Shego.” He said. “What? Why?” Hiro asked.

“I was not able to scan Shego during our previous encounters.” Baymax replied.

“Great so we’re back to square one.” Hiro sighed.

This left everyone conceding defeat unless they can find someway to locate Shego and Drakken, they’re basically sailing without a map when hunting for super villains.

However Wasabi suddenly had a lightbulb go off in his head he had an idea.

“Wait, what if we could track Shego’s exact movements instead!” He said in realisation.

“Come again?” Kim asked. “Well we know her powers came from a meteorite right, and her energy blasts are comprised of Ionised Plasma.” Wasabi explain. “and when it’s been used it leaves a trail of Ion emissions behind.”

“I get it and ion emissions are trackable.” Wade said catching on to what Wasabi was getting that.

“And with the right adjustments I can calibrate Baymax’s super sensor to track it!” Hiro concluded.

“Boyah sounds like we got a plan!” Ron cheered.

So in his lab Hiro set to work upgrading Baymax’s super sensor making adjustments to his helmet and with help from Wasabi, he was able to input the necessary data whilst Wade worked on the coding. Soon they had the sensor calibrated and after some diagnostics much to Hiro’s impatience the upgrades were complete. The two then shared a fist bump while Wade gave a thumbs up.

Later that afternoon the eight teens then stood on the roof of one of the skyscrapers suited up and ready to put the upgrade to the test.

“Alright Baymax, fire up that super sensor.” Hiro said and Baymax began scanning the city for traces of ion emissions. From his eye view he scans the city taking note of patients and soon enough finds what he is looking for.

“I have found a trace.” Baymax reports “Coming from the southern side of the city.”

Soon the team was in the sky riding Baymax, they soon arrive at the south side of San Fransokyo, they were wondering where it is Baymax could be flying towards and then.

“Target acquired.” Baymax pointed towards an old iron works warehouse. “Okay buddy take us in.” Hiro said “Quietly.” Kim then added and so they descend slowly to the ground and then land. They dismount the red robot and look at their location.

“An old iron works warehouse, that��s a strange place for Drakken and Shego to hold up?” Ron said rather surprised given Drakken and Shego usually go for the island or mountain based lairs.

“Come on its classic villain, they’re attracted to dark remote places for an evil lair.” Fredzilla said in his comic book way.

“Besides this is one of Baron Von Steamers old hideouts.” Fredzilla explained. “Baron Von who?” Ron asked and Rufus had a confused look on his face.

“Oh he’s an old super villain of my dads from back in the old days.” Fredzilla explained.

“Wait your dad was a super hero!” Ron said surprised. “Yeah called himself Boss Awesome. Twas the seventies.” Fredzilla explained.

“So he what uses steam as a weapon? What is he an old train?” Ron asked. “Old yes train no.” Fredzilla explained.

“Steam can be harmful resulting in third degree burns.” Baymax added.

“Guys keep your heads in the game.” Kim reminded.

“Okay what’s the game plan?” Wasabi asked. “Easy we knock.” Hiro said “Baymax rocket fist.”

Baymax readied his rocket fist until Kim stopped him from doing so.

“Hold up on that rocket fist, first we need to know if there’s anyone in there so I’ll go in and do some recon then let you in.” Kim suggested.

“If Shego’s in there then we’re going in now cause no-one gives me a concussion and gets away with it!” Gogo said.

“Sorry Gogo but this requires stealth not smashing or speeding in.” Kim said Gogo was about to say something but Hiro stops her.

“It makes sense you know Drakken and Shego, so we’ll do it your way.” Hiro agreed.

Kim nodded and made her way to the warehouse, saw an open window and using her grappling hair dryer she grappled up to the window and quietly let herself in. The rest of the team watched from a distance.

“So we’ve basically been benched, whilst she goes in.” Gogo questioned. “Eh after a while you get used to it.” Ron said.

Kim soon enters the building but Hiro couldn’t help but observe the hairdryer she uses as a grappling gun.

“So that’s a grappling gun disguised as a hair dryer?” Hiro then asked. “Yeah it comes in handy for her but me a little issue.” Ron said. “You mean loosing your pants?” Gogo guessed.

“Okay but not to criticise or anything but wouldn’t something that retracts be more practical?” Hiro wondered. “Like maybe inserted in the glove for easy access.”

“Eh bring it up with Wade, he builds the toys we just use them.” Ron then said.

Soon the warehouse doors open to reveal Kim standing in the door way and she makes a gesture telling the team its safe to come in.

They enter the warehouse only to find nothing but old ironworks machinery and the dropping water.

“I don’t get it where’s greenie?” Gogo said. “Maybe the sensor doesn’t work?” Ron guessed.

“Baymax you sure this is the place?” Wasabi asked.

Baymax scanned the area and his sensor reveals a definite trail.

“Yes this is the place.” Baymax said. “But there’s nothing here?” Honey Lemon said.

“Unless we’re missing something take a look around.” Kim suggested and everyone began looking around the warehouse Rufus then sniffs something in the air and looks to a wall he’s rather curious and squeaks getting Baymax’s attention.

He looks at the wall and his sensor shows the ion emissions trail leading to a wall.

“Hiro, Kim.” Baymax said getting their attention. “The trail leads to that wall.” He then pointed with his hand. They go over to the wall and see Rufus sniffing it and feeling the wall. He looks to the others and nods confirming what Baymax is saying.

“Okay how much you willing to bet it’s a fake wall?” Gogo guessed. “Lets find out.” Kim said pulling out her Kimmunicator.

“Wade we may’ve stumbled on a secret door to something.” “In that case check your back pack.” Wade suggested.

reaching into her pack pack Kim pulls out a small tub of lip gloss.

“Whats that acid to melt the wall?” Ron asked. “No chapped lips.” Kim corrected as she placed the balm on her lips and rubs them together. She then moves to pull out a red lipstick.

“Hold on your gonna use lip stick to open a door?” Wasabi said confused. Kim looks at Wasabi with a smirk and when she removes the lid and turns it round the top glows red.

“Whoa!” BH6 said in response as it was actually.. “Laser lip stick, make Freddy so happy!” Fredzilla said clapping his hands in excitement.

Kim uses the lip stick laser to cut a hole in the wall and it falls back to reveal a secret elevator. “Shall we?” Kim gestured leaving Hiro with an impressed smirk.

Below

Down below in his evil lair in a secret room, Drakken is busy welding something together with a blow torch. He’s soon finished and removes his welding goggles he snickers evilly as he looks at his creation.

“Ah the scope of my evil engineering genius knows no bounds with this I shall finally make my evil mark on the world as I Dr. Drakken finally conquer the world!” He said giving off an evil laugh.

“Brag much Dr.D?” Said a voice and Drakken turns to see Shego standing behind him.

“It’s not bragging Shego its pride.” Drakken protested but then noticed something different about his assistant specifically what she had on her lower arms.

“Wait what are those?” Drakken asked and Shego could see he noticed her energy enhancers given to her by a new ‘associate’

“Oh these there just new bracelets I bought, glad you notice for a change.” Shego said just pretending their jewellery.

“Bracelets that glow green and look more like energy enhancers?” Drakken then said with a raised eyebrow. Shego was a little impressed that Drakken could see they were energy enhancers, usually he doesn’t pay attention to what she says.

“So what they were in that Krei warehouse I robed a few weeks ago, looked great in my colour.” Shego then said.

Suddenly a there was a huge explosion from the lift they turned to see a large hole and eight certain heroes standing out from the smoke.

“If your colour is outdated Shego.” Kim cracked.

“POSSIBLE!” Drakken exclaimed. “And the crime fighting team of Big Hero 6!” Fredzilla announced dramatically.

“And don’t forget Ron Stoppable and Rufus!” Ron added as Rufus stood on his shoulder armoured up posing as a super hero.

“How is this… how did you find my lair!?” Drakken demanded.

“Oh please you picked the worst hideouts especially ones belonging to an old school super villain.” Hiro cracked.

“Plus having a robot with a super sensor that can track anyone doesn’t hurt either.”

“Grr! SHEGO!” Drakken ordered. “I know I know attack!” Shego said as she fired up her energy blasts and fired them at the team which scattered to avoid the blast. Shego continues to fire energy blasts to hit them. Gogo using her mag lev skates is able to avoid them.

She skates right up to the green rouge and throws her mag lev disks at her. Shego quickly avoids them and fires an energy blast at Gogo who uses the skates on her legs to deflect the blasts back at her. Shego avoids the blasts just barely and glares at the skating hero.

“Gah I so hate that!” Shego said. “Then you won’t like this either!” Kim and Wasabi jump in with a round house kick which Shego took and as she catapulted away Honey Lemon made a chem ball and crushed it in her hand forming a goo rope which Gogo caught and pulled back with her speed to be catapulted forward and punched Shego in the face knocking her to the ground.

“Don’t bother trying lady things have changed since the last time we faced off.” Gogo smirked.

Shego just looked up and saw she was out numbered three to one, however she now had an ace up her sleeve.

“You got that right.” She said and her energy enhancers hummed into life and from her energy she formed dual energy blades which was more than a surprise for Kim and the others.

“What the!” Kim said. “Uh she couldn’t do that before right?” Wasabi asked. Shego slashed at the three heroes and quickly reacted to avoid it but the blade did slightly catch Kim’s left arm tearing her shirt and slightly burning her skin.

“Ow.” Kim breathed. Before Shego could attack again she was met by a flying red rocket fist which sent her flying into a wall. The fist retracted to reveal it was Baymax who fired it as he flew in the air.

“Spankin Baymax!” Kim thanked. “I was alerted to the need for help.” Baymax replied.

Drakken meanwhile was rushing to the computer and was typing in several commands in the console whilst Shego was occupied with the heroes.

“Not so fast Drakken!” called a voice, Drakken quickly turned to see Hiro and Ron standing behind him.

“Oh great the bafoon and the smallest of Big Hero 6!” Drakken said unimpressed.

“What are you up too and who gave you the info on what to steal from Krei tech?” Hiro demanded.

“Oh please like I’m going to blurt out what my plan is to you!” Drakken said. “I’m not that stupid!”

“No your just plain dumb?” Hiro cracked leaving Drakken with a raised eyebrow. “I mean you claim to be a smart evil genius yet your so distracted you let one of my team sneak up right behind you.” Hiro pointed.

“WHAT!?” Drakken said turning around but there was no-one there, but.

“SUPER JUMP!” Called a voice from behind Hiro and Ron and Fredzilla jumped in the air and then span round in a ball breathing fire.

“FIRE SPIN BALL!” He exclaimed and as he slammed into the ground the firery shockwave sent Drakken flying to the ground.

Shego meanwhile uses her energy blasts to blast Baymax into the wall but before she could blast him again her hands were encased in blue goop and turned to see Honey Lemon who had thrown said Chem balls which caused it.

Shego burns the goop off and charges at her slashing at her with green energy blades. Wasabi is quick to intercept the energy blade with his own plasma blades pushing her back and Kim comes in with a round house kick knocking her to the ground.

Shego gets up to see she’s surrounded by the five heroes and how Drakken’s was cornered by Hiro, Ron and Fredzilla.

“Time to fly Dr.D!” Shego called and Drakken’s responded by pressing a big red button on the control console. Suddenly alerts start blaring all over the complex as Drakken’s runs towards Shego then.

“Lair self destruct in 30 seconds!” Said a computer voice. “Oh boy that’s not good!” Wasabi panicked. Just then a tube like device encased Drakken and Shego and sucked them out of the lair. “Byyyyyyeeeee!” Drakken exclaimed as the two villains made their escape.

“We need to go now!” Gogo said as the base began to shake. However Hiro went straight to the computer and began typing in certain commands.

“Dude it’s time to bolt!” Ron exclaimed. “We need to find out who’s working with Drakken!” Hiro exclaimed and he soon found what he needed and the computer ejected a small drive device.

“Let’s go!” Hiro said as they ran but as Honey Lemon tried to use the elevator.

“Guys the elevators not working!” She panicked. “Oh man now what do we do.

Kim looked around as did Hiro and looked up to see a huge open pipe entrance above them they looked to each other knowing they were thinking the same thing.

“We take a ride everyone on Baymax!” Hiro said and they all climbed aboard the big red robots back and arms as he kneeled down and readied his wings.

“Full thrust Baymax!” Kim ordered and Baymax fired up his jet boots and soared into the sky at top speed.

“Self destruct in 5,4,3,2…..1” The lair exploded in an explosive plume of fire and the heroes flew through the open pipe with the blast front closing in fast.

“AHHH ITS CATCHING UP!” Wasabi yelled. “This is gonna be close!” Gogo exclaimed.

Closer and closer came the blast when eventually Baymax crashed through the warehouse floor and out the roof just as the whole place explodes in flames! Baymax soon landed to the ground with everyone safe and scanned them.

“You are all uninjured.” Baymax said. Kim then looked at the destroyed rubble of the evil geniuses lair and could only look with a deadpanned expression.

“Once just once I want to escape from an evil lair and not have it go up in a blaze.” she said simply.

“Hold on how many times has this guy blown up his own lair?” Wasabi asked still a little terror-struck.

“More often than we’d like.” Kim said. “Yeah and it’s not just Drakken it’s become rather repetitive really.” Ron added to which Rufus agreed with a nod.

“Eh it’s a super villain thing.” Fred just shrugged.

Gogo then just punches Hiro in the arm given what happened back in the lair before it went boom.

“Genius why did you just go to the computer back there instead of escaping we barely got out!” She said to the young genius.

“Well to get this.” Hiro said holding up the drive he took from the lair. “Its the drive for that computer and it has files that might help us figure out who Drakken’s working with.”

“Well don’t pull a stunt like that again!” Gogo then said.

“Okay Gogo don’t be harsh on him whilst a little close it was the right call.” Kim said defending Hiro’s choice who then handed her the drive.

“We need to get this to Wade.” Kim then decided.

Late Afternoon at SFIT

It was now late in the afternoon at SFIT and Hiro was in his lab on his computer going over some ideas for something. Though he promised to honour his brothers memory he still had to keep up with his school work one of the prices of leading a superhero double life. Whilst he worked he heard a knock on the door and saw it was Proffessor Granville.

“Oh hey Professor Granville!” Hiro said straightening up. “I was just uh working on ideas for my final project for the showcase.” Hiro then said.

“Of course but that’s not why I’m here Mr.Hamada.” Professor Granville then said. “I’m here to inform you there’s a conference on advancements in robotics being held tonight in Tadashi Hamada Hall, so access to the campus will be closed for the duration.” She informed.

“Ah I see, well I’ll just pack up and head home.” Hiro then said. “Oh and be sure you have a project to submit to the showcase by the deadline please, wouldn’t want you to miss your passing grade.” Granville then said as she took her leave.

Hiro just packed up his back pack and took his leave with Baymax following close behind him. He couldn’t help but think about how Professor Granville treats him sometimes a little harsh but at the same time does give good advice what circled in his mind the most was how sometimes even geniuses need limits which stuck with him after hearing the story about a former student of hers.

Meanwhile at the Hotel where Kim and her family were staying Kim was still waiting to hear from Wade. However she couldn’t help but wonder how Shego had gotten more powerful or where she got those silver gauntlets from. She was wearing a bright pink crop top, with dark green pants and white shoes. Just then the Kimmunicator sounds off right on cue.

“Go Wade.” Kim answered. “Kim, I’ve looked at the hard drive Hiro was able to recover from Drakken’s lair and it seems he’s been corresponding with someone via snail mail for months.” Wade replied with the intel.

“So Drakken is working with someone but who?” Kim wondered just then she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

“Hold on Wade.” Kim said putting Wade on hold. “Come in.” She said. Then opening the door was her mom and dad.

“Hi Kimmy.” James said as he greeted his daughter in a grey suit.

“Hi Dad hey Mom what’s up?” She asked “well honey tonight SFIT’s holding a conference on the advancements in rocket science and well I’m obligated to attend.” James explained.

“So is there any chance you could babysit the boys while we’re out?” Ann then asked. “Well I don’t know I sort of have a mission going on and...” “Kimmy please it’s a new city and we can’t exactly leave them here on their own.” Ann then said.

“That’s right honey as their sister it’s your job to watch your brothers so they don’t get hurt.” James then added.

“Except those brothers have a habit of....” Kim tried to protest but then saw her mom pull a certain pout she knew all too well.

“Oh no, not the puppy dog pout.” She wined. “Oh alright I’ll watch them but I need to go see Hiro later.” She then caved in defeat.

“Oh well bring the boys with you.” James suggested. “You know Kimmy I’m glad you’ve made friends with Hiro, Cass told me that besides his friends at SFIT having you around is a nice change of pace for him.” Ann then said.

“Really she said that?” Kim asked not realising what Cass thought of her hanging around her nephew for secret reasons.

“But Kimmy your not involving Hiro in this mission of yours are you?” James then asked. “No I’m not.” Kim said.

Later at the lucky cat:

Later as evening draws in, Kim and Ron later arrived at the lucky cat Cafe but the cafe itself is closed and so they went round to the side where the home entrance was. They knocked on the door. Then Cass answers the door.

“Oh Kim what a surprise.” Cass said. “Hi Cass is Hiro around?” Kim then asked.

“Oh yes why?” Cass asked just then Hiro appeared.

“It’s cause they have a school project coming up and they needed a little help with it.” Hiro said smiling in excuse.

“Well nice to see you helping with school work Hiro.” Cass said, “well come in I’ll make some coco if your interested.” She then offered.

“We’ll have some.” Jim and Tim then said popping up which surprised both Cass and Hiro. “Oh and I hope you don’t mind that I brought my brothers with me our parents are out so I’m babysitting.” Kim then explained.

“Of course I don’t mind the more the merrier.” Cass said as they came in. “Thanks Mrs.H.” Ron thanked and Rufus just waved. Soon Kim felt something against her leg and it was Mochi who looked up with a smile.

“Aw hello.” Kim cooed stroking the cat who purred in response. “How about that Mochi likes you.” Hiro observed.

Mochi then looked up at Rufus who smiled mischievously causing the molerat to look in fright as he hid in Ron’s pocket.

With the Tweebs downstairs with Mochi, Kim and Ron were upstairs in Hiro’s room with him and Baymax comparing notes. They were at Hiro’s computer which also doubled as a small work desk with tools and electrical components. They were speaking to Wade on the computer.

“So I was right Drakken is working with someone.” Hiro said. “So who is it?” Ron asked.

“Well it’s someone by the name of Mr.Yama.” Wade answered which caused Hiro to freeze in shock, which Kim noticed.

“Let me guess an old friend of yours?” She asked. “Not exactly.” Hiro winced.

“Yama is not a friend of Hiro’s.” Baymax said. “He is an enemy of his.”

“Another villain?” Ron asked. “Sort of, Yama basically runs an underground robot circuit called Bot Fighting.” Hiro explained.

“Bot fighting?” Kim asked. “Wait I remember your cousin Larry telling me about this KP.” Ron remembered, “it’s kinda like the robot rumble only it’s ultra more comparative not to mention illegal.” He then explained.

“Hey betting on them is illegal, that’s why it’s a lucrative sport.” Hiro then said only to be met by a raised eyebrow and a frown from Kim as she had an idea as to how Hiro knew about this.

“Okay, I used to do some bot fighting in my more questionable days.” Hiro confessed

“Dude you were a bot fighter?” Ron asked. “Yeah with that thing.” Hiro then pointed to his bench and saw a small robot made of three components which were circular in the middle with diamond shaped parts on the head and acted as the arms and legs on the body and waist. It’s face was a goofy smiling face in yellow.

“That small thing?” Ron said as Rufus hoped over and just pointed at it with a questionable look. “Ah appearances can be deceiving my friend.” Hiro then said with a smirk.

“Uh guys back to business.” Kim said. “Wade anything more?”

“Well what Hiro just said checks out but there’s more, according to the police files he’s one of the key figures of crime in San Fransokyo’s criminal underworld and he runs the bot fighting as a downtime thing.” Wade explained showing images of the villain.

“Whoa and apparently he hasn’t heard of diet and exercise.” Ron said gagging at Yama’s rather bulk appearance.

“Who hasn’t?” They suddenly heard a voice and turned to see Aunt Cass holding a tray carrying three cups of coco.

“Oh uh it’s an example of the question on Kim and Ron’s school assignment.” Hiro covered up. “Yeah it’s in biology class and how fat can have a bad affect on the body.” Kim added.

“Yeah right, Baymax.” Ron said to the round robot. “Having too many high fat foods can result in obesity, heart problems even paralysis, in some cases.” Baymax diagnosed pointing a know it all finger up.

“Oh well here’s some coco I’ll let you get back to it.” Cass said handing the cups to the three, then took her leave. Hiro turns his computer screen back on showing Wade.

“Okay so this Yama is working with Drakken to build something.” Kim wonders.

“Well it wouldn’t be the first time, he actually blackmailed a scientist to have SFIT students including my friends to use their talents to make his robot unstoppable.” Hiro explained recalling the events of when he was singled out of a lecture but learned he wasn’t who he says he was.

“So if he’s some kind of crime boss and runs a secret Bot Fighting ring why hasn’t he been arrested yet or the fights shut down?” Ron asked.

“Well he has connections to good lawyers who get him out of prison when he does get arrested.” Wade explained.

“Plus the fights are held in good luck alley and they couldn’t get to him as he gets away as do any contenders long before the police arrive to break up the fights.” Hiro then added.

“We still need answers, Wade can you access his mainframe?” Kim asked and Wade gets to work to hack Yama’s computer.

“No good his office firewalls are too encrypted even for me.” Wade explained. “The only way in is through a computer linked to his server.”

“Like the one in his office at the bot fighting ring.” Hiro then said. “Whoa, good one.” Wade said.

“Then we’ll do this the same way we did at Falcetto Jones dog show we go in as contenders but whilst Yama is distracted I’ll hack his computer and get the intel we need.” Kim then suggested.

“Well Hiro can handle the contender part.” Ron said. “Uh yeah that’s a no go I recently found out I’ve been blacklisted from the fights and if Yama sees me anywhere near the fights he’ll crush me into a pulp.” Hiro explained a little scared.

“Despite Yamas size and physical appearance it is unlikely he could crush you into a pulp.” Baymax explained.

“He was just exaggerating Baymax.” Kim explained. “Oh” Baymax said.

“Plus you can’t do it, your a teen hero who’s known on the news Yama would recognise you in an instant.” Hiro then explained.

“We could do it.” Said a voice from behind them and Kim recognised the voice and turned to see the Tweebs standing at the stairs to Hiro’s room.

“Oh no.” Baymax said. “Wha! Tweebs how long were you standing there?!” Kim exclaimed.

“Long enough to know your involving Hiro in your new mission.” Jim said “despite telling mom and dad that you weren’t.” Tim then added.

The three just stood there completely shocked they were indeed busted.

“No way boys I’m not letting you guys do it, this is serious in shady parts of town and illegal bot fights.” Kim then explained to the Tweebs in a serious tone.

“Uh that’s not how I would talk them out of it.” Hiro said.

“Come on Kim we’ve helped out on missions before.” Jim said remembering the incident with a certain mind control device.

“Either we help or we’ll tell mom and dad who’ll them tell Hiro’s aunt. Tim then said with his arms crossed.

Kim, Ron, Hiro and Baymax all looked at each other, and knew the boys were dead serious about this. Hiro could tell this reminded him a lot about how Fred goofed and revealed their identities as BH6 to a certain rival of his. Kim and Ron also knew how the Tweebs operated and how they would usually follow through on their threats.

Good Luck Alley: later that evening

Hiro, Kim and Ron were soon at Good Luck Alley with the Tweebs as they gave into their demands. They were wearing sunglasses and dark clothes. Ron was wearing a black jacket with a dark red shirt and his usual brown pants and white sneakers. His hair was combed in a more bad boy style.

“Okay now remember, you guys go in and participate in the fights and keep Yama distracted, meanwhile I’ll slip in and let Hiro in from the back.” Kim explained the plan.

“Right good plan.” Ron said. “Great but leave the talking to us when it comes to robot questions.” Tim then said. “That’s true if they ask questions about your robot, and you don’t know Yama will know something’s up.” Hiro agreed.

“Agreed so keep a low profile.” Kim then said. “Great except the part where I don’t have a robot.” Ron pointed out Kim then handed him her Kimmunicator which got Hiro confused how is that a robot?”

Ron and the Tweebs then go to the entrance to the bot fighting ring and see many people and teenagers gathered at the ring. Robots were fighting and one actually tore its opponent apart.

“Whoa!” Jim and Tim said. “Gulp.” Ron gulped then he was met by the fight organiser who holds out a plate.

“You here to gawk or fight kid?” She asked. “Oh uh well.” Ron said then suddenly Jim and Tim place on the plate a huge amount of money.

“Oh yeah we’re here to compete.” Tim said in a tough guy attitude. “Our guy heres the best and we built his robot.” Jim added.

The fight organiser just looked at the two young boys then at Ron who behind his sunglasses looked a little with scared eyes in fright. She then looked to the ‘robot’ he was holding in his hand.

“So that’s your robot?” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Ah ah appearances can be deceiving.” Ron said in his bad boy voice (if he had one) Then the Kimmunicator popped out a set of wheels and an antenna from the rear.

“Alright your in the next fight let’s see how long you last?” Said the fight organiser.

However as they talked they didn’t notice a certain red headed teen hero sneak in the entrance and slip into some of the cracks. She was now wearing a black skin tight suit with grey belts on her waist and chest area. Her head was covered with the skin tight black material exposing only her face.

Kim slipped towards a back entrance and avoids being seen by any of the spectators. She finds the back entrance and uses her hair pins to pick the lock and opens the door letting Hiro in who was now wearing his hoodie over his head to avoid being recognised.

“You took your time?” Hiro said “Hey it’s not easy slipping in through a crowd of people.” Kim whispered through her teeth.

The two then heard some people coming it was a rather muscular man with dragon tattoos on his right arm he came around the corner to the rear entrance but by some surprise the two intruders were nowhere to be seen. He looked around and couldn’t see anything. However unbeknownst to him Kim was on the ceiling using the suction cups in her feet and hands to stick to the roof in a spiderman style. Hiro was holding onto her with his arms round her neck and his legs round her waist. Hiro was sweating in fear but just before it dripped from his head the guard walked away. The two breathed a sigh of relief as they dropped from the ceiling.

“This way.” Hiro said leading Kim to Yamas office in the premises.

Meanwhile in the bot fighting ring it was Ron and the Tweebs turn to bot fight. Ron sat on a cushion facing the ring cross legged whilst Jim and Tim stood next to him. He placed his robot in the ring then turned on his remote control. This was actually linked to a controller manned by Wade in his room.

Their opponent was a teenage girl with pink punk hair styles with goth like clothing. Her robot was pink and black with pincers for hands. The girl looked at Ron and growled which caused him to shriek.

“We can still run now.” Ron whispered to the boys. “No way we got this.” Jim said “Yeah Kim needs time we give it.” Tim agreed.

The fight ring leader then lowered a Japanese bamboo umbrella in front of the two contenders and when lifted the fight began. The punk girls robot attacked first leaping at the Kimmunicator but Ron moved the controls backwards which sent a signal to Wade telling him to control the robot and move it backwards to avoid the robots attack the Kimmunicator speeds round the robot and charges into its leg knocking it off balance. The Robot turns round and tries to squash the Kimmunicator but misses.

“Oh yeah now I got it!” Ron said “Its like playing a video game.” “you mean I got it Ron?” Wade said on the other end.

The girls robot constantly tries to swat the Kimmunicator but fails the Kimmunicator then speeds up its back and taps on the robots head with its front left wheel. The robot then hits itself in its face piercing it with its pincer and then rips it off. The Kimmunicator then speeds away leaving the robot to slowly fall on its back, defeated.

The crowd just looks in silence for a moment but then breaks out in applause for the small underestimated robot.

“BOYAH!” Ron exclaimed in victory. “Husha!” Jim and Tim celebrated.

Meanwhile Hiro and Kim arrived at Yama’s office. They crack open the door to see Yama at his desk having a phone conversation with someone.

“What do you mean the items been delayed!” Yama exclaimed. “You assured me all was going as schedule!”

“Yes, well we’ve had a little interference.” Said a voice on the phone, Kim glared as she recognised that voice as it belonged to Drakken.

“Big Hero 6 and Kim Possible somehow found our lair but we got away and I assure you the item is unharmed and will soon be ready.” Drakken said on the phone.

“It had better be, I’ll be there shortly to assess things.” Yama said he then slammed the phone down then went with his two henchmen to the door but not before he took his small robot Mega Yama to the ring. Kim and Hiro hid behind the door and waited until Yama was a distance away then slipped into his office and Hiro closed the door so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Okay we’ll need to be quick.” Kim said and Hiro set to work getting into his computer thankfully it opened on Yamas last session. Kim then took out her spare Kimmunicator and plugged it into the computer via a USB wire.

“Wade your up.” Kim relayed. “Right running sweeper and accessing files.” Wade replied. “Best hurry Ron and the tweebs are nearly in the semi finals.” He then added.

Back in the ring The Kimmunicator racer was running circles around a robot with saws for hands which tried to slice up the Kimmunicator but Ron/Wade was using the controller to avoid the saws then with one swoop the racer raced up its back and then held position until the saw bot cut into its own body destroying it leaving the kimmunicator racer victorious.

“Oh yeah can I get a BOOYAH!” Ron exclaimed, to which he received cheers from the crowd. The Fight ring leader then placed a slat with Rons name on it into the finals slate against a certain someone else’s.

“Now for the finals!” The ring leader announced then coming into the ring was Yama with his two henchmen. Ron went from a confident face to an ‘Oh no I’m screwed.’ face. Even Jim and Tim seemed a little frightened as well.

“Please hurry KP!” Ron said quietly to himself.

In Yamas office the program Wade used worked and Hiro now had access to Yama’s files including some information.

“Look at this.” Hiro said to Kim. “Looks like he’s been communicating with someone via snail mail for months.Just like Wade said.” Kim observed.

“Look at the latest one.” Kim then points out and Hiro looks at the time stamp of when it was received from a sender named Dr.D which in villain code was short for Dr.Drakken.

“That date coincides with when Krei tech warehouses started getting robbed.” Hiro noticed. “So it looks like he’s working with Drakken but for what?” Kim wondered, but then Hiro noticed something attached to one of the emails, a small file labeled ‘Destructo Yama’.

“Lets find out.” Hiro said and he went ahead to access the file.

Back in the ring Yama looked at Ron and the Tweebs with an arrogant smirk.

“So your the new guys who managed to make it through to the big finals.” Yama said right in Rons face.

“Uh.. yeah! that’s right my robots bad, really…bad! YEAHHH!” Ron tried putting on his bad boy act.

“Pft pathetic bad boy amateur is more like it.” Yama said. “Yeah says the guy who acts like a tough sumo wrestler!” Jim cracked and the audience just froze and gasped in shock.

“Oooh good one shrimp you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk.” Yama challenged as he took his seat and stretched his neck causing a slight click. Ron just gulped in response whilst Jim and Tim just cracked their necks in response.

“Two bots enter.” The fight official said placing her umbrella between the two robots. “One bot leaves!”

“Ready…..” Ron and Yama locked eyes as one sweated with fear the other smirked with confidence. “FIGHT!” The fight organiser announced and Mega Yama claws at the ready charged in as Ron reacted quickly to move the controls commanding the Kimmunicator to speed in the opposite direction as the robot attacked.

In Yamas office Kim and Hiro were still looking over the plans that they had found.

“So that’s what Drakkens building for Yama!” Hiro said. “But for what?” “Thats what we need to find out.” Kim said hitting a button on the Kimmunicator downloading the data from Yama’s computer.

In the ring The Kimmunicator was having trouble avoiding Mega Yama’s attacks as it was rather quick. On the other end even Wade had his work cut out for him.

Yama just smirked as it looked like he was gaining the upper hand. Soon Ron made his mistake and Mega Yama grabbed the Kimmunicator and then ripped it in half like paper.

The small robot then tossed the remains towards Ron and the tweebs who both looked completely frozen in fright as their sun glasses fell off.

In Yamas office the Kimmunicator had just finished downloading the data and Kim disconnected it.

“Okay now lets…” “Hey you can’t be in here!” A voice interrupted Kim and the two looked up to see Yamas goons in the entrance to his office.

The two goons then noticed a familiar face accompanying the black clad girl. “Its that Hamada kid, he’s supposed to be black listed!” Said one goon to another. “Lets get him the boss will love this!” His partner then suggested.

“Not happening boys.” Kim said as she flipped over the desk and took up a combat stance. The two goons come charging in and attack Kim who just avoids their punches before throwing a few of her own.

Meanwhile Yama stood over Ron and the Tweebs just laughing in victory.

“Haha ha you call that a robot more like a childs plaything!” He laughed. Then all of a sudden he heard a crashing sound coming from his office in the back and suddenly realises that someones broken in.

“My office!” Yama exclaims. Back in his office Kim manages to kick one henchman to the ground whilst Hiro avoids the other one trying to grab him, Hiro quickly slides under his legs and trips him up with a leg swipe. Meanwhile the other henchman is knocked to the ground by Kims roundhouse kick.

“Okay lets get out of here before…” “Too late!” A rather loud voice interrupted Kim the two turned to the door and saw Yama with a couple more of his henchmen and one of them was holding Ron and her brothers by their jacket collars.

“Sorry KP.” Ron apologised in fright. “Yeah this guy catches on fast.” Jim agreed.

“So your the infamous Kim Possible.”Yama said as he approached her. “I’ve heard a lot about you oh and look if it isn’t Hiro another person I hate more than anyone else.” He said as he saw Hiro in her company.

Hiro just froze in fright but tried to stand his ground. “Still mad I wrecked your robot in the fights?” He cracked.

“The only thing getting wrecked is you!” Yama said as he moved to try and grab Hiro but Kim quickly jumps in and tries to kick Yama to the ground. However her foot gets sucked into his stomach and she looks up to see Yama swat her away knocking her into a cabinet sending her hairdryer grappling gun flying across the room.

“KIM!” Hiro and Ron exclaimed. Yama then looked to the young genius cracking his knuckles getting ready to give him a major beating. Rufus emerged from Rons pocket and saw his friends were in trouble and squeaked in horror he quickly scurried up Rons shirt and then in one motion bites down into the hand of the henchman holding Ron by the shirt collar.

“GAH!” The henchman cried letting Ron go and at the same time Jim and Tim elbowed the other henchman in the gut causing him to let go of them.

“What!” Yama turned to see his captives free. Using this distraction Hiro dived for Kims hair dryer grapple gun and points it towards Yamas desk and fires it. The grapple hook loops round the desk eventually tightening itself off and when Hiro yanks on the rope and swings the desk to the right and Yama only turns to see the desk slam right into his face knocking him back into the ground.

Hiro was all but amazed that he actually pulled that off and as the hook retracted he looked at the hairdryer in amazement.

“Whoa, hairdryers can be useful, I’ve got to get me one of these.” Hiro said swinging it round his finger.

Ron then rushed over to Kim and helped her up. “You okay Kim?” Ron asked with concern.

“Yeah I’m fine.” she said but her side did ache a little. “Gah, but this guy knows how to pack a punch.”

Suddenly they heard Yama lifting the desk off him and his henchmen got up too.

“Time to go!” Hiro exclaimed and so they took their leave with Jim and Tim close behind. Yama got up with a yell and looked to see them get away.

“DON’T JUST STAND THERE GET THEM!” Yama yelled.

Kim and the group charged through the back entrance and made their way through the alleyway trying to get away, they saw an exit but suddenly were cut off by the fight promoter and a couple of Yama’s goons. They turned round and saw Yama standing behind them.

“End of the line for you punks!” Yama exclaimed it looked like the heroes were trapped but then all of a sudden something dropped from the ground it was a small blue ball which then exploded into goop that caught Yama in it. Then another fell on the goons blocking the exit to the alley encasing them in goop as well.

Then dropping down to the ground was none other than Baymax with Honey Lemon on his back dressed in their armour.

“Hiro are you and the others unharmed?” Baymax asked.

“Baymax!” Hiro exclaimed in joy.

“BAYMAX?!” Jim and Tim exclaimed. “But how did…” “Wade called us.” Honey Lemon explained but then they heard a cracking sound coming from the goop that Yama was trapped in and he was trying to break out.

“Lets go!” Kim said as she, Jim, Tim, Ron, Hiro and Rufus climbed onto Baymax’s back and he formed his wings and rocketed into the sky just as Yama broke free from the goop and looked to see Baymax sour into the sky away from the scene leaving Yama with a growling scowl.

Back at Hiro’s Garage

Soon everyone was safe and sound at Hiro’s Garage, Baymax was out of his armour and seeing to Kims injuries strapping some icepacks to her side. Wasabi, Gogo and the others were present as well.

“Thanks Baymax.” Kim said. “Icing the bruised area for two to three hours is recommended for a recovery.” Baymax diagnosed.

“So you guys broke into the Bot Fights, found intel on Yama and brought those two along!” Wasabi said gesturing to the Tweebs.

“ You guys are Big Hero 6!” Jim said in amazement. “Well it makes sense given the tech they used.” Tim agreed.

“Yeah so if you guys breathe a word of this to anyone and I’ll hang you from the roof.” Gogo then threatened.

The two just looked a little intimidated by Gogo’s threat but not a lot.

“Hey relax we know how to keep a secret just ask our sister.” Tim defended.

“They’re not wrong they do know how to keep a few secrets.” Kim confirmed.

“Despite a few bumps in the road, we now know what Yama’s having Drakken build.” Hiro said holding up the Kimmunicator and linking it to his computer on the left side of the garage.

The computer uploaded the data and revealed to them what Drakken was building for Yama it looked like a larger version of his Mega Yama robot with weapons attached to its hands and missile launchers on its shoulders. Everyone looked in shock to see this robot, and to Kim and Ron the design and weapons looked a little familiar.

“He calls it a Destructo Yama, according to the specs its full of enough weapons to start a war.” Hiro analysed.

“And seeing how it’s so advanced he couldn’t add some of the more technical components by himself.” Kim added. “Thats why he reached out to Drakken.”

“It kinda reminds me of those Destructo bots Drakken forced Dr.Freeman to build that one time when we took drivers ed.” Ron observed to which Rufus nodded.

“But why does Yama need this thing?” Wasabi asked.

“Well he is a known crime boss in this city maybe he wants to give himself an edge in the competition.” Kim guessed.

“Or to attack the city and put it up for ransom classic villain plan!” Fred then suggested.

“Either way it makes it even more important to find them and stop them, before they’re ready to use them.” Hiro said determined.

Elsewhere:

Meanwhile Drakken and Shego had just managed to set up shop in a new lair located in another old warehouse on the far side of town. The door of the lair opened to reveal Yama entering the lair and looked to See Drakken standing next to a cloak covered object.

“I hope for your sakes you have good news.” Yama said in a rather bad mood.

“Yes Mr.Yama don’t threat, as agreed I Dr.Drakken give you…” Drakken pulls off the cloak to reveal his creation.

“The Destructo Yama!” Drakken announced. “Thanks to those specs from Krei tech, your robots design and some tech specs from my old Destructo bots I have created a fully functional killing machine rocket boosters powerful servos for climbing and can be controlled remotely from this.” Drakken explained as he gestured to a small watch device he wore on his arm.

“No one else on the planet will have weapons like these.” Drakken said.

“Hmm alright I’ll admit you followed through on the deal, now does it function?” Yama asked

Drakken’s face did turn a bit pale as he was keeping something to himself.

“Uh well, there is one little ‘ahem’ hitch.” Drakken said sheepishly.

“A little hitch?” Shego then smirked. “Oh your going to love this pal.” She said to Yama.

“Destructo Yama ATTACK!” Shego ordered and the robot did as it was told however when it readied its arm cannon it just span round and round spinning like crazy then started firing missiles all over the place from its shoulders causing everyone to take cover behind old crates and the support beams in the warehouse.

“DRAKKEN DO SOMETHING!” Yama exclaimed. “STAND DOWN DESTRUCTO YAMA!” Drakken ordered and the robot just stopped dead in its tracks.

“What was that!” Yama yelled in Drakkens face. “Uh yes well there’s a slight problem with the programming apparently its missing a patch upgrade and a problem in the cyber circuits in its processor.” Drakken explained.

“Can’t you fix it!” Yama exclaimed. “Uh well the thing is this kind of robotics is a little beyond my field.” Drakken explained.

Yama was about to lose his cool, however he soon developed a smirk on his face as an idea emerged.

“So, you need a real robotics expert to solve this issue?” Yama said. “Well I happen to know just the shrimp for the job.” He smirked.

Back at the lucky cat:

Hiro was sitting in the cafe doing some work for SFIT while Kim was just talking to her parents who had come to pick up the boys.

“So you went to infiltrate a robot fighting circuit with your brothers and met a potential crime boss with links to Dr.Drakken?” James said “And you took the boys with you?” Ann then added.

“Mom dad it was no big, plus those fights are illegal anyway and no-one got into trouble.” Kim added.

“Well I don’t see why no one shuts those fights down they just draw in natural born potential and take advantage of that.” Cass said coming into the room with Hiro’s dinner.

“Yeah but it was kinda cool, minus the intimidating fat guy.” Tim said

“Yeah and we once built a robot to take to the Robot Rumble back home, once we got it working.” Jim added.

“Sounds a lot like Hiro when he was your age, once he built our cat Mochi jet boots and went flying round the cafe.” Cass said remembering the old days.

“Yeah, I remember Tadashi and me spent the day chasing Mochi round the cafe until we brought him back to safe ground.” Hiro chuckled whilst Mochi just shivered at remembering that experience.

“Still they actually helped out and we got away safe and sound.” Kim said.

“Well we’re proud of you honey we’ll see you back at the hotel.” James said as he Ann and the boys took their leave as did Ron.

“I’ll just be upstairs if you need me Hiro.” Cass said as she pecked her nephew on the cheek and headed upstairs, “Come on Mochi.” Cass then said.

“You know Kim I’ve only known you for a few days and I’m already jealous of you?” Hiro then said which all but surprised Kim to say the least.

“Jealous of me? why would you be jealous I mean I’ve seen you and your friends in action I could hardly do anything you guys could do suits or no suits.” She said.

“Yeah but at least you can talk to your folks about being a super hero” Hiro explained “ if me or Baymax even say anything about secretly being superheroes to Aunt Cass then I’d need a serious upgrade to protect myself cause she’d kick my butt, not to mention probably confine me to the cafe.”

Kim just smiled and sat down next to Hiro. “Well Hiro believe it or not my parents were a little over protective when I told them about my first mission.” Kim explained

“So what was your first mission by the way?” Hiro asked “Well, it wasn’t really a mission at first it was a little mistype on from someone who got my website instead of a specialist teams.” Kim explained. “But I went to help a billionaire plush collector who had rare Cuddle Buddies their cuddly toys I used to collect when I was young. Anyway the collector and his security consultant was trapped in a deadly laser grid but using my cheerleading skills I was able to get through and turn them off.”

“Whoa.” Hiro breathed. “Yeah after that my parents were a little worried about me and a little overprotective but hey that’s standard parent, guardian procedure right.” Kim chuckled.

“Yeah but not like my Aunt one time I even tried setting her up with someone just so she wouldn’t catch me and Baymax doing Big Hero 6 work, though it didn’t work as well given she went on a date with Krei and an employee of his had robots that went a little haywire due to liquid issues.” Hiro explained.

“Bit much but understandable.” Kim said smiling. “Anyway after a few other missions like my first ones my parents realised this was the person I was they were nothing but accepted of that.” Kim explained. “Plus there’s an old motto my family has ‘Anything is Possible for a Possible’.”

Hiro was rather surprised by that line and how Kim had similar issues to him when hiding his super hero life from his family.

“The point is Hiro, sure parents can be a little over protective but its because they love us and are here to support us no matter what it is be it school, girls, boys or even what goes on in our other lives.” Kim explained with a hand on Hiro’s shoulder.

“So maybe I should tell her and accept what happens?” Hiro said.

“Maybe yes better she hear it from you then an enemy with a grudge. People can surprise you in surprising ways.” Kim then smiled. “But only when your ready.”

Hiro took a minute to consider everything that Kim said and how accepting her parents were of her choice to take up her missions and be the hero she is today. Maybe telling his aunt about his secret life wouldn’t be such a bad thing unless she went into crazy over protective mode and confined him to his house. But in the end it was his choice.

“Anyway I best be getting back to the hotel, see you later.” Kim said grabbing her back pack and heading out.

“Hey Kim.” Hiro said getting her attention. “Thanks.” He smiled and she smiled back in return.

“Hey so not the drama that’s what friends are for.” Kim said as she left and Hiro felt glad he had this talk with her and at the same time had an idea of how to repay her for her help not just with his own issues but also helping them with this recent mission.

End of Chapter 5

Well folks that's a wrap on chapter five Team Possible and the Tweebs have just met Yama and the concept of bot fighting, but what could the villains of this tale have in mind for a certain young genius I wonder well wait till chapter 6 to find out. In this chapter I decided to have Kim have a heart to heart with Hiro about how her parents know of her hero double life and all but supportive of it but nothing to say they weren't a little over protective which makes a reference to the BH6 the series episode Cass goes out. Also I was inspired by Kims heart to heart with Cousin Joss in Showdown at the Crooked D. In terms of the bot fighting I thought it be a good idea to involve Jim and Tim given their geniuses and it would be their kind of mission and not to mention Rons poor bad boy attitude would be a hilarious addition to the story.

In other news I do have something in mind for the finale to at least include one of the episodes from BH6 season 1 before Kim and Ron take their leave so until then BOOYAH!

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mischiefandspirits · 4 years

Text

Iron Legion (24/?)

Never let it be said that Tony Stark ever does things by half. He might have grown up with little family, but he wasn’t about to keep it that way.

Tony Stark was seventeen when his first child was born, and that was just the beginning.

For Masterpost, Timeline, AO3, and Fanfiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Web-Warriors, Part 3

“For the record, if you had just told me Tere-”

“Peter.”

“Peter -- sorry -- was Spider-Man, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If you had just told me you and Red Widow had concerns, this wouldn’t have happened. I’d have given you what I’ve got on Oscorp and we could have all been on our way.

“Please don’t call her that to her face,” Ross sighed.

“Why not? Her getup has to have been inspired by a red widow spider.”

“She already wants to pick a fight with you, don’t make it worse.”

“Can’t say I don’t feel the same. She’s been stalking my kid and now she attacked him, all while accusing me of human experimentation.”

“If she knew he was yours, she wouldn’t have worried. We all know how protective you are of your undisclosed number of children.”

“Doesn’t matter. And you know how many kids I’ve got,” Tony argued, waving away the statement.

“I know about the legion of robots you claim as children and the two human ones, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve got more hiding in the wings.”

Tony opened his mouth to point out that the AIs were his kids, fuck you very much, when the other part of the statement registered. “I’ve only got one human kid.”

Ross didn’t even look up from whatever he was working on. “Stark, if you didn’t want me to know Ms. Parker was yours, you shouldn’t have introduced her with the same surname as the woman who led to our association.”

“Coincidence.”

“She’s Peter’s sister.”

“You spies are too nosy.” The elevator chimed and Tony turned to face it. “Speaking of nosy spies!”

“Stark,” Drew greeted as she stepped into the penthouse’s living room. Her glasses were once more glasses and she’d ditched the jacket for a simple red tank top.

“Spider-Woman.”

Drew scowled and Ross said, “I warned you not to go at him like this.”

“Are you the reason Vision was able to intervene before I could question the kid?” she shot back at the agent as Tony turned the video screen to face her.

“I’d be insulted you’d think I would let the Spider-Baby out without a babysitter, but I’m too busy being insulted you’d think I would not only try my hand at making a super soldier, but that I would use a child to do it,” Tony tutted.

“Not a child,” Peter muttered from behind her.

“I didn’t go into this thinking that,” she said, coming forward to sit down across from him.

Vision and Peter followed, the former choosing to stand nearby and the latter dropping down next to Tony.

“But then the evidence started piling up. The kid’s decked out in your gear and he was brought into the accords mess by you. His sister is the head of your security’s cyber division and spent some time working with the Avengers. The kid spends practically every weekend here, for feck's sake, and pops in randomly during the week on top of that. What was I supposed to think?”

“That his sister is like family to me so when we found out he was the one running around Queens in a spider onesie I brought him into the fold and made sure he had the gear and training to keep him out of trouble until he either got it out of his system and stopped or was old enough to join the big leagues.” Peter’s eyes lit up and Tony held up a finger. “No Avengers until after college.”

“Nebula didn’t even go to college,” Peter muttered. “And neither did Vision.”

“Nebula’s not an Avenger and Vision still isn’t legally a person yet. I, on the other hand, have three to seven doctorates and Rhodey has three masters. I expect you to at least beat him, though I know you could beat me if you actually tried.”

“Three to seven doctorates?” Ross asked.

“College isn’t a requirement for the Avengers,” Peter said with narrowed eyes.

“Lost track of a couple of diplomas a few years back. I’m sure I could ask Rhodey or look online to figure it out, but I don’t care enough to,” Tony waved the CIA agent off. “I can make it a requirement if you’re going to fight me on it.”

“Are they always like this?” Drew asked and Vision shook his head.

“Only when Peter’s status as an Avenger-in-training comes up.”

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Parker, can we focus please,” Ross pleaded.

“Sorry,” Peter said and Tony rolled his eyes.

“Fri, bring up what we’ve got on the OZ formula.”

“Sure thing, Boss.”

“OZ?” Drew asked, looking over the files that began popping up on holo screens.

“In development at Oscorp. Its a combination of a few things, most of which we think they dug up from the S.H.I.E.L.D. dump. Its main base, though, is composed of Extremis as well as the Araneae serum developed by HYDRA scientists Jonathan and Merriam Drew. No relation, I’m sure,” Tony added sarcastically.

He honestly had thought there was no relation until Vision had informed him of her spider getup.

Peter’s eyes widened, but neither Vision nor Drew reacted.

“This is all you found?” she asked.

“I only looked deep enough to make sure Peter would be okay. I wasn’t going to give Osborn of all people a chance to accuse me of corporate espionage.”

“I’ll look into it,” Drew said. “It looks like they’ve only been working with animals, but I doubt it will stop there.”

“Knowing Osborn, you’re probably right.”

“Please keep me in the loop this time,” Ross requested with a sigh.

He sighs a lot. Maybe Tony should try and get him a vacation.

“So are we still fighting then or can we talk about the explosion we saw?” Peter asked.

Tony bumped their shoulders together. “P.L.A.T.O. looked into it and the FBI is dealing with it. That’s all you need to know.”

“Was it those guys with the weird weapons?”

“Either way, it’s not your business.”

“Take it slow, kid,” Drew said. “You’ll appreciate it once you get to the big time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And then he fell into the pool.”

Peter groaned as Harley burst out laughing.

“Oh man! Pete, you should have introduced me to your school friends so much sooner!”

“No, I shouldn’t have,” Peter muttered, waving at a man who called out to him as he swung past. “Come on, can’t we talk about something else, like how I got the winning question at nationals.”

“I’m sure Liz found it flattering that you got so distracted by her beauty,” S.I.L.K. offered.

“No offense, S.I.L.K., but I still can’t believe Iron Dork built you as a mom friend AI,” Harley chuckled.

“I still can’t believe Iron Man built Peter a personal AI!” Ned said excitedly. “Could I take a look at the code?”

“NED!”

“Well, I never!”

“I changed my mind. What kind of guy asks to see a lady’s code like that?”

“I-I-What? I didn’t, I mean -”

Peter snickered and flipped over to land on a roof. “We’re kidding. Mostly.”

“Code’s personal. Even D-Tony doesn’t poke around in any of the AIs’ codes once they’re live unless something’s wrong and they can’t fix it on their own,” Harley explained.

“Their code is like their mind and spirit. It’s what makes them who they are.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize,” Ned apologized, sounding sincere, if still a bit confused.

“It’s alright, Ned. You’re still learning,” S.I.L.K. responded in a gentle voice.

“Speaking of AIs, guess who finished the you-know-what for PV.”

“PV?” Ned asked as Peter gasped.

“You got Anapistula working?”

“Yes, I got the stupidly named thing working.”

“It’s a great name! Anapistula is -”

“Yeah, yeah. Did you get the coordinates?”

“Kid, where are you?”

“Who the,” a beep sounded, “was that?” Harley yelped. “Wait, S.I.L.K., did you just censor me?”

“Agent Drew, you do not have the authorization to be on this call?” S.I.L.K. said instead of answering him.

“Agent Drew? You mean Spider-Woman?” Ned gasped.

“There are random children o- Nevermind. Kid, get to Bush Terminal Park as fast as you can. Vision will meet you there. There’s trouble on the Staten Island Ferry and we could use your webs.”

“What’s going on?” Peter asked as he swung off the building.

“Agent Drew hung up. Multiple emergency services have been called out to the ferry’s location. Reports say the ferry is under attack by an enhanced with wings. Agent Drew and a few FBI agents are on the scene.”

“Is it Wilson?” Harley asked.

“There has been no identity given.”

“Which means no. Everyone would know if one of Rogers’ gang showed up.”

“Dude, are you going to team up with Spider-Woman and Vision to fight a supervillain?” Ned cheered.

“Maybe. I’ll call you guys back later,” Peter said as he got near the park.

“Aw, but I wanted to be your guy in the chair!”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me, you runt!”

“Next time don’t sell me out, you traitor!” Peter shot back at Harley. “S.I.L.K., end call, please. Vis!”

Vision turned and caught Peter midair. “Hello, Mr. Parker.”

“Hey Vis,” Peter said, shifting so he was sitting bridal style in Vision’s arms. “I told you, it’s Uncle Peter. Or just Peter if we’re not there yet. What’s up with the Ferry?”

The android turned and flew out over the water. “I’m not certain. Agent Drew just said she needed our help at the ferry. She attempted to reach Mr. Stark, but he is still in India due to his delayed departure so I answered instead.”

A weak shock wave hit them and Vision sped up.

“Woah!” Peter gasped as they came upon the ferry just as it started to pull apart in two. “S.I.L.K., give me an X-ray of the boat and target all the strongest points.”

He let himself fall and started firing webs as soon as he was within reach.

“Great job, Peter,” she congratulated after he’d gone from one end of the ferry to the other. “You are ninety-eight percent successful.”

“Ninety-eight?” Peter asked, watching as she highlighted a pillar.

He heard some people start to cheer for him just before a few of the webs snapped.

Peter immediately dove back in, shouting “No”s as he grabbed a snapped web and shot off another, trying to pull them -- and therefore the halves of the boat -- together.

Spider-Woman dropped down in front of him, grabbing the webs. “I got them, kid. Tie them together.”

Once he’d done that, he helped her back over to one of the sides. “What happened?”

“Later. Just try and keep this thing together as long as you can while Vision and I evacuate everyone.”

Peter nodded and swung away. He shot a few webs then sent Droney up so S.I.L.K. could monitor the whole boat and prioritize the areas based on web instability. With her help, he flipped around the boat laying web after web. He’d occasionally see Spider-Woman flipping around or Vision floating by, but focused on his job unless he needed to swing down and catch someone that had fallen between the halves.

“Alright, that’s everyone,” Spider-Woman said, landing on a web next to him. “Time to go.”

“What about the boat?”

“It’s a lost cause. Damage Control’s sending a team to drag it up.”

Peter nodded and shot a web towards the end of the boat where the emergency boats were waiting.

“Maybe I should get Stark to make me some of those,” she joked as she followed him.

“I, uh, I actually made them. The webs are my formula and I made the original shooters. Mr. Stark just helped me modify them for more web options.”

She smirked as they landed on a rescue boat. “Leave it to Stark to find a supergenius super soldier.”

Peter blushed under the mask. “I wouldn’t say I’m a super genius.”

“Uh-huh. You need some combat training though. Stark showed me some of your fights. You rely too much on the webs and acrobatics. You’re stronger and faster than most of the guys you’re going up against, you need to learn how to use it. You also need to trust in your spider instincts more.”

“Spider instincts?”

She tapped his head. “I know you’ve got them. I saw the way you looked at me when I got your mask off. It’s like a sixth sense, though it’s really just your brain processing the information your other five are giving you faster than your human mind can keep up with.”

“You mean my danger sense? So it’s more like a spider-sense!?”

“Sure,” she snorted.

“Can you teach me? How to use it, I mean,” Peter asked, bouncing slightly. “Vision’s been helping me train, but our powers aren’t exactly the same.”

“Neither are ours. From what I’ve seen, you’re a bit stronger and dexterous, though not as fast and you don’t have venom blasts. I think your healing is better than mine as we-”

“Wait, venom blasts!?” Peter gasped, his bouncing increasing. “Can you shoot venom!?”

“Not exactly,” she chuckled, setting her hands on his shoulders to make him stop. She pulled one hand back and held it up between them.

Lighting crackled across her fingertips.

“Woah!”

“It’s -”

“Bioelectricity!” Peter cut in. “Spider’s use it to give their webs static charges, though I don’t think any can produce that much at one time! That’s so cool! Why can’t I do that? I mean, I can fake it with the taser webs, but that’s it.”

“Right, supergenius,” she muttered. “Probably because of whatever else was mixed into your batch.”

“That sucks.”

“Are you alright, Peter?” Vision asked as he floated down next to them and Spider-Woman dropped her hands and stepped back.

“I’m good. You?” Peter asked.

Vision nodded. “None of the rescue boats have any injuries to report aside from some minor bumps and scratches.”

“That’s good.”

“So what happened?” Peter asked, looking between them.

“The FBI has been tracking those weapons you found and they got a tip that there was going to be a sell on the ferry. They also heard rumors that there was an enhanced with the dealers so they reached out for backup, just in case. Since I was in the area and have signed the accords, I offered to help.

“The arrest was going fine until the enhanced showed up. He had robotic wings like Wilson’s but bigger and bulkier. Probably built for strength over speed. That’s when I called you two in. The wings were bulletproof so we needed air support. I was hoping that between your webs and Vision we could take him down, but one of my blasts caught the weapon he was using and it overloaded causing,” she gestured towards the sinking ferry. “He and his buddy took off during the commotion.”

“Sorry we couldn’t get here sooner,” Peter said.

She smacked his back. “Stop worrying, kid. You did good.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hate you.”

Peter rolled his eyes as Harley groaned into the phone.

“First Dad lets you be a superhero, now you get to train with a secret agent. I swear, when I finish Gryphon, the first thing I’m going to do is use it to kick your butt.”

“I’d like to see you try!”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Did you get the coordinates or not?”

“Uh… Yep, putting them in now. You know, we’re probably going to at least be on a watch list if we do this. Doesn’t that go against your whole pure and innocent aesthetic?”

“If it works like it’s supposed to, then no one but her will even know.”

“And if it doesn’t then we’re going to be hunted down by a fur-”

“Who are you talking to?”

Peter looked up as Michelle pulled one of his earbuds out of his ear. “Oh, uh, hey Michelle. What are you doing?”

“Liz wanted me to remind you about the photoshoot tomorrow for the yearbook. She said if you miss it, she’ll take Flash to the dance.”

“I-What!? Really?”

“No, I just wanted to see what face you’d make.”

Peter blushed as Harley snickered.

Michelle put the earbud up to her own ear.

“So who are you ta-?” she started to ask just as Harley said, “Is that the girl in your nerd club that you called scary?”

“Harley!” Peter hissed, barely keeping his voice down enough not to get the librarian’s attention. “I didn’t call you scary.”

“Can she hear me? Because you did call her scary.”

“A little. I said you could be a little scary sometimes. I didn’t mean -”

“Do I scare you, Peter?” Michelle asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I, uh -”

“Good.”

Harley laughed and said, “I like her. Hey, Michelle, right? Do you have a date for your school’s homecoming dance?”

“Harley, you literally haven’t even met her!”

“Yeah, but I need an excuse to give Dad so he’ll fly me out to New York to beat you up.”

“I’m game,” Michelle said with a shrug.

“What!?”

“Cool.”

“What is happening?”

“I’m going with your phone friend to homecoming so he can come to New York.”

“Keep up, Pete.”

“You two don’t even know each other?” he reiterated, letting his head fall onto the keyboard of the computer he had been working on before Michelle interrupted.

“Calm down. It’s not a date,” Michelle snorted, rolling her eyes. “We’re just lending each other a hand. He wants to come to New York and I want my mom to stop badgering me to find a date for the dance.”

“Glad to be of service.”

“Have Peter give you my number,” Michelle said, dropping Peter’s earbud.

“But I don’t have your number.”

“Yes you do, check your phone.”

Peter checked his contacts. “When did you add yourself to my phone?” he asked, looking up. She was gone. “See, this is why she scares me a little.”

“This is even better than meeting Ned.”

“Harley, you don’t even like dating! Why did you ask her out?”

“Three reasons. One, I can bring you Ana so you can pass her off to Joe for the delivery. Two, I can kick your butt. And three, I get to say I got a date to your homecoming before you did.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Besides, like she said, it’s not a date. We’re just using each other.”

“Please tell me you realize how wrong that sounds.”

“It’s only wrong if both parties aren’t aware and consenting.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Seriously, runt, get a date. Embrace your inner Stark and ask out that Liz girl you’ve been crushing on. I can’t be the only one going to your homecoming.”

Peter ended the call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the record, before anyone can say anything, Harley and MJ are going as friends. As hinted, Harley’s aromantic. He just wants an excuse to come to New York and MJ just wants to mess with Peter.

IDK if Jess's costume was actually designed after a red widow, but it's a heck of a coincidence if it wasn't.

The 3-7 doctorates joke was a reference to the comics where at on point, Tony says he has three doctorates, while at another he says seven. Not sure which is canon so I decided to make Tony unsure too.

#sm: homecoming #peter parker #jessica drew #harley keener #iron family

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jira-chii · 5 years

Text

Klein Record Akira

Nostalgia are interested in the Klein Record and its ability to connect to the past. Fujie hints it might even be able to connect to the past of another world. When Yuki and Takuya try to stop them, the machine goes haywire. Akira saves Yuki but in the process falls into the Klein Record. What emerges is a younger Akira with levels of regret and anger that Yuki has never seen in him before.

Peering into his thoughts, we see flashbacks of the days when Yuki’s mother, Mifuyu was still alive, and the family of four lived happily together. Guarding the researcher Daichi’s family was Akira’s first job as an SP, and he took it seriously. But the kind Mifuyu invited him into their home, and the family treated him as one of their own.

An even earlier flashback shows a conversation between Akira and Kengo in their final year of high school. After graduation Akira plans to go straight into the police force. Kengo notes that though his friend often gets into fights, it was always to protect someone else, Kengo being the first person he saved.

However, Akira's days of peace and happiness with Yuki's family are shattered one day when Mifuyu is kidnapped by a group after Daichi's research. Akira storms their base, but is unable to save her.

The incident was treated as an accident. Souma, who was only two at the time, would not have even understood the full extent of the tragedy. However Akira, overcome by guilt and self loathing, could not bear to look at their faces. He was unable to save Mifuyu, and even let the kidnappers get away. He failed his mission in every way possible. He was a powerless man who could do nothing.

Present Yuki is curious about this "Souma" we see in Akira's memories. She also recalls Kotone's distress when Yuki claimed she did not have a younger brother.

"How could you lie and say you don't know Souma?"

One day, he finds out the kidnappers are on the move again. Akira is almost too keen to face them once more

The kidnappers are told to go after Yuki and Souma this time. They wonder just how important Daichi’s research is, for the same organisation to request their services again. Before they can do anything though, Akira crashes his car into his base and mercilessly begins shooting.

Continuing Akira's flashback, Yuki and Souma grew up and overcame the incident, but Akira continued to train in secret, to fulfill a certain purpose.

"Shut up. I have two requests. 1, Surrender immediately. And 2, Tell me everything about the organisation that hired you."

But even the wrath of a vengeful SP is not enough to get the kidnappers to spill. They fear the organisation more than death itself. Akira will never win against them, he won't be able to protect Yuki and Souma from meeting the same fate as their mother.

Akira, infuriated, tells them to “disappear”.

As Yuki senses these emotions from Akira, she is distraught. Akira had been fighting silently by himself all this time. His hatred is consuming him, it's like he is turning into another person. She pleads for him to come back, but her voice does not reach him.

Suddenly Takuya yells at Akira.

"Akira!! Stop right now! What do you think that gun is for? For killing everyone in your way? No! It's for protecting Yuki! It's for making Yuki happy! I don't remember this being the man I look up to.”

Note that Takuya is speaking in a very brash, rude yet unnaturally intimate and passionate way. Basically, he's speaking out of character, and this causes Yuki to be surprised too.

After beating him, Akira remembers the warmth of Yuki and Souma’s hands at the funeral. He admits he ran away from them. Into regret, and anger, and vengeance. But then, Mifuyu's last words surface in his mind.

"Takuya? What are you saying..."

But his words work and Akira reacts. The two of them take him down together.

"You are already part of our family. So please, as their big brother, please protect them, so they can be happy together."

Remembering the last promise he made to Mifuyu, Akira is able to look forward with resolve.

"I will definitely protect her last wish."

Akira’s bullet misses the kidnapper. Because he has remembered the reason he fights, and it is not to kill.

Kidnapper dude says he will regret his naivety, but Akira assures him that no matter the enemy, he will protect them with all his strength.

Akira’s emotions stabilise and he returns to his former self. Yuki's concerns are laid to rest and Takuya also returns to normal.

Yuki thinks back on what Takuya said. What a surprise that Takuya had thought of Akira in that way!

Takuya isnt sure why he suddenly shouted those things either. He gets a little embarrassed and tells her to forget immediately.

Yuki then reflects on this “Souma” she keeps hearing about.

"Souma, the person who seems to be my little brother, will i know more about you once I reach the ice pillar?" (obvious spoiler: yes)

"Someone like you who was so precious to Akira, must not be such a bad kid."

Spoilery thoughts

I think when any quest explores Souma's character I am definitely going to be biased, but I really think this was a well-written Klein record episode which utilised everything we have learned about these characters up to this point.

The skillful interweaving of parallel world interactions was especially noteworthy. World 2 Yuki never really registers this is World 1 Akira, focusing instead on Souma who keeps getting mentioned. This is justified because Kotone had previously brought up the same thing, causing Yuki to be genuinely curious. A lot of things are left unexplained to Yuki, such as Takuya's sudden character change, and this works better because that's classic dramatic irony done right.

It also allows us to focus on the more interesting things. Namely, Akira and Souma. It is unsurprising but nevertheless nice to know the extent that Akira cares about protecting Daichi's family. Part of it is that sense of justice he's always felt since his student days, but the quest does also suggest he genuinely loves the family, and wants to become the big brother figure Mifuyu also desired.

What I found really clever was that this quest was able to hint at so many things about Souma without anyone actually meeting him.

The scene where Takuya yells at Akira as Souma is pivotal and I love everything about it. From Yuki acting surprised to hint that something is off about his behaviour, to it actually working, showing how deeply connected Akira is to both Yuki and Souma. You also get to hear some of Souma's true feelings during 'Takuya's' passionate outburst, adding another layer of meaning for those familiar with the story past World 2.

Everything about this quest was positioned just perfectly, such as Akira being from World 1, with 'Takuya' and Yuki from World 2. You actually would not be able to have this interaction happen in any other scenario.

The cherry on top is Yuki's reflection on this Souma she has never met. She says to have Akira care for him so much means Souma must not be such a bad guy.

There's another double layer of meaning here, because in World 2 Souma is, in fact, the 'bad guy', but in World in the Sky he repents for his actions and feels genuinely guilty. Ironically, this Yuki is able to see the most genuine version of Souma, because she has never had any prior interaction with him. Yet at the same time, you could also say that this Yuki has been working together with Souma the longest. These complex world-transcending character interactions are the crux of what made me fall in love with this game and I am so happy that five years on, they're still doing it.

#Shoumetsu Toshi #Klein record #akira #analysis

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rainbowdonkee · 6 years

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I'm finally going to read past the seasons finale of BNHA. I'm an anime only but since I've been collecting the manga as the season went by, I kinda want to break my patience just this once. So here's my semi written reaction on some panels.

****Spoilers Ahead for Season 4!****

Wow this frame is great! I don't think this angle was shown in the season finale. But please let it be some promotional for next season!

Woah, this completely went overhead for me. That's a good point both All Might and All for One have been lost as leaders. After seeing Mirio he definitely leaves more of an impression as a future leader then Deku. But we'll see who takes up those respective pedestals 👀

Overhaul is bringing up solid points here. I'm still low-key mad how quickly Shigaraki threw away Hero Killer Stain, based on his immaturity. Like imagine the bigger outrage and support LoV could have gotten if Stain was able to bring light into Endeavours past, the anime even showed them acknowledging each other showing some sort of tension between them. Then again I know Shigaraki is supposed to parallel Deku in growth except they're at the opposite ends but still it kinda sucks we lost a huge Villain like Stain early on.

Yo Shigaraki ain't taking anything, seems he still needs to have better negotiation skills, it also went South fast with Stain and the introduction of Dabi and Toga! And that's neat, Magnes pillar was a big magnet all this time!! It looked silly in the Forest Training Arc but now it looks fine. Magnes friend brings up a good parallel to what I like about BNHA not all the villains are evil by nature, some had society unjustly judged them and give them a negative label (ex: Shinsou). Really makes the BNHA world seem more natural then other anime/mangas.

I....I don't think I want to turn the page... You know it's never a good thing when they show us some sort of flashback of a character in any show/movie/videogame/manga right before or during a fight. I’m in too deep I gotta go!!

fuuuuuuuuuu-

My heart dropped so bad omfg. What did he do to Big Sis?! Some weird Bismuth crystal lines appeared on her face right before. I'm speechless, I wonder how Twice will feel! And I mean Overhaul ain’t wrong, Shigaraki said “Get Out” not “Attack him out the door”.... is this death just a plot catalyst?

I think after seeing that whole show I wouldn’t try to get close to him! But I mean still shout out to Mr. Compress trying to subdue the danger and keep the others safe! I’ve seen a few spoilers on this little bullet...since the internet is impossible to avoid spoilers so now things are getting interesting.

Shigaraki finally doing something, like dude what have you been doing. Anyways I wonder if Horikoshi likes giving villains close combat quirks, maybe to balance them out? I know if more villains had long rage quirks it be hard to make fast paced action scenes (kinda like JoJo were most main characters stands are close range and supporting characters are long range).

Oh shit the Squawk Squad coming through?! But Rip to this guy! In the second to last ep we saw a little bit of Overhaul and his team mates but this guy was definitely not shown.

Shigaraki confirmed in having 0 points in Speech + Charisma skills, boy has invested too many points on Agility and Perception. Twice freaking out is making my heart hurt! I think the anime did a good job in showing his backstory (it’s not here in vol 14 so I guess it appears later) and how it was him who personally brought Overhaul. Really going to make us Anime only feel the regret Twice must be feeling. Damn this situation just shows how much a villain group should invest on recruiting a person with healer quirk or someone with medical knowledge, it’s something they rarely show in stories, they obviously can’t go to a hospital which makes any injury hard to deal with. I wonder if there’s an underworld hospital for villains.... that be interesting to see.

Well that’s all I’ll post for now, it’s already long. So I’ll try to make another post to wrap up volume 14. Reading this part is making me hype for season 4! I want to hear the voice actors and the music they’ll use, I wonder if they’ll start off the first ep in season 4 with this absolute mess or end the ep with a bang. And I wonder how Deku and Overhaul will cross the same path.

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kawakaorin-aho · 6 years

Text

So, I wanna talk about him

[sighs] Ok, I'm doing this with no deep reasons, i think, but anyway, it's just about one of my favorite character from one of my favorite anime, Zoro from One Piece.

(And I don't mind that no one's gonna see this, I actually know that.)

Take a seat, this gonna be long...

I often hear/see things like people talking about his "lack of development" as a character, his "inhuman qualities" or even, his "cliche and standard personality" (the badass, in this case). And the most annoying, hearing comparisons between him and Sanji. 💨 Ok, ok, hands down, no one here is going to talk shit about Sanji, because, SURPRISE~ I like him, I'm a Zoro fan, and I like both!

So...

As a fan that's nearly enough of hearing so much bullshit all the time about him, I thought that it was time to talk about this in somewhere, and here I am.

The First Mate and (yes, he is) the Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat crew is contanstly said as <Ahem>:

- Cliche badass guy

- 0 personality development

- Shallow character

- "All about strenght"

- Little elaborated etc, etc...

And u wanna know something?

This is partly true!

No, don't kill me, this isn't a troll post. I said "PARTLY". Yes, let's confess, it's obvious that he IS the badass archetype of the damn anime, such as a bunch of other animes does have. Not even 5% of his backstory was shown, and the little part that was, wasn't thaaat deep, I'll get there. Oda loves to show how he's totally obsessed with training and make look like he's just that: all about training, sleep, drink and fight. But he ISN'T just this..!

Remenbering well, in East Blue saga, he used to laugh a lot and even make jokes at some point. It all changed after Mihawk beat him and after he realize how little he was next to him. He was just a frog that didn't knew the sea. Is not a coincidence that after this, his behaivour turned more serious, grumpy and kinda mature? He was the first damn one to realize the life and the path that they was about to take, and take it seriously! Something that not even the freaking captain did!

In the most serious and delicate situations he always was the only one to have a cool head and not be taking by the moment or feelings. He looked at the situation like no one in the crew did in first place, putting Luffy in his Captain place. (Water 7, anyone?? C'mon, THAT was trully badass!) And being rational and calm in this kind of situation don't make him "inhuman" or "antipathetic", it does exist real people that's way worse than that... (And that speech that he had with Luffy in W7 made me fall in love with him.) Srly, his sense of responsability is one of the pillars of the crew.

His arrogance it's based on his swordsman skill, not more, not less. He's actually pretty chill, quiet and rly mature, he even acts like an old man sometimes, reading journal, fishing and declaiming "swordsman poetry" in the middle of a fight like some wise elder hermit (nobody else but that guy use a haramaki, i mean, how old is he? 80?) XD; not to metion his "paternal side" that's just so adorable.

Wise. That's the word. This guy is wise af for someone that young. Again, like an old man. And is a swordsman thing, u know, drink alcohol and be wise. :P

Oh yea! Can I remenber of the "badass cliche guy" and remenber u guys that, besides he being that "awesome" and "cool"... He's a total dork!!

WHO THE FUCKING FUCK GETS STUCK ON A CHIMNEY!?!? FREACKING SANTA DOESN'T!

So don't come to me and say that he's just the "100% badass shitty thing all the time", that man fought with a BIRD because of food! And NO, don't make me mention his most famous gag, we all know that if Zoro takes the helm, they find One Piece in 2 episodes..!

We still have the humanity and simplicity of his past story. Some people like to call that "without depht", knowing well the way OP is, this may be true; Putting his backstory side to side with the crew ones, his is sure rly "shallow". But that can also be his differential, like not needing an oversad (dunno if that word exist) and overwhelming depressing backstory, to be a good character. Simple things could have been enough to make him who he is. And we have Wano coming~ So m a y b e we still can have more from him to come, just time and Oda can say that... #wanohype

About the "tough manly powerful" image of him, he IS a good guy. Even if he likes to pass the image of a cool, strong, fearless and without weak spots dude... He is totally soft and protective with a stranger girl and got arrested in trade of her security. The "hard outside, soft inside" type, and that's precious.

He being psychological strong don't demerits him! A lot of people in OP are weak or disturbed internally, and he doesn't follow this is, someway, amazing! It's not because he don't shows it, that he doesn't feel pain. He just don't want and don't like to be reason of concern to anybody, and to me, this is as hard, as this is brave. ("Nothing happened", huh? *shivers*)

Of COURSE... <Sighs> let's go.💨 He and Sanji are 2. Different. Characters; They have different personalities and ideologies; They were made in different ways; This CAN'T BE COMPARED, OK..? Just because Sanji had his own "year", and added more things to his story like a 2nd flashback (that only LUFFY HAVE!), "family", origins and stuff don't automatically makes him "better" than anyone. Sanji, in fact, is at the moment more developed "historically" than almost all of the crew💧. He have waited a damn long time for this to happen, so as Zoro too. We just need to wait. Maybe Oda is also planning more for him, that we just don't know. The point is DON'T. COMPARE. THEM. JUST... They r 2 different and singular characters, if u have your preference like me, great. So STOP this shit, is annoying as fuck, thanks. (Sorry, but I needed to say this 😒)

I left this one to the final. No, I didn't forgot his greatest, most beautifull and (to me) captivating quality. His incredible loyalty.

If in W7 speech scene I fell for him, in this he just broke in the gate to my heart and stole it for him forever.

What to say about this? Not only one of the most epic scenes of all OP and animes, but also a powerful and perfect resume of who is Roronoa Zoro. I always say to my friends, "his best scenes, isn't the fight ones";

The fact that this proud man bowed in favor to someone else, asked to be stronger so they never pass trough that again; always surpass the limits of his own body to protect the crew, not even bothering If he's going to die or not; seing Luffy not just like a helper for him to be the greatest swordsman, but the man that he handed over his own life to protect him...

And Kuina.

He carries the dream form both, his and hers. The honor of her it's with him, and just like her Wado, his will to protect the dream never broke.

This was to everybody that insist to talk shit about him, I won't stop anybody to think in some way different, that's NOT my purpose! But if it's just hate and shit... Just. Don't.

WUF! 💨

That was WAAAY more than I expected.. 😅

It got damn long! But I don't regret it. Call me "tard" If u want, I don't care, nothing will change what I feel about him XD

That post will probably not be useful anyway, but well, that's my thought, and simply this. A little more of love to the wronged marimo <3 (I probably made this in my apex of my missing of him) (and because I'm done with this shit)

Sorry for bad english~!

Sleep well, mossy guys~ ( °v°)

Fuck, I forgot to sleep.

#i just needed #stop this shit #no hate #no comparison #no competition #one piece #roronoa zoro #zoro #god this got long #sorry not sorry

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junker-town · 3 years

Text

Secret Base Hall of Fame: Casey Fossum

Photo by Andy Lyons /Getty Images

One day fifteen years ago, this man ruined me.

“Eephus” is a stupid-looking name for a stupid-looking pitch. Only a few players across Major League Baseball history have regularly thrown it, and Casey Fossum is one of them.

Many of the greatest pitchers of all time have found success mostly by changing speeds. If you can throw 95 miles per hour one minute and 77 the next, you make it tough for the batter to lock in and time it right. This only really works if you can make it look like either one might be coming out of your hand. You can’t tip off the batter. Your delivery needs to look the same.

If you wanted to right now, you could give yourself an oversimplified demonstration of how high of an art this is. Wad up a paper ball or something. Throw it as hard as you can, paying close attention to how your arm and your body moves when you throw it. Now mimic that same throwing motion, but only throw it half as hard. You’ll then have some iota of how difficult this is to do with a baseball from 60 feet away.

But the eephus? That only hits the mitt at 55, 50, even 45 miles per hour. Here is what Fossum’s looked like.

Some GIFs make a sound, and this one sounds like a slide whistle. It’s cartoonish in appearance, and it can work if it’s deployed smartly — in one newspaper report, teammates noted that he only threw about three eephus pitches per game. Deploy it too often, and they’ll catch on to you. You have to keep it a weird, sad surprise, like a cigarette butt in a load of laundry.

I don’t know why the 25 or so notable eephus pitchers in baseball history picked up that pitch, but greatness is not the common denominator. Casey Fossum was not at all a great pitcher by Major League Baseball standards; in fact, among pitchers to make at least 100 starts, Fossum finished with one of the worst ERAs of all time. But you will not hear me denigrate his abilities for two reasons: first, he was, of course good enough to stick around and make those 100-plus starts in the first place.

And second, the video game version of Casey Fossum inflicted upon me a great and terrible humiliation. One that made me swear off baseball video games forever. To this day, I have not returned.

It’s 2006, I’m 23 years old, and we’re in my apartment. This story is about Casey Fossum and not me, so I’ll only pull the curtain back a little.

If you look to the left of the TV, you’ll see a weight bench. I have a friend who likes to drive around and pick up random junk that people have left on the curb. One day he stopped by unannounced, back when people just did that, with the weight bench in the back of his truck. “You want this? I’ve already got one.” Sure.

We lugged it up to my place, and it wasn’t until a couple days later that I tried to use it, stood up, took a close look at it, and realized that it was a child-sized weight bench. This possibility never occurred to me because I didn’t realize such a thing existed. Was I mistaken here? Another friend stopped by. “No, yeah, dude, this thing is for kids. It’s gotta be.” I’m too lazy to try to sell, it, and I’m certainly not going to pay a junk hauler to drive it away, because I don’t have the kind of money you need to do … anything, really. So it’s sat there for a year. It doesn’t do anything and it isn’t going anywhere. Takes one to know one, pal.

If we can direct our attention back to the right, I’m firing up Major League Baseball 2K6 on my Xbox. I don’t know why! I don’t even like playing this game! I felt, and still feel, that realistic baseball video games are a bad idea. They should either be oversimplified like the R.B.I. Baseball series, or off-the-wall lunacy like Mario Superstar Baseball. The art of getting good wood on the ball can’t possibly be simulated by a single button-press, but that’s what this game has stuck you with, so batting really feels more like bet-placing than anything.

I’m in the lobby of this game I suck at and don’t enjoy, waiting for an online match. This is only gonna piss me off, because even by 2006 standards, my internet connection is terrible. I’ve lost Yahoo! Chess matches due to lag, that’s how bad it is. I get matched up, and as the loading screen appears, I hear some kid’s voice crackle through the mic. He probably isn’t older than 12.

Online gaming with kids is a pretty weird experience that we all just kind of have to get used to. You’ve been robbed of your superior social standing. You’re not any more dignified than they are. This is not a friendly game of Mario Kart with your youngest sibling, and you can’t laugh it off as a friendly match that’s all in fun. That’s not why people play online games. We play to win, not to have fun. Who took the time to upload a custom avi? Who carefully monitors their rating? Who patiently waited in the lobby for five minutes to find a ranked match? You did, dummy, just like they did. You’re taking this equally seriously and you cannot even try to pretend otherwise.

I’m beginning to think I might collect my first-ever win when I see that he’s chosen the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, one of the worst teams in baseball. The only real draw for selecting this team lies in Scott Kazmir, their young ace with a high-90s fastball and a terrific slider. I’m further amused when this kid doesn’t even start him.

He starts Casey Fossum.

At this time, I have no idea Fossum has an eephus pitch, or what an eephus even is. Unlike the real-life Fossum, the kid throws this thing so often that his fastball is actually the off-speed pitch. It goes something like eephus, fastball, eephus, eephus, fastball, eephus. When he strikes out the side in the first inning, all I can really do is laugh. I’ve never seen a pitch that looked like that. It moves like the clay pigeons in Duck Hunt. But it’s fine, I’ll figure it out.

He strikes out the side in the second as well. I just cannot figure this guy out. The eephus is such a strange pitch that even when I guess correctly that an eephus is coming, I still miss somehow. I can’t even make contact. Worst of all, I can’t even work the count, because the vast majority of his pitches are landing over the plate.

Around batter number five, I hear him over the mic:

What, lil’ bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

What, lil’ bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

This will continue throughout the rest of the game. He doesn’t stop.

Heading into the third inning, I talk myself through a strategy: listen, if he’s going to keep throwing the eephus, just assume he’s throwing one every single time. If I’m late on a fastball, I’m late. Just hit the eephus. If I time it right, I could hit that thing 500 feet.

He then strikes me out on three straight fastballs, all of which I am comically late on. I immediately abandon this strategy.

What, lil’ bitch

Lil’ stupid-ass bitch

What, lil’ bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

I don’t have a mic, and thank God for that.

Beyond completely destroying the opponent’s sense of timing — a thing already compromised by the lag — there’s another special utility to the eephus as deployed against you in an online game. It makes you look like a total idiot. You’re finished with your swing before the ball is even halfway to the plate. If you bet the other way and guess wrong, you don’t even begin to swing until the ball’s basically in the mitt. Video Game Fossum doesn’t even have to fool you with pitch placement. Every ball goes over the plate. He’s attacking your your ability to time, sense, react. He’s directly attacking your intellect.

Nothing will tilt an online gamer quite like being obviously and repeatedly outsmarted and made to look like a dummy. Someone will find out you’re susceptible to one particular parlor trick and beat you to death with it. There’s the phase in which you recognize what’s being done, how it’s happening, and what you need to do to counteract it. What comes after is the phase in which you realize that there’s nothing you can do. Your opponent has run this playbook a hundred times against a hundred clueless marks. You’re next on this merry-go-round, and you’re here to lose.

Hey lil’ bitch

What’s up lil’ bitch

What lil’ bitch

What what lil’ bitch

It’s the fourth inning. 12 up, 12 down, all strikeouts. This is a perfectly-targeted attack on my ego.

I think I’m smart. I think I’m an excellent tactician when it comes to video games, my abilities forged in the fires of Madden ‘93, Perfect Dark, and Rainbow Six, but also informed by the dark arts of weird old DOS strategy games. Games like Warlords and Nobunaga’s Ambition that required mastery of troops and economies to conduct campaigns of great conquest. Games this kid is too young to have a clue about.

I also think I know a lot about baseball. I watch it constantly. Even in 2006, I’m poring through Baseball-Reference every day. I want to write for a living someday, and if it can ever somehow happen, it feels like baseball is my ticket in. I’m a professional baseball writer in training. I should know what an eephus pitch is.

I think I’m a pretty laid-back guy. I don’t get angry easily. I’m really easygoing. I get along well with people. At the tech-support call center I work at, my supervisor notes in my reviews that I’m very good at de-escalating, which is to say that when mad people call me, I’m good at helping them feel more understood and less mad.

All these things mean a lot to me. They’re the basis of my ego. Hey, look at that guy. You know, he doesn’t have his shit together at all and is actually kind of a doofus, but hey, he’s a smart guy who knows stuff and is good with people. That’s something.

All those pillars are shaking. I’m a shiftless bum who can’t hit a 55-MPH pitch to save my life because I don’t know anything about baseball, and on top of that, I’m being absolutely driven up the wall by a Video Game Casey Fossum and some random 12-year-old who’s outsmarting me every chance he gets.

He is way better than me at everything I thought I was good at. My self-esteem is being annihilated.

Lil’ old bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

Lil’ old bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

One thing that to this day makes me an absolute loser is that I take online gaming etiquette very seriously. I never abandon a match, no matter how badly I’m getting destroyed. Someone can say incredibly cutting things to me and I’ll say “Thanks!” and pretend I’m not mad, that this doesn’t matter to me. Kill ‘em with kindness, you know? I’m above this. I’m better than this.

When you’re 23 years old and nothing feels like it’s breaking the right way, if it’s even breaking any way at all, it’s a lot more difficult to feel that way. But I try, I really do. I refuse to abandon the match. I am determined to solve this puzzle. This can only last for so long. Even if I can’t win this game, I can at least light him up a little bit, proving to both of us that, yes, I figured him out.

What, lil’ bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

Lil’ old bitch

What what, lil’ bitch

Imagine the experience of losing 50 consecutive rounds of rock-paper-scissors, and you might have a sense of what this is like. I’ve fouled off a handful of pitches, but I haven’t put a single ball into play. This kid is a genius, but it’s not really about that anymore, it’s about how fundamentally bad at this I am. Can I at least be okay at a video game? We’ve settled that I’m a stupid baby who doesn’t know anything and gets mad at things that don’t matter. Can I have this, at least? No.

I hope this kid thinks I’m someone his age. I hope it never occurs to him that he’s thoroughly embarrassing a grown man so badly that he’ll write about it a decade and a half later.

And I’d like Casey Fossum to know that for one day, on two televisions, he was a god.

Having surrendered every other claim I thought I had, my sense of honor is the last thing to go. Somewhere around the seventh inning, I disconnect. I don’t have time to navigate through the menus. I have run out of oxygen. I unplug the console from the wall. It was a tornado, for all that kid knows. I never play an online baseball game again.

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giant-head · 4 years

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I wrote a script for the first part of the film - an opening montage telling the story of how the GIANT HEAD came into existence, how our protagonist fits in, etc. I’m going to get to boarding this tomorrow either with Krita or Blender Grease Pencil (I will definitely be using Blender to handle the virtual camera stuff that this script demands!)

all in all this calls for about eleven backgrounds - easily doable - and a lot of very complex perspective drawing animation, which is really going to push the limit of what I can do, but hey, that’s the whole point of this project!

the big concept is that each scene in the montage has text that’s physically present in the scene saying how long ago it is, and the camera flies through this text to transition from scene to scene.

film is divided into two parts: opening montage and main sequence. the opening montage tells the story of why there is a GIANT HEAD, the main sequence explains how the giant head is destroyed by one plucky antifascist lesbian

SCENE ONE locale: outdoor combat class the SWORDMASTER is training the GIRL GIRL is holding her bokken ready to strike, her eyes are shut, so there is a black screen she opens her eyes, dojo fades in her eyes narrow and she swings her bokken towards the camera camera pulls back, revealing other student who parries they lower swords, bow SWORDMASTER pats GIRL on the shoulder GIRL wipes away some sweat walks to edge of square, camera zooming to follow the TECHNOWITCH is standing at the edge of the square she passes the PROTAGONIST a ragged towel, they lean on the wall together camera pans upwards to slum skyline BIG RED WORDS: "ONE YEAR AGO" camera flies straight through the letter 'A' in 'YEAR'

required backgrounds: outdoor dojo panning up into slum skyline (panoramic perspective)

SCENE TWO exterior street scene; a busy market. various cyborgs wandering around. the protagonist buys something and then walks along the street to join the TECHNOWITCH, who is hanging out with a GAY COUPLE. atmosphere is relaxed. camera continues to pan as the group laugh at a joke. the pan reveals the words "ELEVEN MONTHS AGO" and we fly through the "O" in "AGO"

SCENE THREE street scene, past curfew. shuttered market stalls. scene is lit by moonlight - city lights in the distance, but not here. contrasting colour palette to the previous scene. there is a dark alleyway in a prominent place in the frame, with "TEN MONTHS AGO" stretching across it, and the barely visible silhouette of a parked car the same GAY COUPLE from the previous scene is running home, only to be stopped by car headlights suddenly appearing in alleyway. silhouetted in the lights is the COP ; body language aggressive and smug, e.g. tapping baton in hand (no dialogue). other COPS hanging back behind, laughing GAY COUPLE backs off, hands in the air. COP gets up in their space the GIRL sprints out of an alleyway and tackles the COP. two go sprawling into the street. girl shouts (again no VA, but clearly shouting) for the gay couple to run, and they do COP calls on his guys for backup, they start advancing forwards, with sort of 'i can't believe you did that but you are going down' expressions cop lights suddenly turn off, there is a spray of sparks blur of silhouette past the camera as the girl legs it camera flies through the "O" in "MONTHS"

backgrounds required: street scene dark, street scene lit by headlamps

SCENE FOUR exterior scene. a crowd is standing under a big pyramid, with cops in the same uniforms as the ones before - our specific cop is in the near foreground, possibly with a bruise. the FASCIST LEADER is giving a speech. (crowd should be static, don't try to animate a whole moving crowd). behind the crowd is some monumental architecture: lots of pillars and pyramids and such. symmetrical composition. balloons and drones float around in the sky. the words NINE MONTHS AGO stretch between the buildings above the podium camera pans up and zooms in on the FASCIST LEADER, who's doing some exaggerated gestures. we don't spent much time with him - this is just to establish who he is (a bad dude). nasty sneer. camera rises over his head and zooms through the "O" in MONTHS

SCENE FIVE interior scene. some kind of map room, prominently featuring a map of the city with little models of the various monumental architecture. we can see the boulevard where he's giving the speech. there is a line of portraits on the back wall of previous fascist leaders in front of buildings they've created. intended message: he wants to build a building to one-up his predecessors. the FASCIST LEADER is standing over the map, reading some kind of report. a nervous-looking FUNCTIONARY is standing nearby, rubbing his hands together. the FASCIST LEADER sneers and tears up the report. he picks up one of the models on the table and throws it over his shoulder. the FUNCTIONARY runs after it as the leader peers at the table. the FASCIST LEADER gets an idea. he walks to the back of the room, and picks up a bust of himself, and lugs it over to the table. he places it down, on top of the area that represents the slum where our protag lives. the FASCIST LEADER nods, looking very pleased with himself. camera zooms in on the table where there is tiny red letters reading "EIGHT MONTHS AGO" and flies through the "A" in "AGO" just to shake things up

SCENE SIX a street scene in a clearly residential area. a large crowd of people are gathered, looking shocked. facing them is a bunch of cops and some bulldozers (only they're like, cyborg bulldozers with someone like physically wired in or something). the GIRL, TECHNOWITCH and SWORDMASTER are near the front; the NERVOUS-LOOKING FUNCTIONARY is standing beside the lead cop with a long roll of paper. in the gap between the two crowds is the words "SEVEN MONTHS AGO". try for a kind of spherical fish eye perspective where we can zoom in without it looking weird? the camera zooms in on our protagonist; she shakes her head like "no you are not going to bulldoze our houses to build a giant fascist head". the camera then pans quickly over to the COP and the FUNCTIONARY. the COP smirks; the FUNCTIONARY legs it into the cop line. the COPS start firing tear gas rounds and shooting their guns in the air, conveniently avoiding the requirement to draw an entire crowd running away at once. blurry figures leg it from the crowd. a few people run forwards instead - our protagonist among them. the camera zooms through the battle into the "O" in "MONTHS"

SCENE SEVEN interior scene of the GIRL and the TECHNO WITCH's room. tech paraphernalia is scattered around; there's the GIRL's martial arts equipment. on screen left is a window; on screen right is the door in. the bed is in the foreground. suddenly, the door pops a bit in; the GIRL jumps out of bed the COP bursts in through the door only to get hit over the head by the GIRL with a chair or something. meanwhile, the TECHNOWITCH kicks out the window, and starts climbing out. they jump out the window. the camera flies through the window this time - oh shit we're having two scenes in this part of the montage?

SCENE EIGHT the camera looks down onto a street scene from the first floor outsie the window, the cops are advancing down the street with riot shields. behind them they have flame tanks; the street is on fire. they're just fucking shooting people the GIRL and the TECHNOWITCH run across the street and duck into an alleyway. they can't do shit against this. the camera flies into the flames, where it meets the words 6 MONTHS AGO with a really big 6 and goes through the hole in the 6

SCENE NINE the GIRL and the TECHNO WITCH are running under a bridge in a dry canal. a bunch of trucks are driving overhead carrying sheets of copper for the GIANT HEAD (right to left). a truck drives in carrying the words FOUR MONTHS AGO and we fly through the "A" in "AGO"

SCENE TEN the FASCIST LEADER is standing on a metal platform with camera drones flying around. behind him is the GIANT HEAD, but in broad daylight. he's nodding and looking very proud of himself. the head is in a slightly earlier stage of completion. the camera pulls BACK this time, and a CRT scanline filter is applied. as we pull back, we find ourselves in a dusty room containing the GIRL and the TECHNOWITCH; the TECHNOWITCH turns off the TV, revealing the words TWO MONTHS AGO. we fly in through the O

SCENE TEN an interior scene. a dusty room; a sketch of the GIANT HEAD on the wall, next to a window with the construction site in the distance. the GIRL is sitting, tapping her foot. the GAY COUPLE from earlier are also there, and some other PARTISANS. the TECHNOWITCH is pointing at something on the diagram. there is an arrow running along the bridge we saw on the TV, down the scaffolding, and to the base of the GIANT HEAD - and she scribbles an explosion in there. the camera goes out the window towards the building site. this leads us to the word YESTERDAY and we go through the D, leading us to the scene in progress now.

#scripts #opening montage

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imagine-loki · 7 years

Text

Wedded Bliss

TITLE: Wedded Bliss CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 2 AUTHOR: MaliceManaged ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Odin determined to find Loki a wife in a misguided, though somewhat well-intentioned attempt to ‘mellow him’. … RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS: For reference; this is Edith. Yes, I have a thing for red-heads. XD (also someone please take online dollmakers away from me i have a problem)

_______________________

Edith pushed the bangs of her fiery hair out of her amber eyes, wishing it would stay tucked under her goggles like intended when she’d pushed them up to the top of her head. In reality she wouldn��t be having this problem at all if she hadn’t been messing around in Tony’s lab and singed the part of her hair off that inspired the decision to even have bangs in the first place, but there it was. She truly wished the billionaire would just lock her out of the place like he threatened to sometimes; they both knew perfectly well she had no self-control.

“Come on, kid, pick up the pace a little; we’re waiting on you here,” Tony’s voice came through the comm on her right wrist. He’d made it especially for her, since she detested earpieces of any kind, while he worked on something less obtrusive, but honestly she rather liked it.

“Yeah, yeah,” She snarked back, purposefully slowing her black booted feet just long enough for someone to complain before breaking into a light sprint. She ducked behind an outcropping of rock about a hundred feet from her destination - an unassuming warehouse-like building three stories high - and peeked over the edge. “I don’t see any guards,” She spoke into her comm softly all the same, “Either the intel was right, or we got the wrong place.”

“The intel’s fine,” Clint half whispered defensively, careful not to be overheard by his own targets a mile away from where she was.

“Alright, geez,” Edith replied, “Sensitive.”

“Matthews, I swear…” Whatever threat Clint was about to issue was cut off by a hissed curse as he was noticed, and JARVIS broke the connection to Edith as the archer began to fight.

Edith somewhat successfully suppressed her sniggers then began to stand, intending to make her way to her own target, when a flash of something by her feet caught her attention. She knelt back down and reached for the object, discovering it to be a pendant depicting two snakes. Wonder what this is doing here, She thought to herself then, on a whim, put it on, thinking no more of it as she continued on her mission.

Sneaking came naturally to the young woman, a stark contrast to her usual bubbly personality, and she was inside the building, and the computer-filled room that was her destination, in no time. There were no personnel at all there, only a troop of robotic guards just like Clint’s intel had claimed, and she managed to evade those along her way thanks to Tony’s tech hiding her presence from their sensors. Edith plugged in the driver she’d been given, allowing JARVIS to download the data they were there for, and planted a small tracking device on one of the computers before turning and making her way out of the room, then the building.

She was some fifty feet away from the building, informing Tony to go ahead with the next task, when she noticed the sky had suddenly darkened, and before she knew it a blinding pillar of light descended before her. Her exclamation of ‘What the fuck?!’ was swallowed by the roar that accompanied it, and by the time the brightness faded and she lowered her arm, having brought it up to cover her eyes on instinct, she was met with three figures (three men, one older, all armed, she noticed in a matter of moments thanks to her training), one of which looked… decidedly like he’d rather be anywhere else at the moment.

“I am Odin Borson, Allfather and king of Asgard,” Odin declared as he stepped forward, “I would speak with you on a matter of great import-”

“No,” Edith interrupted somewhat frantically, surprising them, “No, no, no; this is a really bad time! You cannot be here right now!”

“Edie; what’s going on?” Tony asked, noticing she’d stopped moving.

Edith raised her comm to her dark purple-lacquered lips. “Unexpected disturbance; you might want to hold the launch.”

“Too late. Already sent. Get your ass outta there now.”

Edith swore then looked up at her company. “Well, you heard the man; move!”

With that she turned and ran, heading for the outcropping of rock and diving behind it, the missiles passing overhead towards the base. Odin and his sons followed soon after, figuring the woman probably knew what she was talking about, and witnessed her pulling her goggles down over her eyes and peek over the edge just as the explosives met their target. As the building was levelled Edith grinned, mesmerised by the sight of the fire and billows of smoke curling upwards.

“Edie??” Tony called through the comm; and if he sounded just a tad bit worried, well…

“I’m alright,” Edith replied distractedly, “It’s pretty, though.”

“… Yeah, okay, kid, just… sit tight; Barton’s on his way to pick you up.”

“Uh-huh,” Edith mumbled, clearly not paying attention. A bit of movement caught her eye and she pressed a button on the side of her goggles, causing them to zoom in on the location. “Guys; I think something made it out.”

“Hang on; I’m almost there,” Clint replied.

“Nah, it’s just a bot; I got it.”

“Edie, no!” Tony warned.

Ignoring him, Edith reached down to one of the many pouches on her belt and grabbed a small device, about the size of her palm, pressed a button then took aim and threw it at the bot; the moment the device connected with its target, it detonated into a large ball of flame, strewing the metal remains of the bot all over the place, and Edith let out a laugh of undisguised glee, earning some rather bemused looks from the asgardians as the quinjet arrived behind them.

“Dammit, kid; we talked about this!” Tony’s voice sounded through the comm, sounding more resigned that disapproving. Edith giggled and he sighed. “Just get in the jet.”

Edith stood, turning to the others as she pushed her goggles up. “Look, if you still want to talk, it sure isn’t gonna happen here, so…”

With a nod to the quinjet, she walked off. Odin looked at Thor, who shrugged, then at Loki, who pointedly ignored him, then followed after Edith, Thor grabbing hold of Loki’s arm and half dragging him along.

As Edith walked up the ramp she threw her arms out. “Clint! My favourite dude-!” She began.

“Sit,” Clint cut her off shortly.

She deflated with a huff then stalked over to a seat and dropped herself into it carelessly. “Man; you can hold a grudge,” She grumbled, crossing her arms at her chest.

“Kid, just let him have that; he’ll get over it eventually,” Tony spoke up through the comm.

“Go to hell, Stark,” Clint replied as he took the jet to the air, though there was no real bite to his tone.

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

Edith let out a wholly unlady-like snort as she pulled her legs up and crossed them under her, bringing her attention to a rip in her black leggings that her careless dive resulted in. “Aw, man; I liked these,” She lamented, poking her finger through the hole and wincing slightly as she touched the scrape underneath.

“Maybe next time don’t wait so long before getting out of the blast zone,” Clint called from the cockpit.

“Oh, bite me,” She retorted, earning a chuckle.

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adapted-batteries · 7 years

Text

And the Hidden Amulet

Fandom: The Librarians

Rating: General/sfw

Relationship: Jassekiel

Word Count: 7017

The Library sends the LiTs and Guardian off to Colorado, where an ancient cave suddenly revealed itself, complete with markings that make the LiTs nervous. Body swapping doesn’t really help matters either.

Also posted on my Ao3.

This is a continuation in the Land Pirate AU I’ve written in before. While it’s not exactly necessary to read the previous stories, some things will probably make a lot more sense if you have. “You Sultry Land Pirates Ruined My Dig!” is first, and “The LiTs Go Clubbing” is second, which this story follows.

This is the last fic I’ve got for the shipathon. The past two months have been great, and I’m super glad I participated.

-----

It had been two months since the Club 10 incident. Morgan Le Fey went off the radar again, or hid her tracks better than last time at least; Jenkins made it his priority to keep an eye out for anything of her handiwork. For the most part, the clippings book and their ongoing investigation on Dulaque had kept them busy, so when nothing rattled the clippings book and they had no progress on what Dulaque was up to, the LiTs grew somewhat restless.

“Jacob...what are you wearing?” Cassandra asked as Dr. Stone walked into the Annex.

“I figured I should find somethin’ to compare with your edgy wardrobe that didn't scream cowboy,” he replied, fiddling with the taupe scarf around his neck. He’d found a cream long sleeve shirt, some olive green pants, and grey work boots.

“I think it's an improvement,” Ezekiel quipped from his relaxed position, feet up on the desk while he scrolled on his phone. “A Nathan Drake vibe beats hick from Oklahoma any day.” Stone gave Ezekiel a confused look but paid attention to the pair of eyes currently on him.

Cassandra had been looking him over methodically. “You need more...leather. Maybe a splash of color too,” she commented, turning on her heel to make a quick trip to the costume room. Stone looked to Ezekiel, who just shrugged at him.

“Cassandra knows how to pick wardrobe, trust me,” Ezekiel said. He then looked up at Stone, eyes focusing obviously on his pants. “That being said, you look a lot more ‘edgy’ with fitted pants like those. A good looking ass and killer legs are always assets, mate.”

“You just want me for my body, don’t ya,” Stone teased, purposely jutting his hip out as he folded his arms across his chest.

“You know it,” Ezekiel chuckled, waggling his eyebrows.

A minute later Cassandra returned with things in hand. She laid them on the desk Ezekiel had claimed, then started handing items to Stone and giving him instructions. “Push your sleeves up, it highlights your biceps more, makes you look slightly more intimidating. The leather cuffs break up your arm while adding a rogue aspect to you. The shirt by itself is bare, so the leather straps are both practical for holding things and cool looking. The light blue cloth necklace adds a bit of color, and it looks like something you wear for personal reasons, giving your character more depth.”

Stone fiddled with the accessories for a moment. “Better?” he asked no one in particular.

“Definitely,” Ezekiel said with a smirk. “Now you look like our hired muscle.”

“When Colonel Baird isn't around then I technically am,” Stone added.

“Speaking of that, how is your training with her going?” Cassandra asked as she sat on the desk.

“Pretty good. I'm getting to the point where she doesn't kick my ass quite so much,” Stone replied, rolling his shoulders like talking about training made him suddenly sore.

The clippings book shook on its stand, catching all of their attention. The three crowded around the large book on its stand.

“Rock-slide reveals ancient cave, hikers discover hidden cave, mysterious drawings found on new cave walls...they’re all dated for tomorrow. Sounds like we need to check out this cave,” Cassandra said.

Stone studied the newspaper clippings. “These are all from Colorado, but Native Americans didn't make cave paintings, so either someone else did it or they’re-”

Colonel Baird walked in just as Stone got towards the end of his sentence. “Magic? What does the clippings book have for us today?”

Stone looked up at her, startled. “How did you-”

“Ezekiel texted me the highlights, and I was on my way back anyway,” she answered, gesturing with her phone as she came to stand next to Ezekiel to read the clippings. “Looks like we’re going spelunking,” She glanced at Stone, mildly amused, “and Stone here is ready to go.”

“I wasn’t...ugh,” Stone huffed, crossing his arms. He glared at Ezekiel and Cassandra who were both restraining giggles. “Go on and get ready.”

“Be back in five!” Cassandra said, giving Stone a kiss on the cheek.

Ezekiel slipped around Cassandra to do the same. “I think you look pretty sexy,” he not-so-quietly whispered into Stone’s ear, giving him a cheeky pat on the ass for good measure, then offered his arm to Cassandra. The two sauntered off to find some hiking gear.

“Cassandra help with the outfit?” Colonel Baird asked, trying to hide the smirk on her face.

“Uh yeah, I only managed half of this,” he replied, fiddling with the leather cuff on his wrist to hide the blush Ezekiel caused.

“Hey, that’s progress,” she said. She gave him a friendly punch in the arm then started heading out the doors for her own gear. “There should be some backpacks in the supply room for us.”

“I’ll go get ‘em,” Stone said, following after her.

---

Jenkins sent them to a visitor center in the forest. It was fairly crowded, people taking advantage of the last few days of summer before the fall rolled in, but no one paid them any mind as the group stumbled out a side door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.”

“Alright, the cave was on Logan Peak Trail, so we need to find the trail head,” Colonel Baird said once the group regained their footing.

“Got it,” Ezekiel said, casually sliding a map out of an unsuspecting tourist’s back pocket as they walked by.

“Dude, seriously?” Stone scoffed, rolling his eyes at him.

“What? She didn’t say how she wanted the information,” Ezekiel countered, opening up the folded paper.

Cassandra scanned the map for a moment before pointing at a spot. “There’s roughly where the cave is, so the trail itself should be right...here,” she paused, looking up to match the map to the various paths branching from the parking lot. “There, to the north, next to the bus.”

“What’s the rating on that trail?” Colonel Baird asked while she watched people coming and going from every other trail but that one.

Ezekiel flipped the map over to the trail listings. “Um...it’s an expert level, complete with steep inclines, some rock climbing, and the loop itself runs almost twenty miles, and connects to others,” he answered, not looking as thrilled as he had before.

“Based on the satellite images, the cave is somewhere between miles four and five,” Cassandra added, poking Ezekiel to flip the map back over. “We might have to scale a small cliff face about two miles in, but I don’t remember seeing anything else on the way.”

“This is why I had you guys get good hiking boots,” Colonel Baird said, turning towards the trail in a much more excited manner than the rest of the group. “Librarians, let's get our hike on.”

The group met her excitement with various grumbles and mumbled words.

---

Three sweaty hours later, the LiTs and their Guardian saw the freshly revealed cave, set into a steeply sloping rock face that softened as it joined the trail. The mouth was five foot wide at most. Boulders and rocks were scattered about, but none covered the trail itself.

Colonel Baird started up the slope to give the cave a look, but the others staggered over to a flatter boulder to rest. “It slopes down towards the back, but I can’t see anything once it curves,” she stated, flicking a beam of light from a flashlight around the walls of the cave. “We just need to take it slow, be careful...guys?” She turned around, not having to search hard for them.

Cassandra noticed Colonel Baird. “Can we have like, five minutes?” Ezekiel and Stone both looked up at her, guzzling water with pleading eyes.

Colonel Baird sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get them moving any faster. “Fine. Five minutes, then we go inside.”

Even though they knew she was going to give them precisely five minutes, they still groaned and grumbled up the slope to the cave entrance. The complaints stopped once they went inside, replaced by their footsteps echoing down the tunnel. With the curve, the floor grew more jagged, becoming a set of large, shallow steps that opened to a larger chamber fifteen or so feet across and deep, and twenty feet high.

The walls, where they were smooth enough, had white symbols all over them that eerily reflected their LED flashlights. In the middle of the room was a four foot tall pillar of rock with a rounded top that jutted up from the ground, but otherwise the room was empty.

“Any idea what these symbols are?” Colonel Baird asked the room. The LiTs had gone in, but she stayed at the entrance, keeping an ear out for anyone coming in the cave.

“It’s not Native American. In fact...it looks similar to what those kids had on the floor in the basement of Club 10,” Stone replied, lightly tracing one of the symbols with his fingers.

“Do you think she came here?” Cassandra asked from the other side of the room where she had been looking for anything suspicious with Ezekiel.

“If she did, it would’ve had to 've been a couple centuries ago. That I can tell, the paint is a mix they used in early to mid 19th century America,” Stone said.

“You know that by just touching it?” Ezekiel said, glancing over at Stone dubiously.

“I wasn’t diggin’ in the sand in Iraq ‘cuz I didn’t know my stuff,” he retorted. “And while you guys were gettin’ ready, I checked into any literature related to this park and area, and didn’t find any mention of a cave. The oldest item, a diary, was dated eighteen forty three.”

“Okay, we get it, you’re a history nerd,” Ezekiel mocked, walking over to Stone to check out his wall for anything suspicious. “So secret cave that’s been sealed for at least a hundred and fifty years, with symbols that look a lot like what we saw with Morgan Le Fey, and a weird pillar thing in the middle. Any guesses?”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Colonel Baird said. “Stone, do you know what these symbols mean?”

“After our run in at Club 10, I read through all the Library had on magic in Europe in that millennium.” He paused when Ezekiel dropped his jaw slightly. “Yes...all. Reading is literally what I do,” he quipped, shaking his head to get back on track. “As far as her specific style, there wasn’t much I could find. She’s good at coverin’ her tracks, but what she was teachin' those kids cropped up a lot in several areas over a few hundred years.” Stone had been flicking his flashlight around the room, but suddenly stopped on a particular symbol. “There, something a lot like it came up a lot in the Celtic stuff. It was a ward, a symbol of protection. What exactly it did depended on who wrote which book, but everyone agreed it was part of a ritual for protection.”

“But not all these symbols go with that ward,” Cassandra started, flicking her hands in the air in front of her. “I remember looking over your shoulder when you had a book open, I’ve seen, well not the symbols specifically, but variants, similar patterns.” After swiping at nothing, her face lit up in recognition, then she swiped the air in her grand gesture of dismissing what she saw and aimed her flashlight at another symbol. “That one, it’s really close to the one I saw for detecting beings in an area, but it’s not the same.”

“Okay so someone was setting up magical security...but for what?” Ezekiel abandoned the wall for the pillar in the middle. “Something could have been here, if someone took it before we got here.”

“No, there weren’t any prints in the dust at the entrance. The rock slide happened recently, and the park rangers haven’t gone in yet, otherwise there would’ve been a notice at the start of the trail,” Colonel Baird explained.

“Then whatever they were protectin’ is still here,” Stone concluded, deciding the pillar needed more of his attention. “These wards, they were some top level stuff. Only a trained practitioner did them. Whoever painted these walls could have easily magically hidden whatever it is.”

Light tapping echoed around the room; Cassandra had pulled out a magical scanner she and Ezekiel had built together, and was waving it at the wall. “Did anything you read say anything about the wards regenerating, or if they decay?”

“That was another point people liked to argue on. Some said they were one use things, some said they regenerated the next day at sunrise, some said that they had to be recharged by a person after use,” Stone replied, eyes still on the pillar.

“Well whatever theory is correct, these wards have no magic in them,” Cassandra announced, pivoting towards Stone and Ezekiel. “The only reading I get is from the pillar, and it’s strong, like artifact level strong.”

Ezekiel had been feeling the base of the pillar for a trigger mechanism, so Stone touched the top, which shifted with his push, suddenly tumbling to the ground on the other side. The inside of the pillar had been hollowed out about six inches deep, housing a small, ornate wooden box. “I think I found what was givin’ off readings,” Stone said, gingerly lifting the rectangular box out of the hole. “This, the style, it’s old. Traditional carvings from thirteenth century France.”

“Cool box...so what’s inside?” Ezekiel said, standing up next to him.

Stone had to restrain himself from yelling about how rare a find like this was. Instead he focused his energy into carefully opening the box. A gold amulet about half the size of his palm sat inside, the red gemstone set in the middle reflecting light off its multifaceted surface. He pulled the necklace out carefully, intently studying it.

Ezekiel looked like he hadn’t been expecting jewelry. “Fancy looking necklace...okay. When’s it from?”

After some sniffing, and a lick, Stone replied, “It’s as old as the box, if not older. I’d put it at…”

Something felt weird. He looked up; the room was off slightly, something changed. He still had the amulet in his hand, but now the gem was green, and he was on the other side of the pillar, alone. He shook his head and continued his statement.

“Uh, yeah, I’d put it at late twelfth, early thirteenth century, the gold from the mines of the Mali empire probably.” Stone ran a hand through his hair. His wrist felt bare, and when he brought his arm down he noticed the leather cuffs Cassandra had given him were gone. In fact, his whole outfit looked more like his normal clothes, not the outfit he’d been working on before they left.

“What, suddenly self-conscious mate?” Ezekiel quipped, drawing Stone’s attention to him. Stone could’ve sworn Ezekiel had a light grey shirt, but now it was much darker, a navy, too much to be a trick of light.

Stone shook his head, deciding to play off his confusion. “Nah, I already know you want a piece of this,” Stone said, waggling his eyebrows.

“Uh…” Ezekiel looked really caught off guard, and Stone wasn’t sure why. They did this flirting thing all the time. He glanced to Cassandra, who was also giving him a funny look, in a light green shirt, not the blue she had been wearing.

The amulet, it must have changed something, his perception maybe, or it transported him somehow, to somewhere. Maybe they’d understand him…

Stone’s voice faltered mid sentence. He looked around, not quite sure where he was. Ezekiel was suddenly next to him, and he’d somehow gotten on the other side of the pillar without noticing. He still had the amulet in his hand, but it was red, not the green he remembered seeing just a moment ago.

“Um...uh,” Stone lost his words, his train of thought completely derailed.

“It’s alright if you don’t know the time period, we can look it up when we get back,” Cassandra said, walking up and putting a reassuring hand on his arm.

“No, I know, it’s gotta be early thirteenth century, gold from Mali most likely,” Stone confirmed, shaking his head. He glanced to his wrists; when did he put on those bracelets? Wait, his whole outfit was not what he walked into the cave wearing.

“Are you alright?” she asked, looking at him with concern.

“Uh...I don’t...um, didn’t you have a green shirt?” Stone stammered, eyes flicking around to Ezekiel. “And you had a navy shirt, for sure.”

“Nope, I definitely walked into the Library this morning wearing this shirt,” Ezekiel said, looking at him with concern as well. “You sure you’re feeling okay?”

“I think so,” Stone mumbled.

Ezekiel offered his hand to Stone. “Here, let me have a look at the amulet.” Once the amulet touched Ezekiel’s hand, Stone shuddered. It was slight, but Ezekiel caught it.

“Now why would Morgan Le Fey, or someone she worked with or trained, hide this here?” Ezekiel thought aloud, looking at the red amulet in his hand, hoping to move past whatever had just happened to Stone...

Ezekiel had been watching Stone ever since he picked up the amulet. Stuttering while doing his history nerd thing, that wasn’t normal at all. Neither was forgetting what clothes they had been wearing all day, and looking around the room like he didn’t know how he got there. Except now he felt the same way. That amulet had definitely been red just a moment ago, there was no way he could have confused that with the green it was now.

Everyone was looking at him expectantly, but why he didn’t know, since he just asked them a question. Maybe he hadn’t actually said it out loud? Guess it wouldn’t hurt to repeat himself. “Uh, so why would they need to hide this amulet?”

Apparently they hadn’t been expecting him to ask that. Cassandra raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, it must be valuable, whether monetarily or magically,” she suggested. “We just don’t know what it does, yet anyway.”

Ezekiel glanced back at the amulet. “With the wards, it’d have to be magical. Maybe whatever it does is controlled by a command.”

“That’s an idea, though what would activate it we have no clue,” Cassandra started, eyes focused on the amulet for a moment before she turned to look at the box, sitting unattended on the pillar top. “Stone, is there anything on the box that might help us?”

Stone grabbed the box, holding his flashlight close to it. “I can certainly look.”

Something about Cassandra seemed different, Ezekiel couldn’t quite put a finger on what though. It was like she hadn’t been hardened by years of thievery with him. She reminded him more of what she was like when they first met five years ago; innocent, a bit naive, too trusting for her own good, determined to convince him that she was worth opening up to.

Apparently that meant he was looking at her with a face that revealed he was thinking about how he low key had a crush on her for a while (guess that happens when you start actually trusting someone), complete with biting his lip.

“Are you alright Ezekiel?” Cassandra asked, snapping him back to reality. If there had been more than just flashlights for light, he could confirm his suspicion of her blushing under his gaze...

Stone was being really odd. Flirting with him was not a normal thing at all, nor looking at himself like he forgot what clothes he put on this morning. Ezekiel hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention, but he for sure didn’t remember Stone looking like he belonged in a video game a second ago, and the amulet was not red either.

“Wasn’t the amulet green?” Ezekiel said, looking from the necklace in his hand to Stone’s weird wardrobe change. “And you definitely hadn’t been wearing those pants when we walked in here.”

“What? I’ve been wearing ‘em all day, and ya even said ya liked my ass in ‘em,” Stone retorted, looking at him with concern. Stone put the back of his hand up to Ezekiel’s forehead for a moment, then switched to cupping the side of his face. “Are ya feelin’ alright?”

The sudden tenderness from Stone was too much for Ezekiel. Instinctively he backed away a few feet, eyes wide, not a clue why Stone was being this way like it was normal.

Stone looked at him with even more worry. “What’s wrong?”

“You wouldn’t do that, you don’t…” Ezekiel stammered, not really processing what was going on very well.

“I don’t what?” Stone said, keeping his distance even though Ezekiel could tell he was restraining himself.

“You’re straight!” Ezekiel snapped, not really meaning to be so loud, but his nerves were very on edge.

Stone looked at him, more confused now than anything else. “I dunno what happened to you...don’t you remember kissin’ me this morning?”

Ezekiel’s jaw dropped. What Stone just said made absolutely no sense; he definitely didn’t do that today, that wouldn’t be something he’d forget easily at all. “...what? I didn’t...”

Cassandra knew something was wrong with Jacob and Ezekiel, like they weren’t quite who they should be. Jacob stuttering mid-sentence, saying she had been wearing a green shirt when she definitely wasn’t, could’ve just been some odd memory loss, but Ezekiel suddenly thinking Jacob was straight was the thing that made her realize there was a problem.

“Are you two alright? You’ve both been acting weird...did something happen?” she asked. Stone looked like he was thinking, and Ezekiel responded with confused noises more than words. On a hunch, she took the amulet from Ezekiel’s loose grip, and saw him shudder. “Okay, where were you just now?”

Ezekiel shook his head, looking around the room, before answering. “I was here, but not quite. It was like you didn’t remember us at all, our past, and Stone changed his clothes…”

Ezekiel’s clothes changed, his shirt going from the grey she just saw, to a navy. He’d been mid sentence when she arrived wherever they were. “...and you said I kissed you this morning?”

Stone, definitely not wearing the cream shirt and olive pants anymore, made a noise that was part amused, part disbelief. “You definitely didn’t do anything like that.”

That gave Cassandra the information she needed. “I think I can explain that,” she started, getting both of their attention. “We must be shifting universes, and you guys are a parallel universe to mine. Everything’s mostly the same, but not quite, like the amulet. Where I came from, it had a red gemstone, but yours is green, and my Ezekiel had a grey shirt, but yours is navy…”

Cassandra figured out why Ezekiel was so freaked out about things Stone definitely didn’t do. When she took the amulet from him, she went somewhere, to the place Ezekiel had been describing, confirmed by Stone’s obnoxious looking adventurer's outfit. They’d been swapping universes via the amulet, its red-gemmed counterpart currently in her hands where the green one had been just a moment ago.

“...Ezekiel had said you somehow changed outfit,” she continued, looking at Stone with mild amusement, “which at first didn’t make sense, but I can’t deny what I see in front of me.”

“So have we been teleporting?” Ezekiel asked.

“Not exactly. The amulet must link the consciousness of the person to their counterpart in another universe, but only if both are holding the amulets,” she explained. “Our Ezekiel came back rather freaked out...what happened over here?”

Stone bit his lip before answering her. “I told him that he kissed me this morning, which ours did.”

“Oh...well that I know of our Stone and Ezekiel’s relationship is not that, well at least not yet anyway,” Cassandra replied.

Ezekiel was looking at her again like he had before he presumably returned to this universe. “What about us? Me and you?”

Cassandra couldn’t help the blush that came up from his gaze. “Uh, well personally I don’t feel that way...and I have Estrella now…”

“Who’s Estrella?” Stone asked, giving her a curious look.

Cassandra felt the smile before she even said anything. “My girlfriend. I guess me here hasn’t met her.”

“The name doesn’t ring any bells. Maybe she met her before you...she became a thief with me,” Ezekiel said.

It took a second for Cassandra to process that last bit. “I became a thief?”

Now it was Ezekiel who was smiling wistfully. “Yeah, just over five years ago.”

“Sounds like she had quite a life before the Library. I was just a janitor,” Cassandra started, not quite sure if she wanted to go back to what she had been wanting to ask. A few moments of awkward silence helped push her along. “So, Stone and Ezekiel, and me and Ezekiel…”

Ezekiel snickered faintly before clarifying. “It’s kind of a polyamorous relationship.”

“Kind of?” Cassandra asked, not sure what he meant by that.

“We’ve been busy, not exactly had time to explore anythin’,” Stone added.

“You know, just some unknown impending doom from Morgan Le Fey and Dula-” Ezekiel said nonchalantly, but Cassandra cut him off.

“Wait! Don’t say anything. If we gain information we otherwise wouldn’t have by ourselves, we could end up damaging our own timelines, or create new ones. We already know there are other branches from our reality.” Cassandra paused, motioning to Colonel Baird still standing near the entrance of the cave. “Our Eve traveled through them a couple years ago. I probably should go before I have a chance to say anything else.”

Cassandra was about to put the amulet back in the box, but Stone stopped her. “Hold on. Before ya go, I wanna test somethin’.” He slipped his backpack off and dug around for the scarf he’d taken off before they hiked. “Here, grab the amulet with this. I wanna see of skin contact is what activates it.”

Taking the scarf, Cassandra wrapped the amulet in it, nothing seemingly different. “I’m still here, which tells me it’s using my electromagnetic field, my aura, to connect. It was a good idea though.”

“Would it still connect if it was in the box?” Stone asked.

“No, it shouldn’t. In the top of ours anyway, there is a cancellation ward,” Cassandra explained, holding the box so they could see, “though your symbol looks like what our Stone drew to compare our symbol to.”

“Whoever put the amulet here must have been from your universe,” Ezekiel suggested.

“It could explain why there wasn’t any magic in our wards here,” Stone said.

“Our wards didn’t have any charge either. They symbols might not be compatible with your magic, but they should still cancel the amulet’s effects since it leaks our magic, and vice versa, to connect,” Cassandra theorized. She knew it was nearing time to leave. “I’m sure your Cassandra has put two and two together. It would be best if I return to my universe.” Stone gave her a nod.

“Have a nice...trip?” Ezekiel said, not quite sure what phrase to use.

Cassandra couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “Good luck on your mission,” she said, looking at all of them.

“You too,” Colonel Baird replied.

Cassandra placed the amulet back in the box, closing the lid softly. Her eyes unfocused for a moment, then she looked up at everyone. “Oh good, I’m back. So much unresolved tension.”

Ezekiel snorted. “Apparently not for you though. Do you know an Estrella?”

“No, but apparently she’s my girlfriend over there,” Cassandra replied.

“Alright, We can chat about relationship differences back at the Library. Let’s get heading back,” Colonel Baird said before the conversation could go any farther. After all the sort of teleporting, everyone happily agreed with her.

---

Exhausted and sweaty, the Librarians and their Guardian stepped into the Annex. Jenkins, who they had called minutes before to activate the backdoor, was in the process of organizing the perpetually cluttered main table. “Welcome back,” he greeted. “I assume your mission was successful?”

Colonel Baird slid her backpack off and carefully took out the box. “I’d say so.”

Jenkins stared at the box with a face that was even graver than the when he found out Morgan Le Fey was active two months ago. “You...found it.”

“Yeah...whatever it is,” Ezekiel said, not thrilled with Jenkins’s expression.

Jenkins opened the box, confirmed the amulet was there, then closed it again. “It is one of a pair, the amulets of world switching...sounds more intimidating in Latin. The amulets, if worn by the same person in each universe at a time that lines up, allows the consciousnesses to switch.”

“Yeah, we figured that out…” Cassandra said, glancing to both Stone and Ezekiel.

“So your counterparts were sent to retrieve their amulet too...Morgan must be on the move,” Jenkins added.

Stone looked at Jenkins, confused. “How do ya know it’s her?”

“She was looking for our counterpart, oh, early Renaissance. There was rumor she found it, but nothing came up that I recall. I can check the previous Librarians’ diaries and logs. Perhaps one of them prompted her to hide it for safe keeping,” Jenkins replied.

“But the paint of the cave, it was two centuries old at most,” Stone said.

“It’s plausible that she had it with her until then, or moved it then,” Jenkins suggested.

Ezekiel had been trying to piece it together, but there was still a part he didn’t understand. “The symbols, they weren’t from our universe.”

Jenkins glanced to him, more helpless than exasperated. “I do not know everything, Mr. Jones. Perhaps her counterpart and she were working together.”

“Do you think she caused the rock slide to retrieve it?” Colonel Baird asked.

“Not likely,” Jenkins answered. “If she had, you wouldn’t have found anything.”

“Then why didn’t the Library send us out earlier, before she had a chance to go back?” she further questioned.

“Nothing notable regarding the cave would have come up in the local papers, thus the Library had nothing to send you to. It’s also possible that the rock slide activated the wards, I assume she had them there,” Jenkins paused to get the nods of confirmation before continuing, “and once used, the amulet was no longer hidden from the Library. For now, we can prevent anyone from using the amulet. I’ll go find a place for it.” Taking the box in his hands as if it was going to disintegrate if he gripped too hard, Jenkins strode out of the Annex.

Not more than a second after Jenkins left, the backdoor glowed, and a battered Flynn holding an expensive-looking china teapot under one arm stumbled into the Annex. Colonel Baird immediately went over to him. “Welcome back...rough trip?”

“You could say that,” Flynn panted. “They did not want to give up their magical healing teapot.” He looked around the Annex for a moment. “Where’s Jenkins? Ah, I can take it to his lab. Hopefully he can fix it up, I could use a drink.” After pointing to the side at a thin line in the ceramic, he limped off to the same door Jenkins had went through.

Colonel Baird watched him staggering off. “I’ll brief him on what we found while I patch him up,” she told the LiTs before striding after him.

“Don’t have too much fun,” Ezekiel snickered.

“Speak for yourself,” Colonel Baird replied without looking back. She caught up to Flynn as he stepped through the doorway.

Cassandra, Stone, and Ezekiel awkwardly stood around, no one making any move to leave. If the Library had crickets (that weren’t contained in the bug room), they would perfectly accent the tension in the room.

Stone was the one to break the silence. “Kinda feels like we’re putting off the inevitable.”

Cassandra shrugged. “We have been busy…”

“This whole mess with Morgan and Dulaque, it’s been two months. We don’t know how long it’s gonna take, and we can’t guarantee we all make it through,” Stone continued.

“Way to rain on the parade,” Ezekiel quipped, not enthused with the serious route it was going.

“No,” Cassandra started, glancing from Ezekiel to Stone, “he’s right. What we’re going up against is big, and dangerous.”

Ezekiel folded his arms across his chest. “So what, are we just a thing now?”

“Well we kinda already were,” Stone said.

“We could...make it official, clean up then go get dinner?” Cassandra suggested, looking at the both of them. Stone gave a “sure,” and Ezekiel gave a “yeah,” with no suggestions. “So...what sounds good?”

“...pizza?” Ezekiel suggested after no one said anything. Cassandra and Stone looked at each other in amusement; they expected nothing less from him.

“Pizza it is then,” Cassandra confirmed.

---

An hour later the freshly-showered LiTs arrived at a local pizza joint they frequented. The sun had started to set, and the dinner crowd filled the restaurant.

“But how is the seating arrangement going to work?” Ezekiel said as they walked up to the front door. “A booth means someone gets left out, or all of us have no room whatsoever.”

“We could get a table, one of the square ones with a chair on each side, then it’s more evenly spaced,” Cassandra suggested.

“I guess that will work,” Ezekiel decided, smirk growing on his face. “We can save the cuddling for later.”

Stone looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “Later?” Cassandra was busy talking to the hostess to get them a table, no help to explain what Ezekiel meant.

Ezekiel left him hanging until they were seated at their table. “Yeah, We have a great couch at home, Cassandra likes the super plush ones. And courtesy of me, a nice flat screen and netflix,” Ezekiel finally explained with a menu in hand.

Stone peered at him. “Are you wantin’ to ‘netflix and chill’?”

Cassandra attempted to hold in her laugh, but failed. “What?” she said through giggles as Stone’s gaze zeroed in on her. “I knew he was going to try it.”

Stone huffed, but he playfully kicked at Ezekiel’s feet under the table. Once the pizza was ordered, and later arrived, the table grew silent (besides moans of cheezy satisfaction, mostly from Ezekiel) as the hungry LiTs devoured their food.

---

“What’s this couch made of, clouds?” Stone asked, somewhat seriously as he seated himself in the middle of the plush couch at Cassandra and Ezekiel’s apartment.

“For all I know it is,” Ezekiel said from next to the tv as he fiddled with the dimmer switch on the lights.

“It’s great, isn’t it?” Cassandra said as she plopped down next to Stone after setting some drinks on the little coffee table in front of them.

“I don’t know how you stay awake on this,” Stone replied, stretching his arms across the back of the couch.

“Here, watch this.” Cassandra leaned over Stone, shoving her hand into the gap between seat cushions. Stone figured out what she had been digging around for when his feet suddenly came up with what he had assumed was the non-reclining middle seat of the couch.

“Woah, even better,” Stone said, settling back into his newly reclined position. Cassandra gave him a goofy smile as she pulled her own lever, reclining her seat.

“What do you wanna watch? Action, drama, sci-fi,” Ezekiel offered as he sat down on the other side of Stone with a controller in hand.

“How ‘bout a documentary?” Stone suggested jokingly.

Ezekiel had been settling in, about to make his seat match theirs, but the question made him sit up and stare at Stone in disbelief. “How dare you suggest that in this house,” Ezekiel scoffed, hand on his chest.

Stone decided to push further. “Oh I know some good social ones, or there’s a bunch on all the art periods too. One of my favorites is on the-”

Ezekiel cut him off by putting a finger to Stone’s lips. “One more suggestion of educational television and you won’t be coming back here.”

Cassandra leaned against Stone’s side. “He’s actually serious about that. Ever since we started at the Library, he deemed home a strict relaxation zone,” she whispered, not intending to be quiet. Ezekiel took his finger away, but kept it pointed at Stone.

“Well, after today’s hike, I can’t say no to that,” Stone replied.

Ezekiel kissed Stone, then settled back against his side. “Good answer.”

---

Cassandra ended up picking Back to the Future when Ezekiel scrolled through options, with no complaints from the other two. Stone hadn't been expecting Ezekiel's extensive surround sound setup, but of course shouldn't have expected anything less from him. It reminded Stone of seeing it with friends when it first came out in theaters all those years ago, minus that characteristic theater smell, way too buttery popcorn, and well worn seats of the little theater in his hometown. He definitely preferred the cloud couch and the two ex-land pirates pressed into his sides.

None of them intended to fall asleep mid-movie, but the LiTs were more tired than they realized. Cassandra was using the left side of Stone’s chest as a pillow, his arm draped loosely around her shoulders. Stone had his head back against the couch, mostly kept straight by Ezekiel’s head, whose forehead pressed right above Stone’s ear. Stone’s other arm was smushed between him and Ezekiel, hands still intertwined.

If it weren’t for the loud thunder in the scene where Doc and Marty are preparing to return to 1985, they probably would’ve stayed asleep. Instead, Stone flinched, jostling the other two awake.

“Sorry,” he said around a yawn.

Ezekiel had sat up, looking entirely too cute after waking up. “It’s fine. At least we can watch the end now.”

The tinny thunder cracked again; this time Cassandra jumped a little. “I’ve never liked storms in the older movies, too sharp and crackley.”

“All those movies used the same sound clip, ‘Castle Thunder,’ which was originally recorded for the nineteen thirty one Frankenstein film. When the film industry went digital, they quit usin’ it,” Stone explained, earning a look from both Cassandra and Ezekiel. “What? I took a film course in college for an elective.”

“No, movie nerd is my spot, you get art and history,” Ezekiel said, waggling his finger at Stone for effect.

“Don’t worry, the class was a broad overview, and I took it in the nineties,” Stone replied, ruffling Ezekiel’s already messed up hair. “You can still one up me.”

Ten or so minutes later the end credits rolled. Stone got up with Cassandra, collecting the drinks that didn’t really get consumed like intended while Ezekiel powered down the console.

“The couch may be comfy, but the bed is better for the back,” Cassandra said after they put the drinks back in the fridge.

“Thanks for havin’ me over, guys, it was nice...including the falling asleep,” Stone said, intending to head for the door.

Ezekiel hesitated for a moment before preventing Stone from leaving by kissing him. “You could stay over, if you want,” Ezekiel said once he pulled away.

“Uh, I mean, if it’s not any trouble,” Stone said, mildly dazed from the kiss. “The couch won’t hurt me.”

“Nonsense,” Cassandra said. “The bed will easily fit all of us.” Stone hesitated, glancing from her to Ezekiel and back, which Cassandra took as reluctance. “That is if you want to, or you can stay on the couch if you want, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Oh, no, bed’s fine, it’s just, um, well,” Stone stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed, “it’s just I kinda spent the past two months wonderin’ what it’d be like to...um...not that we have to do that-”

Cassandra cut off his rambling with a kiss of her own. “You are adorable. Not that we haven’t been thinking the same thing, but I think we can all agree that we’re exhausted from today. We can...explore that...some other time.”

“What are you guys, teenagers? You can say ‘sex’ in this house. I’m all about clear communication and consent,” Ezekiel said, clearly too tired to do any awkward skirting around the point. He only barely held back the laugh that tried to free itself when both Cassandra and Stone looked at him with wide eyes and red cheeks. “Oh my god you guys are dorks. Come on, I’ve got some pajama pants that should fit you, Stone.” He grabbed Stone’s hand and gently tugged him down the short hallway to the bedroom.

Cassandra was right; the king size bed was clearly big enough to fit them all. It took up half the room easily. Ezekiel dug around in one of the drawers in the dresser, triumphantly pulling out the pants and tossing them to Stone. Cassandra, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared with a toothbrush still in its packaging, and handed it to Stone.

Not even ten minutes later, everyone had done their before bed routines. Ezekiel had given him an appreciative look over when Stone walked into the bedroom shirtless. He wasn’t sure how Ezekiel knew he didn’t tend to wear a top unless it was cold; more than likely Ezekiel just wanted to see him with his shirt off, he figured.

They opted for a similar order as they were on the couch; Stone in the middle and Cassandra and Ezekiel on either side. Stone found his eyelids drooping as soon as his head hit the pillow. “G’ night,” he mumbled, giving each of them a kiss on the forehead.

By the time he heard her reply, an echo of his statement around a yawn, he was almost asleep. He thought Ezekiel was already off in snoozeland, but just as Stone slipped into unconsciousness, he heard a faintly whispered “love you” in his ear.

Maybe he just imagined it, but Stone was sure he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

-----

Post Notes: Stone's outfit is the outfit he wore in the alternate universe where he was the Librarian in “And the Loom of Fate.” Also the Library having backpacks prepared for them comes from @hamelott ‘s fic which I thought was cool. That I know of, Logan Peak does exist in Utah, but in Colorado I don’t think there is one, at least that’s what google told me.

If the perspective switching tripped you up, the order it goes in (separated by italic paragraphs) is: AU Stone, canon Stone, AU Ezekiel, canon Ezekiel, AU Cassandra, and canon Cassandra. Before Stone grabs the amulet and after cannon Cassandra returns to her universe is omniscient third person narrator, mostly centering on Stone. The idea was cool in my outline...but a lot harder to write in a clear enough manner, so sorry if it was a bit confusing.

#jassekiel week #jassekiel #the librarians fic #the librarians shipathon #shipathon17 #librariansshipathon #jacob stone #cassandra cillian #ezekiel jones #eve baird #flynn carsen #jenkins #body swapping #flynn writes #land pirate au

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 7 years

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Fighter Week: Fighters in the Game

image credit: KJ Yu

As a Player:

So you have chosen to play a fighter in Dungeons & Dragons. I get it, dude! You love to hit things. But to play a truly memorable fighter, you must have a reason to fight. Your backstory can really help here. Do you fight to protect a loved one? If someone else's loved one is in danger, will you fight for them? There are plenty of reasons to fight:

Defending the innocent: you defend those to have done no wrong.

Protecting the weak: you defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Culling the weak: it's survival of the fittest, and you are the fittest.

Testing your mettle: you won't settle for anything less than a challenge.

Bringing low the mighty: you can't stand oppression and oppose tyrants of all kinds.

Cruelty: you fight to cause pain and suffering.

Thrill-Seeking: you fight for that rush of adrenaline.

Higher cause: your deity drives you to fight for something greater.

Necessity: you only fight when you must. Needless death is wasteful.

Honor: when your honor is at risk or is tested, you must fight.

Every time you meet an encounter, have these running through your mind. It's easy to hack and slash in a game, but this is a roleplaying game. Put yourself in the character's boots. Sometimes you will find a reason NOT to fight. Just because you aren't the bard or the rogue doesn't mean you can't be sociable. The ronin Yojimbo doesn't kill everyone he sees, just the ones he feels he must.

What separates the fighter from the barbarian? Or from the monk, ranger, or paladin? All of these classes fight so why am I different? The fighter does not use their rage to fight. They do not use spirit or tricks or divine intervention. They use tactics and training to be the best at what they do. They have mastered every weapon, know every position, anticipate every attack and fight through to achieve victory, all while being aware of the tides of battle surrounding you and your companions. Your knowledge, experience, and instinct separates you from other classes that fight. Keep this in mind as you roleplay your fighter and drive your decisions. You aren't a martial artist, cautious tracker, holy knight, or frothing berserker. You are a fighter.

Look up different ways to describe combat. I find that searching for writing techniques helps with this. Yes, it's the DM's job to say what happens at the end of the day. But don't let that stop you from describing how you're going to attack that goblin. If anything, it will make the job of the DM easier when they find out the end result! Be sure to inform the DM if you are trying to incapacitate a certain body part of the creature, like going for their eye or legs or arms. Attacking a specific target is usually more difficult but for a fighter? Child's play.

As for gameplay, you should have just as in-depth knowledge of combat as your fighter. Know all of the special attack actions and how they work (grappling, shoving, dual-wielding, improvised weapons, etc.). This will help you always have something to consider other than "I attack the guy in front of me." Other classes can, of course, perform these actions too, but a fighter is really good at them (though a barbarian is comparable for shoving and grappling).

Always have four types of weapons at hand: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, and ranged. At least one should be magical, if you can help it. This will ensure you will always be useful even when faced with undead (which need bludgeoning damage), flying creatures, and incorporeal or resistant creatures. Even niche circumstances like cutting a rope will prove difficult if you only have a warhammer and a crossbow bolt. Another useful idea might be a dagger that can be easily concealed. Despite this being more the rogue's forte, you might find it necessary to lay low in an urban, religious, or noble setting.

Be wary of opportunities to gain advantage. You don't just gain advantage like rogues and barbarians can, so to have consistently high damage you have to work for it. Always flank enemies when you can, seek high ground or blinds or cover when using range, knock enemies prone to gain advantage in melee, attack targets marked by spells or abilities like Faerie Fire. Always utilize the environment not only to reserve your superiority dice and consumables but because it will lead to memorable kills with fallen pillars or Spartan kicks into chasms or crushing a kobold's head in a water wheel.

When choosing who to attack, decide whether you are drawing aggro, protecting the weaker party members, or cleaning up. When first entering combat, draw attention to yourself and away from your weaker allies like spellcasters and rogues and bards. You have very high AC compared to a barbarian's HP, so you have less to worry about when in the thick of it. When you need to protect your allies after taunting fails, mercilessly attack the biggest threats, positioning yourself opposite the ally to flank them and force them to turn around and engage you. During cleanup, use your multiple attacks to pick off the creatures that are closest to death. Spellcasters have a hard time targeting multiple weak targets when they don't want to waste non-cantrip spells, but thanks to the ability to break up your movement, you can last-hit all the weakest threats down. Yes, you're a kill-stealer but your allies will thank you for the saved hit points later.

As a DM:

Fighters don't have much going for them other than fighting. Because of this, you often need to work hard to give them the same great experience that comes so easily to other classes who have boat-loads of utility and usefulness throughout an adventure.

Always put unique environmental factors into a fight. Don't let a room be an empty room unless the monster in it is overly complex. Give them weapons to improvise and high ground to abuse or cover to take. Furnish your rooms, give them decoration and embellishments (most likely crumbled to pieces in a dungeon). Put a lit fire in the room or grease or a water trap. Difficult terrain is an easy way to describe rubble that can be abused by a canny fighter. The environment is to a fighter as magic to a spellcaster. It is a tool to be used.

Make encounters unique so that a fighter will need to think before entering the fray. Put different kinds of monsters in the same room. Consider the placement of creatures so that they might start with an advantage that the fighter must try to turn on its head. If there are relatively weak creatures being fought, definitely consider making them hard to reach if you want to challenge a fighter, who can likely kill it in one or two hits.

If a fighter needs to be put in their place, WIS and INT are their weakest saving throws, with DEX being a potential third for STR-based fighters. Utilize mind control or psychic damage or hard-to-dodge spells and traps to soften them up for a bigger encounter. This is, of course, to create dramatic tension with lowered hit points, not to try and flat-out kill a player. Fighters don't have many weaknesses when it comes to physical combat, so a DM should be aware of this if other players are being overshadowed by the fighter.

That being said, fighters are happy to fight, so it is always easy to give them a moment in the spotlight if they are feeling overshadowed by the high-utility players: just give them a big bad creature to fight or hordes of weenies to cut through.

Another method to challenge a fighter is by giving them an encounter where they should NOT fight. Perhaps something is keeping them from fighting. Any number of social, diplomatic, or magical causes could be behind it. When a fighter cannot fight, they truly shine as a roleplayer. Don't drown the fighter in such situations, but when they are at a loss is when they find out who they are as a player.

#fighter week #fighter #D&D #Dungeons and Dragons #roleplaying #combat #rp #rpg #tabletop #writing #DnD #D&D 5e #DnD 5e #dungeons & dragons

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shizuumi151 · 7 years

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FIC: it’s pouring out here

With a phone, money, and keys in his pocket, Kirishima wandered around the city for an age. With his legs on auto-pilot his mind wandered too. To the new movie that peppered the streets in posters and trailers, a new move he wanted to practise for another basketball play, wondering about how the current arcs for his favourite manga would turn out in the next issue of Jump.

And, of course, he thought about how many of those things he could see and do with Bakugou.

AO3 | wc: 4.7k

As a regular high school student, Kirishima Eijirou led as typical of a life as one would expect of a regular high school student. Though his friends would say that being on part of the school's nationals-ready basketball team, and the team captain to boot, was far from typical.

His friends constantly told him not to sell himself short, but in Kirishima's eyes he really wouldn't call himself extraordinary. He was just a forward; good at keeping up morale, decent at defence. He had to dedicate the better part of his days training just to keep with his certainly more extraordinary teammates. Like Shouji and Satou, the fantastic centres that made for strongholds of their defence, the pillars of their offence. Todoroki, who made for the most well-rounded forward that Kirishima had ever seen. Even Midoriya, who didn't seem to have the height for basketball, blew him and the team away with his strength training over the summer, leapt from the bench to the starting five with his technical skill and quick tactical thinking.

And Bakugou Katsuki, the explosive point guard prodigy. Unrivalled reflexes, agility, and game sense. Competitive to a fault, though never to the point that he'd invite a foul for it. He was a fireball on the court, the showstopping sportsman who practised every fast dribble, every around-the-back pass, every ball handling fake-away that had the other team's ankles breaking to slip in a beautiful shot. A beast on the court who didn't give up until the final buzzer, who never let up until he was breathing blood to get another point on the board, another win for the team.

Maybe he could be a bit of a ball-hog. Maybe he could get a little demanding, telling people where to move like it were chess, manoeuvring pieces on a board. But his plays never went amiss. Whenever he faced a tower of a opponent, he would only grin wide at the challenge. And when his shoes made a skid on the court, before he made a break down the length of it, sidestepped the defence, red eyes flashed when he signalled for the ball, Kirishima couldn't help but marvel at him. At how he commanded the eyes of the players, the spectators, his teammates when he roared with the high of a win.

"Or maybe," Kaminari said, interrupting Kirishima's lovestruck sigh over the lunch table. "Being very gay just runs in the Kirishima family."

Kirishima frowned. "How can it run in the family if I'm adopted...?"

"We know your dads," Sero said, slurping up the last of his noodles next to Kaminari across from him. "And we know you."

"Frankly, if you told me you weren't their flesh-and-blood son, I'd think you were straight up lying," Kaminari said matter-of-factly.

"Sure," Kirishima laughed. He fiddled with more of his sausage with his fork, his appetite having long faded. "It's not gonna happen though."

"I'm sorry, whomst?"

"Me and Bakugou, man," Kirishima said to Kaminari, tossing up his fork in a scoff. "It's a pipe dream. He'd never see me that way."

Kaminari and Sero shared a pointed squint. Delivered that pointed squint Kirishima's way.

"You've literally been to each other houses. You've seen his parents and lived to tell the tale," Kaminari said, putting both hands by his face for emphasis. Kirishima kept playing with his food, listening half-heartedly. "That's like, third base when it comes to Bakugou," he insisted, slapping Sero's arm with the back of his hand. "Bro, Sero, back me up here. Tell Kirishima he's a catch."

"Kirishima, you're a catch," Sero said, clasping his wrist meaningfully. Shook it a bit. "A big, beautiful, manly bass on a line. Like no other."

"One time, my mom saw a picture of you in the yearbook after I mentioned you coached basketball for grade schoolers?" Kaminari said, clapping Kirishima's shoulder. "She wanted to adopt you. Straight away. Wanted papers to get you in that sweet Kaminari registry. My father nearly penned you into his will, he did," he said, holding his pinched fingers up and squinted like a constipated Italian chef. "You are that magnetic, my near-brother."

"Thanks, Sero. And Kaminari, I think," Kirishima chuckled. Though he set down his fork with a more weary sigh. "But I dunno. I ask Bakugou to do a lot of that stuff for me, or with me," he said, shrugging.

"No wait, wait," Kaminari said. Grinned as he pointed between Sero and himself. "We actually practised this. Original Sero & Kaminari production, based on a true story. Ready?"

Kirishima blinked as Kaminari and Sero took in a synchronised breath.

"Oh man!" Sero said, his tone very stilted. He looked around aimlessly, pretending to wipe off sweat from his face. "What a workout, because I, Kirishima Eijirou, am so strong," Sero said, overly loud. Kirishima spat out a laugh. "I am. Quite thirsty!"

"Why're you thirsty after we worked out alone together, huh, you dumbass, huhhh?!" Kaminari yelled all of sudden, face screwed up ugly and furious. Kirishima nearly covered his face. "Drink this and not because it's an indirect kiss or anything but because the only thing ballers should thirst for is undiluted bloooooood!"

"Why thank you! Bakugou Katsuki!" Sero grinned. Then he put a hand to his cheek. "But oh man. I am really. Not ready for our literature exam? I have not memorised? Those quotes yet!" He slapped his knee. "Darn it. Whatever shall I, Kirishima Eijirou. Do?"

"Why the hell are you slacking off I'm going to annihilate your lack of knowledge with a bloody slaughterhouse of a tutoring sessionnn," Kaminari said, flexing his arms by his sides, grunting with flared nostrils, a picture perfect gorilla. "You're gonna get the best grades 'cause I'm the best but not better than me because I'm the best and we're gonna do this at my house because you're the only company I like that I don't wanna punch in the face unless it's a punch with my mouth against your mouth so softly because I like you but you can't see that even though I'm actually so in looooove."

"Oh, so you, Bakugou, will tutor me? Kirishima, a humble gay?" Sero said, patting Kaminari on the shoulder. Kirishima choked. "You really are the best. My fraternal compadre! So manly!"

"Hell yeah I'm the best but you know what's also the best your kindness because you like me too but I can't see it either even though you're bright like the goddamn sun that's why I squint so hard every day but also let's get lunch at that curry joint where I love to burn off my tongue all. The time," Kaminari growled, unhinging his jaw for maximum acoustic reach. "Merciless victoryyyyy."

Kirishima was clutching his sides, laughing without sound. Kaminari and Sero relaxed.

"And, scene!" Kaminari clapped his hands. "So, what'd you think? We think we really got the characterisation down—first time, no flames please."

"Concrit only," Sero added.

"Guys, holy shit," Kirishima wheezed, hyperventilating, needing to rub his tears from his eyes.

"Home run, huh?" Kaminari looked to Sero, grinning. "We've been green-lit!"

"We did good, dude," Sero said. "Electric Tape Studio's going places."

"I like that name literally so much better."

"Gotta pull my weight, don't I?"

"Guys, still," Kirishima said, forcing his breath to even out. "I think he just sees me as a friend, man."

"My man, friend," Kaminari said, sitting back down to face Kirishima head-on. Sero sat closer next to him, intrigued. "Do you remember when you told me you two played a three-on-three, during training the other day?"

"Yeah," Kirishima nodded. "I did."

"You were defending him, correct? There was a bit of an accident, and he fell on top of you."

"Hold up a moment," Sero said, looking between them. "I didn't hear about this."

"That's because I'm his favourite son—now," Kaminari said, holding his chin as Sero clutched his imaginary pearls in shock. "The matter at hand? Did it happen, yay or nay."

"Well, yeah," Kirishima scratched his cheek, eyes darting more to the side. "Sloppy footwork, it was my bad."

"Quote un-quote, Kirishima, quote un-quote," Kaminari said, pushing his fingers into a steeple. Gestured for him to fill in the blanks. "What did Bakugou say when he did that?"

"Yeah, damn, what'd he say when he did that?" Sero mumbled, drawn like a moth to the conversation's flame. He looked at Kaminari, brows rising. "This could be sequel material."

Kaminari nodded definitively. Gestured wider and, somehow, louder to Kirishima. Who bit his lip. Took in a breath.

"...'Holy shit, your arms,'" Kirishima said. Sero's brow rose. "Because his hands," He waved to the empty air. "Landed on my arms. When we fell."

"And, if I could remind the jury," Kaminari said, looking at Sero with a knowing nod. "Kirishima sustained no injuries, visible or otherwise. There was no reason to worry—we know how tough our boy is—and yet. Bakugou Katsuki, woefully bankrupt in fucks to give, said that. With his hands encasing Kirishima's well-muscled form!" Kaminari finished, clutching his own arms at the word 'encasing'. With a flourish of his hand, he indicated Sero. "The verdict, if you please."

Sero nodded, pouting. "That's pretty gay."

"That's what I've been saying!"Kaminari cried, slamming the lunch table passionately. "And our guy here thinks Bakugou's straight? Sure, if he's heading straight for Kirishima's heart. Population: one, because, plot twist, he's there already!" Primly he sat back, crossing his arms with pure confidence. "I rest my case."

"A director, an actor, and a lawyer," Sero said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"I don't know," he said solemnly. Stretched his arms back so his hands could cushion his head, contemplating. "I've never tested the full reach of my many," he sniffed loudly, "many abilities."

"You guys are idiots," Kirishima laughed. Calming down, a genuine smile crept onto his face. "Thanks."

"Eyy, there's my man, huh? That's more like it!" Kaminari cheered, knocking Kirishima's shoulder goodheartedly. Sero glanced aside, before his toothy grin grew in size.

"And here comes his man," he murmured.

Kirishima's head whipped aside at that. In the distance was Bakugou, navigating around lunch tables, hands lost in the pockets of his baggy basketball shorts, making his way towards his table with his signature scowl.

A grin exploded across Kirishima's face, his ribcage warming.

"Bro, you're not even subtle," Kaminari snickered.

Kirishima didn't even elbow him for that. He only beamed at Bakugou, whose eternal frown lightened into something more neutral when he came up to their table.

"Hey, Bakugou!" he said immediately, grinning wide at him. "What's up?"

"We got PE next and lunch is nearly over," Bakugou muttered. "Dragging your ass to get changed before you get us late again."

"Us!" Sero murmured to Kaminari. "He said 'us'!"

"What disgustingly cute couple doesn't use 'us'?!" Kaminari whispered back in conspiracy.

"Roger that!" Kirishima stood up, putting on his bag and picking up his tray with a smile. "I'm always real bad with time."

"Like I don't know that already?" Bakugou scoffed.

"Wait, they're not hearing us," Sero noted. He looked at Kaminari, his thumb pointing at Kirishima and Bakugou. "Can't they hear us?"

"Either the sheer power of their gay love has made them deaf, or," Kaminari whispered, grinning manically at Sero. "We've finally achieved the power of invisibility."

"No but, they'd still hear us if we were invisible though."

"Oh, bye guys!" Kirishima said quickly, spinning on his heel to face the table and Bakugou paused. They'd already been walking off. "Sorry I gotta run now."

"It wore off!" Kaminari breathed in awe, clutching Sero's shoulder. "And here I thought I finally experienced what it was like to be a void. Or Hagakure trying to get Ojiro's attention."

"It's cool, man. Wouldn't wanna be late for PE," Sero said good-naturedly, while trying to peel off Kaminari's grip on his arm. "You guys have fun."

"Stay safe!" Kaminari cried. "Use protection!"

"For what?" Kirishima asked, lowering a brow. Bakugou's eyes flashed murderously from behind him. "You don't need protective gear for basketball."

"What he means is for you two to play safe!" Sero followed up promptly, while Kaminari mumbled 'oh my sweet summer child'. "It's all fun and games until one of you gets hurt!"

"Or an STD," Kaminari considered.

"Should not have given you my chocolate milk."

"Fuckin' idiots," Bakugou spat, face red from either fury or embarrassment as he grabbed Kirishima's arm. "C'mon!"

"Wait, Baku—" Kirishima stuttered, stumbling as he stormed off with him in tow. Trying to keep up his balance, he waved back at the table. "See you guys!"

"Are you telling me Mr. Explodokills has our boy whipped and wears the pants in the relationship?!" Kaminari cried, luckily just when said couple went just out of earshot. "What will happen to our family...?!"

"You need a timeout, my sugar-high friend," Sero said, patting him on the back as Kaminari slumped against him, fake-wailing into his shoulder.

Kirishima laid in bed, staring idly at the basketball he was shooting above his face. Up in the air, then thudding back in his hand. Up then down, up then down.

He'd finished his homework. Did his daily workout. Played a bit of Pokemon on his 3DS. Texted his friends for a while. He would've even gone to chat with his parents, but both his dads were out: one called for work at the gym, the other for his weekend calligraphy class.

Another up, down, up, down, before he caught the ball. Hugged it to his chest in a loud huff. Strips of sunlight draped lazily over his body, stretched along the walls high and thin. He really didn't have much to do today.

You could text Bakugou, Sero had suggested earlier. He didn't even need a snap to see the toothy grin on his face while he said it.

Kirishima covered his face with both hands, groaning while it grew warm. He didn't need thoughts of Bakugou—rough, grumbling, athletic, intelligent and unfairly attractive—when Kirishima wouldn't even see him on the weekend.

Suddenly he kicked himself out of the bed, taking off his jersey to change into comfortable, white shirt and red cargo shorts for going outside. Checked the charge on his phone before opening the family group chat, admiring the slightly blurry picture of his dad's latest calligraphy passage before he sent a text.

redri0t

nice calligraphy dad !!

just letting you and baba know im gonna go for a walk

kirishima hiroki -

thanks son! I still have a long ways to go though!

He added a flexing arm emoji. Kirishima chuckled, getting himself a glass of water before the typing icon came up again.

- kirishima hiroki -

good idea!

it's too nice of a day to be cooped up at home

have fun on your walk! :D

Kirishima Akio

Did you do your homework Eijirou?

redri0t

yep baba!

did my extra reading too

Kirishima Akio

Good lad.

Careful for rain if you plan to stay out long.

- kirishima hiroki -

you always think it'll rain love

redri0t

dad's got a point

it's so sunny out too

Kirishima Akio

It's the rainy season.

Only a matter of time before it pours.

Your calligraphy's more winsome by the day, Hiroki.

- kirishima hiroki -

I was wondering when you were going to comment on it!

Kirishima Akio

Like someone I know. :)

- kirishima hiroki -

you sap <3 <3

Kirishima Akio

I only tell the truth. <3

Kirishima rolled his eyes in a smile as he pocketed his phone, not bothering to remind his dads that flirting was supposed to be off-limits in the family chat before he pocketed his keys and left the house.

With a phone, money, and keys in his pocket, Kirishima wandered around the city for an age. He let his feet take him through roads that wound round malls, residential areas, street stores that sent the smell of fish and meat wafting in the warm summer air. With his legs on auto-pilot his mind wandered too. To the new movie that peppered the streets in posters and trailers, a new move he wanted to practise for another basketball play, wondering about how the current arcs for his favourite manga would turn out in the next issue of Jump.

And, of course, he thought about how many of those things he could see and do with Bakugou.

Kirishima sighed at the sky, hands burrowing deeper into his pockets as he kept walking. It didn't help that Bakugou had fantastic grades, an athlete's body, or that Kirishima was the only one he would act friendly with. Or willingly breathe the same air as him off the court, more like.

But everyone told Kirishima that Bakugou liked him, too. When he helped tutor him, played one-on-one matches outside of practice, even grabbing food after training with him. Outside of the basketball team, any of Kirishima's friends who he told about his crush (which was all of them) egged him to ask Bakugou out.

But Kirishima couldn't afford to be so selfish. No matter how his contribution to the team weighed up against his teammates', as their captain he had to think about how'd they play together. It was a miracle to get Bakugou from yelling himself hoarse at Midoriya to acting civil because of their rivalry in chemistry class. Who knew how Bakugou would view a romantic entanglement with another teammate, given how he wanted nothing in the way of his basketball.

Kirishima scoffed at himself. Scuffed the heel of his shoe along the pavement. As if it were only about their basketball for him. As if their friendship didn't hang in the balance. As if every laugh, smile, and snicker wasn't hard-won, wasn't able to slip away into uncaring snarling again. As if Bakugou wouldn't toss him away at the drop of a hat if he messed up on court—

"Stop it," he hissed at himself. His fists clenched painfully in his pockets. "Stop it."

He rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm, sighing tiredly, the painful knot in his chest loosening. He often had this problem with putting himself down, the voice in his head making the noise louder and fuzzier till it spilled out of him. In a grotesque tightening of his fingers, a pained noise gurgling from his throat. Pitiful memories of his middle school, where he was less than nothing, a friendless water boy for the basketball team would come back up to haunt him, and he'd have to drag himself back to the present.

Kirishima clapped his cheeks till it echoed around the neighbourhood, the empty sidewalk. He shook his head like a dog shaking off water, fists clenched with determination as his cheeks stung red.

"Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts!" he chanted to himself. Plops sounded from the tiles of rooftops. "You're out on a walk, and it's a beautiful day! Think of nothing but happy—"

A raindrop splashed onto his nose. He blinked, taken aback as he looked at the sidewalk going speckled with rain.

A roll of thunder growled over the horizon. The sky bloomed grey.

"...thoughts."

Lost and soaked to the bone, Kirishima felt strangely at peace.

His order-brand hair gel stood no chance against the sheets of rain that started pouring down. For the fourth time he pushed his waterlogged hair out of his face, blew away water that coursed past his lip, moved against his clothes that clung cool and water-heavy to his body. Blinking the monsoon from his lashes, he could already see Baba raise his brows at him. His silent 'told you so' as he tried to make his way through a barely familiar locale.

"Bus stop, bus stop," Kirishima muttered to himself. The static of the rain nearly drowned out his own voice. "Gotta be one around here somewhere."

For all the strangers he walked past in the inner parts of the city, the street he trudged along was lined with apartments in the suburbs, bare save for the sluicing rain. The view ahead of Kirishima was dark, blurry grey, the hazy headlights of a few cars that drove past occasionally snaking through the thundering monsoon.

Around a bend, the street finally stretched out clearer in front of him, lakes of puddles collecting just beside the pavement. For the first time in a few minutes of wandering, there was another person on the street: walking the same way as him, a ways in front with a deep red umbrella, the raindrops battering against it making it almost glow with a white aura.

Just as he was considering going up to ask the person for directions, the sound of a truck splashed behind him.

Kirishima looked back at the truck. Then down the street both he and it were headed. The street that held the massive puddle lying in wait, by the person with the red umbrella who noticed nothing.

His body moved before his mind did.

The sounds of his trainers thumping wetly against the sidewalk dimly reached his ears. Shielding his view from the rain with his arm, he ran as fast as he could without tripping. The truck's headlights in his periphery as a warning, the glowing red umbrella grew larger in Kirishima's field of vision.

Just as the truck cast a tidal wave onto the pavement, Kirishima threw himself by the stranger. Held his arms out and shut an eye as a tsunami of rainwater hit his legs, even splashed some on his chest before the length of it passed by, water flowing off him in streams.

Sucking in a breath, he turned around, grinning wide and sheepish.

"Thought I wouldn't make it in time," he joked to the stranger, opening his eyes.

Only it wasn't a stranger, but Bakugou with earphones in and a hoodie. Who stared at him with his jaw open, holding his glowing umbrella.

"Kirishima...?"

"Bakugou!" Kirishima's eyes went wide. Suddenly he was acutely aware of how drenched he was, how spontaneously warm he'd gotten despite the chilling rain. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I—fuck, I'm on my way home, I fucking live around here," Bakugou said, words tripping out of his mouth. "Never mind that though, shit, you're goddamn soaked!" he yelled, eyes screaming with concern. "Why the hell are you out in this weather?!"

"I was," Kirishima said. He pushed the hair out of his face in disbelief, his thin shirt dragging along his skin as he did. Bakugou's chin dimpled at that, his pale skin darkening to pink. "I was out on a walk."

"Out on a—?! Fuck, screw it, you probably didn't check the weather before going out, you colossal dumbass...!"

Kirishima watched, stunned as Bakugou muttered furiously to himself. Took off his earphones, violently shrugging off his hoodie with one hand with his other held his umbrella.

"Wait, Bakugou," Kirishima held out a hand while Bakugou finally managed to take off his hoodie, clad in a black tee with skulls on the shoulders as he held the stick of his umbrella at his armpit. "Don't take that off, you'll catch a cold—"

"If I get a cold from this then you're gonna get fuckin' pneumonia!" he yelled, nearly beside himself. He stepped closer, the umbrella shielding the both of them as Kirishima sucked in a breath at how close Bakugou's face had gotten, how roughly he wrapped his jacket around Kirishima's shoulders. "I can't fuckin' believe this, you goddamn moron!"

"Bakugou," Kirishima said. Thinking about just earlier, the Bakugou he imagined wouldn't even cast a second glance his way, was a breath's distance away, giving him his jacket in the pouring rain.

"You wanna get sick from drowning out here?!" he yelled, face glowing red against the dismal grey. His hands pulling the jacket sides tight. "Walking around without even a raincoat, just a fuckin' white shirt and pants like—like you're just—!"

"Bakugou," Kirishima said. Thinking about all the private, secret glances Bakugou sent his way when they were together. Out of the corner of his eye but Kirishima didn't dare to let himself to hope, didn't dare to risk losing what he would never have had in middle school.

"Fuck! Fuck, you goddamn idiot!" Bakugou kept yelling, his face blotched ruddy. Eyes resolutely cast down, like he could feel Kirishima's soft gaze brush over him and couldn't face it.

"Bakugou," Kirishima said. Thinking about how many times that had happened between them like they were both afraid. Like they both felt the same. The dam inside him, every time Kirishima looked at him, went on the verge of breaking.

"We're getting your ass dried at my house," Bakugou declared, while Kirishima thought of how bravery in the face of fear was the mark of a real man, how a man always had to risk something to attain anything that mattered to him. "And if you fuckin' try and tell me you don't wanna be a nuisance I fuckin' swear—"

He thought of how middle school Kirishima wouldn't ever have dared to risk anything, as his hands wrapped slow around Bakugou's wrists.

"Bakugou," Kirishima said. Softer yet so much clearer, he could hear his own heartbeat.

"God!" Bakugou spat, finally looking Kirishima in the eye. Face glowing like a lighthouse in the dark, and Kirishima was a little tugboat whose heart tossed along a grey, rocky sea. "What the hell is i—"

Kirishima couldn't see his reaction when he dipped his head in. Because he closed his eyes when his lips brushed wet and cool against Bakugou's dry and warm. He couldn't see Bakugou's eyes blow wide when he leaned his feather-touch into a firm press, his thumbs rubbing slow lines on the thin skin of his wrists.

He barely heard Bakugou's noise of surprise in the din of the rain. Barely caught it melting into a long, bone-deep sigh as he felt Bakugou's palm brush hot and gentle along his jaw, burrowing itself at the wet roots of his hair. Gripping with quiet urgency as Bakugou kissed back, the slide of his lips making Kirishima's pulse skip a beat. He sparked a hearth warming Kirishima's heart, his neck, his face as his hand floated up to Bakugou's cheek. Smooth beneath his thumb as he pulled away in a soft smack, in a quiet breath.

"Dammit..." Bakugou whispered. Kirishima barely opened his eyes to see Bakugou's scrunched and watery. His cheeks dimpling. Brow knotting. Voice wobbling. "Eijirou."

The rain transformed into warm relief, into electric courage as Kirishima let out a winded groan. Washed over him from head to toe as he tilted his head leaning back in, meeting Bakugou halfway as their mouths parted together, pressed against each other. Lips slotting in the soft gaps between making him sigh as Bakugou fisted his jacket collar, kissed him deeper. Umbrella canting more and more off-kilter as droplets glanced off the ends of Bakugou's hair, dripped on his face they pulled each other closer.

Flashes of lightning blinked the world white. Thunder crackled along the skies, shaking the heavens with a resounding boom that pulled the two apart. But they still stayed only a whisper apart. Panting slowly as Bakugou quietly righted his umbrella.

Kirishima laughed softly, his heart racing.

"Will you go out with me?" he murmured. Chest shaking, smile fluttering. Eyes shining. "Katsuki?"

"What the hell do you think?" Bakugou grumbled. Pulling the hood over Kirishima's head while Kirishima laughed again. "As if I could get any more fuckin' obvious."

"You know me, how dense I can get," Kirishima shrugged, smile splitting his face. "You're going out with me..." he said, giggles taking over him. He stretched his neck looking up, letting the rain wash over his face, a leap from floating away as he laughed aloud towards the sky. "Bakugou Katsuki's going out with me...!"

"Shut the hell up, the fucking neighbours will hear...!" Bakugou whispered furiously, face stained red. "Close your mouth before you choke on rain!"

"I like you!" Kirishima said. Announced to the rain white world as only Bakugou looked on, spluttering. "I love you, Katsuki...!"

"Fuck..." Bakugou growled. Face screwed up in disbelief, embarrassment, a desperate emotion that took hold of him with Kirishima's brilliant smile. "Goddammit! I love you more...!" he yelled at him, gripping his hand in his, going red to his neck as Kirishima laughed like a bell still. "Fuck...!"

He cursed as he pulled Kirishima close. Cursed as Kirishima followed soaking wet, an absolute fool's smile on his face. Chimes of laughter dripping from his lips as he dragged him home, his red umbrella glowing in the rain.

#kiribaku #bakushima #kirishima eijirou #bakugou katsuki #bnha #drabble #ok so by my count it's a quirkless high school basketball players au #based on a kiss in the rain prompt #i'm confused too #it's horikoshi's fault!!!#ch 144 fuced me up !!!!

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koohiss · 7 years

Text

30 years since the last critically acclaimed movie, but only like, 50 or 10 since the last one, depending on how time works, skywalkers are fucking shit up in the galaxy once more...

Luke’s gone, Leia’s still a badass, the heavy metal empire has been replaced with the emo-lite first order, just as much nazi garbage and none of the impressive capes. Instead they have a giant toddler who stomps around and eats shit on a regular basis and jerks off to his grandpa’s dead face, probably. Fucking weeb. This pilot, Poe, who I honestly don’t feel much of a connection to, sorry, is trying to get this old man to give him a map to Luke so he can come kick ass. But the douchelord Kellog’s Frosted Fuckup shows up and shoots everyone, bc uncle issues or something. poe gets captured, but shoves the map into his magic 8 ball, which escapes and finds a random superhuman jedi lady of amazingly ironic ancestry in the middle of, you guessed it, a desert. She’s Rey, and to quote some ghost guy who once got gutted inside a palace’s weird power dungeon murder hole, she’s probably maybe might be the chosen one for real this time, I swear to the force it’s for real this time yoda. Then, this amazeballs stormtrooper, Finn, has morals and courage and heart and all the things they wanted in wizard of oz, and is like, fuck this nazi shit, I’m out, and helps poe escape. Sadly, they crash, and poe apparently dies but really leaves finn to die in a plothole of a scene that someone in the writers room should be really embarassed over. Finn meets rey, and it’s love at first “oh shit”. It’s all meet cute/meet thief for a second, and then shit starts blowing up sideways, there was hand holding and running and “follow me”s and then the girl in white and the guy with the leather jacket get on the falcon and leave the desert planet. Classic. Speaking of classic, being the collector’s machinery that she is, the falcon breaks down and they get caught in a tractor beam of a larger ship, which conveniently Han and Chewie are on. Two gangs show up, the giant squid-tribbles escape, scooby doo mayhem ensues. They get away in the falcon and nope the fuck out. Spooky the gollum wannabe teases Kyle about Han and he acts like a pissbaby, says it’s nothing. Oh, and I guess he surprises everyone because somehow this giant moronic imbecile incompetent failure came from the pure glorious happy love of han and leia. Fuck you jar jar abrams. Fuck you in the eye. With a lensflare. This bullshit. The gang checks the map and realize it’s borked, Han gives the lowdown on “it’s real” and also that some sick asswipe death-murdered the jedi like some moron trilby with anger management issues because his mom cancelled his xbox live account because he wasn’t getting good enough grades at jedi academy due to playing the sith campaign of some shitty remade SW game with a pretty decent plot that every teen boy over analyzes and gets the wrong take away from. Anyways, they go to Takodana and Maz’s epic castle that was never fully explained. For some reason they need her to find the resistance for them, which I’m like, just have Han wave at a holocam for like, 2 seconds and you will find literally almost everyone except luke because he’s pouting over history repeating itself. So naturally while they are all chilling at the castle, the party splits bc Finn is scared and Rey is gonna go home and Han is just like, eyes roll emoji. Who knows where chewie went, they act like he isn’t a character or something. But twist, the big ol space nazis find them. Rey finds a lightsaber (prolly just a family heirloom or smth, nbd) and bolts after having visions of all these epics ass movies and shit. My beloved young padawan super duper force sensitive jedi in training Finn is given the lightsaber, bc even Maz can tell that those two are always gonna watch out for each other and are obvs soulmates and he’s the best bet to get it to Rey, the inheriting granddaughter. (also, didn’t a bunch of little kids get murdered with that at least once, possibly twice???) As they leave, death star 3 and with a much lamer name but really cool lore blows the everloving shit out of coruscant 2.0, killing a few more characters that I was probably more interested in than Kyle’s boring weepy “my parents dont’ accept me for being an edgelord” lame ass backstory. Then the TIE fighters try to wreck my fave dudes with some weak sauce army, but then that same ace pilot who apparently left finn to fucking die, nbd, true love amirite? brings the party to them in an epic callback with improved graphics. Meanwhile, that boring infant Ronald mcdumbass over here shows up and after a let down of a fight (c’mon rey, shoot him!) kidnaps his cousin. Gets all creepy and makes teenagers with poor romance comprehension (not their fault, imo) think it’s love and come up with all this bullshit as to why they aren’t cousins. Sigh. But Rey, light of my life, is stronger than this woobie weeb, and she makes him have to run back to the safety of his darth vader body pillow, while she up and obi wans her way out of this bitch. The theme-swapped leto-joker looking vastly subpar offbrand trashcan may have padme’s hair, but rey has her climb up random shit abilities, which go a lot farther honestly. (they both have her hit and miss fashion taste so at least there’s that in common you goddamned r/los that’s all i will give you) Mr. Hotshot takes everyone back to Resistance HQ and conveniently brings the drama too, since he followed teeny!leias footsteps and lead a superweapon to the not-so-secret-anymore base. Everyone scrambles, finn kinda sorta maybe lies through his teeth a little so he can rescue rey, leia guilts han because apparently no (coughdudecough) director can write a conflicted and damaged woman who also happens to be strong without making her completely subsume to whichever half of the dichotomy is needed for the current scene… They go to death star 3 and prepare to fuck shit up. Specifically by doing things that have never been done before with no guarantee they will survive and sassing each other mercilessly. My babies. They find rey off being her badass self, and then right at the point where everything has to go to shit to make the third act interesting, some motherfucking emo up and kills my geriatric fave. Fuck you, marilyn manson. Fuck you. Chewie takes the logical next step and blows his fucking guts out with a laser crossbow bolt, AND blows the fucking guts out of his fanboy cosplay of the death star, because fuck you that’s why. So that’s how the dramatic “ur up past curfew” conversation goes, because I can never have nice things, no the precious goth boy has to live, apparently my needs aren’t important to multi-trillion dollar entertainment corporations, whatever. The absolute wrench fucker chases my beautiful darlings around the currently imploding fucking doom orb of stupid, and they waste his ass with amazing shows of jedi prowess. Finn fights him first and the bastard cheats with his fucking laser butterfly knife like an ass, and precious finn who has never trained a day in his life for this bullshit can only hold on so long before the cheating bastard takes him down. Then rey, pillar of light and all that is good, curbstomps his ass with the prowling predator walk of her father and grandfather before her. Suck it, ron. She’s the chosen one, bitch. Anyways, so I guess the bombs let fly boy (only) get inside and pew pew up the place enough that it rejoined it’s godforsaken stop-building-death-moons-they-don-t-work ancestors. Old ghastly jazzhands on the demon projector asks the weasley kid to go pick up kyle’s raggedy strung out ass, like I fucking care at this point. Everybody goes home (AKA chewie saves all of your asses because even if you ignore him he’s still a cool dude like that) and they totally gloss over the deaths of characters I care about to give us this arbitrary fucking scene of the golden cock block and ir3cutesty5u the soccerball annoying r2, who magically wakes up and magically doesn’t nuke their inferior asses and instead gives them the stupid fucking map, why do you even need a fucking map, all you need is coordinates, jesus christ it’s space, you can just plug the fucking three axis code into the computer and float ur ass over why is there a goddamn treasure map to safeway just use the damn gps good god. It’s space. With infinite wifi. Rey and chewie go to this bird shit covered island and find luke sulking, probably about getting bird shit on his suede jedi boots or losing his best friend and failing his nephew and sister and and the entire galaxy or something like that and then the movie ends

#SWTFA #SWTFA spoilers #SWTFA summary #posted by request #please give mercy on typos #i wrote this at 11 last night bc apartment hunting stress is getting to me #and yes my opinions/theories/headcanons are all laid bare in this #FORCE SENSITIVE FINN #REY SKY #uh... i dunno what other theories to tag this for #POE IS OVERRATED #theres an unpopular opinion i can tag for #feel free to ignore me

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himjhu · 4 years

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What If I Pee Myself On The Soccer Field? I #AskASoccerPro Show Ep 080

11-year MLS veteran Quincy Amarikwa welcomes you to episode 80 of the #AskASoccerPro Show! This week Quincy talks about how to stay fit, going pro with no semi-pro experience, overcoming irrational fear, and more!Check out what Quincy covers this week:

00:00 – 02:45: Welcome To The #AskASoccerPro Show Ep 80!

02:47 – 08:08: Will Quincy Return To Play Soccer?

08:11 -11:20: How Many Days A Week Does Quincy Train? @ferramirez_14_

11:21 – 14:21: How Quincy Changes His Training When He’s About To Join A Team @ferramirez_14_

14:23 – 18:49: What Does Quincy Think About The Quakes Advancing In #MLSisBack Tournament? @shannonmeier1136

18:51 – 24:59: Is It Possible To Go Pro At 23 With No Semi-Pro Experience? @andersfsflow

25:00 – 27:42: Why YOU Should Make A Highlight Reel @connor_johnson2028

27:45 –30:03: Not In The Starting XI? How To Deal With The Mental Aspect Of Not Playing. @oscarrmejia

30:04 - 33:41: Why The Three S’s Of Self-Awareness So Important?

33:42 – 42:45: What If I Pee Myself On The Soccer Field? @lunacysoccer

42:46 – 47:03: Where To Go When You’re Ignored By A Coach And Need A Community That Can Help

47:07 – 51:58: Perfect Soccer Gamer Dylan Joins The Live! @nocontext_dylan

52:03 – 53:46: Quincy’s Recommendations For College Freshman Joining A Soccer Program? @_rubz11

53:51 – 58:24: How To Help Teammates Who Struggle With Their Mentality @john_hollinger27

58:25 – 59:54: Where Can You Get Your Own Perfect Soccer Bundle?

If you would like to listen to the episode:

If you would like to watch the episode:

If you would like to read the interview:

*Transcript is unedited and machine-generated. There will be errors. For further clarity please refer to the audio or video.

Quincy Amarikwa (00:00):

We're all here to ride the MSL wave. The #AskASoccerPro Show. I'd like to welcome you to another episode of the #AskASoccerPro Show. C underscore E L F a R O. What's going on? Katie joining and Joe Jackson. What's going on T a T. How am I supposed to pronounce your name? I know I always say T, but you had you'd you'd written out how to say it appropriately. Ryan, one L he said, what's up Quincy? What's going on, Ryan? Joe Jackson said, yo Quincy, what's up? Katie said what up? F E R a F E R Ramirez 14. Giving me a wave. What's going on Sammy. Welcome as always Connor. Johnson's joining in Jose Pardot. Brett Pratto 10 said what's good Quincy a, you know, it's good. It's the good word. It's time for another episode of the show. And I'm excited to get in today, get into today's episode, you know, shut up. I told her on that, so let's see what we got here. Ooh,

Quincy Amarikwa (01:09):

Oops.

Quincy Amarikwa (01:12):

Anders, Flo, what up, dude? I love your book. Perfect soccer and a lot of motivation, you know, thank you very much as you guys can see on the screen there, you see the little perfect soccer player, blueprint action. You'll shout out towed or for the dope dank meme. For those of you don't know, we just released the perfect soccer bundle, which is

Quincy Amarikwa (01:32):

Everyone I'm getting juiced with. What's coming out and how we're getting everything together. And I'm loving seeing everyone spamming that heart button. Cool. We're making ultimate ultimate things, dreams, everything come true. And one of the dope things I'm juiced about releasing and letting everybody know is available is the perfect soccer bundle. So it makes sure you hit over the perfect set of skills.com/store and check out what comes with it. Perfect soccer goal, perfect soccer balls skills Academy, be pro weekly training program. The perfect soccer player blueprint, the ultimate soccer college, college soccer recruiting boot plant, and more but that's a dope bundle that is coming at you at an extremely discounted amazing price. But let's see what else we got here. I'm seeing everyone's spam that heart button. So I'm seeing that many of you have probably just become aware of the perfect soccer bundle.

Quincy Amarikwa (02:21):

And I'm hoping to hear that many of you are copying your own perfect soccer bundle here soon. But again, shout out honors for saying he he's read. The book, loves the book. Joe co the gunners is joined in mass journalist is joined in and you know what it is when I ended up falling behind Tony, what's going on in Shannon, what's happening Taya T T. His name is Taya. Thank you very much. Ramirez asked, are you still going to play soccer? Well, I'm still a free agent, and I think the quarantine has just thrown a wrench into everything, the regular normal systems and processes. But I also do believe that this has been a great opportunity in time for many individuals, especially higher up in organizations to self reflect on what it is they were doing that got them to where they're at, but more importantly, that the changes in evolution and thinking they're going to need to have to make in order to evolve into what I think comes post quarantine.

Quincy Amarikwa (03:19):

So I know the MLS is back tournament is getting into the later stages. A few teams have been sent home. So I think many people are gonna start thinking about what happens after the tournament and what that means and what they're going to need to start putting into place so they can, they can build, they can build towards they can build towards building a longterm winner's mindset and longterm longterm goal for their organization. So what's been going on and that'll actually be good cause I'll, I'll transition into, I just had a, I just completed my my interview with the guys over at the designated player plot podcast. Last night, that podcast ended up going well over three hours, dope conversation, lots of insight. If those of you are wanting to get up to date as to kind of this, the state of soccer in America, as I currently see it based on my 11 plus years of professional experience, that podcast will definitely be the one that you want to check out, listen to download a relisten, to take notes on and you know, yeah, take notes and and take notice to see how things transpire and play out here, moving forward.

Quincy Amarikwa (04:42):

Cause

Quincy Amarikwa (04:42):

As most of you

Quincy Amarikwa (04:44):

Should know, if you don't know, this is the #AskASoccerPro Show episode 80. I'm pretty sure we're on episode 80 almost to the century club. And I'm excited to have you guys join in because I'm here to talk to you guys about the MSL or the mental strength league. Yes. I've been a major league soccer pro for over 11 years now, but the reason and ability and the way that I was able to get to year 11 and hopefully we'll see here year 12 and beyond is all thanks to the MSL or the mental strength league. The mentality that we discuss here every Thursday, 6:00 PM, PST 9:00 PM EST live on the perfect soccer account. Shout out Joe Jackson already dropping that I'm in your head emojis for 20 more episodes or [inaudible] yes, but on this show, we break down the AmeriCorps process. The seven step process that is necessary for you to be able to accomplish your goals.

Quincy Amarikwa (05:48):

If you want to reach your goals, let's make this a little bit bigger. If you want to reach your goals, if you want to reach them, you got to get down with the MSL. Cause this is the mindset and mentality you need to accomplish your goals to overcome that negativity, that insecurity that self doubt. And how do we do that? Can, can people drop down in the chat, those of you who have been around for a while, gotten a lot of value out of the brand, the MSL mentality and practice what we preach here every Thursday. Can you let me know what the three S's stand for, which is the pillar and foundation to the AmeriCorps process, the pillar and foundation to the MSL, our mentality and our community. Cause I'd love. I'd love to see if if our community can help educate those who may be paying attention or listening in for the first time as I start to look at the questions that are coming in, you know, shout out Joe, thank you, Joe, for putting that in there.

Quincy Amarikwa (06:43):

Let's pin that comment down there. The three S's. So if you guys could drop below what the three S's stand for, that would be amazing. And while you guys are dropping that below, as well as your comments and questions, I'm going to scroll back up a little bit here and start making my way through the questions. Over time GH said, keep up the good work boss, always, always in forever. Chris Floyd soccer said, I want to get a perfect soccer match ball so bad. How much is it? Well, well, Chris, the retail price of the ball is I think it's 89 95. It comes with free shipping and a lifetime warranty of the ball, but, but that's not. What's beautiful. I want you to head over and check out the perfect formation, right? The perfect formation, which is the perfect soccer bundle that is now live on the site.

Quincy Amarikwa (07:45):

And you're going to be able to get the ball, the goal, and all the other additional bonuses and content for an extremely reduced baller price. But if you want to get the ball by itself, Hey, go ahead. No problem. I love that. It's amazing. You're going to love it. It's great. But I definitely suggest you check out the bundle because if you wanted the ball, you're going to, you're going to faint over the bundle. Let's see, let's see F F E R R a M I R E Z, underscore 14, underscore asks, how many days a week do you train Quincy? And that all depends on where I'm at in the season and if I'm in my free agency or if I'm with an actual team and organization. So let's talk about today, how it works, how it looks, how I'm, how I train as of right now.

Quincy Amarikwa (08:39):

So typically when I'm in between teams and I don't know how long it's going to be before I may be joining an organization or team, I I really spread out my fitness and and, and, and keep a base level. And I've talked about this in the past that I understand that puts me about two weeks out from being 60 minute game fit. Now this is something that you'll probably be able to do and figure out once you have a bit more of experience and you understand your body a bit, a bit more, and when you're first starting out, you know, you're learning your body, you're learning your tendencies. What, what your physiology is, how foods affect you, how they, how they may or may not affect you, how training programs and different types of things may or may affect you. But by the time you've gotten to 11 years at the professional level, I would assume, or I'd hope that you've gotten to a level of understanding of your body and for me and for my physiology and how I how my body works to be about two weeks out from 60 minute game fit, I can work out three days a week.

Quincy Amarikwa (09:43):

So I'll typically go Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and I'll I'll have steady state runs and body weight exercises that I do on circuit. Every Monday, every Wednesday, every Friday, typically in the morning when I first wake up or, you know, after I get the kids through through their routines unit stuff. Now what that allows me to do is it allows me to build and maintain a certain level of stamina and cardio, right? So that if, and when I get that call from a team or organization about, Hey, we'd like you to join. We want you to get integrated. With, with having that baseline, I can, I'm able to, within two weeks, get 60 minutes fit for whichever type of organization that I'm joining. So, you know, if you're an organization that's a four 42 and you want to target striker, who's making runs in the box.

Quincy Amarikwa (10:30):

That's different than a four, three, three winger winger forward who has to play both sides of the ball. So I stay in a state that allows me to get fit for whichever organization, a team I eventually joined and the philosophy of the coach, right? So as I start to see how things are trending, I'll then start to adjust my training to now ramp up for if I'm anticipating or believing, there might be an opportunity or chance that I'll be joining an organization. So before the quarantine I was, I was under the belief and feeling that, Hey, things are starting to trend. I'll probably be joining an organization here soon, so I can start to ramp up then quarantine happened and that completely tapered that off. And I created a little bit of time for me to get rest and then got back to that baseline.

Quincy Amarikwa (11:21):

Now I'm starting to get that feeling again, right? Hey, there there's an opportunity or a chance that I probably may be joining an organization here sooner, rather than later, it doesn't mean it's guaranteed, but when that happens, then I'll start to increase my, my, my my training. So now I'm more at I'm still doing Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but I'm doing two sessions a day now. So we'll, I'll do the steady state stuff in the morning with the body weight and then touches touches in agility work. And then obviously I'll start working. I'll do all the things, especially a lot of the organizational stuff with black players for change. There's a massive amount of work that's been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. So I've been very heavily involved in that amongst the other things that we've got going on.

Quincy Amarikwa (12:09):

So then I'm transitioning to that. And then by the afternoon, then I'll go and have my secondary workout, which is more a steady state run with more body weight stuff. And sometimes a little bit of touches on the ball if I'm feeling inclined, like at that point in the morning, whether I feel like it or not, I'm getting touches in the afternoon. It comes down to if I'm feeling if I, if I want to, if it's fun, if it, if I feel inspired and I think many players understand what it's like, sometimes you just, you just don't feel inspired. You don't feel like doing it. You don't feel like being out there. You don't feel like touching the ball. On those days, those are the days that I forced myself to get touches on the ball. The days when I feel like I don't need it the days where I feel like I don't want to, or the days that I make sure I do at least a base level so that I don't start to create slowly deteriorating habits that that come up and bite me in the butt, you know, two or three weeks from now.

Quincy Amarikwa (13:08):

So hopefully that gives you guys a bit of, you know, perspective and kind of context of how to kind of build maybe in your mind some, some ways of which you can, you can build out your regimen and what you're doing. So if you guys are enjoying that and you like that, if that's helpful, share a little bit of insight, some feedback for me with what you guys are thinking just from that, on that routine. Cause like I said, I only want to spend time talking to you guys about things that you find valuable that you like. And if I'm not seeing you as spam the heart button and give me some feedback as to you, if you like it or not, I'm not going to share that type of information anymore. Cause what's the point. You guys know what it is. Time's our most valuable asset out here and there's no chance.

Quincy Amarikwa (13:53):

There's no guarantee as of right now that you're going to get any more of it. So this is an investment of our time. I appreciate the fact that you guys are willing to invest your time here with me. Listen to me, talk, ask me questions, but I want to be mindful of making sure I'm, I'm over delivering value, leaving every exchange haven't given more than I received. Cause you know, that is a pillar of our purpose here. I'm seeing you guys spam that heart button. So I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Let's see what we got here. Shannon asked Shannon, M E I E R one one three six. Asks what do you think about the quakes advancing? So I'm just now fully aware in this moment that the quakes have advanced through the tournament. I think I general, I was generally aware that they had Beaton's they kind of pulled their way through and, and being the team to kind of advance in the tournament, which also ties to what I spoke about last night on the designated player podcast about culture investing in culture and the need for that to actually have an opportunity or a chance to build a team that could, that can win something.

Quincy Amarikwa (14:58):

And I think San Jose has been doing a good job of that. As of late, I think w since I've, since I've not been with the organization, so since I was traded to Montreal they eventually, so towards the end of the year, I was traded to Montreal. Then at the end of that year, who was the coach at the time? Oh man, was it, I forget lots of coaches, I forget. But my main point is they brought in Almeda. And from what I've seen over this last year and a half, I think he's halfway into his second year, right? He's been extremely focused on building culture and an identity around that organization. And I think that's something that's been massively needed. It doesn't mean that it's going to pan out and result in championships, but it will mean at the very least that there's going to be comradery.

Quincy Amarikwa (15:49):

There's going to be a brotherhood. There's gonna, there's going to be something that people want to, you know, metaphorically die for on the field. And when you can create something like that, you make it really difficult to to not put yourself in a great position, to, to win games and have an opportunity to win, win championships. Having said all that, I think the, the philosophy and style of play that I've made it has chosen is one that will be very difficult to, to execute on for the longterm in MLS, because of all the limitations of like travel and under normal, typical circumstances, right? If we're doing everything like this tournament style in the bubble, I think, I think his philosophy, the way he's approaching it is, is kind of ideal for it. But when you're, when you're talking about the situation of traveling across country and the, the, the, the vast degree of different environments that you're preparing for and everything that comes along with what is MLS that's a kind of different, different ballgame, but that's kinda what I'm thinking about so far right now GK underscore L O R E N Z O S.

Quincy Amarikwa (17:05):

Do you know where I can find anything, any training drills with just me and someone else? What do you know where I can find any training drills with just me and someone else? I'm not really understanding that question. Are you saying you need a place to have training drills for, for just you, and if that's what you're looking for, I'd say go to perfect soccer skills.com/login account that's perfect soccer skills.com/login account, create yourself a free perfect soccer team membership accounts. And you'll be able to get access to all of our one-on-one or individual training drills, as well as our B pro training program. And some other tools and resources if saying to work with someone else one-on-one depending on where you're at, I would say to apply for our B pro be pro by perfect soccer program, which you could [email protected] slash B E P R O that's perfect soccer skills.com/b E P R O Ryan RB, pro general manager.

Quincy Amarikwa (18:06):

We will receive your application and we'll figure out how best to help you get connected with a pro who can work with you one on one, but that's a, you know, that's a paid service. So be mindful of that when filling out the application play P L a Y a w a Y G L O B a L underscore said, looking forward to hearing it and would love to have you on our show too, as well. Well, it reach on out, send a, an email to contact and perfect soccer skills. I've come with your request, what you're looking to do, and we'll see what we can make happen. Honor's we're flying, we're flying through the questions here, guys. I'm loving this. This is great. Andrea is a N D R S F S F L O w asks, is it possible to make it to the MLS at age 23 with no, semi-pro do you want to experience, but an insane hunger to be a professional, absolutely obsessed to make it a reality and legit skills.

Quincy Amarikwa (19:06):

Now, Anders, I will never say that something is impossible, but I can tell you what you were saying is nearly impossible. So understanding that means you are putting you are up against you're up against massive odds to make that happen. It doesn't mean that it can't happen, but the amount of work, effort, energy, and strategic, the strategic nature for which you need to operate to make them happen is top, top level stuff, man. And if, if you're serious about it and you're committed to it, then let's see. So let's break it down. Like if, if I was 23, so let's look at it, knowing what I know now and what it takes to get to the MLS level and the higher levels in the experiences that I have and to be here, right? Knowing what I know now, if I could know all of that being 23, but knowing I have no con connections, no context, no, nothing, none of that.

Quincy Amarikwa (20:16):

Where would I start? I would start, I think I would start with, I would start with becoming like a, like a trainer or like a, an assistant trainer or water boy for the organization or team. Okay. So now we're getting now we're thinking about it. That's where I would start. I would start with that because if you don't have any previous experience playing in, in, you don't have a resume or track record, nobody is going to even give you an opportunity or chance to even like, you might be able to go to a paid tryout, but nobody's looking at anybody at Patriots. They're just looking at that as an opportunity to maybe make some revenue or money for the organization and create promo material and marketing material, to get more people, to come to future games and learn about tickets and stuff. That's just, that's a marketing tactic.

Quincy Amarikwa (21:08):

And, you know, people don't understand that or know that then here now, you know, okay. It doesn't mean it's not worth going to, because you can see where you stack up compared to competition and other people who want to be there. But the likelihood that you go to that and you get picked up is, is probably lower than the chance of you making it to the pro level. So with that understanding, and because I know that, and I understand that where I'm saying where I'd start out if I was 23 and I want to make it happen. And I was actually good enough to play, I would become like a, an athletic trainer or like an assistant, or try to get in with an organization and be water boy, whatever I would, I would wash clothes. I would make kits. I would get it coffee for the coaches.

Quincy Amarikwa (21:47):

I would do whatever I needed to do to be a part of the organization. And then through that, I would learn the philosophy of the team, the philosophy of the coach, how the organization ran and worked, that might take you a year or two all while training and doing additional things on my side on the side, on my own listening to the HASC the ASCA soccer pro show every Thursday you know, focusing on my MSL, doing my time management seat, reading the books doing individual training on my own, trying to play any, and every opportunity I possibly could. I would talk to the pros on the team if, if they were open and willing to have those conversations with me to learn as much as I could from them as quickly as possible, I would offer to train them for free.

Quincy Amarikwa (22:31):

And by that, I mean like, Hey, if they just want to show up and shoot after training in August shag balls for them, and that's what it takes, then that's where I start. And I would do that. And then maybe eventually they'd let me take some shots with them. Then maybe we could work together. You know what I'm saying? It's building relationships. This is the long slow grind I'm telling you guys what I would do. And more importantly, how I went about building my career, it was going about it like in this manner. And if it was necessary for me to do these things, this is what I would have done. And I've done even more in terms of just everything. And I'm sure I'll, I'll share more of those stories here in the future. And as you guys asked, but that's where I would start and that's how I'd go about.

Quincy Amarikwa (23:11):

And my plan would be like, hopefully in three to five years, I've developed enough of a name and people understand and know that I could hang that they would actually let me show up to the tryout with the team or go through preseason with the team to see if I could earn a contract that might take, you know, two, three, four, five years. So you're 23. Now, maybe by the time you're 28, you've earned the opportunity to come to preseason with that organization that you've been a part of. Now you have an actual opportunity and chance to sign a contract. Why? Because the team knows you, they know about you, you earned and got to a position in place where they're you, you've got this opportunity, the likelihood that they're going to be looking at you at that point in time is now there. And now if you perform and you're good enough, maybe then you can earn yourself a contract.

Quincy Amarikwa (24:00):

So that honors is how I'd go about doing it. If you're 23 with none of the connections that you're talking about, that is a great question. And I'm looking forward to when we clip this and share this, cause I think there's a lot of people who would want to know how to do that. And I think most would hear how much work it would take and realize that the likelihood that it all comes together perfectly is very low and not go about doing it. But there might be one of you out there who hears all that thinks about it, says, you know what, let me give that a try, let me do it because either five years is going to pass and it doesn't work pan out, which you know, could happen, or it does, which is amazing. But if it doesn't, if it doesn't, at least you're still a part of the organization and you've learned a lot from that experience and you can then join me on the ESSA soccer pro show here, maybe three or five years from now, let me know what that journey was like, what you learned and and what you got, right?

Speaker 1 (24:57):

What you got wrong. But that's a great question. I like that. And I'm seeing everybody's spamming that heart button, which is great. I've fallen. Wow. I've fallen so far behind all the questions and comments in the community, which is great. Thank you to everybody who's joining in K 23. Hampton said that's a great breakdown. Clap emojis. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Let's see. And I'm going to go through all the other stuff. Taya, Taya, dropping them in your head emojis. Let's see play a awake global asks. Oh, for, okay. He asked for, for what's stopping him from making a highlight reel. Well, actually, if you guys are in need and help of making highlight reels Connor what's Connor Connor said Lord of interns. I think his, he said he wanted his official title, the name to be. So that could be his his internal name, but we're coming up with Connor's official title within the perfect soccer organization. He is he has been an intern for the brand for, I think over a year now plus now, and has been doing some amazing work. He helps create highlight tapes and videos for you guys. So if you're interested in that, make sure you send an email to the account so we can connect you with Connor to get that taken care of on that side.

Quincy Amarikwa (26:23):

Let's see. This is a great guy. So I'm looking through trying to see Connor, Connor McCormick 42 said Quincy for president. Hey, you never know we're on that campaign trail. John Hollinger in 27 said great value and insight on your training routine. Quincy, thank you very much. I'm glad you guys are taking something from that. Conversely, Quincy is an MSL legend. That's right. We got it. We've got to teach you how to teach the people who want to learn. Matt, Matt dropped diamond. You had emojis. Let's see what we got here. Let's see what we got here.

Speaker 1 (27:10):

PO GBA junior, dropping them in your head. Emojis. Welcome. Welcome. I love that when you guys are dropping the emojis, I love seeing, I love when seeing when you guys are dropping the Ivan near and emojis on the MLS, the MLS posts and players posts just everywhere on the internet. I'll be looking at random stuff and I'll see you guys dropping that and loving it. Let's see what we got, man. Lots of people are joining in, which is great to see. Okay. At Oscar O S C a R R R M E J I a asked what's the mental aspect of dealing with not constantly playing or being in the starting 11.

Quincy Amarikwa (27:58):

Okay. Well, as you can see that pin there below courtesy of Joe Jackson, 11, a perfect cyber skills.com/sss would be what I would prescribe for you to make sure you immediately go and listen to after today's episode. Not only do I prescribe that you go do that being your soccer doctor, right. I also recommend that you take notes while listening to that and use those notes to come up with your plan for what you want to accomplish for yourself here, moving forward. And this is the same advice that I gave. I'm a fellow community member who sent an email into the account earlier today. And the reason for that is because of this, right? What we talked about here is how to build a, a, a mentality that allows you to learn how to learn and critically think for yourself. Okay. And, and doing so with the MSL mentality and, and leveraging the three S's of self awareness, which is self honesty, self initiative.

Quincy Amarikwa (29:03):

Self-Accountability, we're able to remove ourselves from our current situation. So we can try to create a plan based on looking at it as objectively as possible. And I think the thing that most people get wrong, and the problems that they run into is they allow their emotions to dictate their decisions, which means they get in their own way. And because of their emotions, they're not able to see how their emotions are preventing them from accomplishing what they want for themselves. And what the three S's of self awareness does is it allows you to have a process of thinking to remove yourself from your emotions so that you can think clearly to come up with a plan to overcome them. So there's nothing wrong with emotions and being emotional and having emotions. Those are, those are good things, and you want to utilize them and you want to leverage them to your benefit, but just as, just as they can be a very good thing and beneficial, they can also be very bad in the sense of they could prevent you from accomplishing the goals that you want for yourself.

Quincy Amarikwa (30:04):

So for instance, like being scared is an emotion, right? Like emotionally you're, you're fearful. And that can be a good thing because I'm scared of this lion. That's coming that the lion over here, I know to avoid the lion because the lion is going to get me. It's gonna, it's gonna eat me. That's good. Fear is good. You want to have that emotional response, but fear is bad. When I need to talk to this person, I need to go talk to my coach so I can learn better how to be, to, to be a better player. And if that fear prevents me from engaging in having that conversation will not that that fear is bad because it's preventing us from accomplishing our ultimate goal of talking to the coaches and necessary to learn what we need to so we can do the work to get better.

Quincy Amarikwa (30:49):

Well, it's bad in relation to accomplishing our goal, right? So what we talk about here and what we're really breaking down is how good and bad is subjective. Two people can look at the same thing and come to two completely different conclusions. And that's what we want to acknowledge. And that's what we do acknowledge here with the MSL mentality in how we critically think about the problem, the problems, the temporary obstacles that we're facing. Okay. And I really go in depth into that. And I keep referring back to the the designated player podcast that I just had last night. Cause we really broke that down. That was like a three hour conversation, really getting into the weeds of that subjectivity art versus robotics versus good versus bad, how that plays out, how you have to use your emotions as a, as an indicator for an opportunity and time to think for yourself.

Quincy Amarikwa (31:45):

So once you start feeling the emotion that's should be a trigger for you to go like, okay, let's think, why do I feel fear right now? Why do I feel anxiety? Let's break this down. I feel anxiety because I'm scared that I'm going to be embarrassed by taking a chance or taking a risk. Or I fear that people are going to ridicule me or criticize me for making a mistake. Right? That's those are, those are fears. Those are real. And you feel them, but usually because you feel them that prevents you from taking action. And because it's preventing you from taking action, you're taking an action, which is inaction. Okay. And, and when, when you get into a place where emotions are dictating your actions, or more importantly, your inaction, you are now controlled by your emotions. And that's when you can't see beyond yourself.

Quincy Amarikwa (32:43):

And that's what we're trying to do our best to talk through and convey to the group and audience so that we can think ourselves out of the, the world we've created for ourselves or the world, someone before us created for us, right. You might not be responsible for where you are now, but you were responsible for where you ended up. Right? and that's the mentality. That's the mindset. And that's what the three S's of self awareness helps build a foundation, a foundation for, as these are good questions, I'm feeling dialed in. What are you guys thinking? What are you guys thinking? Let me know, spam that heart button. If you're, if you're picking up what I'm putting down, give me a little bit of feedback from that, that little that MSL wave that we just went on. Riding that wave Taya said the three S's are self honesty, self initiative and self accountability.

Quincy Amarikwa (33:41):

That's what I'm talking about. Taya. You know what it is? GK Lorenzo said self accountability. What's your, okay. What's your favorite PEs of the three S's of self awareness. That would be great. Joe Jackson said stuff, honestly. Self initiative, self accountability. I loved that. Yeah. GK Lorenzo said self accountability Oh, self that said self responsibility, self self accountability, or sorry. Self-Initiative self accountability. Oh, now you've now you guys are messing me up. Cause you said response responsibility, self honesty, selfish, self self initiative, self accountability. I like that. Yo GK, Lorenzo. You got my head there for a minute, bro. Hey, look at that. The community is getting dialed in. Man, that's that's awesome. Let's see. Let's see what we got here. Loving, loving the comments. Section 11, the community, man. Let's see what we got here. Let's see.

Quincy Amarikwa (34:51):

PO GBA junior said underscore PO GBA. Junior said this is amazing. Seeing that I'm planning to try out for a team and I would go on YouTube and watch videos and I'm still planning on going on the perfect soccer website to see what it's all about later. There you go. Okay. Awesome. I think if you go to the link below three S's of self awareness, you can watch that. And in the comment section, there's a link to creating yourself your, your account so you can get access to all the other books, tools, and resources. Okay. So at L U M a C Y soccer asked, what about irrational fears? Like what if I pee myself on the field? Okay. Rational versus irrational fear. So let's use the, what if I pee myself on the fear on the field? Here's the thing you could pee on yourself on the field. So when you're, so when we're talking about rational versus irrational, and when we're saying subjective versus, you know, actual versus subjective, okay. Is it an irrational fear to think about if you're going to pee on yourself on the field, maybe not, maybe you have a bladder issue or problem, and you might literally pee on yourself on the field. So to be scared or mindful of that, would you say that's irrational? I wouldn't say that that's irrational, but within the context of the question, let's, let's kind of drill into that.

Quincy Amarikwa (36:14):

So either

Quincy Amarikwa (36:16):

We believe it's an irrational fear or it could be, how do we overcome that? Well, the best way in my mind, the way that I think about it and how I overcome, what I, or I try to turn things into irrational fears. So I go, okay, I could very well pee on myself on the field is being scared about peeing on myself, on the field. Helpful to me. Does it help me be a better player? Does it help me be dialed in? Does it help me take better touches, make better decisions. Some players play better in a fearful state. So you might see this word, get back to self awareness. You might be a player who knows how to harness fear to perform better on the field. And if that's the case, maybe being scared of peeing on yourself helps you. Right. It could be a good thing.

Quincy Amarikwa (37:05):

Now, if you're talking about, I'm constantly thinking about, I might pee on myself on the field and that is making me be a bad player because I'm not focused on my positioning, my, my understanding of the game. Like I'm making bad decisions because I'm too focused on this irrational fear of peeing on myself. Then I have the visual or I have the visualization exercise of thinking like, okay, why is the thought of ping on myself? So scary. Why am I scared of peeing on myself? What do I think could happen? What do I, what's the worst thing that can happen. And then I think about so this would be negative visualization. What's the worst possible outcome? Oh, IPN myself, everyone sees they point and laugh at me. They call me P P boy for the next year. They call me P people away and everyone in school always Snickers and laughs and calls me PV boy.

Quincy Amarikwa (38:01):

Okay. So, and then they kicked me out of school. Cause the pee on myself, like this is what I'm saying. So this is what I'm saying. They're going to kick you out of school. Cause he peed on yourself. Probably not. So that would be the point where the fear is now irrational. Okay. So you guys can understand where I'm going with this. Okay. So they're probably not going to kick you out of school because of it. But everyone in the school could very well make fun of you for being P P boy and peeing on yourself on the field. And then this is the point where I go. This is the MSL mentality is going like what's so bad about that. Well, I'll feel embarrassed. People will laugh at me and they'll do this. And I go, okay, what's the MSL mentality. What's the MSL mindset.

Quincy Amarikwa (38:41):

We take negativity. And we use that to propel ourselves and push ourselves forward. And I think about it and I go, well, if I pee on myself and everyone calls me PP boy, everybody knows me for being pee people way. Right? And now that's my superpower. I come to school the next day with PB boy on my chest. I'll wear a hat that says PB boy, every time someone goes, ah, ha you're PB. Boy. I go, yeah, PB boy, come over to [inaudible] dot com and buy my path, learn how to play soccer, right? Learn from me. And then eventually you take the power of them to make fun of you away. It's not fun to make fun of you anymore because you like it. You enjoy it. This is great. And this is in alignment with all the people who show up and maybe talk crap about the MSL and me and all that kind of, they're helping us, everybody.

Quincy Amarikwa (39:31):

They are helping you. They're helping you. If you embrace it. If you realize that is your superpower, their negativity is their attention is their time. It's their focus on you. And if you allow that to turn into insecurity, negativity, and self doubt, you won't reach your goals. Your goals will always be out of reach. Okay? But put, put that negativity in alignment with your goals and let it propel you forward. And then to the point, I'm not going to say, Hey, go out there on the soccer field and PP on yourself. Right. But don't be afraid of that happening. And if you are afraid of it happening for me, I'll just tell you what I would do. I would just go on the field, not pee on myself, just so I can get it out of my system. Hey, this scares me. You know what I need to be in myself.

Quincy Amarikwa (40:18):

And this time, this ties to what I was talking about earlier in the call with how I build my, my off my training when I'm in my free agency and between teams, the days in which I feel like I don't want to touch the ball. And I have a good reason, an excuse not to touch the ball cause I've been working hard and things are going good. Those are the days I forced. I go straight out there and I touched the ball more than I want to invite more. I texted ball more than I normally would because I'm not going to allow myself to self sabotage, to sabotage myself from reaching my goals and maintaining my goals because we're here to not only reach our goals, but we want to maintain our goals. We want to, we want to maintain our level and then we want to get better.

Quincy Amarikwa (41:01):

We want to keep moving forward. We want to keep making progress for as long as we want to for ourselves. That's what we're doing. And I'm sharing with you guys. What I would do, how I look at it, what the MSL mentality and mindset is. And if, if I had an irrational fear of peeing on myself and it was preventing me from being better on the field and I couldn't focus and I couldn't do those things, what I would do is I pee on myself so I could get it over with and take care of it. And the next day I'd have a shirt that says PP boy. And I would let everybody brand me as such. And I just deal with that until people got bored of bored of it, that's what I would do. And I hope that through these conversations and the things that we're talking about, cause sometimes they're just ridiculous and they're funny and they don't make sense, but, but that's the mentality you want to accomplish something of, of meaning that's of importance that will create real change, lasting change.

Quincy Amarikwa (41:58):

You're gonna make people angry or you at very least, people are gonna make fun of you or ridicule you all along the way and eventually you'll get there. And when you do, they'll say that they supported you all along the way and they always knew you could make it. And when they, when that happens, that's a whole new experience that will, we can discuss at a later time of how you deal with that and what goes along with that. But I very much appreciate our community and the question you guys send in because it gives me an opportunity to share my experience share my thinking. And I love, I love hearing the feedback of when things are helpful for you. And equally as much when I hear that I don't know what I'm talking about and I'm full of crap. So you guys are helping me be better every day.

Quincy Amarikwa (42:45):

So I appreciate that. Let's see. And we've got about 20 more minutes before the live is a complete. So if you've got any questions, make sure you guys are dropping them here below while I make my way through everything else. I think we are making great time and flying through these questions. I'm loving the engagement today. It seems like everybody has been, has come back refresh and ready to go. Joe Jackson had said, I've definitely had experience with letting emotions control decisions in an inside and outside of soccer. So being able to take emotions out of decision making is very beneficial. There we go. I'm loving that. John Hollinger had said love that being objective and doing an autopsy on your emotions. I like that. Yeah. An autopsy of your emotions. That's good. Let's see. Yeah, but Lucy, that was a good question. I liked that one. I feel K twenty-three Hampton and said, I feel having experience outside of my college career will put me in a better position to play at the next level after college, after college. I believe if you were looking at it that way and you're approaching it as a means to learn something new to better develop your strategy and plan for the future. The answer to that is yes, absolutely.

Quincy Amarikwa (44:28):

Andrew said again, thank you for the insight late for me on the East coast. I'll try to tune in next week. Thank you very much for joining by stopping by. I appreciate that. Let's see Joe Jackson's said my club has passed me up the last few years for moving up while people who I have outperformed have gone up. So I'm getting a trial with the club that's playing at the same level as the higher team. Okay. I think you're starting to have conversations with people in the in the comments section, which is great. Everyone should everyone here should be listening to these gyms. Thank you very much. John Hallinger had asked what about playing in lower divisions first, get video and perform and then move up. Okay. That's what I'm saying. Now I'm loving this. You guys are having conversations in the, in the comment section which is what I always love seeing.

Quincy Amarikwa (45:17):

And sometimes I'm, I'm reading them cause I'm thinking their question, but you guys are figuring stuff out amongst the group, which is, which is perfect, which makes me, which reminds me I'd encourage everybody to go and join the private Facebook group. You get access to that once you create a perfect soccer team membership. So we can continue the conversation over there. John, I think you're in the group, Joe. I also believe I could be wrong. I think you were over there, but this will be great for you guys to continue the conversation beyond the Instagram live chat. And also if you guys have the conversations over in the Facebook group, I'm able to keep up to date or at least chime in and see what's going on. And I also know that we're, we're working to get some people who are wanting to be administrators and interns for the brand.

Quincy Amarikwa (46:06):

I apologize if you know, if you're, you're someone who's, who's who I've even told will come on as an intern or as an not as an ambassador, but a moderator or helping with the community. We are working as fast as we can to get all the systems and processes in place. It's, it's ending up being a lot more work than we were originally thinking. And with all the stuff that I've been focused on with black players for change these last several weeks with negotiations and organizational structure and SLPs and stuff. My focus has been very like the bandwidth has been very much diluted. So I apologize. We are working to get that resolved as quickly as possible, but I still would like to encourage people to head over to the private Facebook group. I proceeded the understood. I appreciate the answers. Quincy, thank you for your time and perspective. Of course. Thank you for stopping by and asking your question.

Quincy Amarikwa (47:11):

Let's see. Let's see, let's see lots of engagements tonight, guys. I love, I love that kind of about 10, 13 minutes here left you F O K I G six one four asks tips to become a soccer pro. I don't think I've seen you during the community here before. Welcome to the community. And if you want tips on how to become a pro, I suggest you had two perfect soccer skills.com/log in account. Perfect soccer skills.com/log in account. Create yourself a perfect soccer team membership account, read our books for free, go through our webinar trainings and read our articles and listen to our podcasts. Cause they teach you and show you exactly how to become a pro. And let's see,

Quincy Amarikwa (48:04):

Got calling in here. So let's, let's get him in here and seeing what's what's going on on his side,

Dylan (48:13):

Quincy,

Quincy Amarikwa (48:14):

What's going on, brother? How you doing?

Dylan (48:16):

I'm just playing FIFA right now. Work on the team for you guys.

Quincy Amarikwa (48:20):

Ooh, I love that helps. So how far, how far are we from going live on the gamer on the perfect soccer gamer account?

Dylan (48:29):

Um I just got to do that a review video for you guys. And then I got to send that in and then I just need a good password and stuff, but like everything like on the gaming side set up.

Quincy Amarikwa (48:44):

Awesome. I'm loving that. So what are you, what are you most excited about here moving forward?

Dylan (48:49):

Um probably just honestly like the weekend tournaments so far for you guys, that's going to be 46. I already qualified for it. That was all, all done and stuff.

Quincy Amarikwa (49:04):

Nice. I'm loving that if everybody's seeing no context, Dylan is the second official gamer of the perfect soccer game or division. He's helping us get everything set up for what was the ultimate team is the focus, right? Yeah. So while I know many of you guys were joining in for the season, goes on with Earl Edwards jr. While he's been at the game, Melissa's back tournament as well as organizing for the blacklist for change that has been on pause. But Dylan has been here helping to get stuff set up so we can start doing this more regularly here, moving forward. So I'm excited for getting that launched. Let's see. Yeah, no, no else that fix your hair.

Dylan (49:50):

My friend, Roy. Yeah. Nice.

Quincy Amarikwa (49:56):

Let's see. So I'm seeing everybody else on here, so, all right. Well you want to let everybody know what before you're getting up, live on the account where you, where you streaming right now, or are you streaming as of now?

Dylan (50:10):

Um sometimes I stream on my tech talk when I have time and like I post like update videos on like the ultimate team that we got, like flip the camera for you guys. So I, I got all this going on for us and stuff. It's a bunch of decent players, so it should be pretty good entertaining, I think.

Quincy Amarikwa (50:32):

Nice. No, I love that. So what can our community do to support or what, what, what do they need to be doing before you start going live here?

Dylan (50:47):

I think you can just go ahead and if you're like interested in it just, you can go ahead over to my Tik Tok cause I like posts, like update videos on it. I'm probably gonna post a few like just like highlights from games I've done so far and stuff like that. And then probably just promoted more so like more of my followers. See it, and then they go over to the channel and watch.

Quincy Amarikwa (51:10):

Awesome. So you want to let everybody know Were to follow you on ticktock so that we can make sure everybody's staying up to date on all your highlight videos and joining it on the streams.

Dylan (51:20):

Sure. It's just no context Dylan on tape.

Quincy Amarikwa (51:25):

So no context dot Dylan on tic talk guys, make sure you go and follow him. He's a official perfect soccer gamer. Paul Paul PG sports just dropped in given the, the, the jesus' hand emojis and the 100, cause he's looking forward to watching stuff here soon. Dylan, thanks for dropping by bro. I appreciate it. We've got I think five more minutes here. So we'll answer a couple more questions before we wrap up today's show, but I'm looking forward to getting everything launched. You're live with you soon, man,

Dylan (51:56):

For sure. For sure.

Quincy Amarikwa (51:57):

Awesome brother, I'll speak to you soon.

Quincy Amarikwa (52:03):

Thanks for dropping by Dylan. And as we said, make sure you guys go follow a Dylan over on ticktock. He's doing some, some funny and fun soccer, soccer content over there on tick talk. We're excited to have him on with the brand and helping us get the ultimate team going. Let's see you make it any recommendations for incoming freshmen joining a college program. Okay. Ruby underscore R U B Z 11, as any recommendations for an incoming freshmen joining a college program and you guys are gonna hear me say the same things over and over and over again because the truth is true, whether you believe it or not, but head of perfect cyber skills.com/login account that is log in account, create yourself a perfect soccer team membership account. And I would recommend that you go and read the ultimate college soccer recruiting blueprint.

Quincy Amarikwa (53:06):

I think that will be massively helpful for you, especially if you're going to be joining a college program here. As soon as a freshmen, understand the process, start to finish what it looks like, how what you could have been doing to better help yourself leading into it. And then I think what would also be good is listening to some of the college the in depth with Ross episodes that Ross shot talking about his college experience at UVA, being a captain for the team, winning the NCAA championship back in his day. I think many of those lessons in that the insight and perspective would be very helpful and beneficial to to someone who's going to be joining their college program here.

Quincy Amarikwa (53:51):

Let's see John Hollinger 27 asks, what sorts of things do you do to help your teammates who may appear to be mentally off? So so I, I think most players now understand me to be a mental strength coach because they've been seeing what I've been doing for a while a while now, like officially as a mental strength coach, I think I've been one or not. I think I know I've been one for a lot longer than, you know, recently being an official mental strength coach. I was an unofficial mental strength coach and I, and I say I was unofficial because I would notice obviously every single player at different points in time in their career has difficulties that they're going through. And the, the mental side of the game is something that they have to figure out. And I've been always open to having conversations and dialogue with teammates who are willing to engage with me.

Quincy Amarikwa (54:55):

So not all teammates are willing to engage, but many, many, many of them have been. And because of that, I've had a lot of conversations with players to better understand where they're coming from better understand where I'm lacking or I'm not, I haven't done enough or worked hard enough or and providing enough value or communicating in a manner that guys can understand. So I think the simplest way to answer that question directly is just having an open door policy, basically just open line of communication. I think I, I hope most people understand that by sharing with me in this environment, it's a, it's a no judgment zone in the sense of there's a reason you've come to the conclusion you have. There's a reason you believe the things you do. And there's a reason you believe you're right in the way that you're thinking it doesn't mean you are right.

Quincy Amarikwa (55:51):

And it doesn't mean you're wrong. But at least at the very least, I believe I can be open and willing to hear where you're coming from to the best of my ability and ask questions so I can understand I think approaching it that way for the duration and time at which I've I've done, that has allowed me the ability to gain enough experience and understanding and perspective to, to to be able to become an official mental strength coach. Right? And I think many of the players who I talked to and I've worked with who are willing to publicly share that they've worked with me and the things that they've learned from the mentality, the mindset and our personal conversations, I'm very grateful for. And I'm glad that more players are willing to share. If when and how they've worked with me and you know, the players who maybe have spoken with me or have insights and talks about that, that, that side of the game who aren't at that point or level to wanting to share that that's cool as well too.

Quincy Amarikwa (56:57):

So I think the main thing on the mentality side, when you're wanting to help your teammates is not doing it for your, for any reason, other than your fiduciary responsibility to your teammate, which is to help them, help them, help themselves through whatever it is that they're going through. To the extent they're willing to accept your help and not doing it for any other reason, other than that. And I think if you, if you approach it that way over the longterm, good things will happen in the short term, you'll be taken advantage of things. Won't go your way. Things won't look the way that you would like them to look. But if you're doing it with the intentions that you're saying, which is for the betterment of your teammate, sometimes it will be at your expense. And that's what it costs to be the boss, right? And we're here talking about teamwork, dreamwork building bottom up, we're only as strong or as fast as our weakest link slowest player, most lowest IQ, whatever that is. If someone on your team has a low IQ, you have a low IQ and you guys can't move any faster than the lowest IQ. If someone on your team is really slow and you guys want to go fast, well, you can't go any faster than your slowest guy or girl.

Quincy Amarikwa (58:15):

And it might take you longer to get there, but we're talking about building culture. That'll last generations. So we've got a minute here left before Instagram officially kicks me off. If you guys enjoyed today's episode, please spam that heart button drops in Miami and your head emojis. Let me know what you're thinking. Total soccer training 2011 said, well said gave me some thumbs up fist bumps. Okay. Symbols and a soccer ball. Total soccer. I see that you're dropping in your question, but I've got a minute left. So please join in next week. I'll make sure to be on the lookout and answer your questions specifically. But yeah, guys got a minute left here. I want to thank everybody for joining in on episode 80 of the hashtag asset soccer per show. I would encourage everybody to have it over to the site to check out the perfect soccer bundle.

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