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falseroar · 3 years

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Dog Days Part 26: Just a Few Questions

((In exchange for helping cover up what happened at the studio, Dr. Iplier has a request of Dr. Schneeplestein and you. Abe has some regrets about offering to go with Chase to the Institute, but with Jackie’s “help” decides not to back out now.

This is a long one! (Edit: Never mind. I just checked, and the next two parts are both 7k+ words each. I’m beginning to suspect this is just going to be a theme from here on out.) I also sort of introduced another OC for this one, so hopefully that’s not too distracting. I’ll explain more about that in the end notes.

Here’s links to Part 25 and to the series masterlist.))

The doctor allowed Abe to stay the night in the clinic, on the condition that he didn’t leave the room as much as possible. Abe wasn’t sure if that was so Marvin could keep an eye on him while Schneeplestein was busy, or if he didn’t want the hunter scaring off his other patients. Either way, he had no intention of leaving, and neither did Jameson. With two beds in one room, it was already crowded enough without all of them there, so it only took a little bit of urging from the doctor to convince Chase to go home for the night, with Jackie riding along to keep an eye on him and to get some fresh air.

Jameson was more than willing to answer Abe’s questions and ask a few of his own, the two of them passing his phone back and forth with his notes app open, at least when he wasn’t arguing with Marvin about what the doctor’s definition of “rest” meant. Between the magician and the way Jackie fidgeted restlessly until Chase offered him an excuse to leave, Abe suspected these guys weren’t used to sitting still for long. Not that he could judge them there.

The doctor looked in occasionally, but otherwise the only sounds they heard from the rest of the clinic was the slow but steady stream of patients going in and out throughout the night, about the same number as Abe usually counted when he had been watching from the outside. All those nights watching the doctor, and he didn’t expected to end up here in one of these rooms, keeping an eye on the partner he thought he lost for good.

Or trying to keep an eye on you. It was a long, quiet night, and when you woke up the room was dark. Marvin was lying on the other bed, still wearing his mask, Jameson sitting back in the chair next to him with his head propped up against the wall behind him, while Abe had fallen asleep with his head resting on your bed. A soft snore escaped from the hunter as you looked at the three of them and wondered what time it was, a question that was answered a few minutes later when the door cracked open and Henrik peeped in.

Spotting your open eyes, he whispered knowing that you would be able to hear him even from across the room, “How are you feeling? Need anyzhing?”

“Just thirsty,” you admitted, and he nodded before disappearing from the doorway. A moment later he returned with a cup of water, and you sat up carefully so as not to wake up Abe. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Henrik answered softly, watching you as you drank with a thoughtful expression. “Dawn is less than two hours away now.”

“Are you going to stay here or go home?” you asked, after nearly draining half the cup in one sip.

“Zhat depends on what you wish to do, I think. I believe you and Marvin would both do well at home, but there are other considerations.” The doctor glanced at Abe, but he said, “I have told Dr. Iplier I will go to zhe hospital today and spend zhe daylight hours there, if you are up to joining me.”

“The hospital? Are you working there today or something?” you asked, and Henrik shook his head.

“No, it is time for my regular check-in, but there is also zhe problem of zhe Institute. Dr. Iplier has agreed to cover for us, should zhey ask about yesterday’s…incident at zhe studio, but only if he has a chance to meet you, again.”

You started to ask, but Abe stirred and asked, his voice slurring a little with sleep, “Wait, what’s happening?”

Clearly you and Henrik hadn’t been as quiet as you had hoped, because Marvin and Jameson were waking up now too.

Henrik sighed and explained, “Dr. Iplier is, rightfully, not big on covering for people he does not know. He is villing to do much based on my word as to Y/N’s character and safety, but he would still like to meet zhem in person and ask a few questions. Since I have to go in anyways today, and Abe and Chase have already made plans…”

“Wait, you have?” you asked, and this time it was Abe’s turn to explain about the call and Chase’s agreement to go in and give a report on what happened at the studio yesterday—or at least his version that covered up the whole werewolf thing. Which brought them around to Abe’s client, or at least the Google that worked for him.

“This little field trip might give us a chance to look into who created those Google units, and who has them now,” Abe said. “The one I met answers to someone who knows way too much about us.”

“Even more now, thanks to you,” Marvin muttered, but while Abe didn’t hear it you could give the magician a look that made him repentant enough to say, “You said one of them’s at the hospital, right? I can go with Y/N and Henrik and…”

He winced as he sat up, a hand going to his head, and the doctor clucked his tongue. “Your body is telling you no on zhat. You vill go home with Jackie when zhey get here and rest, no excuses. We need you back up to stuff, magician, and zhat vill not happen if you are running around willy und nilly.”

“I can go,” Jameson signed. “That is, if you want to go, Y/N.”

You hesitated. Going to a hospital felt risky, even without everything else going on, but Henrik would be there and he had trusted the other doctor enough to bring him in while you were still recovering and stuck as a wolf. And Marvin did have a point about talking to the Google there—maybe he knew something about the others, or you could get a better feel for how these magiteks worked. Using Google’s own rules against him had worked yesterday, after all.

“Yeah, I’ll go,” you said, only to look down at your shirt. While you had healed from the shot without an issue, the same couldn’t be said for your torn and bloody shirt. “I, uh, might need to change first, though.”

“I vill tell Chase to add that to zhe list things to bring,” Henrik said, sounding much more cheerful. “Zhe bathroom is open, if any of you wish to freshen up in zhe meantime.”

Abe frowned, and not just because the doctor seemed to give him a side eye when he said it. He had been okay with going to the Institute with Chase when it seemed like you would be staying here or going home, or at least aware that he would have to keep his distance anyways once that happened, but now that he knew you were going somewhere else he wasn’t so thrilled on his promise to go. Sure, split up and cover more ground, that was great and all, but he hadn’t realized going with you could have been an option. It wasn’t like Chase needed him to be there.

Even knowing there was a chance to find out more about the red-shirted Google, Abe still played with the idea of giving an excuse to go with your group to the hospital. For safety, of course—after all, look how that little field trip to the studio turned out for you.

But it was Marvin who spoke up, while Jameson was out of the room and no doubt waxing his mustache or whatever his morning routine involved and the doctor had taken you to another room for some privacy for another checkup, and muttered, “Wish I was going with you.”

“You mean with them,” Abe said, head tilting in the general direction of the others, but the magician shook his head.

“No, I mean, yes, them too. Just doing something.” Marvin rubbed his face, his fingers disappearing up under his mask before it resettled into place. “What am I supposed to do, sit at home and twiddle my thumbs?”

“…Your magic really is gone?” Abe asked.

“Not gone, just—” Marvin paused, searching for the right words. “Like there’s a—wall, in between me and it, or like…Like breaking your arm, it’s still there, but you can’t use it for anything, you know? No, that’s not really right, but you get the general idea. God, I might as well be totally human.”

“Yeah, I can see how that would be a real shame,” Abe said sarcastically, but the magician just shrugged. Abe found his eyes drawn to that ridiculous cat mask again, and he had to ask, “Your friends know you’re half-fae, right? Not exactly something you can hide for that long, so why are you still wearing the mask?”

“Heh.” The side of Marvin’s mouth twitched upwards and he brushed his hair out of his face before fixing Abe in his gaze. “The eyes of the fae can be…distracting, even if you know what to expect.”

“That, and he’s vain as hell,” Jackie said at the door, looking in with Chase just visible behind him. “Where’s Y/N?”

“Next room over with the doc,” Abe answered, and Chase gave a thumbs-up before disappearing out of sight. “You know, I bet the doctor would be okay with you and Jackie going with Chase instead of me. Not like I have much of a reputation to help whatever tale he’s going to spin them.”

“Yeah, that’s…a bad idea, for many reasons,” Marvin answered, while Jackie shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against the doorframe. “I’d rather not attract the Institute’s attention, and Jackie…”

“I’m not going back there unless it’s to burn the place to the ground,” Jackie finished. He drew up his sleeve, revealing a network of scars tracing their way up and out of sight under the rest of his hoodie. “Last time I went into one of their buildings with a couple of hunters, they threw me in with the other guinea pigs to be played with.”

“But you’re human,” Abe said, and then, “Aren’t you?”

Jackie tilted his head and stepped back, out of the room and out of sight, until the prickle of hairs on the back of Abe’s neck made him look over his shoulder just in time to see Jackie step out of his shadow and rest his elbow on the hunter’s shoulder.

“For a certain value of ‘human,’ yes.” It was the movement of Jackie’s eyes returning to their normal grey that alerted Abe to the fact they had just been solid black, like two holes looking into something or somewhere else. “A little less, after they were done with me. Chase is the only reason I ever saw daylight again.”

Jackie’s weight shifted, the elbow on Abe’s shoulder becoming an arm across his chest, pressing him up against the wall as Jackie whispered, “Which is why you’re going to go with him. And you’re going to make sure nothing happens to him. Do you understand?”

Abe grunted, and Jackie relieved the pressure enough for him to mutter, “Didn’t really need the threat. What do you think I am?”

Jackie looked the hunter up and down before meeting his steady gaze with one of his own, his mouth twitching as though fighting back the urge to answer that.

“…I’ll keep an eye on the kid,” Abe said.

Said “kid” had gone to the next exam room and entered to find you lying on the bed while the doctor gently felt around the area where you had been shot yesterday.

“Oh, sorry,” Chase said, immediately starting to back up, but the doctor shook his head.

“Ve are done here, I think. You are sure zhere is no pain, Y/N?”

“Yeah, I…” you sat up slowly, your eyes drifting toward Chase as an all too familiar copper scent hit you. “I’m fine. Chase, are you bleeding?”

“Uh—” Chase sighed and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. “Yeah, just a scratch from—from yesterday. I was hoping Schneep could take a look?”

“From yesterday?” You immediately thought back to that moment in the elevator, but you didn’t remember any point where Chase could have gotten hurt. That is, until you saw Henrik’s guilty expression and something clicked in the back of your mind. “You drank his blood?”

“I didn’t give him a choice,” Chase answered for him. “It was still the middle of the day, and we couldn’t take you and Marvin home with that hunter and who knows what else hanging around, and I didn’t know how serious your injuries were, so I…”

Henrik heaved a sigh and continued, “So he gives me no time to prepare a better idea. Your cut has started to bleed again?”

Chase nodded and, at the doctor’s gesture, hopped up on the bed to sit next to you and draw up his sleeve. There was a bandage there, already falling off even before the doctor carefully peeled it back to reveal the small cut on his upper arm.

The doctor clicked his tongue and said, “Vampire saliva encourages the bleeding, you see. It is why we try to avoid drinking directly from…donors, or one of zhe many, many reasons. At least you had enough sense not to create zhe cut near an artery or vein, but still.”

“Like I said, I didn’t know how much time we had to work with,” Chase said defensively.

“There is always time to do these things correctly!” Henrik paused and admitted, “Most of zhe time. Zhe effect should wear off on its own, but I have something that may help. Wait just a moment, both of you.”

The doctor walked out of the room, careful to shut the door behind him, and you waited until he was out of earshot before remarking, “You…you really trust him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Chase said with a shrug that made you wonder if he really understood what he had done, not just asking but encouraging a vampire to feed on him, with no one else around to step in if the doctor’s worst impulses kicked in and he couldn’t stop himself. “Oh yeah, I picked up some fresh clothes for you while I was at the house. They’re not much to look at, but at least they match a little better than what you have on. Plus, you know, no hole in the middle.”

“…My clothes don’t match?”

“Eh?” Chase shrugged and said, “Maybe we can take you clothes shopping one day, help you pick out some things that are a little more ‘you’ than Jackie’s old hoodies.”

There was a hoodie on top of the pile of clothes, and you could smell Jackie’s scent in the fabric, same as you could tell who the other shirt and pants belonged to. As nice as it would be to have some clothes of your own, you didn’t want to admit to Chase that you kind of liked having that reminder of them with you. Talking about people’s scents felt very much like one of those werewolf things that might make other people feel awkward or uncomfortable.

“What do you normally like to wear?” Chase asked. “Any favorite colors?”

You shrugged, turning over the hoodie in your hands as you said, “I usually had to dress to look the part of an attorney, even on days when I was just in the office.”

And most of your days were spent in the office, when you weren’t in court or doing your own investigations. The few casual outfits you did have back then, you never really had much of a chance to actually wear. As for colors, you weren’t sure how much it mattered when you couldn’t actually see any of them.

Well, most of them. Wilford’s absurd pink mustache being the only exception so far.

“I like these pants though. They’re sturdy,” you said, and Chase immediately glanced at the hole in one of your knees that might have suggested otherwise.

“You mean blue jeans?” Chase asked. “Yeah, I think we can find you some more of those.”

“Wait, these are blue?”

Before Chase could answer that, the doctor walked back into the room, a small bottle and some fresh bandages in hand.

“Found it,” he said, shaking the bottle before applying a small amount of the liquid to a spongy white square. You winced and pulled the collar of your shirt up to your nose to try and block out the sharp, acid-like smell, causing the doctor to pause. “I had hoped you could help me vith this, Y/N, but if zhat would be an issue—”

You shook your head, trying to breathe through your mouth even as you answered, “No, it’s fine, the smell’s just a little strong. What do you want me to do?”

Under the doctor’s directions, you took a wipe and cleared off a large square around the cut on Chase’s arm, causing him to wince even before you applied the foul-smelling medicine to the cut. Henrik caught Chase’s opposite hand as it started to move out of reflex until he relaxed, and then applied a couple strips of tape over the fresh bandages you put on to hold them in place. Once that was done, the doctor immediately took a step back and tucked his hands into the pockets of his white coat, but not before you saw the way they trembled. He probably wasn’t just asking you to handle it because you were already sitting next to Chase.

“Thank you, Y/N,” he said, after clearing his throat. “Zhat should help until zhe cut heals over on its own. Just keep it dry, and no more silly stunts.”

“Now when you say ‘silly,’” Chase started, causing the doctor to snort and walk out of the room. Chase jumped down from the bed and said to you, “You should probably go ahead and change, if you’re really wanting to go to the hospital today.”

You nodded, wondering if you should say something, but instead you asked, “Are you and Abe really going to the Institute today? The one you told me about?”

“Just one of the downtown offices, and maybe that lab if we can swing it,” Chase said, but he avoided looking at you until he added, “I’ll keep an eye on your hunter while we’re out, promise.”

He winked and walked out before you could correct him, leaving you to change and try to turn over what about that wording bothered you the most until it was time to go. The hospital was apparently close enough that Henrik felt confident you, him, and Jameson could walk there before dawn, but Marvin and Jackie insisted on at least driving the three of you there before they returned home, leaving Chase and Abe to take the hunter’s car.

Outside, in the predawn darkness, you wondered what to say to Abe. Any reminder to be careful or that you would see him again felt off, when you had so many other things you wanted to talk to him about. Too much to say or ask about in the little time you had, much less in front of the others.

Instead, it was Abe who pulled you to the side and said, “We’re going to talk about…everything later, yeah? So try to stay out of trouble until then.”

You felt a prickle at the back of your neck at his rough tone and answered, “I’m not the one who’s likely to end up in trouble. You think you can avoid shooting anyone today, hunter?”

“Only if they don’t shoot at me first,” Abe said, relaxing a little when he saw you almost smile at that. That is, until your eyes looked past the hunter and caught what Jameson was signing at you, and embarrassment knocked out every other expression as the others tried not to laugh. “What?”

“Nothing,” you answered a little too quickly. “See you soon, hunter.”

Abe turned and watched you squeeze into the backseat with the others before the car drove off, leaving him behind with Chase. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?”

“Not a chance, hunter,” Chase answered, suppressing a grin as he leaned against Abe’s car. “You ready to go or not?”

“Is anyone even going to be there this early?” Abe asked, causing Chase to raise an eyebrow. Of course, most hunters didn’t exactly work a regular 9 to 5 schedule, and the Institute was hardly any different. But then again, “I know a place we can stop on the way. How do you feel about coffee?”

“I’m listening.”

---

“You still got your collar on you?”

“What?” You had been looking out the back window at the streets passing by, and it took you a second to realize Marvin had turned around in the front seat to look at you. Reluctantly, you pulled the dog collar out of the front pocket of your hoodie and asked, “You mean this?”

Marvin relaxed and said, “Good. Make sure you keep it on you, okay? Schneep, Jameson, you still got your wards?”

Jameson nodded, tapping the brim of his hat and the doctor gave an affirming sound before directing Jackie to the right driveway to the hospital.

“I don’t have to actually wear this thing when I’m human, do I?” you asked.

“Nah, that’s only to get the wolf to pass as a dog,” Marvin answered. “As long as you keep it on or near you, no one should be able to trace you. There’s also some protections against other types of magic in it, but…”

“But they don’t do much against bullets,” you finished for him and Marvin shrugged.

“Can’t plan for everything. Sorry, I had planned on having something else for when you were human again, but that idea’s going to have to wait.” As the car pulled to a stop at the front entrance to the hospital, Marvin added, “Call us, if you don’t want to hang around here all day until nightfall. Just because Schneep has to stay here until then doesn’t mean you and JJ have to.”

“We’ll keep it in mind,” Jameson signed before reaching over and showing you how to unlock the back door. Together, you and Jameson climbed out while the doctor walked around from the other side of the car, and he leaned down so that Jackie could see him add, “Be careful going home!”

“Yes, please do,” Henrik said. “Last zhing we need now is Jackie getting caught driving vithout a license.”

“I’m always careful,” Jackie answered, and Marvin couldn’t hold back a laugh at that. “Look, you all can start criticizing as soon as you learn how to drive yourselves around. Until then, keep it to yourselves.”

The car idled there in the driveway after you all said goodbye, Jackie waiting until your group was through the glass doors before he put the car into drive.

“I thought you said you finished the new ward for Y/N,” Jackie said, breaking the silence of the drive back to the house, and Marvin made a noise but didn’t answer. “Just a few cosmetic tweaks—you don’t need your magic to do that, right?”

“Just considering our options,” Marvin answered, his tone doing more to tell Jackie that he wasn’t in the mood to talk right now.

Not that it kept him from saying, “Well, after this we can keep them home for a while, where it’s safer. At least until you’re back to yourself, and the attention’s off of them.”

Marvin didn’t answer, and when Jackie glanced at him out of the corner of his eye it was difficult to tell, between the darkness in the car and the magician’s mask, if he had even heard him. Jackie’s grip tightened on the steering wheel before he forced himself to relax and let it go. Marvin would share whatever was clearly on his mind when he was ready.

Not that waiting until that happened did anything to ease Jackie’s own suspicions about what was on his mind.

Back at the hospital, you stopped short at the sight of the familiar face behind the front desk and Jameson’s hand quickly found your own.

“Do not worry,” Henrik said under his breath. “Zhis is not zhe same Google you met. I know zhis one, and he is…Vell, he is not friendly, but he hasn’t—hm.”

The doctor paused, considering what he was about to say, before deciding to just go with, “Zhe hospital keeps a very close eye on him.”

“Kind of worrying that they need to keep that close an eye on him,” Jameson suggested, but it wasn’t like there was another option except to go up to the desk where Google looked up from the computer and straightened to face you all in a very mechanical set of movements.

“Welcome to Mercy Green,” Google said, his tone so similar to the other Google that you would have had a hard time telling them apart. Even their scents were very close, although this one had a lingering odor of cleaning fluid hanging around him that you hoped was from keeping the magitek unit clean and not related to any incident in particular. “If this is an emergency, I can direct you to our Emergency Room where trained staff are standing by. Otherwise, do you have an appointment?”

“Dr. Iplier is expecting us,” Henrik answered, but before Google could turn to the computer a voice called from down the hall as the doctor himself approached.

“Henrik, right on time,” Dr. Iplier said, glancing at you and Jameson only to pause, his eyes meeting yours for several seconds before he snapped himself out of it and said to Google, “Just following up on yesterday’s appointment. You know, the one I forgot to tell you about?”

“Yes.” Google’s expression darkened and he said, “You would not have to remember appointments if you told me about them before they happened, doctor.”

“Well, it was a bit of an emergency—”

“Emergencies can be handled by trained staff in our—”

“Yeah, yeah, but I owed a favor and the issue was something I could handle on my own. Right, Henrik?”

“Yes,” Henrik said, slowly as he worked out what the other doctor was doing. “Just a simple bad reaction to a potion. Of zhe transforming kind.”

“…Right.” Dr. Iplier shrugged and said, “I’ve got a room set aside for us already. I think I remembered to put that in the calendar, at least.”

“So you are not completely hopeless,” Google muttered under his breath, and Dr. Iplier started to respond before thinking better of it and motioning for you all to follow him back down the hall.

Once the front desk was out of sight, Jameson asked, “What was that all about?”

“If someone is asking for Dr. Iplier, zhey will most likely check with Google,” Henrik answered. “Such as someone from zhe Institute.”

“And he can tell them I took care of a patient who—an adverse reaction to a potion? Really?” Dr. Iplier asked as he took one turn after another. This place was quickly starting to feel like a maze, with one addition after another having been added on over the years, according to the frequent number of plaques on the walls.

“It vas not my idea,” Henrik answered. “But if they do ask, zhe patient came from zhe TV studio, Dark Entertainment.”

“Easy enough to remember,” Dr. Iplier muttered, and you suddenly remembered what Schneeplestein had said about the studio and the number of injuries there before you went. Now, the only surprising thing about that was the fact the doctor had managed to suppress the urge to say “I told you so.”

The doctor stopped and opened one of the doors to reveal a room a lot like the ones at Henrik’s clinic except more spacious and with more equipment that you weren’t familiar with.

He waited until the door was closed behind you before he said, “You must be Jameson Jackson. Henrik’s told me a lot about you.”

Jameson waved and nodded, although his expression suggested he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that before Dr. Iplier looked back at you.

“And you must be…doing a lot better than the last time I saw you,” he said.

“Thank you, for the medicine,” you said. “It really helped.”

“Not even a trace of silver burns,” Dr. Iplier said, looking you up and down with a fascination that was almost concerning. “Absolutely incredible.”

Schneeplestein cleared his throat and Dr. Iplier added, “I mean, I’m glad. And curious. Which is why I would like to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay.”

You weren’t sure if he was asking you or Henrik, but you supposed you knew this was coming. Still, you said, “Depends on the question, I guess. And why you want to know.”

“Professional interest?” Dr. Iplier suggested before leaning against the desk along one wall, his fingers tapping on its surface. “We don’t get many werewolves here in the city, or at least not any that I know about, but even outside of our walls there aren’t a whole lot of doctors or healers of any kind who have any experience with them. Which means a lot of our medical literature has just enough to identify the signs of a werewolf bite and infection, and the methods to…ease the patient.”

“A nice drink of medicine and wolfsbane to ease the pain before the mob finds them,” you said sarcastically, but neither doctor tried to correct you. “One problem already: I wasn’t bitten by another werewolf.”

“What?”

“A curse, from the same entity that stole my voice,” Jameson explained, with Henrik translating for the other doctor’s benefit.

“Really?” Dr. Iplier gestured for you all to take seats, but he remained standing even as you reluctantly sat on the edge of yet another exam table. As if to make you feel less alone about that, Jameson decided to hop up next to you and place a comforting hand over yours with a smile. Dr. Iplier glanced at Henrik as he said, “Oh, is that why you were so sure they were safe during the full moon? It’s just a cosmetic transformation?”

Cosmetic. Because yes, transforming into another creature against your will every month was just the same as applying some eyeliner, said a bitter thought inside you that you tried to ignore even as you answered, “No. I’m only safe to be around thanks to a spell that helps me stay in control every full moon. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would do.”

Even with the spell, you could feel how thin the line was sometimes. Like yesterday, when you saw Dark and dropping every attempt at control or calm felt so very worth it.

“Could this spell be used for your traditional werewolf?” Dr. Iplier asked, his hopeful ideas quickly crushed by the shake of Jameson’s head.

“Marvin said the spell takes a very long time to prepare, and it was tailored toward the victim of that particular entity,” Jameson explained, with Henrik again translating. He decided against mentioning that Marvin only had that particular spell ready because he hoped to save someone else that night, or how Marvin had admitted, years later, that he hadn’t even been sure it would work that night, or what he would have done if it had failed. “He’s looked for a way to turn back both of our curses, with no luck.”

“Well, even if they are curses, they have physical effects,” Dr. Iplier said, again drumming his fingers against the desk while he thought out loud. “There’s always the chance that a physical solution can be found to counteract them. Henrik, what kind of tests have you done?”

“I have performed physicals, measuring zheir progress as zhey recover,” Henrik said slowly, as though he already knew where the other doctor was going with this.

“Some blood samples might give us an idea of what we’re dealing with—” Dr. Iplier started, but Henrik quickly cut him off.

“Nein, absolutely not, if zheir blood shows up in zhe system it vill—vhat is it—”

“I know how to keep things under the table,” Dr. Iplier said, looking at you as he added, “It would be perfectly safe, and no one else would have access to the samples—”

“Red flags!” Henrik said, snapping his fingers as he found the phrase. “You would need a lab, and someone to do tests, too many people would ask questions of a doctor doing it himself. Und zhat means more eyes, more hands, more chances of someone else finding out. Out of zhe question.”

“But nobody would look twice at Google doing it, and if I give him the right orders even he won’t know what the results are,” Dr. Iplier answered. “Even if we don’t find anything, wouldn’t it be better to have at least tried? Just trying to keep your head above water is admirable enough, I suppose, but if you just keep paddling in place, you’re never going to reach the shore.”

“Or you might just end up swimming out into the ocean if you go about it wrong,” Jameson signed. He sighed and added, “But we haven’t been able to do much to help you, have we? Maybe letting the docs have a shot at it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

The way Dr. Iplier talked, you weren’t sure if he was trying to get an idea for how the whole werewolf thing worked, or if he was actually hoping to find a cure. You hoped for his sake that it was the first, because you had laid aside all hope for a cure a long time ago.

“Just knowing how to cope with…some of this, would be nice,” you said slowly, thinking of yesterday, of all the times you had become overwhelmed by the wolf’s senses of smell and hearing, of how ever since the mirror it just felt easier, being the wolf. But you doubted any kind of tests the doctor could do would help with all of that, which is why you looked at Dr. Schneeplestein and started to ask, “Do you—”

You were interrupted by a knock at the door, which was abruptly opened despite Google’s protest on the other side of, “You are not allowed to access this room without permission.”

“A little late for that,” muttered a man beside him, who pushed up his glasses with a sniff, but both of them were overshadowed by the woman who had opened the door and looked around at all of you before her gaze settled on the two men in white coats.

“Dr. Iplier?” she asked.

“Who the hell are you?” Dr. Iplier answered, stepping forward only to be brought up short by the badges the woman and man showed him. From your vantage point, you couldn’t make out any details, but the general shape of the emblem on them did not match what you remembered of any official police or other government badge. As if to answer your curiosity, Dr. Iplier said, “Great. Bronson Institute investigators. Are they in the schedule, Google?”

“No, they are not,” Google answered, moving his hand towards his glasses in a gesture that just so happened to elbow the man next to him in the ribs. “I would have informed you of a scheduling conflict when you set up this follow-up examination if that were the case. These…people, asked where you were, and proceeded to barge their way here.”

“I’ve never barged anywhere in my life!” protested the man, after rubbing his ribs with a wince and not quite as casually elbowing Google back only to realize why that was a bad idea when the other person had a metal interior.

At his words, a device on his wrist pinged with an irritating noise timed to a flashing light that lasted for three seconds but felt like an eternity to your ears. The woman barely suppressed a smile as she said, “Perhaps some barging was involved, but I assure you that this is an important matter. You received our call about the patient from yesterday, correct?”

“Yes, I did,” Dr. Iplier answered, dragging his eyes away from the device to look back at her. “And I thought I answered all of your questions then. What is this about?”

“We like to be thorough in our investigations, especially when such…delicate matters have become so very public. There’s quite the stir going around, after what supposedly happened outside Dark Entertainment Studios yesterday, and the Institute simply must be sure that we have the heart of the matter before we issue a statement.” She smiled and added, “And your Google was so kind as to inform us that the patient from yesterday is still here.”

“Which one of you is it?” asked the other investigator as he walked into the room and sneered at you and Jameson on the exam table. “And don’t even think about lying! We brought this just so we could be sure we got the truth.”

You glanced down at the device on his wrist, which honestly looked like a wristwatch except one with a blank square screen instead of a clock face. This thing made that irritating noise when it heard lies?

Before you could ask, to stall for time while you thought of a way around it, Jameson immediately waved and pointed at himself.

“You?” the investigator asked, and when Jameson nodded, he scowled and said, “I need you to say it!”

“Jameson can’t speak,” you said. “It’s the effect of a curse, we think. But he does know sign language, if either of you…”

The investigator scowled and looked at his partner, who was sizing up the two of you now with the same intensity that she entered the room with, and she said, “That could work, assuming you know how to ask the right questions.”

“Fine, you translate,” he said, pointing at you before asking, “Were you involved in the incident at Dark Entertainment Studios yesterday, involving a suspected werewolf?”

“I was at the studio yesterday,” Jameson answered, and you translated word for word. “There was an unfortunate incident, yes, but luckily Chase Brody was there to assist, and I and my companions were taken to a doctor he is familiar with.”

“You mean Charles Bronson,” the investigator said as he took meticulous notes in a notepad. “What exactly was he doing there?”

“An interview,” Jameson answered. “About ‘nontraditional’ forms of entertainment, although as I told Jim yesterday, you could make the argument that Chase’s series of stunts for views, as well as his performing feats of gaming and even ‘hanging out’ with his fans could all be—”

Dr. Schneeplestein cleared his throat and Jameson flushed before finishing, “But perhaps this isn’t the place for that conversation.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that you’re an actor?” the investigator asked, and beside you Jameson froze before responding.

“And what, my good sir, is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, Charles said it was some actor who got changed thanks to a stupid stunt, but if you can’t even talk, then how are you supposed to be an actor? Subtitles?”

It was only your fast reflexes that kept Jameson from making his own very nonverbal answer to that, mostly with his fists, and behind the investigator his partner sighed and brushed her forehead with her fingers.

“Harold, what could I possibly have done to have to endure having you here for this?”

“Did you see that?! He tried to attack me!”

“Well, if he had, at least you’re already in a hospital,” she answered. “Dr. Iplier, can you confirm this man’s story?”

“I haven’t seen his work for myself, but I do believe he is an actor.”

Good thing you all were in a hospital, because the investigator looked ready to kill a man before she took a breath and asked, “Was the incident at the studio caused by a failed transformation potion?”

“That is what I was told, yes,” Dr. Iplier said. Of course, he didn’t add who told him that version of events, or whether he believed it. “In such a case, the best course of action is to wait for the effects to run their course, but the patient was under good supervision during that time.”

“Zhe best,” Dr. Schneeplestein muttered under his breath.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Dr. Iplier muttered back, before clearing his throat and saying, “As far as I know, Mr. Jackson’s testimony is entirely honest. And you could put me on the record as saying so.”

Jameson’s testimony, which was so carefully worded to avoid actually saying he was the one who transformed on the street yesterday. You were starting to suspect that device on his wrist wasn’t quite the infallible lie detector Harold seemed to believe it was, although even he looked disappointed when it failed to react at the doctor’s words.

“Tch.” Harold reached into his pocket and pulled out something before tossing it to Jameson with a, “Here, catch.”

Jameson easily caught the coin that flashed in the air between his hands, and opened them to reveal the large, silver coin resting in his palm. He looked from it to the investigator and back again before signing, “Do I get to keep this? Is it my pay for dealing with this nonsense?”

You tried hard not to think about what would have happened if Harold had tossed the coin to you, the burns on your hands worth far more than whatever that lie detector could supposedly tell them.

“I suppose that should settle that, at least,” the other investigator said, while Harold tried to convince Jameson to give him his coin back. Her eyes flickered toward the doctors again as she said, “Very convenient, that Mr. Jackson was still here for this little questioning. Why exactly are you still here, if the potion ran its course?”

The doctors hesitated, but you thought it was your turn to deflect the question by answering, “Dr. Iplier asked if we could come back in, because he wanted to follow up on a few things. Mainly, we’ve just been talking about curses.”

“Right, the curse that took Mr. Jackson’s voice,” she answered, and moved closer to the table. Her hand rested on the padded surface next to you as she leaned in, staring into your eyes with an intensity that was difficult to look away from. “You’re suffering from a curse as well, aren’t you?”

“I—” You swallowed, hard, and caught a brief glimpse of Dr. Schneeplestein on the other side of the room reaching up to tap on the side of his glasses. “Y-yes, I am. My eyes, they were affected by it—I couldn’t even see for a while there, and it’s mostly back but I…I, uh, can’t see most colors still and…”

You trailed off, relieved that the device hadn’t sounded off at that. Your eyes had been affected by the curse, or at least that bit of it that left you so weak to silver.

“Hm. That is interesting. His voice and your eyes…It wasn’t the same curse that caused both, was it?” She said it with a certainty that almost made you think she knew more than she was saying. By this point she was filling most of your vision, to the point that you couldn’t even look away to be sure what Jameson was signing next to you.

“No, I don’t think so. But it was the same…thing that cursed me that took Jameson’s voice.”

You had said it in the hopes it would explain why you were both here, but almost as soon as the words left your mouth you worried that she would ask more questions that you couldn’t answer, because even talking about the entity from the woods felt like it would be straying too close to the real truth. You felt like she had to know more, that she had to know none of you were telling the whole truth.

Part of the reason you were so sure was because there was something eerily familiar about this woman, from the way she commanded attention from the second she entered the room to the look in her eyes whenever she asked a question, like she was looking for more than just what you said next. If you didn’t already know Celine was still there somewhere inside Dark you might have thought…

“You’re not a seer, are you?” you asked, trying to sound like you were joking, and she smiled in a way that somehow made you feel even less certain about what you thought you knew.

“I prefer the title ‘assets manager,’ if I had to choose one,” she said, completely failing to answer your question or give you any other clue what, exactly, that was supposed to mean. The corner of her eyes tightened with a thought and she reached into a pouch on her belt.

You couldn’t help but flinch as she pulled something out and held it toward you, before you realized it was a small business card, very much like the one Bim gave you yesterday.

“Bronson Institute has a department dedicated to researching and treating those dealing with the effects of curses,” she said as you took the card, and presented Jameson with one of his own. “Something to consider, if the good doctors here aren’t able to provide the support you need.”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” you said, Jameson echoing your answer with a sign of his own. “We’ll think about it.”

The device on Harold’s wrist began to beep shrilly at that, causing him to mutter under his breath while he tried to reset it, but the so-called assets manager seemed to suppress a laugh before she responded, “Hang on to the cards, at least. You never know what might make you change your mind.”

You decided to play it safe and not answer this time, and she nodded to you and Jameson before turning to include the doctors as she added, “Thank you for your time, all of you. I think we can safely note for the record that Mr. Jackson here is hardly a werewolf.”

“As of today,” Harold corrected. “We retain any and all right to change our verdict, should future events change that.”

“Of course,” she answered in a flat monotone, showing great restraint not to roll her eyes. “Harold, you can handle the paperwork while I call this in.”

It wasn’t a question, and she walked out of the room without waiting for an answer, leaving Harold to dig around in his bag before presenting the doctor and Jameson with some papers to sign and keep for their records—papers that you insisted on reviewing before either one put down their name, although at least these turned out to be harmless confirmations that they had answered the investigators’ questions in the presence of a “deception detecting device.” That name was about the only thing you would have changed, if only because the thing seemed to have difficulty with anything that wasn’t an outright lie.

All the same, it was a relief when Google finally escorted Harold out of the room, the four of you all exhaling when Dr. Iplier made sure the door was closed and locked behind them this time.

“Vell, at least zhat seems to be behind us now,” Dr. Schneeplestein said, but even from across the room you could see his hands were shaking before he clasped them together. Neither of the investigators seemed to have given him a second thought, but even knowing he has fully registered, being this close to them had shaken him badly.

Badly enough that Dr. Iplier noticed and asked if he had taken his “quota” for the week yet, but Henrik just suggested under his breath that they could talk about it privately, later. At least from that, it sounded like he would tell the other doctor about what happened with Chase, so that was one weight off of your mind.

Only for another to press down again when Dr. Iplier reminded you of the conversation you had been having before the investigators interrupted.

“It’s entirely up to you, of course,” Dr. Iplier added, and you tried hard not to look down at the card in your hand.

Tried not to get your hopes up for anything even as you sighed and said, “I’m willing to try a few tests, if you think it will help. Henrik?”

“…As long as I can keep an eye on zhe process,” Schneeplestein answered, and despite his tone you thought he looked pleased with your answer. “Zhere is nothing to be lost by learning more about your condition, as long as ve keep zhe tests between us.”

Beside you, Jameson tucked his card into a chest pocket and gave you an encouraging thumb’s up, although his smile faded slightly when Dr. Iplier started talking about a few ways to examine his throat as well. It was starting to sound like you both had a long day ahead of you, but if either of the doctors could find something that might help…

After she left the room, the “assets manager” quickly found a quiet alcove in the hospital where she could see anyone coming from either direction at a distance and pulled out her phone. The number she put in wasn’t in her contacts, but one she had long since memorized.

When the other side picked up, she said without any kind of introduction, “The doctor stuck with his story, and they were able to pass the lie detector. Darrensworth is signing off that they’re in the clear now.”

“Really? That must have been an interesting conversation to listen in on. And the silver coin?”

“Doesn’t exactly tell you much if you hand it to the wrong person,” she answered, frowning at the chuckle on the other end of the line. “Say the word, and I’ll bring them in right now. I can think of three ways to walk them out the door without any backup, seven if you don’t mind a couple of casualties.”

“As tempting as that is, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“What?” She paused long enough to bring her voice back under control before she said, “With all due respect, sir, we are dealing with a highly dangerous creature here.”

“The next full moon is still some time away,” he answered, and before she could point out that an unstable werewolf hardly needed a full moon to cause more than enough damage, he added, “I’m already making arrangements for someone else to collar them and bring them in, when the time’s right. Don’t you worry about a thing. I know this wolf and exactly what it’s capable of.”

She might have had something to say about his patronizing tone, if his words hadn’t summoned a vivid image in her mind that drowned out the voice on the other end telling her to come back, followed by the abrupt silence of the call ending. The phone slipped in the palm of her hand, but it and the hospital around her faded away into the vision.

An alley, and a shadow low and near the ground, nearly invisible in the darkness except for the silver eyes catching and reflecting the distant streetlights and the moonlight overhead, followed by a flash of white as jaws full of gleaming teeth revealed themselves.

A figure, silhouetted against the light of the street.

The beast, springing forward before she hissed, phone clattering against the ground as her fingers pressed against her temples, the vision fading into nothingness.

But not before she heard the gunshot, and the long, desperate cry.

By the time Harold, firmly escorted by Google, found her, she had recovered from her vision and come to the determination that, by the next full moon, you would be safely tucked away in the Institute. If his plan didn’t play out, then she would happily see to it herself. Whether it was by convincing you to come in search of treatment or by more forceful measure remained to be seen, but she would make sure that vision would be one of the many that never came to be.

For your own good, if nothing else.

((End of Part 26. Thank you for reading! No bonus points for guessing who that was on the phone...

And yeah, the “assets manager” is kind of a play on Celine’s character. Mostly because I got to this scene and realized I wanted that kind of character there, and partially because I’m running low on canon characters to shove into this AU. XD I haven’t decided on a name yet, but maybe Emma? Definitely open for suggestions there, and feel free to let me know what you think.

Link to Part 27: A Visit to the Institute.

Tagging: @silver-owl413 @skyewardlight @withjust-a-bite @blackaquokat @catgirlwarrior @neverisadork @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate @missksketch @autumnrambles @authorracheljoy @liafoxyfox @hidinginmybochard ))

#markiplier #jacksepticeye #fanfiction #monster hunter au #werewolf au #wkm district attorney #wkm abe #henrik schneeplestein #jameson jackson #dr. iplier #chase brody #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #traces of silver #so that vision huh

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allstarsstorymode867 · 4 years

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All-Stars -Story Mode- CHAPTER 5 [RE-EDITED]

I had decided to re-edited this chapter since I had gotten better at my writing. I had add new words and editted out mistakes. Please enjoy the Chapter. ^^

-Chapter 5-

-Later on after 12 hours passed…-

Demoman was sleeping in his bed, passed out drunk for close to 12 hours, nearly to 13 if longer, ‘’what a nap!’’ I wrote here.

Clank! Bang! Clink!

Demoman, his real name being Tavish Finnegan DeGroot, heard a hammer hitting from outside of his room and it caused Demoman’s eyes-er, eye to flutter open, his brown eye now opened as he come to terms with the realization that it’s 4:00 in the morning, he listened for a moment for the sound and sure enough it did, so he just layed back down on the bed.

Bang! Bang! Clink! Clank!

he tried to go back to sleep but the sound of hammer hitting the nail had persisted through from outside his room, causing the black scottish man to groan “That bloody toymaker….!” in annoyance and then getting out of his warm bed as his head swirls from a hangover he had last night. He grabbed his eye-patch and then tied on his left eye that had been lost as he thought ‘’Why the bloody hell would he be makin’ something in 4:00 o’clock in the morning?’’

He jumped when a thunderbolt crackled from the sky, he groaned ‘’Bloody hell…Not right now storm…’’ and then in nothing but a tank-top and boxers, he stumbled out of his dorm room and then into the hallway to get to the main room that has the nearest exit.

Bang! Clack! Clank! Bang!

He stumbled to the door as he places both hands on it to steady his balance while he muttered “Engie, keep that racket down...!”, then he goes to the doorknob then turns it, opening the door and letting himself through it and into the lobby with his throbbing legs from a hurting hangover, he was expecting Engineer was working on his one of his buildings as usual but what he didn’t expect was to find his team with four men he had never seen before all in the lobby together, boarding up the windows as his eye went wide open upon seeing this.

“Yes, they are indeed taking a blood sample from one of them just in case a vaccine will be made if it is…. No Miss Pauling, we do not know if it’s a wide pandemic or not, it’s a chance to see this though… Yes, yes…” Spy speaking into a microphone attached to an old radio that was once used in World War II too.

Two doctors and Engineer are at the table with a corpse wearing a nazi uniform and it appeared to be it had been into some kind of accident. Medic said ‘’Und it brought zhem back to life?’’ to Richtofen who nodded as he gave Medic a scalpel and then unscrews a cap from a syringe before carefully giving it to his fellow German doctor..

‘’Of course, 115 may be solution for power and making veapons warfare but it can be like a virus if you’re exposed to it or having it injected into you with too much doses.’’

‘’If a rock of it is in you?’’ Engineer questioned as he cutted it’s liver out with a scalpel, then he handed the severed liver with brownish red blood covering it to Medic who simply took it like it was a normal medical operation.

‘’If it’s been shoved in you, there’s a slight chance of you turning one of zhem or become a superbeing if not two rocks at once, Nazis had once tried zhis, und it’s the result of two rocks in one body.’’ Richtofen answered as he handed it to Medic.

‘’But uh, it’s dead right? I mean ‘’Dead dead’’ dead right?’’ Scout asked as he rubbed his arm up and down uncomfortable when he saw the corpse of a zombie in the lobby with them. “We wouldn’t have to worry about them right?

“Wrong, Scout.” Takeo answered as he kept his attention on his sword stained in the blood of the fallen before continued with ‘’But unless you cut of its head or destroy it Scout.’’ as he cleans his katana sword with a cloth while he sits down.

“Zhe samurai has a point, Herr Scout.” Medic mumbled as he puts on a glass plate that is used for samples from germs and something medical, he then gets an empty syringe and then plunged the needle into the liver and slowly and carefully pulled the plunge back, drawing and filling the syringe with the blood of the undead as he said “Zhese creatures vere like us, zhey can be killed vhen ve go for zhe head.”

‘’Yes… Of course we will… What?! They are after you for…? Fantastic….’’ Spy spoke as he’s taking a cigarette between his fingers. Demoman was completely speechless upon seeing this, he was in shock and silent in horror of the scene before him, he had no idea what to do as he became fully sober enough during this till Scout noticed him, smiled and said, ‘’Hey! Look who woke up!’’

Everyone looked at Demoman in unison, Takeo was ready to fight but Nikolai stopped him as he held his hand out to halt as he whispered “Wait Takeo.”

‘’Good morning Demoman!’’ Soldier greeted with a smile as Scout said ‘’It’s still night Solly.’’

Demoman finally snapped out of his shock as he finally found the words for him to say it out, he yelled ‘’BLOODY HELL!! What is that thing?!!’’ as he points at the corpse, demanding answers from anyone in the room.

Suddenly, Spy then groans in frustration ‘’UGH! Alright fine!” before turning off the radio, ending the conversion with her and then putting it away in his hidden coat pocket then turning to everyone and saying “She says we all have to get to her quickly.’’ as Heavy looked over at Spy with concern, ‘’Mrs. Pauling had said that? Where was she? Is she alright?’’ he asked the Frenchman.

‘’Yes, she is but she is now hiding from some type of otherworldly army she called ‘’The Helghast” with a ruthless colonel named ‘’Colonel Mael Radec’’ or someone other who now out looking for her so,’’ Spy turns to face everyone again ‘’This may be or not be worse than those dead things outside but now we are her only hope of rescue.’’

‘’Could someone tell me what is going on?!’’ Demo demanded with anger toning his voice, then hard knocking came from the door winch nearly jumped and were going for their guns but they heard Sniper’s voice calling out like an alarm.

‘’It’s me! Let me in!’’

Heavy undid the board that was keeping the door closed to prevent the dead from getting in, opening the door for Sniper to get in and when they looked at him, with ripped vines and flower petals all over him a little bit, he looked like he had gone to a garden that has been created by none other than the Devil himself. ‘’I’m sorry mates, I couldn’t clear a path to the bloody train…’’

‘’What? What happened?’’ Takeo questioned with concerned and worry had printed on his face, Sniper grabbed one vine that is on his right shoulder and threw it on the ground as he said ‘’I know this is crazy for me to say but a big deadly flower had blocked the way, I fought back but it just kicked my a@# and handed it to me with no trouble at all!’’

Now Dempsey isn’t the only one that everyone thought had finally gone crazy, he said, ‘’Are you serious?’’

‘’Aye, unlike the man with a dice for a he-’’

‘’DON’T start it up Sniper.’’

‘’Speaking of deadly flowers, are you alright Sniper?’’ Nikolai said as Pyro got up and handed Sniper their blanket with ducks on it they had covered them, Sniper grasped lightly on the cloth as he looked down ‘’”Define” Alright Nik… Thanks Pyro.’’

“You’re welcome!” Pyro mumthed.

‘’Can we all make this quick please? I want to be paid very quick and well for this job.’’ Spy stated as Scout walked by with a bat on his shoulder as he muttered ‘’If we survive…’’

‘’UGH!! First ve’ve been sent to medieval times in zhe Middle Ages period und now this!’’ Medic declared angrily as he threw both the scalpel and the blood-filled syringe but luckily Engineer caught it by it’s plunger thankfully not the tipped needle as he yelled ‘’Doc!’’

Engineer held it as the Medic calmed down then put the cap on the needle so they could use it later for research then looked at the Medic.

‘’It’s not really everyone’s fault for this, it’s not like the last time after what the other Doctor told us.’’ the Taxen assured him, Demoman’s went wide as he closed the door upon hearing what was happening while he was asleep.

‘’No way! Did we travel back in time again?!’’ Demoman exclaimed towards the two geniuses, ‘’Nein, zhis may like it but on the other zhis time Demoman.’’ Medic explained as he retrieved the scalpel but Engineer steadied him to hestaition as he said ‘’That’s quite enough for right now Doc.’’

‘’And you must be Demoman?’’ Takeo asked as he looked at the black scottish man with an eyepatch, ‘’Aye, who is asking ye? Are ye with--’’

‘’It’s alright Demo, they’re with us for right now man.’’ Scout said as he held his hands up to gesture to him to calm down. ‘’True, they became our allies after they helped us killed these undead rotten ugly creatures known as--’’ Spy said till he was cut off by Demoman saying ‘’They were zombies you killed?’’

‘’You knew what Spy was saying?’’ Dempsey asked.

‘’Me ma once told me a lot about these things and what they will do, she told me that the only way to destroy them is-’’

‘’Is to go for the bloody head, thanks, we learned that already.’’ Sniper interrupted as he looked at the Scottish with anger because he had slept through everything like a rock. ‘’Listen, vhatever happening here is something else threatening the multiverse zhan another one previously. Vinch ve are trying to figure it out right now.’’ Richtofen told them, Demoman turned to everyone with shock.

‘’Multiverse? Where are we then?! What happened here while I was asleep!?’’ Demoman demanded, Medic turned and walked over to the Scottish with an angry expression and said ‘’You didn’t zhink zhat we vould be zhe same predicament as you?! Ve vere fighting vave after vave of zombies zhat tried to kill us for zhe past 12 hours! Und vhat had surprised me zhe most is zhat your own bombs didn’t voke you up!’’

‘’Hey Doc, I was drunk! How can it be happening?! With random people from different world this time?!’’

‘’Not only different worlds but different timelines of each universe,’’ Edward once again began ‘’I had no idea vho or vhat was bringing us here but I am sure zhat ve can stop it.’’

‘’How can we do dat when we’re the ones that need to be savin’?’’

‘’I don’t know!’’

‘’If we got here first and already met people from different worlds across time and space, there’s no doubt that there is more to come than zombies.’’

‘’Tank’s right ‘bout that.’’ Engineer added as he cleans his hand with a cloth as it was stained in blood.

‘’We need to destroy the enemy before it gets worse in this war! For the good of mankind and the universe!’’

‘’Soldier, we need help if we were going to do so.’’

‘’And we are going to need a lot of help we can get,’’ Nikolai corrected Engineer as he walked up to one of the boarded up windows, ‘’Things are going down hill from where we stood.’’ as he was looking through the wood boards he can clearly see 5 helicopters flying by across the plains just outside of the fortress as zombies took notice of them.

Everyone then goes to the windows to watch the dead looking at the aircrafts going by towards the far south.

They then began to follow the copters away towards the south as others stood back and watched them leave the area with relative peace.

‘’Well, at least they are leaving us alone for frickin’ once.’’ Scout sighed in relief as Richtofen perked up ‘’For now until dawn. Best not let our hopes up high just yet.’’

Dempsey turned to everyone as he loaded his pistol once more.

‘’It is almost dawn, better be ready for what comes next.’’ Dempsey said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It’s now 7:00 AM after three hours of sleep, as the sun slowly rises from the horizon overlooking the fortress, zombies had left the area overnight after the helicopters as they headed for the south.

*New day is here.

Back in the lobby, the group are preparing themselves for a mission to rescue their employer in distress. They talk amongst each other while they’re preparing, wondering what they will do next after she was rescued from this otherworldly army.

‘’Hey! Give dat back!’’

‘’Nah!’’

Sniper was looking at the comic that he had taken from Scout’s hands awhile he chuckled, Takeo is sharpening his sword as well cleaning off the blood off it, Nikolai is helping Engineer and Heavy packed up canned food and bottled water they will need for the trip, Engineer had invented a pocket-like device for each member in his team; he called Back-Pit, it would contain anything for survival: Tents, Weapons, clothing, food, water, anything you need when you’re going camping!

Primis Crew had never seen and used Back-Pit that engineers had invented since they were from the early 1900’s but he showed them instructions on how to use it since he had written down notes to go with each device after he had stayed up all night working on it.

‘’Is everyone ready for this mission yet?’’ Spy said as he took a drag of cigarette while everyone turned to face him and Medic all dressed up and ready.

They are in their usual clothing when they wear it in war games, ‘’Uh, guys? Do you think that ya be worried about getting them dirty?’’

‘’Nein herr Scout,’’ Medic answered, ‘’Besides, we can’t be mercenaries if we can’t look our best.’’ Spy added to winch Scout shrugged as he said ‘’Okay then, but don’t come crying to me when you’re all covered in mud and blood-’’

‘’We are always covered in mud and blood everyday Scout.’’ They both said as Dempsey chuckled humorlessly.

*Burned.

Scout glared at them two supporting mercs while Soldier and Demoman are looking at the weapons on the wall, then a sword sheathed on the Scottish’s back suddenly spoke up ‘’Do we really have to chop off zombies’ head?’’

‘’So, you’re bringing the Eyelander.’’ Soldier said as he looked at his friend, ‘’Aye, if I had ever ran out of ammunition, I would use him since I had own him.’’

‘’But do we really have to kill zombies? I want to chop off the Helghast heads instead.’’ Eyelander complained as Demo’s eye turned yellow, to winch he replied ‘’Shut up ye overgrown toothpick.’’

‘’Are you sure? Your eye is turning yellow. I don’t think it’s such a good idea.’’

‘’I can control him Jane, trust me.’’ Demoman assured him, then he looked over to the photo that the Soldier had in his hand. ‘’And ye’re taking her photo with you on this trip.’’

‘’Yeah, I am.’’

He calmly holds the photo of Zhanna, Heavy’s sister to winch he loves when he first meets her as he looks at the photo. Spy then begins to speak up ‘’Gentlemen, this is now the one thing we may have never experienced before in our lives. Never once we would’ve thought of this might happen again but differently this time with enemies we have never known. As long we will fin--’’

‘’Don’t give off the speech Spy, we don’t even know what was out there. Out there is all f*&%ed up! We’re all gonna die, over and over, this is much worse that dat!’’

‘’Don’t doubt everyone about this Private! We are going to survive this war!’’

‘’OoOoh yeah, like that would be comforting to know Soldier when these things could come back!’’

‘’If you know what was good for ya, you would shut it before you will say something you might regret maggot!’’

‘’ENOUGH!!’’

Heavy’s yell silenced everyone in the room around him, Scout had muttered something then walked away.

‘’Yelling at each other isn’t going to help anyone in this problem, we have to be ready for war.’’ Heavy said as he tossed a backpack onto his back then turned back to face everyone ‘’And crush little dead men along the way.’’

‘’Alright then.’’

Engineer then looked over to Pyro who was holding and looking at the Balloonicorn in their hands, they looked worried as they kept looking at it. Engineer walked over to Pyro, placed his hand on their shoulder, smiled softly and said ‘’Pyro, don’t worry about him, he’ll wait for us till all of this is over and done with. Just make sure you bring ammo and warm clothes with you okay?’’

As Takeo and Nikolai looked over to the two, the sergeant wondered if Pyro was like this before. More likely long before these… events happened, ‘’Maybe they had a mind of a child.’’ he thought.

‘’Still though,’’ Spy began once more ‘’as soon after we found her and mission accomplished, 9 of us and four of them will go on our separate ways before she would notice them.’’

Dempsey looked at the French with a mix of anger and confusion, ‘’Why would she notice us with-’’

‘’Mistakes you four for mercenaries and gets all of you hired? It’s what I am concerned of at the least of it.’’

‘’But ve are not mercenaries, are from a different plane of existence. Vhy is zhere a reason for her to-’’

‘’It’ll be based on judging your talents you’ve got, since you are from a different universe and all.’’

‘’I see.’’ Takeo said as he looked the other way as his allies did the same.

Sniper looked down as Engineer took noticed that other of his teammates is worried, so he asked ‘’Is there something wrong?’’

‘’The only way out of this area is by train, but we can’t get to it because of a bloody giant flower.’’

‘’Even if you’re really crazy for being alone too long or not, you are still a part of the team through the Gravel War and through when robots tried to destroy Mann Co. There’s nothing we can’t fight back Sniper.’’

Sniper looked at the Texen as his hands rested on his arms after he crossed them, he then smiled softly as he said ‘’I am willing to bet that we can still win Engie.’’

After preparing for the journey ahead, they picked up their weapons and headed out through the doors, leaving the lobby behind to find Mrs. Pauling and rescue her with a song in their hearts but just in case the zombies are still around, they stayed cautious and keep their eyes open for anything with legs and is dead.

They had looked around as they walked past the corpses they killed a day before and passed the Panser that tried to kill them as Demoman looked at it with curiosity. ‘’Could any one of ye explain this to me?’’ Demoman asked the Spy who was walking beside him.

‘’The day before?’’

‘’The day before I woke up lad, please’’

‘’Well, while you were asleep, we were transported to this part of the world but in a different dimension somehow. Then Medic met Richtofen who is the doctor like him but from a different timeline like us, then more things happened when we met Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai long before I met them in the Respawn Room before Soldier destroys it with the RPG. when 12 of us were finished killing off the dead, the armored zombie, to switch the Samurai called it the ‘’Panzer Soldat’’ from what I can recall, came out of the sky then tried to kill us but Heavy, Medic, Scout and Engie had killed it first before it could. As much as you can tell, I know that you couldn’t believe it on what we saw, if it’s not going well with you, then your mind is more f*&$ed up than it was.’’ Spy told the black Scottish man.

‘’Ah… I see that now...’’

‘’But still, you were their demotion expert, why were you drunk at a time like this?’’

‘’I didn’t realize it was bad timing till now, I had been an alcoholic, even when my liver left me then came back. Yet I’ve still alive for you to have a sobered Demoman until the mission is over!’’

Nikolai looked at Demoman who had his eye closed with a confident smile with a stare before saying ‘’...And what good will come from that?’’

‘’Roasted’’ The Eyelander spoke as Demoman went wide eyed upon hearing this response from Nikolai, he turned away as he said ‘’W-well, when ye’re in the same slate as me after you sleep through the whole bloody thing, ya’ll be something like…’’ he then looked over to a rock before saying ‘’A rock!’’

‘’Why a rock, Demoman?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’It’s uh… represents strength a-and if it had been hit by a hammer, over and over until it breaks into a few pieces to winch… You can repair with what’s left of it into something new and making it more stronger with others for you to help.’’

Nikolai gave him a look of confusion as he said ‘’Are you sure that you are not drunk before this?’’

‘’Demoman means to say is to keeping your spirit strong despite being broken already and staying with close to your friends Nikorai.’’ Takeo corrected.

‘’Exactly lad!’’

‘’Even after the Em-’’

‘’I KNOW Nikorai and I rather not speak of it in the moment.’’ the samurai sneered as he walked faster away from the Russian and Scottish. ‘’Was there something wrong with him in the past?’’

‘’Of course, but he would keep an eye on those who would do things that will betray his trust and to where the suspicions and betrayal come from; he rather not speak about it in the moment Demoman.’’ he said as he too walked fast away from Demoman to catch up to Takeo, leaving him alone with the sword on his back.

‘’In his words; In life you can easily trust someone, but once the trust is broken its very difficult to trust anyone again.’’ Eyelander quoted as Demoman glared him with envy and anger ‘’Oh, now ye’re the one being wise?’’

‘’Someone needs to be taught about such things Demo, now about the heads-’’

‘’You will have the chance to do so in a moment after we deal with these zombies first Eyelander.’’ Demoman said as he kept walking to catch up with the others as they followed Sniper to where the train station is.

They expected to find a road clear to the railway but it was blocked off… with vines with thorns, everyone looked at the vines with confusion and curiosity. ‘’They…. Weren’t here yesterday when we were here.’’

‘’Why were there vines here man?’’

‘’I don’t know’’

‘’Something’s not right about it…’’

They whispered amongst each other as they looked around the area then at the vine, Takeo suddenly getting the feeling about these vines, they reminded him of the vines back on the island after his other self was betrayed by… No, no no. he can’t think about it right now, something else is controlling them and it’s not a Thrasher this time.

‘’Sniper?’’

‘’Yeah mate?’’

‘’Was this the ‘flower’ doing this?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’If it’s really doing this, we should follow the vine to the source of this.’’ Takeo stated, Sniper nodded to this agreement as others began to think of the same thing to investigate. So they followed the vines to the railway station where they spotted something that wasn’t there before: an orange petal peeking over from the roof.

This strengthens their curiosity upon seeing the petal, why is there an orange petal peeking out from the roof? Takeo looked at the petal in confusion, he had never seen a flower that big before, not big enough to have it’s petals peeking over from the roof of a train station.

Takeo then gets a feeling that this is no normal flower and it may be dangerous as he said ‘’I now believe this is the flower that Sniper spoke of, we need to remain cautious for this.’’

‘’I was going to say the same thing about it Takeo.’’ Spy said as he got a revolver out from the back pocket of his coat while they walked towards the entrance to the station and saw there was a giant flower but…

Meeting Cagney Carnation

Not like what Sniper had said, it looked like a harmless friendly giant flower as he gently held his leaf-hands to his face like he was very shy when he saw a group of humans come to him in full view with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

‘’Heh… Cute.’’ Scout commented as he placed the bat over his shoulder.

‘’A ’Deadly Flower’ huh? Unbelievable… Un. Believable…’’ Spy groaned in disbelief.

Sniper too was in disbelief upon this discovery, this isn’t what he remembered when he first encountered him last night and as for Takeo, looked at the giant flower with shock but for a reason he held on as he looked at it, the feeling of danger gotten stronger and didn’t fade away without fail.

‘’My my…’’ Flower began to speak that startled everyone ‘’Hello there little humans!’’ with a kind cherry voice as Pyro waved hello to the flower as they mumbled ‘’hello! Who are you cute flower?’’ in an excited child voice.

‘’Oh how nice of you! My name is Cagney, Cagney Carnation.’’ the flower introduced himself, then he asked ‘’Golly, what brings you all here to this train station?’’

‘’We need to ride the train out of here Mr. Carnation. We are doing something very important so, if you could kindly move the vines away so we can be on our way.’’ Spy answered, ‘’Spy…!’’ Takeo mustered a worried tone under his breath as Sniper looked .

‘’Oh really? You want to go through to get to the train?’’ Cagney asked.

‘’Yeah, that’s why we came here for man.’’ Scout said with a confident smile, ‘’If you want to go through me…’’ the Flower’s tone suddenly turned sinister that caught everyone off guard by this sudden change in this endeavor.

‘’Then you’ll just have to fight me…’’ He continued as the group noticed Cagney’s friendly form begins to change; thorns grew on his stem, leafs turned hands as he covered his face from everyone as they watched the flower turned.

‘’Then rip it off from my cold dead VINES!!!’’

Cagney’s 1st phase

Everyone looked at the flower with terrified expressions, as Sniper said ‘’See what I mean?’’

‘’Yes, yes we now do see it, you are a man of your word.’’ Spy said while Heavy nodded, Dempsey then loads the StG-44 as he said ‘’Less talking, more fighting!’’

‘’If you can fight!’’ Cagney said as he sent the vines flying through the air, Everyone tried to run but ended up being wrapped up in vines one by one as they tried to dash to different directions. Well, all but Takeo and Scout.

*The vines had captured your new found friends and allies, *All but you two. *It is now harvest time.

‘’Takeo! Do what the text said to do!’’ Nikolai shouted as he struggled to break free from the vines with the others. Takeo and Scout turned to face the Carnation who is doing a dance, ‘’Fools who attempt to fight this will leave with allergic rhinitis!’’ the flower taunted at them with the overconfident smile.

‘’Unless you will be cut down like a tree!’’ Takeo spat back as Scout nodded while he readies the bat to attack. Cagney’s head then turns into something that resembles a gatling gun with the hand on the crank and then turns it to fire seeds at the air and then fall onto the duo.

‘’Incoming Tak!’’ Scout shouted as he ran to the left, Takeo ran towards the right as seeds came crashing down from the sky as Cagney’s head changed back. ‘’Good job but can you dodge THIS!?’’ he said before luging his face towards the two with his hands wigging.

‘’OH GOD THAT IS JUST CREEPY AS @#$%!!’’ Scout screamed as he and Takeo ducked and covered their heads from Cagney’s attack, Takeo then noticed the Ray Gun that Richtofen dropped on the ground after the vines got him, he crawled for it and then grabbed it then aimed at the flower and opened fire.

Cagney hissed in pain as he contacted his face back to his head to rub it and feel the marks where the Ray Gun had left, to winch he turned angry as he said ‘’Oh not like the other time I had been beaten! Not like the last time!’’ Then he put both his hands together then made three acorns appear as he spread his hands apart as they spun.

Then they quickly stopped spinning then fly towards the two, Scout dodges the acorns but was hit by one of them as he screamed in pain ‘’Medic!’’

‘’I am occupied in the moment Scout!’’ Medic shouted out towards his injured teammate as he struggled.

Cagney then does his magic hands trick again, Takeo then gets his sword out, turns it to the blunt side and then hits all three at the right timing to send flying fast back to Cagney with full hitting force.

One hit the side of his head, one hit him on the left arm then last one hit him on the stem and he became furious than ever as he pulled on his own petals in frustration. ‘’Grrr… NOW you asked for it!’’

‘’Asked for what??’’ Everyone asked that question, to winch Cagney answered ‘’THIS!’’

Then the Flower buries his arms into the ground as Takeo and Scout looked down at it in shock as they felt rumbling while the small pebbles are shaking and hopping, then sudden vines sprouted out of the ground, taking three chunks of the ground with the samurai and RED Member with them as Cagney’s appearance changed once again to more monstrous look; his teeth had become sharpen, his petals became sharpen and straighten and more thorns and vines covered his stem, making it tougher than leather armor.

(From Cuphead Wiki respectively)

‘’Extreme pollination and total domination!’’

Cagney then laughed hard at them as his tongue turned hand-like and pointed at them in a funny manner. ‘’I can’t decide what is worse: The bread monster or him!’’ Engineer shouted as he watched helplessly with everyone who gave up struggling to get free from the vines that wrapped them up.

‘’If this is the worse thing up to this point, then yeah!’’ Scout shouted as he rummaged through his bag for his scattergun as Takeo stood for his defense. Cagney then launched his attack on the two, vines rose up from below and they had to jump over to the next platform before the vines would fully wrapped all over the previous one.

‘’Hurry Scout!’’

‘’I AM hurrying!!’’

Scout then began to rummage through his bag faster for his scattergun as if his life depended on it as Takeo was cutting through the vines with the sword til Scout finally found it and got it ready for him to open fire at the flower as Takeo does the same.

Cagney screamed in pain then growled as he launched vines at them once again from below, Takeo jumped to the middle platform but Scout wasn’t fast enough to escape the vines in time as he was caught in them, making Takeo turn around in surprise.

‘’Scout!’’

‘’Go on man! Don’t worry ‘bout me! I’ll be alright!’’ Scout said as he struggled to break free from the vines. ‘’Oh I won’t be worrying about him if I were him,’’ Carnation stated ‘’You will never know when life was being squeezed outta ya!’’ then begins to squeeze everyone, causing everyone gasping for air for a few moments until he’s done as Takeo yelled ‘’No!!’’

‘’And what are ya going to do about it?’’ Cagney smiled a smirk.

‘’I will defeat you, you dishonorable carnation!’’ The samurai spat at the flower who let out a laugh with a confident grin. ‘’And how are ya going to do that?’’

Then the officer took out his sword and then swung it at the vine, cutting it as it was going towards him, Cagney winced in pain at the sudden stinging feeling but was soon being under fire by Takeo with the Ray Gun.

Cagney then roared and fought back with pink and purple bullets at Takeo, he reacted and struck the pink bullets first to his surprise they disappeared as soon as he hit them but he immediately knew that the purple ones didn’t do the same as their pink counterparts.

Vines under the platform he was on were about to attack but he somehow knew there was a vine then jumped to the next platform, much closer to the deadly flower with a glare as Cagney grinned wider.

Before he could attack, Takeo opened fire on the flower with the raygun, he screamed in pain as the samurai kept firing at him.

‘’Hey! Stop! STTTOOOOOOPPPP IIIITTT!!!!’’

Takeo fired one last shot at Cagney, finally defeated him in his own game as he was screaming to the sky while his eyes became black and hollow as Takeo watched.

Knockout!

You won! Reward: 50 Gold and a Fabled Ribbon

Cagney eventually stopped screaming as the vines dropped his comrades to the ground, some of them fell flat on their faces while most of them landed gracefully on their feet and looked over to Takeo.

‘’Takeo! You have saved us all!’’ Nikolai started,

‘’You have killed the enemy’s super weapon!’’ Soldier proclaimed.

‘’It may be but I can tell that this isn’t what 115 would do to plants like how it did some of them on an island.’’ Takeo said as he looked at Cagney, then a bird came by and landed on one of the vines before pecking on it.

‘’Still Takeo, you had saved us from zhis flower und killed it.’’ Richtofen said as he walked over to the plant, examining it in detail as he noticed it is cartoon-like, ‘’Mate, this is…’’ Sniper said as he is somewhat satisfied with Takeo defeating Cagney but disturbed to seeing him like this.

‘’This is… Is the creepy sight…’’

Heavy then perked up ‘’Little Japanese had killed flower but it is too easy.’’ as he pointed at the fallen flower as Richtofen walked over to the fallen flower.

‘’Herr Heavy is quite right about it, it seemed that you can’t beat zhe dandelion zhat easily vith just one person.’’

Richtofen then knocked on the stem, only an echoed hollow thunk responded as he knocked on it again while he said ‘’Unless you vere counting on something zhat is killable but zhis isn’t it, it’s hollow! A husk even.’’

‘’Hollow?’’ Takeo asked.

‘’The flower’s unkillable?? Aw man! If this day can’t even worse than this.’’ Scout said as he cautiously looked around nervously for any signs of the flower that tried to kill them with no mercy.

‘’Calm down herr Scout, if... Cagney is it? If Cagney really is unkillable and leaves his old body as a husk zhen there’s a chance he will-’’ Medic said as he noticed something on the ground that had sprouted and began wiggling, something green and some type of a leaf as if it’s dying to be a plant,

Medic smiled upon this discovery and said ‘’Ah! Exactly as I thought he vould do! Don’t vorry Mr. Carnation, I am zhe doctor. Let me help you out of zhe dirt.’’ then grabs the leaf between his index finger and thumb and begins to gently pull the sapping out of the dirt, coughing as it grew into a normal-sized flower as others looked on at this.

Others looked at this with interest and yet fear as Cagney bloomed while his petals peeled away from his face, he is in his beginning form and this time he is much smaller than a big flower.

‘’This isn’t fair!’’ Cagney shouted ‘’I was going to win!’’

‘’I guess the odds aren’t in your favor when you’re trying to kill us.’’ Dempsey said.

‘’And yet now you really looked like a cute flower now!’’ Heavy bellowed out as others laughed.

‘’This must have been embarrassing dishonor for you, Cagney.’’ Takeo stated.

‘’Look who’s saying! I just wanted to be stronger to beat guys like you to a plump!’’

Takeo gave him a pitied look as he sheathed his katana away, kneeling down to Cagney’s level and asked ‘’Why would you want to be stronger? You’re only a flower.’’

Cagney looked up at Takeo with nervousness in his eyes and guilt deep down, then he looked in a different direction to avoid his gaze.

‘’W-well,’’ he began as his voice was shaking, ‘’You see… I wanted to d-defend myself from anyone who wanted to d-do me harm so I uh… I kinda made a deal with someone that is…’’

‘’That is what?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’The Devil.’’

Others but Medic and Richtofen looked at the flower like he was crazy til Richtofen asked ‘’You sold your soul to the Devil?’’

‘’Pretty much and that’s how I was… Well, like that before being beaten by the two kids who had also lost their souls to the Devil and eventually had beaten him and freed everyone’s souls that had unfortunately sold their souls to him as well. If that’s not enough to justify everyone’s justice, they had managed to beat the Devil's good-for-nothing lacky, King Dice in his own game.’’

‘’King Dice? The one with a dice for a head?’’

‘’Yep, has he tricked you too?’’

Dempsey raised an eyebrow at this response.

‘’No,’’ Dempsey answered ‘’I have only just met him the day before, Why would he-’’

‘’He’s the Devil’s right hand man, he can manipulate people with only reason so they can make a deal with the Devil. I am now sure hopefully none of you got caught up in his charm or-’’

‘’Uh oh!’’ A familiar voice that Dempsey heard had caught everyone’s attention and turned over to King Dice who appeared out of nowhere, standing there with his arms behind his back and with the same grin on his face.

‘’Did I feel my ears burning?’’

Dempsey turned to anger as he said ‘’Why are you here?’’

‘’Just stopping by when I saw your friend defeat that flower, and heard a chit-chat about the two brothers who sold their souls. You really are full of surprises, are you Dempsey?’’

‘’You are talking about the two children who had made a deal with a demon?’’ Nikolai growled.

‘’Of course! There are a lot of stories spilling out today like there’s no tomorrow,’’ Dice said as he adjusted his glove on his hand. ‘’Bunch of questions are asked after they were told like one for example: How did we get here after we’ve been snatched and taken. Like how ol li’ Cuphead and Mugman!’’

‘’How should we not know if you and Devil was behind it all?’’ Takeo asked.

‘’Nope, none of us are behind the snatching and taking of anybody here. To be honest with you sinners who started swinging. I like that! Every one of you are sinners of your own deeds.’’

‘’Are you suggesting that we should surrender our souls to your boss?’’ Richtofen confronted him with a glare.

‘’Heh… Of course not! Not now that you guys know about me and the big cheese. But if you all are willing to make a deal, just call me by name alright? Right then! Hi-De-Ho!~’’ he said as he had once again toralls again and fell down the hole he came from and then it shrunks.

‘’I swear I will kill him…’’ Dempsey muttered under his breath as Richtofen walked up to his side, ‘’Good vill come to those who vait but now… Ve need to leave zhis place.’’

‘’Yeah yeah…’’

‘’Um, Cagney, if you don’t mind-’’

‘’Yes! I know! I will let you all pass! Just don’t worry about me alright?’’ Cagney bellowed out with anger.

Scout looked at Cagney with concern, ‘’Are you sure about that? Zombies, you being small flower, they will kinda-’’

‘’I’ll be fine, I’ll just be back to my big old self in no time before they could. Now get out of my sight.’’ Cagney said subborningly.

Vines that are blocked off the path begin to separate and moved upward til the pathway is cleared. Sniper looked down at Cagney and said ‘’Thanks mate.’’

‘’Don’t mention it, all of you proved to be tougher than I think but don’t think that I would end up meeting you guys again.’’ Cagney replied.

‘’We won’t, see ya mate.’’

With the footsteps passing by the Carnation and then passed by as he watched them go to the train station.

They walked the rest of the path to the train station until they finally got there, feeling accomplished by reaching their goal but they know that there could be zombies lurking in the station since they couldn’t waste anymore time than they already have to complete the search and rescue mission.

‘’Does anyone know how to drive a train?’’ Nikolai asked everyone, then the Engineer came up to him.

‘’I can drive that thing son, after all I am an engineer but what can I say? I have many talents.’’

Dempsey chuckled ‘’Well, I can’t argue with that one Dell.’’

Spy walks over to the cargo, ‘’If we are done? We better get going before the dead or this ‘’King Dice’’ fellow comes back.’’ he then opens the door and then ushers his teammates to get on. “After you, Bushman.”

‘’Right.’’

Everyone then hopped on the train in a single file, while Demoman used black paint that he found from the ticket booth to write the cargo the words ‘’The Pain Train.’’ he hears a train whistle pierced the air, he then hops abroad on the cargo as the train begins to move it’s wheels against the rails then goes forward as 3 to 8 zombies comes out of their places in attempts to catch up with the train but wasn’t fast enough to catch up as the train goes quickly out of the station.

Scout looks out of the cargo door and laughs at the undead’s failed attempt, ‘’See ya later zombies!’’

Richtofen sighs out a breath of relief as Takeo sat down on a crate while looking outside with the others. They see the old red western buildings and blue 60’s era buildings before the train leaves the fortress and away from it as they watch.

‘’That was close.’’ Sniper said as Dempsey nodded, ‘’Indeed, a little TOO close.’’ Richtofen added.

‘’Still through, I am so glad that we’re out of there and away from those abominations that are created by none other than Lucifer himself.’’ Spy said as he again took another drag, Medic jumped up to the comment with sweat formed on his forehead as he said ‘’Oh Ja! Of course glad!’’ The others looked at him like he was more crazy than usual.

‘’Although Doctor, you seemed jumpy when Cagney mentioned the Devil before King Dice appeared after he said that he is the Devil’s right hand man. Mind explaining that one?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’Me? Scared of the Devil?’’ Medic excused, ‘’Nein, nein. I vas only surprised zhat zhe Devil might be real. If Cagney is his debtor zhen zhat means-’’

‘’There are more than just one that owes the Devil their soul.’’ Dempsey interjected as Medic said ‘’Hey!’’

‘’That must’ve explains why Laddie.’’ Demoman as he drinks his scrumpy as Nikolai turns away. ‘’What do you think where Pauling is?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’She said that she’s in an abandoned town, she had said that it looked like that war had rampaged and ransack it for 80 years or so, not to mention that she said it’s far from the fortress we were in.’’ Spy answered everyone.

‘’Far from the fortress huh?’’ Scout said, ‘’Hopefully we won’t encounter zombies there when we get to the town.’’

‘’I will not get my hopes just yet Scout, Richtofen had said that they can always one step ahead of us.’’ Takeo said as he looked outside of the moving train to view the land, he noticed a few trees that he is so familiar with when he is growing up in Japan.

‘’If this is another world, do you think that there are others taken here as well?’’ Nikolai questioned, ‘’Perhaps, in studies of alternate timelines, there are different worlds as vell.’’

‘’Cool.’’ Scout said as he laid down the crate with his hands at the back of his head.

Everyone looked outside as the train kept moving on the railway tracks to the old town as the hours had passed until the sun began to set over the horizon.

Takeo begins to notice that something is happening with the blossom trees, everyone else soon takes notice of them when the sun disappears behind the hills to make way for night time to begin.

The cherry trees began to glow white as the wind began to blow, allowing the blossoms to fly free into the breeze while everyone looked at them with wonder and amazement. They looked like they were stars being blown away by the wind in outer space as they watched them danced in the dark star-sprinkled skies.

‘’Wow…’’

‘’They don’t normally do something like this…’’ Takeo muttered as he watched, Nikolai walked up to his side and said ‘’Well, in this world, it doesn’t matter…’’

-End of the Flashback…-

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 6 years

Text

Heartbeat-Chase Brody x Reader (Soulmate AU)

This is a story inspired by the Soulmate AU where: Your soulmate’s heartbeat is tattooed on your wrist.

Summary: The Reader is a close friend of Chase, and they begin to notice that his moods are almost correlated to how fast or how slow the heartbeat on their wrist is. So they start to wonder if there’s a connection or it’s merely a coincidence.

Hope you lovelies enjoy~!!

T.W: Sensitive topics such as suicide, depression, and alcoholism are mentioned, since this is Chase we are talking about.

There is a happy ending to this story, though, so don’t worry ^^

.......

“Yo what’s up guys? I’m Chase! And welcome to Bro Average!”

You smiled as you stood behind the camera, watching as Chase fired his toy Nerf gun off to the side, before he flinched back.

When you go to edit the video later on, you’ll be sure to add in a crashing noise and the classic “Wilhelm Scream” just for laughs.

Finally, you had the chance to help Chase film his latest “Bro Average” episode, where the most he did was throw teabags and other tiny objects across the room and into mugs scattered around, making “trickshots” as he called them. Either way, though, his viewers loved it and it was actually earning him a couple bucks, so you had no problem helping him out.

After he made his first trickshot after several failed attempts, he ran around the room screaming and cheering, before he tossed his hat to the side and ran to you, grabbing the camera and shaking it a bit as he got up close and personal.

After that you hit the pause and laughed as he went back to pick up his hat. This man was such a goofball at times.

You glanced at your wrist, seeing the tattooed red heart “thumping” fast with the wavy, lines going across it now slightly jagged.

Yes. Since the day you were born, your wrist had this tattoo. Your parents told you that it reflected the heartbeat of your “soulmate”, basically the person you were destined to be with. But despite being in your late 20s..you haven’t found them just yet.

Of course, it was extremely difficult to figure out, since your only clue was a physical manifestation of their heartbeat imprinted on your skin. Either way, though, you haven’t given up hope.

You already crossed Chase off your list, as he told you he found his soulmate: Stacy. A lovely woman who he married and had two amazing kids with. But as of late he’s been running into some...marital problems that got quite severe, so he invited you over to his studio to take his mind off of it.

Several long takes later, however, you noticed that he was losing a bit of focus, and would openly blurt out how his life is crumbling to pieces because of his failing marriage...sometimes not even realizing it until you pointed it out.

And during those moments, you could see the heartbeat start to slow...

Eventually, you left him and took a break while he answered a call from Stacy. But when you came back into the conference room with some soda cans, you nearly dropped them as you saw the camera on the table still recording, and Chase slumped over in the chair sobbing, although he shed no tears.

You quickly turned it off and rushed to his side. “Chase, wh-what’s wrong?” Pulling up a chair, you sat beside him, wrapping your arms around him. He hugged you and whimpered softly. “I-I can’t take i-it, [y/n]...I..I miss them..”

A knot formed in your stomach as you knew something was seriously wrong. You’ve never seen him act like this, so it was scary. “Shhh..maybe we should take a break from filming, okay?” You suggested. “We’ll get you some tea and go back to work once you’re alright.”

“N-No..I’ll...I’ll be okay..” Sniffling, he pulled away and adjusted his hat, before he looked at the heart tattoo on his other wrist. “Just gotta do what I always do. You know, I put on a brave smile. And I put on my best hat. I do good work..I do a good job. Surely my soulmate can see that..right?” He gazed back at you, his expression forced.

You didn’t know how to possibly answer that, so you just sighed and nodded. “Yes. She does see that, Chase.”

After that discussion, Chase decided that he’ll finish filming the video by himself. Even though you didn’t really want to leave him alone, you decided to use the opportunity to talk to Henrik in his office, explaining your concerns for Chase to him.

However, at some point during the conversation, the doctor inquired you on your tattoo.

“Tell me, [y/n]..did you notice...anyzhing about your little heart vhenever Chase did somezhing?”

You frowned slightly, unsure of how this was related. “Well ah...I noticed that it speeds up whenever he’s running around the room. And it..slowed down when he was crying over Stacy. But I mean...it’s probably just a coincidence, doc. He’s married and-”

“Ah..but..you see, it’s very common for people to mistake zheir true soulmate’s heart vith anozher person’s,” he chuckled softly, rolling up his sleeve to show you his tattoo. “It’s happened to me many time before...until I found my vife and my true soulmate. But many still believe in zhe fabled “love at first sight” myth and zhink zhe whole “soulmate” zhing is utter nonsense.”

For a few long moments you were quiet as you processed what he said, before your eyes widened. “S-So wait...are you telling me that this..” You tapped your wrist. “...could actually be Chase’s?”

Henrik opened his mouth to reply, but before he could get an answer out, a loud gunshot rang through the Septic household. The two of you immediately got up and rushed back to the studio..

Only to find Chase laying on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding his head with a gun laying in the palm of his hand.

And when you anxiously turned your wrist over....

The heart was still and the line was flat.

..................

It was well over a year after Chase’s life was saved and Jack fell into a coma, and things..definitely haven’t been looking up for the former.

He recently became diagnosed with depression not only because of his friend and the fact that he hardly got to see his kids anymore...but also due to the realization that Stacy wasn’t his true soulmate.

She was leading him on only because she admired his radiant personality and good looks, and that’s what utterly devastated him and made him resort to drinking away his problems. He had come close to hurting himself a few times...but thankfully he never got to that point.

Eventually, though, he had given up on the whole “soulmate” thing and believed he wasn’t destined for anyone.

You, on the other hand, became almost certain that he was the one. But anytime you tried to bring it up or even show him your tattoo, he’d start crying or change the subject and get angry if you tried to insist on discussing it. He even wrapped a bandage around his heart so he didn’t have to look at it anymore.

So you decided to give up on trying to talk to him about it. Once he was in a better mental state, then maybe he’ll give it a chance.

You could only hope he does. ...........

You took a visit to the operating room, where, as you expected, Chase was sitting beside a comatose Jack, bottle of Japanese whiskey in his hands. He gently grasped his friend’s wrist, carefully turning it over to see the heartbeat going.

“Y-You must be lucky to have a soulmate, Jack,” he murmured quietly. “I...I was considering just...getting a tattoo over mine. I don’ care what it is...poop emoji, another rune...anythin’ would be better than this.” Then he ripped off his own bandage, seeing his heart beating fast.

Meanwhile, you just stood there, anxious as Chase spoke of how badly he wanted to get rid of the very thing he was born with.

Then he sniffled and set Jack’s hand onto his stomach, before patting the top of it. “Hope you wake up soon, Jack...I..I miss ya.” He took another swig of his drink.

“Chase?”

Looking over, he saw you and smiled. “Hey, [y/n]..”

You could clearly see how awful and exhausted he looked tonight. There were dark purple bags under his eyes, and even with his hat on his hair still looked greasy and unkempt. The depression had definitely hit him hard the past two days, so he didn’t shower and hardly ate.

Speaking of which, you could hear a grumble echo through the room. You frowned and walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder as you gently wriggled the bottle from his grasp. “I have some food in my room. C’mon.”

With a small nod, he got up and you put his arm around your shoulders so he didn’t stumble as you both walked out of the room, turning the lights off and closing the door.

Once you made it to your bedroom, you set the whiskey on your desk before returning to Chase, who was now on the edge of your bed, staring off into space. You grabbed the McDonalds bag and opened it, taking out some chicken nuggets you bought for him, before handing him the package.

“Here, I got you the 4 piece. It’s okay if you can’t eat all of them right now.”

He just stared at it, shaking his head and tears welled up in his eyes. “I-I don’t want it..” His voice cracked.

“At least have one..or even half of one,” you pleaded softly. “I wanna see you at least eat something, Chase. Please?”

After a long while, he shakily took the box from you and opened it up, taking out a nugget and eating it slowly. You smiled, glad to see him finally eating, as you rubbed his back. He blushed at the gesture, becoming a bit more relaxed.

Within a few minutes he had eaten two of the nuggets before he closed the box and gave it back to you. “Good job, Chase. I’m proud.” You set it on his nightstand. Then you took off his hat and placed it over it. “You should get some sleep.”

“C-Can you stay..?”

You blinked in surprise at his question, but your smile returned as you nodded. “Sure. I don’t mind.” With a sigh, you helped him pull off his shirt, which was stained with drops of whiskey and possibly tears, putting it in the laundry basket, before you both got under the covers.

“G’night, Chase.” You went to turn off the lamp, only to stop as Chase grasped your arm.

“'m sorry for the way I’ve been acting lately..” He mumbled. “It’s just..I..I wanted to give up on the idea of...soulmates. But...a part of me doesn’t wanna. I keep trying to put it out of my mind..b-but..when I’m around you it somehow always comes back...”

You gazed at him thoughtfully for a second or two. “You only get those feelings around me?”

He nodded tiredly. “They..feel good but at the same time..I-I’m just scared that I’ll b-be wrong yet again..”

“Well.....you never know unless you try, Chase.” You sighed, deciding that he should know that you were, indeed, his soulmate.

“Try..?”

You wrapped your arms around him, bringing him closer to you. “Try laying your head on my chest. Then look at your wrist. If my heartbeat sounds like it’s moving at the same rhythm as your tattoo...then that’s the only way you’ll know for sure.”

Chase remained silent, confused and tense, but he just shook his head, his eyes watering back up. “I-I...I can’t, [y/n]. It..It hurts too much to look at. What if..?”

“Don’t think about the “what-ifs”.” You cupped his cheek, brushing away a stray tear that trickled down his face. “Just please trust me on this one, alright?”

Hesitantly, he nodded again and snuggled closer to you, resting his head against your chest. Since you had a tanktop on, he was able to press his ear against your skin so he could hear more clearly. Then he shakily looked at his own wrist, watching a listening carefully.

After a few moments, his eyes widened as he heard your heart beat fast...moving at the exact same rhythm as the “tattoo version” of it.

“Th-The rhythms are the..e-exact same..” Then he shifted away to look into your eyes, seeing your smile. “You...Y-You were right..” More tears began to stream down his face as he realized that after all this time...his soulmate was the one person who had been there for him all along. “I-I’m sorry I-I...I never..I shouldn’t h-have-”

“Shhh..it’s okay, Chase.” Tears formed in your own eyes as you kissed his forehead. “I know you’re going through rough mental patches. And I know love was a huge part of that, so I wanted to give you a break. But it’s okay now..” Your smile grew further. “We’re true soulmates. That’s all that matters.”

Chase choked out a sob as he smiled, too, before he nuzzled your chest, crying softly out of sheer relief. “I-I love you, soulmate..” He whimpered.

“I love you, too, soulmate.” You chuckled as you threaded your fingers through his hair, kissing the top of his head several times.

While you were aware that him finding his true soulmate wouldn’t magically cure his depression, at least now he knew that his romantic life wasn’t hopeless.

And that he had found the one who truly loved him....flaws and all.

#jacksepticeye x reader #chase brody #chase bro average #chase brody x reader #soulmate au #reader insert #readerinsert #fanfiction

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icefir-windbreaker · 5 years

Text

All-Stars -Story Mode- [CHAPTER 5]

Here comes Chapter 5 from the story! I had done this awhile ago and it seemed like that now. Enjoy:

[EDITED]

-Later on after 12 hours passed…-

Demoman was sleeping in his bed, passed out drunk for close to 12 hours, nearly to 13 if longer, ‘’what a nap!’’ I wrote here.

Demoman, his real name being Tavish Finnegan DeGroot, heard a hammer hitting from outside of his room and it caused Demoman’s eyes-er, eye to flutter opened, his brown eye now opened as he come to terms of the realization that it’s 4:00 in the morning, he listened for a moment for the sound and sure enough it did, so he just layed back down on the bed.

he tried to go back to sleep but the sound of hammer hitting the nail had persisted through from outside his room, causing the black Scottish man to groan in annoyance and then getting out of his warm bed as his head swirls from a hangover he had last night. He grabbed his eye-patch and then tied on his left eye that had been lost as he thought ‘’Who in the bloody hell would be makin’ noises in 4:00 o’clock in the morning?’’

He stumbled to the door as he place both hands on it to steady his balance while he muttered “Engie, keep that racket down...!”, then he goes to the doorknob then turns it, opening the door and letting himself through it and into the lobby, he was expecting Engineer was working on his one of his building but what he didn’t expect is to find his team with four men he had never seen before all in the lobby together, boarding up the windows as his eye went wide open upon seeing this.

‘’Of course, 115 may be solution for power and making veapons warfare but it can be like a virus if you’re exposed to it or having it injected into you with too much doses.’’

‘’If a rock of it is in you?’’ Engineer questioned as he cutted it’s liver out with a scalpel.

‘’If it’s been shoved in you, there’s a slight chance of you turning one of zhem or become a superbeing if not two rocks at once, Nazis had once tried zhis und it’s the result of two rocks in one body.’’ Richtofen answered as he handed it to Medic.

‘’But uh, it’s dead right? I mean ‘’Dead dead’’ dead right?’’ Scout asked as he rubbed his arm up and down uncomfortable when he’s seeing a corpse of a zombie in the lobby with them.

‘’Unless you cut of its head or destroy it Scout.’’ Takeo said as he clean his katana sword with a cloth while he sat down.

‘’Yes… Of course we will… What?! They are after you for… Fantastic….’’ Spy spoke on the phone as he’s taking a cigarette between his fingers. Demoman was completely speechless upon seeing this, he was in shock and he had no idea what to do as he became fully sober enough during this till Scout noticed him and said ‘’Hey! Look who woke up!’’

Everyone looked at Demoman in unison, Takeo was ready to fight but Nikolai stopped him as he held his hand out to halt.

‘’Morning Demoman!’’ Soldier greeted as Scout said ‘’It’s still night Sol.’’

Suddenly, Spy then groans in frustration ‘’UGH! Alright fine!” before ending the call with her and then putting it away in his hidden coat pocket then turning to everyone and saying “She says we have to hurry.’’ as Heavy looked over at Spy with concern, ‘’Mrs. Pauling said that? Where was she? Is she alright?’’ he asked to the Frenchman.

‘’Could someone tell me what is going on?!’’ Demo demanded with anger toning his voice, then a knocking came from the door winch nearly jumped and were going for their guns but they hear Sniper’s voice calling out like an alarm.

‘’It’s me! Let me in!’’

Heavy undid the board that was keeping the door close to prevent the dead from getting in, opening the door for Sniper to get in and when they looked at him, with ripped vines and flower petals all over him a little bit, he looked like he had gone to a garden that been created by none other than the Devil himself. ‘’I’m sorry mates, I couldn’t reach the bloody train…’’

Now Dempsey isn’t the only one that everyone thought had finally gone crazy, he said ‘’Are you serious?’’

‘’Aye, unlike the man with a dice for a he-’’

‘’DON’T start it up Sniper.’’

‘’Speaking of deadly flowers, are you alright Sniper?’’ Nikolai said as Pyro got up and handed Sniper their blanket with ducks on it they had covering them, Sniper grasped lightly on the cloth as he looked down ‘’’’Define‘’ Alright Nik… Thanks Pyro.’’

‘’You’re welcome!’’ Pyro mumthed.

‘’Can we all make this quick please? I want to be paid very quick and well for this job.’’ Spy stated as Scout walked by with a bat on his shoulder as he muttered ‘’If we survive…’’

Engineer held it as Medic calmed down then puts the cap on the needle so they could use it later for research then looked at the Medic.

‘’No way! Did we travel back in time again?!’’ Demoman exclaimed towards the two genius, ‘’Nein, zhis may like it but in the other zhis time Demoman.’’ Medic explained as he retrieved the scalpel but Engineer steadied him to hestaition as he said ‘’That’s quite enough for right now Doc.’’

‘’And you must be Demoman?’’ Takeo asked as he looked at the black scottish man with an eyepatch, ‘’Aye, who is asking ye? Are ye with--’’

‘’You knew what Spy was saying?’’ Dempsey asked.

‘’Me ma once told me a lot about these things and what they will do, she told me that the only way to destroy them is-’’

‘’Multiverse? Where are we then?! What happened here while I was asleep!?’’ Demoman demanded, Medic turned and walked over to the Scottish with an angry expression and said ‘’You didn’t zhink zhat we vould be zhe same predicament as you?! Ve vere fighting vave after vave of zombies zhat tried to kill us for zhe past 12 hours! I am just surprised your own bombs didn’t voke you up!’’

‘’Hey Doc, I was drunk! How can it be happening again?! With random people from different world this time?!’’

‘’Not only different worlds but different timelines of each universe,’’ Edward once again began ‘’I had no idea vho or vhat was bringing us here but I am sure zhat ve can stop it.’’

‘’How can we do dat when we’re the ones dat need to be savin’?’’

‘’I don’t know!’’

‘’If we got here first and already met people from different worlds across time and space, there’s no doubt that there is more to come than zombies.’’

‘’Tank’s right ‘bout that.’’ Engineer added

‘’We need to destroy the enemy before it gets more worse in this war! For the good of mankind and the universe!’’

‘’Soldier, we need help if we were going to do so.’’

Everyone then go to the windows to watch the dead looking at the aircrafts going by towards the far south.

They then began to follow the copters away towards the south as others stood back and watched them leave the area with relative peace.

‘’Well, at least they are leaving us alone for frickin’ once.’’ Scout sighed in relief as Richtofen perked up ‘’For now until dawn. Best not let our hopes up high just yet.’’

Dempsey turned to everyone as he loaded his pistol once more.

‘’It is almost dawn, better be ready for what comes next.’’ Dempsey said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*New day is here.

Back in the lobby, the group are preparing themselves for a mission to rescue their employer in distress. They talked amongst each other while they’re preparing, wondering what they will do next after she was rescued from this otherworldly army.

‘’Hey! Give dat back!’’

‘’Nah!’’

Sniper was looking at the comic that he had took from Scout’s hands awhile he chuckled, Takeo is sharpening his sword as well cleaning toff the blood off it, Nikolai is helping Engineer and Heavy packed up canned food and bottled water they will need for the trip, Engineer had invented a pocket-like device for each member in his team; he called Back-Pit, it would contained anything for survival: Tents, Weapons, clothing, food, water, anything you need when you’re going camping!

Primis Crew had never seen and used Back-Pit that Engineer had invented since they were from the early 1900’s but he shown them instructions on how to use it since he had written down notes to go with each device after he had stayed up all night working on it.

‘’Is everyone ready for this mission yet?’’ Spy said as he takes a drag of cigarette while everyone turned to face him and Medic all dressed up and ready.

They are in their usual clothing when they wore it in war games, ‘’Uh, guys? Do you think that ya be worried about getting them dirty?’’

‘’We are always covered in mud and blood everyday Scout.’’ They both said as Dempsey chuckled humorlessly.

*Burned.

‘’So, you’re bringing the Eyelander.’’ Soldier said as he looked at his friend, ‘’Aye, if I had ever ran out of ammunition, I would use him since I had own him.’’

‘’But I don’t want to chop off dead heads, I want to cut off live heads.’’ Eyelander complained as Demo’s eye turned yellow, to winch he replied ‘’Shut up ye overgrown toothpick.’’

‘’Are you sure? Your eye is turning yellow. I don’t think it’s such good idea.’’

‘’I can control him Jane, trust me.’’ Demoman assured him, then he looked over to the photo that Soldier has in his hand. ‘’And ye’re taking her photo with you on this trip.’’

‘’Yeah, I am.’’

He calmly holding the photo of Zhanna, Heavy’s sister to winch he loves when he first met her as he looks at the photo. Spy then begins to speak up ‘’Gentlemen, this is now the one thing we may have never had experience before in our lives. Never once we would’ve thought of this might happened again but differently this time with enemies we have never known. As long we will fin--’’

‘’Don’t give off the speech Spy, we don’t even know what was out there. Out there is all f*&%ed up! We’re all gonna die, over and over, this is much worse that dat!’’

‘’Don’t doubt everyone about this Private! We are going to survive this war!’’

‘’OoOoh yeah, like that would be comforting to know Soldier when these things could come back!’’

‘’If you know what was good for ya, you would shut it before you will say something ya might regret maggot!’’

‘’ENOUGH!!’’

Heavy’s yell silenced everyone in the room around him, Scout had muttered something then walks away.

‘’Alright then.’’

Engineer then looked over to Pyro who was holding and looking at the Ballooncorn in their hands, they looked worried as they kept looking at it. Engineer walked over to Pyro, placed his hand on their shoulder, smiled softly and said ‘’Pyro, don’t worry about him, he’ll wait for us till all of this is over and done with. Just make sure you bring ammo and warm clothes with you okay?’’

‘’Still though,’’ Spy began once more ‘’as soon after we found her and mission accomplished, 9 of us and four of them will go on our separate ways before she would notice them.’’

Dempsey looked at the French with mix of anger and confusion, ‘’Why would she notice us with-’’

‘’Mistakes you four for mercenaries and gets all of you hired? It’s what I am concerned of at the least of it.’’

‘’But ve are not mercenaries, ve are from a different plain of existence. Vhy is zhere a reason for her to-’’

‘’It’ll be based on judging your talents you’ve got, since you are from a different universe and all.’’

‘’I see.’’ Takeo said as he looked the other way as his allies does the same.

Sniper looked down as Engineer took noticed that other of his teammates is worried, so he asked ‘’Is there something wrong?’’

‘’The only way out of this area is by train, but we can’t get to it because of a bloody giant flower.’’

‘’Even through if you’re really are crazy for being alone too long or not, you are still a part of the team through the Gravel War and through when robots tried to destroy Mann Co. There’s nothing we can’t fight back Sniper.’’

Sniper looked at the Texen as his hands rested on his arms after he crossed them, he then smiled softly as he said ‘’I am willing to bet that we can still win Engie.’’

They had looked around as they walked passed the corpses they killed a day before and passed the Panser that tried to kill them as Demoman looked at it with curiosity. ‘’Could any one of ye explain this to me?’’ Demoman asked to the Spy who was walking beside him.

‘’The day before?’’

‘’The day before I woke up lad, please’’

‘’Well, while you were asleep, we were transported to this part of the world but in the a different dimension somehow. Then Medic met Richtofen who is the doctor like him but from a different timeline like us, then more things happened when we met Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai long before I met them in the Respawn Room before Soldier destroys it with the RPG. when 12 of us were finished killing off the dead, the armored zombie, to switch the Samurai called it the ‘’Panzer Soldat’’ from what I can recall, came out of the sky then tried to kill us but Heavy, Medic, Scout and Engie had killed it first before it could. As much as you can tell, I know that you couldn’t believe it on what we saw, if it’s not going well with you, then your mind is more f*&$ed up than it was.’’ Spy told the black Scottish man.

‘’Ah… I see that now...’’

‘’But still, you were their demotion expert, why were you drunk on a time like this?’’

‘’I didn’t realize it was bad timing till now, I had been an alcoholic, even when my liver left me then came back. Yet I’ve still alive for you to have a sobered Demoman!’’

Nikolai looked at Demoman who had his eye closed with an confident smile with a stare before saying ‘’...And what good will come from that?’’

‘’Why a rock, Demoman?’’ Nikolai asked.

Nikolai gave him a look of confusion as he said ‘’Are you sure that you are not drunk before this?’’

‘’Demoman means to say is to keeping your spirit strong despite being broken already and staying with close to your friends Nikorai.’’ Takeo corrected.

‘’Exactly lad!’’

‘’Even after the Em-’’

‘’Of course, but he would keep an eye on those who would do things to betray his trust and to where the suspicions and betrayal come from; he rather not speak about it in the moment Demoman.’’ he said as he too walked fast away from Demoman to catch up to Takeo, leaving him alone with the sword on his back.

‘’In his words that the more that the walls you kept building around yourself, the harder it is for you to destroy it, even it became much more harder to do so after you had been stabbed in the back by someone you trusted the most.’’ Eyelander quoted as Demoman glared him with envy and anger ‘’Oh, now ye’re the one being wise?’’

‘’Someone needs to be teached about such things Demo, now about the heads-’’

‘’You will have the chance to do so in a moment after we deal with these zombies first Eyelander.’’ Demoman said as he kept walking to caught up with the others as they followed Sniper to where the train station is.

They expectantly to find a road clear to the railway but it was blocked off… with vines with thorns, everyone looked at the vines with confusion and curiosity. ‘’They…. Weren’t here yesterday when we were here.’’

‘’Why were there vines here man?’’

‘’I don’t know’’

‘’Something’s not right about it…’’

‘’Sniper?’’

‘’Yeah mate?’’

‘’Was this the ‘flower’ doing this?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

This strengthen their curiosity upon seeing the petal, why is there a orange petal peeking out from the roof? Takeo looked at the petal in confusion, he had never seen a flower that big before, not big enough to have it’s petals peeking over from the roof of a train station.

Takeo then gets a feeling that this is no normal flower and it may be dangerous as he said ‘’I now do believe this is the flower that Sniper spoke of, we need to remain cautious for this.’’

‘’I was going to say the same thing about it Takeo.’’ Spy said as he gets a revolver out from back pocket of his coat while they walked towards the entrance to the station and saw there is a giant flower but…

Meeting Cagney Carnation

Not like what Sniper had said, it’d looked like a harmless friendly giant flower as he gently held his leaf-hands to his face like he’s was very shy when he saw a group of humans came to him in full view with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

‘’Heh… Cute.’’ Scout commented as he place the bat over his shoulder.

‘’A ’Deadly Flower’ huh? Unbelievable… Un. Believable…’’ Spy groaned in disbelief.

‘’Oh how nice of you! My name is Cagney, Cagney Carnation.’’ the flower introduced himself, then he asked ‘’Golly, what brings you all here to this train station?’’

‘’Oh really? You want to go through to get to the train?’’ Cagney asked.

‘’Then you’ll just have fight me…’’ He continued as group noticed Cagney’s friendly form begins to change; thorns grown on his stem, leafs turned hands as he covered his face from everyone as they watched the flower turned.

‘’Then rip it off off from my cold dead VINES!!!’’

Cagney’s 1st phase

Everyone looked at the flower with terrified expressions, as Sniper said ‘’See what I mean?’’

‘’Yes, yes we now do see it, you are man of your word.’’ Spy said while Heavy nodded, Dempsey then loads the StG-44 as he said ‘’Less talking, more fighting!’’

‘’If you can fight!’’ Cagney said as he sends the vines flying through the air, Everyone tried to run but ended up being wrapped up in vines one by one as they tried to dash to different directions. Well, all but Takeo and Scout.

*The vines had captured your new found friends and allies, *All but you two. *It is now harvest time.

‘’Unless you will be cut down like a tree!’’ Takeo spat back as Scout nodded while he readies the bat to attack. Cagney’s head then turned into something that resembles a gatling gun with the hand on the crank and then turns it to fire seeds at the air and then fall onto the duo.

‘’Incoming Tak!’’ Scout shouted as he runs to the left, Takeo ran towards the right at seeds comes crashing down from the sky as Cagney’s head changes back. ‘’Good job but can you dodge THIS!?’’ he said before luging his face towards the two with his hands wigging.

‘’OH GOD THAT IS JUST CREEPY AS @#$%!!’’ Scout screamed as he and Takeo ducked and covered their heads from Cagney’s attack, Takeo then noticed the Ray Gun that Richtofen dropped on the ground after the vines got him, he crawls for it and then grabs it then aims at the flower and opened fire.

Cagney hissed in pain as he contacted his face back to his head to rubbed it and feel the marks where the Ray Gun had left, to winch he turned angry as he said ‘’Oh not like the other time I had been beaten! Not like the last time!’’ then he put both his hands together then made three acorns appeared as he spread his hands apart as they spinned.

Then they quickly stopped spinning then fly towards the two, Scout dodges the acorns but was hit by one of them as he screamed in pain ‘’Medic!’’

‘’I am occupied in the moment Scout!’’ Medic shouted out towards his injured teammate as he struggled.

Cagney then does his magic hands trick again, Takeo then got his sword out, turned it to the blunt side and then hits all three at the right timing to send flying fast back to Cagney with full hitting force.

‘’Asked for what??’’ Everyone asked that question, to winch Cagney answered ‘’THIS!’’

(((I like to note, I had originally had put Cagney’s Final Phase on Google Doc so I decided to put this GIF here.)))

‘’Extreme pollination and total domination!’’

Cagney then laughed hardy at them as his tongue turned hand-like and point at them in a funny manner. ‘’I can’t decide what is more worse: The bread monster or him!’’ Engineer shouted as he watched helplessly with everyone who gave up struggling to get free from the vines that wrapped them up.

‘’If this is the worse thing up to this point, then yeah!’’ Scout shouted as he rummaged through his bag for his scattergun as Takeo stood for his defense. Cagney then launched his attack on the two, vines rise up from below and they had to jump over to the next platform before the vines would fully wrapped all over the previous one.

‘’Hurry Scout!’’

‘’I AM hurrying!!’’

Scout then began to rummage through the his bag faster for his scattergun as if his life depended on it as Takeo is cutting through the vines with the sword til Scout finally found it and got it ready for him to open fire at the flower as Takeo does the same.

‘’Scout!’’

‘’Go on man! Don’t worry ‘bout me! I’ll be alright!’’ Scout said as he struggled to break free from the vines. ‘’Oh I won’t be worrying about him if I were him,’’ Carnation stated ‘’You will never knew when life was being squeezed outta ya!’’ then begins to squeeze everyone, causing everyone gasping for air for a few moments till he’s done as Takeo yelled ‘’No!!’’

‘’And what are ya going to do about it?’’ Cagney smiled a smirk.

‘’I will defeat you, you dishonorable carnation!’’ The samurai spat at the flower who let out a laugh with a confident grin. ‘’And how are ya going to do that?’’

Then the officer took out his sword and then swing it at the vine, cutting it as it was going towards him, Cagney winced in pain at the sudden stinging feeling but was soon being under fire by Takeo with the Ray Gun.

Cagney then roared and fought back with pink and purple bullets at Takeo, he reacted and strikes the pink bullets first to his surprise they disappeared as soon as he hit them but he immediately knows that the purple ones didn’t do the same as their pink counterparts.

Vines under the platform he was on was about to attack but he somehow knew there was a vine then jump to the next platform, much closer to the deadly flower with a glare as Cagney grinned wider.

Before he could attack, Takeo opened fire on the flower with the raygun, he screamed in pain as the samurai kept firing at him.

‘’Hey! Stop! STTTOOOOOOPPPP IIIITTT!!!!’’

Takeo fired one last shot at Cagney, finally defeated him in his own game as he is screaming to the sky while his eyes becomes black and hollow as Takeo watched.

Knockout! You won! Reward: 50 Gold and a Fabled Ribbon

Cagney eventually stopped screaming as the vines dropped his comrades to the ground, some of them fell flat on their faces while most of them landed gracefully on their feet and looked over to Takeo.

‘’Takeo! You have saved us all!’’ Nikolai started,

‘’You have killed the enemy’s super weapon!’’ Soldier proclaimed.

‘’Still Takeo, you had saved us from zhis flower und killed it.’’ Richtofen said as he walked over to the plant, ‘’Mate, this is…’’ Sniper said as he is somewhat satisfied with Takeo defeated Cagney but disturbed to seeing him like this.

‘’This is… Is the creepy sight…’’

Heavy then perked up ‘’Little Japanese had killed flower but it is too easy.’’ as he pointed at the fallen flower as Richtofen walked over to the fallen flower.

‘’Herr Heavy is quite right about it, it seemed that you can’t beat zhe dandelion zhat easily vith just one person.’’

‘’Hollow?’’ Takeo asked.

Medic smiled upon this discovery and said ‘’Ah! Exactly as I thought he vould do! Don’t worry zhere Mr. Carnation, I am zhe doctor. Let me help you out of zhe dirt.’’ then grabs the leaf between his index finger and thumb and begins to gently pulls the sapping out of the dirt, coughing as it grew into a normal-sized flower as others looked on at this.

Others looked at this with interest and yet fear as Cagney bloomed while his petals peeled away from his face, he is in his beginning form and this time he is much smaller than a big flower.

‘’This isn’t fair!’’ Cagney shouted ‘’I was going to win!’’

‘’I guess the odds aren’t in your favor when you’re trying to kill us.’’ Dempsey said.

‘’And yet now you really looked like a cute flower now!’’ Heavy bellowed out as others laughed.

‘’This must have been embarrassing dishonor for you Cagney.’’ Takeo stated.

‘’Look who’s saying! I just wanted to be stronger to beat guys like you to a plump!’’

Takeo gave him a pitied look as he sheathed his katana away, kneeling down to Cagney’s level and asked ‘’Why would want to be stronger? You’re only a flower.’’

Cagney looked up at Takeo with nervousness in his eyes and guilt deep down, then he looked at the different direction to avoid his gaze.

‘’W-well,’’ he began as his voice was shaking, ‘’You see… I wanted to d-defend myself from anyone who wanted to d-do me harm so I uh… I kinda made a deal with someone that is…’’

‘’That is what?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’The Devil.’’

Others but Medic and Richtofen looked at the flower like he was crazy til Richtofen asked ‘’You sold your soul to the Devil?’’

‘’Pretty much and that’s how I was… Well, like that before being beaten by the two kids who had also lost their souls to the Devil and eventually had beaten him and freed everyone’s souls that had unluckily sold their souls to him as well. If that’s not enough to justify everyone’s justice, they had managed to beat Devil’s good-for-nothing lacky, King Dice in his own game.’’

‘’King Dice? The one with a dice for a head?’’

‘’Yep, has he tricked you too?’’

Dempsey raised an eyebrow at this response.

‘’No,’’ Dempsey answered ‘’I have only just met him the day before, Why would he-’’

‘’He’s the Devil’s right hand man, he can manipulate people with only reason so they can make a deal with the Devil. I am now sure hopefully none of you got caught up in his charm or-’’

‘’Did I feel my ears burning?’’

Dempsey turned to anger as he said ‘’Why are you here?’’

‘’Just stopping by when I saw your friend defeated that flower, and heard a chit-chat about the two brothers who sold their souls. You really are full of surprises, are you Dempsey?’’

‘’You are talking about the two children who had made a deal with a demon?’’ Nikolai growled.

‘’How should we not know if you and Devil was behind it all?’’ Takeo asked.

‘’Nope, none of us are behind the snatching and taking anybody here. To be honest with you sinners who started swinging. I like that! Every one of you are sinners of your own deeds.’’

‘’Are you suggesting that we should surrender our souls to your boss?’’ Richtofen confronted him with a glare.

‘’Heh… Of course not! Not now that you guys know about me and the big cheese. But if you all are willing to make a deal, just call me by name alright? Right then! Hi-De-Ho!~’’ he said as he had once again toralls again and falls down the hole he came from and then it shrunks.

‘’I swear I will kill him…’’ Dempsey muttered under his breath as Richtofen walked up to his side, ‘’Good vill come to those who vait but now… Ve need to leave zhis place.’’

‘’Yeah yeah…’’

‘’Um, Cagney, if you don’t mind-’’

‘’Yes! I know! I will let you all pass! Just don’t worry about me alright?’’ Cagney bellowed out with anger.

Scout looked at Cagney with concerned, ‘’Are you sure ‘bout that? Zombies, you being small flower, they will kinda-’’

‘’I’ll be fine, I’ll just be back to my big old self in no time before they could. Now get out of my sight.’’ Cagney said subborningly.

Vines that blocked off the path begins to separate and moved upward til the pathway is cleared. Sniper looked down at Cagney and said ‘’Thanks mate.’’

‘’Don’t mention it, all of you proved to be tough than I think but don’t think that I would ended up meeting you guys again.’’ Cagney replied.

‘’We won’t, see ya mate.’’

With the footsteps passing by the Carnation and then passed by as he watched them go to the train station.

They walked the rest of the path to the train station til they finally got there, feeling accomplished by reaching their goal but they know that there could be zombies lurking in the station si they couldn’t waste anymore time than they already have to complete the search and rescue mission.

‘’Does anyone know how to drive a train?’’ Nikolai asked everyone, then Engineer came up to him.

‘’I can drive that thing son, after all I am an engineer but what can I say? I have many talents.’’

Dempsey chuckled ‘’Well, I can’t argue with that one Dell.’’

Spy walks over to the cargo, ‘’If we are done? We better get going before the dead or this ‘’King Dice’’ fellow comes back.’’

‘’Right.’’

Everyone then hopped on on the train, Demoman used black paint that he found from the ticket booth to write the cargo the words ‘’The Pain Train.’’ the he hears a train whistle pierced the air, he then hops abroad on the cargo as the train begins to move it’s wheels against the rails then goes forward as 3 to 8 zombies comes out of their places in attempts to catching up with the train but wasn’t fast enough to catch up as the train goes quickly out of the station.

Scout looks out of the cargo door and laughs at the undead failed attempt, ‘’See ya later zombies!’’

Richtofen sighs out a breath of relief as Takeo sat down on a crate while looked outside with the others. They see the old red western buildings and blue 80’s era buildings before the train leaves the fortress and away from it as they watched.

‘’That was close.’’ Sniper said as Dempsey nodded, ‘’Indeed, a little TOO close.’’ Richtofen added.

‘’Still through, I am so glad that we’re out of there and away from those abominations that are created by none other than Lucifer himself.’’ Spy said as he again takes another drag, Medic jumped up to the comment with sweat formed on his forehead as he says ‘’Oh Ja! Of course glady!’’ the others looked at him like he was more crazy than usual.

‘’Although Doctor, you seemed jumpy when Cagney mentioned the Devil before King Dice appeared after he said that he is the Devil’s right hand man. Mind explaining that one?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’Me? Scared of the Devil?’’ Medic excused, ‘’Nein, nein. I vas only surprised zhat zhe Devil might be real. If Cagney is his debtor zhen zhat means-’’

‘’There are more than just one that owes the Devil their soul.’’ Dempsey interjected as Medic said ‘’Hey!’’

‘’That must’ve explains why Laddie.’’ Demoman as he drinks his scrumpy as Nikolai turned away. ‘’What do you think where Pauling is?’’ Nikolai asked.

‘’Far from the fortress huh?’’ Scout said, ‘’Hopefully we won’t encounter zombies there when we get to the town.’’

‘’I won’t get my hopes just yet Scout, Richtofen had said that they can always catch up.’’ Takeo said as he looked outside of the moving train to view the land, he noticed a few trees that he is so familiar with when he is growing up in Japan.

‘’Cool.’’ Scout said as he laid down the crate with his hands at the back of his head.

Everyone looked outside as the train kept moving on the railway tracks to the old town as the hours had passed til the sun begins to set over the horizon.

Takeo begins to notice that something is happening with the blossom trees, everyone else soon took notice at them when the sun disappears behind the hills to make way for night time.

The cherry trees began to glow white as the wind begins to blow, allowing the blossoms to fly free into the breeze while everyone looked at them with wonder and amazement.

‘’Wow…’’

‘’They don’t normally do something like this…’’ Takeo muttered as he watched, Nikolai walked up to his side and said ‘’Well, in this world, it doesn’t matter…’’

-End of the Flashback…-

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jaimistoryteller · 6 years

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OC/Author PrideFest Question Mess Part 1

Thanks for the tag @raevenlywrites! I got side tracked working on a cover for a friend, so I haven’t gotten past the first two peeps for giving questions, so I get that. Anyways, here’s me answering your questions and tagging peeps.

Rules I am going with: answer the questions you know or are comfortable sharing, tag others, add a question if you feel like something is missing.

Note: I will be answering in three different posts, one per section, rather than all together because of how many questions there are.

Questions for you:

Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about you and what you write

*waves* hi folks, I’m Jaimi. I write a wide variety of stuff, everything from slice of life to fluff to angst, short stories to novels. Whatever my muse doesn’t want to shut up about. Which means I have a lot of WIPs.

I deal with chronic pain, depression, PTSD and caring for ma since her stroke. It makes things complicated at times.

Why do you write LGBT+ characters?

Mostly because I get tired of nothing but stories full of straight people. I realize the market is slowly changing, but change requires peeps writing them to speed it along.

There’s also the fact I was tired of not seeing peeps like myself: nonbinary in some form and ace.

Have you always written LGBT+ characters? If no, what inspired you to start? Is it a deliberate representational choice?

Pretty much. I got in trouble in middle school for refusing to use “it/its” for my non-binary elves and merfolk, which is when I started using “zhe/zher/zhers” by taking “he/his” and “she/her” and shifting it a bit.

Mostly I let the characters tell me what they are, who they are, which can lead to surprises when I start out with a plan that they laugh at and refuse to go with.

Do you use modern labels in your work? Why or why not?

It all depends on the world. In some worlds I do, in others not so much.

World builders: do you have any neat societal twists? (unique names for IDs, different marriage practices, etc.)

Again it depends on my world.

In @converginglives triads are the norm. However Polyam-v’s are also socially accepted as a norm as well.

In Shadow’s Sight the Wayfarers practice ‘cluster marriage’ where several people will be intermarried and working on ships together. Generally the oldest married pair or triad are leaders of the ship. The Church is not a fan of the Wayfarers, but that doesn’t matter. I might end up writing a story about them before I ever get around to working on SsS since I don’t have the money to get to my notes.

Do you write outside your own experiences? (cis writing trans, wlw writing mlm, etc.) If yes, how confident do you feel about it?

Yes, as a nonbinary ace peep pretty much everything I write has at least some elements of outside my own experiences. I do a lot of research, chatter with people, do more research, take a lot of notes, and don’t actually start writing the character until I am comfortable getting in their head.

I’m pretty sure a big part of why I write more masculine and nonbinary peeps is I feel more of a connection to them then I do feminine peeps.

If I listened to the ‘advice’ about only writing what’s in my lane, I wouldn’t write 98% of what I work on.

Tell us about a favorite book/character someone else wrote that inspired you (or just plain gave you a warm and fuzzy)

Vanyel Ashkevron from The Last Herald Mage trilogy. He’s the first time I have seen a non-straight character portrayed as a hero who gets a bit of a happy ending, if not a traditional one.

I spent my middle school and high school years using shay’a’chern (from the series) for ‘homosexual’ shortened to ‘shayche’ and used ‘gay’ in the sense of ‘happy, joyful’ which confused the daylights out of folks but it was one of those things that kept the more religious members of my family and community from realizing what the term actually meant. Avoiding issues.

Any advice for someone else writing LGBT+ characters?

Do your research. Particularly for things that aren’t in your nature. Expect contradictions as different peeps have different experiences. There will always be someone saying “but that’s not how I have felt” while someone else will be “hey look, me!”.

Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Hell yes! Ask away! Some useful links:

Converging Lives List of Characters & Links to their Tags

Converging Lives Ask Box or Converging Lives Submit (for those with longer things to say/ask)

JaimiStoryTeller Ask Box or JaimiStoryTeller Submit (for those with longer things to say/ask)

I often shorten those up to JST and CLV

Free space! Wax poetic about something near and dear to your heart.

I am working on a collection of short stories to be published in July collectively called Tales of Identity Volume 1. There is 12 short stories in it. I’m looking for beta and critique readers for it and trying not to feel hopeless over the lack of response for those.

Currently February and March need readers, but so will April come morning as I finished it yesterday but want to do another reread and edit before I ask for help.

If wlw and a story about a nonbinary peep sounds interesting, hit me up.

Questions for your Ocs (in character or out, dealer’s choice):

Say hi! Let us get to know you, you big beautiful person, you!

How do you feel about the world your author has created for you?

Are you out? To whom, why or why not, etc?

Tell us a little about your journey. Have you always IDed the way you do now? Are there parts of you you’re still figuring out?

Do you feel settled in your ID, or do you think it might change as you and your author go on?

Did your author always know you were [blank], or did you have to tell them? If yes, oh please, please tell us how! :3

Is being [blank] particularly hard in your world? How does your society treat you differently than ours might?

Tell us a little about your unique experiences with your ID. Do you experience dysphoria? Is it impossible to find a date? Just want to find that special someone for snuggles but everyone expects sex? Unload for a minute, it’s okay to struggle sometimes.

What’s the best part about being [blank] in your world?

Do you like getting fan-mail? Would you like people to ask you more questions when this is over?

Grab that mic! Drop some truth on us, something you’ve just been dying to share! Shout out to your besties!

Questions for either you or your OCs:

What’s your orientation and gender? Wave that flag!!!

When did you realize you were LGBT+?

What makes your heart melt?

Do you have a favorite LGBT+ song? Movie? Book? Artist? (comic?)

Do you have a secret crush outside of your own work? Some wild crossover OTP?

Tell us about your LGTB+ headcannons (I’d really love to see someone’s character answer this)

What’s your favorite thing about being LGBT+?

Is there a cool place you like to hang out with your squad? Maybe an LGBT+ meet up?

What are some things you do to keep positive?

Do you have any advice for young LGBT+ people?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Tagging some peeps I am getting to know off the writer peeps spreadsheet so they can see my answers or do them as they feel fit.

@essagandana @lady-redshield-writes @zewrites @beautifulimposter25 @hawksnbooks @aethryos @aesterea @ava-burton-writing @albotas @breakeven2007 @chaos-reigns and @katywritesbooks

Part 2 and Part 3

#OC Pride Prade #tag game #thanks for tagging me #about me game #long post

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phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess · 7 years

Text

@ursy153 & @imberbimber, can I prevail on you two to read this chapter 3 and tell me your thoughts. I was editing it, and put more in, then edited that... and it’s 3am again. Also tumblr stole the italics, again.

-> “No Quick-Fix for the Common Cold” Unedited Ch3

Chapter 3: Getting Uber Your Differences

The world burns as if Pyro had turned their flamethrower on it, until it’s almost unbearable; then, without any warning whatsoever, turns icier than Spy’s heart.

Someone’s talking at him, he thinks, but he can’t be quite certain. Sounds like they’re asking… something he can’t seem to make out; the words, the sounds… they don’t make any kinda sense?

Failing to understand who or what is being spoken just heightens the sense that something is so very, incredibly wrong… like he was broken, or the world was. And just when he thinks he’s maybe grasped onto a familiar syllable or tone, the voices start again with new phrases that sound alien in origin.

He doesn’t know what they want…

What do they want?

He can’t tell these mystery beings he doesn’t understand what they’re trying to communicate, however. All chance to do so ceased what had to have been eons ago; his throat felt as if all of Dustbowl was trapped in there. Searing heat and burning sand that had never known rain, rubbing everything red-raw, eroding his voice all but completely.

Everything is… everything is nothing more than impressions and ideas. Shades of hot and cold that flush through his body, head to toe; wracking his overtired frame with shudders that make his joints ache. It feels... like the two teams are facing off against one another, and his body is the battleground; the clashing roams all over, different areas experience pain seemingly without any warning or pattern, before the war moves to a new capture point.

Sure, maybe that’s a weird-as-fuck analogy, but it’s all he has.

The only certainty in Scout’s mind is that he is at RED base right now… probably. He clings to the familiarity of that scenario… it’s all he can do to stay in the moment.

Red, Blue, battle, team, win, lose, war… game. The words mean everything and nothing.

There is no equilibrium, up and down are utterly subjective for the moment, but he doesn’t want to open his eyes and find out which is which. It seems so superfluous, so… unhelpful, to be aware of. All he knows is that his body shivers, aching and numb in odd little bursts that seemed designed to undermine his tenuous grip on reality.

But he could not sleep. It eluded him, any and all rest that might bring a moment’s peace… held so far out of reach that he could cry, if that were still an option.

And then, something changes.

At first, it feels imagined, like the phantom fingers that had held fast his throat earlier in the evening. The ones that dredged up one of his single worst memories, and saw the runner strike the Doctor, even though the man had only tried to help.

He hadn’t meant it… Medic… so angry…

He didn’t mean to hurt the doctor…

Before he could concentrate on the thought, the memory... it happened again. Someone… touched him. And he felt his heartbeat accelerate in panic, as fingers brushed against shoulder, cheek, wrist, and finally, throat. He jerks back at the last tentative touch, not wanting to have to think about That Time again.

They said something, but it didn’t feel like it was for him; perhaps the other voices were sharing amongst themselves. That sounded like a thing they would do, right? He is aware of something clamping firmly about his shoulder, a solid something to focus on, even as it causes overstressed senses to go on alert.

Why couldn’t he open his eyes and see who, or what, it was?

Why was that so hard all of a sudden?

The pressure decreases, as if they thought he wanted them away… as if they intended to leave; and he flails out, with an odd almost-word of a cry. He wanted them to stay, he didn’t want to be alone in this. Alone in the dark and unable to communicate.

Someone shouts in alarm, as he realises he’s struck something. Had he done it again? He hadn’t meant to… you know, strike them; Scout just wanted them to stay, and couldn’t think of how else to tell these soft-voiced beings that. Especially as the cry from a moment ago refuses to make a repeat performance; his throat has closed for good or ill. Hah, probably because he was, ill that is. It was an oddly amusing thought. Still, no matter how much Scout feels like he wants to scream and beg them to remain here; there is nothing emanating from his ravaged throat. And worst of all, the hand is gone… his one anchor had abandoned him.

It feels like an eternity before something else happens, and he Bostonian is aware of every passing second in the void. In a way you might never put properly into words; like the first time you experience respawn, and you find there can be no true description of the sensation in anything as crude as words, it simply is.

Every sense is overstimulated, trying to work out where the voices went, even if his eyes refused to open and ears failed to translate the words they had spoken. A muffled whine of alarm escapes as hands return, touching first the pulse of his wrist and then brushes at the one in his throat; the memory rises like a tidal wave and threatens to consume him.

As in many of the recent nightmares he’d had since the team’s reintegration; the ones so vivid that they wrenched him from sleep in a cold sweat, screaming for help, and spurring him on to seek out even the most rudimentary form of comfort. Funnily enough, Scout always seemed to end up in the Infirmary perched on a cot, or sitting in the soft armchair in Medic’s room; shaking and muttering gibberish as the memory faded slowly. The German physician always just sighed, wrapped the runner in a blanket, and provided him with a myriad of reassurances in a soothing tone. Sometimes the intervention was nothing more than the calming repetition of ‘all is vell und you are safe, hase’, along with a cup of some of the best hot cocoa the Scout had ever had; but it worked miracles. He never remembered falling asleep again after a nightmare, only what happened afterwards; when he’d wake up in his own bed the next morning, the rest of the team none the wiser of the previous night’s incidents. Perhaps it did not show, but Scout had always been grateful for that.

The memory, so recent, etched so deeply on his mind, made him shudder once more. He would quite literally pay just about anything to erase it completely… to remove the sick flashes of little things that seemed to make it all the more realistic. The taste of dusty air heavy in his mouth, the groan of a wooden floor... that suddenly wasn’t, and the strong certainty of a rope looped about his neck, holding fast when his beloved Miss Pauling grew distracted in her attempts to save his life.

“Nnngg...ooooh… nnnnnoooo…” he manages, using what little energy he had left to exert enough control over his aching arms, in order to shove the intruding person away. “Nnnnooo… pl-...ss…”

“Crikey!” comes the startled response, and the runner cannot make hide nor hair of what it was supposed to mean. Only that the figure is close by still, hovering and uncertain what to do. Scout cannot really give them any suggestions, as he did not know himself. Nor could he think of himself as a singular being, at the moment… he was just a group of loosely connected aches and pains, extremes wrapped in confusion and left to suffer.

There’s someone else there too, he thinks; their voice is different but… he thinks he knows it. He can’t understand the words, exactly, but the tone is low and soothing; full of familiar sounds that might be phrases of comfort and explanation. It feels like they’re trying to tell him something, but it just doesn’t… translate.

But… most importantly, it feels safe. He wraps the cadence about his mind, almost like a physical thing, to block out The Memory… and it seems to work.

He tries to focus on them, he does. It’s a lot harder than he initially thought it would be, but they are patient. Up is down, the sun is cold, and his throat burns even as he struggles to make some verbal acknowledgement that he can sorta hear them. Can understand they are helping… but his mouth and brain are not on speaking terms.

And then someone is dabbing something cold on his lips… it’s cool and wonderful on the chapped flesh, with small dribbles of liquid seeping through. Not a lot, not enough to truly quench the burning in his throat, but even this taste of rain on the parched desert of his dry mouth is a blessing. It is appreciated, and he wants to say so… but all that comes out is a slurred, ‘Thah...kssss’.

“No problem kiddo,” sighs the voice, taking away the cool-wet thing, much to Scout’s distress. He knew that voice, he knew… knew who it belonged… to… why couldn’t… he think… of the… name?

“Kid, ya’in there?” they queried again, gently touching his shoulder. Then more vigorously, “C’mon Son, open those baby blues… we need ya ta stay with us.”

The hands that began to shake him were broad, and the voice familiar; but he couldn’t place them. His aching body protested the treatment, but the dribble of water seemed to be just what he had needed to finally feel the call of sleep. They were growing more frantic, and he… he really did want to respond, but… it was just so much easier to let himself drift off into the welcoming void of dreamless rest.

So he did.

~)0(~

Relentless banging jerked Medic back to something approaching consciousness. He shuffled upright, mind foggy and body aching from where he had fallen asleep over his desk… in what was possibly the worst possible position for someone his age. Ach, so much paperwork!

Donning his most scathing expression, Medic wrenches the Infirmary door open. “It is four in zhe verdammt morning, vhy zhe hell are you here?” he shouts, glaring daggers at the unexpected form of Sniper. The sharpshooter seemed oddly flustered, and had a welt on his neck that looked suspiciously like he’d taken a blow there, possibly due to a delirious teammate.

Medic immediately knew why he was there, but let Sniper explain the situation anyway.

“It’s Scout, mate. Looks like he’s gotten worse in the last little bit and Truckie said he’s real worried about the ankle-biter. He can’t seem to open his eyes or stay with us for more than a minute or two at a time… most of that is this weird strangled screaming, or trying to give you a good old shot to the chops.” Sniper grinned a little at that. “Oh, yeah, and Engie said the kid’s a lot hotter that anyone has a right to be… said he could feel the heat through his Gunslinger. Which I thought was impossible, but you never know with Truckie.”

“One moment,” Medic says, striding across the room for his bag; which had been dumped unceremoniously on the floor when the doctor had stormed in hours ago. “Yes, I seem to have everything I need, lead zhe vay, Herr Sniper.”

“You sure it’s just a cold, mate? Just seems to me like he’s gotten pretty bad real fast.” Sniper asked in his unobtrusive way. They’d never been overly close before… the whole Classics nonsense… and Medic dragging the man back from the dead had not improved relations overmuch. Still, he was less than totally indifferent towards the German, so there was that.

“Yes, vhatever zhis is, it has acted far more rapidly zhan anticipated.” Medic conceded, musing aloud. “But zhen, ve are not normal men… it vould not surprise me if the rapid acceleration of vhatever he has contracted vas in some vay linked to zhe fact his blood is most likely more than half BONK! at zhis point.”

Sniper huffed out an almost-laugh in response, more an acknowledgement, if anything. Medic was delighted, even if he hadn’t really been joking all that much; he was quite concerned with the youngest member’s continuous utilisation of that radioactive drink. It would be no great shock to anyone if it was altering the Scouts on a biomolecular level.

Reaching the room changed everything, however. The almost-companionable dynamic Medic had been sharing with Sniper was immediately crushed underneath the sudden realisation that pretty much the entirety of RED team was crammed inside the medium-sized Scout Class quarters. Those who did not quite fit, or had retreated to avoid being an accidental casualty, littered the hallway outside. The whole scenario sent Medic’s heart hammering wildly within the confines of his chest.

Many of the mercenaries present still harboured perfectly logical grudges against him, considering the whole situation with the Classics had been resolved not even three months prior; and even those who deigned to look past it, in the name of group cohesion, were still somewhat cagey about interacting with the good doctor. Holiday periods and feasts excluded, obviously, as both Thanksgiving and Smissmas had been delightful events where hatchets had been buried so that all may enjoy the celebrations.

The only problem… was that many of the mercenaries had recalled where, exactly, they’d buried them. Medic could see it in their faces as he entered, the brief flicker of mistrust that spoke volumes; he was not now, nor may never be, forgiven his transgressions. A fair call, from an objective perspective on the situation… but it still hurt Medic deeply to be alone in a room full of people he once considered family.

Individually he could bear their sullen stares and simmering ire, accept their curses and comments regarding his temporary defection as part of the road to reconciliation. There was time to hear them out, let them vent and talk them through it; but in a group, such as this, he held no chance.

A cold, clammy sweat broke out over the doctor’s entire body; though outwardly he managed to maintain some degree of his usual calm and collected persona. Though perhaps not as well as he had first anticipated; for Sniper, who always seemed to just know when someone was distressed, out a companionable hand to Medic’s back and steered the other through the crowd.

The others parted, silent as tombstones, but unlikely to stonewall this ‘home visit’ as it were, with the stoic sharp shooter standing guard. Of all those gathered, it could be said that Sniper had the greatest claim to mistrusting Medic; but if he chose to vouch for him, then no one on RED would contest it.

Slightly reassured, Medic found it possible to focus on the patient before him, and his hovering Texan guardian.

Engineer had taken a real shine to Pyro and Scout when they’d all originally arrived, liked to think of himself as some degree of father figure towards the pair; so when one of them went down for one reason or another, he was always there to throw down a dispenser to heal what ailed them, offer words of encouragement to keep going, or help them get a revenge kill. Engie tended to be a versatile paternal figure with more patience than most; he was perfect for the role he’d adopted.

In anycase, it was no great surprise to anyone that the builder had placed himself by the bedside of the team’s youngest member; monitoring Scout’s every breath and twitch like some sort of living medical monitor. Although, Medic himself had had a… well, a hand, in helping Engineer affix his Gunslinger; a [piece of technology for which the specifications were both impressive and ambiguous. There was a very real chance that the metallic hand lightly holding a concerningly limp, bandaged wrist, was taking an accurate reading of the runner’s resting pulse and oxygen saturations.

The silence was beginning to press, as Medic tried to perform a visual assessment of Scout; mentally comparing current observations with those he had taken earlier in the night. Indeed, the lack of proper response to stimuli was of concern, and the majority of symptoms appeared to have increased in severity over the previous hours. It seemed to be acting rapidly, though for all his medical knowledge, Medic could not think of what this could be outside of a rather virulent strain of a cold or flu. Those sorts of everyday infections tended to breed like wildfire in cities, after all; every person who contracted it mutating the disease to a degree before passing it on. Children, of course, were the most frequent carriers of the pathogens; therefore Medic was feeling quite confident in the prognosis, given the information the runner had imparted before their rather unfortunate encounter ended.

“Vhen did you first notice he vas in zhis state?” he enquired aloud, moving closer slowly, so as not to raise anyone’s hackles. “Or, I should ask, vas he conscious or coherent vhen you first saw to him… how long ago did zhis unresponsiveness start?”

“Ah… ah reckon it was about ten or eleven when ah came ta look in on him again after ya checked the boy over,” Engie answered, goggles fixed on Medic’s every movement. “He seemed a bit shaky, real tired and the like, but he was talkin’ a little. Said his throat was bad, but didn’t wanna be touched, and ah can respect that.”

Medic nods, both in affirmation and as a polite means of requesting that Engineer continue speaking. There’s a pause.

“He did say he wanted me ta tell ya he was right sorry about hittin’ ya, made me promise ta say it if ya came back and he’d finally gone ta sleep. Thought about comin’ ta getcha then, so he could at least hear me say it, might help him settle down and all, but ah couldn’t leave him. Didn’t wanna be left alone, see?” Engineer tossed a meaningful glare over his shoulder. “And ain’t none’a ya gonna hold that against him when he’s better, ya hear?”

After everything the team had been through, it was doubtful anyone would be callous enough to mock a teammate for finding comfort in the presence of another living being when they were unwell. Though many had a feeling it might be more aimed at the Spy, who had a tendency to prod each mercenary’s weak points when he felt rankled, or was just exceptionally bored and ready to start drama to relieve the doldrum of it all.

“Alrighty then, now that’s settled.” Engie turns back to face the Doctor. “About an hour back aways, me’n’Stretch thought he’d dropped off ta sleep finally. We were gonna switch out, so he wasn’t alone but ah could get some shuteye… when Scout starts shaking worse, mumbling and the like, and we realise he ain’t asleep… just can’t open his eyes. Tried to talk ta him, calm the little fella down, but then he clocked Sniper one… and went real still.”

Medic was nodding, half-listening to Engineer and focusing on the rabbit-face heartbeat under his stethoscope; the crackle was still there, but perhaps not as severe as earlier. Satisfied, he takes the runner’s hand, and pinches him. There was a full second where he thought the Texan was going to lay him out for the movement… but it passed, as the doctor tutted worriedly. There had been a slight flinch, but it was very weak.

“What’s the prognosis, doc?” prods the inventor, after Medic seems disinclined to elaborate on the purpose of his tutting.

For his part, Medic starts somewhat, as if he’d forgotten there were other people present. “Oh, yes. Vell, apart from zhe fact he did not respond properly to zhe external stimulus of pain… it is also apparent zhat he is somewhat dehydrated, given the lack of elasticity in his skin. Und, it vould most likely not be far off zhe mark to suggest he may not have eaten in approximately zhe same amount of time, given his sore zhroat. Neither of vhich vill be helping him.”

“You might be right there, mate. Truckie and I got a little bit of fluid in the ankle-biter earlier with the old cottonball method, but it didn’t sound like he was able to do anything even close to swallowing with a throat that scorched.” Sniper adds in his no-nonsense manner, quietly watching the physician who had brought him back to life not a few months back, lift one of Scout’s eyelids.

“Mmm, at least zhere seems to be some dilation occurring in zhe pupils…” Medic mutters to himself, snapping the penlight off as he straightens. “Indeed, Herr Sniper. I zhink it vould be best if he is moved to zhe infirmary so I can start some intravenous fluid und do further tests to see vhat else can be done to hasten zhe virus’ egress from our resident Scout. I vould caution you to perhaps consider laundering your attire and showering, to prevent any spread of infection; und, could someone tell… Her… zhat Scout vill not be able to attend any match in zhe foreseeable future, should Blu be returned in zhe next veek or so?”

“Of course, docteur.” Spy answered, materialising far closer to the bed than anyone would have assumed him to be. For once, the man does not take out a cigarette to smoke, with his ominous statement; clearly having heard and understood Medic’s warnings pertaining to potential contagion.

“Danke, Herr Spy.” he nods in acknowledgement, and turns to the problem of transporting Scout. Of course, he could carry him, but then he would have to leave the boy alone in order to retrieve his medical bag, and-...

“Doktor, I vould be happy to carry small Scout to infirmary for you.” Heavy offers, resolving the problem, and acting as if this wasn’t the first time they had exchanged more than a fleeting verbal exchange since being back at RED base. The Russian mountain of a man moved over to the small bed, slipping his hands under the ashen runner and lifting him with all the care one would take with a baby, or a puppy.

To be so large, to have such power and yet be so kind, so gentle and caring… it was one of the many reasons that Medic had loved the man. Well, before everything happened. Heavy’s curtness held more weight than that of the other members of their team, for the ‘good doktor’s betrayal had struck on many personal levels. Medic understood, and he bore the weight of such a burden silently.

“You have my thanks, Mi-... Herr Heavy, danke. Let me grab my zhings und I vill precede you to open zhe infirmary door…” Medic pauses as he clasps the bag shut, turning to address the rest of the room. “Und everyone else? I vill let you know in zhe morning vhat is happening vith zhe junge, or sooner should something change drastically, zhough I do not feel zhat is a distinct possibility in zhis case. Rest assured, from vhat he told me, it is most likely just an unintended Smissmas present from one of his nieces; for vhich rest und some fluids are zhe answer.”

There was grumbling, but not even Soldier had anything to say regarding the matter, so Medic decided now was the best time to take his leave of the room. Heavy followed behind at an even pace, cradling the runner carefully, as he had no doubt done for ill sisters in the past.

Neither man said anything; the only sound filling the corridor was the soft, wheezy rasp of Scout’s breathing.

And when it stuttered slightly, both men unobtrusively picked up their pace; urgent footfalls echoing throughout the seemingly never-ending corridors of the base complex.

~)0(~

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Tell me your thoughts, people... most has been re-edited, but thee’s about a quarter I can’t get to or i will fall asleep in the shower, as it’s 3am. Ch4 is well under way but I was double-checking this chapter for continuity, and... got distracted. Also 1 & 2 are on AO3, if you want to read them with italics and bodl in place... >.>

#tf2 fanfic in progress #tf2jam #ursy153 #imberbimber

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