#we got in Scar's stream right as his team won and were very confused | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pattispunk · 4 years

Text

All Alone-ly

Summary: Reader is part of the legends crew. She is from one of the other Earth’s, Earth-5. It’s a post-apocalyptic Earth. Her family is dead, fallen victim to what they called The Culling. A supernatural occurrence that wiped out most of her people – it also happened on her birthday. The Culling devastated the planet, leaving the reader alone and lost with no purpose. This tragedy left the Reader with strange abilities and desire to leave, to get away. It wasn’t until the Legends showed up two years after The Culling happened, that she finally got her chance to do so. With nothing to her name, she joined the Legends crew; helping others avoid having go through the same pain that she goes through daily. She has finally found a purpose, a drive; but no matter how much time passes she still remembers the Day of The Culling. Every year it is burned in her memory, scarred on her body – the Legends never realized that she was absent for one day of the year. Not until three years after they picked her up, five years after it happened.

Author’s Note: Hey guys, it’s been a while since I wrote anything really including my poetry (which you can find under - wickety-wack-its-jack-Kerouac). Anyways, I’ve had part of this one saved for a while and I needed an outlet so I finished writing it. It was supposed to end up being a mick rory x reader type fic, but this ending just suited it better. Hope you like it! There is one sentence that if you have an active imagination then yeah its hella gruesome. But the rest of the story is good! hopefully….

______________________________________________________________

You wake up in a cold sweat. Like clockwork every year, your body says no, not today. You toss in your bed, to see the clock read 2:00am in green neon numbers.

Your heard fills with dread. Everyday you walk out the door and put your past exactly where it belongs. You leave it at the door. Someone takes a look your way and no one could tell that you’ve been through heartbreak, through tragedy. You pride yourself in your ability to continue on even though your heart aches with every step you take. But today, today you allow yourself to feel.

You open your door and step out. Silence hangs in the air, a heavy weight crushing your chest as you struggle to breathe. All you’re thinking is I have to get there. I have to go. Right foot. Left foot. Gideon knows the drill, she has been the underlying salvation you’ve needed to get through this day every year. She whispers, (Y/N) you are almost there keep going.

A few more left turns, and all that is left is a door. When you got here, the first anniversary, you had a panic attack as soon as the clock struck two. Gideon directed you to a small room far from curious eyes. The first time you had seen the room, it was simple, the size of a college dorm room here in Earth-1, all gray with soundproof walls and no cameras. Since then, Gideon transformed it. Rather than being a simple panic room, she changed it to a fabricator. With the help of your memories, every year, you can go back. See your home, your family. Happy before The Culling ever happened.

You stare straight at the door, as if looking right through it as Gideon quickly opened it. You take two steps and when the you heard the mechanical lock of the door, you let out a guttural scream. Tears streaming down your face, your scars that run down from your arms to your legs burn with grief, and memories that have been repressed for the year come flooding to your mind. You snap your eyes shut, your voice raw as you drop to your knees. Despair filling your body as you let go any ounce of control you had.

When you finally crack your eyes, you knew Gideon had come through. Your knees sank less than a quarter of an inch. Your palms flat on the sand that blanketed your hometown. You look up and see a little girl with a huge smile, as big and bright as the sun in the sky, running towards you.

You whisper with a smile ruefully tugging at the corners of your lips – “Evine”

Back on the rest of the ship, hours have past. Everything and everyone have woken up, the team milling about as they do on lazy days. However, today the whole team have decided they need a well-deserved break and have all gathered in the control room trying to figure out where they should go.

Ray and Nate are arguing with Amaya and Zari over which time period they should go to. Jax and the Professor are of course arguing what type of vacation should glean the most rest and relaxation from the entirety of the team.

“We should obviously go to the past, come on a chance to dress up, go to parties, drink some ale!” Sarah shakes her head, Mick’s eyebrow cocked in approval with Nate’s suggestion, but was quickly distracted by the lack of your opinion butting in.

“I’m with Nate” Of course Haircut agrees with Pretty. “How fun would that be! We could go to the old American West, an oldie but a goodie. We can go to old Victorian, London and… OH MY WORD NO WE NEED TO GO MEET ROBIN HOOD!”

“Men in tights… not my thing.” Mick grumbles still sweeping his eyes across the room looking for you in case you were hiding. “Hey….”

Mick is interrupted by Zari – “And give ourselves the opportunity to mess up the timeline? I say we go into the near future and enjoy ourselves on a nice bea…”

“HEY” Startled eyes from each member of the team immediately turn to the seemingly angry pyromaniac. “Where’s (Y/N)?”

That statement won confused looks from every individual, as they turn there heads only now missing your snarky comments and sassy remarks throughout the entirety of the conversation.

______________________________________________________________

The sand was warm against my back as you lay there, tears sun-dried. Evine and you were staring at our red sun, heads touching. You shuddered as your sister laughed, a sound you missed so dearly only brought back bitter memories. You sat up, and staring off into the distance, you saw your small little village. A desert village with stone buildings, very few green sceneries but it was quaint. As quaint as it could be for being the remnants of somebody else’s mistakes. It was war that ravaged Earth-5. Greedy men who thought of no one except themselves. Cities were torn down, peoples starved, civilization fell. Many survived, most did not. You were the sole survivor of your family. Fresh tears trail down, turning your head, you see Evine glowing. Happy. Radiant. No longer in pain. You closed your eyes and you could feel the atmosphere shift. She was gone, home was gone. Reality came knocking.

Your eyes open, and all you see is the empty room. Arms shaking and knees weak, you hear Gideon faintly in the background.

‘Miss (Y/N), the corridor is clear to your quarters. You should go now.’

You didn’t wait a second more, and stumbled, using the wall as your support, all the way back to your room.

_______________________________________________________________

The team swiveled their heads to no avail, you were nowhere to be seen. Before Sarah could even open her mouth, Gideon interrupted.

‘Miss (Y/N) should not be bothered today. She is in her quarters and unless you want me to lock down this ship, you will not even go anywhere near her room.’

Everyone had a look of concern and confusion. Mick’s ears turning red, he kept any and all emotions off of his face. He was angry, why couldn’t he see you. Sure, he doesn’t display a whole lot of emotions but he… he… realization dawned on him. He liked (y/n).

‘Why not.’ Mick grunted, more of a demand than a question, but one that needed an answer, nonetheless.

Gideon sighed and displayed Awn Verna in ruins – (y/n)’s village in ruins. Dead bodies lying everywhere, out windows and in the streets. There was one image so gruesome, everyone especially Mick HAD to look away. In the commons of the city, there was a pile four feet high of carcasses and at the top - a girl, younger than a teenager, speared. Clothes tattered and covered in blood. Ray threw up in his mouth, Sarah had tears in her eyes.

‘The girl’s name is Evine. She was (y/n)’s sister. This was her home before she joined the legends. Today is the five-year anniversary of the attack of Awn Verna, today is (y/n)’s birthday.’ A few gasps but a collective silence was the predominant reaction. ‘Every year, I have helped (y/n) spend the day in solitude and watched her spend the day in pain. So, no. You will not go to her, what she needs is this one day. One day to remember her sister without any interruptions.’

The control room was… silent. No one spoke, no one wanted too. Sniffles could be heard; eyes were red, and hearts were broken.

“No.” Mick whispered – breaking up the monotonous silence. The Flame who never showed any emotion, but anger and contempt was crying. He got up and left the room, quickly making way towards your quarters.

_______________________________________________________________

You stood in the center of your room, slowly and barely swaying and eyes closed. You were never religious, wasn’t raised it and sure as hell didn’t become it once I left home. But this… honoring your family, honoring Evine… it felt right. You wore a light, white linen wrap draped over your body, barefoot and hair down. Your scars from The Culling on your arms and back were clearly visible. A small amount of smoke filled your room as you stood in silence, breathing in slowly and remembering your loved ones.

You suddenly hear heavy footsteps coming down the hall and then they suddenly stopped as if they were forced to. You hear Gideon trying to muffle a voice, but you could pick that voice out from a mile away.

‘Mick?’ You open your door and step out into the hallway, forgetting how exposed you were. You saw Mick being held back by Nate and Ray, but everything stood still as they saw you.

…

Mick stopped struggling as his eyes met yours. What he saw in front of him, was something he had never seen before. He saw pain and heartache wrapped in a warmth that defied hate and anger. He stood up, shrugging off his teammates and walk towards you. And suddenly no one was there, it was just you and Mick, the only two people who mattered.

He stopped and traced his rough, gloved fingers along the scars that snaked up your arm. You turned your head to the side, not ashamed but resigned to the fate that these scars reminded you of daily. He circled behind you, his hand following the scars across your back. All the while not a word leaving his mouth, not even his signature solitary grunt.

You don’t know why you don’t stop him. Yes, you and Mick had gotten close this past few months since Leonard died and while your feelings for him had grown, you never thought it would ever get to the point of what it was. Of what was happening.

Mick circled to the front and looked at your face. But it felt more than that, there was no need for words. There was something there that replaced verbal affirmations and encouragements. He looked into your eyes and he saw you.

Beautiful. He thought, he didn’t need to know the specifics of what had happened. He didn’t need for you to explain, he just saw you. With more than just his eyes.

Mick maintained eye contact and motioned for you to take off his jacket. Slight movements revealed Micks arms and hands, nothing left your mouth as you traced your fingers along the scars that covered every inch. You looked up at him and you saw Mick. And you just knew that everything was going to be alright.

You retracted your hand, moving your arms in a motion to hug yourself as if to close yourself off to anyone and everyone when Mick stopped you. He dropped his jacket and grabbed your arms. And instead of letting you wrap them around yourself, he guided your arms around his waist and you held each other, knowing that everything was going to be alright.

#legends #legends of tomorrow #zari tomaz #amaya jiwe #nate heywood #ray palmer #sarah lance #Mick Rory #mick rory x reader #legends of tomorrow x reader #lot fanfic #lot headcanon #reader insert #oc characters #justice league #DC comics #dc universe #fanfic

48 notes · View notes

chaniters · 4 years

Text

Weakness

______________________________________

When all seems lost, the Rangers are forced to make their last stand against Reaper and Catastrofiend to prevent the impending doom.

@kruk-art‘s Awan Cormac next part.

Hope you enjoy!

______________________________________

The blade cuts the air almost at the same time as you react, leaving only a split second to wonder if you still have your whole nose.

It missed, but the creature knows all too well it just has to keep trying, It’s blades spinning madly from side to side, murder in it’s maddened eyes. Your mind is the only thing keeping you barely ahead, and even then, the blades swing so abruptly that you can feel the cuts in the air even trough your suit.

Each failure hast it swinging faster, and faster. Your allies are trying to help, but the two of you are moving so quickly that they’re afraid of taking you down instead. All you can do is keep going and try to draw it away from the civilians.

Many of them are just watching your coordinated movements in awe, thinking that you’re somehow impossible to hit and that maybe, just maybe, you’re the one that’s going to take this thing out and save the day. That is a very dangerous and wrong assumption.

You’re the mouse in this game, but still, you refuse to lose. Every move it makes determines your next three. Adrenaline rushes, and you feel yourself quickly reaching the “Zone” where lay the limits of your abilities, and then… And then It just keeps going faster, harder, impossible to evade. It doesn’t matter how much you know what it’s going to do if your body can’t move fast enough to compensate. A man gets slashed over the chest and falls to the side. A couple goes next, and soon your suit is drenched by the sprays of blood, not your own, but those of everyone around. Even if the thing is but a blur you still know it is smiling. It knows you don’t want it to harm civilians, and It’s deeply enjoying your reaction.

Your brain keeps looking for a way out, anything... and then it happens. One bad move and you get a nasty cut on your side, sending you down on your ass. It lunges with a guttural roar of triumph.

You force your legs to split he sides and pull back just in time to see it’s blades sinking deep on the ground, barely an inch in front of your crotch. Cold sweat runs trough your back, as the fiend roars again, raising it’s left claw, ready to finish you off, but someone yanks your shoulders backward taking you away from it. The fiend tries to follow but is stopped by Anathema jumping out of nowhere to take hold of the raised claw, followed by Steel pulling from the right side.

“Hold it!” Sunstream says doing finger guns at the beast, pure light streams coming out of their tips. Annie and Steel force the beast to stand, and two beams begin burning it’s exposed chest. as it screams and curses.

“Stand up, quickly!” Charge asks helping you up. “Are you ok?”

You pat yourself now, only now considering that perhaps you are not ok.

“No.. I mean… yes. I think I’m ok.” the wound stings, but it seems superficial and there’s no blood coming out from the suit. It will probably leave a heck of a scar.

“That was pretty amazing… but stand down for now, ok? You did good holding it up, we’ll take care of it” he says giving you that confident smile he puts on camera, the one that’s just so full of bullshit.

As he heads off you realize just how exhausted you are and how out of rhythm your breath is. You were never designed for this kind of exercise. You need to get back there, but then again you are not sure what could your martial arts and cheap gun do to tip the scales.

Catastrofiend is now on fire and shrieking in pain as Sunstream keeps shooting light at it’s exposed chest.

“Keep it there just a minute longer! It’s working!” he says, with a strained voice. Yeah, no, It’s not working.

“WATCH OUT!” you scream, noticing the claws on its legs dig deep into the ground. “IT’S GOING TO SPIN!”

“What?” Annie says looking your way.

“ITS GOING TO SPIN!!!” You repeat, wishing you knew better words to describe what you know it’s going to do.

Shit. Too late.

With a single movement, the thing spins its chest several times while its feet remain firm on the floor, almost if it was made of rubber. The arms circle wildly like whips in the air, sending both Anathema and Steel flying away, until it stops still, looking like a wrung-out rubber doll that someone squeezed too many times, the face distorted in anger, as most of the flames have been put out by the sudden shifting.

The light beams die out, and you don’t need to look at Sunstream to realize he’s terrified of the thing, as it slowly straightens it’ self, spinning its chest three times, before jumping to the ceiling, taking hold with its claws like a spider and moving towards Sunstream, ready to jump down on him. Luckily Sentinel is there to block the thing away, sending the darkened smog in the room at it, and throwing it off its mark.

A slight push from your mind clears Sunstreams doubts, and he manages to start shooting at it again, as it tries to get out of his reach.

Things are not looking good on the other side. Reaper is taking on Elyise and Ashfall, and it looks like they’ve not been able to do any damage. Its scythe seems to extend the range of his death-touch, as it goes to everything when he’s solid. It’s not just affecting people. Wood splinters and turns to dust, steel rustles and turns brittle and fabric loses it’s color and unravels to pieces.

In your mind, It’s looking less like a life-energy leecher power which you have experience with and more like a sort form of time manipulation, which is just great news, because who wouldn’t want a death-touch that’s even deadlier than the usual brand?

Charge takes point against Reaper and manages to land a few punches before the villain pushes him away going intangible again, the lightning bolt that would have been Ortega’s finisher move going through him without effect.

“Well done Marshall. But let’s see how much did Hood really teach you” he adds going into a defensive stance, taunting Charge to come closer.

“Oh, I’ve some tricks of my own, skull-face” Ortega answers, waiting for Elyise and Ashfall to get to his flanks.

“Mr. Skullface to you, kiddo” Reaper adds going translucent once more and jumping in the air, falling in the middle of them with a strike that miraculously they all manage to avoid.

Time manipulation death touch. How do you stop it? Even metal rusts in moments, like centuries, had passed and…

...and there is a pile of plastic chairs, the cheapest kind, pilled near one of the doors…

“ELYSE! Block him with that!” you say in her mind.

She seems confused for a moment, but you send a pretty clear mental picture of your plan, and she smiles, the chairs suddenly flung in their direction.

Reaper’s cloak throws Ashfall off-mark as the villain evades his sand-fist, moving to the side and kicking him down, Scythe ready to finish him off.

“Such a waste, that you would protect these corporate criminals. At least this won’t hurt… it’ll be five centuries in one second,” he says with fiery eyes, the weapon coming down… getting stuck into the thick pile of plastic seats that Elyise holds to block the strike.

He seems puzzled for a brief moment, as the Scythe doesn’t budge, unable to go through plastic.

“Oh… shit” he says realizing he’s been outsmarted.

Charge doesn’t stay idle, going for a swift kick that forces his hands off the handle, and Ashfall causes a sand explosion from the ground, sending him flying off onto the stage.

“... there always has to be a smartass, right?” he says standing up, painedly.

Catastrofiend falls by its side, roaring at you all as the heroes converge on them.

“Well then, perhaps I’ve underestimated how many of you would be here tonight? No matter. We can still even the odds. Charon, if you will…?”

“Servomechanic protocols breached. Full access to defense armor squadrons available.” the genderless voice declares.

“Good. Take control over all available units, and take out the trash” Reaper orders.

All around you, the sound of powering batteries echoes, and the fallen armored carapaces of the company’s security forces stand up, back online. Most of the soldiers inside are out of the things, but you can sense a few that get trapped inside as the armors seal themselves and start walking in your direction, their energy rifles buzzing with renewed power.

“Any last words, rangers? Perhaps if you surrender right now, I could still let you go. There’s no need for a repeat of the Phoenix team, you know…”

Only one thought as the armors surround you, some with the muffled sounds of the soldiers trapped inside, trying to get out.

Reaper won.

He has all the pieces of the puzzle to take down GeniTech and the whole city. The villains he manipulated are outside preventing escape, he now controls of an army inside, a monster to protect him from you and an improvised weapon of mass destruction by overloading the core. He’s even poisoned the air for everyone in the building.

“We are not surrendering!” Charge bites back, defiant. Several of the guards turn their weapons on him.

He’s going to fight… and then he’s going to get killed. If it’s not the guards, then it’ll be Catastrofiend, and reaper’s still got his touch even if he lost the scythe. Or it could be the power core blowing up.

But Charge is right. You can’t let him win. You can’t let him take out the whole city. You’re going to do what you were trained for… look for the weakness… strike with all your strength… and then twist the knife.

Time seems to slow down as you go through everyone’s minds, looking for something, anything, that can help prevent this disaster.

Everyone’s got a weakness… what is Reaper’s?

He’s too arrogant. He thinks none of you young heroes can ever come close to being what he’s become. He’s drugged, and reckless… And he wants revenge above all. He thinks his plan is perfect, and it seems that way… but what if it wasn’t?

Reckless people like yourself don’t often consider all the consequences of your actions. What did Reaper miss? What is the wrench that you can throw to break down the cogs in his plan?

The answer comes to you in a flash, and you know there’s only one shot at it, so you better pull on some good acting.

“Hey assholes!” you shout, emerging from a group of terrified party survivors.

The thing looks at you with a smile, as does Reaper.

“Yes Sidestep? Ready to surrender?”

“Maybe we should… but there one thing that keeps me wondering about your plan”

“Wondering what?” Reaper asks, his patience thinning.

“I just find it funny, you think you’ve got Catastrofiend totally under your control, only it’s the other way around. The fiend’s the mastermind in all of this”

“What do you mean?” Reaper asks besides himself, his pride unable to pass the chance to let you make a fool of yourself and tell you how wrong you are. Catastrofiend just seems confused, which is more than you could have hoped for.

“Well, you think Catastrofiend works for you as long as you provide it with Hero drugs, right? That’s why you led it to all of the dealer’s hideouts.”

“Very astute Sidestep. I still don’t see any mistakes. Just a lot of capitalist vampires about to die. And you along with them”

“Well, I see one big mistake. Catastrofiend was just playing along, waiting for the endgame, which is you overloading the core. You see, that was Catastrofiend’s plan all along… goading you into it!” you say trying to sound convincing

“What?” he asks, angered, about to order his troops to shoot you all down.

“Hey hey… I’m just saying… The bio core is creating the largest concentration of drugs ever seen, you said so yourself right?. Enough to contaminate half the city?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he asks, a bit uncertain. Catastrofiend’s gaze fixes on you. You certainly have it’s full attention now.

“That’s the largest stash of drugs that’s ever existed. The moment you made that happen, the fiend didn’t need you anymore. I bet it’s going to go and consume the bio core right now, become the perfect being it always wanted to be? You know, because it has this insatiable hunger and that thing is the ultimate meal? There’s not going to be a meltdown, just one, big, super boosted monster”

“THat’s… No, I’m the one in control” Reaper says, now a bit uncertain.

Catastrofiend’s gaze turns and meets’s Reaper in what becomes the tensest two and a half seconds in your life… Reaper’s hand reaches for a controller that’s surely linked to the Fiend’s implant… but the Fiend rips it out in a single movement, roaring in pain.

The guards try to stop it, but it all goes down too fast.

The fiend leaps onto Reaper, who deflects with his cloak, going intangible once more and using kung-fu to lightly tap lightly at one of the claws, that dissolves into goo within seconds. Reaper goes intangible, avoiding other strikes, as the fiend keeps trying to take him out.

Waiting for the right time, Reaper finally goes solid again, hand-stretched to get a grip on the fiend’s neck… causing the monster’s body to start convulsing in agony, letting out a pained shriek. The pain is so intense that you shield shatter to pieces, and you fall down holding your head, unable to stop watching.

The fiend’s left arm, the human one falls off and turns to dust, as it’s regenerating body begins to lose the fight against Reaper’s power. You’ve never seen anything like this… The tissue can’t decide whether disintegrate or reform. Reaper screams, the skull opening its jaw wide, as the fiend curses… and the fiend’s remaining claw finally comes down, sinking deep trough Reaper’s chest.

Reaper looks down at his chest, shocked, his hand letting go before he falls to the ground. The fiend stumbles backward, the claw cracking and breaking off its arm, still stuck to Reaper’s chest.

Your eyes focus on Reaper, who tries to sit, his body shifting rapidly… his face covering itself with muscles, skin… and blood.

A freckled old black man with silver-white hair and deep brown eyes looking down at the wound on his chest. He raises his gaze towards you all, taking off his glove to reveal a hand covered win skin. There is a brief hint of a smile upon seeing the curse lifted… before he falls down, shattering as he falls. The armor disintegrates around him, his whole body, leaving only an empty cloak in the end.

“Master’s termination indicates the end of my programming. Terminating all ongoing processes, erasing all files and backups” Charon’s voice sounds, almost melancholic but still genderless and impersonal.

The vents on the ceiling close up, and the toxic gas starts getting sucked in, as the air purifiers go back online. All lights go back on, and the guards stumble, back in control of their armors.

The surviving monster turns to you all, before shaking and falling again. Its face looks like a broken mask fragile, and weak. It stumbles and falls down, as it’s regeneration struggles to keep up with this punishment.

It stands again and heads over to one of the elevators. There is only one thought in its mind, beyond the pain.

“It wants to consume the core” you sentence, watching it walk.

Elyise extends her hand, her powers pulling it back as it struggles forward.

“What are you doing? Let the monster go!” Dr. Laverne says, still pale.

“Shut up. I can’t let her go in there”

“It’s our only chance! If that thing can stop the fungi’s growth, we have to try, or everyone still dies!”

“I can’t!” Elyise says holding on. It’s still her mother. “There must be some other way to...”

Slowly, Ortega’s hand pulls her arm down.

“What are you doing...?”

“I’m sorry,” Ortega says.

“Stop it! You can’t use her like that! Just let me...”

“I’m Sorry” he repeats, pulling her back.

Catastrofiend enters the elevator, giving you a wide smile, before punching the button to the deepest basement. It doesn’t need directions... It can now smell the drug overload from here.

“There is no other way,” Ortega says finally, as Elyise struggles and screams at him.

“You really think that thing can save this place?” Sunstream asks you.

You gaze at Dr. Laverne, passing on the question to her.

“I don’t know. But it’s our only chance... now let’s go to the control room. If it works, I’m opening the doors for the people outside”

“You can’t do that!” one of the executives interrupts. “We’ve got our soldiers again, now we can hold them back and...” but he doesn’t get to finish the sentence, as Lavern’s knee sinks in his crotch, relegating him to silent pain on the floor.

“Yeah, fuck you, there’s been enough bloodbaths for one day. All tech’s and guards, follow me to the control room, we’ve got to figure out how to make this work so we don’t get poisoned and let the people in until this fucking cloud clears up.” She says heading for another elevator, followed by a thick crew of guards and technicians, leaving the man alone.

__________________________________________

My Fanfics: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

#fallen hero: rebirth #fallen hero spoilers #fanfiction #rangers #Awan Cormac

12 notes · View notes

zutaraverse · 7 years

Text

Soulmates. Zutara Week 2017

@zutaraweek

—-> Also on AO3 and Ff so check it out there and all the other things I write :)

—-> Book 3 on Ember Island. Toph works out that Zuko and Katara are soulmates and pushes Katara to figure it out. It should be a happy occasion but tensions run deep between them.

“You and Zuko feel super powerful when you spar…” said Toph offhandedly.

“We’re powerful benders, Toph,” replied Katara as she finished up in the kitchen.

“Just saying…”

Toph walked out whistling.

Katara tried to keep the thought from her mind. It was extremely uncommon for people to find their soulmates nowadays. Gran-gran used to tell them about a time when it was common to find your soulmate - when there was trade bringing people together and infants made it to adulthood and people didn’t die for their country. In war these things were difficult. Most people’s soulmates had died or been killed or never set their eyes on each other.

When a bender finds their soulmate, they say, and they bend together, they both become more powerful.

But that couldn’t possibly be…

She remembered how she had managed to bend more accurately when he first threatened them - she, an untrained, clueless little girl. How somehow she held her own against him…

How in the North Pole her bending was more violent, more determined than it had ever been before - how his made a mockery of her…

How ferocious her water bending was against him and Azula under Ba Sing Se…

But… but of the countless times they fought when he was chasing them, she was under pressure, body throbbing with adrenaline. Surely that would have heightened her skill and her power?

Then how to explain that they were clearly stronger when they sparred even here on Ember Island. They were meant to be on the same side now. She wasn’t fighting for her life or anybody else’s.

Katara chewed her lip pensively all through dinner, absently making the right noises at the right times during the conversation. Involuntarily her eyes kept flicking to Zuko and away.

Please anybody but him, said a voice in her head.

-But what if it is him? Came a smaller voice.

No.

-He has a great body

Shut up about his beautiful chiselled body that I definitely do NOT stare at when its glistening with sweat…

-And is taking Aang’s training really seriously

We all do that. He takes everything seriously anyway

-Not really. Aang would never have mastered fire without him

We don’t know that

-We do. And he helps with the dishes

Because he’s a decent person

-Exactly.

Argh!

-Not to mention the fact he freed dad and Suki

So did Sokka

-It wasn’t Zuko’s dad

No, he’s just plotting to kill his own dad

-For the sake of the world

Same blood

-More impressive he’s on our side then

Still fire nation

-I made friends in the Fire Nation

They didn’t like me when they knew I was a water bender

-But he respects my power

If by respect you mean wanted to destroy it

-He would never have killed me

Yeah. He is honourable

-And determined

Very determined

-At night its his determination to see Aang succeed that calms my worries

Maybe

-And he tries to be kind to me

He is very awkward about it

-Most people would have given up

Hey!

-And he took me to avenge my mother

Yeah…

-So maybe its not so bad if he is my soulmate after all?

Maybe not.

She got up to clear the dishes, and as usual Zuko helped her carry them to the kitchen. He washed beside her in silence, sensing something of an internal struggle raging.

An idea started forming though.

“Zuko? Do you think you and I would win if we fought Aang and Toph?” she asked tentatively.

“I think the Avatar might have something on us,” he replied, a little confused and not a little chuffed she had hypothetically put herself on his team.

“What if he was only air bending?”

“Maybe. It would be close. He’s still stronger because he is the Avatar.”

She nodded.

“We should try tomorrow.”

Toph knew immediately what was going on at Katara’s suggestion.

“Don’t worry Sugar Queen, I won’t be rigging the results. The only reason you would be able to beat us is if… you know,” laughed Toph. Katara scowled at the back of the Earthbender’s head as she turned to take her position.

“Remember Aang, only air bending,” reminded Katara.

“Sure thing! This will be fun!” came Aang’s chirpy reply.

The match started much as expected - all elements creating a powerful blast between them. But then came more control. Aang took to the air, defending fire from above, while Toph was countering Katara’s bending. They were all pretty evenly matched - master on master.

Katara almost allowed herself to relax and squash the little part of her mind that was disappointed. But then that part spoke up.

We’re not bending together, it said. To really see if they were more powerful they needed to bend together as a team. Right now it was Zuko vs Aang next to Katara vs Toph.

Katara stole herself and aimed an attack at Aang just as Zuko did. Steam hissed in the air, clouding Aang’s visibility. Toph took the opening to launch a barrage of rocks at them but Zuko stepped in front of Katara and incinerated them just as Katara summoned water to her to blast Toph off of her feet. Aang was back on the offensive though, blowing Katara’s water back at her. Zuko shifted his position and cut up Aang’s stream of air with a long fire breath so that Katara could knock Aang off of his air scooter too.

The battle continued, but the longer they fought, the more her and Zuko were becoming a team, in sync with one another - and the stronger they got.

Finally an incredibly powerful jet of fire forced their opponents back as an ice wall blocked them in, essentially freezing them in place, catching Toph as her feet were lifted from the ground she she couldn’t connect with it.

“Argh! I’m freezing!” she cried.

“Do you surrender?” called Zuko in jest, laughing despite his breathlessness. Zuko making any sort of pleased or happy noise was still very new to the group - he could see them looking at him sideways whenever he chuckled or laughed or contributed anything amusing. But he couldn’t help it here - the fight had been exhilarating! Katara made as good a partner as she did an opponent.

“Yes! I’m so done with this!” grumbled Toph.

“Yeah, you guys were super cool,” gushed Aang from his icy prison. “But I need a rest now!”

Katara nodded and released them, a frown creasing her brow. Toph was smirking at her as she ran off after Aang.

“You don’t look happy Katara?” tried Zuko. He was being a little forward maybe but she would usually be gloating about something like this. “I thought it was a really good match.”

“It was… its just…oh its nothing…” she said, moving away.

Zuko sighed.

“Look Katara if I’ve done something wrong again then please just tell me!” he said, jogging to keep up and not a little exasperated. He thought they had gotten through this difficult part of their friendship!

“Just leave it Zuko!” she snapped back, continuing her march towards the house.

Zuko caught her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

“No! I don’t know what I’ve done this time and I thought we had finally started working well together! I’m trying really hard to do right by all of you and you’re the only one who can’t accept it. I’m tired of failing all of the time so just tell me what is wrong and I can fix it! I can’t go back to this whole cold shoulder thing that —“

“We’re soulmates!” cried Katara, throwing her fists down and interrupting him. “Alright? That’s what’s been bothering me!” She looked angry and a little frightened, but held her head up and met him eye to eye.

“We’re what? How do you know?” replied Zuko, taken completely by surprise and involuntarily taking a step backwards.

“That fight. We should have been evenly matched - two masters against two masters… but we were far stronger. I’m not even tired. Are you? And every time we’ve fought each other we’ve both been much more powerful than we usually are…” she was looking away now, staring into the sea.

Zuko was silent for a moment, replaying every fight they’d had and every sparring match they had done recently. It was true that when he came up against Katara he enjoyed it far more than any of the others. There was something exhilarating about matching her that he just didn’t have fighting the others. Instances of their fight in the North Pole would replay themselves to him as he travelled the Earth Kingdom, marvelling at how he was still alive, how he’d actually won that confrontation.

“Well?”

“I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry? I know I’m not… the ideal soulmate to have…” he tried, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Not ideal?” she repeated, her voice turning to a squeak. “You could say that. You’re the Fire Bender who chased us around the world, and worse, your grandfather personally ordered me to be murdered. You realise that? He’s the reason my mother is dead and my tribe is in pieces?” She was getting worked up and tears pricked behind her eyes.

“I’m related to the man who made my mother disappear too! But I’m also related to the woman who killed my grandfather!” he shouted back. Then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to be me. I’ve not wanted to be me for… a long time. I’d be happier as Lee, working at the tea shop in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, dating a cute girl called Jin. But I’m not. I’m the Fire Prince, carrying both Sozin and Roku’s blood… and you’re not dead. So here we are, with some weird connection.”

Katara thought of the other interactions they’d had. How badly she wanted to help him when his uncle was hurt. How she had instinctively offered to heal his scar. How hurt she was that it hadn’t been enough to make him stay… every time she seemed drawn to him, like a string tugging at her heart. Her face pinked. It was a strange connection indeed.

“I was being unfair Zuko, I’m sorry,” she said quietly, bowing her head in shame. “I know you’re not your father or your grandfather. That’s why you’re here and that’s why we… we all… believe in you.”

Zuko angrily wiped a tear from his good eye.

“We don’t… we don’t need to end up together you know, if you don’t want to,” he said, equally quietly. “We can just forget we are soulmates and you can still marry Aang…”

“Who says I want to marry Aang? I do not want to end up with Aang,” she said forcefully, frowning.

“That’s not what he thinks,” responded Zuko, confused at her assertion.

“Well I think what I have to say about the matter is pretty important here, don’t you?” She had her hands on her hips and was looking thunderous.

“Y-yeah, of course. Its just… he acts like you’re his and you do nothing to dissuade him…so I think everybody thinks… and even in the play they thought…I mean I’m happy that you don’t want to be with him…not because he’s not great… and not because of this soulmate thing…but I don’t think he understands you all the time…”

“Oh and do you?” she was half teasing by this point, trying to break him out of his awkward babble he had somehow slipped into.

“I… uh… no I don’t either.” He stopped, frowning.

“I’m joking Zuko. Its fine. Aang is a little brother to me,” she said. And you’re not, she didn’t say. And you do actually understand me, she also didn’t say.

“I guess,” he continued, more subdued and serious, “we work well together, are stronger together. So we should stick close to one another during the battle. We can use this connection to our advantage. I might be dead by the end of it and you won’t need to worry about being my soulmate anymore.” He was looking away, a distant sadness in his eyes.

“Don’t talk like that Zuko! If we stick together neither of us will die… did you see how strong we just were?” she was stroking his upper arm, trying to get the thought of death away from him. A lump rose in her throat. She didn’t want him to feel like he was a burden to everybody around him. She did not want him to think she wanted him dead - that simply wasn’t true anymore. These weren’t just her motherly instincts. This was more. “I don’t… I don’t want you to die, alright? And… and I guess we can sort out what we do about being soulmates when we all make it through…”

Katara realised how close she had become to him, drawn in by worry but lingering anyway. She pulled back as his golden eyes searched her blue for something. “We… we should get back to the house,” she said, uncertainly.

Something was pulling her back towards him. He was still staring.

“What?” she asked, softly, almost wanting to have an excuse to be near him.

“I guess… I guess this time I got lucky,” he murmured, brushing some hair from her face. He gave her a half smile and walked past her, leaving her behind on the beach with her cheeks burning.

#zutara week 2017 #zutara week #fanfiction #dribsanddrabs #zutaraverse #zk week #zk week 2017 #worldcrawler #soulmates

8 notes · View notes