The Emperor Of Magic | Part 1

The Emperor of Magic | Part 2

Summary: The crew begin their journey across the sea. Upon reaching land, they make their way on foot before the grand plan is finally set in motion and they come face-to-face with the emperor herself.

Warning: +18 Warning

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 4.1k

Series Masterlist

The Fifth Harbor was awfully quiet during the early hours of the morning. It was so early that the sun hadn’t even begun to peek over the edge of the horizon. The sky was still covered by the black veil of darkness and the occasional speckles of stars were scattered across it.

The selected ship was a much older vessel that actually hadn’t sailed in nearly eight years. It would have been too much money to repair it. The bastard of the barrel had put a little money into the ship’s maintenance over the years in preparation for the journey. Since the ship was retired, nobody would even know it left port.

The old thing creaked and groaned in agony as each wave brushed against its side. A couple missing floorboards on the top deck were no cause for concern for the selected crew. The sails had been hand sewn by a lady down the street since it would have been much more expensive than to just buy a new main sail.

The bastard of the barrel stood at the bow of the ship, overlooking the vast sea that they were about to embark upon. He could hear the hushed voices of his crew members below as they came to approach the harbor.

“I’m not sure I like this idea,” Wylan spoke quietly as he walked alongside Jesper. “I mean, we don’t even know what we are up against.”

“I know, but I trust Kaz. He’s spent the last three years preparing for this heist. I’m sure he’s thought of every possible scenario,” Jesper defended with a shrug of the shoulders. 

“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Wylan sighed to himself. 

On the far side of the deck, Nina and Matthias were leaning against the railing. Both of them had their heads turned in the direction of the boss. They watched him carefully.

“I don’t like this plan; it’s too risky.” Matthias finally spoke up in his thick accent. 

“We get this job done and we will never have to pull off another heist again,” Nina persuaded him. She clung to his arm. “We’d be set for life,” she smiled at him.

“At what cost?” Matthias shook his head. “Our sanity?”

“Nothing is going to happen to us,” Nina waved him off. She didn’t even want to begin to think what would happen if she got into their heads. “We are going to be fine. And when this is all done, we will be a whole lot richer,” Nina added.

Matthias hummed at her comment, but looked away unconvinced. He most certainly wasn’t the only one questioning if they should really go through with the heist. All the crows had their doubts and concern. 

“Raise the sails!” One of the crewmates shouted. 

The ship was slow to depart from the harbor. The journey would take three days, depending on the weather. Once they make it across The True Sea, the ship was ordered to make its final stop at Arkesk where the crows would then travel north on foot. 

Very slowly, Inej went to look behind them at the poor excuse she had grown to call home. She silently wondered if she’d ever see it again; not knowing what her future had in store for her. She found herself clutching one of her precious knifes, laying it flat against her chest. She closed her eyes to pray for their safety.

As the hour went on, Kaz didn’t move away from his spot at the bow of the ship. He overlooked the vast sea of waves, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. He felt a small hint of sea water brush against his face lightly.

Eventually, Jesper and Inej came to join him on either side of him. They followed his line of sight to the nothingness peeking over the edge of the horizon. The two of them shared a look between each other as if they were thinking the exact same thing.

“We’ve been thinking,” Jesper began which only caused Kaz to roll his eyes in slight annoyance. “If things do end up going south...what’s the plan?” Jesper asked curiously.

“Eliminate her,” Kaz said plainly.

In response, Jesper and Inej only looked at each other with slight worry in their eyes. They themselves knew that would be no easy task. The boss slowly turned around in his place to face his two closest allies. He placed his hands on top of the crow cane.

“And just how do we do that?” Inej inquired. She shook her head at the notion. 

Even then, Inej’s knives, Jesper’s sharpshooter skills, Wylan’s explosives, Matthias’s muscle, Nina’s powers, and Kaz’s brain would be no match for a person who could control magic. They didn’t know the extent of her powers, but they knew they wouldn’t be able to take her down. 

“Look for weakness,” Kaz reminded them. “Everyone has a weakness. Even her.”

Jesper shifted his weight to his other foot, clearly uncertain about this situation. Inej had that worried look on her face that she wore in situations like these. Kaz wasn’t his normal, cocky and confident self. He was more desperate.

“And when you find that weakness, strike it. And strike it hard. It won't be easy taking her down,” Kaz said strictly.

The hours eventually shifted into days. By the third day, land was visible from the bow of the ship. The ship made its way to the small abandoned port off the coast of Arkesk. The tailor quickly went to work on the three boys, changing their appearance to look more native. 

“I don’t understand why I need to be changed. I am already Fjerdan,” Matthias grumbled in slight annoyance. 

“And you are also a very recognizable fugitive who betrayed your country,” Kaz barked back. “You’d be arrested before you even set foot in the city.”

Once the tailor finished her work, Wylan and Kaz were completely unrecognizable. They both had dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Their complexion was much more pale which was fitting since the weather was always so drowsy and cold. 

Now Matthias’s facial structure was the only thing that was changed. His nose was a little bigger and his cheekbones became more prominent. He didn’t look like his old self much to Nina’s disappointment.

“Not to worry,” the tailor spoke to them. “The effects should wear off in a day or so.”

“Let’s just hope we can get into the court by then,” Kaz said. He went to brush past the others, keeping his head low so that they wouldn’t stare as much. The crew went ahead to gather some of their personal belongings before departing from the ship. 

In a safe and secluded area, a small hole was freshly dug in the ground. It was there were the crew would place their more precious belongings for safekeeping. Once the heist at the court was complete, they could return to their spot for their belongings before making their way down to Ravka. 

They’d have to go into the court unarmed. So Jesper mournfully departed from his pearly guns, Inej buried her knives with care, Wylan left behind some explosives, and Kaz was forced to leave his cane. 

“We go in with nothing,” Kaz told the crew. 

Though Jesper nodded his head, he wondered if his boss had some tricks up his sleeve since last time he managed to sneak picks and explosives into the court. They proceeded to pack the hole back up with dirt to hide their belongings before making the journey onwards.

It wasn’t long before they crossed into Fjerdan territory. Matthias had warned them to be on the lookout for guards or scouts since they often patrolled the woods in this area. Inej only prayed they wouldn’t come across anyone since they carried no weapons. Nina kept her hands at the ready just in case.

Upon reaching the top of an incline, the group directed their line of attention to the great sight of the court ahead of them. The walls surrounding the court looked more like cliffs from a distance, having known to be unscalable. The crew continued their journey on foot, heading to the northern road since that was the only way in or out. They did not reach the road until it was much too dark outside.

They hid in the depths of the shadows. They waited patiently and watched for one of the prison wagons to travel down the road. The heartrender peered around the side of a large boulder, spotting a prison wagon coming right up the road. She focused on the heartbeat of one of the two guards driving the wagon.

All of the sudden, the guard fell unconscious which resulted in him slumping over in his seat. His partner sitting beside him went to catch him. He was slightly confused at first, but before he could even question it, he too fell unconscious in his place. The wagon came to a halt.

The two unconscious bodies were dragged out of their seats by Jesper and Kaz. In the back, Nina and Matthias went to approach the doors of the prison wagon. He grabbed the handles of the doors and yanked them open. The only problem was...

“Oh shit,” Nina sighed to herself.

“Kaz,” Matthias called out. 

In response, Kaz made his way to the back of the wagon. He looked inside to be treated by their problem. It was an empty transport with no prisoners inside. Instinctively, Inej grabbed some papers off the seat of the wagon and brought them back to Kaz.

“Says right there. Zero prisoners,” Inej pointed out. Kaz felt like crumping up the piece of paper in his hands, but he was very glad he didn’t because one of his crows had an idea.

Nina grabbed a single feather out of her hat. She stuck out her tongue to lick the tip of the feather, wetting it slightly. She took hold of the paper before writing a three over the zero. 

“Nobody will even notice,” Nina smiled to herself proudly. The other crow members were most impressed. They never knew that her extravagant hats held little secrets such as ink feathers and such.

The plan was back in motion. Now with Kaz and Matthias pretending to be Fjerdan prison guards, they had to dress the part too. They quickly stripped the two unconscious drivers of their attire before throwing on the outfits themselves. 

Meanwhile, Jesper, Nina, and Inej climbed into the back of the prison wagon to pose as prisoners. Wylan took hold of the rifle that the one driver had, taking his place in the back of the transport with the others, especially since he didn’t have a uniform to disguise himself yet. Finally, Matthias and Kaz took the seats of the drivers. The two of them shared a look before clicking the reigns of the horses to continue down the road. 

They finally came to the entrance of the court. A massive gate stood in their way with a checkpoint at the side. The prison wagon came to a slow halt and some druskelle approached them.

“Papers?” The guard asked in his native language. 

Though Kaz didn’t know what the guard said, he had good insight when Matthias handed the guard the piece of forged paper. The guard looked at the piece of paper carefully, squinting his eyes slightly.

“Only three tonight?” The guard wondered.

“Yes. Slow day,” Matthias chuckled nervously. The guard nodded his head, handing the papers back to him. 

“Head directly to the prison sector,” the guard instructed. He gave the signal to the other guards to raise the gate for them. He stepped away so they could move along. 

With some hesitation, Matthias urged the horses to continue forward and headed into the entrance of the court. He knew the route well since he had taken it many times over. It was a silent ride for the most part. He enjoyed taking in the familiar sights of the place he once called home.

“Once we make it to the prison sector, you and I will head straight to the white island.” Kaz spoke in a hushed voice. “Jesper and Wylan are going to head straight for the armory to gather weapons to make our escape. Nina and Inej will locate our getaway.”

“And we all rendezvous at the cell. We’ll have the weapons as protection,” Matthias finished since he had heard the plan a million times over.

“We might have the weapons, but we do not open the cell without Nina,” Kaz corrected him. “She’s the only one of us who might stand a chance against the emperor. Stop her heart if it comes down to it.”

Matthias glanced at him through the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help but feel worried about her safety and wellbeing. He had seen Nina do inexplicable and impossible things, but going against someone who could control magic was something else. He feared for her. 

Upon reaching the prison sector, Kaz and Matthias climbed down from their seats on the wagon. They approached the backside, checking their surroundings to make sure the coast was clear before opening the doors. The rest of the members of the crew clambered out of the prison wagon one by one. Each of them knew where they needed to go, what they needed to do, and where to meet at the end. 

“No mourners,” Kaz told them.

“No funerals,” the rest of them said out loud. 

They broke up in pairs with Kaz and Matthias making their way to the center, Jesper and Wylan heading towards armory, and Nina and Inej lingering near the outskirts of the city to find their getaway.

Before heading to the armory, Wylan was able to snag a druskelle uniform that fit him from a spare storage closet in the prison sector. Once dressed for the role, Wylan and Jesper began moving towards the armory. They needed to be unseen since if they were caught, it would be suspicious as to why they were located in the armory. It was especially dangerous since Jesper hadn’t been tailored to look like a Fjerdan.

The armory was the most heavily guarded sector besides the prison sector. The two boys peeked around a corner to see nearly ten guards standing in front of the doors to the armory.

“There’s no chance we are getting through there,” Wylan shook his head in defeat. They both moved to press their backs against the wall. 

“Haven’t got any of those brilliant explosives on you, have you?” Jesper sounded optimistic. 

“Kaz said we go in with nothing,” Wylan claimed with a shake of his head. “We’ll just have to improvise.”

Carefully, Jesper and Wylan checked some of their surroundings. While Jesper ended up looking for a little hidden door or secret passage, Wylan say something directly above them. He pointed to it.

“Look,” Wylan said hopefully. “Up there!”

It was a vent, but a rather small one at that. There was no chance knowing where it led to, but Wylan was willing to place all his bets on it. He tapped his partners shoulder.

“Hoist me up there,” Wylan spoke softly.

“Are you crazy?! You have no idea where that leads to. It could lead directly into a prison cell,” Jesper shouted in a whisper.

“Why would a vent go into a prison cell?” Wylan quirked his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why would a vent go directly into the armory?” Jesper argued back.

“I don't know! It needs airflow?” Wylan’s excuse was rather poor. He let out a loud sigh of defeat. “Just hoist me up there. If it leads somewhere else, I’ll come straight back to you. I promise,” Wylan begged.

It took a minute, but Jesper eventually caved into his request. He bent down slightly, cupping his hands together to act as a place for Wylan to put his foot. When Wylan put his foot into Jesper’s hands, Jesper very carefully hoisted him upwards. He made sure he didn’t fall over as he managed to get a grip on the edge of the vent. He maneuvered himself into the small space before continuing on.

In the meantime, Nina and Inej tried to stay in the first sector. They surveyed some possible options to make their escape. The walls were still impenetrable; there was no getting through or over them. They needed to find something inconspicuous in terms of nobody drawing notice to the fact that they will be escorting a prisoner out.

“Why didn’t Kaz think of an escape plan before we got ourselves into this situation?” Nina rolled her eyes. She sounded most frustrated.

“Because the Ice Court is unpredictable. One minute, things look like they might be going your way. And then the next minute, you set off the protocols.” Inej recalled their first heist. 

“Walking out of here is going to be no easy task,” Nina shook her head at the notion. 

“No, but I think I might have an idea.” Inej said with a small smile on her face. Nina followed her line of sight before her eyes settled on the same thing she saw. 

In another part of the city, Kaz and Matthias spotted the various guard towers that surrounded the white island. They passed by other druskelle who simply tipped their heads in acknowledgement. They now walked the druskelle path which was one of two ways to enter the island. The bridge was made of perfectly clear glass that made it seem like they were walking in midair.

Upon finally reaching the center of the white island, Kaz and Matthias began heading towards the lower section since that was most likely where the unknown prisoner would be kept. 

“How is Nina going to make it to the cell? This bridge is heavily guarded and only accessible if you are druskelle,” Matthias whispered to his partner beside him. Kaz only rolled his eyes.

“Is she all you think about?” Kaz scoffed. “You do realize there are two different points of entry. They know what to do. You worry about such little things.”

“I always worry about her,” Matthias grumbled under his breath.

“Stop right there!” They froze.

In the tunnel, Wylan squinted his eyes to try to see through the darkness. He shimmied his body through the tight space, heading towards the armory. He peeked through a small hole which lead to the center of the armory. He could see shelves of weapons ranging from knives to guns. 

Very carefully, Wylan moved the vent out of his way. He slipped through the hole and lowered himself to the floor. He made sure his footsteps went unheard since there were bound to be guards nearby. He watched the guards through the corner of his eye, but realized that they had their backs turned away from him and they stood rather far away.

Upon finding one self in particular, Wylan began pocketing the smaller things such as knives (for Inej) and small guns (mainly for Jesper). No matter how hard he looked, Wylan couldn’t seem to find any explosives much to his disappointment. He grabbed a couple more guns before turning to leave. He stopped in the middle of his steps when he came face to face with an official officer.

“What are you doing here, boy?” 

Much to Wylan’s relief, the officer spoke his language so he was able to understand him. But he had a thick and heavy accent which almost made it hard to hear clearly. Wylan stumbled over his words and tried to come up with some kind of excuse.

“I-I just came from training,” Wylan tried his best to sound like Matthias. “Ended up jamming my gun. Came for a new one,” Wylan lied.

Just by peeking over the officer’s shoulder, Wylan could see Jesper looking directly at him with wide eyes. He shook his head desperately, waving his hands wilding to urge him to get out of there. 

“Well, there is no need to be all sneaky and such.” The officer offered him a lopsided smile, which Wylan returned nervously. He even went to far as to hand Wylan a gun off the shelf. He quickly pocketed it into his holster. “Best get back to training,” the officer encouraged.

“Right,” Wylan nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

With some hesitation, Wylan slipped past the officer and headed directly to the doors of the armory. The guards paid no mind to him. They had seen a million young recruits misuse their weapons in training. The only reason he had come up with that excuse was because Matthias had once told him he did that when he was younger. 

By the time Wylan returned to Jesper, he was practically shaking from nerves alone. The two of them made a hasty escape, attempting to make their way to the rendezvous point.

At this point, Nina and Inej were hurrying across the glass bridge to the white island. They didn’t know that Wylan and Jesper were not far along behind them, heading in the same direction. They needed to make it to the cell because the guards were already on their way.

In the heat of the moment, Kaz and Matthias hadn’t moved from their spot. They could both hear the footsteps coming from behind them that belonged to the officer who ordered them to stop. The officer came around to stand in front of them. He narrowed his eyes at them suspiciously.

“What are you two doing in this sector?”

Despite not knowing Fjerdan, Kaz had a pretty good idea what he was saying by the way he emphasized one particular word. He wanted to smirk to himself, knowing that the officer was wondering how they managed to make their way into the darkest section of the court. They weren’t supposed to be there.

“We’re the new recruits who are to be trained on how to take care of the prisoner,” Matthias responded. His voice didn’t waver this time. The officer narrowed his eyes at him. “We volunteered,” Matthias added.

“Then you are twisted men,” the officer shook his head. “This prisoner is no joke.”

“We know. We were sent by the king himself,” Matthias said proudly. The officer straightened his back in posture. He gave a single nod before opting to escort them deeper into the caves. 

“First thing to know is that once the door is open, you do not speak until it closes again. We cannot risk sound in case she hears us,” the officer ordered. He grabbed a nearby torch to guide them in the darkness.

“Yes sir,” Matthias responded. He quickly nudged Kaz who repeated those exact words in Fjerdan.

“Second thing to know is that we do not touch the prisoner at all. You touch her...then you might as well say your prayers because you aren’t walking out of that cell alive,” the officer added as they rounded a corner.

“Yes sir.” Matthias said once again.

All of the sudden, the three of them came to a sudden halt in front of a solid metal door. The officer turned around in his place to face the two druskelle who had been following him in the tunnels. He went to place the torch on the wall beside them.

“The third and final thing to know is that this is the most dangerous person to have ever walked the earth. There are very few people who even know of her existence. I fully trust that you will not relay the events of what happens to anybody for their safety,” the officer said one final time.

“...yes sir...” Matthias swallowed heavily.

Though Kaz did not understand either of them, Kaz ended up turning his head to look at the solid door beside them. Before he even knew what was happening and before he could put a stop to it, the officer pulled out a pair of keys to unlock the door. 

It was too early. The others weren’t there yet. They had no weapons to protect themselves. They needed Nina, but it was far too late for that. 

The large metal door of the cell swung open. With great hesitation, Kaz and Matthias peered around the edge of the doorway to look into the dark cell. Their eyes landed on a figure who sat on the cold stone floor. 

Like Kaz had said, the emperor’s eyes were covered along with her mouth and ears. Her arms were wrapped around her body in a tight straight jacket that kept her from using her powers. And four monstrous chains were attached to each wall which kept her from moving around in her cell. 

There was an unsettling eeriness to the coldness and darkness coming from the cell. The emperor didn’t seem to move. She didn’t react to light or sound, which most likely meant that she was unable to see or hear. There she was in the flesh and bone.

And Kaz had never felt more terrified in his entire life.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot​ @vixythepixie​ @theghostofshadows​ @lonelywitchv2​ @arcadialine​ @zeeader​ @cleverzonkwombatsludge​ @shara-ne​ @iloveinej​ @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara​ @missymisha​ @tremendoushearttaco @home-of-disaster @gh0stgirl333 @harrydimples

I always get the chills watching this!

“The perfect video doesn’t exi-” Credits to Voordeel on YouTube for creating this amazing and perfectly timed video you can follow @voordeel-ts the original creator of this video and check out their other awesome videos as well

Can this short summary rejog anyone’s memory? I know it’s a long shot but I’m having problem remembering...

Summary: Peter Parker’s childhood best friend is an artist, she paints and draws like an expert despite being blind. When an opportunity arises for her to undergo a surgery to give her back her eyesight, it takes Peter to convince her to actually go through with it…

A Deal With God | Eddie Munson

Summary: Heavily inspired by the song “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush in which, instead of Eddie Munson sacrificing himself to buy more time, the reader makes a deal with God to switch places with him.

Warning: FAIR WARNING major character death, mentions of injuries, gruesome descriptions of injuries and attacks, mentions of blood, failed attempts to revive, extremely sad, very angsty

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Type: Oneshot

One cannot find the words to describe what it feels like watching the life drain out of someone’s body. All of the sudden, their eyes will lose focus and fall completely blank. The jagged movement of their chest will stop entirely, meaning that they no longer found it hard to breathe. What’s left is a limp, dead weight body. And that's it.

It was the most heart-wrenching thing Y/n ever had to experience in her life. She just watched her best friend die in her arms. She couldn’t hold back the tears from falling down her face. She was devastated.

Right before he had passed, Eddie spoke about how he didn’t run away this time and he sounded so proud of himself. He convinced himself that this was gonna be his year. The last thing he did was send her a weak smile and tell her how much he loved her. 

For a brief second, Eddie struggled to catch his breath. His eyes became unfocused as his breathing came to a final halt. His body went limp, which made all his tense muscles relax. His soul was taken to the heavens in that exact moment. He was gone. 

“Oh god,” Y/n silently sobbed to herself. 

She clutched his lifeless body in her arms, holding him as close as humanly possible. She rocked back and forth in attempts to soothe herself from the pain of loss. She closed her eyes to say a little silent prayer.

“Please, God. Let me take his place,” Y/n begged. But she knew it would be no good and she knew her prayer would go unanswered.

There was something bright that caught her eye in her peripheral vision. When Y/N turned her head to look towards the unknown source of light, she was to squint because she was so blinded by the light. She didn’t even notice that it had grown closer until it had completely overtaken her body. Then there was nothing.

When Y/N was finally able to open her eyes, she found that she was standing in the middle of the trailer in the upside down. She was holding onto the trash can shield and the makeshift spear that they had crafted a couple hours earlier. She was quick to realize that she faced the closed bedroom door. 

The demobats were ruthlessly pounding against the solid wood door. They scratched violently in hopes of breaking through the barrier. Their screeching became more desperate and more hostile.

“Come on, Y/n!” Dustin called out. “Come through now!”

Upon hearing her name, Y/n spun around on the heels of her feet. She lifted her head so her gaze could follow the sheet rope through the portal on the trailer ceiling. Now she clearly saw that Dustin and Eddie had already gone through the portal.

The two of them were watching her through the portal in the ceiling of their world. They begged her to climb up the rope to them. They called her name multiple times as if they were desperately trying to get her attention.

In that moment, Y/n discarded he makeshift spear and trash can lid off to the side. She went to grab onto the rope with the full intention of climbing it. But the sounds of clawing, scratching, and shrieking drew her attention back towards the bedroom door.

“Y/n!” Dustin called out. “Come on. Let’s go!”

“You’re so close! You just need to climb,” Eddie yelled over him.

So Y/n gripped the rope of sheet tightly and began pulling herself up. She struggled to climb at first. When Y/n glanced towards the bedroom door through the corner of her eye, a haunting thought came into her mind. It made her fall back onto the floor and she loosened her grip on the rope.

Those demobats would eventually break through that wood door; it wouldn’t hold them off forever. If they broke through the door, what was to stop them from going through the portal into their world? They were going to have to stop them somehow. And right then, Y/n could only think of one thing that would work.

“I have to draw them away,” Y/n said more to herself than anything.

“What?! No!” Eddie shouted at her. 

Upon hearing his voice, Y/n had lifted her head and stared up past them longingly. It was almost as if she had this all-knowing look in her eyes that told them exactly what she was going to do. And neither of them liked her plan.

“Those things will kill you,” Dustin tried to reason with her. “You can’t do this!”

“I have to try!” Y/n responded in a persistent tone of voice.

“Not if I have something to say about it,” Eddie said through gritted teeth.

Out of pure instinct, Eddie grabbed hold of the rope and began climbing to get back through the portal. However, Y/n was quick to pick up the makeshift spear once again. She sliced the rope with the spear so that the rope fell to the ground in both worlds. 

So Eddie’s feet landed flatly on the ground of his trailer. He held the limp rope in his hands. His mouth was hanging open in a manner of utter shock and disbelief. No, this can’t be happening.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dustin yelled desperately.

“Don’t come after me,” Y/n ordered them. 

“Y/n! Stop! Don’t do this!” Eddie exclaimed. 

“Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!” Dustin repeated over and over again.

“Come back!” Eddie begged.

But she chose to drown out their calls and pleads. She slipped out of their line of sight, heading towards the front door of the trailer. She proceeded to kick the door open before using every ounce of energy to run as fast as she could. She grabbed hold of one of the bikes laying in the heap of dirt, clambering onto the seat and riding as far away from the trailer as possible.

The demobats began to follow her in a thick cloud of black fury. They were screeching in anger. But they were drawing away from the trailer, which was exactly what she wanted. It was all going according to plan.

All she needed to do was keep pedaling. She wouldn’t dare look over her shoulder in fear that she would be right on top of her. The thundering sound of her heart was beating against the confines of her chest, threatening to break through at any given second. She had to keep moving.

Together, Dustin and Eddie lifted the mattress on the ground. They tossed the mattress off to the sidelines. They had to figure out a way to get back through that portal, but without the rope, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Setting up a random chair under the portal, Eddie took a few steps back in order to get a running start. He counted to three in his head before sprinting towards the chair. He leaped onto the base and launched himself upwards as far and as high as he could. He caught hold of the end of the portal which allowed for his head to go through and his hair fell upside down.

With some difficulty, Eddie managed to pull himself through the portal. He landed on the heap of the mattress. He got out of the way quickly. Then Eddie encouraged Dustin to do the exact same thing he did. 

Meanwhile, Y/n could feel the beads of sweat running down the sides of her face. She seemed to ignore the burning feeling in her legs from pedaling so hard. It felt like time was starting to slow down and everything moved in slow motion. 

For a brief second, the upside down fell silent. She could still feel the rumble in her chest when the thunder sounded from the black and red skies. She closed her eyes to relish the small moment of tranquility. She knew this was going to be the end for her.

All of the sudden, a demobat collided into her side which threw her to the side. They began to swarm around her, circling in the most taunting manner. It was just like seeing hawks swarming before devouring their fallen prey on the ground.

Without a second to lose, Y/N had to force herself to stand to her feet. She began to run away once again, but she knew she wouldn’t get far on foot. She was going to have to hold them off for now. So she stopped running.

Slowly, Y/n turned around in her place. She faced the heavy storm of demobats. She pulled out her makeshift spear and nail pierced shield, moving into a more defensive stance. This would be her last stand.

“Hurry!” Eddie called over his shoulder. 

He didn’t even look over his shoulder to check if his friend was following close behind him. He didn’t seem to care about the burning feeling in his lungs, which were desperately trying to help him breathe. He was forcing himself to run faster; he had never run so fast in his life. He only had one thing in mind: he needed to get to her.

It had taken them a couple minutes before they finally reached her, but it was much too late. What they found was such a gruesome and grotesque sight. The demobats had all fallen to the ground. Some of them were brutally stabbed, laying motionless in their own cold blood. Others looked like they were untouched.

What had happened was hard to explain. It was like a light switch. As soon as that switch was flicked down, the demobats naturally fell out of the sky. They were dead with no explanation as to how or why. 

It was quite sad to think that the switch could have been flicked sooner. If it had been, Y/n might still have had a chance at survival. So there, on the dirty ground, surrounded by heaps of dead demobats, was the young teenage girl. 

The two boys only stood there looking at the horrific scene in front of them. Thinking that there might still be a chance to save her, Eddie hurried to the seemingly lifeless body on the ground. He scooped her into his arms and started checking for any signs of life. 

As soon as Eddie caught sight of her wounds, he let out a shocking ‘oh’ sound. He squeezed his eyes shut tight in hopes of forgetting the horror he just saw. Bringing the back of his hand to cover his mouth, Eddie felt the swell of bile coming up his throat and he had to swallow it down. It was an honestly sickening sight.

From the looks of it, the demobats had definitely attacked her. They must have keep her down for much longer than what Steve had experienced just a day or two ago. Her wounds were far worse than his had been. 

The demobats had latched onto her sides, ripping large chunks of her skin out. Her once soft and smooth skin was now littered with numerous scrapes and scratches from the demobats sharp claws. 

Hesitantly, Eddie went to touch her face. He tried to be as gentle as possible, hoping to coax her awake. He also took notice of the large gaping wound around her neck, which was bleeding profusely now. A part of him knew that she wasn’t going to make it even if they could carry her back to the trailer. But he simply refused to accept that reality right now. 

“Hey Y/n,” Eddie whispered in a soothing tone of voice. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’ve got you,” Eddie tried to reassure her.

Much to his surprise, Y/n’s eyes began to flutter open at the sound of his voice. She found it quite hard to breathe. With each breath, there was a stabbing pain piercing her chest. She wheezed in hopes of taking in small doses of air.

“E-Eddie?” Her throat burned and her voice was weak. She didn’t know that the demobats had torn through some of her vocal cords, which would explain why it hurt so much to talk.

“Yeah. I’m right here, honey.” Eddie spoke softly. He tried to shuffle closer to her since her voice was so faint. He watched her face twist in pain which ultimately made his heart ache for her.

“I-It hurts,” Y/n wheezed and winced at the sharp burning feeling.

“I—I know, honey. I know it hurts,” Eddie nodded his head. “I’m gonna get you out of here though.”

“I— can’t move, Eddie. I can’t f—feel anything,” Y/n claimed. She paused for a second, realization striking her hard. “I’m not going to make it, am I?”

“D—Don’t say that,” Eddie said through gritted teeth. He brought his clenched fist to the front of his head. “You’re going to make it,” Eddie lied to himself.

On the sidelines, Dustin stood there with tears in the corners of his eyes. He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He honestly didn’t know what to do. He could feel the deep pain in his chest; it was the feeling of hopelessness. There wouldn’t be enough time for her. 

For a second, Y/n began to grow more tense. Her muscles clenched as she was overcome with a fit of coughs. The taste of copper lingered on her tongue. She didn’t know that her mouth was leaking with blood and that it was now running down her chin. 

Out of pure concern, Eddie called her name in a desperate tone of voice. He helplessly held her in his grasp. He watched her writhe in pain. He couldn’t bare to see her like this. He squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to block out the pained coughing sounds.

When Y/n’s coughs subsided, she was able to relax once again. Her chest was rising and falling steadily with each breath she took. But it was getting harder for her now. She could faintly see a hue of black in the corners of her vision.

She tried to hold off fading into the darkness, trying with every ounce in her body to fight off death. She only had a couple more minutes though. It felt like ages before she finally spoke again. 

“It was real, wasn’t it? You felt it, right?” She wondered. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly. She looked up at him with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “You and me,” she clarified.

“What we had? Yeah, that was real,” Eddie confirmed while nodding his head.

“It felt like such a long time ago,” Y/n sighed as she remembered the good old days with him. She felt the smile growing at the corners of her lips. “We were just a couple of kids running around, having fun together.”

Upon hearing this, Eddie let out a soft chuckle. He smiled down at her. He went to brush a small strand of hair out of her face. He gazed down at her with the strongest sense of admiration and sincerity in his soft brown eyes.

“But we really loved each other, didn’t we?” Y/n whispered to him. 

“Yes. We did,” Eddie confirmed. 

“Promise me—” Y/n began. She leaned forward so he could hear her message better from the proximity. “That you’ll keep on living.”

“Oh honey,” Eddie choked back a sob. He shook his head at her request. “I don’t want to live in this world without you. I just can’t do it. You mean everything to me. You are my world.”

Though she was most flattered, she tilted her head to the side and looked at him with a glimmer of disbelief. She knew that he could do it; everyone has to do it at some point in their lives. They eventually have to move on. People come and go. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is certain. Nothing is known. 

“What am I going to do without you?” Eddie began to cry. His tears were streaming down his cheeks mercilessly. His shoulders bounced in time with his cries of desperation. “What am I going to do without you?” Eddie repeated for he seriously wanted an answer.

Slowly, Eddie lowered his head until he hurried his face in her chest. He clutched her shirt so tightly that her blood seeped through the cracks between his fingers. He clung to her in fear that she would slip out of his grasp.

Hearing him cry hurt more than she wounds that covered her body. It made her heart ache for him. She regrettably didn’t have an answer to his question. She couldn’t think of anything to encourage him or give him a piece of advice. Instead, she chose to simply hold him and hoped that would be enough comfort for him. She ran her fingers through his soft black curls.

“You’re going to be okay,” Y/n whispered. 

Hesitantly, Eddie raised his head to look into her eyes one last time. He swallowed the heavy lump that lingered at the back of his throat. His tears blurred his vision slightly. He sniffled.

“Eddie,” Y/n choked painfully.

Instantly, Eddie went to hold her hand. This was him silently communicating that he was there for her and that he could hear her clearly. He felt her squeeze his hand. He waited patiently for her to speak up again.  

“I love y—” but her voice faded into nothing. 

Her eyes lost focus and went blank. Her grip was limp. Her last breath seeped out of her chapped lips. And she was gone. 

Upon seeing her body fall to the clutches of death, Eddie could feel his heart dropping from his chest to the pit of his stomach. He scurried backwards as if he were desperately trying to get away from her. He was horrified.

“E—Eddie?” Dustin spoke weakly. He stumbled backwards slightly in disbelief. “Is she—” Dustin couldn’t bring himself to say it.

All of the sudden, Eddie scrambled back to her side. He didn’t want to believe it. He denied it in his mind. He took up her body in his arms once again. He desperately searched her body for any signs of life. 

Come on, baby.

He pressed his two fingers to the underside of her neck, feeling for a pulse. But he didn’t feel anything. Then Eddie laid his head down so that his ear was pressed against her chest. He listened for a heartbeat, but he didn’t hear anything. He waited to watch her chest rise and fall in short breaths. But he didn’t see anything. 

Come on, darling.

For a brief moment, Eddie didn’t know what to do next. He tried to think of other ways to get her to wake up again. He wanted her to look at him again, but her eyes refused to focus on him. He so desperately wished that he could switch places with her. He wished that he could have been the one to die, not her. 

Let me steal this moment from you now.

From the pain in his heart, Eddie grabbed onto her shoulders harshly. He shook her in attempts to bring her back. But her body wouldn’t respond to him. He proceeded to place his hands on her chest, pumping at a steady pace. He tried giving her CPR since he knew how to preform it.

Come on, angel. Come on, come on, darling.

However, all the came from it was more blood. It came out of her mouth. It gushed from the wounds in her sides. It began to cover his hands. Nevertheless, Eddie was pressing harder and harder with each thrust of his hands. He was trying so desperately to start her heart again.

Finally, Eddie stopped himself. He raised his hands to his face and looked down in horror. It almost looked like he had just committed a murder for real this time. He came to the realization that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help her anymore. She was gone. She was dead.

Let's exchange the experience.

In the most gentle manner, Eddie brought her back into his grasp. He held her against his chest and buried her face in his neck. He cradled the back of her head, rocking back and forth to soothe himself. With tears falling from his eyes, Eddie sobbed quietly at the painful feeling of loss. It stabbed at his heart and only left a gaping hole that would never be filled again.

Oh, the things he wish he had said to her. The things he wished he had done sooner. The thought of ‘what could have happened’ racked his brain every day after that. How he wanted so badly to have been the one to die instead of her.

There was a small gravestone for her. Eddie picked flowers for her every week and brought them to her grave. Most of the time, they were just wild flowers. But on special occasions, like her birthday or a holiday, Eddie would bring roses from the supermarket. Those were always her favorite.

He’d never get over the feeling of losing her. He’d never forgive himself for not being there to save her. There wasn’t a day that went by where he didn’t think of her at least once. He had nightmares about the way she died in his mind, hearing the horrors of her screams and cries as the demobats feasted on her flesh. It was torture to him.

He wrote letters to her to express his thoughts and feelings, even writing a few songs about how much he loved her. He found comfort by just sitting in front of her grave. 

One night, Eddie was seated at the foot of her grave. He lifted his head to admire the night sky. There was one particular star that caught his eye because it was much bigger and brighter than all the other stars in the sky. It sparkled down at him.

For the first time in months, Eddie smiled to himself. He directed his line of attention back to the grave in front of him. For he knew that she was that bright, shiny star in the sky, looking down at him and always watching out for him. And whenever he felt sad or lonely, he could just look up to the starry sky and she’d be there for him. 

He wasn’t alone. After that, Eddie chose to only remember the positive aspects and parts of the life he shared with his best friend. He remembered how beautiful her smile was, how happy she was on Saturday mornings, and how kind she was to everyone around her. 

He remembered the soft and sweet sound of her voice; he loved the way his name rolled off her tongue. In dark times and low moments of life, Eddie would remind himself of how she called his name. It brought such comfort and relief to him. It was almost healing.

Undoubtedly, Eddie knew just how much she had loved him. It was the last thing she tried to tell him before she died. He held onto that thought and he would continue to hold onto that until the end of his time. She had loved him so dearly and he cherished that more than anything in the world.

She had loved him, but he loved her more than she could ever have imagined. 

Your eddie munson fic was everything!! So glad i found your blog🫶

Thank you so very much! That’s so kind of you to say

“EcHo fInAlLy hAs a ReAl HaNd!”

Listen punk, all this episode proves is he could have had a “real hand” this whole time and chose not to.

The Countdown | Hunter from The Bad Batch

Summary: When Hunter faces Hemlock for the first time, he gets put into a situation that he can't get out of.

Warning: mentions of death and injuries, medical assistance given in the form of painkillers, needles mentioned, gunshot wound and blood, traumatic read (be warned)

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3k words

Type: Oneshot

Nothing had gone to plan. In an attempted rescue mission on Eriadu, Tech bravely sacrificed himself for the safety of the rest of the group with Plan 99. Now, back on Ord Mantell, the remaining members were left to deal with the aftermath.

Each of them sporting their own injuries after the railway car crash. All of them left to bear the weight of grief that consumed their every waking thought. None of them strong enough to push on any longer, especially being down a member.

In one of the booths, AZ was given the task of tending to some of Y/n's wounds. He injected a shot of a fast acting painkiller into the meat of her thigh, ignoring the way she winced at the feeling of a needle piercing her skin. He proceeded to wrap some gauze around an open wound which had already been disinfected.

In the background, Wrecker was perched on one of the stools at the bar. He kept his movements to a minimal given the extent of his injuries. He wore a brace around his neck which he managed to sprain in the crash.

"Here. This one's on the house," Cid spoke quietly. She slid him a drink.

"It won't help," Wrecker sighed, sparing a brief glance down into the cup.

"I'm sorry about Goggles," Cid confessed. "I always liked him."

"Yeah," Wrecker agreed. "Me too."

What drew Y/n back to her own reality was the feeling of AZ swiftly tugging and tying the gauze around her bicep. He swiveled back to glance over his work, coming to the conclusion that she was now fully attended to.

"You will need to rest if you are to recover quickly. That being said: all of your injuries are now accounted for and tended to," AZ said rather factually.

"Thanks," Y/n mumbled almost too quiet to hear.

The droid left her alone in the booth, heading into the backroom to check up on his other patients. Now, the three of them were all that remained in the front of the house.

In the midst of the grief stricken silence, Cid seemed to appear on edge. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but her claw like finger was tapping rapidly on her arm. It was like she was anxious about something. And Wrecker noticed it.

"What's with you?" Wrecker questioned.

"You know, I tried to look out for you boys. But you got too much heat on you. And you brought it here to my place of business," Cid tried to explain herself. "I had to make the best of a bad situation," Cid claimed.

Wrecker sat up a little straighter. "What did you do?" He growled.

"Sorry Muscles," Cid apologized in advance.

At this point, it was too late to do anything in retaliation. The front door opened to reveal a group of clone commandos with their blasters drawn. They tried to stun him, but he was able to put up a fight before being taken down.

By the time Wrecker's knees hit the ground, Y/n jumped out of her seat and yanked her own blaster out. She raised it to fire two shots at the troopers, striking one of them directly in the chest. Only problem was that it wasn't enough to take them down. They quickly stunned her too, but not before she was able to call out:

"Hunter!"

In the back office, Hunter had heard the fight his brother was putting up. He moved quickly in an attempt to get Omega to safety. He instructed her to leave the establishment through the tunnel system and to find Echo as soon as she could.

It was only when he heard his name being called that he felt his blood run cold and a chilled shiver dropped down his spine. He drew his own blaster, ready to put up the fight of his life despite his injuries.

With great caution, Hunter exited the back office with his blaster raised. He rounded the corner half expecting there to be more clone troopers headed his way. His steps were silent.

Upon rounding the last corner, Hunter caught sight of the scene laid out before him. There were ten clone commandoes standing behind Wrecker and Y/n with their blasters pointed directly at their heads. They were both kneeling on the floor in handcuffs. And Dr Hemlock took center stage.

"That's not very strategic, Hunter. You don't need to use your enhanced senses to know you're outnumbered," Dr Hemlock commented calmly.

The enhanced clone took a couple steps further in the room with his blaster still targeted. The surroundings clones kept their own blasters raised in defense, waiting for one wrong move for permission to fire.

"The Empire thanks you for your assistance," Dr Hemlock spoke to the trandoshan beside him whilst handing her a case of credits.

She took the case from him, but she avoided the glares coming from the two clones. She kept her head low and felt the strong sense of guilt weighing heavy on her shoulders.

"Our business is done. Leave," Dr Hemlock ordered. She obeyed immediately.

Hunter could only glare at her retreating figure before directing his gaze back towards the man in front of him. He refused to lower his blaster.

"Please. Consider your next move very carefully," Dr Hemlock directed. He threw a brief glance over his shoulder. "I would hate for this to end poorly for both of you."

"Hunter," Y/n spoke up in a tone of desperation. His ears perked up and his gaze shifted down to her. "Whatever he says, don't listen to--"

She was quickly silenced as a mechanical device was placed over her mouth by one of the clone commandos. She tried to protest in the process, but it muffled her words. It locked around the backside of her head, silencing her completely.

Now Hunter could practically hear the blood beginning to boil in his veins. His jaw tightened at the sight of those other clones putting their hands on her and he readjusted the grip he held on his blaster.

"Here is how this is going to go: You will lower your blaster and hand over Omega. And I will allow you to keep breathing," Dr Hemlock explained rather calmly.

"Omega's not going anywhere with you," Hunter claimed.

"Oh," Dr Hemlock sighed. He tipped his head to the side as if observing something odd. "Well, who knew clones were so paternal?"

Hunter's demeanor seemed to soften slightly.

"Fascinating," Dr Hemlock commented to himself.

Despite Hunter's orders to leave, Omega crawled through the vent system above the establishment with the droid trailing directly behind her. She came to the open vent, peering through the metal slats to watch everything unfold in front of her.

"I was saddened to learn of your friend's demise," Omega overheard Dr Hemlock. "What was his name? Oh yes...Tech," Dr Hemlock smirked.

Hearing that name only caused Wrecker to growl in pure anger. He struggled against the bonds around his wrists, but the clone commandos pressed the tips of their blasters into his sides. He ultimately forced himself to remain composed.

Dr Hemlock lifted his hand. One of the commandos proceeded to hand him a pair of broken goggles that unmistakably belonged to their beloved deceased brother.

"I'm afraid this was all I could salvage," Dr Hemlock ran his thumb over the broken lens. "Consider it a gift," he added.

Rather recklessly, Dr Hemlock tossed the pair of damaged goggles and the goggles clattered across the floor. They landed right in front of their leader's feet to which he only briefly glanced down at them.

"To lose one of your own, it must weigh heavily on you as their leader," Dr Hemlock was able to read him like a book. He knew exactly what his weakness was and he was going to keep pressing it until it broke him.

The clone commandoes roughly shoved their pointed blasters into the sides of the two kneeling on the floor. While Wrecker grumbled and growled at them, Y/n let out a soft whimper of pain since they pressed against the wound on her arm. The little sound she made was enough for Hunter's heart to clench.

"And if you don't lower the blaster now, you will lose yet another," Dr Hemlock gave him no other choice.

When Hunter directed their gaze towards them, Wrecker tried to shake his head as if to say 'no.' She glanced up at him with tears gathering in her eyes.

With some hesitation, Hunter began to lower his blaster in a slow manner. He raised his other hand in defense, lowering himself to the kneel on the ground. He placed the blaster down and reached for his brother's goggles, overridden with grief over his loss.

"Wise decision," Dr Hemlock complimented.

Now, two clone commandoes came around the two sides of him. They quickly brought his two hands in front of him, placing a secure pair of handcuffs around his wrists. The commandoes pulled him to his feet and kept him stationed there.

Another clone commando had gone into the back office in search of the young clone. He would return momentarily to report his findings to the doctor in charge. He stood at attention.

"Sir, the girl's not in the office."

"She's long gone," Hunter finally spoke up. "Like I said, Omega's not going anywhere with you."

"We'll see," Dr Hemlock said calmly and with a slight crooked smile on his face.

When Hemlock lifted his hand, a clone commando swiftly placed a small hand blaster into his grasp. He lowered his gaze to observe the weapon with care, tilting it from one side to the other. He clicked the safety on the side, removing the stun which caused Hunter to tense under the commandoes hold.

"You are going to tell me where Omega has gone or..." Hemlock's voice trailed off.

As if on cue, two more clone commandos quickly dragged the muffled hostage into the center of the room. They stepped back into line. The doctor pressed the tip of the blaster into the side of her head, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut in fear.

In that exact moment, Hunter felt his whole world come to a screeching halt. The cold hand of fear began to grip at his chest, squeezing at his heart until it felt like he couldn't breath anymore. It made him seize up because there was nothing he could do to stop him right now.

"She dies," Hemlock explained plainly. "You have ten seconds."

He heard his own blood pumping through his veins, muffling any sound coming through his ears and leaving a sharp ringing sound in place. His gaze drifted down to stare into those helpless eyes, which were begging him to save her and also begging him to not say anything.

"One," Hemlock began. He refused to lower his blaster.

In response, Hunter forced himself to swallow the heavy lump lingering at the back of his throat. He didn't know what to do and he didn't know what to say. He ran through the possible outcomes if he played his cards right.

All the while, Hemlock only seemed to study his posture under a watchful eye. He could tell by his stance alone that he was trying to come up with a solution. From the way his throat bobbed, to how a single bead of sweat slid down his face, to how his hands shook slightly. All of that told him he was panicking on the inside.

"Two," Hemlock pressed. He enjoyed watching him squirm.

When Hunter glanced down at his blaster on the ground, one of the clone commandos took initiative to kick it far away from him. He was running out of options and he was running out of time.

"Hey," Hunter spoke to get her attention. He looked directly into her worried gaze. "It's gonna be okay. I'm going to get you out of this, do you understand?"

Despite her soft whimpers and tears running down her cheeks, she nodded her head understandingly. It pained him even more to hear how rapidly her heart was beating and how shallow her breathing had become. He sent her a weak smile.

"Three," Dr Hemlock was growing impatient.

"Listen," Hunter addressed him by shifting his gaze. "Talk to me. We can talk. Just put the blaster down. I won't negotiate like this," Hunter explained with a shake of the head.

"That's your choice," Dr Hemlock shrugged. He wouldn't relent. "Four."

A brief flash of fear overtook his senses. His mouth parted ever so slightly. He came to another solution. "Listen. S--She's already gone. I told her to go to Coruscant. It's a big enough city for her to hide in. You'll never find her ther--"

"She's not headed to Coruscant. Five," Hemlock easily called his bluff.

In response, Hunter jolted forward in his place in an attempt to lash out. The commandoes beside him were quick to retain him, holding onto his arms tightly. He glared at the man standing in front of him, feeling that strong sense of anger rising.

Now Y/n had to close her eyes because she couldn't stand to see him acting to reckless. She wasn't sure how this was all going to play out and she cursed to herself for feeling even the smallest amount of fear. The blaster pressed against the side of her head remained there.

"If you do this--" Hunter's voice trailed off. He was seething at this point. He clenched his hands into tight fists. "If kill her, you get nothing from me--"

"Six," Hemlock interrupted him.

"Listen to me," Hunter ordered roughly. He started to threaten him, which was another mistake. "The only way you're going to get what you want is if you listen to--"

But Hunter was unable to finish his sentence. The doctor quickly lowered his blaster to point it at her leg. He fired a single shot that went directly through the meat of her thigh. She let out a muffled scream and keened over slightly in her place, feeling the pain streaming through her leg almost instantly.

"No!" Hunter screamed and flinched upon hearing the loud blaster shot ring out. He jolted forward again, but was held back by the commandoes.

In the vents, Omega had to slap her hands over her mouth to stop herself from gasping too loudly. She didn't realize how she'd been shaking too, fearful of how this was going to play out.

"Seven," Hemlock counted calmly. He repeated it. "Seven."

The doctor knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn't going to change his mind about how he was going to attain that information anytime soon.

The room fell silent once again. The only thing that could be heard was the soft muffled sobs coming from her. She squeezed her eyes shut in hopes of blocking out the pulsing pain in her leg. A few loose tears slipped down the sides of her face. She tried to keep her breathing steadily, but it was becoming harder and harder with each second.

"Honey?" Hunter called out to her softly. "Honey, look at me."

She weakly lifted her head up to look at him. The loose strands of hair fell to frame her pained face. Her eyes were puffy and red from the crying. Her weakened state shown in her expression. She was loosing blood and would likely pass out soon if she didn't get help.

He blatantly ignored the doctor, which only seemed to irritate him more. Right now, Hunter tried to make it clear to her that it was just the two of them.

"That's my girl," Hunter sighed with a weak smile. He stared deeply into her eyes as if trying to communicate something silently. "You're going to be okay. I know it hurts. But I'm going to get you out of this."

"That's a bold promise to make, Hunter. I hope you can keep it for her sake. Eight," Hemlock reminded him of what little time he had left. He kept his blaster trained to the side of her head.

Realizing he was nearly out of options, Hunter squeezed his eyes shut as if he was trying to wake up from this horrible nightmare. He swallowed thickly, opening his eyes once again. He looked towards the doctor, silently pleading with him.

"Please," Hunter began to beg. "Don't do this. Let her go."

"Nine," Hemlock stood his ground.

Hearing this only made her start panicking. She could no longer control her breathing, beginning the initial stages of hyperventilating. Her heart was beating so loud that it blocked the noises coming from the room. The fear that she felt overtook her senses and bled directly into her thoughts.

And Hunter could tell she was panicking. So he had no other choice but to cave in.

"She's gone," Hunter confessed. "She's long gone. I told her to get out of here. I--I don't know where she went, but I am telling you the truth."

There was a beat of silence between them. The doctor studied him carefully as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not.

"Please," Hunter's voice cracked which showed his desperation and brokenness. His hands lifted in defense. "Don't hurt her. She's everything to me."

She smiled weakly upon hearing his words.

For a brief moment, Dr Hemlock contemplated his words carefully. He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes to study him further. He slowly began to lower his blaster, which sent a wave of relief through the sergeant.

Hemlock lifted the blaster once again. "Ten."

The fatal shot rang through the entire establishment.

"NO!" Hunter's scream was louder than the sound of the body hitting the floor. He collapsed to his knees, keeping his eyes trained on the lifeless form in front of him.

In the vents, Omega had jumped back from the opening she had been peering through. Her hands shot up to cover her mouth once again. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the sight she had just witnessed. The tears flowed freely from her as the reality began to settle in. She'd lost another member of her squad.

definitely name the baby beth, like the kiss song. i read a tom holland fic once where the baby’s name was beth and i can’t get enough it’s so cute

I’m so in love with the name Beth! I want to name my daughter that whenever I have one

Baby Munson Top Name Choices:

PLEASE VOTE YOUR FAVORITE!

1.) Beth Munson

2.) Mary Munson

3.) Diana Munson

His Protégé | Eddie Munson

Summary: When the reader confesses that she wants to build her own campaign, Eddie can’t hold back his excitement.

Warning: none it’s just fluff

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Type: Short Oneshot

Word Count: 2,187 words

Note: I have never played Dungeons and Dragons. I know nothing about the game so please forgive me if I misrepresent it. It was not my intention and I tried to do a little research on it beforehand.

The high school hallways were completely empty. Although school had ended a few hours ago, there were a few students lingering behind. The basketball players had practice in the gymnasium. The marching band also stayed after school, choosing to practice their songs in the music room. 

Then there was the Hellfire club, which planned to meet in the storage closet the drama department used. They’d continue working through the campaign their dungeon master had crafted strategically.

At the given moment, Eddie Munson was setting up for the campaign in the old storage closet. He pulled the table towards the center of the room. He grabbed a couple chairs to place around the table. He also brought the large throne towards the head of the table, which was, of course, his own spot. Then he opened his backpack to pull out the board and game essentials. 

The door to the closet slowly opened to reveal one of the members of the club. She went to shuffle inside the room, silently closing the door behind her. She watched the dungeon master as he placed some of the game pieces on the board. She held a folder close to her chest. 

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re about fifteen minutes early.” Eddie said without looking up from his setup. He shook his head in a playful manner.

“Actually I came to talk to you about something important,” Y/n confessed. He lifted his head to look at her curiously. He heard the serious tone in her voice and she wore blank expression on her face.

“Don’t tell me,” Eddie said painfully. He flopped down into his seat at the table. “You’re quitting Hellfire,” Eddie concluded.

“What?” Y/n asked. “No!”

“Phew!” Eddie sighed in relief. He leaned forward to take a closer look at the board, rearranging a few things in the process. He set up his own folder with his game plan. “Had me worried there for a second,” Eddie admitted. 

For a while, Y/n thought about her next choice of words very carefully. She didn’t want to come off as pushy or insistent. She just prayed this conversation would go smoothly for her.

“Actually, I was wondering...” Y/n’s voice trailed off. She dropped her gaze to stare down at the ground, unable to look him in the eyes. “Well, I thought it would be a good idea if...” but her words failed her again.

Knowing that she was struggling to come out and say it, Eddie’s gaze lifted so that he could watch her demeanor and try to decipher what she was trying to tell him. He noticed that her hands were shaking slightly and her lip quivered when she spoke.

All of the sudden, Y/n found the small burst of courage. She forced herself to straighten her back in posture, stamping her foot down to get herself together. She also looked directly into his eyes.

“I want to make my own campaign,” Y/n said finally and firmly. 

Almost instantly, Eddie scrambled to stand to his feet. He succeeded in knocking over a few things off the table. He stood still for a second. He had this shocked expression on his face; his mouth hung open and he just stared at her in utter disbelief.

Slowly, Eddie circled around the side of the table until he was standing directly in front of her. He stared at her blankly. She held her breathe, waiting for his reaction. She didn’t know what he would do; he might be so upset that he’d kick her out of the club! She thought that was probably the worst possible situation.

Much to her surprise, she watched a cheeky grin overcame his facial features. She had never seen him smile like that; she honestly couldn’t describe it. It was almost like he was overjoyed, thrilled even for her. 

All of the sudden, Eddie had lunged forward to wrap his arms around her waist and hoist her off the ground. He swung her around in a circle. This only resulted in her clinging onto him for dear life in fear that he would drop her. She let out a small scream of surprise.

“You want to start your own campaign!” Eddie exclaimed enthusiastically. He quickly lowered her back onto the ground, but forgot to take his hands off her waist. “I can’t believe it! My little protégé is growing up so fast,” Eddie joked.

“Y-You’re not mad at me?” Y/n wondered curiously. She looked at him with a slight hint of skepticism in her eyes.

“Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?” Eddie asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Well, I didn’t want it to seem like I was stealing your thunder.” Y/n confessed with a simple shrug of the shoulders. Now she realized how silly it was to think he would be upset or mad at her.

“You’re not,” Eddie insisted with a small wave of the hand. “You’re just building your own campaign,” Eddie corrected her.

“I wonder if you could help me out with it too,” Y/n said. She quickly grabbed her folder which she had dropped when he picked her up. She opened it up to show him a few of things she already came up with. “Since you’ve made your own campaigns before,” Y/n chuckled nervously. 

“Right,” Eddie said. 

There was a slight awkward moment between the two, which was ruled by the silence in the room. She laid the folder down on the table, pulling out a few papers for him to observe. She handed them to him and he quickly began reading what she already had.

She watched his reaction carefully, anxiously waiting for his thoughts. His eyes scanned the pages she had clearly studied and organized together. His lips tugged into a soft smile on his face.

“This is a really good start,” Eddie confessed as he motioned to the papers in his hands. “Might I make a few suggestions?” Eddie wondered.

“Of course,” Y/n said. She handed him a pencil. 

Instantly, Eddie placed the paper down on the table and began adding a few notes on the sidelines. He just noticed their proximity, feeling her shoulder pressing against his own and experiencing what it was like to have her hovering over his shoulder while he worked. Her soft breaths fanned his ear and sent shivers down his spine. 

“Here,” Eddie stepped back so she could see what he added. He placed his hand on the small of her back, urging her closer to the paper. “I made a few tweaks,” Eddie said. 

As she read over his notes, Eddie shifted to stand just a little closer to her. His hand began trailing up the length of her back, which made her lose her reading placement. He lowered his gaze.

“You know, I’ve got a couple books on how to build campaigns back at my place. If you ever want to come over to read them,” Eddie said. He 

“Come over?” Y/n asked slowly. She turned to look at him. She almost didn’t believe what he was suggesting. “To your place?” Y/n wanted to confirm this.

“That’s right,” Eddie nodded his head in confirmation.

“I...I’d like that,” Y/n confessed with a nervous smile overtaking her face. She learned her throat awkwardly, directing her attention back to the papers. “Cause I’m gonna need some help with this,” Y/n tried to cover up.

“You know,” Eddie’s voice trailed off. He went to tuck a single strand of hair behind her ear, shifting to cup her cheek in a tender way. “I am so proud of how far you’ve come with this game,” Eddie spoke softly.

“Please,” Y/n said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious!” Eddie exclaimed with the most broad smile on his face. “When we first met, you didn’t know anything. Now, you’re a level thirteen! You’ve done really good,” Eddie praised.

“You flatter me too much,” Y/n said half jokingly. She looked away from him to hid the evident blush that rose to her cheeks. 

“You deserve it,” Eddie added bluntly. He refused to take his eyes off her. 

Slowly, Eddie brought his fingers to the underside of her chin. He forced her to turn her head so that she was looking directly into his eyes. Her breath seemed to quicken along with her heartbeat. Her eyes scanned his face as she tried to decipher what he was thinking and feeling. 

Much to her surprise, Eddie began to bring his head down closer to hers. She didn’t know why she did this, but she placed her hands flat against his chest. It was almost as if she was preventing him from coming any closer. He stopped himself only centimeters away from her face. He waited for her permission, seeing a glimmer of hesitancy in her eyes. 

“You deserve everything,” Eddie whispered to her. 

Upon hearing this, it was enough to convince her to let go. She slowly let her hands drop a little down his chest so that she was no longer holding him back. Her walls fell down and she let him in.

In the most gentle manner, Eddie dipped his head down to press his lips against hers. He quickly pulled away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable if she didn’t like it or want it. He tried to read her.

Her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at him with a blank expression on her face. Her breath was caught in the back of her throat. She didn’t know what to think or what to feel; she was honestly at a loss for words. 

Her silence was painful to him. His heart plummeted into the depths of his chest. A million things were going through his mind. He wondered if he had just ruined their friendship by doing that. He could just see it now: she pass by him in the hallways without throwing him a single glance or she’d stop talking to him altogether. Maybe now she really would quit the Hellfire club. He just ruined it; he knew it.

“I...I’m sorry,” Eddie lowered his gaze in shame.

But Y/n was quick to silence him. She went to cup his face with her face, bringing his lips back to hers. They are bound in a kiss that is so tender, all emotions and feelings are communicated through it. A mutual liking that neither of them acted on for the longest time in fear of ruining what they shared together. Now it was all out in the open.

The kiss was just a random burst of love, happening in the heat of the moment. Their lips moved against one another in a perfect synchronized harmony. Arms wrapped tightly around each other to keep close. They would tilt their heads to the opposite sides in order to deepen their connection. 

After this moment of passion, the two of them pulled away from each other to get a fresh breath of air. They panted heavily to themselves. The two teenagers were quite flustered and couldn't hide the blushes on their cheeks. They sheepishly looked away from each other, smiling at what just happened.

Unfortunately, Eddie saw the clock hanging on the wall which meant the other members would be here any second now. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“The others...they’re gonna be here soon,” Eddie said reluctantly because he wanted nothing more than to capture her lips with his own again.

“Right,” Y/n cleared her throat. She took a single step back. She dropped her gaze to stare down at her feet, shifting in her place awkwardly. She gestured over her shoulder “I might actually go get something from my locker real quick before the game starts,” Y/n lied. 

It was honestly just an excuse to collect her thoughts for a moment. She needed some privacy, some space just for a little bit.

“Oh yeah!” Eddie said a little too enthusiastically. “Go ahead. Do your thing. We’ll wait for you,” Eddie sent her a small smile of reassurance.

She timidly walked backwards in her place. She spun around on the heels of her feet so that she was facing the door to the closet. She opened the door to reveal the other five members of the club who had just arrived. She gave a small jump of surprise.

“Oh! Hey!” Dustin exclaimed. “What’s up, Y/n?”

In that moment, Y/n was quick to brush past the small crowd of boys standing in front of her. She excused herself from their presence; not wanting them to see how red her face had gotten. She made her way down the hallway and out of their sight. 

Meanwhile, the other five members turned their heads to look towards the dungeon master for some sort of explanation. He had just flopped down to sit on his throne. He motioned for them to take their seats. He welcomed them.

“What was that about?” Dustin asked. He wore a curious expression on his face. He gestured behind himself to the member who had just left their company.

Almost instantly, Eddie’s lips tugged into a suspicious smirk. He slowly lifted his legs to prop his feet up onto the table. He leaned backwards and placed his hands behind his head. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

Been wanting to write this oneshot for a long time. I put a lot of work into it and I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. What are your thoughts???

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