Fix It - Blog Posts

Ways to un-stick a stuck story

Do an outline, whatever way works best. Get yourself out of the word soup and know where the story is headed.

Conflicts and obstacles. Hurt the protagonist, put things in their way, this keeps the story interesting. An easy journey makes the story boring and boring is hard to write.

Change the POV. Sometimes all it takes to untangle a knotted story is to look at it through different eyes, be it through the sidekick, the antagonist, a minor character, whatever.

Know the characters. You can’t write a story if the characters are strangers to you. Know their likes, dislikes, fears, and most importantly, their motivation. This makes the path clearer.

Fill in holes. Writing doesn’t have to be linear; you can always go back and fill in plotholes, and add content and context.

Have flashbacks, hallucinations, dream sequences or foreshadowing events. These stir the story up, deviations from the expected course add a feeling of urgency and uncertainty to the narrative.

Introduce a new mystery. If there’s something that just doesn’t add up, a big question mark, the story becomes more compelling. Beware: this can also cause you to sink further into the mire.

Take something from your protagonist. A weapon, asset, ally or loved one. Force him to operate without it, it can reinvigorate a stale story.

Twists and betrayal. Maybe someone isn’t who they say they are or the protagonist is betrayed by someone he thought he could trust. This can shake the story up and get it rolling again.

Secrets. If someone has a deep, dark secret that they’re forced to lie about, it’s a good way to stir up some fresh conflict. New lies to cover up the old ones, the secret being revealed, and all the resulting chaos.

Kill someone. Make a character death that is productive to the plot, but not “just because”. If done well, it affects all the characters, stirs up the story and gets it moving.

Ill-advised character actions. Tension is created when a character we love does something we hate. Identify the thing the readers don’t want to happen, then engineer it so it happens worse than they imagined.

Create cliff-hangers. Keep the readers’ attention by putting the characters into new problems and make them wait for you to write your way out of it. This challenge can really bring out your creativity.

Raise the stakes. Make the consequences of failure worse, make the journey harder. Suddenly the protagonist’s goal is more than he expected, or he has to make an important choice.

Make the hero active. You can’t always wait for external influences on the characters, sometimes you have to make the hero take actions himself. Not necessarily to be successful, but active and complicit in the narrative.

Different threat levels. Make the conflicts on a physical level (“I’m about to be killed by a demon”), an emotional level (“But that demon was my true love”) and a philosophical level (“If I’m forced to kill my true love before they kill me, how can love ever succeed in the face of evil?”).

Figure out an ending. If you know where the story is going to end, it helps get the ball rolling towards that end, even if it’s not the same ending that you actually end up writing.

What if? What if the hero kills the antagonist now, gets captured, or goes insane? When you write down different questions like these, the answer to how to continue the story will present itself.

Start fresh or skip ahead. Delete the last five thousand words and try again. It’s terrifying at first, but frees you up for a fresh start to find a proper path. Or you can skip the part that’s putting you on edge – forget about that fidgety crap, you can do it later – and write the next scene. Whatever was in-between will come with time.

✨️Fixing time ✨️

I haven't fixed Ikemoto's art for a long time, but I couldn't stop this time.

Yeah, yeah, I know a LOT of people like Sarada's design, but.... I'm not one of them.

Don't get me wrong, out of all the time skip designs, Sarada's design was pretty good. But that doesn't mean it's a good design.

But let's look at the problem of this work. Let's start with the palette

There are only four colors here. More precisely, two colors, red and black (I don't count Sarada's skin color). There are a lot of cool and beautiful art that uses only two colors, but Ikemoto can't do that. The cover of the new chapter looks like a red and black mess that hurts my eyes. And yes, I understand that the red color is supposed to represent Sarada's sharingan, but... this is done terribly. Just ugh...

So...I fix it(。’w’。)♡

I didn't want to change much, so yeah... I changed the color of Sarada's jacket to a darker one because it just blends in with the main outfit, which is bad. I also fixed her skin color.

I don't know why Sarada turned out so yellow(?) in the original, but it doesn't look very nice to me. She turned out like a light spot in a puddle of red paint.

And yes, I added more clothes to her again. I will not stop saying that Sarada's clothes are uncomfortable +I removed the extra Konoha emblem. I don't know why she needs two signs. Unless Ikemoto doubts Sarada's ninja-like appearance so much that he decided to duplicate the Konoha sign. ㄟ(▔ ,▔)ㄏ

Well, that's all. I hope you enjoyed my fix

ヾ(￣▽￣)Bye~Bye~

Need to post something so...

✨️Fixing time✨️

✨️Fixing time✨️

I need to post something, so here's another part of the fix!

One day Ikemoto will start drawing properly without breaking the anatomy of the characters... One day...

It's been a while since I posted anything here, so...

✨️Fixing time✨️

Unfortunately, I now only have the strength to fix how Ikemoto breaks characters...

I'll try to post something else in the near future! ✧٩(ˊωˋ*)و✧

✨️Fixing time✨️

I tried...

Ikemoto...

Are you fcking kidding me?... What the hell is that!?...

Like, come on!... wtf?!

Why do they look like this? They still looked disgusting in black and white, but this... I have no words to describe this.

Like why...just why? Why are you ruining these characters Ikemoto?

Why is Yodo wearing a thong, why is she wearing giant pink boots?...

What magic holds this bag? Because if even one person tries to put the bag on like that, it will fall off. And Yodo is a ninja... or do you expect me to believe that the bag doesn't fall off her when she jumps and runs?... Seriously?

And this thing...what is it and why? Did she decide to join Boruto's "Let's wear trash on our necks" club? Or what?...

And Araya...Araya...ehhh

This is bad... This is just bad. The weird brown hoodie and these stupid blue pieces that the character doesn't need at all... And this beard ○|￣|_

Take away Ikemoto's pencil and markers or I'll die...

So...I tried to fix it a little...

I still don't understand why Ikemoto dressed them like that and chose such a palette...it's terrible

✨️Fixing time✨️

A few more fixes, because Ikemoto has crooked hands

✨️Fixing time✨️

I hate the way Ikemoto draws his characters. It's not "stylish"...

So I fix it a little bit (*¯︶¯*)

Next time I'll make them normal clothes, but for now I've only fixed their faces.

God this is one of the best fics I’ve ever read

Say you'll still be by my side

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Word Count: 6k

Summary: Eddie made it out of the Upside Down, barely alive. He’s in a coma now but you refuse to let him go.

Warnings: Hurt & Comfort, Fluff, Trauma, Scars, Light Angst

Available on: AO3

A/N: Another Fix-It but this time with the reader taking care of him. The Duffers have to pry him off my cold hands if they want me to let him go because there’s no way this is happening any time soon. Hope this gives you as much comfort as it gave me while writing it. Eddie is alive and I accept nothing else.

“I can’t believe we did it!” Robin said and hugged you while your eyes were fixed on the bloody ground in front the villa. Was that really it? That…easy?

You hugged her back, but your mind was already wandering towards the two people who were supposed to distract the bats. It must have worked because you didn’t see a single one.

“Let’s get back to the others quickly,” you suggested and she let go of you, your eyes finding Steve’s and he gave you a nod.

There was this feeling in your stomach and a painful tug on your heart. The four of you quickly made the way back to the trailer.

They would be fine. They promised they’re not heroes, promised they’d run as soon as it got bad. You would have stayed with them, but Eddie absolutely refused to let you join the ‘Bait Party’ how he had called it.

He had been the bait and yet, he had been so worried about you.

Letting go of his hand as you split up had been the hardest thing you had done in your entire life.

Keep reading

Svsss wrong number au but across dimensions

Basically it's the svsss universe but only sqh transmigrated and (since it is pre-abyss/ current abyss ark) sj is still alive

There's this artifact that each of the sects have (Maybe it's passed down to sect leaders? Or it's common place enough that almost everyone has one). The artifact is either a stone slab or scroll or book that whatever you write on it will also be written on the other books

(A way of long distance communication via sqhs bullshitting because he would definitely find ways to put modern inventions in his book)

It could be common place, like an enchanment/curse easily placed on objects? But sect leaders obviously have their own secret network/book thing or whatever

Que shen yuan! (Terminally ill silly guy who doesn't really have many friends but loves lurking around fan servers) He gets randomly added to the sect leaders gc (and for him it does function the same as a normal groupchat would) while binghe is in the abyss

Wife beam shen yuan and he absolutely charms them all (even though sy thinks he just stumbled upon a hard core pidw role play chat- that doesn't even have the main character! How stingy!) Everyone loves sy, he's already gathered a reverse male Harem

At the same time lbh find a similar artifact in the abyss and is also able to message sy. And now there's 2 way this can go;

1. He knew lbh before the rest of the gc and lbh is just better at acting like a normal person and likes having someone who knows absolutely nothing abt him to talk to

2. He starts talking to lbh around the same time he joins the other gc and misunderstands the situation (he thinks the gc kicked this poor lbh role player out bc all the characters they are rping as have been wronged by him in some way and they don't like him- which sy thinks is! Ridiculous!!! Even being this in character how could you not like the protagonist?????!?!?) So lbh ends up getting a lot of sympathy and anger on his behalf from sy and immediately falling in love

Then sy somehow single handedly fixes the pidw universe bc he thinks that of this many people are going to be rping this in character than goddammit he's going to make this gc into a self-insert fix-it fic!!

Climax comes with miscommunication! (Probably)

Things are heating up in the pidw universe and lbh is abt to go on his revenge ark journey when suddenly sy falls very ill! Then everyone worries and stops fighting, sy opens up for one of the first times in his life and asks his friends to stop fighting (and roleplaying) and just visit him

However, since they are literally from different universes, they CANT come visit, but sy takes this as they refuse to take him seriously and break character just for once bc he's trying to be emotionally vulnerable here dammit!!

Sy ends up just cutting contact with all of them (and they literally have no other way to contact him)

Everyone is forced to work together to find sy (they cannot) and some discussions of feelings are had

Sqh has the whole situation figured out but due to being very nervous abt how they will react if he revealed himself (+the system) it takes him a while to say anything

Sqh reveals the whole other world, transmigration secret and everyone is shocked

Then lbh takes his sex sword and some other people (haven't decided who yet- probably sqh and sj) to find sy

When they find him he is NOT doing well (cutting contact with the only positive influence you have had in your life for a while can do that) and everybody sits down and talks shit out

Lbh takes the opportunity to woo sy as well as he can bc he is making that man his wife no matter what (or he will be the wife- just as long as he is with sy)

Not quite sure how it should end yet

I think sy should go live in the pidw universe???? But at the same time his terminal illness (+ the comforts of modern life) And his family is probably going to be more present in his life so he would be less likely to leave them

He could be the child of divorce between the 2 universes???? Visiting each one for a certain period of time then going back to the other (lbh ofc stays with him no matter what universe he lives in)

Sqh knows that sy is from the same world as him bc sy user shows up as peerless cucumber for a while, but after a short conversation in dms that was supposed to clear everything up it only made it worse

(Sqh thinks sy is also a transmigrater who just got sent into some Canon fodder side character that wasn't even named, while sy thinks this is a fellow poor unfortunate would who accidently got added to the gc and just stuck around like he did and began to have fun.)

Dear Lord, I need someone to write a fic where all of the first class time travel into the future, like in dark phoenix or apocalypse or anything and they just like… see how fucked up their future is ??

Like, what do you mean Charles is in a wheelchair AND doesn’t have any hair !?

What do you mean Alex and Sean are death ??? Like wtf

And most importantly, WHAT DO YOU MEAN CHARLES AND ERIK ARE NOT MARRIED WITH THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ?!!

And so, they see all of this and decide to make compromises to be sure that their future will be better. Because a future where they are all separated is not a future they want 😾

I need some happy angst in my life right now so here’s Fives living and getting to find Echo.

Once again, posting things from my fic that I think appeal to a wider audience. Ever since I saw Echo was alive, I knew I needed Fives to have been there. It was a pleasure writing this version.

Again, sorry my usual followers, this is stuff in the fics. 

Today’s Sample: Fives learns what Rex discovers and comes along on the mission to rescue Echo.

The context: Fives lives and Ahsoka stays with the 501st. Also Ahsoka has super charged Force powers that cripple her if she uses them too much. She leads the mission to go get Echo. Also Fives and Crosshair one hundred percent got into a fight. (oh and Tup lives too)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

General Skywalker was serious as they explained what had happened.

“I’ll talk to the Council.” He said. “But we will be getting permission.”

Rex knew that meant they were going whether or not they got actual permission. For once, the General was acting as his old self again.

“Go and talk to Fives.” He said. “He’ll want to know.”

“Thank you, sir.” Rex said. 

General Skywalker patted Rex on the shoulder.

“I’ll let you know when we can leave.” He said. “And I’ll see if that Bad Batch can give us a hand.”

Rex and Ahsoka turned to leave before the General spoke again.

“Oh, and Rex?” He said. “I’ll need your- help later, okay?”

Rex repressed a sigh.

“Yes, sir.” He said.

“You’re only back a few days, and he’s making you stand watch during his little meetings with Padme?” Ahsoka asked once they were on the way to the barracks, shaking her head.

“It’s all right most of the time.” Rex said. “Just as long as General Kenobi’s not around.” 

Fives was waiting at the entrance of the barracks for them.

“Rex, Ahsoka.” He said as they approached. “Tup said you had something important to talk to me about?”

“Yes.” Rex said.

“We’ll go to my quarters to talk about it.” Ahsoka said.

Fives’ frown deepened, but he followed them to the small room Ahsoka stayed in.

“Take a seat.” Ahsoka said to Fives, gesturing to her cot. 

Fives did so, looking between them.

“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, okay?” He said.

It was a weak attempt to diffuse the tension, Rex knew, and Fives’ grin slipped away as Ahsoka and Rex continued to look grim.

Rex gave the outline of the mission: that they suspected an algorithm that could predict Rex’s plans. 

“We found a live signal at the Separatist Cyber Center. From a being on Skako Minor.” Rex said. “When we asked who it was-” 

Rex took a deep breath. He hoped he wasn’t wrong in opening this wound.

“It said it was CT-1409.”

Fives’ eyes widened, his nostrils flared, and he stood immediately.

“When do we leave?” He demanded.

Rex and Ahsoka shared a look.

“Fives, we are going, and soon, but you have to consider that this may be a trap.” Ahsoka said.

“Of course it’s a trap!” Fives said. “They’re using our dead brother to try and lure us in! They have to pay for it!”

“Fives,” Rex said, unsure on how to respond to Fives’ reaction. “Echo could be alive.”

“He’s not.” Fives’ voice had dropped to a low growl. “He’s not. It’s a trick and they have to pay.” “Fives-”

Fives whirled on them, eyes wild.

“Don’t you think I would know if my brother was alive?” He yelled. “I saw him die! I felt it! Echo is dead!”

He stared at them, daring them to say differently. Tears were leaking down his face, unnoticed. 

“Just-just let me know when we leave.” He said.

He pushed past them and out the door.

“Ahsoka.” Rex said. “Can you- can you maybe feel Echo?” 

Ahsoka shook her head.

“But that doesn’t mean he’s for sure dead.” She said. “I couldn’t really feel Master Obi Wan when he was pretending to be that bounty hunter, and sometimes a person can change so much that you can’t recognize them in the Force.”

“I have to believe he’s alive.” Rex said quietly. “It has to be him.” 

"But if it's not?" Ahsoka asked.

"Then I say his name in remembrances again." Rex said. "And move on, like with every fallen brother."

It was a lie. If it was not Echo, Rex did not know if he could move on this time.

Fives shot again and again into the crowd of clankers. His face still throbbed from where Crosshair had landed his only decent punch from their fight earlier. Fives liked to think that the sniper had come off worse for wear from their scuffle. The idiot shouldn't have brought up leaving Echo behind. 

That was why this couldn't be Echo. It was a trap, through and through. Because if Echo was alive, that meant Fives had left his injured brother behind, left him for dead. Fives could have never done that. So Echo wasn't alive. It was just a fact.

Ahsoka led the group through the Techno Union's base. Rex was at Fives' side. The Captain had been high strung and moody this whole mission. He'd nearly attacked Crosshair too and would have if Ahsoka hadn't stopped him. 

Fives vaguely wondered how he'd been acting, if Rex was this bad. 

Fives was forced to admit, the Bad Batch was good. He wouldn't choose to take any of them on missions, as they were all pretentious shebs'e. Except the big one. Wrecker was all right, and was worth a squad of his own. 

He’s a bit like Hardcase Fives thought as he yanked a droid's head from its body and chucked it at another oncoming clanker. He never thought this much during missions. He had a laser focus, only deviating for a well timed joke.

"The signal is coming from in there." Tech said, pointing to a door.

He had been calling it Echo's signal until Fives had threatened to shove his datapad up his unmentionables. It wasn't Echo's signal. It was a trick.

"Open the door!" Rex ordered.

An ugly, amphibian like mug appeared on a screen next to the door.

Fives tuned out most of what Wat Tambor had to say and shot more clankers. 

"Your friend is dead." Fives managed to catch Wat Tambor's words over the blaster fire. 

He knew it.

"Liar!" Rex snarled.

Fives wanted to scream at Rex. He didn't know how the Captain would react to finding out that Tambor was telling the truth. Rex needed to let the delusion go.

"Fives!" 

Fives looked back to see an open door. Rex was beckoning to him. 

"You're with us!" He said.

Fives ducked in with Tech and Rex. Hunter looked back at them.

"I hope you find what you're looking for." He said.

The door closed behind them. They were in a dimly lit chamber with several control desks. The focus of the room seemed to be a strange- Fives couldn't think of any other word than casket.

"I don't like the look of this." Tech said as they moved slowly into the room.

He tapped at his datapad.

"I'm definitely picking up a lifeform in there."

"Signals can be faked." Fives said. 

No one responded. Rex was staring at the casket.

"I think I can get it open." Tech said.

He worked at the controls. Fives stood next to Rex, ready to pull him away from whatever trap was contained in the casket. 

The casket opened.

A body fell forward, hanging from a jungle of cords and wires.

For a horrifying moment Fives thought it was a corpse. Then he saw the flickering of the eyes.

It was alive.

Echo was alive.

Fives moved faster than Rex, ripping his helmet off and climbing up to where Echo was attached. An anguished noise he couldn't remember making echoed around the chamber. He pulled Echo down into his arms. 

"Echo!" Fives said.

Echo made no movement. His skin was freezing, even through Fives' armor and blacks. Fives clutched him harder into his chest.

"Ey'ika, wake up." He said. 

Hot tears were dripping off his nose onto Echo's back, melting the frost.

"Ey'ika, please." He begged. "We're here, we're here. You can wake up now."

He was openly crying now. He was vaguely aware of Rex giving Tech instructions, but he didn't care what the others did. Echo had to wake up. 

Then Echo began to speak.

"We-we have to get to the shuttle-" Echo mumbled. "To escape the Citadel."

Fives' already cracked heart broke into two.

"No! I'll go first."

"No, Echo." Fives said in a rush, rocking Echo back and forth. "No, you're not there."

"No, no!" Echo struggled weakly against Fives' grip.

"You're with me. It's Fives. I'm here." Fives babbled. 

"No!" Echo pushed against Fives one last time before falling back. "Fives?"

His eyes finally focused on Fives' face.

"You- you came back for me." He said.

A fresh wave of tears overcame Fives. He pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry." Fives choked out. "I'm sorry."

Echo shifted against Fives' grip.

"Rex?" He asked.

Rex knelt next to them.

"Yeah, it's me." He said softly.

"What- what happened?" Echo asked. He pulled weakly away from Fives and looked around. "Where am I?"

"It's okay, Echo." Rex said. "You're safe now."

Fives wondered how Rex was staying so calm. How could he reassure Echo that it was okay? It wasn't okay. Didn't he see what they had done to Echo? And they were the ones who left him.

"Just sit tight trooper." Rex said. "You're going home."

He beckoned and suddenly Tech was with them. Fives instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around Echo.

"Fives." Rex said. "We gotta make sure he's okay." 

Fives swallowed. He felt if he let go of Echo, then his brother would suddenly disappear and Fives would find that it was a dream. He released Echo and gently positioned himself so that Tech could get a look, but kept one arm around Echo's shoulders.

Tech was surprisingly gentle as he checked Echo over. Even still, every so often Echo would shudder or flinch.

Fives took in Echo’s condition as Tech worked. Echo was so, so thin. He was ghostly pale and his now faded eyes were too large in his face. But the worst thing was what they had added. Metal studded the skin of his back, his stomach, his chest, his head. Wires were screwed into his left arm, and his right- Fives swallowed bile as he looked at the inhuman scomp they had replaced his right hand with. As far as Fives could tell, Echo’s legs were also mechanical. For a second, Fives was overwhelmed with how little of his brother was left. 

"Unfortunately there isn't much I can tell without a good scanner." Tech said after a moment. "As I suspected, most of the useful information will come from the data here."

He stood and handed Fives a canteen.

"He is dehydrated." Tech said. "Make sure he drinks."

Then he turned back to the controls and started tapping away.

Fives unscrewed the canteen and held it to Echo's lips. Echo grimaced and turned his head away.

"Come on, Ey'ika." Fives encouraged. "Just a little."

Echo opened his mouth and Fives poured a little of the water in, careful not to make his brother choke.

Echo drank slowly at first, and then hungrily. Both his hand and his robotic attachment came up to steady the canteen as he gulped.

"Slow down." Fives said.

Echo's eyes widened and he pushed away at the canteen. He only moved it a little bit, but it was enough space for him to hunch over and vomit the water over his and Fives' laps. It hadn't had time to warm in Echo's stomach and the cool, yellowish liquid soaked into Fives' blacks. 

"S-sorry." Echo mumbled, attempting to wipe at his mouth.

"It's okay." Fives soothed.

Echo stared at the canteen. His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed, his thirst evident.

"Hey Tech!" Fives said. "He threw up the water."

Tech glanced at them.

"His stomach's size has been reduced considerably." He said. "Only let him take sips every few minutes."

"You hear that, Echo?" Rex asked.

Echo nodded.

"Do you remember how you got here, Echo?" Rex asked after Echo had had a few sips.

Fives shot Rex a glare. Echo didn't need to be interrogated right now.

"No." Echo said softly. "I-I just remember trying- trying to get to the shuttle and then- and then-"

He clutched at his head with his hand. He was trembling under Fives' arm.

"That's all right, trooper." Rex said. "Just relax. Do you think you can stand?" 

Echo put his hand on Fives' shoulder, pressing down. He managed to get to his feet, but he swayed. He took a step but immediately lost balance. Fives caught him and helped him back down.

"It'll be fine." Fives said. "I'll carry him."

Rex nodded. He placed his hand on Echo's shoulder again for a moment before standing and taking a defensive position near the front of the room.

It wasn't long before Ahsoka came into the room.

“Things are almost under control out there.” She said. "How's it going in here?"

"I'm still trying to decrypt Echo's cerebral interface." Tech said promptly. "Until I do, we cannot disconnect him from this computer system."

She came forward and knelt in front of Echo. “Echo.” She called softly.

Echo, who had retreated into his own mind, started and looked up.

“Com-commander?” He stuttered. “What-what happened to you?”

Ahsoka gave a small laugh. Fives’ own smile disappeared when he saw the look on Echo’s face.

“How long have I been here?” Echo whispered.

“We can talk about that later.” Ahsoka said. “How do you feel?”

“I-” Echo swallowed. “I’ve been better, sir.”

Ahsoka glanced at Rex and Fives.

“He’s too weak to walk.” Rex supplied. “He’s very disoriented. Can’t remember how he got here.”

Ahsoka nodded.

“Have you called in the extraction squad?”

“I tried.” Rex said. “Signals are-patchy here. I don’t think I got through.”

Ahsoka grimaced.

“Well, we’ve been in worse binds.”

 The rest of the Batch had come into the room.

Fives ignored their reports and turned back to Echo. His brother was shivering and damp from the melting frost. All Fives could do was hold his brother close.

Echo seemed to fade in and out of reality. Occasionally he would jerk and whisper his number again. 

"I've got it!" Tech declared. "We can unplug him now."

Rex approached and Fives helped Echo turn around. Fives held him steady as Rex ripped the connections out. Echo jerked and gasped after each one. The last one sent him sprawling onto Fives' shoulder, coughing. He lay still for a second.

"Echo?" Fives asked.

He pushed Echo off of him and held him at arm's length. To his surprise, Echo was sitting upright by himself. When he looked into Fives' eyes, there was a light that wasn't there before. A smile touched his lips.

"I got a big headache." He declared.

Fives gave a laugh that verged on a sob. Echo was free.

Fives helped Echo up the Marauder's ramp, despite his brother's protests.

"I can walk, Fives."

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Fives replied. 

Echo's snort of laughter made Fives' heart swell.

Behind them Rex carried Ahsoka. Saving all of their shebs'e had put her firmly out of commission. 

Fives figured that spewing forth masses of lightning would take it out of anyone.

The battle alongside the Poletec had been going badly. Fives had had the traitorous thought of wishing they had a Jedi with real lightsabers. Ahsoka's electrostaffs had been useless against the tri-droids. Hunter and Rex had been making some progress on them, courtesy of Wrecker chucking them on top of the droids.

Then one had made the mistake of turning its sights on Crosshair and Echo. 

Fives had shouted, but Ahsoka had acted. Fives could still see in his mind her flinging her hands forward in a desperate attempt to stop the tri-droid from firing. Instead of an invisible push, a barrage of green bolts of electricity had sprung from her fingers. It had overwhelmed the tri-droid and it toppled over into its fellow, bringing them both down.

After they'd taken out the rest of the droids, they'd found Ahsoka unable to move, but able to curse loudly. Rex had carried her the entire way back.

Fives had been impressed, but Ahsoka seemed somewhat upset about it. General Skywalker had told stories about Dooku's ability to use lightning. Allegedly it was something only Sith could do.

Fives figured there was a first time for everything. Ahsoka was the furthest thing from a Sith one could get, at least according to Fives' limited understanding.

Echo stumbled and Fives quickly steadied him. 

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Echo said. "Just a little tired."

"I suspect you are feeling more than 'a little tired.' Tech said. "The adrenaline that has kept you functioning the last several hours should be wearing off."

Fives had Echo sit on one of the Marauder's seats. Looking into his brother's eyes, Fives guessed Tech was right. Echo's eyelids were drooping.

On the other side of the ship, Rex was lifting Ahsoka onto one of the sleeping racks.

"Does this happen to you a lot?" Wrecker asked Ahsoka. "Cause this is the second time-"

Rex shot Wrecker a look, but Ahsoka laughed. 

"It's a recent development." She said. "Doesn't happen as often as it used to though."

"Here." Fives looked up to see Hunter holding out a set of blacks and a blanket.

"Thanks." Fives said, accepting them. 

He nudged Echo, who'd been staring into space. 

"Tech says he shouldn't eat anything right now." Hunter went on as Fives began helping Echo get the blacks on. "But he's getting nutrition and saline shots ready."

Fives nodded his thanks. Echo kept zoning out, making dressing him a little difficult. Finally Fives got Echo settled with the blanket wrapped tightly around him. Fives removed his own upper armor and put an arm around Echo. For the first time since they'd freed him from that casket, Echo stopped shivering.

It wasn't until the Marauder had taken off that Tech came by with several hypos.

"Echo." Fives said softly.

Echo blinked at Fives and then saw the needles. His eyes widened.

"No-" He croaked and jerked away from Tech. "No more, get away from me-"

"Echo!" Fives held his brother firm. "Echo, you're safe. These are going to help you."

Echo shook his head.

"No more." He said again. "No more."

"You will have to hold him." Tech said. "I will administer a sedative first."

"I'm not gonna hold him down!" Fives said. "Not like they did!"

Tech pushed at his goggles and frowned.

"Echo." Ahsoka said. "Be calm."

Fives could feel the power in her words. Echo stopped struggling. He meekly allowed Tech to roll up his sleeve and give him the first shot, though he was trembling. He flinched hard as the needle pierced his skin. Fives let out a breath as Echo's head fell onto his shoulder.

"Excellent." Tech said. 

He administered the other two shots. Fives tucked his brother in closer and settled down. 

The Batch migrated to the cockpit. Fives suspected they were uncomfortable with their ship so overtaken by strangers. There were a few minutes of indistinct conversation before the only sound on the ship was the hum of the engines.

Fives looked down at Echo. The shadows under his eyes were so dark. Fives wondered why. Wasn’t stasis like sleeping? He’d have to ask Kix when they returned. Maybe they just looked dark because of Echo’s ghostly skin. 

Clones didn't have much to lose in terms of body weight. They were slim, efficient machines. But Echo was skeletal. His bony shoulder dug painfully into Fives' side.

Fives suddenly became terrified for Echo. Did he meet the standards anymore? Could he do what was required of him as a soldier?

That thought made Fives even more sick to his stomach. Echo, if he wanted to live, had to become a soldier again. Looking down at him, Fives thought that he'd never seen anyone who looked less ready to go to war. Fives didn't want him to, either. He wanted Echo to have the chance to forget about what he'd been through. The war would make that impossible.

Echo twitched in his sleep and let out a soft groan. Fives didn't want to imagine what horrors lurked behind Echo's eyelids. 

"You're safe, Echo." Fives muttered. "I'm here."

Echo stilled again. Fives mentally prepared himself for a long trip. Echo would need him and Fives would be there. It wouldn't make up for the years he'd left Echo alone, but he would be there. 

He would not sleep. Not when there was the chance of waking and finding that Echo’s return was a dream.

Mando’a: 

shebs’e: asses

Ey’ika: Little Eyayah, Fives’ special nickname for Echo

Eyayah: Echo

And then later they fight about Echo going with the Bad Batch and it’s the last conversation they have before Fives takes a blaster bolt for Ahsoka after Rex’s chip activates. And then Fives nearly dies because they don’t have enough bacta. But then he recovers and bullies his way into the Bad Batch. And somehow I torture him less than in my other fic.

Derek Hale Appreciation Week 2021 Day 5:

Friday Nov 26 - Fix-It Friday // Poetry

I wait in Stiles’ room, knowing how creepy it is, but I know it’s the only way to get him to talk to me. I know I need his help but I doubt he’ll give it. I have to try though. I’ll lose my Pack if I don’t convince him to help. I know it’s a long shot, but he did well with Scott and he held me up in the pool for over two hours while I was paralyzed. He never let go besides trying to get Scott to come help even when it was clear we were both going down. He still didn’t give up on me. And I fucking made the mistake of going against them and failed, not only that I was wrong as well. Stiles might be my only hope. As much as I loathe to admit it, but I refuse to lose my Pack again. Stiles finally gets home and comes upstairs to his room. He again fails to notice me and I begin to question how he doesn’t. He sits on his desk chair before turning around to face me, proving me wrong. Maybe he’s just not afraid of me anymore. He just looks at me for a minute and I feel small under his stare.

I flinch and say “I need your help. I know what we did was fucked up and I shouldn’t have done it. But I need your help training the betas. I’m abusing them. Well Issac and Erica. I can’t seem to train them myself so I need your help, you did well with Scott. And yeah you might not be able to physically handle teaching them how to fight, but you can teach them strategy. Which is not my strong suit. Please, Stiles. I can’t lose another Pack and I feel them pulling away from me and I can’t do it alone. I know your loyalty is to Scott but you held me in that pool for over two hours and Scott only came when it was nearly too late.”

He nods and says “I did and I know. You also only got paralyzed because you were pushing me to safety. You turned your back to a serious threat to make sure I wasn’t going to die. If I help you, you will have to do better and also make sure your betas will not hurt me on purpose anymore. Erica hit me over the head with my own damn starter and Issac threw my ass across the house into a wall. Boyd is the only one that hasn’t done me any harm. But he’s also the one that has less to prove since it’s pretty clear he’s your second.”

I stare at him and say “Are you actually considering it? And how could you tell about Boyd? I will do what you think I need to do as long as it’s reasonable.”

He smiles softly and says “Yes I’m considering it. I don’t trust your betas but I do trust you. He’s the one who is closest to you, also he is the best option for it. He’s strong mentally as well as physically. He’s a great choice, though with care the other two can thrive as well. So I’ll be your advisor and you’ll actually listen to me?”

I slide down the wall and say “You trust me? Boyd isn’t ruled by emotion like the other two or me honestly. I will do my best to listen but I can be an idiot I will admit that. So sometimes you might have to beat it into my head. But overall I’ll do my best to listen to your advice.”

He nods and says “Yes, I do. Do you think I would have done what I did for you otherwise? I was willing to die with you rather than leave you on your own. Also I am sorry for when I made you strip for Danny to do what we needed him to. Boyd will be a great second with a little training for both of you. I understand. If I do this I can’t tell Scott or he’ll lose his shit. But I think this might be the better decision for me if I’m being honest. Working with your Pack is better than being forced to go against you, especially since I think something is going on with Scott that isn’t about Allison. He’s pulling away worse than normal. And I’m unsure what he’s planning but if he isn’t telling me I feel like it couldn’t be anything good. I think we need to explain things to Lydia because she’s kinda losing her mind and I worry that it’s related to Peter.”

I stare at him in shock and say “I did not expect that. I guess it makes sense when you say it like that. Thank you, you never did anything like that again, so we’re even. Since I hurt you for it. Do you think I can be a good alpha? Okay we can keep it from Scott if you want. I don’t know how well that is going to go though. We might not be able to keep it from him for too long, but we’ll do our best. What do you think is going on with Scott? And if you really think that’s the right decision I’ll agree with you. Her being in the know might be for the best.”

He smirks and says “You can be an idiot sometimes. I wish I hadn’t done it from the beginning, you didn’t deserve that. I deserved that for doing that to you. I believe with a little training and care you could be a good Alpha. I can actually help you there. I think it won’t be as hard as you think, honestly. I fear it has something to do with Gerard, considering he is showing a little too much interest in Scott. I do think it’s in our best interest for her to know. We should have told her before now. She’s going to be pissed, but I’ll blame it on the fear of Gerard and Victoria. That too many people knowing caused us fear.”

I look up at him and say “You have thought about this a lot, haven’t you? You have already considered working with me and the Pack, haven’t you? I’ll trust you with her and maybe figuring out Scott’s thing with Gerard. How can you help me become a better Alpha? Not that I doubt you, honestly, just wondering how.”

He chuckles and says “I have, honestly, more than I’d like to admit. I found a poem that explained my feelings about it honestly. I can show you a few things to build up the bonds you have with them. I’ve done a lot of research since the beginning of this. You need to scent your betas and that will do the most good, and coming to me for help was definitely a good decision. I can balance you out pretty well.”

I nod and say “How should I scent them? What is the poem? I think you’re right that you could balance me out, which is why I came to you in the first place.”

He smiles and says “The poem says, The low lands call

I am tempted to answer

They are offering me a free dwelling

Without having to conquer

The massive mountain makes its move

Beckoning me to ascend

A much more difficult path

To get up the slippery bend

I cannot choose both

I have a choice to make

I must be wise

This will determine my fate

I choose, I choose the mountain

With all its stress and strain

Because only by climbing

Can I rise above the plain

I choose the mountain

And I will never stop climbing

I choose the mountain

And I shall forever be ascending

I choose the mountain”

(By Howard Simon)

I look him in the eye and say “Are me and the Pack the mountain?”

He chuckles and says “You are. I was already leaning heavy towards you. You are more dependable than Scotty honestly. I’m going to need dependability to survive I think. And to scent them run your fingers down the side of their neck. It’s the best place for an Alpha to scent their Pack. It’ll also help them submit to you properly. They’ll have to learn to trust you, especially Issac. You’ll have to scent him more and give him more support. Due to his past, especially since he probably feels like he just went from one abusive father to another one. Which according to you, he really did. Which will need to be worked on, Derek. I know it’ll take time and effort, but I believe you can do it.”

I curl into myself slightly and say “Can I ask you a question? Well two actually. One, do you think it’s my fault that my family was killed? And two, do you think my family deserved what happened?”

He kneels in front of me, sighing and says “Kate is the one at fault, it’s not your fault. At all, you were a kid, Derek. You were targeted and taken advantage of. You’re just as not guilty as the rest of your family. Also absolutely not. They did not deserve what happened to them and neither did you. Why would you ask me that? How could you even slightly think I could feel that way?”

I look down and say “Scott did. He said it and he meant it. He looked me in the eye in front of Peter and said that the Argents had reason to do what they did to my family. His heartbeat didn’t waver, he believed that. I just needed to know you didn’t agree with him.”

He collapses into himself and says “Oh my god. How the fuck could he say that to you? How could he honestly believe that? I’m so sorry. I’m surprised you or Peter didn’t attack him for that. I would have. I’m not sure I recognize him anymore and I don’t think I can blame the bite for it. Despite how much I wish I could, I know better than that.”

I sigh and say “I don’t know, Stiles. I’m sorry for telling you, this probably makes things harder for you. Sadly I agree that you can’t blame it on the bite, even a non consensual one.”

He shakes his head and says “No you just made my decision easier. Thank you for telling me. Gerard has cancer and I’m worried he’s using Scott to get you to give him the bite. I didn’t want to tell you, but it didn’t feel right to hold back after you told me that. I know and what makes it worse is the fact that my dad wishes Scott was his son instead of me and says it more often than not. Even though Scott is kind of a piece of shit. I wish it didn’t affect me as much as it does, since I definitely don’t want it exploited.”

I frown and say “Your dad is kind of a piece of shit too. A good man, but a shit father. You’re brilliant, resourceful, and strong. All Scott has going for him are his puppy dog eyes that make you want to believe him. You’re so much more than he is.”

He smiles, baring his neck to me and says “Thank you. That means more to me than you know. I will help you become the Alpha you need to be and keep your betas with you.”

I run my fingers down the side of his neck and say “Thank you. I’ll need the help and I’m grateful you’re willing to help me.”

He smiles softly and says “I’m glad you finally asked me for help. I was worried you weren’t going to. I knew offering would have offended you, so I’m glad you came to me for help.”

I chuckle and say “You’re probably right.”

He smirks and says “I typically am, Derek. Glad you’re realizing it. Another thing you can do to help with the Betas is grab the back of their neck lightly when they’re upset or need to relax. It will help more than you know. Trust me.”

I shake my head and say “Okay. Good to know. Did I do the scenting thing right? How I did it to you is the right way right?”

He chuckles and says “Yes just not as long as you’ve been doing it to me. Since your hand is still on my neck currently and the betas would be very uncomfortable for prolonged contact to their neck. But short brushes down their necks every hour or so when they're around you is good for them and you.”

I pull my hand away quickly and say “I honestly didn’t notice I still had my hand on your neck. I’m sorry.”

He laughs and says “I would have told you to remove it if I wasn’t okay with it. I told you I trust you and I meant it. You don’t have to apologize.”

I frown and say “Why? I’ve threatened you so many times, especially about ripping your throat out. So how are you comfortable with me having my hand on your neck for so long?”

He smirks and says “Technically you’ve always said you would rip my throat out with your teeth, not your hands. And I trust you with my safety. You turned your back on a serious threat to make sure I got to safety, completely ignoring your instincts purely for my safety. That showed more than you’d probably ever be comfortable enough to say. So I trust you enough to let you close to me, something I’m not very good at.”

I gape at him and say “You mean that? I’m not sure I deserve that much trust. Everything I touch breaks.”

He smirks and says “I’m pretty sure I get to decide that, Derek. And I trust you despite what you think. Good thing I’m pretty unbreakable.”

I stare at him and say “Are you meaning this how I think you do? Or are you just saying in general? I feel like I’m missing something.”

He smiles softly and says “I'm meaning it however you’re most comfortable taking it.”

I smirk at him and say “So if I was comfortable with it meaning a love confession, it would mean a love confession?”

He blushes and says “If you were comfortable with it, it just might.”

I sit up straight and say “Are you joking or are you being serious? I kind of need to know.”

He blushes deeper and says “I’m not joking. Unless you want me to be joking, then I totally am. But in all honesty I’m not joking.”

I smile at him shyly and say “I don’t want you to be joking. Do you actually have feelings for me? Romantic feelings?”

He nods and says “I do, but it doesn’t have to matter. We don’t have to talk about it again. We can pretend you don’t know.”

I shake my head and say “What if I didn’t want to forget it? What if I wanted to talk about it? What if I want it to matter?”

He frowns slightly and says “What do you mean, Derek?”

I make eye contact and say “What if you weren’t the only one with feelings?”

His eyes go wide and says “I’d be shocked.”

I smirk and say “I’m surprised you didn’t know honestly. You’re smart enough and know enough about werewolves to make an assumption, probably a correct one, about why keeping you safe was enough for me to ignore my instincts. Especially when it came to the kind of threat we were facing.”

His eyes go even wider and says “No way. I wrote it off of you being a self sacrificing asshole like normal. There is no way it means what you’re hinting at.”

I frown and say “That’s rude, just in case you didn’t know. Would that be such a bad thing? If it means what I’m hinting at?”

He frowns and says “Oh shit. No it wouldn’t be. I just never considered it as a possibility.”

I lean back against the wall and say “Would you be receptive to it?”

He pulls his knees to his chest and says “Is that a serious question? If I’d be receptive to being your mate? Because that’s what we’re talking about right now, correct?”

I nod, looking away and say “Yes it’s a serious question. And yes that is what we’re talking about.”

He says “Derek, look at me. Please.”

I look at him and say “Can you answer the question please?”

He smiles brightly and says “Of course I’d be receptive to being your mate. Fuck Derek. That’d be a dream come true if we’re being honest here.”

I smile shyly and say “You really mean that?”

He nods and says “Listen to my heartbeat if you need to. Being your mate would be a dream come true. I’d be more than receptive to being your mate.”

I surprise him by baring my throat to him, I hear him gasp. He understood, which is what I was hoping for. I wait for him to touch my neck, accepting what I’m offering. He lightly runs his fingers down my neck and I shiver slightly. I wonder if he fully understood what I was offering, but I’m kind of afraid to know.

He sighs and says “I do know what this means, Der. Fully aware. You’re safe with me, I promise you that. I won't hurt you. I won't take advantage of the trust you’re putting into me.”

I smile slightly and say “I trust you.”

He says “I will take care of you, Derek. I will treasure you. And I will respect you.”

I pull him towards me and say “I know, Stiles. If I had any doubts about you I wouldn’t have offered. I trust you. But we need to take things slow, cause you’re young. A minor, whose father is the sheriff and hates me enough as it is.”

He sits next to me and says “Don’t worry about it. I won’t push you for anything, Derek. I turn 17 next month so it’s not as long as you think it’ll be. Also we have other priorities right now. It can wait or even not ever happen and I’d be okay with either.”

I lean into him and say “I didn’t know that. I appreciate you not trying to push me. I don’t want to be like Kate. Do you really mean that? That we could never have sex and you’d be okay with it?”

He chuckles and says “You could never be like Kate. She lied about who she was, she took advantage of your suffering, she used and abused you. You wouldn’t do any of that, especially not to me. It’s a completely different thing, but I understand where you’re coming from. You were a minor and so am I. I get it. Yes I really mean it. Do I want to have sex, totally, but if you weren’t comfortable with it ever I’d be okay with that. Because I care about you more than I care about sex.”

I lean my head on his shoulder and say “You actually mean that and I honestly can’t even fathom how you care about me enough for that.”

He rests his head against mine and says “I love and respect you idiot. I’m not going to hurt you in any way if I can help it. So if sex is off limits than it is and that’d be just fine.”

I say “You said love.”

He chuckles and says “I did say love. And I meant it. I do love you, Derek.”

I say “Why? How?”

He sighs and says “Derek you are a mess, but you’re a beautiful mess. You’ve been hurt but you’re not broken, not really. You’re stronger than you know. You’re still standing despite everything. You are incredible, truly. I know you better than you think I do.”

I say “I’ve hurt you and been nothing but awful since we met. I don’t understand how you can love me. I don’t deserve it.”

He growls fairly well for a human and says “You deserve to be loved, Derek. Never say you don’t again. Seriously I don’t care if you question my love, but stop questioning your worth. What she did does not define you or your worth. What happened was her fault, not yours.”

I say “How are you so sure of that? I gave her the information.”

He growls again and says “Not intentionally and she would have gotten it without you.”

I say “What do you mean, Stiles? How else would she have gotten the information? If not from me?”

He sighs and says “Do you remember Claudia from when you were young? She was one of your mother’s friends. Was training under your emissary to work with him.”

I flinch and say “Yes I do. What about her? How do you know her?”

He flinches and says “She was my mother. Do you know what happened to her?”

I gasp and say “She got sick and had to stop coming around. I don’t remember much since it was right before Paige. What does this have to do with anything Stiles?”

He sighs and says “She had frontotemporal dementia. It wasn’t too bad at first but it got really bad and she would mix up people and talk about things she never would have before. Kate would come to the hospital sometimes and I never knew why. Kate was using my mother’s disease against her to betray your mother the same way she used you. My mother also had all of the same information. For some reason those things she remembered until nearly the end. She shared bits with me as well. But I think my mother gave her the information as well. So you weren’t the only one that gave her the information. My mother did as well.”

I tense and say “Oh god. How do you even know that, Stiles? Kate wouldn’t have been sloppy enough to do it in front of you.”

He flinches and says “I would prefer not to talk about it, but I would leave an audio recorder in her room whenever I wasn’t there. Once people I didn’t know were visiting her. I didn’t trust these people I didn’t know with my mother in her weakened state. Especially since I would be forced to leave the room. One of them was your mother and the other was Kate Argent. Your mom I recognized as a friend, but Kate I hated on sight. My mom didn’t realize they weren’t the same person. So she shared things with Kate she was not supposed to. I knew something was really wrong when I saw Kate talking to you one time but by the time I put the pieces together it was too late. And I couldn’t tell dad since he didn’t know anything about this world so I shut down pretty hard, then my mother died right in front of me. I gave up on life after that pretty hard. I felt at fault for the fire, my mother’s death and my father’s drinking problem. But it’s neither of our faults. It’s Kate’s.”

I say “Oh fuck. That’s awful. I’m so sorry. You met my mom?”

He sighs and says “Yeah I did. She was beautiful and kind to me. But she still would kick me out of the room, so I didn’t spend much time with her.”

I frown and say “I don’t understand why she would kick you out of the room.”

He says “I’m not sure. She brought Laura with her one time so I met her too. I was friends with Cora and I used to see you around which is how I was able to recognize you from the beginning.”

I say “Now that I think about it, you used to go by Mischief didn’t you? You do look like Claudia slightly. I don’t remember if I ever saw you back then.”

He flinches and says “Yes I did. I know, trust me, my father made that very clear. I’m not sure if you did, I was scared to meet you back then.”

I sigh and say “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Why were you scared to meet me?”

He tenses and says “I can’t explain it. It just felt like it wasn’t time to meet you. There was a feeling in my gut that told me to wait until it was time. Then you were gone and I tried to forget it. But you were on my mind more than I like to admit.”

I nod slightly and say “Okay. I guess your gut wasn’t exactly wrong. I was curious how you recognized me that day, but couldn’t really bring myself to care all that much.”

He laughs and says “Definitely understandable. I’m really sorry we got you arrested and announced you to the hunters. Scott played me like a fiddle and I fell for it.”

I smile slightly and say “I don’t blame you. You didn’t really know me and he’s your brother. Of course you would side with him, I’m still surprised you’re willing to side with me now.”

He chuckles and says “Thank you. I’m not siding with him anymore because I know he’s wrong.”

I say “Thank you for hearing me out. And telling me everything you have. I appreciate you opening up to me like this.”

He says “No need to thank me for anything. I owed you that much. You’re the only person who could understand.”

I smile and say “I get that.”

He sighs and says “You should probably get back to your betas but we can talk again later.”

I sigh and say “You’re right. I’ll tell them you’re going to be helping with them so they know. Also I’ll tell them not to tell Scott about it yet.”

He laughs and says “Okay, Derek. I’ll talk to you soon. Let me know when to come help with the puppies.”

I sigh and say “Oh god. I should have known you would call them that eventually.”

He laughs and says “You really should have seen it coming. One day when I don’t think they’ll kill me for it I’ll call them that to their face.”

I pull away and say “They wouldn’t kill you for it. I wouldn’t let them. But definitely don’t call them that in the beginning they’d rebel against it.”

He laughs and says “No worries. I’ll wait to call them puppies until they like me.”

I stand up and pull him up with me. He smirks at me and I chuckle softly at him. He pulls me into a hug and I melt into it. I smile into his shoulder, glad he was willing to make the move when I was scared to. He chuckles and holds me tighter to him. We stand in the embrace for a little while longer than he pulls away and pushes me to the window. I laugh softly and shake my head at him.

I say “I’ll let you know when to come help with the betas. We’ll talk later about us as well. But we both should probably digest the conversation first.”

He chuckles and says “Okay. No worries. We’ll talk later.”

I jump out of his window and head to the train depot to talk with the betas. I feel much more secure having Stiles on my side. I’m glad he was willing to help and hear me out.

@softranswolves

Too busy to actually write to have a plot instead:

Cody, Wolffe, Ponds, Bly and Rex go to a creepy castle as part of a mission, the data is vague and the source anonymous but their generals agreed to spare them for it and so they went.

Yellow eyes watch from the parapets and a fanged smile forms. It reaches into the Force and leans. The smile widens.

At first they think it’s a waste of time, until the first scream echos down the halls. They can’t determine where it’s from. But they know who it is.

Fox.

They split into smaller groups to search and find Fox first on the security cameras, emaciated and scarred being dragged by a cloaked figure across the uneven stone floor.

They rush to that corridor. He’s not there.

The first time they see him in person he’s across a gap to wide to cross, there’s no direct path. Again, he’s gone when they get there.

This thing is playing with them. It has their brother. And they can hear it talking, along with Fox’s screams they hear it. A voice they can’t pin telling Fox he’s alone, unloved, good for nothing but to serve as a battery and a pet, that nobody’s coming for him if they were they’d have come by now. Nobody cares he’s gone, he might as well give up.

How long has he been here…?

Coruscant has been comm silent for so long.

The first time they see him in person (through a window)and on camera they have to acknowledge the possibility that whatever thing is here, its messing with them. Taking their deepest fears and playing with them while Fox isn’t here at all. But what if he is? They can’t leave him here.

The screams sound so agonised, so real.

They keep searching.

Wolffe alone finds Fox first. Cradles him close as he tries to remove the metal shackles. Fox is barely conscious, barely with it, too thin and too scarred in his arms and the scars are deep, some look like they should have been fatal. Wolffe promises he loves his brother. Wolffe promises he’ll get him away from the Sith, get him somewhere safe.

Fox laughs, “you’ve already failed, I’m not the Sith who has your brother, I’m not the one who made these scars and screams” and Wolffe sees yellow eyes and fangs and darkness rushes in.

Cody, Rex, Ponds and Bly can’t find Wolffe or Fox…

It picks them off, one by one.

In a dungeon below the castle in a cell together they wake, and Fox walks towards them. But not Fox, because it has fangs and leathery wings and yellow eyes.

It taunts them. Fox is in the hands of a real Sith and that knowledge will die here with them.

They disagree.

———

:-D

(In summary: a dark sithly creature lures them in using the real visage of how fox looks under Palpatines ‘care’ and uses his real screams to mess with them. It enjoys suffering and like all Sith feeds off of it and that their fears are reality is even more fun and filling. It plays with them then picks them off while revealing the truth knowing they’ll die knowing they can’t do anything to save Fox.)

Enjoy.

(´☉ι‿☉`)