#chapter 16 preview

[isabeauwolf]

Preview of Merman Law x reader part 16

Who's ready?

[vexlonely]

“I talked to Harry today,” Hermione cut in.

Two sets of very different eyebrows rose on the men’s faces.

“Not about…er, his status,” she said, waffling the word horcrux as they relaxed. “About what his plans are for destroying the horcruxes.”

“And?” Lucius folded his hands over his left hip, much the way an ancient swordsman may have rested them on his sword. It made him look more regal than usual.

Hermione flinched.

“Harry wants to take advantage of the Dark Lord’s demise to begin anew, to live his life without the shadow of Voldemort’s hatred.”

’“Do you agree?” Snape asked Hermione.

“I press advantage when I have it.”

[geeky-writes]

The Phoenix Project Chapter 16 Preview

Behind? Catch up HERE 😊

Amazing moodboard created by @crownofstardustandbone @therollingstonys thank you so much!! 💖

********

It felt almost surreal to watch Ma and Sharon arrange all of Peter’s medical equipment and IV lines onto his bed. Once everything was packed up, Sharon climbed up onto the bed next to Peter, manually pushing air into his breathing tube as Sam and Bucky guided the whole thing down the cleared-out hallways and elevator and into the procedure room that Howard and Colonel Phillips had set up in the basement. As soon as they stepped inside and caught sight of Howard, who was barking orders at a couple of electrical technicians like he’d been doing so his entire life, Tony flinched, his hand clutching Steve’s so tightly that his fingers started to tingle.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ve got you,” Steve whispered. His own heart was already thudding at the all-too-familiar sights, the memories that he had of that fateful walk into a room very similar to this one slamming to the forefront of his mind. The circular control panel covered with innumerable switches and knobs, the serum infusion device already prepped with the clear blue liquid, and the missile-casing-like capsule for the radiation burst that was apparently the key to making the whole thing work.

“I imagine this all looks a bit familiar, eh, Captain?” Colonel Phillips said as he suddenly appeared at Steve’s left side.

“Yes, it does,” answered Steve, keeping his eyes on Peter as Ma directed Sam and Sharon to lift him into the capsule.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised,” said Colonel Phillips as he shot Steve a wink. “Ah, Howard’s asked if he could go over a couple of things with the two of you before we get started. Just a couple of changes that he’d like to make to the regular protocol since Peter is a child who’s still growing, rather than a fully-grown man like Steven was here.”

Steve glanced over at Tony, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Yes, Colonel, that’d be fine,” said Steve. “As long as he makes it quick.”

“Well, I’m not quite sure if he can do that, but we’ll see if he can try, hmm?” said Colonel Phillips.

“So, was all this stuff just hiding out somewhere all this time?” Tony suddenly blurted out. “‘Cause I gotta say, I can’t believe there were only ever two doses of it made, so—”

“No, there weren’t only two doses made, Tony,” Howard said as he came up next to Colonel Phillips. Steve clenched his jaw, fighting the strong urge to step in front of Tony. “In fact, I made a total of six doses, but somehow, only two of them made it into Langaran hands.”

“What?” Steve demanded. “You mean—?”

“That the so-called Meridian government got their hands on at least half of the created doses?” said Colonel Phillips. “Then you would be correct, Captain. Although apparently their experience with the serum wasn’t all that great, so they ended up scrapping the whole super-soldier idea altogether.”

“Which then meant that Langara had to as well,” Tony muttered, scowling. “Gotta keep the playing field level, right?”

Colonel Phillips smirked. “Mmm, or something like that. In fact, I had one of my intelligence boys pull some files from a Meridian scientific database just a few hours ago. Apparently someone over there—”

“Someone,” Howard practically spat out. “Yeah, I’m almost positive that it was Pym, Chester. He’s the only one stupid enough to do something like that.”

“Something like what, Mr Stark?” Steve snapped. “What’re you talking about?”

“I’m guessing that their people didn’t exactly turn out like Steve here?” asked Tony.

“No, not exactly,” said Colonel Phillips. “Whoever was in charge over there—”

“Which was Pym,” said Howard. “I’m telling you, it had to have been him.”

Colonel Phillips shot Howard a scathing frown. “As I was saying, whoever the scientist was in charge over there thought that instead of choosing some sickly guy on the verge of death to be their super-soldier, that he’d be extra smart and choose someone who was already proven to be strong. Well… what the scientist didn’t take into account was the fact that the guy they ended up choosing was already half-mad, and—”

“And so the serum turned him into a monster,” said Tony. His eyes flicked in Howard’s direction, his expression almost unreadable. “The serum is supposed to amplify everything inside the recipient, so good becomes better, and bad—”

“Becomes a helluva lot worse,” said Colonel Phillips. “Exactly.”

“Hmm,” Tony said, warily eyeing his father. “So that’s it, right? The dude went from being half-mad to completely cuckoo afterwards?”

“Yes, it is,” Howard said with a nod. “According to the file, the recipient’s name was Johann Schmidt.”

“And after this Johann Schmidt went on a murderous rampage trying to take down the Meridian government and ended up destroying millions of credits worth of tech and equipment, both sides secretly came to the agreement that there would be no more pursuit of any super-soldiers, and that all remaining doses of the serum had to be destroyed. We’ve uncovered some video evidence that verifies this.”

It took Steve only a second for that information to sink in.

“Wait… so if that’s the case, then—?”

“Then where the hell did this dose come from?” Tony finished.

Colonel Phillips shifted on his feet, jerking his head towards the infusion setup. “What you can see over there, gentlemen, is the only dose of the super-soldier serum currently in existence,” he said. “But it wasn’t one that was left over. Howard only finished manufacturing this dose about two weeks ago.”

The full chapter will post on Monday, July 13 😊

[lovergurrl411]

"This is insane," Hermione covered her mouth in horror. "He can't just–he can't, can he?"

"The Dark Lord is great," Lucius said as though it was all the explanation needed. Perhaps for Death Eaters it was. But not for Hermione. Never for her.

"You can't just let this happen," Hermione turned to Draco.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "What, pray tell, am I supposed to do exactly?"

"Choose a side!" she practically shouted, frustrated and afraid for their future. "Your prophecy is a beacon of light if you'd let it be."

Draco locked eyes with his father, and turned his back on Hermione. "Fate has already decided who'll win."

[geekymoviemom]

Ellipses Chapter 16 Preview

The two hours between sundown and the time to begin the climb feel like two days, with nothing to do except pace back and forth impatiently and try to keep down food and water.  The lack of decent food hasn't seemed to temper my recent nausea at all, and a part of me grudgingly admits that maybe Prim was right.  Maybe there is a possibility I could be expecting Peeta’s baby.

I sit back down against the wall, bringing my clammy palm to my lower abdomen, as if to protect the possible innocent life inside.  If Peeta and I did conceive during our time in the cave, then it's even more incentive to get him out from under Antonius’s thumb.  If anyone in this wretched country has ever deserved to be a father, it’s Peeta.  The thought brings a small smile to my face, remembering when he once told me that he often dreamed about our future children.  A little girl, with my hair and his eyes, who loved to bake like her daddy, and a little boy, with blond hair and grey eyes who loved to hunt, like me.

I wonder which version of that dream will come true.  Closing my eyes, I press my hand more firmly against my belly, picturing us back in the Meadow in Twelve, watching as our daughter dances among the dandelions and wildflowers, the warm spring breeze carrying the sounds of her laughter.

What a beautiful sound.

“Katniss?” my father says, startling me awake, the wisps of my happy dream blowing away like dandelion seeds.  I blink open my eyes to find him looking at me, his grey eyes full of concern.  “It’s now or never.  Are you ready?” The full chapter will post on Monday, March 12  :)

[whatname0523]

[geeky-writes]

Chasing Demons Chapter 16 Preview

Behind? Catch up HERE 😊

He was up to his eyeballs in decoded files and new suit schematics when Peter suddenly walked into the lab, exhausted and disheveled, his pale cheeks lined with tears.

“Pete? Buddy, tell me what’s wrong,” Tony said as shot to his feet, with Peter practically collapsing into his arms. He tucked his boy’s head under his chin, his entire skinny body shaking with such intense sobs that he couldn’t even seem to form words.

“Daddy, I can’t—we can’t—they’ve—it’s just—we’ll never be able to—and it’s all my fault!”

“Shh, buddy, it’s gonna be okay,” Tony murmured as he carefully guided them over to the couch, whispering reassurances into Peter’s curls while he cried himself out.

“But it’s not okay!” Peter rasped against Tony’s soaking wet chest. “Daddy, I was just—I only wanted to help, but now—we’re not—we’re not ever gonna—!”

“Pete, it was just a bad dream, yeah?” Tony said, stroking Peter’s hair. “Whatever you saw, it wasn’t real, buddy.”

“No, Dad, it wasn’t a nightmare, ‘cause I wasn't asleep,” insisted Peter. “I was—I was—” He lifted his head, his brown eyes red and swollen and his round cheeks lined with tear tracks. “I’ve—I've gotta tell you something, and I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

Something about the tone of Peter’s voice caused Tony’s blood to run cold, and he gulped, brushing Peter’s matted curls off his forehead.

“Uh, okay buddy. Why don’t you just start at the beginning then, yeah?”

Peter nodded miserably, his hands twisting in his lap as he proceeded to tell Tony that he had been secretly decoding their HYDRA files in his room at night ever since he had discovered the bill containing the Registration Act. It was all Tony could do to stay quiet while Peter explained what he had uncovered, his fingers wrapped so tightly around his left forearm that he could feel bruises forming.

We tried so hard to protect him, but he managed to get right into the middle of it anyway, just like he always does.

I should’ve seen this coming. Why didn’t I see this coming?

“So that’s why I think we need to move the sceptre,” Peter said, finally pausing to take a breath. “‘Cause I’m thinking that one of these semi-enhanced people can run really, really fast and was trying to steal it when the drone fired at up at the Compound, so—”

“Pete,” Tony said quietly, once he was able to find his voice again. “We’ve already moved the sceptre. That’s the reason why we didn’t come home right away, okay? It’s not at the Compound anymore.”

Peter blinked, swallowing hard. “Uhh, well, that’s good, but now—”

“Pete, just stop right there, okay? Just give me a second.” Tony sucked in a deep breath, uncurling his fingers from his arm as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to react. Peter had deliberately gone behind he and Steve’s backs and messed around with stuff that he had no business messing with, but at the same time he had uncovered some important information about what HYDRA had been trying to accomplish, so while Tony knew that he should punish him, he was honestly so fried at the moment that he could barely think.

“No, Dad, you don’t understand! I need—!”

“What you need, Peter, is to go back to bed!” Tony snapped, his temper finally getting the better of him. “And I mean actually go to sleep, not go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Again.”

“But—!”

“I said now, Pete!” yelled Tony, his heart lurching when Peter flinched and clapped his hands over his ears. He immediately reached for him, tucking him against his chest. “I’m sorry, bud. I just—” He broke off, unable to finish the sentence.

I just miss him so damn much that I think I’m going crazy.

“I know, Dad. I miss him too,” Peter murmured as more tears leaked from beneath his closed eyelids. “But that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. What I found tonight… it’s—it’s pretty bad, and now… now I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to find Papa.”

Pain pierced Tony’s chest with an intensity that he hadn’t felt since his open-heart surgery in the freezing Afghanistan cave.

“Pete,” he said, bracing himself as best as he could. “What did you find?”

Peter pulled back, his lower lip shaking. “One of the files that I decoded tonight, it was talking about the same kind of technology that the old SHIELD helicarriers had, the retro-reflective panels? Well, I thought that kind of tech could only be used for planes and other stuff that can fly, but now—now it seems like HYDRA’s figured out how to use it to shield a building, and—”

Tony gasped, his blood pressure plummeting so fast that he felt woozy, and he grabbed onto the back of the couch, trying to keep himself upright.

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no!

“So, what you’re saying is that HYDRA’s probably got Papa in a building that’s pretty much invisible?”

“Yeah,” Peter said somberly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

The full chapter will post on Monday, December 30th 😊

[geeky-writes]

Pieces of Echoes Chapter 16 Preview

Behind? Catch up on AO3/ FFN 😊

********

Fury shifted on the chair, one hand clutching his side as he dug around in his pocket, pulling out a USB drive embossed with the SHIELD logo. “Project Insight,” he said. “And this is everything that I was able to get on it before I was—”

“Attacked?” interrupted Steve as he took the drive, stuffing it into his pocket. “Who attacked you, Nick?”

“Steve, we have got to get going,” Tony said from Steve’s elbow. “Pete’s waiting for us, and—”

“Shh!” Steve suddenly said, his ears picking up a strange rustling noise just before the silence was shattered by the earsplitting sound of a rifle shot. Steve immediately lunged for Tony, knocking him onto the floor and raising his shield to cover their curled bodies as broken glass from the bedroom window rained down around them, followed directly by another smattering of bullets, pinging off the vibranium disc like deadly pieces of hail.

“Son of a bitch!” Fury roared once the cascade of bullets finally stopped, huddled behind his chair and clutching his bleeding left shoulder. “I’m getting way too old for this shit!”

Gritting his teeth, Steve waited three more heartbeats before moving the shield just enough to allow him to peer over the top of the windowsill, picking up the shadow of a man running along the rooftop towards the neighbouring building.

“Tony?” he gasped, looking down at his fiancé, who at first glance appeared to be unharmed.

“I’m all right, babe,” Tony replied, his upper lip curling into a sneer. “Go get him. I’ll take care of Fury.”

Steve nodded once and scrambled to his feet, climbing through the shattered window and hoisting himself up onto the roof. The shooter had already almost reached the next building, which at first glance didn't make any sense to Steve. These buildings were long, and no one should’ve been able to cross that kind of distance that quickly.

No one, except himself.

“Stand down!” Steve yelled into the darkness, not really expecting the man to follow his order but frustrated nonetheless when his stride didn't falter at all. It was almost as if the man wasn't a man at all, more like an android or robot from one of Peter’s movies.

“Damn it!” he gasped as he rounded a sharp corner, barely managing to keep the assailant in his sight as he leapt onto yet another rooftop. Steve’s legs were already burning with the effort of the chase, his lungs screaming for relief as he followed suit, hitting the gravel roof so hard and so fast with his bare feet that he felt the tiny, razor-sharp rocks burrowing into his skin, felt every bone in his body rattling.

Three strides later and he noticed the shooter paused at the opposite end of the roof; the next building was apparently too far of a jump, even for him. Steve finally had him cornered.

“Stop!” Steve yelled again, taking another cautious step forward before launching his shield as hard as he could at the shooter, his arm already drawing back in preparation for its return.

And then, to Steve’s utter shock the man simply turned, his piercing blue eyes nearly glowing in the darkness, and proceeded to catch the shield with his outstretched left arm, which was completely encased in silver-coloured metal, a red star embossed on the outside near the shoulder.

It was the Winter Soldier.

In an instant Steve froze, all the air in his lungs turning to ice, choking him as he attempted to wrap his mind around the fact that this… man had just caught his shield. Less than a second later the man shifted, briefly meeting Steve’s eyes, and a shiver the likes that Steve had never felt before raced through him, almost like he'd been electrocuted with ice water.

There was something about those eyes, the shape of the man’s nose, his forehead, the colour of his hair. Something… almost familiar.

********

The full chapter will post on Monday, May 20th 😊