Nov 16, 2024
Confession #214
[confession text: “Barnaby might have more than one kid due to the milk cartons. That or a sibling or two. There’s mention of a son.”]
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Confession #214
[confession text: “Barnaby might have more than one kid due to the milk cartons. That or a sibling or two. There’s mention of a son.”]
Upcoming Project: Remembrances Quote
“I’m tired of living like this, Moon…” Sun whimpered, kneeling down and hugging himself as tightly as he could manage.
“I know, Sunny…I’m sorry.”
He heaved a world-weary sigh. How many years had they been dealing with this now? So, so many…
They really had been the first.
They’d seen everything.
More than anyone could have known.
Temporary Measures
"You want me to do want!" Agent Kansas aka Kaikaina Griff yelled at her superiors. She had read her relocation orders a total of ten times now. At first, she thought, or at least hoped, that it was some sort of joke. Blood Gulch Outpost 1, just a backwater base in the middle of scenic nowhere. There were only two things there of any interest to her: A.) The Alpha and B.) Her brother. It was from his occasional messages home that had introduced her to the more unusual aspects of the area. The flag thefts, the friendly fire, all the things that nobody wants out of an army. She thought Project Freelancer was a mess, the simulation troopers were on a whole new level.
"It's only a temporary measure" The Director tried to reassure her as he watched her angrily pace back and forth. He was trying to hold back his irritation at her lack of cooperation, he couldn't afford to let another agent go rogue.
"That's what you said about Caboose and Donut" she retorted They had gone out as part of a 'temporary measure' nearly three years ago. Every time it seemed like it was calming down, every time it looked like the Freelancers could finally pull out, the simulation troopers found some way to destroy their entire plan.
"The circumstances surrounding Agent California and Agent Hawaii were...unforeseen" The original plan was to send a single Freelancer to replace Agent Florida after his untimely death. Agent California, now known by the simulation troopers as Caboose, seemed like the perfect candidate. His strength was unmatchable yet since his AI transplantation went south he had become relatively harmless. He wouldn't try to bring any sort of damage to the Alpha, he wasn't capable of such a thing. Not only that but no one would ever suspect that he was a Freelancer. He was an expert at playing doom. Such an expert that nobody knew he was acting, not even himself.
As for Agent Hawaii, Franklin Donut. Caboose hadn't even made it anywhere near Blood Gulch when the Director began to realise the possible problems. Caboose's lack of intelligence certainly helped him blend in with the environment, but some sort of support was clearly required. There had to be someone around capable of creating a backup plan in the event of a critical issue. Agent Hawaii's presence complemented Agent California's. He was athletic enough and talented enough to protect the Alpha, but caring enough to nurture the incompetent troopers. He was clever but not clever enough to draw attention to himself. It was such a shame the two Freelancers arrived within such a time period of each other. It meant he'd have to watch the Alpha from a distance, two privates showing up at Blue base would be far too suspicious. Therefore Red base ended up with a rookie of its own.
Yet not even the two of them could provide adequate protection for the Alpha, not anymore. Caboose might not have meant to bring it any harm yet the Director never accounted for accidental destruction. All it took was one miscalculated shot from a tank and the stability of their entire operation was put in jeopardy. The problems just snowballed from there. Now with Agent Texas and Agent Wyoming, each coursing their fair share of damage another helping hand on the Director's side was urgently needed. That's where Agent Kansas came in.
"You already have a sibling within the canyon. You'll be expected instantly" The Director reminded her. That's what had made her such an appealing candidate. There was no work required, no need for any sort of backstory or reasoning for her arrival. She was a relative of one of the red troopers, she was already one of them. With the current panic and confusion around both bases meant few would bother to question her.
"I thought you told us that personal attachments were a hindrance" She scowled. That was one of the many things that were repeated time and time again throughout the entire run of Project Freelancer. 'Personal attachments are a hindrance, don't get attached to anyone'. It made sense at the time when anyone could be killed at any moment.
"In this situation personal attachments might be our a best hope"
"No, no way" she insisted. She hadn't signed up for this project to end up as part of a fake army with her brother.
"Are you order the impression that this is an option, Agent Kansas" The Director snapped back as his patients finally reached its end. Agent Kansa sighed. She had known all along that this meeting was nothing more than a front. This wasn't a suggested transfer, this was an order plain and simple.
"Shall I prepare to move out as soon as possible, Sir?" she asked reluctantly. Fighting any further would be pointless. It was better for her to save as much energy as possible if she was going to cope against the incoming insanity.
"That would be advisable" she mumbled a slew of bitter comments under her breath as she walked away. As soon as Freelancers started to get shipped out to the canyon she should have known it was only a matter of time before she ended up there. "Oh and Agent Kansas" she sighed as she turned back once more. "For security reasons, we can't have them working out your one of us. I need you to try and blend in, draw as little attention to yourself as possible"
"You want me to play dumb, Sir?"
"In short yes. I want you to 'play dumb'"
"Don't worry. It's a trait that runs in my family"
What if he lost the fight trying to avenge her ?
Click here to read how and why I came up with this idea ! :D
Darkness is nicer than it seems
… hypothetical situation successfully created.
Nightmare and Dream belong to @jokublog. More notes at the end.
(A certain amazing person translated this into Spanish!) Spanish version
The Rise of Evelyn Sharp: Chapter 4: Back in Star City
Renamed from “The Rise of Evelyn Rochev”. It’s the final chapter. And maybe to be followed by a redemption story featuring the rest of our favorite characters!
Chapter Summary: Slade and Evelyn finally find Joseph Wilson and discover some startling information.
Read on AO3
Sneak Peek:
“I’m not sure about this,” Evelyn whispers into the car window as they cross the city line and the familiar Star City buildings embrace her. Her nerves have been growing worse as they moved across the county. She’s gone back and forth about a thousand times. She could stand down from this, could take a backseat and not make her presence known. She doesn’t have to show her face at all. She could let Team Arrow keep thinking that she’s dead.
“It’s a little too late for cold feet, kid.” Slade glances over. “We’ve got a concert in fifteen.”
tagging lovelies: @emeraldoliverqueen @alexiablackbriar13 @cruzrogue
Feliz Navidad
Sombra had been five when Joel vanished. They’d gotten separated in the chaos of an omnic attack, Overwatch not reacting fast enough and almost half of Dorado getting destroyed. She had been scooped up into the system then, bounced from foster care to foster care until she was ten and joined Los Muertos as their little María Christiana Garcia, hacker extraordinaire. Then Estella and her omnic husband, Carlos kept an eye on her until she vanished at eighteen because of the Sauron Conspiracy spotting her. Out of the ashes of María had come Sombra, a shadow to hunt the red eyes of the world.
Even as she hunted, tried to find and control as much information, one bit of information remained elusive. One thing she wanted to know as much as about the Sauron Conspiracy.
What happened to her older brother?
And now, now after almost twenty-five years she’s found him. Found him by sheer, fucking chance. She’d been studying Overwatch members for years, trying to figure out their secrets after the way it collapsed and Reaper’s mysterious survival. Looking into Reaper meant she’d looked into Blackwatch, looked into Jack Morrison and Ana Amari (and eventually Soldier: 76 and Shrike as a result), looked into anyone he’d been close to. As a result, she’d looked into Jesse McCree.
Jesse McCree who only appeared in the New Mexico foster care system at age twelve. Six months later in the Deadlock Gang and a string of crimes, train robberies, murder, drug smuggling, weapons smuggling, a list that almost impresses her. At age seventeen, pulled into Blackwatch by Gabriel Reyes, a man who refused to let someone still a child go to prison. For that, she’s now incredibly grateful. For that, she’s giving Reaper more information than is probably wise, more help than is probably smart.
Because when she’d first seen a picture of Jesse, he looked almost identical to her their father.
As a result, she decided to take a chance. Getting her hands on Jesse’s DNA had been insanely difficult. Thankfully, an old Overwatch base had some in cryogenic storage for some reason, something that still weirds her out. But once she had Jesse’s DNA things were simple, a quick answer within an hour. Jesse McCree’s DNA demonstrated they were closely related. Siblings.
Jesse McCree is Joel Miguel Esteban Garcia, her missing older brother.
Sombra takes a deep breath as she steps into the bar. From her research, Jesse McCree consistently got blackout drunk on Christmas. Bad memories and regrets, according to Reaper. Always worst at Christmas for some reason (though she has suspicions). Poison of choice, whiskey, but the cheap shit, not the good shit.
She bites back a sigh as she sees he’s already passed out. She’d been hoping to speak to him before that happened. Sombra takes a seat at the opposite end of the bar, suspecting if she crowds Joel Jesse that when he wakes up he won’t react well. A quick murmur to the bartender gets her a Coke and she can’t resist swirling it around and studying it.
“When did he pass out?” she asks, nodding her head towards Jesse.
“Half an hour ago. Should wake up soon, McCree rarely stays passed out too long,” the bartender shrugs.
She raises a brow at the man’s familiarity with Jesse’s drinking habits, but this almost has to be a place he frequents. No one is giving strange looks to a man dressed like a cowboy, or that he’s sleeping on the bar. He must feel safe to be willing to drink to the point of passing out.
“Okay, I’ll wait then,” she says with a slight shrug.
All she wants for Christmas is to meet her brother again, and she’s not leaving until she has.
(Ao3 link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9052588)