#sundanceofapache

~ Moon Knight @sundanceofapache

"Vegan Vampire? I beg your pardon?"

A brow raises from irritated green eyes. " With all due respect, SIR... " Preternatural speed carried him easily in front of the knight as if he had been there all along.

But cities were prime hunting areas for the sort of monsters that had a taste for humans, especially one in particular. It wasn’t Superman that drew the hunter in, it was the vampire. Finding that his ‘uncle’ as Mathafew sarcastically referred to the vampire, was associating with the most well-known hero in the world was more than a minor curiosity to him.

He wasn’t at all subtle, following Kent about the city after that. Mathafew tended to stand out, dressed for the outdoors, concealed weapons on him, the dark wrap around sport glasses that concealed his red eyes. He trailed the reporter, listened to the surface thoughts of his mind - surprised to find that it wasn’t as easy to get into as most other people, and waiting to be confronted.

@sundanceofapache

Some work days found Clark tied to his desk at The Daily Planet, others found him out in the city running errands. While his day began like the former, with a couple of his coworkers calling out due to a stomach bug, it quickly morphed into the latter.

Stepping out from beyond the main doors of The Planet, a quick scan of his surroundings lead him to spot a rather conspicuous person watching him behind wrap-around sports glasses. The person was quite a distance away, so Clark’s own instinctual reaction was to not linger his focus, adjust his glasses, and continue his day, business as usual.

. . . After finishing his on-the-field assignments, the man (of steel) decided to take a quick break by visiting one of Metropolis’s many mobile coffee trucks. The last time he scanned his surroundings, the same man from earlier had closed the distance, now separated from Clark with only one innocent customer between them.

He knew he had to make contact, but until he really figured out who he was dealing with, Clark Kent’s clumsiness would have to suffice as an introduction.

Ice coffee and churro in hand, Clark turned around. . . and his left foot caught on a pice of loose sidewalk, sending his uncapped drink out of his grip and onto his unfortunate follower.

A gasp left his throat as his eyes opened like saucers in horror.

@sundanceofapache

“Niner'ad.” Kal called for his son’s attention, “vi linibar jorhaa’ir.” We need to talk. He motioned for the former commando to walk with him. Kal had a thoughtful pose, pensive, hands clasped behind his back. “Gar burc'ya,” He continued in Mando'a, “She is a child, perhaps more so than you ever got to be. You’re an adult, son, and she was left here in your care. Until her parents come back, if they make it back, you are the parent. That means more than just teaching her Mando'a because it’s cute, or keeping her here. It means passing on your culture, your skills, everything that I taught you. As Darman teaches his son you need to teach your foundling.”

The statement was punctuated by his finger poking at his son’s chest like hammering it home. “You were all my foundlings. You started teaching her before and sometimes I hear her speaking some blend of mando’a and basic, you need to either continue teaching as Mando’ade should, or you need to stop teaching entirely, and only care for the girl like you would any other aruetyc. Kal’s greying brows rose, “Parttaylir, gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la.”

Niner looked straight ahead with his own arms clasped behind his back, brows furrowed as he listened to Kal. He had to admit, he had thought about adopting Sky into the family and helping her grow into a strong and capable Mandalorian woman, but  those were just the delusions of a man confused about his own legacy. As he watched his brother’s children grow, the realization that he had no children of his own to carry his memory hit hard. Now however, Kal’buir was implying it could be a possibility.

His eyes snapped to attention when a finger prodded his chest. Hands shot up, palms facing Kal in surrender. “Gar serim, Kal’buir.” 

Yes you’re right, papa Kal. 

While Hank had vanished into the bathroom, Connor had at first decided simply to wait for the detective. He did not need to find manners in which to occupy himself, though it was preferred to do so. He knew it made the detective more comfortable when he gave signals that he was there and listening instead of ‘standing around like a fucking mannequin’. As he had left the room, however, Connor was going to wait for directions when he returned.

Sumo had other plans however and was quickly nudging at the android’s hands until Connor obliged and knelt down - and was then quickly knocked on to his back and smothered by the giant dog. He was attempting to fend off the slobbery tongue when the detective returned. Sumo thankfully moved away after first stepping on the android’s stomach and trotted over to his owner.

“No.” Connor answered while picking himself up off the floor and straightening out his clothes. “I’m aware of what fireworks are, and their celebratory use but other than news broadcasts I haven’t seen them.”

Hank couldn’t help but to smile when his overly large and fluffy Saint Bernard happily trotted over towards him and sat down by his feet--- Sumo didn’t need to let him know that he wanted to be petted, Hank just automatically knew that’s what he wanted when he came towards him... he was an affectionate creature after all, and Hank was more than happy to give Sumo the attention that he deserved. “You been keepin’ Connor company?” He asked, as if the dog could understand him, and as if to answer him, the dog barked in response. “Good boy.” Hank responded by kneeling over and getting into a position where he could pet him better.

“Is that something that you would be interested in?” He asked, looking up from Sumo for a moment. Hank had no way of knowing if that would be something that Connor would enjoy, but the Android was only just experiencing life. Most kids grew up knowing what fireworks were, being amazed by them as if they were magic... but Connor was no kid, not really, but they were a sight to see for the very first time.

Nose bright red and becoming raw from how often he’d been wiping at it, the boy wilted. He was trying to hold back sobs of relief now, having been fearing a noose from the very moment rebellion began. He fell back onto his bottom, he’d been kneeling, and dropped his head into his hands. The oversize hat with faded cockade dropped onto the floor and Newt was wordlessly rapidly bobbing his head. “Thank you, thank you, Sir!”

He didn’t care how long he was kept under watch, he’d march with the front ranks if that’s what it took. “You won’t ever have to doubt, Sir, I promise, I swear.”

Washington watched as the boy seemed to collapse on himself as the words left his mouth. Part of Washington wanted to smile at his relief and his gratitude, but he knew not to show his own feelings so easily in front of his men as he needed to command respect out of each and every one of them, especially those that disobeyed his orders. 

Sitting his own tricorn hat down onto the table beside of him, George let his blueish-grey eyes fall down on the lad for a moment longer, knowing that he must say something more to him, perhaps something to inspire Newt to carry forward and do better in his army... Newt still yet had time to learn and grow and who knows? It was quite possible that the young whimpering boy could turn out to be the best soldier in his military someday... if given time. He weighed his options for a moment and decided to tell him about Lawrence.

“I, to, have older brothers.” he started. “And there was one in particular that I admired a great deal. He was only six when I first met him, after he returned home from his studies in Britain--- he was twenty-one and when I laid my eyes upon him, I knew that I wanted to be just like Lawrence... I looked forward to the days that I could go away to Britain to study, just as he did, but before I could, my father died... so he did what he could to help me with my studies.” he paused for a moment and leaned forward a little more. “He was also part of the Royal Navy, and he wanted me to join up with him, and you could probably guess what my mother’s reply was. I was only but fourteen years of age at the time... I might have done anything that Lawrence asked of me because he was my older brother and I trusted him to never to lead me astray.”

'someone killed him' The monster-child said inside the mind of the man. 'someone killed you too. you're not supposed to be here revenant.' He'd never met a vampire, but equated them to the stories of the corpses raised to haunt the living, a sort of monster that even other monsters avoided and being in the headspace of one was a disorienting feeling.

Still he put up a brave front and was thankful for his bandana that hid the expressions on his face. The boy drew a pistol from his side and aimed it, 'was it you? i can dig and find it but ill let you answer'.

That mind was once a bright beacon of hope and light. Of determination and good. Now. There was a cold eerie darkness.  A Mockery of James's eyes staring out at Mathafew from the darkness.  London's fog settled in there.

There was an echo of a hiss. " Get Out"  disembodied, everywhere and no where at all to the boy as he pushed onward past the easy locks.  James hadn't the skill of the mind equal to Lestat yet.

Flashes of memory answered the boy before the voice did. The fight between James and the boys father.  James staring at the other with every intention of killing him.  The strength and persuasion of the monster that he'd become squashing any rational thought at the time.

@sundanceofapache

Niner stared at the girl sitting at the end of the table. She looked so different from his brothers with her puffy black hair and normal clothes.

He had seen her when he stepped out of his training simulation this morning with his helmet tucked under his arm and his brothers following him in a straight line. He moved his sweaty hair out of his face to get a better look and his pod mate, 28, nudged him and pointed. Niner had only shrugged and turned away.