Purple guy fanart

Hey guys, are there any good tips for hard darknell?? I'm a wind archer and I watched a few videos on youtube and read a few guides, but still have not been able to kill him. The lowest I got him was 10% health and I died out.
I'm able to solo hard v.hilla and chaos gloom, so I definitely have damage, but survival is my issue.
The general tips I saw was:

1. Elites attack when darknell attacks so get ready to move when he shows attack motion
2. Archer elite who makes you unable to jump has a sound, so turn the sound on (I usually don't have any sound on, but next attempt I will try this)
3. Try to get rid of at least one of the huge meteors that fall on the map (3~4), so you have more space to dodge and stuff
4. Try to stay near the boss, so you can see when he attacks and the further you get, he uses that slash attack.

I think the problem I'm currently facing is:
I fail to stay near the boss at times (Which is where most of my deaths comes from), because I get overwhelmed by everything that's on the screen. For example, if I see several invincible goons on the ground, purple chains on the ground/air, magician elite ball, meteors, and 3 elites past 50% health, I kind of lose focus on what I'm supposed to be doing and basically try to move away from the boss and he uses the slash attack before I'm at the other end of the map now. I do try to save upjump + blink for slash attack, but if I don't react fast enough or I get hit by something beforehand, I just die. For pro darknell bossers, how do you guys make sure to stay near him when there are million of different things happening on the screen? The worst part for me is when I upjump to get rid of one of the meteors and I get hit by the other mini meteor and I get cced or something and I get hit by elites and die.
I appreciate any advice!

So I started up X4 Foundations less than 36 hours ago. I've been a long (as in ... long) time space flight simmer of SC and ED. I figured I'd give this one a try. I'm a new Dad so I don't have the luxury of an ever moving economy and events while I'm logged off. This game is perfect that I don't miss anything. Anyway, got through flight school, got my ship, did some easy non-combat missions to get me my first paycheque and ship upgrade. Took a "very easy" combat mission somewhere in Haktivah space and 3 Xenons blew me up on my first try. Reloaded the game, tried 4 more times, nadda. I tried a different "very easy" combat mission in the (Holy Order?) space to find and kill one ship...got blown up too. What the hell?
Is combat supposed to be avoided until I get something better? I bought a Quasar with MK1 pulse, MK1 bolt repeater, and a missile tracker. MKII shields, combat engines and thrusters. I know the game is supposed to go on and there are events and circumstances where I have no control of until I get bigger ships and such, but dogfighting against 2 or 3 shouldn't be this hard. I'm still working on their shields when I get shot down. Are there regions I should be avoiding? Is there a level per region or NPC I am not aware of? I don't see questions marks or red/purple colours indicating I'm fighting NPCs that are stronger than I, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here.
Thanks.
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EDIT: First off, wow! I got a ton of advice in less than 30mins of posting. You guys are awesome. So as some of you already pointed out, you pretty much confirmed some of the things I was thinking. Maverick would probably not do so well in this game; "it's the plane, not the pilot".
EDIT (yet again): Holy crap! I just found out from one of you guys that boost shares the same pool as shields.

Dae love butterflies? I love purple lilac butterflies the best but can’t choose if pink or purple is my favourite colour. And I need to choose because I don’t know which fairy costume to wear to my 6th birthday! Which colour do you guys like best???

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The maw of the moss-wolf chomped down on the treat, its partner patiently waiting its turn, an eye trained on the Human providing the sustenance. Joseph reached into the pouch, counting out what he had left and mentally setting a few aside for the raven-like birds that Scarlet had trained to bother him.
Well, ‘bother’ might be a strong word. They would whistle at him and wait for food. Upon getting their hard sought quarry, they would return to share it with the rest. Surprisingly cooperative, all things considered. Scarlet had apparently been getting them to associate certain short melodies with members of the pack, allowing her to send the avians after whoever she wanted for more snacks.
If they didn’t get any, then they would yell something not dissimilar to a caw until either food was procured, or they grew bored. Given that they had taken to humouring Violet in her attempts to be a mobile perch, that usually took a while.
It drove Nalah nuts, which seemed to be part of the reason the blond-furred female was included in the ritual at all. Harrow was apparently the favourite target of the nuisance when she was outside the base, but he couldn’t say why.
The tell-tale scratching had been somewhat muted since the shift in medium, but Violet’s writing was always something he kept an ear out for, his daughter presenting her tablet excitedly. [It blinked!]
He turned his head to the cow-looking thing, the unwavering stare held until he gave up. “I swear you guys are just messing with me.”
“Or we merely enjoy your suffering,” Sahari suggested with a smirk, the black-furred female standing taller than him for a moment as she stretched her legs out. Settling into a height that was level with him, she attempted to offer the wolves food. Receiving a fearful retreat instead, the black-furred female frowned, the two canines shifting in their enclosure to be closer to Joseph and Violet. “They still seem to distrust any but yourselves.”
He shrugged, taking the scrap from her and giving it to the young Atmo to pass along, her chittering laugh when the wolves accepted the morsel breaking the soft sound of trickling rain outside the barn. “Faye was the one who started this. I guess they treat her like an alpha of sorts, and seeing her bow to the two of us so often told them that she’s lower on the pole. That’s my guess, anyway.”
“That is….rather intelligent of them, if so,” Sahari commented pensively.
The Grand Hunter tipped his head in agreement. If anything, it was an understatement. The six-legged canines were remarkably receptive to taming, though he couldn’t say how much of that was due to Faye taking to his suggestion so seriously. He had only offered it as a passing thought, but she had set to it like their god had mandated it.
He fought back a sigh at the reminder of his placement in the whole thing, his foot kicking the ground to adjust the new sandals he was wearing until Pan finished proper shoes.
One day, he was a divorcee flirting with random women on a cruise ship so that the rejection validated his own self-esteem issues. The next, he was a guy in charge of a settlement nearing one hundred people and had become a manifestation of religion condensed into the form of some random moron.
He snorted at a morbid thought. How would Emma react to his ‘rise to fame?’ His acquisition of more than they had ever thought for themselves back on Earth?
Owning a territory? They could only manage a nice apartment that could fit several times over inside the base. Friends? Hell, he had a group of people who have helped him through some of the worst the planet had to offer. Kids...well, nothing could replace Violet. He doubted Emma would see it the same way, though.
A paw enclosed his shoulder, dragging his mind from more sombre thoughts. It had been quite a while since everything fell through and he had moved on, but it still stung every now and again.
“What ails your mind, Joseph?” Sahari asked with a concerned inflection. He looked over at her, a smile becoming easier after a moment.
“Just wondering how my ex-wife would react to seeing what I’ve turned into. What she’d say to all of this,” he admitted honestly with a wide gesture to everything. She patted his back, a small pride in her gaze.
“You continue to heal, Grand Hunter, but you are still scarred. Your previous mate would curse her decisions were she to see what you have accomplished.”
He snorted, a wide dry grin breaking out. “I’d love to see her face going back with two alien wives and this sweetheart as a daughter,” he teased, giving Violet a thorough rub on the head. She purred, chittering between breaths as she fought off the rough affection playfully while keeping her blades tucked for safety.
The black-furred female tilted her head and shifted her weight to her other foot. “You’ve mentioned that there is a specific procedure for binding the lives of your people, no?”
He blinked, his mind flickering to the two rings he had prepared, yet held some modicum of expectation around before he whipped them out. Not least of all was the foreign sensation of doing it again twice, nor finding an appropriate time to do it. It was hard to pick a picturesque moment when each day was paperwork, punching people in the face during spars, and orchestrating the well-being of such a large group. Given that the closest thing he could get to a romantic occasion was laying down on the grass while Nalah barked orders at the construction crews in the distance, he didn’t feel like it was ever a good time to ask. It was even harder picturing himself doing it to the two of them, as if it cheapened the gesture in some way.
Then there was the part of himself that feared rejection—as stupid as it sounded. They could deny the alien practice, not share the same sentiment, or any number of disagreements that would render him kneeling like an idiot. As unlikely as it was, it could even be too great a commitment for them, the implication of their entire lives being pledged solely to him being a crushing weight, rather than a promise of mutual loving dedication.
Sure, now they were speaking as if it was the case, but the circumstances as they were lent themselves to it being a product of necessity. Who was to say that it would remain the same once they got off this rock and—hopefully—in touch with their own people again. Would they still feel the same way with an entire species back on the table as possible romantic partners? Would he still be enough?
“Joseph,” Sahari called out with worry and irritation in equal parts. “You are making me anxious.”
“Hm? Oh, sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he was reminded that more than one person could be afflicted by his emotional state. She placed a paw to her hip.
“Are the proceedings really such a means for strife?”
“Ah, no, it’s just…” He averted his eyes, offering Violet a token smile when she seemed to be concerned about him. He inhaled deeply. “It’s just…I have reservations about it.”
She raised a brow. “I need not a bond to know you care for them deeply enough to toss your life to the Void for them.”
His weak smile faltered further. “Well, yeah. They mean everything to me, but I cant help but remember how things went last time, I guess. There’s a million and one ways it could go up in smoke, and I…” He fell quiet for a moment, Violet pressing herself into his side in an attempt to cheer him up. He rested a hand against her back, the texture comforting in a way. “I want it to be an important moment in our lives, rather than some disposable token that they accept without thinking much. It’s not like they’re swimming in potential romantic partners here, so it feels like they’d be agreeing for lack of options.”
She stared at him with a hesitant expression, her cheek pinched between her teeth and eyes narrowed in thought. “Pan would sooner end her own life than be separated from you, and Tel would end any who so much as suggested such,” she stated finally. “To you, the mark upon your flesh is but a sting that fades. To them, it is their declaration that they have found their reason to live. A declaration that is shown to all others of our people the moment they draw near. Though Pan lacks the means to impart her own, she is rather pleased that another is able to in her stead and treats it as her own for all intents.”
She grabbed him roughly by the arm, pulling him into her breast as she stood to her full height, a surprised yelp stifled by soft clothing and fur.
“Unfortunately for you, openly voiced or not, we all feel as such. Though you bear not the mark of everyone in the den, I assure you that to be removed from you would leave us lesser, regardless of bond.”
He shut his mouth at the last addition. There was a weight behind knowing that people were likely to simply give up on living if you were away for too long. It put the relationship in front of a loaded gun for both parties. They couldn’t afford to break it off from him because existing would become a living hell, and he couldn’t change his mind for any reason because it would be the same as killing them.
What kind of marriage was one built upon such fragile pillars? How could they be happy when every fight was tempered by the threat of the end of everything? What about Sahari? Could she ever pursue her own life with Nalah when she had the bond shackling her to him? How long until that became a stinging poison, rotting away the veins and arteries of her psyche? How long until death became preferable to being around him?
A strong impact to his stomach winded him, though the unnoticed hyperventilating left him little to eject as he fell to his knees. Violet clicked in surprise, the wolves backing away at the unexpected violence.
He coughed, sputtering spittle as he fought the urge to evacuate his breakfast. A pained glance up revealed Sahari still clutching a fist, her expression just as hurt.
“You hear my words and twist them, Joseph,” she chastised softly, crouching to look at him better. “We pledged our lives to you. Not because we had no choice, but because we believed you to be our future. From that moment on, our desire was to remain with you.” Her voice grew weak, almost pleading. She placed her forehead to his, the contact an intimate touch. “Your experiences may suggest our bond a prison, but for us, it is an ambrosia for our soul. It completes us like no equal. Jax and Harrow care for you immensely, Nalah and myself owe you everything that we are, and your mates will fight the Hunt Mother herself if it would mean even one more sun with you.”
He found himself speechless, wading through the emotions behind her words a syllable at a time. The feeling of Violet pressing into his back in an embrace stung as much as soothed, his mind rejecting the idea, yet so desperate to accept it.
“Do not desecrate our affections because you had been scorned by one who did not see within you that which we covet,” she implored sombrely, raw emotion oozing through the confines of speech. “Though you doubt it, none would know how much value you place in the ‘mark’ of your people more than your mates. If merely thinking about the unlikely event that they refuse tortures you so deeply, than the elation they would share with you when they agree would likely see Pan unable to contain herself for many suns after.”
He stayed on his knees, the warmth surrounding him from both sides seeping within and thawing the frozen excuses he held onto to prevent exposing himself to potential rejection. Every step of the way since he had met them, it had made him fearful of losing their company. At first, the thought of being left alone to brave the planet was too much to bear, but he would try. Now? Now he felt like he understood where the minds of those bonded Lilhuns had been. Even considering being away from his new loved ones pulled at a primal part of himself, each tug stronger than the last, each suggestion fanning the flames barricaded behind morals—the depths he would trudge to see it never come to pass.
Sahari nuzzled into his neck for a moment before parting, a somewhat satisfied smile given towards the emotionally fragile Human they had taken to depending on. He returned his own, though it was tinted with a bit of embarrassment.
Violet stepped back to allow him room to stand, the extended joint of her blade asking to be held like he did with her adoptive mother. His expression softening, he did as requested, lightly rubbing the smooth surface with his thumb. It soothed a part of him to be holding his daughter’s ‘hand’ while they watched the wolves slowly approach the front of their enclosure again, now that the momentary intensity had faded.
With a self-deprecating roll of his eyes, he nodded, promising himself to follow through with his small wish the next time the chance revealed itself. It didn’t need to be perfect, but it would be nice if it was at least private. The dull ache in his stomach would be a reminder not to second guess himself anyway.
The wolves yipped, ignoring Sahari as they moved towards the other corner. Joseph glanced at where they were focused, his curious gaze replaced by surprise, then shock.
Raine supported Faye over her shoulder, the deep gold-furred female’s breath short as she rested her weight over her brown-furred counterpart, their black leather coats dripping water onto the floor as it wrapped tightly around them, concealing their armour. A steady trickle of blood flowed from a long gash on Faye’s leg, her free arm clutching across her breast to keep her coat closed.
Without waiting for either to speak, he ran to pick up the Wraith, slinging her across his shoulders and tearing off to the base. He could barely hear Sahari over the rain and his own blood pounding through his ears, his heart hammering in his chest. Though they had established something of a clinic for minor injuries that were sustained constantly, his singular focus was getting Faye into the medbay.
Pack members cleared the way, some jumping to the side as he barrelled through the sparely populated routes between home and workplace. More than one tripped over themselves in shock, the Human never having a reason to go at a full sprint before. He was slower than a Lilhun like this, but he could make it the full distance before them. He didn’t need to slow down.
Harrow pushed open the doors to the hub, her distant expression as she examined thin ironwood tablets perking, his rapid heavy footfalls telling of his arrival before she had the chance to see him. Her eyes lit up, her brows furrowed, and a hurried pull of the door kept it open for him, all in sequence. He didn’t have the spare breath to explain or thank her.
The orange-furred female bolted across the hub, slamming into the crash-bar installed into the facilities wing entrance to force it open, only barely outpacing the Grand Hunter in his rush. She staggered to her feet behind him, rushing to collect herself and assisting in tearing the pants off of the injured female when Joseph laid her on the bed.
Modesty being the least of his concerns, he braced an arm across her pelvis to stop her hips from bucking as Harrow wiped off any dried blood to see the extent of the damage on her thigh.
“What happened?”
He tightened his hold on Faye as his friend tentatively spread the wound to check for debris. “Don’t know. Didn’t ask. Saw her bleeding, rushed her here,” he answered through deep breaths, each strike of his adrenaline-fuelled heart pressing against his lung capacity.
Harrow frowned, grabbing some sterile water to pour over the wound and picking out a stray splinter of wood that looked to be from her missing leg armour. Faye let out a small whine, but didn’t have it in her to talk yet, signs of exhaustion and pain unfocusing her eyes.
The Head of Technology—and current medical expert in the room—pursed her lips against her muzzle. “We need to stitch it. It’s too big for just healroot.”
Joseph nodded, easing his weight off the Wraith and wiping his sweat from his brow. “Pan!”
Noticing the urgency in his voice, he could hear her throw the door to the sewing room wide open and jog to the medbay, her wide eyes steeling as she assessed the situation.
“Idee with you?”
She nodded, ears turned perfectly towards him.
“One of you boil off some palm string, the other sterilize the thinnest quill you can get away stitching a wound closed with. I don’t care who, but we need one of you to close this up.” He glanced at Harrow. “Grab some alcohol. I keep a bit in the closet in my room, next to the old crossbow prototypes. We need to flush this out and kill off anything that might have gotten in.”
The orange-furred female tipped an ear in confusion as Pan took off to do as he asked. “I thought you didn’t have medical-”
“I’ve been around enough workplace injuries, okay? Go!”
His shout jolted her into action, a few steps required to gain traction as she ran out the door. Applying solid pressure to the wound with one hand, he used the other to lightly tap Faye’s cheek.
“Faye? Faye, you with me?”
Her eyes languidly turned to him, slow blinks and meaningless mouthing ceased, a soft smile forming under her pained expression. “Hello, sir.”
He exhaled a relieved huff. “Welcome home, Faye. What happened?”
She seemed confused by his question, glancing down to her leg after a few seconds. With widened eyes, she struggled to sit up, Joseph forcibly pressing her to the bed.
“Stay.”
All resistance disappeared in an instant, her body complying despite the obvious urgency. He hardened his expression.
“What happened?”
She breathed deeper a few times before speaking. Each word was hesitant, as if the memory was hazy and diluted, though he couldn’t tell if it was due to blood loss or exhaustion. “A large grey beast…teeth, large mouth...attacked wolves...”
His brow knitted, Faye’s coat moving. A small whine came from her again…no. Not her.
A small yellow canine head freed itself from the confines of black leather, a weak keening produced from a tiny moss-wolf. Faye looked at him guiltily, a pleading look in her eyes given as she composed herself.
“It lost its parents…”
His protest died in his voice, a distant memory of a wolf being torn in two came to mind. The time before they had even moved to the pod, let alone met the Lilhuns, him and Violet checking snares shortly after his ankle had healed. A time so long ago, yet remained with him under the surface.
“You saved this little guy, huh?” he asked gently, wincing in tandem with her own when he leaned heavier on the massive gash in her thigh. She nodded, averting her eyes. “Did you get the ‘beast?’”
Faye shook her head. “Raine lured it away, but it still remains.”
“That’s fine. You’re back, that’s all that matters right now.”
Harrow bumped into the doorway, failing to shed all of her speed as she returned from fetching a smaller container that Joseph kept in case the rest of the pack burned through their stores of alcohol. Her eyes flicked to the wolf pup before disregarding it to hand him the ethanol. He lifted his hand, Harrow pouring some water to wash off the blood. Volta would be busy later, it seemed.
Gesturing for the orange-furred female to hold the leg down, he poured the alcohol into the wound, grimacing at Faye’s pained gasp. They didn’t have anything for her to bite into, but that would be a future consideration.
Pan and Idee entered the medbay, the former moving like a machine with purpose while the visiting seamstress took a moment to size up the situation. The Paw fetched a tray from the shelf, laying out several strings of softened palm and a few thin quills, threading one and passing it to Idee. The light brown-furred female accepted it, Harrow making room as she stood next to Joseph.
Pan handed him a tough leather strip as wide as his palm. Seems like she saw the problem before he did.
“Open up,” he prodded, placing the leather between Faye’s teeth. “This is going to fucking suck. We don’t have anything to numb you, so you need to stay as still as possible, okay? I’ll be here the whole time.”
The Wraith nodded, staring at him for a moment before closing her eyes in acceptance, her grip on the pup firming.
“Want me to take the wolf?”
She lightly shook her head, him exhaling hesitantly in response. Idee readied herself, looking to him for confirmation, Pan holding Faye’s ankle flat to the bed.
“You’re good,” he responded, pressing an arm to Faye’s chest and hips to hold her down.
The deep gold-furred female managed a quiet muffled groan of pain as the quill pierced her flesh.
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He entered the hub, dropping himself on the couch and ignoring the sweat on his brow. He had only just managed to get the blood off of his hands after Idee finished, but it was still staining his clothing. Pan was off to rinse it out of her fur while Faye slept off her exhaustion. As far as they could tell, she had avoided any infection thanks to Raine half-dragging the female back to them as quickly as she did. The wolf pup was staying with her for now, since—even in her sleep—she refused to let it go. The little guy didn’t seem to be complaining, so they just left it where it was comfortable. Ferra would be by later to check it out, apparently, and he didn’t see a reason to complain; she was their animal expert.
Scarlet offered him some tea, the warm liquid whetting his pallet that had since dried. Sahari had checked on them during the process, leaving to keep anyone who had questions in the loop. Given that half the damn pack either saw or heard about the Grand Hunter running like a bat out of hell, pretty much everyone was worried. Either about some urgent threat that might befall them, or about one of the quiet servants they had grown used to seeing around.
Looked like the Wraiths had taken to offering small services and assistance to people who needed it when they didn’t have anything better to do, so the pack was curious about what had happened. It was a small blessing that the usual armour they wore when ‘on duty’ was covered by the cloaks, otherwise he would have more questions coming that he didn’t want answered.
Raine stood a few paces in front of him, her bowed posture holding a hint of fear under his unwavering stare. He waited for whoever else was going to show up for the report, Tel and Pan insisting that they be involved. Harrow followed behind the two entering from the facilities wing, either because she had gotten wrapped up in the whole thing, or because she wanted to be included.
Pan sat to his left, Tel taking a place behind him to remain standing. Harrow surprised him, her recently elusive presence firmly displaced as she dropped onto the couch to his right, her tail curling around his calf—not that she seemed to notice.
Given that both Tel and Pan trapped a limb or two with their tails regularly, he didn’t stop to put thought into it, the encapsulating appendage crossing him as a common occurrence.
“I don’t know how accurate it was, since she’s still pretty out of it, but Faye said one of those grey bear-deathtraps attacked some wolves before she stepped in to save the pup,” he opened, glancing at Scarlet. The almost black red-furred female was maintaining a surprisingly commanding presence, her attention laser-focused on Raine. The brown-furred Wraith kept her gaze fixed to the floor, too ashamed or nervous to move it.
“I apologize for her error in her stead,” she announced, the slightest of grip in her folded paws digging her claws into her skin. “The fault is also mine for not preventing her misstep. I will accept any punishment for our mistake.”
He exhaled heavily. “I’m not mad that you guys had an original thought, Raine. I’m worried about those iron-maiden-looking fucks being around again, and I’m concerned about you getting hurt.”
“Of course, sir. Forgive me for the arrogance of assuming your priorities.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, Pan squeezing his thigh in support. Tel rested her head on his, the weight somehow comforting despite the grin at his annoyance. “We can talk about not getting yourselves killed later. Are you injured at all?”
Raine’s ear twitched. “No, sir. I am whole.”
“Good,” he sighed, nodding lightly. “That’s good. Faye’s patched up for now, but she’ll be under observation to keep on top of any possible infection. How did the ‘mission’ go?”
The Wraith perked up a bit, the conversation moving away from her perceived failure. She produced a satchel, pulling a rather thick stack of tablets from it and passing them to Scarlet, the latter ferrying them to Harrow. He thought it was an odd choice, but the orange-furred female started giving him an abbreviated translation of the text.
Line after line of transactions. What was offered and received, any debts and who owed them, as well as small notes about what should be brought next time. It was a comprehensive copy of the ledger that the trading caravan kept. His brows raised at the sheer density of information, and for them getting it from something he was only partially sure existed.
“You managed to get this much?” he asked in disbelief. “Jesus. Were you caught?”
Raine shook her head. “If we were to be seen by them, we would be nothing more than a stain against our Blademaster.”
Compliment or boasting, doing this much was damn impressive. Especially with just the two of them.
“Shit. Well, good fucking job, I guess,” he managed, still reeling a bit from the unintended scope of the task. Harrow continued to dig through the report, though stopped voicing it aloud. Joseph turned his attention back to the Wraith. “Anything else of note? Rumours?”
The Wraith grew pensive. “Though we returned partially through their return trip to Grand Hunter Pernel, we did overhear some conversations. There were discussions of other packs simply no longer occupying their settlements.”
He leaned forward in his seat, dislodging Tel as his elbows rested against his knees. “What do you mean?”
“Some of their usual trade locations were purportedly burned down, others merely abandoned. A few were apparently littered with corpses,” she explained more steadily. “From what we could gather, the reason they came to trade with our settlement at all is that the others along the way were in such states. It seems they intended to restock and head back out immediately to accommodate the loss in trading partners.”
He bit his lip as he thought about it, letting himself fall back against the couch.
“What do you guys think of it?” he asked with a glance to his mates. Pan seemed to be mirroring his own apprehension openly, while Tel kept a more serious expression.
“I believe there is something larger happening,” Tel concluded, taking a few seconds before returning to using him as a headrest. Pan nodded her agreement, but didn’t have much to add to it otherwise.
“It would explain how desperate they were for food,” he mused aloud, raising a brow when Harrow shifted to lean against him, one foot placed on the edge of the seat forcing the posture. “Any details of interest, Harrow?”
The orange-furred female jolted, only just stopping from moving her foot back to the floor before committing to using him as a backrest. She turned back-on fully, stretching her legs over the remainder of the seat and placing tablets she had finished with on her lap.
“It didn’t take very long for the methods you sold to propagate,” she responded, holding up a few of the tablets before laying them in their own pile. “Looks like Pernel has been spreading it around by buying some from places that have bows and snares to sell where they don’t.”
“Supply and demand, or arming people with the tools that would help them survive?”
“Hard to trade with the dead,” Harrow commented dryly, starting a new pile. He nodded in exaggerated fashion.
“What about the Atmo?”
She tapped the small stack she just started. “I’m trying to separate these by inventory type. Give me a bit.”
Deciding to trust the woman in charge of managing this kind of thing while she was on the ship, he glanced back to Raine, the female easily mistaken for a statue if not for the subtle sway of her breathing. “The grey-bear-thing. How far away is it?”
“Too close,” she responded firmly. “We did not get a chance to verify their numbers, but there was evidence of at least that singular beast making our territory its hunting ground.”
“Fuck,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “We’re going to need to hunt that thing down.”
Pan looked worried at the prospect, Harrow stiffened in her sorting. The Wraiths were the only ones who seemed completely at ease with the suggestion, Tel not so much as twitching. Harrow laid down the tablets she had yet to categorize, her gaze aimed at her lap.
“Joe, don’t think that taking one out is easy.”
“We have ranged weapons and more than a few people who can use them,” he pointed out with a breath. “Ideally, we go as a larger hunting party and take the damn thing down through sheer volume of fire.”
“Their skin is tough,” Harrow replied with a shake of her head, her ears pivoting back towards him. “I don’t know if our bows could pierce it as easily as we might like.”
He furrowed his brow. “So, what? Let it close in until it eats everything and starves us out? Until it thinks we look tasty?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying that this won’t be as simple as firing a few arrows and patting ourselves on the back for a job well done.”
Joseph felt the stiffness of his brow start to hurt from how tight they were knitted. A deep breath centred his thoughts. “We’ll arrange an armoured hunting party soon. Better to take it down before it becomes an issue.”
The orange-furred female nodded, quickly leafing through the remaining tablets and only pulling two more out for the pile she indicated earlier.
“Here,” she said, tapping the stack. “These are records for trading Atmo.”
He suppressed the sigh when he genuinely tried to read the mess they called a language. “How many? Who bought them?”
She hesitated, reforming the copy of the ledger—sans the relevant tablets—and placing it on the floor. The remainder in paw, she held them up over her shoulder, Tel accepting it and going over the contents with an interested tilt of her head.
“From what I can see here, Pernel traded two hundred.”
“Two…” he squeaked, his eyes wide. “Two hundred?”
She nodded, pacing around the couch to stop in front of Pan. “It seems others heard of his willingness to barter for them. He accepted quite a few deals before selling them off again.”
“To who?”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The door to the ship closed with a hiss, Willin shaking his head at Nav’s questioning gaze. “Nothing.”
Tech removed her CARDs, storing them in the weapons locker before shrugging off her AMR to place in its own unit. “Nothing living, anyway.”
“That bad?” Nav asked, deflating after yet another failed attempt to contact a settlement. The dark green-furred male stored his rifle, seating it into its receptacle with a click.
“Tell Comms to add another eighty to the count.”
“Four hundred eighty-two,” the purple-furred female supplied as she walked past Nav to enter the ship proper. Willin followed after, hanging his pistol holster on the side of his chair as he dropped into it.
“Thirty were covered in wounds, twenty or so were executed, twenty-five looked to have died of accumulated trauma, and the rest were found with singular cuts to the throat.”
“Not quite,” Tech remarked, interfacing with the systems. “Only eight of the ‘executed’ seem to have been done up close.”
“Sniper?” Comms asked as he entered the room, nodding his greetings and taking a seat at his station. Nav crossed their arms and leaned against the doorway as Tech Ops ran some numbers on her screen.
“Wounds are consistent with Anti Material Rifles, and debris suggest they took the ‘material’ part into consideration with their shots. There were a few holes in the buildings that didn’t quite get removed by the fires.”
“Covering evidence?” Willin mused aloud, receiving a thoughtful shake of her head.
“No, I don’t think so. My guess is that the buildings were already on fire when they did it, based on the splinters around the exit holes.”
Comms’ eyes widened in surprise. “Shooting through a burning building? That is rather impressive.”
“Blades?” Nav suggested. “Avalon is required to act against those who break the treaty, no?”
“Maybe,” Tech allowed tentatively. “If it was them, then that would explain the lack of targets.”
Willin scratched at his ear, furrowing his brow as Comms ran another scan for any communications being made. Though a few suns had passed since they had unwittingly agreed to involve themselves in what was likely the first case of war that this planet had ever seen, nothing was being sent anywhere. Regardless, the male kept the scans regular, just in case.
Nav switched the foot they were resting on. “Why not just dispose of everyone breaking the treaty?”
“Maybe they did,” Comms commented, turning back to the conversation as the program ran in the background. “Blades typically function under strict conditions. If they removed anyone who was commanding the hostile action, then they did as required of them. The moment the attack stopped, they completed the terms of the treaty.”
“Or if the Grand Hunter here surrendered and allowed their pack to be subsumed,” Willin proposed, the others glancing at him in curiosity. He waved a paw dismissively. “If everyone in the conflict becomes a single pack, then any fighting from those who still disagree with it is now an internal dispute, thus outside of the purview of the Blades. Check the notes on Grand Hunter Toril and High Hunter Bratik.”
Tech’s eyes unfocused for a moment as she accessed the system. “Avalon is forbidden from interfering with internal politics. Toril was sheltered by Bratik. Since Bratik was from outside of Toril’s pack, it counted as acting against their right to manage their own affairs. Hasen was given a perfect reason to take over, and it forced Grand Hunter Trill to exile the both of them to adhere.” She looked around the room aimlessly as she thought, her eyes snapping to Willin when he spoke.
“And a perfect loop-hole to exploit. Toril loses his supporters, Trill loses a member of his command structure, and Hasen rises in power while leaving Avalon to grit their teeth.” He shook his head, both impressed and disgusted. “Once he attacks another pack, he just forces a vassalage and subsequently executes the new High Hunter for whatever reason he wants. The Blades can’t act on a technicality.”
“So Grand Hunter Pernel….”
Willin nodded at Comms' unfinished question. “In the count.”
“There was a bit of a weird holding area,” Tech added after a moment. “Seemed like somewhere to hold livestock, but even then, it was a bit big. I’m not sure what used to be there, but tracks suggest carts left with whatever it was not long before everything went down, so probably a trade caravan.”
“Well, at least someone made it out,” Nav sighed, pushing off the wall to resume their station. “Where are we going next?”
Willin toyed with the odd silver tablet in his paw, the two unrecognizable scripts curious and alien. “The only pack left before we see what all the fuss is about. Let’s pay a visit to Grand Huntress Sunundra. Hopefully she knows something we don’t.”
Next
A/N: Been a while since we’ve had a proper A/N, huh. Welp, here’s this one. Patreon is currently set to ‘per post’ because i made the account ages ago. Waiting on support to help me switch it to monthly, then I’ll post the Silva render i have. RR is at 30k views and 100 followers.
Figured I’d ask how you guys are liking this arc, hows Willin’s team coming across, etc.
Final note: I’m thinking about rewriting the first ‘book’ so i can get it edited and published! Problem: i have no fucking clue where to cut book 1, and editors are expensive. Where should book 1 end? All i know is that I’d prob end up adding extra chapters to it, as well as lengthening the OG chaps. RR is a ‘touch-up’, not a final product, so those don’t count!

The No 1 truth about humans: They are stupid.
Krill was waiting in the docking bay, watching as his new medical equipment was wheeled up the ramp. Sunny stood next to him, holding a data pad and checking off the shipping manifest as it was wheeled on.
Conn floated a few feet away from them, ribbons on his back billowing and churning slowly in the air currents.
He was currently occupied staring down at the screen of his handheld.
Ever since the captain had gotten him that game, he hadn't stopped playing.
It was a nice break from his usual acerbic, nosy nature.
The last line of medical equipment was being loaded up the ramp, when Conn suddenly looked up from his game. He stared into nothing for a second and then signed:
”Oh boi…”
He turned his head towards the interior doors and signed something again, which was quickly translated by his automated gloves,
"Prepare yourselves."
"Prepare ourselves? For what?"
The question didn't hang on the air for very long, before the sounds of human exuberance reached them from down the hall.
Sunny shook her head and Krill sighed, and the three of them braced themselves as the commander rolled onto deck with his heelies, skidding to a stop and running towards the line of boxes,
"Is it here!? Did you get it!?"
"Get what?"
Sunny muttered, he snatched the data pad from her hand, scrolling through the checked boxes.
"Hey! What are you-"
"Ah ha! There it is!"
He began laughing and giggling maniacally, running over to a line of already checked boxes, hopping up and down in place and rubbing his hands together.
The three aliens exchanged a worried glance. Sunny sighed,
"What did you do?”
The man waved a hand at her, as one of the cargo workers opened a box for him,
"What did I do? What did I do? I will tell you what I did! I just made this ship officially the most awesome ship in the fleet."
”Oh god I’m here long enough to know that can’t be good…”
Krill muttered, while Sunny asked:
"And how exactly did you do that?"
"I thought we were already the most awesome ship in the fleet?"
The commander was seconds from squealing with delight, as the man cracked open the crate and let the sides fall to the deck.
There were a few boxes in there, but the commander didn't seem to care about most of them, grabbing a single big box from the pile and hauling it onto the floor, where he could get a better look,
"Gah, its heavy, that's good."
Krill frowned,
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
The commander continued to grin,
"Nope, you're gonna hate it, and that's how I know it's going to be great."
Krill sighed. Sunny stepped forward as the man frantically ripped open the box, like a man possessed.
The crate opened and the man was now laughing maniacally,
"Yes! Yes! Yes! MUHAHAHAHA!"
Krill and the others wandered over, glancing down into the box.
Conn sighed, a sound he had specifically programmed into his gloves.
Sunny tilted her head,
"What is it?”
The human reached inside, grabbed a thick, pamphlet with one hand and tossed it out of the way.
Krill was forced to duck to the side as the book went flying past his head and skidded across the floor.
He glanced over and saw the words.
JETPACK OPERATIONS MANUAL
**"NO! Oh no! no! No! No! ADAM NO!”
"ADAM YES! Yes in every way!"
The commander said, tearing into the foam packaging that held the unit inside.
When he finally pulled it out, he grunted with its weight and sat back on the cold metal floor, cradling it against his knees to get a better look,
"Ah, just look at it! Look at it! Ahhhhh! Best day ever!"
"No, you send that right back to where it came from!"
Krill was saying,
"I have a hard enough time getting you to keep your feet on the ground. I will not let you do this stupid, reckless-"
Sunny picked the manual off the ground with one of her smaller hands, while the main pair of hands was crossed in disdain in front of her torso.
"Adam don't you think you should read the instructions first?”
The human was standing now and had the jetpack propped on the side of a crate, threading his arms through the upper harness.
”What part of “I can fly anything” don't you get?”
"So you've flown one before?”
"No, of course not… but how hard can it be!?”
Krill shook his head,
"Commander you will not be flying that, not unless you have full body protection, and that means a HELMET as well."
Sunny crossed her other set of arms,
"I have to agree with the doctor this time."
He glanced over at them and wilted slightly,
"Ok, Ok yes mom let me go get my knee and elbow pads."
"Full body armor or no deal."
”Buut…”
”Adam!?”
"Fine!"
He groaned but sighed, whining under his breath the whole way while running quickly out of the room.
Sunny and Krill exchanged a look,
"Should we just hide it?"
Conn floated down to sit on one of the crates,
"I kind of want to see him break his neck."
Sunny glowered over at Conn, but the freaky alien just grinned at her, his large black eyes menacing against his milky white skin.
She flipped the manual open,
"Someone at least better read this before he gets himself hurt."
"You think he’d care to know how it worked before he tries it..."
"Adam may love science fiction, but that doesn't make him a scientist. I've seen him struggle to put a pen back together after taking it apart…"
Sunny muttered, walking over to the jetpack to set it up before the commander came back.
She almost thought about just not setting it up He wouldn't get off the ground without reading the manual, but he had been so excited that she hardly had the heart to ruin this for him.
He returned a good thirty minutes later, wearing a space suit helmet tucked under one arm.
"You know what, this was actually a good idea Krill."
"It was, so you finally saw the logic of-"
"Because I just realized, if we paint this rig up, I can look like buzz lightyear. Think about it a little green, purple and white and I can be a space ranger. It will be the most epic cosplay you have ever seen.”
”…”
”And I can order more of them with the rest of the company funds to turn the marines into a squad of kick-ass Mandalorians! It’s going to be great!”
"You wasted company funds on a jetpack!?"
"Nope my money. However, if I can find a reason to requisition some, you better bet that I will, Now hand it over."
"Helmet first."
Krill said sternly. The man rolled his eyes,
"Ok fine."
He slid the helmet on, and it locked into place,
"So many possibilities guys! I could be Iron man! Or also mandalorian!"
”…”
”Note to self: find some cool A.I. like Jarvis to get the full iron man feeling.
He mumbled to himself, while Sunny once again crossed her lower set of arms over her chest, while using the other two to read the manual,
"I seem to recall that the first time Iron man tried to use his, he ended up slamming into a wall…”
The commander folded the straps on the jetpack into their place, instead using a different mechanism to attach the jetpack to the back of the space suit.
A few of the marines walked into the room, along with Doctor Katie.
"Yo is that a jetpack!?"
Called one of the marines.
"You bet your ass it is."
He turned in a circle,
”Do you guys like it?"
"Damn!"
”Dope!”
”Fricking awesome!”
Someone whistled.
"Don't encourage him!!!?"
Krill snarled.
The marines stepped back.
"Yeah yeah, whatever, ok let's get this party started."
The commander marched towards the door, and the rest of the group struggled to keep up.
Dr Katie nervously fell into step beside Krill,
"He's going to get hurt isn't he…”
"Yeah... Bring a stretcher and a C-collar would you?"
He muttered, Dr. Katie nodded and ran off.
Commander Vir stepped out onto the ramp,
"Ok... now... Uh... how do I get it to work?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow form behind the manual,
"So now you need my help? I am not entirely sure I want to tell you how to use it."
"You don't tell me I will just look up a video."
She sighed,
"It should have connected when you attached it to your suit. You can choose to use the hand controls on your gloves. So first-"
"Oh, sweet."
He pressed one of the glove controls, and there was a sharp clicking sound as the jet pack wings clicked open locking into place,
"Oh HELL YEAH! Even better! Someone get me green and white paint asap!"
"Adam calm down."
"So what does this button do?"
"Adam-"
There was a sharp whir and whine as the engine started up.
"Oh yeah!"
"Ok we are done. If you can't slow down and listen to the instructions, then we are going to have to confiscate that…"
Sunny reached forward, intending to grab him, but he danced away.
"So, If that was open, and that was start, than this must be up…”
"ADAM!?”
Sunny lunged forward, just as the human's thumb triggered the throttle.
She dived right past where he had been standing, and the human rocketed up into the air, feet and arms flailing.
"Shit! Adam!"
Krill frantically turned on his comm,
"Katie, get the medical team down here NOW!!!”
The bright streak of light passed out of sight as the engine continued to steadily rocket upwards, and for a moment it seemed as if he would at least be fine.
That was until he figured out the controls and suddenly started to spin and turn wildly his body thrown back and forth like a ragdoll.
"Shit, shit, shit."
Conn was laughing behind her,
She turned on him,
"Shut up and help."
Conn waved a hand,
"He's fine. He's having the time of his life."
Sunny turned back to look up, watching as the bright spot turned, arched downwards and began plummeting towards the ground.
He was growing bigger and bigger in their vision.
"Any second now."
Conn said,
Sunny's eyes widened in horror.
”ANY SECOND WHAT!?”
"He'll figure out how to pull up, any moment now."
They could see individual limbs again.
"Yeeeep aaaaany moment now."
The assembled humans began to scream.
”Aaaaaaaany moment…”
They all watched as he came closer and closer to the ground…
At the last moment he flung himself sideways, going parallel to the ground. He shot past them, and for a second Sunny thought she could hear screaming, though the roaring sound of the engine was too loud.
He was heading straight towards a loading crane.
He was about to hit it, when he threw himself sideways, spinning in the air, his wing almost clipping an armored vehicle.
He was thrown up and sideways, his arms pinwheeling as he arched in a parabola over the landing field.
All the humans working in the docking bay had stopped to stare upwards at the spectacle, a few had their phones out.
Sunny ran out trying to see where he had gone.
Dr. Katie rushed out onto the ramp with the medical team close behind,
"What the ever loving fuck!?"
She exclaimed,
"Why did you let him do that!?”
"I didn't think he would be THAT stupid!"
Sunny yelled back.
The bright white spot did another arch and then spun and then did a loop.
Conn floated forward,
"He thinks he's got the hang of it... Though... I have some serious questions about his ability to slow down...”
The group of them stared skyward, as he continued to roll, tumble and do loops.
"I am going to kill him."
Sunny snarled,
"If he doesn’t kill himself."
Krill sighed. Sunny glowered at him,
"Because you seem so concerned!”
"Didn't you hear? I am in a constant state of panic, like the hulk is with anger, but... Lame."
The little white dot arched towards the ground.
"Oh shit, here it comes."
Conn said covering his face – not that it would help.
Sunny, tried to look away, watching as the light dimmed, slowed.
She glanced up, watching as commander Vir descended from the sky, his hands held out awkwardly to either side, like a tightrope walker, one foot down and one foot slightly up.
He was about ten feet above the ground, when the engine suddenly cut.
Sunny yelled in surprise, the rest of the group jumped forward.
He landed fine, at first, then he stumbled forward, arms flailing, tripped and plowed face first into the concrete.
Sunny and the group ran forward to where he was lying on the pavement.
"Adam, Adam are you ok!”
It was then –to Sunny's great annoyance– that she heard the human laughing.
He rolled over onto his side and pulled off his helmet, which had small scratches across the paint of the face.
He was sweaty, red in the face, but grinning like an idiot,
"Holy shit, did you see that? THAT was awesome!
"You could have died!"
"Yeah yeah, sure whatever, but also did you SEE that!”
Sunny felt a surge of anger flare up in her chest,
"THAT IS IT!"
She reached over and slammed her finger against the release button for the jetpack.
"Hey!?"
It fell away, and she shoved it into the arms of the closest marine, without even looking who it was.
"Hide this somewhere, or throw it away, I don't care."
"Wait, Sunny, but I..."
She grabbed him angrily by the hand and hauled him to his feet, marching across the tarmac with him stumbling behind her.
He turned back to look towards the jetpack, pulling against her.
”Noo but my jetpack… Jettie I love you, please don’t go! YOU CANT STOP OUR LOVE!”
In frustration she turned, bent down and tipped him over one shoulder, pinning his legs with her two right arms.
"Sunny!? Hey!? What are you doing!?"
"I am sick and tired of your shit, Adam!"
She marched up the ramp, as the rest of the humans looked on either bemused, or amused.
"Seriously Sunny!?"
He tried to struggle, but she only adjusted his weight.
"You aren't leaving your quarters for a week!"
"You're grounding ME!?"
"Literally!"
She snarled.
"You aren't my mother!”
"Oh yeah, but I can call her."
He suddenly got silent and his eyes narrowed,
”You wouldn't dare..."
"Don't think I won't."
His face went pale,
"Look Sunny, we can talk about this. You don't have to call her. Come on you know me. I knew exactly what I was doing. Remember. Pilot. I fly stuff all the time."
"You almost died."
"Almost being the key term."
She snarled, feet slamming against the deck and she pushed through the cargo bay and out the doors, her anger heard for minutes after they were out of sight.
The rest of the humans had a good laugh over the whole thing, though Krill was not impressed, and neither was Dr. Katie.
Humans were immensely stupid, stupid and reckless. They had no sense of self preservation, and some of them seemed hell bent on dying early though they never seemed to manage it.
Unfortunately for Sunny, she had handed the jetpack to Ramirez, who now definitely planned on buying one for himself, and, as Adam's human friend, planned on keeping it safe for him until he returned.
Maybe taking it out for a spin while he was away?
Because humans are stupid like that…
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
The title of this chapter is awesome!
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
The No 1 truth about humans: They are stupid.
Krill was waiting in the docking bay, watching as his new medical equipment was wheeled up the ramp. Sunny stood next to him, holding a data pad and checking off the shipping manifest as it was wheeled on.
Conn floated a few feet away from them, ribbons on his back billowing and churning slowly in the air currents.
He was currently occupied staring down at the screen of his handheld.
Ever since the captain had gotten him that game, he hadn't stopped playing.
It was a nice break from his usual acerbic, nosy nature.
The last line of medical equipment was being loaded up the ramp, when Conn suddenly looked up from his game. He stared into nothing for a second and then signed:
”Oh boi…”
He turned his head towards the interior doors and signed something again, which was quickly translated by his automated gloves,
"Prepare yourselves."
"Prepare ourselves? For what?"
The question didn't hang on the air for very long, before the sounds of human exuberance reached them from down the hall.
Sunny shook her head and Krill sighed, and the three of them braced themselves as the commander rolled onto deck with his heelies, skidding to a stop and running towards the line of boxes,
"Is it here!? Did you get it!?"
"Get what?"
Sunny muttered, he snatched the data pad from her hand, scrolling through the checked boxes.
"Hey! What are you-"
"Ah ha! There it is!"
He began laughing and giggling maniacally, running over to a line of already checked boxes, hopping up and down in place and rubbing his hands together.
The three aliens exchanged a worried glance. Sunny sighed,
"What did you do?”
The man waved a hand at her, as one of the cargo workers opened a box for him,
"What did I do? What did I do? I will tell you what I did! I just made this ship officially the most awesome ship in the fleet."
”Oh god I’m here long enough to know that can’t be good…”
Krill muttered, while Sunny asked:
"And how exactly did you do that?"
"I thought we were already the most awesome ship in the fleet?"
The commander was seconds from squealing with delight, as the man cracked open the crate and let the sides fall to the deck.
There were a few boxes in there, but the commander didn't seem to care about most of them, grabbing a single big box from the pile and hauling it onto the floor, where he could get a better look,
"Gah, its heavy, that's good."
Krill frowned,
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
The commander continued to grin,
"Nope, you're gonna hate it, and that's how I know it's going to be great."
Krill sighed. Sunny stepped forward as the man frantically ripped open the box, like a man possessed.
The crate opened and the man was now laughing maniacally,
"Yes! Yes! Yes! MUHAHAHAHA!"
Krill and the others wandered over, glancing down into the box.
Conn sighed, a sound he had specifically programmed into his gloves.
Sunny tilted her head,
"What is it?”
The human reached inside, grabbed a thick, pamphlet with one hand and tossed it out of the way.
Krill was forced to duck to the side as the book went flying past his head and skidded across the floor.
He glanced over and saw the words.
JETPACK OPERATIONS MANUAL
"NO! Oh no! no! No! No! ADAM NO!”
"ADAM YES! Yes in every way!"
The commander said, tearing into the foam packaging that held the unit inside.
When he finally pulled it out, he grunted with its weight and sat back on the cold metal floor, cradling it against his knees to get a better look,
"Ah, just look at it! Look at it! Ahhhhh! Best day ever!"
"No, you send that right back to where it came from!"
Krill was saying,
"I have a hard enough time getting you to keep your feet on the ground. I will not let you do this stupid, reckless-"
Sunny picked the manual off the ground with one of her smaller hands, while the main pair of hands was crossed in disdain in front of her torso.
"Adam don't you think you should read the instructions first?”
The human was standing now and had the jetpack propped on the side of a crate, threading his arms through the upper harness.
”What part of “I can fly anything” don't you get?”
"So you've flown one before?”
"No, of course not… but how hard can it be!?”
Krill shook his head,
"Commander you will not be flying that, not unless you have full body protection, and that means a HELMET as well."
Sunny crossed her other set of arms,
"I have to agree with the doctor this time."
He glanced over at them and wilted slightly,
"Ok, Ok yes mom let me go get my knee and elbow pads."
"Full body armor or no deal."
”Buut…”
”Adam!?”
"Fine!"
He groaned but sighed, whining under his breath the whole way while running quickly out of the room.
Sunny and Krill exchanged a look,
"Should we just hide it?"
Conn floated down to sit on one of the crates,
"I kind of want to see him break his neck."
Sunny glowered over at Conn, but the freaky alien just grinned at her, his large black eyes menacing against his milky white skin.
She flipped the manual open,
"Someone at least better read this before he gets himself hurt."
"You think he’d care to know how it worked before he tries it..."
"Adam may love science fiction, but that doesn't make him a scientist. I've seen him struggle to put a pen back together after taking it apart…"
Sunny muttered, walking over to the jetpack to set it up before the commander came back.
She almost thought about just not setting it up He wouldn't get off the ground without reading the manual, but he had been so excited that she hardly had the heart to ruin this for him.
He returned a good thirty minutes later, wearing a space suit helmet tucked under one arm.
"You know what, this was actually a good idea Krill."
"It was, so you finally saw the logic of-"
"Because I just realized, if we paint this rig up, I can look like buzz lightyear. Think about it a little green, purple and white and I can be a space ranger. It will be the most epic cosplay you have ever seen.”
”…”
”And I can order more of them with the rest of the company funds to turn the marines into a squad of kick-ass Mandalorians! It’s going to be great!”
"You wasted company funds on a jetpack!?"
"Nope my money. However, if I can find a reason to requisition some, you better bet that I will, Now hand it over."
"Helmet first."
Krill said sternly. The man rolled his eyes,
"Ok fine."
He slid the helmet on, and it locked into place,
"So many possibilities guys! I could be Iron man! Or also mandalorian!"
”…”
”Note to self: find some cool A.I. like Jarvis to get the full iron man feeling.
He mumbled to himself, while Sunny once again crossed her lower set of arms over her chest, while using the other two to read the manual,
"I seem to recall that the first time Iron man tried to use his, he ended up slamming into a wall…”
The commander folded the straps on the jetpack into their place, instead using a different mechanism to attach the jetpack to the back of the space suit.
A few of the marines walked into the room, along with Doctor Katie.
"Yo is that a jetpack!?"
Called one of the marines.
"You bet your ass it is."
He turned in a circle,
”Do you guys like it?"
"Damn!"
”Dope!”
”Fricking awesome!”
Someone whistled.
"Don't encourage him!!!?"
Krill snarled.
The marines stepped back.
"Yeah yeah, whatever, ok let's get this party started."
The commander marched towards the door, and the rest of the group struggled to keep up.
Dr Katie nervously fell into step beside Krill,
"He's going to get hurt isn't he…”
"Yeah... Bring a stretcher and a C-collar would you?"
He muttered, Dr. Katie nodded and ran off.
Commander Vir stepped out onto the ramp,
"Ok... now... Uh... how do I get it to work?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow form behind the manual,
"So now you need my help? I am not entirely sure I want to tell you how to use it."
"You don't tell me I will just look up a video."
She sighed,
"It should have connected when you attached it to your suit. You can choose to use the hand controls on your gloves. So first-"
"Oh, sweet."
He pressed one of the glove controls, and there was a sharp clicking sound as the jet pack wings clicked open locking into place,
"Oh HELL YEAH! Even better! Someone get me green and white paint asap!"
"Adam calm down."
"So what does this button do?"
"Adam-"
There was a sharp whir and whine as the engine started up.
"Oh yeah!"
"Ok we are done. If you can't slow down and listen to the instructions, then we are going to have to confiscate that…"
Sunny reached forward, intending to grab him, but he danced away.
"So, If that was open, and that was start, than this must be up…”
"ADAM!?”
Sunny lunged forward, just as the human's thumb triggered the throttle.
She dived right past where he had been standing, and the human rocketed up into the air, feet and arms flailing.
"Shit! Adam!"
Krill frantically turned on his comm,
"Katie, get the medical team down here NOW!!!”
The bright streak of light passed out of sight as the engine continued to steadily rocket upwards, and for a moment it seemed as if he would at least be fine.
That was until he figured out the controls and suddenly started to spin and turn wildly his body thrown back and forth like a ragdoll.
"Shit, shit, shit."
Conn was laughing behind her,
She turned on him,
"Shut up and help."
Conn waved a hand,
"He's fine. He's having the time of his life."
Sunny turned back to look up, watching as the bright spot turned, arched downwards and began plummeting towards the ground.
He was growing bigger and bigger in their vision.
"Any second now."
Conn said,
Sunny's eyes widened in horror.
”ANY SECOND WHAT!?”
"He'll figure out how to pull up, any moment now."
They could see individual limbs again.
"Yeeeep aaaaany moment now."
The assembled humans began to scream.
”Aaaaaaaany moment…”
They all watched as he came closer and closer to the ground…
At the last moment he flung himself sideways, going parallel to the ground. He shot past them, and for a second Sunny thought she could hear screaming, though the roaring sound of the engine was too loud.
He was heading straight towards a loading crane.
He was about to hit it, when he threw himself sideways, spinning in the air, his wing almost clipping an armored vehicle.
He was thrown up and sideways, his arms pinwheeling as he arched in a parabola over the landing field.
All the humans working in the docking bay had stopped to stare upwards at the spectacle, a few had their phones out.
Sunny ran out trying to see where he had gone.
Dr. Katie rushed out onto the ramp with the medical team close behind,
"What the ever loving fuck!?"
She exclaimed,
"Why did you let him do that!?”
"I didn't think he would be THAT stupid!"
Sunny yelled back.
The bright white spot did another arch and then spun and then did a loop.
Conn floated forward,
"He thinks he's got the hang of it... Though... I have some serious questions about his ability to slow down...”
The group of them stared skyward, as he continued to roll, tumble and do loops.
"I am going to kill him."
Sunny snarled,
"If he doesn’t kill himself."
Krill sighed. Sunny glowered at him,
"Because you seem so concerned!”
"Didn't you hear? I am in a constant state of panic, like the hulk is with anger, but... Lame."
The little white dot arched towards the ground.
"Oh shit, here it comes."
Conn said covering his face – not that it would help.
Sunny, tried to look away, watching as the light dimmed, slowed.
She glanced up, watching as commander Vir descended from the sky, his hands held out awkwardly to either side, like a tightrope walker, one foot down and one foot slightly up.
He was about ten feet above the ground, when the engine suddenly cut.
Sunny yelled in surprise, the rest of the group jumped forward.
He landed fine, at first, then he stumbled forward, arms flailing, tripped and plowed face first into the concrete.
Sunny and the group ran forward to where he was lying on the pavement.
"Adam, Adam are you ok!”
It was then –to Sunny's great annoyance– that she heard the human laughing.
He rolled over onto his side and pulled off his helmet, which had small scratches across the paint of the face.
He was sweaty, red in the face, but grinning like an idiot,
"Holy shit, did you see that? THAT was awesome!
"You could have died!"
"Yeah yeah, sure whatever, but also did you SEE that!”
Sunny felt a surge of anger flare up in her chest,
"THAT IS IT!"
She reached over and slammed her finger against the release button for the jetpack.
"Hey!?"
It fell away, and she shoved it into the arms of the closest marine, without even looking who it was.
"Hide this somewhere, or throw it away, I don't care."
"Wait, Sunny, but I..."
She grabbed him angrily by the hand and hauled him to his feet, marching across the tarmac with him stumbling behind her.
He turned back to look towards the jetpack, pulling against her.
”Noo but my jetpack… Jettie I love you, please don’t go! YOU CANT STOP OUR LOVE!”
In frustration she turned, bent down and tipped him over one shoulder, pinning his legs with her two right arms.
"Sunny!? Hey!? What are you doing!?"
"I am sick and tired of your shit, Adam!"
She marched up the ramp, as the rest of the humans looked on either bemused, or amused.
"Seriously Sunny!?"
He tried to struggle, but she only adjusted his weight.
"You aren't leaving your quarters for a week!"
"You're grounding ME!?"
"Literally!"
She snarled.
"You aren't my mother!”
"Oh yeah, but I can call her."
He suddenly got silent and his eyes narrowed,
”You wouldn't dare..."
"Don't think I won't."
His face went pale,
"Look Sunny, we can talk about this. You don't have to call her. Come on you know me. I knew exactly what I was doing. Remember. Pilot. I fly stuff all the time."
"You almost died."
"Almost being the key term."
She snarled, feet slamming against the deck and she pushed through the cargo bay and out the doors, her anger heard for minutes after they were out of sight.
The rest of the humans had a good laugh over the whole thing, though Krill was not impressed, and neither was Dr. Katie.
Humans were immensely stupid, stupid and reckless. They had no sense of self preservation, and some of them seemed hell bent on dying early though they never seemed to manage it.
Unfortunately for Sunny, she had handed the jetpack to Ramirez, who now definitely planned on buying one for himself, and, as Adam's human friend, planned on keeping it safe for him until he returned.
Maybe taking it out for a spin while he was away?
Because humans are stupid like that…
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

Whenever I read fanfiction with the mauraders I don't rly have a clear image of any of them. For example, I see regulus I am thinking of this timothee chalamet/that one guy on tiktok who looks like twink chalamet mashup. Or I see James and I have this rly weird mix of a slightly tanned aaron taylor johnson/david kushne and this Indian boy from class who has peak james potter vibes. Or I see severus and I have this tamino/alan rickman/snape fanart mix.
Is it just me??? Like literally theres no solid image of any of these people. They're like vaguley people shaped blobs with random distinct character traits

Read Chapters 26, 27, and 28 Here: https://www.reddit.com/saw/comments/13v6mcx/legacy_from_the_book_of_saw_chapter_26_27_28/
________________________________________________
*** CHAPTER 29 **\*
Inside the exhibit, the faint whir of a helicopter flying overhead, penetrated the survivors’ ears, injecting their weary hearts with a frail glimmer of hope. Undeterred by adversity, Renee and Sarah persevered in their quest to uncover the key to the elusive lock box. With resolute determination, Sarah tore through the sandbags, while Renee upended the buckets of paint and dirt, hoping to unearth their salvation.
Confident of their impending rescue, Gavin remained reclined against the glass, observing his companions. His attention fixated on the box, turning it around to admire its design. Yet, the pain in his abdomen had intensified, transforming even the gentle touch of his shirt into searing knives. Placing the box on his lap, he unfastened a button, peering inside to discover a sizable hematoma, its purple hue speckled with dull pinks.
“I found something!” Renee said excitedly.
On the back wall was a ventilation shaft. Renee stood by while Sarah rubbed her fingers against the screws that sealed the screen to the duct, then retrieved another brick from the tower. She forcibly slammed the stone into the bolt repeatedly, but it wasn’t budging.
A piercing shriek echoed off the walls, drawing their attention to Gavin, who trembled as he peeled off his shirt. His face etched with fear and frailty. In a testament to his weakened state, his breath came in rapid pants.
Sarah rushed forward, “You have internal bleeding,” she proclaimed, “You need medical attention.”
Gavin blinked wildly, struggling to see, “Son of a bitch,” he said, wincing.
“How do you know that?” Renee asked.
Sarah grabs a sandbag and brings it closer to Gavin. “You need to apply pressure and stay elevated.”
“Goddamnit… Goddamnit. He knocked me down.” Gavin said.
Renee could see the fear on Gavin’s face, and despite his aggression towards her, she felt sympathy for him, “Sarah, are you sure about this?”
“I think so,” she replied, “I was going to be a nurse.”
As Sarah lowers the sandbag onto Gavin’s abdomen, he endures a sudden jolt of pain, “Jesus….” he whimpers.
Renee looks up at her, “A nurse?”
Observing the patient, Sarah explained, “I didn’t finish.”
Gavin’s voice trembles, “What happened?”
The memories of her children flock to Sarah’s mind, and she contorts her face in self-reproach. “I had kids,” she said, “I lost focus.”
“I always wanted to be a Mother,” Renee said thoughtlessly.
Trying to ignore the pain, Gavin asked, “What happened with your kids?”
Sarah leans onto a barrel and appears sunken, slow to respond, “It started as a game,” she said, remembering the day she was tested.
On an ordinary summer afternoon, Sarah strolled through the Oaks Mall in the company of her two children, Charlie and Charlotte. At the time, the youngsters were merely eleven and thirteen, with Charlotte assuming the role of elder sibling, ceaselessly provoking her younger brother.
While Sarah admired a jewelry display, Charlotte began arguing with Charlie.
“I said you could have a sip!” She glowered.
“I did!”
“You drank the whole thing!” Charlotte declared, tossing the empty drink at her brother, hitting him in the chest.
As the bottle tumbled to the ground, its lid catapulted off, scattering remnants of ice across the sleek marble tile. A gathering of shoppers paused to eavesdrop on the squabbling children, silently questioning when parental intervention would ensue. However, Sarah remained engrossed in her negotiation with the salesman, completely oblivious to the unfolding chaos.
The incessant bickering continued until a push gave way, toppling a display and capturing Sarah’s attention. A wave of embarrassment surged through her as she acutely sensed the disapproving gazes fixed upon her. Reacting swiftly, she tightly grasped their wrists and whisked them away from the store.
Their valiant attempts to vindicate themselves were futile; Sarah was livid. While in earshot of the customers, she scolded her children, relinquishing her promise to buy them gifts, and insisting she wouldn’t tolerate any more arguing.
Folding her arms, Charlotte pouted, displeased with her Mother’s verdict.
As they approached the exit of the mall, the anxiety of the situation had created an urgency in Charlie to use the restroom.
“I need to go,” he cooed.
Moving up the escalators, they stopped outside the laboratories, next to a concession stand, and Charlie hurried inside. With the jewelry store out of sight, they could finally drop the act. Charlotte reached into her pocket and produced the diamond bracelet that her Mother wanted.
“How was that?” Charlotte inquired about her performance.
Sarah fitted the stolen bracelet onto her wrist and smiled, “You’re a natural.”
Her daughter beamed at the compliment, “Let’s do it again. That was fun!”
“Soon, baby, soon. “ Sarah reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of cash, extracting a crisp twenty-dollar bill, “How ‘bout a lemonade, then?”
Charlotte grinned widely and stood in line with her mother. She reviewed the menu and decided a deluxe strawberry lemonade would be adequate for a thespian of her stature. More patrons would appear behind them, blocking their view of the restroom.
Before returning to the group, Charlie’s eyes locked on the enchanting display of an opulent toy store. He glided towards the shop, his heart aflutter with a potent blend of anticipation and awe. With a reverent gaze, he took in the kaleidoscope of toys that sprawled before him, each beckoning with its own unique allure.
Moments later, Charlotte joined her brother, her eyes reflecting his infectious enthusiasm. Their faces adorned with radiant smiles, the siblings gazed excitedly at the toys and gadgets, longing to claim them as their own.
“So, you taught your kids to help you steal?” Gavin asked, bemused with the story thus far.
Renee waited for Sarah’s response, but it never came.
“You’ve got money. Why would you do that?” He asked.
Sarah sat on the floor and looked off into the distance, “You had a mistress, didn’t you?”
“What?” Gavin was taken aback.
“It was exciting, right? She made you feel special... Important.”
Gavin remained quiet. It was hard to argue with the claim.
“We didn’t grow up with much,” she began, her voice trailing off as memories of her childhood flooded her mind. Sarah grappled with the words, struggling to articulate the complexities of her past. “My mother… she….” Her voice faltered, “Mom battled with anxiety and paranoia. She… She was confused. Maybe it was bipolar or schizophrenia. I don’t know. We couldn’t afford an evaluation. And my dad… He wasn’t there. He couldn’t handle the mood swings, y’know?”
“So what? Every family has issues….” Gavin said.
“Sometimes, it was the only way for us to put food on the table,” she explained, “but it became a compulsion for her.”
“It rubbed off on you?” Renee asked in a sympathetic tone.
“Maybe,” she replied, her eyes falling to the floor, “Maybe it was always there.”
“Where’s she now?” Renee asked.
Saddened by the thought, Sarah revealed, “She’s gone…. She passed, I mean. Almost twenty years now. Small service. She didn’t have a lot of friends.”
To the point, Gavin asked, “So, when did you get tested?”
“That night…,” She said, “We got home pretty late and the lights weren’t working. I thought nothing of it. A blown fuse or something, right?” A look of sorrow befell her, “My husband normally fixed those things.”
Renee met the gaze of Sarah and flashed her a sweet smile.
“Anyways, the kids dashed to their rooms while I looked for the electrical box.”
Concealed within the shrouds of darkness, Amanda Young lingered, her anticipation building as she waited for the imminent arrival of the unsuspecting family. In the dimly lit living room, Sarah’s searching hand came across a solitary candle. As she struck a match, its feeble glow revealed the haunting silhouette of a grotesquely contorted head, sending a chilling tremor down her spine. On the precipice of releasing a scream, Sarah’s world was abruptly invaded by the stealthy approach of Mark Hoffman. From the shadows, he ensnared her in a vice-like grip, swiftly pressing a rag infused with chloroform against her face, plunging her consciousness into an unsettling abyss.
“The next thing I knew, I woke up in a room like this,” she said, “but there was a window that separated me from my kids, and my wrist was pulled through a hole in the glass.”
Surprised, Renee asked, “Your kids were in the trap with you?”
Gavin spoke softly, “Wouldn’t be the first time….” he said, remembering the threat of death towards Dr. Gordon’s family.
Sarah let out a deep sigh and nodded, “When I woke up, I could see them lying across from me.”
Immersed in the flickering glow of white noise from a television screen, Charlotte and Charlie lay upon the grimy floor of a forsaken laboratory. The dilapidated chamber exudes a musty odor, its atmosphere saturated with neglect. The bluish-green walls, tinged with decay, reveal patches of a worn brown foundation, marking the passage of time.
Sarah's eyes widened with fear as the cacophony of static intensified, her heart pounding in her chest. She fought desperately, her wrist contorting and straining, in an attempt to free herself from the confining hole. And then, as if emerging from a nightmare, an unsettling puppet materialized through the static of the television.
“Hello Sarah, I want to play a game,” John’s chilling voice emitted from the doll and seized her attention, “Despite your advantages, you’ve chosen to lie, cheat, and steal. Well, Today, you will have a chance to give."
Startled by the haunting voice, Charlie emerged from his slumber. As he rubbed his eyes, he caught sight of his mother through the glass and hurriedly made his way towards her. A flood of relief washed over Sarah as she beheld her son unharmed. Sarah enveloped him in a tight embrace, pressing his little body against the cool surface, yearning to feel the warmth of his skin once more.
“Sarah, you’ve long considered your children to be an extension of yourself, using them like a tool for your criminal acts. Today, they will be the key, the key to saving your life.”
Charlotte is awoken to the sound of her brother pounding on the glass walls. Frightened, she rushes towards the window.
“If you are comfortable using their hands, perhaps, you don’t need your own?” Jigsaw suggests.
“Oh my God,” Sarah says.
“If you want freedom, I require a sacrifice. A sacrifice of flesh.”
Charlotte turns around slowly and watches the TV.
“There’s a tool in the room with you, and you will need it to be set free. But hurry up. In 10 minutes, the door will lock, and this room will become your tomb. Live or die, Sarah. Make your choice.”
A timer beneath the TV switches on, piercing the darkness with its red digits.
Charlie wipes tears from his face, his words nearly incomprehensible, “Mom, I want to go home.”
“Me too, baby. We’re gonna be okay, I promise you. It’s just a game.”
“I don’t want to play anymore!” Charlie declared.
Sarah’s throat swelled, and she was stricken with guilt, “Just once more, honey, okay?”
Charlotte quickly evaluated the room, searching for the tool.
“No more!” Charlie yelled.
Embracing her son, Sarah ran her hand against his head, soothing him, “Okay, sweetheart. It’s Okay.”
Charlotte remained determined as she searched the room, playing the role of Detective. Her love of movies crept in, and she was strangely fearless. She knew the good guys always prevailed based on the films she had seen. She knocked on the walls listening for a hollow point, and proceeded into the darkness. It was there that she felt something on her foot. Kneeling, she reached for a medium-sized box wrapped like a Christmas present. Tearing open the covering, she lifted the lid and found a rusty hacksaw.
Clutching the tool firmly in her hand, she made her way back to her mother, a sense of pride surging through her. Oblivious to the gravity of the situation, she remained unaware of the implications of her discovery. As Sarah’s gaze locked onto the object, an overwhelming sense of dread and regret consumed her.
“Good job, Char!” She said, concealing her inner turmoil, “Now, look at me, okay?”
The children stared desperately into her watering eyes.
“I need you to do one more thing, okay? Both of you.”
Without uttering the words, Charlotte realized what was coming. “No, Mom, I can’t.”
“You have to, sweetheart. It’s a game, remember?” Sarah said, looking back at her son.
She continued, “You just play the role.”
Glancing at the timer, Sarah’s eyes met the display reading seven minutes. With a determined resolve, she quickly discarded her blouse, revealing a white tank top beneath. Wrapping the fabric tightly around her arm, she sought to staunch the impending flow of blood. “We can’t wait, honey. You can do this.”
Charlie began to tremble when his sister laid the saw against their Mother’s wrist.
“It’s okay….” She said, consoling Charlotte, but the young girl was terrified.
“You can do this, Charlotte. You can. I need you to do this.”
“Mom?” Charlie muttered.
Sarah pressed her hand against the glass, wanting to touch his face. “Just cover your ears, baby. And look away. I’ll be there before you know it.”
Charlie turned around, and Charlotte locked eyes with her Mother. “Hurry…”
Charlotte braced herself, inhaling a deep breath to steady her trembling hand. With trepidation, she commenced the arduous task of sawing through her mother’s arm, observing in horror as the serrated edges tore through the delicate flesh. Sarah turned her gaze away, concealing the excruciating pain etched across her face, her hand instinctively rising to cover her mouth. Each sway of the blade elicited a sickening peeling sound as her skin yielded, unleashing a torrent of crimson that spilled forth unrelentingly.
The ghastly scene proved nearly unbearable, pushing Charlotte to the brink of halting her agonizing task. Overwhelmed, she shut her eyes tightly, unwilling to witness the gruesome dismemberment unfolding before her. Tears welled up, streaming down her reddened cheeks, mirroring the profound anguish that weighed upon her.
When the blade reached bone, the endeavor became increasingly harder. “I can’t do it!” Charlotte’s voice echoed with desperation.
Sarah pivoted to face the gory wound, a surge of dizziness threatening to overpower her. Mustering every ounce of strength, she fought against the encroaching syncope, her voice wavering yet resolute as she sought to reassure her daughter, “You’re almost done, honey… Almost done.”
“It’s too hard! I’m not strong enough.”
Sarah tried pulling her arm through the hole, but it was no use; the opening was sealed tightly.
“I need help!” Charlotte said.
The pleading words of his sister prompted Charlie to remove his hands from his ears.
“Charlie, I need you. Your sister needs help.”
The young boy moved closer to the carnage but refused to look at the wound. He stepped into a large puddle of blood and gripped the opposite end of the hacksaw.
“Back and forth,” Sarah instructed them.
The two children synchronized their efforts, and with their combined strength, they propelled the blade to glide across the appendage in a hauntingly rhythmic motion. The eerie and nauseating sound of metal grinding through bone reverberated in the air as they skillfully maneuvered from side to side. As the bone finally yielded and severed, Sarah unleashed a primal scream. The agony displayed on her face became undeniable, impossible to conceal, yet the objective stood tantalizingly close to completion. A few more determined slices, and the blade mercilessly tore through the remaining layers of skin, marking the near-accomplishment of their grim task.
They dropped the blade and watched Sarah twist and pull on her wrist, trying to bring it through the hole. While the timer continued to count down, Charlotte acted swiftly, aiding her mother by forcefully pushing the tender stump through the hole. Within moments, Sarah was free from the trap.
Dazed by the significant blood loss, Sarah struggled to her feet, but with only seconds remaining, she forced herself up and staggered towards the exit.
“Jesus,” Gavin said in shock.
Sarah’s eyes remained on the museum floor, finding it difficult to stare Renee or Gavin in the face, “My husband left me after that. He said it would be easier for the kids. That I was a trigger for them. A reminder.”
“Your kids… How are they now?” Gavin asked.
“It took some time, but they managed. Therapy, y’know? Counseling. Medication. Truth is, they deserve better than me. After it happened, after I lost everything, I was… suicidal. I was lucky to meet Addy and Dr. Steward.”
“Right? A lot of good that did us.” Gavin said.
Renee looks back at the ventilation duct, “It’s not over yet. We have to keep trying.”
“What did you find over there?” Gavin asked.
Sarah’s pessimism comes through, “It’s probably a trap.”
Gavin conjures a weak smile, “At last, we agree on something,” he said.
Sarah smiles back, “Better late than never.”
“Y’all of little faith,” Renee quipped.
“So, what does he want? I learned my lesson.” Gavin declared, turning to address Renee, “And you’re basically in love with Jigsaw, so why are you here? None of this makes any sense.”
As Gavin spoke, Sarah’s mind lingered on the murderous assignment bestowed upon her. Wracked with grief, she wondered if the prize was real and if she even deserved it.
“Nurse Harper?” Renee said, offering her hand.
Renee lifted Sarah from the floor and they proceeded to the ventilation shaft. With their backs turned, Gavin deftly reached into his pocket with measured caution, and removed his own white card that read:
“Your aim in this game is to kill Sarah."
Once more, he delved into his pocket, retrieving a gleaming silver key. Vigilant of the surrounding figures, he covertly unlocked the box, revealing its mysterious contents. A sturdy piano wire, tautly connected to two finely crafted wooden handles, lay before him.
***
TO BE CONTINUED....

Platform: I played this on my uncle's laptop around 2006-ish or earlier so it was PC.
Genre: Driving game kinda like truck simulator or one of those kind, but it wasn't just about trucks or bus i remember driving a car. Actually i don't remember driving anything other than a car.
Graphics/Art Style: early 2000's boxy car, or boxy models, kinda like early need for speed games.
Detail: I distinctly remember driving a purple sedan, it had a gps and the roads kinda looked like europe or USA not really sure, it had a day and night cycle, it didn't have modes or anything, i wasnt racing anyone also, maybe a timer(?) not really sure but it was just an open world driving simulator type game, i don't remember exactly but i think i needed to deliver something(?)
Notable characters: A purple sedan. lol
Notable gameplay mechanics: I could drive around the open world map, day and night. I think it had a timer to deliver something? I remember it having a GPS, and a map. It wasnt about racing, maybe it was about delivering something? i remember there was a car selection screen but not really sure, i think my uncle always chose something for me or maybe he hasnt unlocked the other cars(?)
Other details: I always remember driving around the rural area on the map, but it was mostly highways, i was always speeding on the highways but not sure if it had penalties for not driving properly tho.
Hope you guys can help me find what I've been looking for (on and off) for years now. Thanks!

You all have ruined my life in the best way possible. I am completely obsessed with NW. so much so that driving down the interstate today I Weird Al'd a Trivium Song for New World.
At the risk of being a total loser, I'm gonna post the lyrics here. Just so you guys know how hard you have invaded my brain.
​
Trivium - Until the World Goes Cold
"Until the Map Goes Gold"
​
As I crawl through blight and blood
My damage lowers
Myrkwood claims another one
I need a nerf
​
I turned my back on First Light's plee's
Arena pop is what i need
(come take the fort with me)
Under my feet, the circle green
Orb of protection healing me
I popped berzerk im diving the back line
​
Until the point, goes gold
That firestaff wont save your soul
Until the map, goes gold
Nothing will keep us from brimstone, we'll fight
Until the map is gold
​
Until the map is gold
​
Trophies only in my home
I'm spending azoth
With you're luck gear, that a**, ill own
You flagged for mats
​
I'm stoked for cross realm pvp
And 20 man stacked raid teams
(mounts and mog tokens yeah)
Under my feet, the circle green
Orb of protection healing me
I ran in all alone, to a musket fight
​
Until the point goes gold
Musket smoke don't block swords bro
Until the map goes gold
Nothing will keep us from brimstone, we'll fight
Until the map is gold.
​
This patch has, nerfed all my
Friends and enemies
​
Until the map goes gold
Can purple just run solo
Until the map goes gold
Green bois are capping, yall lets go
Until the map goes gold
Nothing will keep us from brimstone, well fight
Until the map goes gold
Until the map goes gold
​
Until the map goes gold
​
-IF THIS TANKS, I WAS NEVER HERE-

I'm having my first colonoscopy in about 4 days (thursday) and my prep instructions just say:
The day before the procedure: Start clear liquids the in the morning At 1pm take 4 dulcolax laxative tablets with a glass of clear liquids At 2 pm mix a 6.4oz container of miralax with 64oz of an electrolyte drink. Drink one glass every 10-20 minutes. Finish in 3 hours or less
There's also specifics about medications and no red or purple dye. But I'm terrified. I already have problems with severe stomach cramps, that's part of the reason for the colonoscopy. I used to take dulcolax regularly, but I never took more than 2 at once and the cramps were terrible. This sounds like I'm going to bomb my stomach and be in excruciating pain for hours. Are there any tips you guys have that will ease the pain? Should I do an extra day of clear liquids before so there's less in my stomach? Or stop eating fiber?