Sophia Martin
Stories
11
Chapters
7,174
Words
1.1 M
Comments
0
Reading
3 d, 21 h
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Damicar was on his knees, really leaning back into the bawling. He wasn’t in pain, but something had properly upset him. In these sorts of situations, you can’t assume level of distress equates to seriousness of cause. You get just as many tears per square attention-seeker when someone’s loved one dies as when their football team gets robbed in a major cup final. “What did you do?” I said to Laney. Damicar was incoherent, doing his impression of Jodie Foster in the classic movie “Why do…-
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“We have all been where you have been,” said Legion. “We all had to find our place in this strange world, and made a poor job of it.” I considered this meeting as dangerous as any battle. Four against one, and all the big guns on their side of the table. My only advantage was that they needed me for some reason, but that meant they were going to go big dick mode with the lies and bribes. My intention was not to get sucked in. They’d given me back my ship already, so I saw myself as ahead…
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There was loud frantic splashing from behind. Damicar came pounding through the surf to catch me. Complaints and grievances, most likely, so I tried to get to the boat as swiftly as possible but it’s hard to wade quickly. Damicar’s meaty paw landed on my shoulder. “Victor, please, let me accompany you.” He leaned towards me. “The princess terrifies me. I fear she will do terrible things in your absence.” Say what you like about the boy, he was an excellent judge of character. “I’ll be…
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There were six men rowing, none of whom appeared to be armed, and Grayson, who had a sword still in its sheath. If they were spearheading the attack, it was going to be a very short fight. They also had Biadet, which would help balance the odds, but she didn’t look like she was here to fight. She was standing at the back of the boat, balanced on the end of the stern. One step back and she’d be in the water. Laney, the other random variable in the equation, came stomping out of the surf, slashing at…
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A tropical paradise may look very picturesque from a distance, but it is in fact the site of a brutal ecosystem. It’s all very well being untouchable and immune from psychic control by nefarious parties, but that doesn’t count for much if something slithers up your trouser-leg and lays eggs in your arsehole. There is always another threat to be wary of, is my point. The ship approaching the island would take a while to get here. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the means to use that time to effect an…
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The idea of going back home tricked out with superpowers had its appeal. On the level of a daydream, you could easily visualise it as compensation for a life full of misery and unfair treatment, which is what bitter young men think should be the way the world works. I should know, I’m one of them. But the reality is very different. Spider-man wouldn’t last very long in the internet age, not as a genuine hero. There’s no way he’d want to keep his identity a secret, for a start. No time to fight…
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On the positive side, I was still alive. On the negative side, I was still alive, surrounded by people who lied to me, betrayed me, befriended me under false pretences, tried to manipulate me and use me to further their own agenda, and had no concern for my wellbeing or mental health. So, you know, six of one, half a dozen of the other. For those who find it hard to accept that evolution is a thing, here you could see it happen in real time. Used to be people would try to fuck me over first chance they…
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Four fat tentacles snaked towards me. Arthur himself hadn’t moved, he was standing a few metres away, an innocent bystander. The tentacles looked less innocent with the gruesome, exaggerated teeth embedded in each tip, like a mouth full of thorns. It reminded me of those microscopic photos of bugs that look like aliens with hooks and claws out of a nightmare. These tendrils coming at me from all angle were like that, only they weren’t microscopic. I raised the wooden sword and held the shield up. I…
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Knowledge is power, I think that’s fairly self-evident. But it isn’t a set amount of power. There are different levels as there are different levels of knowledge. It’s like fantasy football. No, not Orcs United versus Goblin City, I mean the play-at-home version that gives football some level of depth. You choose players for your imaginary team and you get points depending on how well they do in the real world. The fantasy part is that it actually makes you care if Crystal Palace keep a clean…
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Bail early and bail often, that’s my general plan of attack. At the first sign of trouble, assume the worst and get the fuck out. Obviously, just because something odd or suspicious happens doesn’t mean you’re screwed. You can persevere and succeed. The true heroes never give up, but then true heroes have the advantage of actually being heroic. I, on the other hand, am not a true hero. I’m a realist. In my mind, there’s no point waiting for the iceberg to hit and then run around like an idiot…
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