Update Thread 39: The Newer Beginning

[Bob Schroeck]

Previous thread is here..

(Edit:  Changed thread name slightly, as it turns out I did "The New Beginning" already a few installments ago.)

[Shepherd]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/179568...s/35202860
It Takes a Village (or Sometimes an Army), a Girl Genius AU.

[Shepherd]

https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-32460-19...action.htm
Action and reaction (Buffy/Doctor Who).

https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-32071-83...x+Mack.htm
The Secret Collocation of Alex Mack.

[classicdrogn]

The Ikelos arc is firmly wrapped up in Ch59 of I AM a Girl in the Dungeon? and everyone finally gets a chance to rest form the very eventful past couple of days, in the most literal of ways.
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12692133/59/I...he-dungeon

[Norgarth]

Heretical Edge
https://ceruleanscrawling.wordpress.com/...mes-36-04/

[Mamorien]

Travolore continues his temporary reverse wossnaming temporal reverse-engineering of Star Wars: Bare Squadron's beginnings, wrapping up the expanded version of what was formerly Chapter 1 and even getting a ways into Chapter 2. Kara takes Cal to meet the Beast of the High Places, and together, they take up The Cause:

https://www.deviantart.com/travolore/art...-752627829

[Norgarth]

Sugar Plums (SI into Dreaming of Sunshine-verse)
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11735321/170/Sugar-Plums

Plum in the Dark (AU, Sugar Plums MC tossed into RWBY via Seal mishap)
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12334850/30...n-the-Dark

[Mamorien]

In what was, for about a day, the latest chapter of The Westerosi II: Subprime Directives, a crow and a wildling discuss the witch and encounter a wight:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/119351...s/35465325
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12632190/17...Directives
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/...t-48883231
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/th...t-11013522

Then, in King's Landing, Cersei watches her son assert himself, then faces a rumor that might destroy her and Jade both:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/119351...s/35496036
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12632190/18...Directives
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/...t-48911923
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/th...t-11018344

[SilverFang01]

What Do You Want?, chapter 24: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12327719/24...o-You-Want

More complications. Now it's Ryouga's turn.

[Shepherd]

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/8...f-Learning
Mother of Learning (fantasy time loops).

[Norgarth]

DogbertCarroll has updated his BtVS fic "Lucky at Cards"
https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-32204-6/...+Cards.htm

[Shepherd]

https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-28404-21...Xendra.htm
Xendra (Buffy/Xena).

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12044591/85/Forged-Destiny
Forged Destiny (RWBY RPG world).

[Norgarth]

Heretical Edge
https://ceruleanscrawling.wordpress.com/...mes-36-05/

EDIT:
Heretical Edge mini-lude
https://ceruleanscrawling.wordpress.com/...nd-sariel/

[classicdrogn]

More I Am a Girl in the Dungeon?
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12692133/60/I...he-dungeon

and dogbertcarroll's Lex Marks the Spot
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12512455/14/L...s-The-Spot

[Norgarth]

A 12 Step Plan to Omnipotence (MCU SI)
https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/49014688/

[Shepherd]

https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-32071-84...x+Mack.htm
The Secret Collocation of Alex Mack.

[jpub]

Someone's going to have to explain the appeal of 12 Steps to me, because it's unreadable as far as I'm concerned. The protagonist is a sociopath without any single feature that makes me care about his success. Hell, by the time I quit about halfway through I was hoping he'd get squashed.

[batzulger]

There are fans of everything, including stuff like Bare Squadron and Everyone Loves Large Chests. I stopped worrying about them and just don't read it.

[Norgarth]

Someone's going to have to explain the appeal of 12 Steps to me, because it's unreadable as far as I'm concerned.  The protagonist is a sociopath without any single feature that makes me care about his success.  Hell, by the time I quit about halfway through I was hoping he'd get squashed.

I'm not sure he's a sociopath, but he is an ass.  He's also currently on Step 18 or so of 40-some since his '12 step plan' keeps showing itself to be too simplistic

A bit from the latest installment, between Samuel Sterns (The Leader in the comics) and an inexperienced Jessica Jones.  Sterns is pretty much the MC's best friend at this point, simply because they been hanging out so long.

“Why does he react like that? I get that he was trying to save people, I do. I understand that when you’re faced with people like that, it’s either them or you. But that… what Michael did… there’s just so much… rage…”

Sterns seemed to fumble for an answer, before his shoulders slumped somewhat as he looked at her with a tired, bleak little smile.

“Tell me Jessica. Do you know what Michael is afraid of the most?”

For a moment, the very idea that the giant of a man, the same man who had thrown around cars like they were made of cardboard, was afraid of anything at all was so absurd that she nearly let out a laugh, despite the gloomy mood that hang over the cramped room.

But she could tell that the scientist was completely serious, so she reigned in her incredulous response and tried to think of the answer. When nothing came to her, she just shrugged as she looked at Sterns with a raised eyebrow.

“I dunno. What’s he afraid of?”

“Death.”

“…”

“…”

“Death?”

“Yes.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“No, I’m completely serious.”

“Really? Death?”

Giving a nod at her incredulous look, Sterns elaborated.

“He hasn’t told me so, and he won’t ever admit it, but Michael’s absolutely terrified at the thought of dying. I’ve been around him for a year Jessica, and his every waking moment is spent trying to find ways to become more powerful.”

“Doesn’t that just make him greedy though?”

“I thought so too at first. But then I thought at how he was acquiring that power. He wasn’t going around gathering people under his banner, or trying to make allies. He only started up Titan Solutions after he gained his current powers. No, every move he made, was to enhance himself. To make himself safer.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I always joke about the time he asked me to lace his bones with Vibranium, but really think about it Jessica. Think about why someone would be so desperate, that he’s willing to undergo massive amounts of experimental and invasive surgery, in order to have an indestructible skeleton, despite the fact that he already has superstrength and an incredible healing factor. And that’s not even considering the fact that he made a beeline from the heart of Africa to Burstein’s home in order to be made bulletproof on top of that. Every single move that I have seen Michael make, was in order to make himself stronger, more powerful, more durable.”

“All right. I can see it. Weird, but I get what you’re getting at. But how does that answer my question?”’

“Because on both occasions, the things that he needs in order to become more powerful were threatened. Without me, he would have torn his own body apart long ago, with all the different means he keeps enhancing himself with. Without Titan Solutions backing him, he’s just one man, and considering who some of his enemies are, being on your own is tantamount to being ‘disappeared’ in the middle of the night.”

As she went over Sterns’ words, she could finally identify one of the emotions she was currently feeling. Yep, there’s that familiar sour taste of disappointment, something that she knew all too well unfortunately.

“So the only reason he went flying off the handle like that was because we’re useful enough to him to be protected? Figures.”

It was only once the words had left her mouth that she realized just how bitter they sounded, but Sterns just looked at her with a gentle smile and a small shake of his head.

“Not what I meant, Jessica. Or at least, not entirely. He has several serums inside of him which in any other person before him have shown to lead to mental instabilities. It was only after our trip to Wakanda that his psyche settled somewhat, and I used what I learned from his body to make Extremis safe enough to the point that such a thing is no longer a danger, and we don’t plan on enhancing people with gamma-radiation period. But despite the fact that he’s now a lot calmer than he used to be, he still has those old triggers and altered impulses. And when they are brought up as strongly as they were during that attack… well, I think it’s debatable just how much of that was Michael and how much of that was… something darker.”

“So what you’re actually saying is… what?”

“We’re working for a dick.”

The blunt reply took her off guard, and before she could stop herself she let out a surprised laugh, quickly joined by Sterns’ chuckling, before the scientist looked at her with a small smile.

“But, he’s also someone that cares about us. In his own, dickish way, of course.”

“Of course.” Jessica replied wryly, getting a wink from Sterns in response.

In the end though, if it's not your thing, it's not your thing.  Fair enough.  Ther's certainly been stories with lots of fans that I couldn't get into either.  Like Bare Squadron, I haven't read it but then, the description I've heard for it doesn't spark my interest at all.

[Norgarth]

All that and I forgot to post this: 8P

Heretical Edge
https://ceruleanscrawling.wordpress.com/...mes-36-06/

[classicdrogn]

There are fans of everything, including stuff like Bare Squadron and Everyone Loves Large Chests. I stopped worrying about them and just don't read it.

Having seen the title, I just had to look that up.

( https://www.royalroadl.com/fiction/8894/...rge-chests )

What's so bad about it though? The mimic MC is killing edventurers, yes, but no one complains about human MCs killing more-or-less intelligent nonhumans (or each other) in fantasy stories. I've only gotten a couple chapters in though, so does it get worse later maybe?

[batzulger]

It has porn just for the sake of having porn, a main character that has absolutely no redeeming features, game speak and terminology littering the place and being main plot elements. These are all things I hate in fic.

[classicdrogn]

Fair enough.

[Shepherd]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/211395...s/35663106
Travel Time May Vary (Girl Genius, Agatha travels to the time of the Heterodyne Boys, from the author of 'It Takes a Village (or sometimes an army)'].

[Norgarth]

For those who enjoy Hiver's stories on SB/SV, he's started the next one in his MLP SI series


SB) https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/duties.664330/
SV) https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/th...ies.49131/