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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [L&O:OC] 2022 Drabble Challenge Response

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Tarsier, Aug 21, 2022.

  1. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Title: Shaded Purple (2022 Drabble Challenge Response)
    Author: Tarsier
    Fandoms: Law & Order, FBI
    Characters: Detective Jet Slootmaekers, Adam “Malachi” Mintock, Special Agent Maggie Bell, Special Agent Hana Gibson, Sebastian "Constantine" McClain
    Genre: drabbles; dialogue, introspection, romance
    Notes: Written for the Ultimate Drabble Challenge X. My drabbles will be exactly 100 words. The prompts may not be used in order.

    Readers don’t need to be familiar with the fandom. In fact, it may be better if you aren’t. My characters don’t much resemble their canon counterpoints at this point. I’m pretty much just borrowing their names and some general concepts.

    Other stories with these characters:
    Things You Said
    The Ghost of You

    Index of characters:
    Ayanna Bell – L&O:eek:C – boss at organized crime (not related to Maggie)
    Barnes, Sheryll - L&O:MW - field agent
    Benson, Olivia – L&O:SVU – boss at SVU
    Carisi, Dominick – L&O:SVU – detective
    Constantine (Sebastian McClain) – L&O:eek:C – incarcerated hacktivist
    Forrester, Scott – FBI:Int – head agent in Budapest
    Hana Gibson – FBI:MW – tech/field agent
    Isobel Castille – FBI – Jubal and Jess’s boss
    Jess LaCroix – L&O:MW – Hana’s boss
    Jet Slootmaekers – L&O:eek:C – police detective/tech expert, 22 years old
    Jubal Valentine – FBI – Maggie’s boss
    Kellet, Jamie – FBI:Int – field agent (2nd in command in Budapest)
    Kelly Moran – FBI – intelligence analyst
    Maggie Bell – FBI – field agent
    Malachi (Adam Mintock) – L&O:eek:C – hacker, 24 years old
    O.A. Zidan – FBI – Maggie’s partner
    Raines, Andre – FBI:Int – field agent
    Rollins, Amanda – L&O:SVU – detective
    Stabler, Elliot – L&O:eek:C, formerly L&O:SVU – Jet’s boss
    Tank – FBI:Int – giant schnauzer
    Vo, Cameron – FBI:Int – field agent




    Week 1: Most Wanted (Part 1)

    1. Prelude

    “Maggie, I need to pick your brain about something. We’ve got this case—well, you probably saw the bulletin. Major incel spree—”

    “Yes, Hana. You definitely want Jet for that.”

    “Right, we already have Jet on board. I’m calling about Malachi. Do you think he’s worth the risk? Jet’s amazing on her own, but if he can make her even a little bit faster…”

    “You know more about the technical aspect but… Jet doesn’t drive. How’s she going to get to you?”

    “So you think I should invite Malachi, purely as a chauffeur? I like the sound of that.”


    4. Descend

    Hana nervously watched the red dot move along her tablet. She’d hit a dead-end in her hacking attempts, but she was confident Jet and Malachi could hack it in no time. They just had to get here first.

    When the dot was nearly to the destination she went outside. She heard the roaring engine before the sports car broke into view from between the trees. The car sped towards mobile headquarters before slamming on the breaks and drifting to a stop a few yards away.

    Jess had follower her out of the trailer and now looked to her, eyebrows raised.


    5. Arise

    Hana avoided Jess’s stare and took a step toward the car. Bringing them in had been her idea. If this didn’t go well, it was her reputation on the line.

    Both front car doors popped open. A slight figure stumbled out of the passenger side and fell to her knees in the grass, retching. The driver hurried to her side.

    “Don’t touch me!”

    “Fine then!” The driver turned to Hana, eyes rolling. “I got us here as quickly as I could.”

    Hana scowled. “It doesn’t count if you incapacitate the asset.”

    “Trust me, I got all the assets you need.”


    3. Impend

    Jess cleared his throat. “Can we get to work here?”

    Jet was just starting to get to her feet. Hana pushed passed Malachi and tried to help. She felt Jet shudder at her touch, but Jet said nothing as Hana led her into the trailer and showed her the bathroom.

    ***​

    Jet watched the water drip off her face into the sink, half wishing she could melt away down the drain.

    She always told herself she didn’t care what other people thought about her.

    She always knew she was lying.

    This was the FBI. This was not a good first impression.


    2. Bygone

    Lemon zinger? This tea is trash. Where’s the green tea?”

    It hadn’t been two minutes and Hana could see she had made a mistake.

    Barnes tossed a packet at Malachi. “You can’t object to Earl Grey.”

    “Passable.” Malachi put the teabag in hot water.

    Malachi made no attempt to drink the tea. He set it on the table and began typing.

    Moments later, Jet emerged from the bathroom furtively. She sat beside Malachi and got to work. Automatically, she reached for the mug. Taking a sip as she focused on the screen, Hana could see she was in her element.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2023
  2. A Chorus of Disapproval

    A Chorus of Disapproval Head Admin & TV Screaming Service star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    Bravo! A tour de force!
    Incredibly well written with an ability to engage.
    And several other blurbs I've seen on book dust jackets!
     
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  3. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    love the interaction between the characters
     
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  4. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    I'm not familiar with this fandom, but I am so happy to see you back writing again! I took a bit of an accidental hiatus this summer, but I've noticed the stories you posted, and I look forward to catching up on them with proper feedback. [:D]

    I like the dynamic between these characters already. :p

    Ha! And now I do even more. [face_mischief] [face_laugh]

    Aw, Jet! Yeah, I can't blame her for feeling that way at all. :(

    Brilliant. [face_laugh] And yet, not entirely, I bet. [face_mischief]


    These are off to a terrific start! I look forward to reading more. =D= [:D]
     
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  5. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Thanks for stopping by!


    Aww, thank you so much for reading! :cool:


    Hey! I noticed you weren't around much lately, hope everything is okay. Glad to see you back!! [:D]

    :) I think they're fun! (At least, when the canon isn't actively destroying them...)

    Perhaps not....;)

    Thanks so much for your comments! They are always such a treat to read! :D
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2022
  6. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Week 2: Most Wanted (Part 2)

    7. Opponent

    Jet paused in her scrolling through the code. Something about one particular section was familiar… Yes, definitely. It was Constantine’s code. The enemies had stolen it, used it for their nefarious ends.

    But there were people… People in the government who has it out for Constantine. Thought he’d gotten off too easy and would use any excuse to throw the book at him. He didn’t deserve that. He never intended to hurt anyone.

    She glanced at Malachi. He was intent on his screen. She nudged his foot with hers. No reaction. She shifted so her chair bumped into his. Nothing.

    9. Knight

    Malachi was lost in his code when he felt a sharp pain in his shin.

    Before he could cry out, Jet abruptly stood. As she did so, she pulled the corner of her laptop, shifting the screen so it faced him more directly.

    “I need some air,” Jet announced, appearing slightly unsteady as she approached Hana.

    Malachi might have been concerned, except that something on Jet’s screen caught his eye.
    *
    Jet leaned against the trailer, clutching her stomach. What was she even doing? She hadn’t known what to do. Did that make it wise to leave it up to Malachi?

    8. General

    The air was generally cold, yet Jet could feel the sun scorching her skin. She tried not to shiver. Why did people go outside when they didn’t feel well?

    She knelt on the ground, her head low. Mostly she was trying to duck Hana’s ministrations. She slowly stood up.

    “Are you okay? Feeling any better?”

    “Yeah… I feel fine now. The fresh air helped.” One of the more absurd lies Jet had ever told, but no time to dwell on that now.

    “Do you need—”

    A stream of expletives filtered out of the trailer. Jet and Hana hurried back in.

    10. Ceasefire

    “******! It self-corrupted!” Malachi exclaimed.

    “What do you mean?” Jess asked.

    Poof. It’s gone. The code’s unreadable.” Malachi threw up his hands as Jet and Hana re-entered.

    “Well, fix it.” Jess replied.

    Jet settled back at the computer, clicking a few keys. “He can’t. There’s nothing here.”

    “That was our best lead…” Hana lamented.

    “Then it’s a good thing I found the location before it all went down the abyss,” Malachi said, with entirely too much self-pride. He typed an address into the nearest tablet. “May not have the evidence to prosecute them, but we’ll be able to stop them.”

    6. Battlefield

    In a server room, Jet looks down at the text she just received.

    “It’s Hana. They aren’t going to be able to extract us before they move in.”

    “What? I didn’t sign up to be killed by some psycho incel!”

    “That’s exactly what you signed up for when you agreed to this job. Now get down!”

    Jet pulls Malachi to the floor next to her.

    “****! Why do you do this to yourself?”

    “It’s my job.”

    “You don’t have to live this way. You could do anything—”

    “We are not having this conversation right now!”

    “Seriously Jet, why?”

    Gunfire erupts.
     
  7. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    great story and ending in a cliffie WOW
     
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  8. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    @earlybird-obi-wan Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! :)



    Author Note: Just a quick bonus drabble, then I think it will be a different story/mission for the next set.

    Bonus: Armor

    Hana was grateful for her bulletproof vest, but she wished she’d had the foresight to outfit Jet and Malachi earlier.

    “All clear,” someone announced. Hana practically sprinted to the back door.

    She opened it. Jet and Malachi were flat on the floor. “We’re clear. You okay?”

    They each sat up and seemed to be uninjured.

    “Yeah,” Jet replied.

    Malachi looked around the room. “I’m a lot better than the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in here. Or to put it in your language, you’ve shredded your evidence.”

    Hana shook her head slowly. “We’re not gonna need evidence.”

    I wouldn't necessarily recommend anyone try to follow my timeline for this fandom, but Things you Said in the Dark is intended to occur on the way back to New York after this mission.
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2022
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  9. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    great to see all alive
     
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  10. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    @earlybird-obi-wan :) I don't expect I'll be killing anyone off in this thread...



    Week 3: International (Part 1)


    14. Partake

    “Maggie, it’s Hana. Something weird happened in our last case and I just wanted to run it by you.”

    “You were working with Malachi and only one weird thing happened?”

    “Okay, one weird thing involving Jet.

    “Jet and I had left the room, and almost as soon as we’re gone, Malachi exclaims that the code they’d been working on ‘self-corrupted.’”

    “Okay…?”

    “That’s… not possible. I’d looked at the code. It just… it couldn’t have done that.”

    “So what do you think happened?”

    “I don’t know… it was just weird. And the timing… whatever was going on, I think Jet knew.”


    15. Uphold

    “You think Jet was involved in… what exactly?”

    “I don’t know. Whatever it was, I wish she would have just told me. I thought she trusted me more than that.”

    “Maybe she was protecting you. Plausible deniability and all that.”

    “Maybe…”

    “Do you trust Jet?”

    “Yes, of course.”

    “Is this worth stirring something up?”

    “No… probably not. But you didn’t ask if I trust Malachi.”

    “That’s because I know the answer. And it’s not the issue here. You said you trust Jet. That means you need to trust she knows what she’s doing. Even when it involves our pal Malachi.”


    13. Withdraw

    This would be Hana’s first time transporting a prisoner by herself.

    Calm, confident, professional. She could do this.

    Was she sure she could though? She’d never been a handler before.

    But how often did she get the opportunity to go on an international mission?

    It was just Constantine after all.

    That may have been the first time he’d ever been referred to as just Constantine before. If Malachi was a hero in the hacker community, Constantine was a capital-L Legend. That was intimidating, but he was also known to be a philanthrope. Not violent. Not dangerous. A true Chaotic Good.


    11. Inlay

    The guard behind the gold-inlayed desk looked skeptically at Hana.

    “We don’t release prisoners to single cops. Where’s your partner?”

    “My boss should already have called. I’m an FBI agent—”

    Hana was cut off as a new guard entered. “She’s here for Sebastian. He’s on his way up.”

    “Oh.” The guard behind the desk gathered some papers. In that case, I’ll need you to sign here, here, here and here…”

    *​

    Maggie pulled up outside the police station. Pleased to see Jet and Malachi were already waiting for her. With any luck, they’d be in the air within the hour.


    12. Outrun

    Maggie had never thought of herself as a gunslinger. Still, since joining the FBI she’d never been on a case without her sidearm and she felt a little off balance without it.

    The Budapest unit had advised her to leave her weapon at home. The FBI wasn’t permitted guns internationally; bringing a gun to a foreign country wasn’t worth the trouble.

    She was glad she had been hitting the gym hard lately. If it came down to outrunning a suspect, she was prepared. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. She was just there to support the tech team after all.
     
  11. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    I like your discussions and descriptions of the action. Great support from Maggie
     
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  12. SupermassiveUbersue

    SupermassiveUbersue Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2022
    Great use of the drabble format; your pacing is excellent! It's a fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more. :)
     
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  13. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    @earlybird-obi-wan Thank you! Maggie is definitely the rock in this crew :)

    @SupermassiveUbersue Hello and welcome! Sorry if this is a weird question, but are you brand new or a returning user? Either way, thanks for stopping by my thread! I'm glad that you are enjoying it. I'm honestly kinda shocked that you think the pacing is good, I always struggle with pacing and especially in this fandom! Thanks so much for the kind words!



    Week 4 – International (Part 2)

    16. Breeze

    Jet stopped dead at the bottom of the steps, despite the chilling breeze. Her stomach was in knots, her throat was dry, she wasn’t sure she could breathe.

    Malachi paused beside her. “What’s wrong?”

    “I don’t think I can.” She hated cars, but she’d learned to tolerate them because she had to. This… this was not necessary. She could easily live her whole life without ever setting foot on an airplane. She’d always known she would. It was only being awakened at 2a.m. by the FBI that had confused her into thinking this was a good idea. Or even possible.

    17. Idyll

    Malachi squeezed her hand. “Of course you can. But only if you want to.”

    Hana appeared at the top of the steps. “You guys coming?”

    “If you’re not going, I’m not going,” Malachi whispered.

    Jet closed her eyes and tried to imagine a happy place. An idyll countryside, filled with frolicking farm animals. She shuddered. That almost sounded worse than the plane.

    Where was her safe haven? Her apartment? Hardly. The office? Not exactly. Computers? She had her computer with her.

    Malachi touched her arm. “It’s getting chilly. Are we going or not?”

    Jet nodded and took the first step.

    18. Shade

    “Let’s pull the shades, hit the lights, and try to get some sleep. We’re going to hit the ground running in Budapest,” Maggie announced.

    “Surely you’re going to take the cuffs off of him?” Malachi asked, gesturing to Constantine.

    “Absolutely not. He’s a prisoner.”

    “You have no idea who is. He’d never hurt anyone.”

    “He does kind of have a point,” Hana added. “It is hard to sleep in handcuffs…”

    Constantine never even raised his head. “I am used to it by now. It is part of the punishment I deserve.”

    Hana looked pleadingly at Maggie. “He’s really not dangerous…”

    19. Balm

    Pomegranate lip balm. The only thing in her pocket. The closest thing Jet had to a distraction. She didn’t even like the flavor. She might have regretted that it would be the last thing she ever tasted, but her hands were shaking too much to put it on her lips.

    All the reassuring talk about how safe planes were. No one had mentioned they could shudder and buck and she was definitely going to die in midair. Another jolt from the plane and she dropped the plastic tube. It rolled toward the chaos on the other side of the plane.

    20. Linger

    “Oh gods, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

    Jet nodded. Or maybe she shook her head. She didn’t have the breath to form words.

    “Breathe, Jet. I need you to breathe for me.”

    The plane wasn’t shaking so much anymore. Instead it was spinning. She closed her eyes and willed it to stop.

    When she opened them again it had stopped. All motion stopped. Time stopped. Sound stopped. All that existed was his face, his eyes staring back at her.

    For a brief, lingering moment, the fear subsided.

    The plane shuddered again and she squeezed her eyes shut.
     
  14. SupermassiveUbersue

    SupermassiveUbersue Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2022
    Not a weird question at all! I used to write under the name Ubersue, but my old email account was deactivated from neglect.

    Eh, I think you're too hard on yourself as far as pacing goes. L&O is a dialogue-heavy franchise, and I think you're doing more than enough to avoid getting bogged down in exposition.

    I love your latest set! I enjoyed that brief moment of magical thinking when Jet believes for a moment that she stabilized the plane with her mind. Panic does odd things to us, doesn't it.

    Looking forward to more! :)
     
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  15. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Jet and fear of flying. Great set to show it.
     
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  16. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    You've been propping me up with likes, so... **clicks into thread** (I would LOVE to know what you think at some stage, Tarsier. I can wait for that, tho. ;) )

    I am vaguely familiar with Law and Order, as I didn't watch it all that much, but my grandmother loved it and we'd watch it together. This... interesting.

    "******! It self-corrupted!” Malachi exclaimed.

    “What do you mean?” Jess asked.

    “Poof. It’s gone. The code’s unreadable.” Malachi threw up his hands as Jet and Hana re-entered.


    Hate when that happens.

    The plane wasn’t shaking so much anymore. Instead it was spinning. She closed her eyes and willed it to stop.

    I've said it before, I will say it again: I love a well-written panic attack. Well done. :)
     
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  17. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    I figured it might be weird if you were brand new... Anyway, welcome back! I think we exchanged a few messages back in the day. :)

    It's true I don't often worry about over-explaining things... :p Thank you for the support!

    It does indeed. Thank so much for commenting!


    Ha! I actually never made the connection with her name.... Thanks so much for reading and commenting! :)


    Oddly enough, I've never actually seen a full episode of regular Law & Order. I guess I'm just very into characters and no character on there has ever caught my attention. Organized Crime is sort of a spin-off of SVU. Anyway, being familiar with Law & Order will likely only be helpful in establishing the right sort of suspension of disbelief. The franchise seems to take a certain amount of pride in its realism, and yet also readily throw realism out the window for the sake of drama... I kinda try to keep that balance. This is definitely very lifelike and accurate...well, not that part - do you know how boring it would be if that was realistic?! :p

    Isn't is just the worst?! ;)

    Aww, thank you! I never really thought I'd ever try to write any sort of mental illness, but here we are. I guess I have enough experience with anxiety that I don't feel too far out of my lane. Thanks so much for reading!!

     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2022
  18. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Author Note: I struggled a bit more with this set than prior ones, not sure why. There's quite a few characters running around at this point, but it's really still mostly about Jet.



    Week 5 – International (Part 3)

    21. Astray

    Each throb in his face was another blow to his ego. Malachi thought he could protect Constantine from the agents. All that had gained him was Constantine’s fist to Malachi’s face. The agents had hardly been gentle, but he doubted Constantine would end up with a more significant injury than he had.

    And all the while Jet had been silently suffering through a panic attack alone.

    In the seat beside him, her eyes were closed now, though Malachi didn’t think she was fully asleep. Her hand twitched. He wanted to put his hand on hers, but thought better of it.


    25. Perception

    Jet grimaced at sudden pain in her ears. It’s a good thing, she told herself. It means escape is near.
    *
    The second the plane landed, Jet was out of her seat. She didn’t remember going through the door or down the steps, she was just aware that she was off the plane, terra firma finally beneath her.

    “Slootmaekers?”

    Jet looked up, just realizing that she was sitting on the ground, as Agent Kellett approached.

    Kellett offered her hand; Jet accepted.

    “Everything alright?” Kellett looked to plane. Apparently, Jet was the only one to have disembarked. “Rough flight?”

    “Turbulence,” Jet replied.


    22. Temerity

    Malachi tried to follow Jet off the plane, but Maggie blocked his path.

    “Out of my way,” the hacker demanded.

    “No.” Maggie held her ground. “That is not how this works. You do what I say, not vice-versa. You are under contract with the FBI, and I am the agent in charge here. You got a problem with that, we’ll send you back across the ocean right now.”

    Malachi clenched his jaw, clearing debating how to respond. “She needs me,” he finally said.

    Surprised, Maggie softened her posture. “We have an understanding, then?”

    Malachi half-nodded as he pushed past Maggie.


    24. Duress

    Jet was just starting to feel grounded, like she might actually survive, when Kellett opened the car door. Her feet instantly rooted in place. She couldn’t handle another vehicle. Not now.

    Kellett looked at her, confused at her hesitation, but Jet had no explanation.

    “She tends to get carsick,” Malachi explained. Not entirely a lie.

    “Oh, well then, hop in the front,” Forrester, in the driver’s seat, reached across and opened the front passenger door.

    Malachi smiled encouragingly at her, and, her feet now feeling too numb to keep her rooted, Jet found herself climbing into the front passenger seat.


    23. Nuance

    “Protocol requires a psych eval, but we don’t have time for that. If there was even a psych unit here.” Maggie had Jubal on speakerphone. Constantine was in easy hearing distance, but there was nothing to be done about it. He didn’t seem to be paying them any mind anyway.

    “Can you complete the assignment without him?” Jubal asked.

    “I don’t see how we can have him here and not use him,” Hana replied.

    “Alright, then carry on. Keep him cuffed. I’ll tell Isobel you were unable to comply with procedure.

    “….But Maggie? Stay safe. We need you back here.”


    Bonus: Tenebrous

    A look passed between Kellett and Forrester.

    How was it that Jet looked even younger in person than in photos?

    Forrester started the car and resumed a call.

    “Wait—Raines. Just… Stop—don’t tell me. Tell her.” Forrester handed his cell phone to Jet.

    Jet listened for a moment and her eyes narrowed. “It’s what kind of attack? From where?”

    Kellett couldn’t say she looked any older, but now there was a focus about Jet, an intensity. She may be just a kid, but she was a kid on a mission and Kellett was glad she was on their side.
     
  19. A Chorus of Disapproval

    A Chorus of Disapproval Head Admin & TV Screaming Service star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    Bravo! A triumph! Breaking new ground while firmly planted on the foundations of the genre.

    ...and other blurbs I've nicked from book dust jackets.
     
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  20. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Jet and her dislike of flying. I love her and how her friends interact with her
     
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  21. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Thanks for reading! [:D]



    Author Note: International was by far my least favorite FBI. Which makes one wonder why I’m including International at all, much less spending so much time here. And I suppose the answer is that there are two characters I really love. See if you can spot them going forward.

    Week 6 - International (Part 4)
    27. Rumble

    As they were entering the main headquarters, Jet let out a small yelp and jumped behind Maggie.

    Maggie’s hand instinctively went to hip, where of course there was no weapon.

    A blur of black shot past Maggie, then Hana. It collided with Constantine, knocking him to the floor. Maggie realized the blur was a dog, just as she heard Forrester exclaim from the room, “Tank!”

    At this point Constantine was semi-sitting on the floor and shaking. And…. smiling? And petting the dog… And… was he laughing?

    Hana had moved to intervene, but now she looked to Maggie, sharing her puzzlement.


    29. Flutter

    Forrester soon appeared and grabbed the dog by the collar, pulling him back. “I’m sorry, I swear he’s never done that.”

    “Don’t apologize.” Constantine climbed to his feet. “My sister had a dog just like him.” Constantine continued to pet the dog, awkward as it was with his hands bound.

    *

    Jet tried to keep the flutter out of her voice as she asked, “Why is there a dog?” She also tried not to be obvious that she was keeping Maggie between her and the canine.

    “We don’t have guns here—how else do you think we take down the perps?”


    28. Thump

    Thump. Thump-thump.

    “Do you have any idea how annoying that is?” Malachi snapped at Constantine.

    Malachi felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. They couldn’t do anything until they got uplinked by the team in the field and without Jet to talk to, he was feeling very much on edge.

    Thump-thump. The big black dog was parked under Constantine’s desk and every time he stopped petting it the tail started thumping.

    “Was that me?” Constantine gestured to his face, in reference to Malachi’s ever-darkening black eye. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what came over me.”


    26. Splash

    “Where the frell are they?” It seemed like Hana and Jet had left for the ladies’ room ages ago.

    “Sometimes girls take a while…” Constantine offered.

    “Not this long.” Malachi stood up and headed toward the hall. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said to Constantine, still handcuffed to the desk.

    First, he knocked on the door. “Hey, Jet! What’s going on in there? Hana? What gives?”

    When he got no response, he didn’t wait long before pushing the door open.

    Water was still splashing in the sink, but that wasn’t what caught his eye.

    Hana lay unconscious on the bathroom floor.


    30. Crackle

    “Jet!” Malachi rushed to the stalls, quickly checking each one.

    Panicked, he almost didn’t even pause to check on Hana. But a crackle from her radio caused him to stop in his tracks.

    “Maggie!” he screeched into the device. Waiting for a response, he confirmed that Hana was still breathing. In fact, she appeared unharmed. “What happened?” Malachi demanded, but Hana was out cold.

    He directed his attention back to the radio. “Maggie! Get back here!”

    Malachi leapt to his feet and tore out of the room.

    He would search for Jet, but he already knew he wouldn’t find her.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
  22. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Nice response with the dog making things interesting. But where is Jet? What happened to her?
     
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  23. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    @earlybird-obi-wan Thanks! K-9 attack unit turned emotional support animal makes me happy. :) And we're about to find out!


    Week 7 - International (Part 5)

    31. Obstruct

    “What is so important that you need me here?” Maggie demanded.

    Raines and Vo looked back in confusion. “We don’t need you.”

    “You said it was an emergency. The text came from your number.” Forrester held up his phone.

    Raines looked to Vo with concern. “They must have spoofed my number.”

    “Well, if you don’t need me, I’m getting back to my team,” Maggie said, just as her radio crackled to life.

    “Maggie! Get back here!”

    Only it wasn’t Hana’s voice, it was Malachi’s.

    Everyone present looked around with wide-eyed concern.

    Maggie, Kellett, and Forrester sprinted back to the car.


    33. Obtain

    Jet knew she was not an athlete. Still, she always thought of herself as quick and with good instincts.

    When her head was covered with a hood without having seen, heard, or sensed anything amiss, she was too surprised to be really scared immediately. It was the sound of Hana falling to the floor that sent her into fight or flight.

    “She’ll be fine. And so will you, if you come quietly.”

    The voice was feminine, and strangely more soothing than threatening.

    Jet knew when a fight was lost. She didn’t resist.

    How long before they noticed she was missing?


    32. Infuse

    Jet found herself in what seemed to be a pretty nicely appointed apartment. The hood was gone and she was unrestrained, though she assumed the doors and windows were securely locked.

    Her captor led her into a side room. Enthralled by the strangeness of the situation, Jet followed willingly.

    “I hope this setup will provide you everything you need.”

    Seeing the computer provided a momentary infusion of relief to Jet, followed by concern and fear—had she been kidnapped by the very people she was supposed to stop? Would they try to force her to assist in their nefarious plans?


    34. Immerse

    “I set it up so you should be able to remote in,” her captor assured Jet. “You can tell them you are okay, but don’t tell them any more.”

    A few clicks and Jet realized that this computer was indeed connected to the local FBI network.

    Jet looked up in utter confusion.

    “I’m not a monster, I want you to stop the bad guys. I just really needed to make a point. I’m sorry you had to be part of it.”

    *

    Hana was just regaining consciousness when Forrester got the text.

    She’ll be fine. So will Jet. Read the file.



    35. Dissipate

    The message popped up on Malachi’s screen from out of nowhere.

    This is Jet. I’m okay, don’t ask questions. Let’s do this.

    He glanced over, and from Constantine’s face he guessed he’d gotten the same message.

    “Where are you?” Malachi whispered the question because there was no apparent way to respond to the message. A one-way text app.

    I can't tell you more right now. Just get to work.

    Malachi’s concern was hardly dissipated. But whether the mysterious messages were actually from Jet or not, he knew Jet would want him to do the job he was brought in for.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
  24. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Yes Jet is somewhere safe but what will she do?
     
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  25. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    Thanks so much for sticking with the story, @earlybird-obi-wan !


    Author Note: Ah, Squall! I didn’t expect to see you here! :p At first I thought I was writing the wrong fandom for these prompts, but I suppose if I was writing Final Fantasy it would be a little too easy…

    Actually, my first reaction to these prompts was oh no! these won’t work for my story at all! (that’s actually my first panicked reaction to pretty much every set of prompts). But then I thought of surfing the net, which was definitely workable, but then I started wondering when the last time I actually heard that phrase was and if it is even still used. I’m afraid it just won’t do for the quintessentially Gen-Z Jet. Thus, enter Stabler. I didn’t expect to include him in this to any real extent.


    Week 8 - International (Part 6)

    38. Surf

    It was, for once, a relatively slow crime day, so Stabler sat at his computer, figuring he ought to check his email at least once every few months.

    Network Connectivity Issues.

    What was Stabler supposed to do with that?

    “Jet!”

    He looked, and she wasn’t at on the upper deck. Had she finally taken a day off?

    He thought he’d seen some pretty young kids over at SVU, maybe one of them could fix his computer.

    “Elliot.”

    Stabler played off his surprise with a slow turn in his chair. “Speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you, Liv.”


    39. Current

    “Have you heard from Jet?” Benson asked, leaning against Stabler’s desk. “The rumors are flying and I thought she might have some insider information.”

    “No, I’ve been in trial all week. I’m pleasantly surprised to see she isn’t here. At least, I was until my internet broke.”

    “You’re kidding, right? Are you really that out of touch with current events? It’s not just your internet, it’s half the city. There’s massive internet blackouts across the country. I came here to test my hunch that that’s why the FBI called up Jet. And to see if she was making any progress.”


    37. Tide

    “I haven’t heard from her, but it would seem the tide is against us.” Ayanna nodded a greeting to Benson as she walked up.

    “Wait, the FBI took my detective without my permission?! No. No, no, no. I want the feds on the phone—” The veins in Stabler’s head were starting to pop out.

    Ayanna rolled her eyes. “They had permission. And she’s not your detective. Least you forget who’s in charge around here. When the FBI calls you at 2a.m. and says they need to borrow your tech expert for reasons of national security, you don’t say no.”


    40. Depth

    “Where is she? How deep is she in this?”

    “I couldn’t tell you if I knew. But she’s not alone.”

    *

    Jet took a sip of tea and tried to calm her mind. Looking to her colleagues’ shared screens did not help. Malachi’s screen was chaos, code flying as he typed furiously, skipping madly between windows, throwing absolutely everything at the problem, hoping something would stick. So far nothing had. Constantine’s screen was still, but not in a soothing way. As much as she wanted to believe the screen was frozen, she knew it wasn’t the machine that had seized up.


    36. Squall

    Her captor entered bearing snacks and a light shawl with a lion’s head design.

    “Are you cold? Hungry?”

    Jet shook her head. The older woman seemed less like a prison guard and more like… a doting mother? That wasn’t something Jet had experienced before, but she imagined it would feel something like this.

    Jet shook her head. No time to sort through that now. What mattered now was how were they going to get through this firewall.

    “Can I help?”

    Jet scoffed. “Are you a coder?”

    The woman sat down and grabbed a pad of paper. “I’m a problem solver.”
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2022
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