u/1864thyeon

to some extent, this is a story, but it’s really more of a compilation of scenes with decently interesting characters (i hope).
if anyone would be willing to look over it and report back, i would be very thankful!!!

tw: profanity, violence

context: universes or dimensions are connected by limbo. if u are born in said limbo u have the ability to TRAVEL THROUGH DIMENSIONS!!! except monsters can also do that and sometimes they get in the wrong dimension! so some guy capitalized off that and hired a bunch of limbo born to travel between dimensions and exterminate these monsters so they dont bother anyone. (basically, pest control). the story follows void squad 009 (aka tartarus squad) and their underpaid adventures!!

excerpt:

“There’s something a little off with your work ethics, I think,” Trim mumbled, turning back to her cubicle. She fanned herself–the AC had shut off out of nowhere. The AC that was perpetually on in the office. The AC that no one touched. That could only mean one thing–
“Ugh,” the three 009 members grumbled simultaneously as 007 strode into the office. 
The captain, Helios, walked in first, his head high and shoulders back. He walked in like he owned the place, not an ounce of hesitation in his posture. 
He was also a fucking coward, as 009 liked to call it. One that Mars used to have to clean up not only after, but also before. That was back when Mars was a rookie–now, Mars was getting paid to do it.
The vice captain–Helios’s sister, Selene–walked in with a mixed expression–half annoyed, half apologetic. Typical–oftentimes, she was the one cleaning up after her brother. She was the only one in 007 actually worth having a conversation with, and could actually be considered pleasant at times, but she was usually a little bit of a bully to Trim. She called Trim overkill, Trim called her jealous. It was that kind of back-and-forth.
Phaethon, their “fighter”--in quotes because he still had yet to beat Lantern in a fight–carried himself as though he were the second coming of Jesus, but also as though he would do anything and everything to catch Helios’s attention. No one liked Phaethon, not since he punched Trim in the face for looking at Helios the wrong way (which wasn’t long after he was hired under 007). 
Icarus, the youngest, was a little odd by everyone’s standards. He didn’t act like Phaethon, choosing instead to skulk around Helios and Selene like a bodyguard, always in a defensive stance. He never spoke, and when he did, no one heard the boy, so he really didn’t have a presence at all. He was a little less of a freak than Hong, but definitely had the same murderous intent beneath his air–it was just that Hong hid it under a plastic little grin and a fake gleam in his eyes, while Icarus just straight up radiated it.
“Must you all live in such a freezing office?” said Helios loftily, scanning the room with a patronizing look. “Really, you’ll catch cold.” His eyes landed on Lantern, and they narrowed with a glint that only served to disgust the nine-eyed vice captain.
“Shut it, Helios.”
“Watch it, asshole,” Phaethon snarled, but Helios held up a hand. 
“A vice captain speaking to a captain in such manners? You could get reported for that.” Helios strode over towards Lantern, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder as though he were comforting a crying child. His expression was one that would usually disturb most people if they were in Lantern’s position. 
Suffice it to say, Lantern was positively disturbed. “Get away from me, Helios.”
“Now who taught our little light to speak so rudely to his favorite senior–”
“Spoke on my behalf,” came another voice from the door. Lantern looked up, his face immediately brightened. “He did as told.”
“What, you told him to say that to me?” Helios said, frowning at Mars.
“We practiced what to say in the case that we ever have to talk to you. Or 007 in general, for that matter,” Hong said. “Other rehearsed lines include: Fuck you. Go back to work. Do your job. Get out of our office.”
“I came up with the first one,” Lantern said under his breath. Mars entered the office, crossing his arms. 
“Why are you here?” Helios hissed.
“This is my office,” Mars said blankly. 
“I don’t think you’re in the place to be asking that question,” Lantern said. Helios shot a look at him, and Phaethon positioned himself to attack Lantern, which was absolutely diabolical if you asked anyone. But then again, if you asked the same anyone, they would all reply that Phaethon was Helios’s biggest dick rider, so it really wasn’t that surprising.
“Door,” Mars said, pointing behind him.
“So you still can’t talk,” Helios said, putting a hand on his waist. He drew his gun and tipped Mars’s chin down with the muzzle, forcing the other captain to look him in the eyes–which was a little less intimidating than the many times Mars had forced people to look up at him with the tip of his scythe, if you asked Lantern. “I’d think twice about talking to me like that.”
Mars stared at the 007 captain, unimpressed. “I did. Decided it’s worth it.”
“Don’t think I won’t shoot,” Helios said, pressing the muzzle into Mars’s throat. He glanced around the room. “What, none of your squadmates are coming to your rescue? Not even your darling vice captain?”
“I’ll get promoted if Mars dies,” Lantern piped up. 
“If you shoot Mars, I’ll get out of overtime today,” Trim said, filing her nails. “That means I can go home only a little earlier than usual.”
“It would be really funny,” Hong stated absently. Comedy grinned, but surprisingly enough remained silent. 
“No more clocking in,” Mars added.
“Well, if you all want him to die so bad, I’ll do you the favor,” Helios said, his finger tightening around the trigger. Mars tapped his foot, wondering when he would actually pull it. 
“Actually, Iris will kill him and us in addition if you put a hole through his necktie, so be careful where you aim,” Lantern called. 
Then it came–the boom.
For a second, Mars was nowhere to be seen. 
The bullet passed through nothing. 
“Guns—unreliable,” Mars said, appearing next to Helios. He grabbed the muzzle of the gun and pointed it to himself. “Bullets, autonomic. No control once shot. Not like blades.” He stared Helios in the eye. “One more try?”

link to full (7.5k words): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T-oGOsIGcuC634TW7aE5uSpmRst0nl1kTUUeEuS4n7Q/edit?usp=drivesdk
thank you!