Archive of Our Own ^beta

amethystcloak: good morning little prince. how are you?

rulerzreach4fan: nerve never mind that

amethystcloak: Hunter

rulerzreach4fan: how do you think day of unty almost here and if thre was emrgncy wouldve told u already 

rulerzreach4fan: nothings changed since yesterday and theres no immdte dnger

amethystcloak: fair enough 

rulerzreach4fan: anyway my point

rulerzreach4fan: reporting for duty. what can we do what can i do

amethystcloak: continue to hold down the fort at hexside

rulerzreach4fan: DARIUS.COME ON

amethystcloak: the emperor is still rounding up wild witches to brand and hexside now harbors wild witches. i need you there. 

rulerzreach4fan: DIRECT ACTN BTTR BETTER

amethystcloak: limited resources. division of labor. every1 has role to play 

rulerzreach4fan: LET ME GO WITH YOU I CAN HELP

amethystcloak: STAY.PUT

Darius dimly noted he'd been standing in front of a wall for too long while he continued to furtively and quickly text Hunter. 

rulerzreach4fan: BELOS NOT MERCIFUL HE HELL B BEYOND !!FURIOUS!!!!! WHEN HE KNOWS YOURE A REBEL

amethystcloak: it will be fine

rulerzreach4fan: IF I GO WITH YOU

amethystcloak: NO

With a growing glare, Darius checked the time above the texts. He angrily exhaled.

amethystcloak: briefing with songbird and others coming up soon--i will call you after that.

rulerzreach4fan: dadridariidarius

Frowning, the Abomination witch noted Hunter's continued corrections on the spelling of his name as he rushed to type. Darius knew the boy was worried, and hoped he would wait before he possibly did anything rash. 

amethystcloak: we will have our own briefing afterward

And then Darius put the scroll away and called everyone to attention.

---

True to his word, Darius found a private corner in the base and called Hunter up on video chat after the briefing. He propped the scroll up on a conjured Abomination pillar so that he could stand back and speak with Hunter, not wanting a particularly odd angle to interfere with his attempts to persuade and reassure the boy. Darius tried to remain calm, and tried to recall how his mentor had handled him in situations like this when he'd been around Hunter's age.

The conversation wasn't going too well, particularly when Hunter brought this up:

"I could...you know...distract him from you and the oth--"

"No one's using you as bait," Darius snapped, his heart twisting at the way Hunter made that suggestion even as he looked hesitant and anxious.

"This is different, you and the others would strike before he could do anything," Hunter said, rapidly growing more confident while Darius grew more unsettled. "And I'd get out of the way before he could do anything--"

"Absolutely not, end of discussion." 

Their talk completely snowballed after that into a full argument like their previous texts had devolved into, and Darius...remembered that similar had happened with Jasper too, and again he felt like he understood his mentor even more. It felt like Darius had been understanding him far better ever since he stopped ignoring and avoiding Hunter. And though Darius was growing increasingly frustrated and worried as this argument went on, he couldn't fault Hunter for this. On the other hand, even though part of him knew it was irrational and pointless to dwell on, Darius found himself regretting nearly every argument he had with his mentor. Not that they argued often, but given what...Darius just found himself keenly regretting every harsh word he'd snapped at the previous Golden Guard when he would end up--

"You can't make me stay!" Though Hunter's face twisted into a stormy glare, his voice cracked more with desperation when he added, "You said not to do exactly what I'm told--"

Darius resisted the urge to close his eyes as those words echoed something he had thrown back at Jasper a few times when he'd been around Hunter's age. Instead, trying to be careful and clear with his words, he gritted out, "I know, but there is a balance to that. I'm not suggesting you ignore sound advice or orders made with the best intentions--"

"This isn't sound! And you mean well, but you're not being rational!" Hunter snapped. "This isn't strategically dividing up limited resources, you're intentionally avoiding using everything at your disposal--"

"You're not at my disposal, you're under my protection!" Darius snapped back. "I didn't protect you before, but I'm protecting you now--"

"Darius--" And oh Titan, the concern in the boy's eyes made Darius's guilt grow.

Still, the Abomination witch continued. "--and you will listen to--"

"Hey, Darius!" That wasn't Hunter.

The Abomination witch looked over his shoulder and found Eda looking at him, worry sharpening her face. "We need to talk right now."

Shit. With a number of possible emergency scenarios running through his mind, Darius turned back to the scroll. "Hunter, we'll continue this later--"

The boy nodded, looking more calm, though also more grim. "It's fine, deal with this first." Clearly Hunter sensed an emergency too.

And with that, the video chat ended. Darius rushed to Eda's side. "What's the situation--?"

Then Eda gave a light smirk, and Darius wished he could just lie down for a moment, Titan damn it he was tired. (But then again, Eda must've been as well.) "Don't worry, I'll make this quick--I just needed to get you away from Hunter for a minute because I think I have some intel that can help with your little problem."

Snapping to full attention and alertness, Darius said, "I'm listening."

"The Blights have literally grounded their children, and Luz is set to go rescue them," Eda said in a lilting tone.

Without missing a beat, Darius said, "Sounds like she could use a security escort. I'll get the ex-Golden Guard on it."

Eda gave a brisk nod, her smirk growing more satisfied. "Knew I could count on you."

"Anything's possible with the right intel," Darius said, returning his own light smirk. And then he softened. "Thank you, Eda."

She blinked, startled. Then scrambled to slip her cool mask back on, waving him off. "Not a problem. Mutually beneficial arrangement really, you're saving my hide with Luz--"

"Not just for Hunter," Darius said, voice lowering. "For everything." He sighed. It was just the two of them, no kids or younger rebels around, it wasn't a public briefing--there was no need to hold on to his own mask so tightly. "If there was another option available--" 

Even as the words spilled out, Darius second-guessed himself. What was the point to this? How would this help Eda? Was it all just a pitiful attempt to alleviate some of his guilt and further justify himself--something that obviously wasn't going to work, nor should it. If he was doing this, he had to accept it, he had to stand by it.

Darius had pushed for this, Raine had more reservations, and each had their reasons for that...but while Darius did not have the same deep attachment Raine had for her, Darius still did not wish to risk Eda or anyone like this. But they had hit their last resort.

Eda raised a hand. Her expression was soft, warm. "Hey, I get it. And really, it's the curse that's even giving you and the others this option--and you're not responsible for the curse."

Again, Darius wondered who had cursed Eda. Jasper had wondered the same after he heard of it from coven personnel in attendance for that debacle and asked Darius for his own account from his place in the stands. His mentor had tried looking into it, suspecting some serious black market sales, and it was an investigation he allowed Darius to assist him with in a limited capacity; but the search had run dry, with no clear answers.

"Still, turns out it could be a Titansend, huh?" Eda lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Now come on, assign your security escort."

Darius nodded, and Eda left him with a wave and one more smirk.

---

"Security escort?"

"Yes," Darius said while Hunter looked at him incredulously over video chat.

"Security escort for Luz while she saves the Blight kids from being grounded by their parents?"

"Luz is a wanted criminal. The senior Blights are in the Emperor's pocket and won't hesitate to turn her in if they catch her."

The boy groaned.

"Hunter, I outrank you," Darius firmly said, even as his stomach twisted at what he was calling upon. While logistically this was true--he and Raine and Eberwolf were the leaders of the rebels, and while there was leeway they also had to put their foot down with the literal children caught up in the fight and under their protection--it didn't help his goal to distance Hunter from the military service he'd been bound to. But. Well. The decision with Eda was already a last resort. This was another one. "And this is an order. I need you to serve as Luz's security escort for me. Understood?"

As soon as he had started on this approach, the boy had snapped to attention, further exacerbating Darius's guilt. But at the end, the alertness in Hunter's eyes shifted to something more reluctant and upset. Despite that, the boy still nodded. "Yes, sir," he said in a quiet voice.

Darius's heart twisted, because even as he felt he understood his mentor better, he still remembered what it was like before--on the other side of it. (To feel left behind. To feel like you should go because you're worried and believe you can protect them better if you're close by, because the certainty that they'll be fine is shaken and you feel like the only solution is to be near enough to defend them. To be forced to stay away regardless and stew in your worry.)

"...Did your mentor ever do something like this?" Hunter asked, and Darius stared, inanely wondering about the boy reading minds before dismissing that. It wasn't a large leap for the boy to make. The current situation could make Hunter wonder, wonder if Darius remembered being his age, if his own mentor ever denied him like this. "Make you stay behind or carry out another task while he went and did something more...serious?"

"...Sometimes, yes," Darius finally said. His voice drifted, turning more distant as more memories crept up. "Sometimes Jasper would let me go with him, on missions that were subdued enough. And other times he refused, declaring it too dangerous and that I was too young. I couldn't see the difference, and would argue with him. But he was adamant."

Given the severity of the current crisis, Darius omitted how he had sometimes secretly followed Jasper anyway and still got involved. (And the mixed results of that, ranging from "it worked out in his opinion but Jasper was still mad" to "small disaster he didn't actually regret because it still barely worked out but Jasper was furious." And it led to a strange dissonance--Darius didn't feel like his opinion on that necessarily changed even as he better understood how worried and frightened his mentor must've been and did regret putting him through that, but he found himself completely against Hunter repeating what he had done.) 

"...His name was Jasper?"

Darius blinked. "Yes, that's what he told me." His voice lowered, becoming a little faint. Then he shook his head. "I...did I never mention that before?"

It was Hunter's turn to shake his head. "Don't think so..."

For a second, Darius felt his attention fully dip down as more grief swam up. He forced himself to focus again when he heard Hunter begin to speak.

"...Okay, then...where would we regroup...afterward?" Hunter said, hesitant but testing.

"We can regroup at Hexside afterward," Darius told him, his voice softening, promising. Something like gratitude bloomed in his chest, grateful that Hunter was here. "If the location changes, I'll let you know."

Hunter nodded, still a little uncertain but looking more accepting. "Okay. Okay then. I'll assemble a team." Then he blinked, and his ears twitched. "If that's okay--?"

"You're in charge of security," Darius reminded him. "Your call."

The boy smiled a little at that, and straightened up a bit. "Right. Of course." Then his voice turned more earnest. "I'll protect Luz, I promise."

"I've no doubt of that," Darius said with a grin.

Then Hunter became more direct as his brow furrowed, and his frown returned. "And you...promise too?"

"Yes," Darius said, determined. "I promise I'll see you at Hexside later."

The two discussed further details of the security escort, and then hung up with goodbyes and wishes for good luck and plans to continue updating each other when possible.

---

rulerzreach4fan : understood. will text u when they're with us. 

amethystcloak : good job little prince.

rulerzreach4fan : thanks. what about your mission?

amethystcloak : preparing to board airship with eber.

rulerzreach4fan : BE.SAFE.

amethystcloak : promise. you too.

rulerzreach4fan : OH luz king just got dropped off willow gus talking to them gotta go loveyoudadriustalklaterbyeee

Darius smiled a little, feeling his stomach untwist slightly. Anxiety was tightening around him as more time passed, but Hunter had increasingly proven very effective at calming him down (as long as Hunter himself wasn't in any real danger; when he was, then Darius's anxiety evolved into full-blown panic). Then the Abomination witch blinked. What was the last thing the boy sent--?

Just when he barely started trying to decipher the squished sequence of letters, Hunter texted back.

rulerzreach4fan : we're walking now we i

rulerzreach4fan : i

rulerzreach4fan : NERV EVER NNEVER MIND LAST MESSAGE I WAS IN A RUSH NOT THINKING

Darius had deciphered it a second before Hunter finished texting.

amethystcloak : love you too kid

rulerzreach4fan : i

rulerzreach4fan : #^&O

rulerzreach4fan : iloveyoulikehowiloveflapjackokayimean

amethystcloak : i know

Darius glanced at the time above the texts, and though he grew somber, some of the smile still remained. Hunter was good at giving him hope. Still, he dearly wished he could just keep texting the boy. But Darius reminded himself he'll do that later, and then see him in person.

amethystcloak : going on radio silence for now. will talk later.

rulerzreach4fan : okay me too we're almost at the blights. B SAFE.

amethystcloak : promise. see you at hexside later.

Darius put the scroll away, put on a composed and cold mask, and boarded the ship with Eber. His anxiety was returning, but now tempered with more hope and determination that burned even hotter. He would protect Hunter, he would finally avenge his mentor--everyone banded together would defend the Boiling Isles.

Darius promised.