Summary: Can people truly change?
Willow dashed around the abomination blasts. Just two flags left. Jerbo, and Hermonculus. "AAAAGGG!!" … Well, Viney finally caught the former.
"Vengeance shall now commence!" And they lost her.
"Come on, I didn't even know you were signing up for the team, and Hermonculus was offering extra credit!"
"You still betrayed me, and I will NEVER forgive you for your transgression!"
"Please, just don't feed me to Puddles!!"
"It just occurred to me that she's the one that killed the first Basilisk that popped up." Gus reminded them.
"She'll do well on the team." Willow smiled at the overdone violence of retribution.
"So, what's the play?" Caleb asked. "We can't get close, that Abomination can track two targets at a time, and that's not even getting into the professor himself."
"I know, the man's super petty. There's been outside interference twice and we can't call him out on it." Willow grumbled. Just another reason to hate his class. "The best way to get him out is to get rid of his support abomination. He can't walk without it, and it's what's keeping him stable on his staff." A bit of a low blow exploiting a cripple, but this wasn't the time to be petty.
"I've got it." Gus nodded. "I'll keep it distracted, you destroy it like one of Amity's abominations."
"Hah, don't make it sound too easy." Even though she probably could totally own Amity in a one on one fight…hm…one of these days she had to test that out. "Alright, everyone, once he's distracted, you all make a mad dash to his flags while I take out the goo. We all good with this plan?"
"On it captain." Caleb nodded as he flew into position. He was a bit … too obedient. He should really try and put his own personality on things. Nice guy overall though. Kind of like Lucci except without the need to cause chaos.
"Yo, Mr. Hermonculus, is this really the best use of your time?" Gus flew in, giving them cover by making several illusions of themselves to keep the man's vision impaired. "Getting petty revenge against one teeneger, doesn't reflect well on you is all I'm saying."
"It's kind of evolved into a matter of pride for an old legacy at this point!" The man shouted as the abomination began attacking as many illusions as it could. "Besides, you'd be surprised with what teachers can get away with in this school!"
"I'm not…I mean, Boscha's gotten away with murder a few times and no one's done anything about it!" Skara provided support from above by chopping away pieces of the abomination. "Although I kind of chopped that up to the teachers being bad at their jobs!"
"Oh do not let that slide!" The abomination began thinking itself out to focus on so many targets … making it vulnerable.
"Hey Hermonculus, if there's one thing I learned while being in your class…" Willow shouted, sending the biggest and thorniest vines she could straight into the abominations chest. "It's to be relentlessly unmerciful to anyone beneath your standards!" She made the thorns spin as the goo spread everywhere like blood.
"Noo!" It was too late, as he tried to reform the thing, Caleb already snatched his flag, doing that warping trick as he slung it into the tree.
"Our team wins…OUR TEAM WON!" Willow shouted, everyone gathering together in celebration. "We did it! Our team won! The club is finally formed!"
"I'm a nerd that succeeded in a sport…I have the brains and the brawn now, I'm unstoppable!" Gus cheered.
"For the first time in a month I succeeded …" Caleb looked down at his hands. "I'm not disappointed…I'm not going to leave behind an embarrassing legacy! I'M SOMEBODY USEFUL!" Man, this guy could give their whole group a run for their money with their self worth issues.
"My vengeance is complete, the blood has been spilt, my path has been cleared." Viney said solemnly. "I shall forge a new path for myself, with new companions."
"Oh…come…on…." Jerbo weakly said as Puddle nibbled on his leg. "It…was…just…extra….credit…"
"Definitely was the greatest distraction I had all week." Skara grinned. "Didn't think once about my family … till now." Poor girl.
"Alright, alright." Hermonculus sighed. "Give me your team name, I'll make it official." Oh … didn't think they far ahead.
"The Emerald Entrails!" … Everyone turned to Caleb. "You know … cause we're green … and we rip out their … entrails?" That's the personality she's been looking for.
"Hah, alright everyone for the celebratory selfie!" Skara announced as they all swarmed together in a huddle. "Everyone say Entrails!"
"Entrails!" The picture was taken. Willow did it, the team did it, they all … this was amazing!!
"Wow, I feel so great. For a minute there I was thinking about ditching you guys completely for being complete rejects, but I was wrong, so, so, so very wrong, and I couldn't be happier for it." Caleb laughed heartily.
"Told you so. Being different doesn't make you weak, just strong in your own way." Willow grinned.
"I see that now, you've completely changed my whole perspective, Captain. I don't know how to thank you enough." Aww, how sweet. "I'll figure it out once we're all in the Emperor's coven."
It was like a record scratch played in the air as Caleb said that. "… Do what now?" Gus questioned.
"We'll, I'd show you my mask, but the human took it." They chuckled. "My real name's Hunter, and I'm the Golden Guard."
This, they had been playing.. "This is a joke, right?" Willow began to back away.
"Wait a second …" Skara's eyes widened. "Teleporting, mask taken by Luz, annoying voice that makes you want to punch it …"
"Is it really that bad?"
"No, no…you can't be…then..then you'd also be the same guy that's also trying to kill Lucci.." Willow's confidence was taking a downward spiral right now.
"You better believe it, and I will someday!" Cal-The golden guard responded as he waved around his palisman, summoning the golden armor, minus the mask and white cloak. "But that's not my mission today. Today I'm bringing the best and brightest witches around to join the emperors coven, where you'll be separated from all your loved ones and branded with sigils!"
All this time …she was lied to … playing with a … "You sociopath!" She shouted in rage.
"... Wow, rude. And here I am genuinely trying to be your friend."
"GRRAAA!!" Willow shot everything at the bastard. Every seed, vine, flower, without any room for breathing.
"Love your energy, Captain, but you gotta save it for when the training starts tomorrow." Caleb dodge all of them with his damn teleportation spell. "You won't get another day off for the next three hundred and sixty five days."
"We are not going with you , understood!?" She shouted.
"A little late when I already have reinforcements." The entire area was surrounded by coven scouts. "I would've rather you guys come peacefully, but sometimes it's being dragged completely against your will to realize what's the best option you have."
"As if I'm letting any of them hurt my friends!" She began wailing on the Scouts.
"I'm getting Snapdragon flashbacks!!" They shouted as Willow began throwing them endlessly in the air.
"… I can't tell if they just got worse or Willow just got scarier." Viney noted.
"Okay people, throw in the sleep spells, the captain's clearly stressed from working hard all day." The golden bastard ordered.
"Oh no you don't!" Willow made a barrier of plants. "Happened to Lucci one too many times. Viney, Gus, get Luz and warn her about … everything!" Luz apparently chopped the guy's finger off so she could deal with him. If Lucci came, it would be one drawn out blood bath with every resource on him.
"Kind of in the middle of getting surrounded here!!" Gus shouted out, getting bombarded as he was getting backed into a corner.
"Scaaawwwaaa!" Puddles roared out as the scouts tied them up before she could rip out any of their livers.
"Skara, go! Everyone, cover!" As long as someone got the message out, they'd be alright.
"Getting text out…." Skara yelled as she pressed on her scroll…"And…send!"
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Cherry licked their fingers. "Mmmm, spicy sweets ruled." All the sugar rushing through their body as the ghost pepper glaze of their ice scream took them on a whirlwind trip of flavor. Just being around you makes hot things sweeter. And you manage to make the delectable treats burn bright. The whole world just feels like a fiery explosion of candy that they couldn't get enough of.
Their first time fusing was so fast paced and hectic that they really didn't get a chance to truly appreciate… just existing. Heck, most of the fusions didn't get that luxury, only during big battles where lives were on the line. No part on Boscha saying that it seems too 'intimate'. It's just hanging out close together. You're feeling the same thing I'm feeling and you don't call this intimate? Fair point, I guess, but all living beings deserve happy existence…except assholes and jerks like Belos, they can burn.
They'd totally take on Belos when they could. For now, it was time to just relax and enjoy everything after a stressful day. They took another bite of their snack. "So, what's on the agenda next?" Cherry already tried out ways to get around, figuring out they could just combine the concept of roller blades with bubbles and four legs for four dimensional flip tricks.
They looked around, basking in all the stares that everyone was giving them. Their looks of envy and lust, just wishing they could tap this, and every single part of them was loving every minute of it. Everyone's gawking like we're putting on a show, I say let's give them one. Oh, lets try addin in some potions that sparkle with bubbles for fireworks!
They turned to the fingertips, each one coloring, and glowing with possibilities. Each tip a new ingredient for mixing and matching ingredients. Some gunpowder, lighter fluid, Gargoyle blood, chameleon skin, seriously Lucci, is there anything you've haven't eaten before? Earth lions, though I did come close once, ended up befriending it instead. I settled on lion lickers, best treats around … also I haven't eaten Giraffes … the nightmare incarnate creatures that plague the souls of all living things.
Save the nightmare fuel for their enemies, they had a show to put on. After spinning their fingers around, they created four bubbles, beginning to juggle. "Ladies and gents, may I introduce you to cherry, the poppin and rockin witch of the Boiling isles." Cherry paused, considering something. Hey, if we're going by the past fusions of 'Goddess', 'Caretaker', 'Hero', 'Mystery', and … did you guys ever decide what Bohemian was? Harmony. Alright …. what does that make me? Beauty? Strength? Perfection? Power? Come on, give me something good, something that throws some rebellious personality and proves I listen to no one! Punk .
… Punk works. "Now, check out the power of a punk!" She tossed a 'cherry' into the air, letting it explode into a fiery dragon that danced in the sky, twirling around as the crowd gathered around them, ooohing and awwing at the sight. "I see you gazes, I see you staring…" They sang, flipping ontop of one of the stands and strutting their stuff. " You take one look, and say 'how darring'."
They threw down another cherry, pink smoke dancing in their air as her shadow looked over the crowd. "I'm not so bad, I don't want much trouble." They grabbed a guy, a girl, a small gremlin, and a giant troll with each arm, twirling them around in the single best moment those four would ever get to experience before tossing them away. "Then again, with me around, mischief is doubled."
Mixing up goop, they tossed another cherry into a wall, painting a portrait of themselves standing tall over the isles. "I'm just so passionate, I'm a work of art." Creating a web, they took a drink and a sledge hammer into their arms, taking a sip and destroying a nearby statue. " So don't dissuade me, from my favorite part."
Cherry tossed the last cherry over to a little kid, which popped into a fluffy mess of rotton candy. "I'm one mean lean rebellious pink machine." Flowers in the shape of skulls began to pop up as they stepped on them as if they were stairs, allowing them to stand over everyone. "Take a look, I'm an open book, I hope you're not too shook." Doing a double backflip, they placed bubbles at the bottom of their feet, lighting themselves up in blue fire as they landed. " In and out, I leave no doubt, to what I'm all about."
Cherry bowed to their dazzled and amazed audience, soaking in the praise with a smirk. "Thank you, I'll be here whenever I feel like it!" They waved, skipping down the alley with a grin. "Totally nailed it." I just noticed just how rare it is for me to get an applause from an audience after I sing. Most people don't take 'blow the audience away' so literally. But don't worry, I'll always be listening no matter what.
"You know, I had doubts about a fusion date, considering Lucci views the process more platonically and Boscha is filled with an unholy rage whenever Lucci is with another person, but right now it's like an amazing painbow filling every vein with warmth." They smiled. You're amazing, Angel. No, you are Crystal."
Clink
Cherry stared in the reflection of a window at the new addition to their body. Namely, crystal angel wings. "Wow, I thought I had it all with the sexy spider look, but you guys somehow manage to top it." Apparently sprouting random powers extends to fusions as well….that or our love is so strong it crafted this. Or the rules for fusion are so loose that it pretty much takes on the form of whatever is in our heads. … Cherry briefly considered testing out how far that went, and decided it was too early in the relationship.
Have to say, after everything that's happened, with Ivan, with my womb donor, The golden bastard, Triton, the rainbow devil…this is the most relaxed I've been in months. Definitely the least stressful thing right now … I don't even need to prove I'm the best anymore with everyone ditching me, clearly we are the best. No arguments here. I'm ontop of the world right now, and no one's ever going to take that away.
There was a ding on Boscha's scroll. Just ignore the text. I'm not going to worry about anyone or anything other than my own happiness. Another ding came, this time from Lucci's. I should check that, could be mom. Come on, five more seconds of bliss? If she needs me for anything, we'll get it done quickly and spend the rest of the day together.
Cherry pulled it out, seeing a group text from Skara. "Oh, it's for everyone." Great, bragging to everyone about how great she has it. But why send it to Luz, they barely talk? Cherry kept reading, pausing when they processed the words.
' KIDNAPPED BY GOLDEN GUARD! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLP *('
"… Sugar … Maya … to arms."
Both their Palisman flew into their arms. Cherry twirled them around, bringing them together as a bright glow merged the two staffs together, forming a scaly crab creature with hissing heads over its body like it was a gorgan.
"For Willow and Gus … For Skara … and for murdering that pompous asshole!!"
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Steve rubbed his head with the ice pack as Hunter talked with his new friends/recruits, who he had locked in a cell given their less than enthusiastic attitudes about joining the scouts. "Okay, so maybe I should've reeled you in more easily, but did you have to crack Steve's skull Skara?"
"I was aiming for your face, asshole." The bard girl glared.
"Oh come on, why are you all so angry?" The boy asked. "I got you guys into the best coven! Together we'll be the strongest witches, you guys could make it to Kikimora's level and kick her into the Boiling Sea!"
"None of us want that!" The illusionist kid shouted. "..Okay, kicking Kikimore into the sea is something we would want to do, but not like this! You lied and tricked us! Friends don't do that!"
"What are you talking about, the Coven heads do that all the time." Hunter snickered. "Cutburn cuts out scout's kidneys as a practical joke. Heck, there was this morning where I finally got to be in charge for the day because Belos was away, but everyone decided that that was a good enough reason for everyone to take the day off." The boy responded.
"Gee I wonder why?" The girl with the hook in her ear rolled her eyes. "You dragged us against our will and locked us in a cage? What part of that tells you we're okay with you in any way!?"
"Don't parents do that to their kids all the time?" The boy asked with an honest to Titan head tilt.
"...NO! NO! NO! A HUNDRED TIMES NO, you sick demented lunatic!" The plant girl shouted, grabbing the bars of the cage and denting them ever so slightly. "I've been lied to by friends before…but this…this is complete betrayal! You actually tricked us into thinking you were a decent person…that we were a team…." The girl slammed her head against the door. "And now everyone's locked up here because I thought I could trust you, because of my stupid judgment. No wonder why I'm half a witch Willow."
The Golden Guard looked concerned, about to say something. "Alright, I'm here." Before Darius walked into the room. "I take it these are the candidates you told me about?"
"Uh, yes Darius, the best and brightest." Hunter nodded. "I did what you told me to do, I pass, right?"
The abomination coven head rolled his eyes. "Sure you did." The man covered the kids in goo, and sunk them into the ground. "And you made me work on my day off … horray." Darius rolled his eyes, and walked back outside, where his blimp was, tossing a raggedy cloak to the boy.
"… You sold us out for your cloak." The hook-eared girl muttered. "… Puddles, I apologize for your loss of dignity. I should have let you eat him earlier."
"It's a really cool cloak.." The golden guard pouted. "And now I can wear this proudly, can't I?"
"Can you?" Darius raised an eyebrow, looking down on the kid as his ship took off. "All this work on my day off … unbelievable."
The two of them watched the man go, staring in silence. "They'll be fine. They just need to get through basic training and they'll see how great everything is."
Steve gave the kid a glance. He had some experience dealing with mentally troubled kids…but this really, really took the cake. "Dude, seriously? Basic training is brutal. Don't you remember the spikes, the betrayal, the weeks we had to survive on the Knee?"
"Good times." The boy nodded with a grin. "I think my favorite part was learning to deal with frostbite while fighting a slitherbeast. Really builds character you know?"
"And put everyone else in a coma for two months." Steve shivered. "Then there's Belos confiscating everyone's palisman. That's an emotional scarring few are ready for. I haven't seen mine since I've joined."
The boy actually paused at that one. "Yeah …." He stared at the sky, then looked down at the cloak in his hands. "… Yeah."
Looks like that was getting him existential. "You ever wonder why we're here?" Steve asked.
"It's to serve the Emperor, who serves the titan. That's a noble cause, right?" Hunter asked.
"Maybe … but is it really worth it when you break off every relationship?" Steve asked. "I've haven't been home in years, my dad remarried and I've barely gotten to see my little brother grow up."
"… The Emperor is the only relationship I ever had …"
"Doesn't look like it … well, actually since your friends hate you now, that's probably the case." Steven pointed out. "Forced into a life they'll forever hate, just like Severine is." Poor girl.
"… I can't believe I'm doing this!" The boy shouted, kicking the stone before he began flying away.
He watched him fly away. "Steve needs to consider his life choices." Maybe it was time to make a change.
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"Chirp." Hunter heard flapjack say to him as they flew over to the ship, tailing right behind it.
"Please don't reassure me now, I'm going to be conflicted about today no matter what." He answered. He was betraying the Emperor's Coven. He was betraying BELOS! A part of him screamed to stop this now, especially after succeeding for once in his life.
But a bigger, probably stupider, part of himself was telling him, nay, FORCING him to move now to…save his friends. Friends, something he hasn't had in…ever. The laughter, the adrenaline, the pure joy from just hanging out together….why was that making him act so idiotic right now?! Why was how they were feeling and how they felt affecting his judgment?!
"Chirp."
"I don't need a conscience! I have my uncle telling me what's right and wrong for me!"
"Chirp."
"Flapjack, for the last time, I'm not running away!" They were always so rooted in that option. Where was he supposed to go? "It's not like I'm saying Belos's system is wrong, I..I just think it's not the perfect fit for my friends, that's all."
"Chirp." Oh don't be smug about it.
They approached closer and closer to the blimp, trying to figure out how to word it. "Okay … 'hey Darius, I know I hounded you all day, but maybe can you let the very powerful and opposed to our cause children roam free because I'd feel bad about it'?" Flapjack sent him a look. "Come on, what else can I say? I'm gonna look bad no matter what I do here."
"Chirp." Don't say anything, just beat him up, grab your friends, and fly away.
"… Between this and the eclipse lake incident, I'm starting to doubt your ideas." Maybe that was just the price for using wild magic. "Okay, how about we teleport in and grab them before Darius notices. That way we never get caught."
"Chi-" Flapjack stopped, looking at something behind him. "Chirp." Why would being quiet no king be an option?
"Golden Turd!" A familiar voice shouted. "I told you I was coming for your arm next time!!" … Hunter turned around to see that the human was back … riding on a staff with Blight.
"I do not have the time to deal with this right now!" Hunter shouted, blipping out of the way of the glyphs and abomination fists. "This is not what it looks like!"
"Oh, so it doesn't look like you hung out with our friends all day, lying about your true intentions, and kidnapped them when their guard was down!?" The Blight shouted.
"To be fair….their guard wasn't down, they didn't get kidnapped without a fight."
"And you hurt them to boot!" The human pulled out the damned sword. "Get in close Amity, we're serving him to Hooty!"
"… Luz, not that this isn't appropriate, but when did you get this bloodthirsty?"
"Since I realized that bad people can't be reasoned with, so I shouldn't have any mercy for them!"
"Of all the times for me to be the nice guy." Hunter groaned. If he attacked them, not only would Darius get away with the team, his friends would hate him even more. "Look, if you listen for five seconds, then you'll see…"
"Five seconds is all you have left to breathe, golden bitch!" A pink blurr rushed past him as an explosion of something fiery and fruity smelling nearly knocked him out of the sky.
"Ah right, Cherry." The Blight nodded. "Guess they haven't defused yet.
"Plus side, we can go save Willow and trust them to do the revenge for us." The human noted.
"What are you-" He turned, seeing an eight limbed thing with five eyes and multiple pink blades and weapons come flying at him.
"Your palisman won't save you this time, you bastard!" The eight limbed freak shouted. "I will carve out your soul and turn it into a puppet !!"
"Great, as if things aren't bad, I have to deal with another one of the devil's freaky tricks." Hunter groaned as each pink blade nearly cut his head off. Okay, so he had to avoid a bloodthirsty human, a bladed spider thing, rescue his friends, and avoid Darius. This was clearly way too much to deal with all at once. "Wouldn't it be better for you to help your friends save the rest of your friends!?"
"They'll be safe once I kick your fucking head off and skip it across the boiling sea!"' The spider-freak glowed pink and seemingly disappeared, popping up behind him! "Your Teleporting trick isn't going to work on me, you bastard, there's nowhere you can go that I can't keep up with!"
And now he had nightmare fuel, great. He tried flying and warping closer to the ship, trying to drag the fight there. If he could get Darius on them, maybe that would allow everyone else to get away. "Dairus-!"
"I'm well aware of the situation, Golden Guard, I'm wrapping it up as we speak." The man said with an eye roll as he tied up the human in goo, engaging blight in a battle. "Of course one of Alador's children would grow up to be a thorn in my side."
"That's not the problem!" He pointed to the devil chasing them.
"Oh if you think a Coven Head is gonna stop me from tearing off your maniac head, you have another thing coming!" The five eyed witch shouted, throwing a razor disk clean through Alador as abomination goo splattered everywhere.
"Well, we can see that Cherry carries on the egos of both Lucci and Boscha." The human muttered as the Blight freed her from her goopy prison.
"I… just …. washed my cloak!" Darius grew purple all over, transforming into abomination and sending severely scythes to chop off their hands.
Hunter let the two duke it out, moving over to the palisman and grabbing them, making his way to the captain as the four were focused on brawling each other. "Take these, fly away."
She proceeded to punch him in the face with a free hand after a vine broke the rope. On the bright side, now he could say he fought them with everything using a black eye as proof. "You bastard! Don't think that this makes up for what you did!"
"I know, I know, but … but I did have fun today, that wasn't a lie." He admitted honestly. "I…I don't know how friends work. This was the first time I've ever had that experience." That earned him another black eye. Hard feelings all around … he deserved this.
Pop
"Save the heartfelt speech." Gus pointed to the balloon, which was destroyed by multiple pink weapons.
"Good luck defending yourself while falling into the boiling sea!!" The spider freak shouted, continuing their assault on Darius, crawling around as they shot something green on the man. "Figured I should lean into the spider aesthetic, so here's helping of acid webbing!"
"If you're going to attempt to murder me, at least leave the wardrobe out of it!!" Wow…maybe Hunter's own priorities weren't as out of whack as he thought.
"Okay, this ship is falling into the sea, do we want to risk our lives for satisfying blood thirsty revenge, or live another day to enact it?" Viney asked the group as they grabbed ahold of their palisman. "Because I'd be satisfied with either option."
"I think Cherry and Luz are already blood thirsty enough." Skara pointed to the human and devil doing things to Darius that would have ended him if he had a solid body.
"Cherry, just bubble him, he's made of abomination muck!" The human shouted, slicing off one of Darius's arms.
"Oooh, one Coven head firework special, coming up." Crawling up on one of the ropes, they spun themselves and launched themselves on top of Darius, raising their four arms and encasing him. "This is gonna be you in a few seconds, Golden Bitch!" The freak then proceeded to web them into the floor. "See how you like your flesh being melted off for once!"
The kids proceeded to jump off and fly on their Palisman. "Just head that direction, I'll go the other way." Hunter said.
"What part of being webbed to the ground did you not understand? No, you're going to stay here, and either get blown up or boiled in the sea." The freak rolled her eyes, leaning off to the side of the falling ship. "Half of me wants to drag it out slowly and painfully, but the other half wants to just leave you for dead and go back to my date night. I agree with the latter sentiment more." And they leaned back, falling out.
"And I'm not leaving before cutting off his arm." The human aimed her sword at him.
"No time, Darius is about to blow!" Blight grabbed the human by the arm and dragged her off to the side as Dairus from inside the bubble began to radiate pink light.
"Oh titan, why?"
KABLOOOOSSSSSH
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Darius reformed, panting in exhaustion. It seems losing his arm adapted him to the bubbles so he didn't just die whenever put in one … didn't mean it didn't hurt to get blown up. The Coven Head scanned his surroundings. Luckily putting himself back together was easy, though again, getting scattered across the ground in a fiery blaze was not a pleasant experience to go through.
This was a horrible day. The one time of year he could afford to have a complete day off from any and all worries, whether coven head or organizing a rebellion, all of it was ruined.
Hunter threw himself into work, which resulted in more kids Darius needed to move quietly, which resulted in brutal kids trying to end the boy's life, which resulted in a five eyed kid giving him the biggest headache since Eda. Some days it wasn't even worth it to deal with the madness.
And above everything else…his clothes had tears in them! It was like nothing was sacred with these hooligans! Someone's blood was going to pay for it, he just needed to figure out who's. "So that's what Boscha and Lucci looked like fused?" Darius looked at the ground, seeing his former captives talking with the three that attacked him. "Never would've pegged them for a giant spider."
"Eh, help with the athleticism." The five eyed creature shrugged. "And multitasking. Like tending to wounds as I choke the life out of the Golden Tool." They rubbed the kid's heads as they gripped Hunter's neck. "Like I would've actually left you to explode without checking if you didn't manage to survive."
"You are…..definitely…..thorough." Hunter weakly coughed. "You have your friends, you should leave while-"
"I don't think you quite understand." The multiarmed being spoke. "Any time we let you go, you just come back to torture us more. So answer me this … why would we leave you with your arms and legs attached?"
That got Darius moving. Feeble copy or not, he was not about to let another Golden Guard get murdered. " Because …" Darius growled, lighting his body up pink and glaring at the kids. "The moment you move a muscle, I shove myself down your throats and blow you up from the inside."
The fusion stared at them with a look of contemplation in their eyes, before scoffing and tossing the boy over. "Next time he won't be so lucky." They spoke, walking away with an injured Blight in their arms. "You guys alright?"
"Yeah, didn't get too many scratches." The Blight girl nodded. "Thanks for the help Cherry. Glad you came."
"Eh, what are friends for?" They shrugged, rubbing the human on one hand and the gray haired girl with another. "Now, let's get smoothies and continue talking about how awesome I am."
"Again, the ego of both." The girl with glasses muttered as she walked, only to stop and turn back to the kid. "Caleb…Hunter…whatever your name is." She looked at him in the eyes. "I don't get your deal, but I know you tried to help us. You get one…just one pass from me. Don't screw it up."
Multiple witches stared at her with wide eyes. "Willow, please don't pull a me." The human begged.
"I said he gets one. If he screws up, then he becomes mulch." That girl was on her way to becoming the next snapdragon.
They watched as the group walked off, leaving just Darius and Hunter alone. Which meant Darius was free to hit the boy upside the head. "Why is everyone so keen on hitting me today?"
"Because you acted like an idiot." Darius glared. "What in the name of the titan was that all about?"
"Well … some foreign part of me didn't want them to live life hating their job, so I betrayed my entire Coven and prevented us from getting new recruits that we are in desperate need of, while once again failing to take on the Devil as I had to be rescued by you in what I can only assume was more of a power move if one fusion manage to take on three coven heads with an illusion, while ruining every concept of friends I had." The boy droned on, pulling off the cloak. "You can take this, I feel the next Golden Guard is gonna need it more than me."
Darius let that mouthful soak in, and laughed. "So, you went through all this trouble, just because you actually made friends for once?"
"..Putting it simply, yes…though I'm not sure if that's still the case." Hunter groaned.
"Huh, impressive."
"...Impress-what now?"
"You're just as socially inept as your predecessor. He was terrible with people as well." Darius explained. "His idea of helping someone with a problem was hitting them with it until they worked it out." In most cases, literally. It was a miracle Darius made it out with only five concussions back then.
"But … we're low on Coven Scouts from both invasions …" Which was good for the rebellion.
"And if you had forced them to join, they would've for sure hated you forever and become ineffectual as scouts due that resentment." He excused, seeing as how the boy wasn't quite there yet. "The scout recruitment will handle itself. The fact you seemed to have genuine fun today is accomplishment enough already. Improve your social skills just a little more, and you may wear this cloak proudly yet." Darius tossed it over, using his magic to fix up the patches and tears.
"I …" The boy looked it over.
"And take this too." He poofed up a scroll. "I'm sure your friend would love some pictures of your palisman."
The boy freaked out, covering up the small red bird. "You're…you're not going to report this to Belos?"
"Are you?" Darius smirked. "It's your day off too. Don't you deserve a break for once?"
There was silence for a moment. "I'm … sorry I ruined your day off."
"Don't dwell on it." Darius reassured. "The next one's only fifty-two weeks away." Or earlier since they didn't have that much time as it is.