Chapter Text
When Ajax had stormed out of the cathedral, Kaeya had a feeling he would be back. After assuring Jean that he would keep watch over Diluc and sending her on her way to check in with the other captains, he took the opportunity to relieve the knight currently on watch over Diluc’s room. He then went back into the service room of the cathedral and shut his eyes.
Feigning sleep was what he hoped to accomplish. It wasn’t long before footsteps made their way down the rows of pews. He had to hide his smirk as heard Ajax’s breath scoff. But the man did not attempt to wake him.
If Ajax was determined to take Diluc’s mutterings to heart and believe that Knights of Favonius truly were incompetent, then that was fine by Kaeya. He wasn’t naive enough to think anything they said or did would budge the man from his revenge. It would be more efficient to instead clear out all uninvolved parties to make sure no one would accidentally get caught in the crossfire.
The cathedral was mostly empty at this time of night, but Kaeya had made an additional sweep of the building, informing Barbara and the staff on duty that it would be best for them to avoid the wing for the rest of the night. He had specifically told them to move Diluc to a solitary room, away from anyone else when he’d arrived.
But even with everything carefully arranged, when he sensed an odd sort of moisture lingering in the air, his heartbeat quickened. The change was barely noticeable. If he hadn’t been looking for it, he probably would have dismissed it as a change in the winds. But focusing his elemental senses, he could pick up on the trace amounts of hydro that moved purposefully through the cathedral. He kept his eyes shut, letting his head slump over the pew as the figure passed, unaware their presence hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Kaeya didn’t trust people, but he had learned to become reasonably certain of how certain people would react. And he had full confidence that Ajax would not let Diluc be harmed. But as he heard the crack of lightning and sparking elements, he couldn’t help the worry he felt.
Knowing that the fight had started, he vaulted over the pew and ran for Diluc’s room. The sound of glass shattering echoed down the hall and Kaeya drew his sword, cryo energy condensing his hand in case he needed to create a shield. But as he stepped into the room, only Diluc remained.
The redhead lingered at the edge of the broken window, flashes of purple light illuminating the night. Hurrying over to join him, Kaeya spotted the source of the light. An arrow sparked with electricity, notched on Ajax’s bow. The point wavered, following some target before shooting off into the darkness of the plaza below. Sparks exploded as it hit something, the Fatui assassin becoming visible for a moment.
Grabbing the edge of the window, Kaeya moved to jump down when a hand grabbed him. He looked back to see Diluc glaring at him. His hands waved in several rapid signs, but it was too fast for Kaeya’s beginner level understanding of sign language.
“Slow down!” Kaeya tried to tell him while still trying to pull away. He needed to join the fight with Ajax and assassin; now really wasn’t the time to explain something.
Diluc bit back his annoyance and gave three emphatic signs. ‘Them. Don't. Kill.’
Kaeya blinked, his brain taking a second to put the meaning together. He hadn’t pointed at himself or Kaeya, so he wasn’t talking about them, but if he had wanted to refer to Ajax, it would have been easier to sign his name... which could only mean he was referring to the assassin.
“You don’t want to kill the assassin?” Kaeya asked incredulously. “Don’t forget he tried to kill you. I’m sure he’d try to kill Ajax too, if he got the chance.”
Shaking his head, Diluc signed another word, ‘Trap.’
A trap? Kaeya's eye darted back to the fight in the plaza. How would killing a Fatui agent be a trap? Even if it might break their truce with Snezhnaya, the assassin had already done so first. But as Diluc tugged on his arm again and as he looked back, he didn’t need to know sign language to understand the pleading look in his eyes.
“Alright, I’ll make sure the assassin doesn’t die,” Kaeya promised begrudgingly. “You should get somewhere safe. Head to the Knight of Favonius Headquarters. Jean will be waiting there.”
Diluc hesitated and then made a sign, ‘Brother.’
Kaeya froze, taken off guard by the gesture. He swallowed, his eye glancing away as he said, “Ah, don’t worry yourself. I will make sure I stay safe as long as you do the same... brother.”
The redhead paused, stiffening for a moment before his brows pulled together as he stared at Kaeya. He shook his head and pointed out the window. Kaeya felt his face warm as realized he had misinterpreted what Diluc had meant. If anything, he looked more upset now.
Swallowing, Kaeya focused back on the fight outside. He shouldn’t have said anything. Leaning out the broken window, he leapt into the night.
Down below the fight seemed to be at an impasse. The assassin was keeping his distance, staying invisible and using hydro decoys when Ajax tried to close the gap between them. The assassin was clearly trying to avoid a fight. Perhaps he knew he couldn’t win against a harbinger.
Ajax startled as Kaeya landed, lifting an electro saber toward him. Seeing who it was, he relaxed slightly, but didn’t lower the blade.
Kaeya raised his hand in a friendly gesture. “We’re on the same side. We both want to protect Diluc. So why don’t we work together? I won’t ask how you're using electro.”
The man’s eyes flickered away, tracking something in darkness. “Make yourself useful. I’ve marked the assassin with my element so he can’t escape.”
Nodding, cryo energy washed down Kaeya’s blade, as he readied himself to attack. “Next time you reveal his location, I’ll use my ice to capture him. Maybe then we can figure out who sent him.”
There was no response and it took Kaeya moment to realise with Ajax’s back turned to him, he couldn’t understand what he was saying. Tapping him on the shoulder was likely to get him stabbed, so he moved around, standing in front of Ajax.
“I will capture the assassin,” Kaeya said, overemphasizing his mouth movements so that Ajax couldn’t miss what he was saying. To make it even clearer, he repeated the same message in sign language.
Ajax stared for a moment. “I’m not capturing him.”
Kaeya let out an exasperated sigh, “You can’t murder someone on the street-”
The electro saber flew past Kaeya’s head as Ajax threw it. There was a sharp clang as it hit something metal. Kaeya whirled around to see the electricity wash over the assassin, his invisibility crackling as it dissipated.
Charging forward, Kaeya thrust his sword forward, a blast of cryo washing across the ground. A wall of hydro swelled up, blocking the elemental attack. The wave of water froze solid in front of him, blocking his line of sight. He backpedaled as the assassin came around from right. Kaeya lifted his sword to parry the attack, but the hooked edge of the assassin’s knife caught the blade and threw it to the ground.
A bolt of lightning slammed down between them as Ajax pounced, two sabers slashing toward the assassin. The blade cut through water, another hydro decoy rippling apart.
“He uses a hydro Delusion,” Ajax snapped at him. “Don’t lower your guard.”
“Yeah, I figured that out,” Kaeya muttered, scooping up his sword from where it had fallen. Usually hydro was an easy match up, but it seemed like this assassin had experience dealing with the cryo element. Perhaps that should be expected of someone from Snezyhnaya.
The assassin had pulled back, hesitating as he looked between them and glanced up toward the Cathedral. So even if he had no desire to fight Ajax, he still hadn’t given up on trying to kill Diluc. Kaeya repositioned himself behind Ajax, putting himself directly in the assassin’s path back to the Cathedral. Just as he predicted, the assassin’s focus glared at him.
Calling out, he yelled, “Keep your distance and look for an opening-”
Ajax lunged at the assassin, his blades ripping apart another hydro decoy.
Kaeya reminded himself that Ajax probably could not hear a thing he was saying. If they wanted to work together, Kaeya would have to follow his lead. Grumbling, he gathered his elemental power, preparing to cover Ajax’s next attack.
The man threw one of his sabers, the weapon exploding into a shower of sparks. Electricity sparked across the water coating the ground, breaking the assassin’s invisibility again. Flicking his hand, Kaeya loosed a spray of icicles, herding him away from the Cathedral. As Ajax darted forward, the saber in his hand extended into a spear and Kaeya let out a blast of frigid cold air. He knew the assassin might use it against him again, but it was their only way to stop him from creating another watery duplicate.
Ajax’s spear caught the assassin across the chest and slammed him to the ground.
As the man stepped over the assassin, holding the sparking spear tip to the Fatui’s throat, Kaeya hesitated. What was the worst that could happen if he let Ajax kill him? It would be one less danger to Mondstadt and might deter any similar assassination attempts. But he remembered the desperate look in Diluc’s eyes. He had been scared. There must have been something Kaeya had missed.
Electricity screeched as it collided with cryo, Kaeya’s blade blocking the point of Ajax’s spear from hitting its mark. Outrage alighted in Ajax’s eyes as his attempt was thwarted, his weapon still crackling dangerously.
“It’s a trap!” Kaeya yelled, struggling to hold the weapon back with his sword. Ajax glared back, making no effort to relent.
Water rippled from under them, drawing both of their focuses down. Dark oil leaked out from under the assassin’s mask, pooling around him. Kaeya felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as a purple glow flickered from beneath the assassin’s mask. Flinching back, Ajax kicked Kaeya out of the way and plunged down with his spear.
But the hydro energy caught the tip of the weapon, stopping it from piercing the assassin. The dark tide surged, swallowing up Ajax and throwing him into the air. With a twist of the churning currents, Ajax was blasted past the edge of Mondstat’s wall, disappearing into the darkness beyond the city.
Kaeya's breath froze in his throat for a moment as he fell out of sight, but there was nothing he could do to help now. He was the only thing between this assassin and Diluc.
The assassin raised a hand to his head, almost as if he were in pain. “No... you weren’t supposed to attack him,” he mumbled, eyes unfocused as he spoke. “He’s not the target.”
It was a startling familiar scene, but this time, as the elemental energy pulled back, swirling around the assassin, it took a form. The water churned, swelling into the shape of a whale, a pointed horn extending from its snout. Just like Diluc, this assassin had a Delusion spirit, but unlike every time Kaeya had seen a flicker of Diluc’s power, this Delusion spirit was fully formed.
He could only hope the advantage of cryo over hydro would give enough time to hold on until Diluc could escape.
The whale arced upward, the water surging as it rolled, preparing to come down on the cathedral. Kaeya dropped his sword, lifting his hands as he summoned as much cryo energy as he could muster, a massive wall of ice blocking the creature’s descent.
The whale’s horn pierced straight through, cracks fracturing through the ice as the water slammed into it. Kaeya knew his wall wouldn’t last for long, but he poured more energy into it, creating a creeping frost that began to freeze the surface of the whale. If he could just slow it down-
Ice exploded through the air as the cryo wall shattered. Kaeya staggered, falling to his knees, pinching nausea almost making him blackout as he overextended the power of his Vision. Despair caught in his throat as the shadow of the whale blocked out the moon above.
Just before the whale crashed through the side of the cathedral, a bolt of lightning ripped through the hydro construct, cutting it two. The flash slammed through the broken window of Diluc’s room. A shadow of some creature rose through shattered glass, its unnatural silhouette shifting from within. Something twitched in Kaeya’s right eye and a feeling of dread began to pool in his stomach.
So it had come to this. He had tried to look the other way for so long, in respect for Diluc, but there were some things he could not cover for. Ajax had made his choice. He had forced Kaeya’s hand.
He pulled a flare from his pocket and struck a match. Covering his ears, he lifted it into the air, feeling the canister pop as it released an explosion of bright red sparks high into the air.
The sulfuric smell lingered in the air as Kaeya tossed the flare aside. Currents of hydro pulled back from the cathedral, swirling protectively around the assassin. He seemed to be waiting, trying to gauge if there was still a chance to complete his mission.
Thunder cracked and ozone smoke off the cobblestone as a looming shadow suddenly appeared in front of Kaeya. The creature was over eight feet tall, with a hulking frame. Midnight black armor covered its body with a gleaming cloak of stars drifting around him. The grinning red mask had transformed, two long horns curling up the side, ginger hair bleached white. A bright purple orb flickered at the center of the creature's head refocused, moving from the Kaeya to the assassin.
Monstrous claws held Diluc.
“Get him out here!” the creature- the thing Ajax had become- growled. He tried to shove Diluc away, but the redhead seemed to be picking his own fight, fruitless banging against the creature’s black armor, refusing to leave him.
Kaeya grabbed Diluc and yanked him away from the monster. His hair was standing on end, agitated by the waves of abyssal energy. Whatever went down between Ajax and the assassin, it was none of his business anymore. He had tried to keep his promise to Diluc, he really had- but the stakes were too high now. All he cared about was keeping Diluc alive.
Diluc gestured with his hands, repeating the same sign over and over. ‘Stop.’ But either Ajax didn’t notice or was ignoring him, a long black spear crystalizing in his hand as he turned to face the horned whale that had reformed over the assassin.
Practically dragging Diluc with him, Kaeya made a break for the plaza stairs, hoping to use Ajax’s next attack as an opening to escape. If it weren’t for how weak Diluc was right now, Kaeya doubted that he could have pulled him from Ajax’s side. They made it down into the streets, Diluc still fighting Kaeya every step of the way.
A fist hit him in the jaw and Kaeya hissed, glaring at Diluc. “I told you to leave. I was trying to buy you time to escape!”
Diluc glared back at him. He signed, ‘Let me go back.’
Rolling his eye, Kaeya's frustration reached its boiling point. With a huff of impatience, he tried to explain the situation they were in. “We are in the middle of Mondstadt and there’s now a giant whale and a freaking abyss monster about to brawl in the city streets. Take a moment to realize how many casualties there could be.”
Diluc didn’t budge. ‘I have to stop Ajax.’
Kaeya scoffed, “I would if I could too, but you saw what he became. Abyss creatures don’t listen to reason. He’ll only stop once his bloodlust is satisfied.”
The look on Diluc’s face seemed to indicate that he disagreed, but before he could move his hands to sign back a response, a shadow flashed over them. Kaeya flinched, readying a blast of cryo, but recognised the silhouette of the Outrider’s wings.
Amber lighted down beside them, pulling off her goggles. Her eyes flickered back in the direction of the cathedral. “We got your signal, Sir Kaeya. The knights are moving to surround the cathedral. I could see there’s some sort of fight happening as I flew over... But the situation is unclear.”
Kaeya paused for a moment. If any knights got in Ajax’s way they would certainly die. They needed to tread carefully... He looked back at the waiting Outrider. “Ajax is currently fighting the assassin. Tell the knights to monitor the situation and protect civilians, but under no circumstances are they to engage the creature in black armor.”
“Wait...” Amber frowned, starting to put the pieces together, “that creature isn’t Ajax, is it?”
He shrugged, letting her come to her own conclusion. “If an opportunity arises, capture the assassin. But don’t pursue. Assist his escape from Ajax if needed. It’s more important to make sure he stays alive than stopping him.”
The Outrider raised an eyebrow, “Is it really okay to let someone that dangerous go?”
“We don’t need to capture him here. We know the assassin’s target and with that, we can control their every movement,” Kaeya explained. “If he’s not captured today, then we’ll get him tomorrow. There’s no rush.”
“Ah, ever so diligent. Is there nothing you can’t put off for another day?” Amber muttered dryly.
Kaeya rolled his eye, “If you’d like to fight Ajax for his prey, then by all means, go ahead.”
As the two of them spoke, Diluc’s eyes glanced back and forth between them. He started to take a couple of steps back and before a flash of cryo stopped him in his tracks. Kaeya glared, grabbing him by the arm again.
“I’m escorting Diluc out of the city. If we can lure the assassin and Ajax away, then we can keep more citizens out of the danger,” Kaeya said, looking back at Amber. “Tell Jean to rally at the city gates. If we run into any trouble it's likely going to be there.”
“Understood,” she said, but added, “though it looks more like you are detaining Mister Ragnvindr.”
“We’re just having a minor disagreement about how things should be handled. Nothing to worry about,” Kaeya said pleasantly, ignoring the death glare Diluc was shooting at him.
Amber started to pull her goggles down, “If you say so. I’ll inform Jean of your position.”
She ran off to the near ledge, jumping into the air, her glider wings catching the wind and pulling her into the sky. As Kaeya turned back to Diluc, the man’s expression had grown even more apprehensive.
“Don’t give me that look,” Kaeya told him, dragging him along. “This is what's best for Mondstadt. You want that too, right?” He didn’t dare look back. If looks could kill, Kaeya had a feeling he’d be dead.
They finally made it out into the shopping plaza, all the stores empty and closed for the night. Only the fountain at the center continued to run as it always did, like nothing was amiss at all. Kaeya looked down the main street. He could see the city gates. They were almost there.
Several knights were already in the streets creating a perimeter. But Kaeya almost tripped to a stop as he saw the four people at the city gate.
“It’s Kaeya and Diluc!” Bennett shouted, waving toward them.
It wasn’t just the young man of the Adventure’s Guild, but also Fischl, Razor, and Klee, making their way up the stairs of the main street toward them. Confusion knit Kaeya’s brows together as he tried to figure out what they were doing. “Aren’t you supposed to be running the Adventure’s camp?”
“We canceled it,” Bennett explained. “A camp can be rescheduled, but if something happens to Ajax or Diluc and I did nothing, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. What kind of friends would we be if we weren’t here when Ajax needed us most?”
Fischl looked around, her raven familiar at her shoulder, “Where hast our companion found himself set in the annals of fate if not beside his dear lover?”
For a moment Kaeya considered a dry response to the question, but Oz clarified her meaning. “What she means is, if Diluc is here, where is Ajax?” the raven asked.
He worked his jaw for a moment, trying to figure out how to respond. His thoughts were broken as Diluc took the distraction to yank himself free from his grasp. Kaeya hissed in frustration. “Stop him!” he yelled as cryo condensed in his hand. He was fully willing to freeze Diluc’s shoes together and drag him out of the city if that was what it took.
Razor hesitated and Bennett looked toward Kaeya, “What’s going on?”
Kaeya never got a chance to respond. A crack of thunder split the air, as a flash of purple light lit up the sky for a moment. Something flew through the air, smashing into the fountain. Pieces of stone and water flew through the air. The shadow of the horned whale descended from the sky as the Fatui assassin stepped up to the ledge overlooking the plaza.
From the rubble a creature in black armor and wreathed in stars rose. The water from the ruined fountain rose up from the cracks between the stone and swirled his clawed fingers. The hydro energy swelled into a creature matching the shape of the assassin’s Delusion spirit.
Water and black oil crashed together as the two whales speared each other with their horns. The whales burst apart as they tore through each other, a tidal wave of energy raining down on the buildings around them, ripping away shingles in the torrent.
With the assassin’s Delusion spirit still reforming, Ajax launched several bolts of lightning, the shots blasting apart the sides of buildings as they missed. Ajax didn’t even seem to notice, his focus only on the target in front of him.
Kaeya cursed to himself. This was exactly what he had been worried about. Ajax wouldn’t care if he destroyed half of Mondstadt if it meant he got his revenge. He had become just as much a threat to the city as the assassin had.
“What is that?” Bennett whispered in horror, taking a step back.
Diluc ran forward, his eyes fixed on Ajax. Kaeya lunged for him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Heat flashed across Diluc’s body and black flames burst to life. The fire licked Kaeya’s hands as he refused to let go.
“You can’t save him!” Kaeya cried. “Let him go.”
Burning desperation met his eyes. Diluc could not speak, but for once Kaeya did not need to hear his voice to know what he was thinking. Diluc didn’t care whether he could do anything or not. He was still going to try.
Fire erupted from Diluc’s body, blasting Kaeya back. He bit down on the scream that escaped him as his body burned. Bennett rushed over, helping lift him up. Kaeya flinched as the young man tried to use the warmth of his elemental power to heal him. “Stop... Diluc,” he hissed between pained gasps.
The black flames had enveloped Diluc, his eyes turning a bright violet. Wings unfolded from his back, rising into the form of a burning phoenix. It was Diluc’s Delusion spirit, fully manifested.
Both Ajax and the assassin paused, their attention drawn toward the black fire. The horned whale dove as Ajax raced to intercept, grabbing Diluc and pulling him out of the way of the attack. But as he dodged the whale’s horn, black flames filled the air.
Ajax was thrown into the stall of Good Hunter, fire nipping at his black armor. Diluc stalked forward, eyes glowing, the dark phoenix circling over him. Ajax seemed confused, staring at him for a moment before rolling out of the way as the phoenix dove at him.
But the assassin still hadn’t given up. The dark horned whale curled around the plaza, arcing back toward Diluc. Ajax’s attention was split between both avoiding Diluc’s attacks and protecting him.
This might be their chance.
Kaeya pushed himself to his feet, looking toward Bennett and the other adventurers. “We need to capture the assassin,” he shouted to them.
They nodded, racing in toward the assassin, undefended as his Delusion spirit went after Diluc. Oz spread his wings, raining down bolts of lightning that arced across the water around the assassin. Razor lunged forward, tackling him, but the assassin’s form turned to water, another hydro decoy as the assassin slipped invisible again. Small explosions popped and crackled as Klee threw some of her bombs. An unseen shape cut through the smoke and Kaeya released a blast of cryo, freezing the assassin in his tracks.
“We got him!” Bennett shouted, reaching out to grab the assassin.
Purple sparks flickered, an electro charge rising in the air. Kaeya felt his hair raise as the abyssal energy rose around them. He grabbed Bennett, yanking him back and forming a wall of ice that wrapped around them as a bolt of lightning struck the ground. The blast of power almost shattered his shield, ice spraying into the air.
Kaeya glared, “Ajax! You almost hit Bennett!” He wasn’t sure the abyssal creature could hear him. The creature hissed in anger as the assassin used the second to slip away.
The black flames of Diluc’s phoenix swooped back toward them and Kaeya yanked Bennett out of the way of the inferno. The adventure’s eyes glanced up at him, a question in his eyes, “Did you say... that’s Ajax?”
Air hissed through Kaeya’s teeth as he tried to find a succinct way to explain it. “There’s a lot more to Ajax than what he shows,” he said, watching the abyssal creature continue to fend off the black flames of Diluc’s phoenix.
“He... doesn’t seem like himself,” Bennett said quietly.
Kaeya nodded. Abyssal power was like alcohol, altering one’s inhibitions and sense of self. Over the years he’d come to know where Ajax usually drew the line, but with him like this, there was no telling what he was capable of.
Escaping the clutches of the fiery Delusion spirit, Ajax chased after the assassin. Dark water swirled around him, encasing the assassin in a protective bubble of hydro energy as abyssal claws tore through the liquid.
A bright surge of electro ripped through water, lightning blasting across the street. Razor jumped in front of Kaeya and Bennett, gritting his teeth as he redirected the electro, but several knights that had drawn close were blasted back. With the bright flash, the water burst apart and the assassin stumbled back. His body was shaking. He must have reached his limit.
Ajax seemed to sense it too, lunging forward. His body froze as a pair of arms wrapped around the black armor. Diluc hugged him, the red of his hair pressed into the back monster. The strength of the abyssal creature could have easily overpowered the hold, but Ajax did not move even as flames licked his body.
“He hurt you. He almost killed you!” There was desperate pain in Ajax's voice. “I wasn’t able to protect you.”
The fire died down, the black flames of the dark phoenix curling back into Diluc’s body as the purple light faded from his eyes. He stepped past Ajax, approaching the masked Fatuus. The assassin raised a knife with a trembling hand and Ajax growled, moving to attack again but Diluc held his arm out to stop him.
Looking back to the assassin, Diluc moved his hand to form a sign, ‘We can help you.’
The assassin paused, before scrambling back, “I don’t need your help!”
Diluc reached out and took a hold of the Fatui mask. The assassin stiffened for a moment, but did not resist as Diluc pulled it away.
Beneath the hood of the Fatui assassin, was a young face, a teenage boy, not even old enough to drink. He had scattered freckles with pale orange hair that curled at the ends. Dark blue eyes glared with defiant anger. It was like looking at a younger version of Ajax.
The black armor pulled away from Ajax’s body, dropping away in a second, horror filling his voice. “Teucer?”
_ _ _
Every inch of Ajax’s body was in pain. The abyssal power he’d used burned as it left him. It ate away at his flesh, leaving him weak, his muscles trembling. Every time he transformed, the abyss energy tried to take more and more of him. He might gain the ability to wield abyssal energy, but he was left with a body ravaged by its power. It was agony at black armor fell away, his skin almost raw underneath.
-but none of that pain compared to seeing his little brother in front of him. Teucer, in the uniform of a Fatui agent, face twisted with anger. Blood dripped from his nose as the flickers of purple light glowed in his hateful eyes.
Ajax stumbled forward, legs weak, trying to understand how this was possible. What had happened to him? Why was he here? How could he have joined the Fatui? His hand shook as he reached out to touch his brother’s face, confirming that this was real. “Tyoma, what are you doing here?”
Teucer yanked himself back, warily watching Ajax’s hand.
Ajax’s expression fell, confused and upset by his brother's reaction. “It’s me, Gasha. It’s your big brother,” his voice cracked as Teucer's face didn’t flinch. “Oh, Tyoma, what happened to you?”
His brother's nose twitched, his voice snapping sharply. Ajax stared blankly, failing to understand the words yelled at him.
Trying to reach him again, this time Ajax was stopped by the knife in Teucer’s hand, the tip pointed at his chest. He said something again and Ajax strained to listen to the words, but his eyes were locked on those eyes, searching for the sweet innocent boy he had known, failing to catch any of his mouth movements.
Diluc stepped toward him and Teucer lashed out, the knife catching his hand, blood splattering. Ajax let out a cry, pushing Diluc away as he placed himself between them.
“Please, Teucer, it’s me!” Ajax tried to yell. Why wouldn’t Teucer respond to him?
His brother met his eyes, signing two words. ‘You. Liar.’
Liar? What had he- Something shattered inside Ajax as the implication hit him. He had promised Teucer he would return. How many years had it been? He’d been waiting all that time... Ajax had failed him.
“I’m sorry- please!” He reached out again, trying to grab his brother. He wanted nothing more than to hold his little brother in his arms and promise him that everything was going to be okay.
Teucer moved his hands to make one final message, ‘I will bring you back home.’ Rivulets of water ran down his clothing and his entire form turned to water. Ajax lunged forward, but his hands only splashed through water that melted away his grasp. It splashed to the ground, mixing with the streams of water running down the street.
“Teucer!” Ajax's voice tore at his throat as he screamed. His fingers clawed at the cobblestone until Diluc’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him up. His breath came out in gasps, his body trembling as he fell back into Diluc’s body.
Around them he could see faces watching. Somehow, Bennett and the others were here. He wasn’t sure when they’d arrived. Klee’s brows were pinched together and Razor’s expression was drawn into a frown. Pity flashed through Fischl’s eye. Bennett stared at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. Other knights were beginning to surround them, weapons still drawn. Others were down, struggling to move, their armor scorched. Kaeya’s eye was cold, his mouth pursed tightly, not meeting Ajax’s gaze.
A voice broke the night and the knights parted. Grand Master Jean stepped forward, her stormy gaze landing directly on him. He stared back, his chest hollow, still unsure of what had happened.
Diluc began signing, ‘Ajax was trying to protect me. He was only trying to capture the assassin that was threatening Mondstadt.’
Jean looked to Kaeya, seeming to be waiting for an interpretation. The knight stepped forward and began to speak, but whatever he started to say made Diluc’s expression darken. Kaeya turned toward them, lifting the point of his rapier at Ajax.
Pulling Ajax closer to him, Diluc shifted his body to protect him. Ajax stared, still failing to comprehend what was going on. His eyes looked to Jean and he saw a warriness in her eyes. Looking around, he took in the damage to the street, windows broken, debris filling the gutters, injured knights slowly rising to their feet. It took him a moment to realise he’d done that.
And he knew what Kaeya was going to say.
He watched Diluc’s face twist in outrage, jumping to feet and lunging toward the knight. Several other knights caught him, holding him back. In both panic and desperation he signed, ‘It’s MY fault. Don’t blame him!’
But Kaeya ignored the message, pressing his blade to Ajax's chest. With a sharp slice, he cut open his shirt, revealing the mark of the Tsaritsa emblazoned into his skin. He saw the looks of doubt and uncertainty that flashed through all eyes around him.
He knew they knew. He was a former Fatui Harbinger. The enemy that they had thought a friend. A knight roughly grabbed him, rope bindings beginning to wrap around his wrists.
Ajax looked at Diluc, a sad smile at his lips as he whispered, “No matter what happens next, I don’t regret my time with you.”