Work Text:
A failed stealth check…
They nearly missed Argo as they ran through the dark tunnels of the dungeon, Bud being the one to pick up on the scent of the Genasi and stopping just before they could reach the exit. Fitzroy slammed into the mighty back of the Firbolg, about to shout in protest when the Druid suddenly turned and stormed down back deeper into the shadows. His silence, what was once steady and reassuring throughout their journey and subsequent escape, was frightening now that it was coupled with such urgency. Fitzroy charged on behind, nervously looking around while his feet clicked across the floor with each hurried step.
They found him in a bruised and curled up in a puddle of his own blood, a moth dancing in the flickering torch light casting its flitting silhouette over the black and swollen eyes of the man. A few teeth were knocked out, laying by his lips which were nearly smashed with his cheek against the stone floor. Bud slowed and immediately dropped into a kneel, his large hand brushing across Argo’s shoulder and back as Fitzroy stood back in shock.
“What barbaric…. Is… Is he alive?”
A mighty grumble sounded from within Bud’s throat, “Yes… There is breath.”
“Who would do such a thing? The villains aren’t supposed to take their theatrics this far…”
“The…atricks?” Bud hummed, to which Fitzroy merely waved his hand in response, although it lacked his usual flair and his indignant tone was laced with worry.
“Performance? Acting? Whatever you want to call it, this isn’t right. They aren’t supposed to do something like this… Even those who had their licenses revoked, I don’t think they’ve ever done something like this…”
He hovered over Bud’s shoulder, examining the blood that had soaked Argo’s clothes. In the minute they had spent here, already it seemed to be-
“Must go,” Bud grumbled, the leaves on his back rustling as he shifted to scoop up Argo, “Before breath stops. Before he learns to be quiet.”
Fitzroy, still having trouble processing it all, looked from the puddle to Bud to Argo limp in his arms. Still, he bit his lip and gave a resolute nod, stepping forward towards the way they had come.
“Yes, let’s commence.”
The steady trickle of blood reverberated off the floor, leaving an ever growing trail that was soon swallowed and became a part of the expanding puddle of blood.
The sky was black and thunder rumbled overhead as the man tossed aside the body, a mighty thud sounding as the heavy figure landed in the mud. Dirty water clumped itself in his already matted hair, thickening it with blood and grime as the man stepped forward and stomped his foot on the firbolg’s back, glowering at Fitzroy from across the clearing.
“Bud’s… not an animal… Get off of him, and let him get up,” he growled, trembling as he held the wand in his hand, every spell slipping from his mind as he watched the man parade about. Somewhere, a little ways back, there was a battered blue form of Argo, nailed to a tree and slumped over. The rainfall beating upon his skin had washed away the pain in his eyes as he faded but it was burned into Fitzroy’s and would be until they opened again.
He couldn’t keep getting distracted though. Argo was gone, and if he didn’t do something, Bud would be too. The man was still watching, twisting his heel down harder as the words fumbled out of his mouth, not an ounce of courage in them.
“Are you sure about that? I thought all Firbolgs loved nature. I was gonna let him return to it, you know, since there’s not gonna be a school to go back to when I’m done with it.”
“Stop it…” He cried, still trembling, “Stop it… He’s still breathing… Argo too! We didn’t mean to get in your way… Just let us go home, we won’t tell anyone about you!”
For a brief moment, Fitzroy saw Bud’s hand begin to twitch. It raised itself out of the mud, but the man tsked and quickly jumped to pin it down, fingers crunching as he too was nailed into the earth.
“Unfortunately, kid, I can’t do that. They should have never let failures like you all into the school in the first place.”
The man shoved his hands in his pockets before he spat into Bud’s hair. Fitzroy saw red for a moment, and then at last, clarity.
He stopped trembling, his wand fell to his side. His body went slack as the image of the man wobbled before him, multiplying into duplicates before they all condensed back into one. And when that singularity was reached, understanding dawned over Fitzroy.
Bud had gone quiet too.
A guttural cry burst forth from Fitzroy as he exploded with magic, his skin rippling as energy shot off of him in different directions. His eyes began to glow as he screamed to the sky, anger taking control as the last thing his mind registered was frightened expression of the villain as he charged forward, and then, darkness.
“Master Firbolg, I’m deeply sorry, but we cannot allow anyone but family in to visit them at the moment. They are both in critical condition and our healers are currently doing the best they can-”
“Family,” Bud cut the professor off, still trying to push past towards the doors to the hospital ward.
“Yes, family only. Now, if you would return to your classes, we will notify you once other visitors will be allowed in-”
“Family!” Bud said once more, a little louder this time.
“Like I said, Master Firbolg-”
“They are mine!”
Bud was towering over the woman at this point, booming down at her with frustration evident as he hands waved around, grasping at the air occasionally before they settled into two fists in front of his chest.
“Master Firbolg, I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you’re saying…” The professor meekly continued to try and argue back.
“They are mine! They are mine! Give them back to me!”
“Their families will be arriving soon, we need to keep the rooms clear for them so they can have as much time as they need with them. I promise, our healers are giving them the best care to keep their condition stable and-”
“Give them back to me,” he continued to rumble, “You cannot help them here. They need to be home. In dorm.”
“They will be home in a few days time if all goes well. Removing them now would be ill advised and-”
“You are all too loud here. You do not listen… to what I have to say. It is too loud for them. Let me see them. They are mine.”
The professor began to raise her stone of far-speech, frustration about to be funneled into a call for security before an Aarakocra plucked it from her, and set a hand on her shoulder. Bartholomeus stared straight at Bud, showing the magical stone to him and raising it to his beak to make it very clear what they were getting at.
“So, Master Firbolg, you finally have come to understand what an asset is, have you?”
Bud growled, seemingly more angry at the question. His one visible eye behind his heavy black hair narrowed and leveled an emotionless gaze at the accounting professor.
“My mine is… different from your mine. They are mine…. They are my friends…. Must know that they are safe again.”
A beat passed, and then another before he lowered the stone and whistled out a sigh, “Very well. You may go.”
“But, Professor Bartholomeus-”
Bud raced past them both to the rooms in the back of the hall, immediately charging in and scaring the healers who were inside, if the startled yelps were anything to go by before the chatter filled the hall and a door was slammed closed.
“Let them have their quiet. I have spent enough time learning from the Master Firbolg to understand the importance of that above all else.”
He handed her back her stone, and then moved back down the hall, motioning for the healers to follow after him. And for the first time in a few months, all three of them were quiet, and everything was alright.