Chapter Text
Childe had expected the attack, so he’s hardly fazed when cold hands wrap around his throat. He is surprised, however, by the ferocity behind the captain’s attacks.
“You asshole,” he rasped as he planted his foot in Kaeya’s stomach, kicking him away when darkness starts creeping in on the Harbinger’s gaze. “You were holding back on me!”
“I’ll kill you!” Alberich screamed so loudly a flock of birds took off while boars raced from the bushes.
“I’d like to see you try,” Childe said, laughing as he donned his Delusion, Hydro shifting seamlessly to Electro. His weapon clashed against Kaeya’s blade in a shower of sparks and he found his adrenaline began to race when he realized this was not a fun spar.
This was a fight to the death.
He held his own, easily enough. He was a Harbinger, after all, and Kaeya was little more than a Knight of Favonius.
How many minutes passed, Childe didn’t know, nor did he care. What he did note was when he felt a shift in his chest.
Oh. He mused. How very interesting. I’m hardly angry enough to summon it, even accidentally.
He said nothing though, their fight continuing. Kaeya fought quick and fluid, easily managing to evade Childe’s attacks and getting in a few quick punches of his own. Not that Childe was particularly trying all that hard. He was more entertained than anything else.
He was fighting merely to protect his own life while Kaeya was fighting through rage and fury. If Childe hadn’t already known that Master Diluc and Captain Kaeya were brothers, well, he certainly knew that now.
After all, he doubted anyone else would put such rage and murderous intnet behind each blow, even if they were fighting for the honor of another citizen.
……………….
Childe would not call himself a fool or an idiot but even he had to admit it was rather stupid to goad his opponenet when Kaeya was already so enraged.
“I enjoyed it at the time you know,” Childe told him as he sent Kaeya leaping back with a quick strike of electro in his direction. “Torturing him, I mean. Granted, I regretted it eventually, but–” he cut himself off to dodge a strike of cryo by the skin of his teeth, though his smile never vanished, even as that abyssal tugging grew stronger in his chest. “–it was fun to begin with.”
Alberich said nothing, through the fight. He kept silent, nothing but homicidal rage showing in his eye. Honestly, he fought well for someone with only one eye and it made Childe wonder how long he’d been missing the other.
The pressure in his chest was getting stronger and as much as he was enjoying the fight, Childe was now growing rather confused—and, dare he admit it even to himself, concerned —about why the beast was so desperate to get involved.
“I know you’re having fun,” he told the Cavalry Captain conversationally. “But unless you want me to rip your head from your body, and I mean that very literally, we really should probably break for a moment or two.”
It was like Kaeya didn’t even hear him and Childe’s words seemed to do little more than drive him to strike even harder and faster. Heaving a sigh, Childe shook his head and murmured,
“Let it be known that I did at least try to save your life.”
The tightness in his chest snapped .
……………………….
His ears were ringing. He could see the Harbinger’s lips moving but all Kaeya heard was white noise, all he saw was red. This monster had hurt his brother, tortured him for no reason other than entertainment, and he had the audacity to then come to Mondstadt and chat with Diluc as though they were old friends?
Kaeya was going to kill him, diplomacy be damned. Once the Harbinger was dead, maybe Kaeya would see about arguing with the Cryo Archon. Maybe he’d request that she leave Mondstadt be since he was not, in fact, a Mondstadter.
He doubted she would give much care.
He hadn’t lost his focus on the fight, not really, but suddenly the Harbinger shifted and between one blink and the next, a monstrous creature stinking of Abyssal energy stood before Kaeya.
The sight of it was enough to shock Kaeya from his anger and for only a moment, he could do little more than stare with wide eyes. The creature was easily nine to ten feet tall and despite the sickening feeling it gave Kaeya, staring at it, it was little there was little else he could do.
“What the hell is that thing?” he whispered.
“I did try to warn you,” the monster said, voice rough, though Kaeya could still hear a hint of the Harbinger’s own beneath the rumble. Kaeya shifts and adjusts his grip on his blade.
Now that he’s been shocked out of his haze, he can feel how badly his body aches from pushing it too hard and fast and he can hear distant sounds of screaming. His eyes went wide.
The citizens!
That was his last coherent thought, as he could hear the sounds of Knights nearing them across the bridge. He shifted, catching a glimpse of a shock of red hair running along with the knights.
Diluc – he thought, a moment before something hard collided with his body, sending him flying through the air before his head struck the ground and darkness claimed him.
His last thought as his body screams out in agony and Diluc and Klee run towards him is,
Please don’t hurt my brother again.
Diluc’s lips are moving, eyes wide as he leans over Kaeya while Klee stands beside them, sobbing as she looks utterly terrified, no doubt screaming for someone to help them.
Diluc shakes him, one hand coming along to press against Kaeya’s cheek, but by then Khaenri’ahn is already gone.
………………
Childe knows he’s in deep shit as the Foul Legacy Form retreats and he immediately finds himself surrounded by Knights while Master Diluc and the small red child who pulled on his hair hurry over to where Alberich is quickly losing consciousness.
“Hey!” He snapped when the Knights yanked his arms behind his back a little more roughly than necessary. “I’m cooperating, no need to be so violent!”
They didn’t say anything as they forced him to his feet and dragged him towards the city where he would no doubt be held in the headquarters of the Knights until they felt he was ready for a trial, assuming he even deserved one.
Glancing over to where Alberich had fallen, Childe makes eye contact with Diluc. The rage in those vermillion eyes are so similar to that which had been in Kaeya’s that Childe finds himself surprised they’re not related by blood.
“Eyes ahead!” One of the knights snapped, and Childe stumbled over the bridge as he turned his gaze forward. Rolling his eyes, he allowed himself to be guided through the city to the Knights' Headquarters.