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English
Series:
Part 1 of October 2023 , Part 8 of Drabbles & Ficlets
Collections:
Whumptober 2023, Angstober 2023
Stats:
Published:
2023-10-01
Completed:
2023-10-06
Words:
600
Chapters:
6/6
Comments:
30
Kudos:
116
Bookmarks:
8
Hits:
1,356

Rescue

Summary:

This is a connected sequence of six Hunter and Camila-centered drabbles based on various prompts. Each drabble is 100 words exactly.

Chapter 1: Whumptober No. 17 Touch Aversion

Chapter 2: Whumptober No. 26 Seeing Double/Working to Exhaustion; Angstober Day 24 Taught You Better

Chapter 3: Whumptober No. 4 “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.”/Shock

Chapter 4: Whumptober No.14 “Feed me poison, fill me ‘till I drown.”/Water Inhalation

Chapter 5: Whumptober No. 25 “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave."/“They’re not breathing!”

Chapter 6: Whumptober No. 31 “I thought that I was getting better.”/Setbacks

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: Touch Aversion

Chapter Text

It's only six, but the light's already on in the kitchen. Camila makes her way over quietly, trying not to wake whoever's still asleep.

It's the oldest one. Hunter? He's at the sink, methodically scrubbing dirty dishes.

She puts a hand on his shoulder and he flinches.

And then he faces her, and his eyes dart before squeezing shut and he swallows hard and he shrinks and she knows.

(She's seen the signs before — in dozens of cats and dogs and other creatures — but until Vee never in someone human-shaped.)

Camila steels herself, steps back, and plasters on a smile.

Chapter 2: Seeing Double/Working to Exhaustion/Taught You Better

Chapter Text

For a moment he sees two blurry figures in front of him.

Hunter breathes in and out, silently counting to four.

He reminds himself that Camila's eyes are a warm brown, not cool blue.

The second figure disappears.

"I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's not your fault, ma'am."

It's his.

It is completely unacceptable that someone could have snuck up on him like that. After all his scout training. After all his years as the Golden Guard.

No matter how exhausted he is.

And from the past, a voice echoes. "I taught you better than that."

Chapter 3: I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.

Chapter Text

Camila thought that she was used to magic after taking in five refugees from the Demon Realm.

She was wrong.

"Is that Hunter?"

The boy in front of her is wearing Hunter's beloved wolf shirt and his painstakingly-made Halloween costume and he has his nose and his hair and his scars, but he has antlers — antlers! — and rotten green sludge and his eyes are all wrong.

(When she first met Hunter, she thought magenta was an uncanny eye color. Somehow the blue is worse — glowing with dangerous malice.)

Camila can only watch in shock as the others try breaking through.

Chapter 4: Fill me till I drown

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

His uncle dives after the Titan's blood and Hunter knows he can't squander this opportunity.

Regaining full control would be difficult, but maybe he doesn't need to.

He feels his uncle's triumph as they grasp the stoppered glass. Belos is distracted enough that Hunter can open his mouth just a little.

And inhale.

It's enough.

Water fills his stonesleeper lungs. It burns, a glorious, purifying fire to purge the evil buried deep inside him.

No more rot, no more corruption.

He's vaguely aware of sinking further into the water and into unconsciousness.

Not much longer now until he's finally free.

Notes:

Sorry for the lack of Camila this time, but she'll be back tomorrow!

Chapter 5: Not breathing

Chapter Text

Camila sees Hunter sink down into the water and she doesn't even need to think before diving after him.

He is not allowed to die. Certainly not on her watch.

Years of safety courses and lifeguarding kick in.

Gasping, she drags his body Hunter to the shore and the horrible rot becomes a monster.

Camila feels entirely out of her league at the mention of possession, but she has to try.

She prepares herself to reposition Hunter — his head can't stay in Willow's lap during CPR — but then Flapjack lands on his chest.

The bird is gone.

But Hunter breathes.

Chapter 6: I thought that I was getting better

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

There's pressure on his shoulder and he flinches.

And then he opens his eyes.

He'd reflexively braced himself for pain, for a soft but cutting rebuke, but instead there's the human woman who took in five strays from the Demon Realm. Who's always been so warm and caring.

Who saved his life.

"I'm so sorry, mijo. I should have known."

Hunter shakes his head. "I thought that I was getting better about…" — he waves his hand — "all this."

"A lot has happened."

He remembers a brave red bird and his eyes start to leak.

"May I hug you?"

He nods.

Notes:

That's it for this fic — hope you enjoyed! I will be posting more Whumptober drabbles this month in the TOH and Nimona fandoms, but those will be in separate fics. If you are interested, feel free to subscribe to my October 2023 series.

Notes:

Thanks so much for reading!

Kudos and comments bring me great joy.

You can also find me on Tumblr.

Series this work belongs to: