Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hunter couldn’t breathe.

At first he thought he was having another nightmare. He’d been sick for…a while…after his family…died? Something like that.

That didn’t stave off the fact that he couldn’t breathe.

He clawed at what was above him. Dirt, or something like it. Had…had he been buried alive?

An enemy of the Emperor must have tried to assassinate him during his moment of weakness.

He wished he’d gotten more of the training his un- the Emperor had promised. He still felt the reflexes of a soldier in his arms as he clawed for air, but he remembered vividly that he was supposed to go into guard training any day now-

The dirt gave way to a faint light, and cold, musty air.

Hunter gasped, forcing his body into the open as he tried to get his bearings.

He was in a small…dungeon? Wires and notes covered the floor and walls. He was in some sort of hole in the ground, filled with dirt.

…

Kidnapping, then.

His eyes met a stack of clothes in the corner, neatly folded yet faded with time. He immediately got himself dressed.

The outfit was a guards uniform, simplified and smaller to fit him. How did his kidnapper get their hands on it?

He frowned at how skinny his body seemed. He must have been really sick.

Hunter turned his attention back to the notes scattered across the room. Each detailed the process of making some creature. A Grimwalker. The writer sounded increasingly frustrated with their lack of materials.

His curiosity overcame his anxiety as he read more. Sure, he was probably in danger, but this was so interesting.

On one wall, atop a rotting desk, laid a large book. A journal of sorts, by the writings covering the pages and margins.

It detailed the findings of one Philip Wittebane, and their process of making Grimwalkers. Philip must have been some researcher, by the dedication in his writings.

Hunter must have spend a good hour reading before he saw an…interesting passage, detailing how one would create false memories for the creature.

And how he chose to give the creature memories as a child, of its parent’s deaths, even of plans to join the guard…

…

The creature’s name would be Hunter, the future Golden Guard.

…

Hunter knew immediately that he shouldn’t have read that.

He- He was fake. He wasn’t real. He…had just been made.

Somehow, he was less frightened by that fact. He hadn’t been lied to, not really. His life wasn’t a lie, because he’d barely lived two hours of it.

He almost chuckled thinking about it. Soon, his creator would come for him, and probably kill him.

…

Hunter closed the book quickly.

“I’m not doing that.” His thoughts changed to a voice. “There has to be a way out of here.”

He searched first for a weapon, and found a staff hidden between shelves. It looked rusty, and had wires lining its edge, but it was still a weapon.

He took it, and made his way upstairs.

The “science experiment dungeon” opened up to a large cave filled with skulls and golden guard masks.

A shiver ran down Hunter’s spine as he realized he wasn’t the first. He wasn’t even close. There were so many…

He pulled his eyes away from the bones, looked up-

and saw a crown floating high among the stars.

…

“What the hell?” He breathed, squinting at the structure.

Maybe that was normal? What would he know anyway, he was new to being alive.

He continued walking, ignoring the eeriness as he made his way into the outside forest.

He had been in the Titan’s skull the whole time? The palace was connected to it, but…it made the hidden graveyard so much worse.

It only took a while longer of walking for Hunter to give in and rest.

He felt…weak. Weaker than he should have been. He didn’t want to think too much on it, but he couldn’t help the feeling that something about him was wrong.

He leaned against a tree, and tried to catch his breath, though the air felt like it was scraping his throat bloody. He clutched the staff in his hands to steady himself.

His struggle was interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the crunch of leaves.

Hunter instantly went into a defensive position, the staff on his hands feeling more familiar than he expected.

“Reveal yourself!”

The footsteps stopped. “…Hunter?” A hesitant voice answered.

“How do you know my name?” He kept his voice fierce, though his hands were starting to shake.

The figure stepped into the starlight.

Hunter didn’t recognize them. They wore what looked like parts of a bard uniform meshed with random fabrics. Their hair was a light blue, and they wore slightly chipped glasses that shown clear their concerned eyes.

Hunter held his staff towards them. “Who are you?”

“Um, I’m Raine Whispers. Do you not…” They squinted. “You look different, Hunter. Did the Collector do something to you?”

“Who’s the Collector?” The authority in his tone was quickly fading.

“…Look, kid, you’re obviously confused. I have a shelter a ways from here, full of people who want to help you. Do you want to come with me?”

Hunter hesitated. This could be a trap, but he didn’t have anywhere else to go. “…Fine. Just…don’t try anything.”

They started their walk through the forest.

“I’m not the real Hunter.” He admitted after a moment. “You seem like you knew the real one, though?”

“Indeed.” Raine sighed. “He’s somewhere else right now. Which is good, I wouldn’t want those kids being trapped in this apocalypse.” They paused. “So…what are you?”

“A Grimwalker, I think. I was created by someone named Philip?”

Hunter didn’t think Raine could look more concerned, but here they were. “Huh. How long have you been…around?”

“A couple hours?” Hunter answered nervously. “It feels like I’ve been alive longer, though.”

“Well, this is probably the worse time to arrive. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on everything. We just-“

They were interrupted by a purple light sweeping through the forest, rustling the branches.

“Darn. Follow me.”

Raine lead Hunter to a nearby dent in the rocks, barely large enough to be considered a cave.

Hunter watched wide-eyed as the area outside shifted into vibrant colors, and stars floated by. He could hear a child’s laugh in the distance, though it sounded oddly menacing.

He stayed silent until the lights faded, and the forest returned to its normal red.

“What was that?” He asked as they carefully left their hiding spot.

“The Collector was nearby.” Raine said solemnly. “They’re a god-like entity that Belos used to be working with.”

“Um, and where is Belos now?” He was almost scared of the answer.

“Dead, hopefully.”

Huh. That was good, right? “And Philip?”

“Same person, also dead. Sorry, I know this is probably a lot for you, but he’s…a sore subject around here. He did a lot of really bad things.”

Their walk continued. The trees were becoming sparse as they neared a town, which looked abandoned.

“Our base isn’t far from here,” Raine turned to look back at Hunter. “Are you alright?”

“What? I’m fine?” He tried not to sound breathless, though his lungs were on fire. He leaned slightly against his staff as he walked.

“You don’t seem all that fine. How about we just take a break in this town? The Collector hardly goes here, and their scouts are too busy with the school.”

The town itself was extremely vandalized. A good portion of the shops were robbed completely, though some of them still had products.

“It’s hard, seeing a place like this.” Raine spoke wistfully. “I like to think we’ll be able to rebuild when this is all over.”

Hunter tried to keep listening, though when he looked at one of the shop windows, he saw himself in the reflection.

…Did he really look like that?

He looked sickly pale, with bags under his eyes. His hair was long and messy, and his eyes were a deep red.

He frowned, hating how weak he looked.

Raine helped him get some bits actual armor, though they had been clearly taken from coven scouts and stashed away.

The moon was high in the sky by the time they’d found a secure place to stay till morning. Hunter felt strange knowing he was staying in the old room of someone who could be dead or alive, though the bareness of the walls and drawers gave him hope the occupant had time to gather their things.

Raine had this look when they finally rested, like they were constantly remembering they’d lost something. Hunter didn’t think they’d get any sleep that night.

Hunter was too exhausted to stay awake with them. He only hoped he hadn’t put his trust in the wrong person.

…

Chapter Text

When Hunter woke up, he couldn’t breathe.

At first he thought he was somehow back in the dusty lab, stuck in a grave for his own creation. But as his eyes flickered open, he could see the same empty room around him. And a throughly freaked out Raine in front of him.

“Kid? Kid, just breathe,”

He tried. He was supposed to be good at following orders, but somehow his lungs refused to work. He coughed, and felt something rough scrape his throat.

He lurched over, and felt whatever was in his throat get coughed up, along with a splattering of blood.

Rocks. There were rocks in his lungs.

He was mostly certain that wasn’t supposed to happen.

“R-Raine?”

“You’re going to be alright.” Raine reassured. “There are healers at Hexside.”

Hunter weakly wiped blood from his mouth. His hands were shaking. “Is it safe outside?”

“Not exactly, but if we’re fast we should be able to make it. Can you walk?”

Hunter nodded before he even stood. Once he attempted to, he realized how weak his legs were beneath him. He didn’t show any sign of weakness, though, instead just leaning against the wall.

“Let’s go.” He rasped.

The run was torture. But he didn’t die, so they technically succeeded in getting to Hexside.

He couldn’t really tell, though, with how blurry his vision had gotten.

All he knew was that the school was in utter chaos, filled to the brim with people. It was overwhelming, and a bit terrifying.

Most eyes widened in recognition when he stumbled through the doorway, some looking angry while others looked overjoyed.

Hunter didn’t get to take it in long, though, as he fell to the floor like the blood drilling from his lips.

…

…

He woke up in a cluttered room, a green haired teen hovering over him with an unsettling stare.

“Oh, you’re awake!” She smiled. “I thought you wouldn’t make it for a moment.”

Hunter frowned. He sat up on the cot, and looked around. Maybe all of the school was a mess, since what he’d seen of the entrance reflected the same chaos. “…Who are you?”

“Emira Blight, one of the healers here at Hexside. I heard you’re a clone of the Golden Guard- Er, my sister’s friend.”

“Yeah. Did everyone know him or something?” For some reason that irked him.

“He was pretty famous, being the Emperor’s right hand man. Of course, that was before he joined the rebellion.”

Hunter listened with a slight frown. Of course the clone before him was both famous and a good person. “Anyway, you’re my healer? Can you tell me what’s wrong with me?”

Emira’s face instantly shifted to nervousness. “Well…no. I mean, it’s obvious your biology is…very different from what I was taught. I know it’s an issue with your lungs, though, not unlike a curse. Something triggers them to solidify into rock, somehow.”

…

“Am I going to die from this?”

“Not if we can help it.” She answered with determination. “There are a lot of people here who won’t let that happen, Hunter.”

“I’m not really Hunter, though. I don’t even know those people, and they don’t know me.”

“Well-“

Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar bard.

“It’s good to see you awake,” Raine hesitated, as if debating how to address him. They decided to turn their attention to Emira. “How’s he doing?”

“A lot better. Have you settled down the students?”

“As much as I could.” They sighed. “It wasn’t easy to tell them that Luz and her friends weren’t back, and it was just…yeah.”

“Who’s Luz?” Hunter piped up. Both Raine and Emira winced.

“We can explain that later.” Raine reasoned. “I recently got a message from the group that’s out right now. Darius says they’ll be returning soon.”

Emira stood. “That’s great! Are they alright? Is there news on the Collector?”

“They’re all unharmed, which is good news enough.”

Hunter frowned, his eyes flickering between the two witches. He felt confused, and a bit left out. “If that’s all, can I leave now? Maybe I could look around the school.”

Both Emira and Raine gave a hurried “No”.

“You’re not well enough.” The bard explained. “And if someone sees you, it could cause a bit of a panic. How about instead we get you something to eat?”

Hunter was about to answer with a thankful yes, when he froze. He literally hadn’t eaten before. How was he alive?? Was that why he felt so weak? Did he need food, or was he running on lasting energy from his creation?

Raine nodded before he gave an answer. “I’ll go find some rations. Don’t do anything strenuous while I’m gone.”

They left, and Hunter was again left with Emira.

“So…Who‘s Luz?”

“Luz is a human, who-“

“Human?” Hunter questioned. “How did a human get here?”

“Um…A portal? I think originally she just stumbled onto a portal here. The Emperor had a portal too, right?”

“Not a working one I don’t think. Then again, my memory is very…unreliable.”

“Right. Anyway, Luz is my little sister’s girlfriend. Them, some other students, and our Hunter are trapped in the Human Realm right now.”

Emira filled him in on what had happened, though she didn’t seem to know a lot about the Collector or Philip. From what Hunter gathered, the Emperor was an awful person who made a deal with the god-child, which backfired.

Hunter was still processing the fact that he had woken up at probably the worst time to be alive, when Raine arrived with “rations”, which looked more like a small yet healthy meal.

“Well, I didn’t expect that.” Hunter mentioned. “When I think rations I think of the guard training bars I…I thought I used to have.” He frowned.

“Well, now you actually get to eat, and it’s not half bad.” Emira took her own plate. Raine sat in an old, partially damaged chair across from the cot.

It was comforting. Hunter wished he could just keep himself in the moment, and feel better.

But instead, all he could think about was how, in another realm, there was a version of him that was so much better, and happier, and healthier.

And that perfect him didn’t even know he was alive.

…

Chapter Text

Hunter didn’t sleep that night.

He didn’t plan to, of course. Any time his eyes felt like closing he was snapped back by the simple sound of his breathing. He was scared , and had a right to be.

So that night he just laid there, and thought about how broken he was.

When sunlight finally lit the room, he got up. His legs still felt weak, but he wanted to explore the school while the others were asleep.

He wasn’t the only one out and about. Students talked in hallways and rested in corners, all eyeing him with curiosity. He wondered briefly if they were keeping watch or just bored.

The tranquility let him inspect the school, and imagine how it must have looked before. Everything was dirty and scratched, and many of the lockers laid dead on the floor. The only semblances of order were the signs scattered in each hall, giving directions to major areas. Hunter could only assume Raine or another adult had made them.

Hunter made his way to the entrance, but stopped when he saw figures moving towards the school. Through the cracked windows and loose barricades he could see a tall figure with unique abomination hair making their way to Hexside, a small group in tow.

From what Hunter could see, they looked like just a group of survivors, so he opened the door with a slightly suspicious glare.

The taller witch stopped in his tracks, and stared down at Hunter. “…Are you an illusion?” His words were slow yet commanding. “Or some unskilled shapeshifter? Either way I find this crude and insulting.”

Hunter blinked, his expression souring. “Oh, don’t tell me you also know the other Golden Guard-“

“He wasn’t just some Golden Guard!” The abomination witch’s voice rose. “Now disband your illusion or else.”

“I’m not an illusion, Sir. I’m a clone. He was also a clone.” His deadpanned as he glared. “I know I look like him, but I’m-“

“You’re another clone.”

“Yes, that’s what I was saying-“

“Belos made others?” The witch’s face softened. “I thought Hunter was the only one.”

He stared at him curiously for a moment, before a cry broke through the air.

“Collector’s scouts! They’re coming this way!” A dark haired teen with a spiky hair tie yelled as she ran.

Hunter turned to see stars with dark, cold eyes fly towards them. Most of the group was already scrambling through the school entrance, though Hunter and the abomination witch were too far out in the open.

Before Hunter could react, the older witch summoned a wave of abomination matter that pushed him practically into the forest.

He frowned as the witch summoned more abomination magic, combating the stars with a skill he had to admire. Though the Collector’s scouts still had the upper hand, and broke free from the matter easily as if slipping through air.

“Hey!” Hunter yelled over the fighting. “Just run for the inside, I’ll be fine!”

The abomination master turned to him, reflecting his unappreciative look. “I’m trying to protect you!-“

Just then the stars broke free once more, their red eyes staring into the witch attacking them.

Hunter didn’t hesitate. He ran through the fray, and pushed the taller witch aside before he could be injured.

The star’s moon-shaped projectile missed them both, though it quickly turned to aim for their new location.

Hunter’s lungs ached trying to keep up with his heartbeat. He grabbed the older witch’s cloak, hoping the Titan wouldn’t make his end painful-

In a flash of yellow light, they were gone.

They reappeared bursting through the school’s doors, scrambling to get inside before their enemies followed.

Hunter stumbled, then fell to the floor. From what he could see, students were already re-barricading the door.

He shouldn’t have been able to make it to the entrance that fast. It didn’t make sense.

He tried to keep breathing, but it hurt, and his vision was getting blurred.

He heard the abomination witch say something about how he’s saved his life.

At least he had that as his consciousness faded.

…

…

Hunter wasn’t unconscious long.

He was woken up rather roughly by the older witch shaking him by his shoulders.

“Other Hunter? Can you hear me??”

“Y-“ Hunter tried to answer, though he was swiftly overtaken by a coughing fit, which lead to choking out more rocks.

Great.

Hunter tried to remain calm, if only for the anxious looking adult before him. Thankfully he could feel healing magic being applied to his throat already, by the teen with the spiky scrunchie beside him.

“So…who’re you guys?” He managed.

“Viney.” His healer stated shortly. “Also, maybe don’t talk for a moment.”

“I’m Darius Deamonne.” Answered the abomination master. “I was a good friend of your…predecessor.”

Huh.

After the healing was done, Raine arrived to check on the group. “I’m so glad you’re okay Darius. And I see you’ve met the other Hunter.”

“I’m not just ‘the other Hunter’,” Hunter muttered, though no one seemed to hear him.

“Anyway, I think me and Emira have found out why your lungs are acting up.” Raine continued. “We think it’s because Belos used Stonesleeper lungs, a species which is very extinct. The materials are probably defective by now.”

“…So how do we fix that?”

“We’re not sure.” They answered nervously. “Though we’re going to try to find a way. This would be a lot easier with Lilith here, or- …Nevermind. We’ll work something out.”

“What should I do in the meantime?”

“I could teach you how to fly.” Viney piped up. “We could always use more sky defense, and besides, our Hunter was really good at it. I noticed your staff looks a lot like his old one.”

Great. Even his staff was a remake.

“Fine.”

…

Chapter Text

Flight was definitely harder than Hunter had expected.

He picked up the basics pretty easily, from what he could tell. He didn’t think Belos had ever given him fake memories of flying, and Hunter could guess why. Nothing could replicate the freedom and exploration he felt.

Viney didn’t look impressed, though. She looked disappointed in his lack of knowledge, which quickly drained any hope he had in being as good as his predecessor.

Once they were done practicing they floated back down to the gym’s floor, careful to avoid the supplies loosely organized in piles around the room.

“You did well.” Viney congratulated. “Though, our Hunter-“

“Can you all just shut up about him?” Hunter grumbled. “I don’t understand why you all think he’s the greatest guy around. Didn’t he work for the Emperor?” His tone grew more frustrated. “Didn’t Raine and Darius also work for him? Why are they in charge?”

Viney blinked. “They were all just manipulated. At the time, everyone trusted Belos.”

“You all have described that man as genocidal. That’s not something people just don’t notice.”

“You don’t understand. You didn’t see what he was like before all this.” Viney frowned. “A lot of people followed him, not knowing what he had planned. We just have to forgive them for what they did or believed while under his leadership.”

Hunter bit back another baffled response. Surely he wouldn’t have fallen into that trap. And if the others were so oblivious, then they couldn’t be trusted.

He wouldn’t tell them that, though.

“Fine. I guess they were just manipulated.”

“Exactly. Now, how about we see if there’s work to be done somewhere. By the end of the day you’ll feel right at home here.”

…

By the end of the day Hunter had the perfect plan for escape.

While they worked Viney had unknowingly showed him where all the supplies were located, and the night before he had found the major scouting routs through the hallways.

When night fell, instead of preparing for another sleepless night, he immediately grabbed a pillow case and began packing for the journey elsewhere. He decided to leave from the back exit leading to the Grudgby field, which was left mostly unguarded.

Once he was out in the night air, he simply started walking in the opposite direction of the Collector’s palace.

Walking was still somehow difficult. He wasn’t even moving that much, but he felt awful. His head was swimming, and every so often he’d have to cough up whatever was building in his lungs. He kept going, though, focused on not tripping and keeping his staff in his grip.

Eventually the trees thinned out, and in the distance he could see a factory.

The factory was worn down, though seemingly untouched by vandalism and the Collector. It even had lights on inside, which was surprising.

As he neared the area, though, he saw witches in coven scout uniforms guarding the entrance.

They looked at him, first dismissively, then with bewilderment. “Golden Guard?!”

“No.” Hunter answered shortly. “Anyway, what’s going on in here? I thought your boss died.”

“We work for Mrs. Blight now. I’d suggest you leave this area before we have to get rid of you.” The guard’s voice turned colder. “Even if you’re not that stuck up kid, you still have a face I’d like to break-“

“What’s going on out there?” A voice rang out from inside the building. An older woman with green hair and a tired gaze walked out. “I thought coven scouts were supposed to be good at their jobs.” She sighed, then turned to Hunter. “And who are…you.”

“I know, I look like someone but I’m not him. Why are you working with coven scouts?”

The woman hesitated. She looked like she was planning something. “…They have no where else to go, after their awful Emperor turned against them. Now they’re working for someone they can trust.”

“What makes you so trustworthy?” Hunter asked suspiciously.

“I’ve been helping the Rebellion since before the Day of Unity. Unlike those Coven Heads. You seem new here, so maybe you’d like my help as well. What do you say, would you like a job at Blight Industries?”

A job. Hunter smiled just thinking about following someone again. “Yeah, I’d be open to that. You’re not just doing this because I’m a Hunter clone though, right?”

“Of course not. That Golden Guard was a brat anyway. I’m sure you’ll be so much better.” She lead him into the building, much to the coven scout’s confusion.

The inside was large, and filled with abomitrons and workers. Pipes and cables littered the floor while supply boxes darkened the room’s corners.

“This place has been a mess since my dear husband was collected.” Mrs. Blight explained. “It’s taken all my strength just to keep it running. But our services are very necessary. We sell protection to those at the edges of the Isles.”

“Are you sure I can help with all this? I mean, I’m not really good at…anything.”

“Trust be dear, you’ll do just fine. Consider this your new home.”

…

Chapter Text

He fell asleep again.

He didn’t even notice at the time, too comfortable in a real room, with a real bed. Kinda. Better than a cot in the med bay.

It didn’t take long for him to wake up. Despite his best efforts, a guard still burst into the room at the sound of chocking.

Said guard was very horrified when they saw the blood and rocks.

So much for pretending to be healthy.

Mrs. Blight was informed immediately. Her disappointed face somehow made Hunter feel better. Finally, something reminded him of his fake memories.

She pulled him to her office, paying no mind to his wound. Once the door was locked, she turned to him with a sigh.

“…Of course, I should’ve expected a catch to this. What’s wrong with you?”

“M-my lungs? This just…happens, when I sleep.” His throat hurt like fire. If breathing was pain, speaking was torture.

“Hmm. Well then, I guess I have to find a way to keep you alive.” She dug through her desk drawer, then came up with a small, purple jewel, hung to a necklace. “There. As the skilled Oracle witch I am, I’ll just make it so that in sleep your soul stays in this. That way your body can go on being useless without you for the night.”

Hunter took the necklace in his shaking hands. “But, I’d still get hurt, right?”

“Well, if you die, you die.” Mrs. Blight hummed. She drew up a spell circle before he could protest. “Stand still.”

The process was only a bit painful. Though, afterwards Hunter felt a strange emptiness, like a chunk of him had been taken and replaced with paper.

He stared down at the necklace in his hands.

“I think I deserve a ‘thank you’, dear.” Mrs. Blight reprimanded.

“T-thank you, Mrs. Blight. I hope I’ll be able to repay you for this.”

“I’m sure you will.”

…

Hunter’s new job was actually going quite well.

His first couple days were mostly training. Learning about the products, how he shouldn’t mess the products, the list of punishments for failing to correctly deliver said products, et cetera.

Once that was done, he actually started going out. Flying in the open was far better than in the Hexside gym, even if he had to carry around a bag full of Blight Industries weapons.

Some of the witches he delivered to asked why they still had to pay for necessary weapons, or what to do if they couldn’t pay.

He didn’t exactly have an answer for them. He had a feeling money was the most important part of those endeavors, at least to Mrs. Blight. Which was fine, why would anyone want to help people for free?

His deliveries only got easier with more sleep. The necklace worked perfectly- He didn’t even feel pain when he woke up.

He could get used to this life.

…

Hunter still didn’t like the way he looked.

Even with a cleaner appearance and less tired face, he still looked weak, and vaguely ill. Worst of all, though, people still recognized him as the Golden Guard.

Mrs. Blight was all too happy to suggest ways he could look different.

“If you’d like, could get someone to dye your hair for you. I have spare green hair dye, and it would show everyone that you work with me.”

“Green?” Hunter questioned without thinking. “I mean, no offense, but I don’t know about that.”

“You hardly know anything,” his boss commented. “You were only made, what, a month ago?”

“Two, I think.” He said warily. He actually knew the exact amount of time, to the day. For some reason, he wanted to remember his somewhat-birthday.

“Whatever.” Mrs. Blight dismissed. “I’d only get a bit of it dyed. Maybe a streak, on the side.”

“…Fine.” He agreed. It wasn’t like he could look any worse.

At least someone wanted him to be his own person.

…

His hair wasn’t that bad. Only a small portion of it was colored. He could get used to it. He was pretty sure it was the same shade as Emira’s.

His hair in general had gotten pretty long, but he didn’t mind that. He had a low ponytail whenever he worked, and kept it down when he wasn’t.

…

After three months of working with Mrs. Blight, he started to notice her less favorable behaviors.

She was always aggressive with everything she did. At first it seemed like encouragement, but now her passive aggressive nature felt like a reminder of all his faults.

He expected that from an authority figure, though. That’s just how people kept you in check.

What he didn’t expect was the yelling, and the orders, and the overall cruelty. She acted like a different person some days, completely unsympathetic and selfish.

Hunter would never say that aloud, though.

He knew he had gotten himself into a commitment with his job- his new appearance said enough -but with each day he felt more pulled to quitting.

Eventually, after watching a particularly bad encounter between her and a scout, he decided he’d had enough. He made his way her office, trying to seem confident.

“I think I should quit.” He didn’t look her in the eyes, determined to speak his mind while he could. “You’ve been a great boss, really, and I’m incredibly thankful for the necklace, but I don’t think I can stay working here.”

There was a long, worrying moment of silence before Mrs. Blight spoke.

“What makes you think you can quit?” Her tone was mocking.

“Can’t I? I mean, I guess this is hardly a job, I don’t get payed or anything..” He trailed off with a nervous laugh.

“Don’t suggest leaving again.” His boss said simply. “And if you try to leave, just remember whose magic is keeping you alive.”

“W-what?” He looked up, and found her eyes cold, a cruel smile at her lips.

“This isn’t a charity, dear. As long as you stay working, I won’t halt the spell.”

Hunter’s eyes fell back to the floor. He fiddled with the necklace’s gem, realizing how powerless he was. Funny, he didn’t think he could get lower than being a defective powerless witch. But here he was.

…

He hurried back to work.

Chapter Text

Hunter flew back to Mrs. Blight’s factory with unusual energy, as if he were racing the setting sun. The air was getting colder, though the chill only spurred him on more.

His eyes caught something below, within the woods. He paused midair, keeping his hands tight on his staff as he stared into the branches.

A long string of abomination matter rose up like a launching snake, and grabbed the end of his staff, tipping him sideways.

Hunter didn’t let that deter him, though. He used whatever magic he had to move away in a flash of gold, tearing away from the murky grip. He briefly lost his grasp from the action, though weariness didn’t stick with him like it used to. In the months he’d been trapped in his job, he’d learned how to bite back his weakness till it no longer mattered.

The witch below was persistent, though, and caught ahold of him even in such a brief moment. Hunter felt the matter wrap his arm, and pull him off his staff and into the open air.

For a brief moment fear paralyzed him. Unlike palisman, his staff couldn’t return itself.

He reached out, and tried to tug again at the power in him. He moved high enough into the air to grab his staff, but not enough to escape the other witch’s magic.

He fell again, and braced himself for sharp branches and impact.

The impact was far less lethal than he had expected. Hunter blinked his eyes open to see he’d landed safely on abomination fluid, though now his arms were tied behind his back.

“Darius.” He grumbled to the former coven head standing before him.

“Hunter.” The witch returned. “We need to get you a better name, kid.”

“I’m fine how I am.” He retorted, though a part of him agreed, desperate for something that was his. He didn’t need his own name, he reminded himself.

“Really? With Odalia? You deserve better than that witch.”

Odalia is fine, his mind countered. She just wants what’s best for me.

Instead he chose to focus his energy on struggling against the abomination matter trapping him.

He heard Darius sigh. The goop shifted, wrapping more of Hunter’s body and lifting him slightly off the ground.

“I’m taking you back to Hexside, where you belong.” Darius stared. He began walking, and Hunter unwillingly followed.

It was like this every time Hunter got caught. Every week or so Darius or Raine would take him away from his job, and every time he’d escape before they took him too far.

This time Darius left a lot less chances of escape than usual, which would make things difficult. Hunter was sure that the witch’s guard would go down eventually, though.

And if he couldn’t get to the factory before it got too late… Well, who’s to say Mrs. Blight wouldn’t just assume he’d run away and end her spell.

While getting dragged through the shady forest, Hunter for once let his mind wander with that thought. If his necklace was deactivated, he’d eventually die from his defective lungs.

Eventually. Not instantly. Maybe the small chance of freedom from Blight Industries would be worth that?

He enjoyed his job delivering, of course. More than he thought he would. The open air and clear goal was both calming and thrilling.

But then there were the times he had to deny witches resources because they couldn’t pay. The times when he saw people in danger, people who could use the weapons he had, but decided to stay on course for fear of getting back late.

He knew that probably made him a bad person. Not as bad as those who served the Emperor, though. Of the two evils, he knew (or maybe just hoped) he’d chosen the better option.

…

When they reached Hexside, they found the school in utter chaos.

Well, more than the usual.

Students were in uproar, the guards leaving their posts and heading towards the gym.

Darius didn’t even have to question the madness. A student, one who looked to be of high rank, with dark red hair and three eyes, already made her way through the buzz to greet them.

“Amity’s back!” She exclaimed. “And the others I guess- Raine’s filling them in now,”

“Then I have to be there.” Darius said immediately, something urgent in his tone.

Hunter expected to be abandoned in the moment, though Darius looked back at him with hesitance. “Boscha, why don’t you take him to the med bay. He can stay there till everything dies down.”

“Yessir.” The young witch nodded. She looked at Hunter, who now only had simple yet affective abomination ties at his wrists, and grabbed his shoulder to steer him through the crowd.

The med bay had gotten more cluttered, somehow. At least labels had been added to many of the counter’s containers and cabinets.

There was only one other witch there, who looked an awful lot like Emira. He had his arm in a cast, though he was still smiling.

“Wow, are you-“

“Not Hunter.” Hunter said with a sigh. He sat on one of the cots, ignoring how Boscha eyed him suspiciously.

“Okay, that’s cool. What brings you here?”

“I’m…kidnapped? Though it feels more like I’m being put aside.”

“I feel like that too sometimes.” The boy reassured. “Not kidnapped, of course, but my sisters have always been more skilled, or at least more sure in themselves than me. You just have to find something you enjoy, and stick to it.”

Hunter, against his better judgment, found himself relating to the witch. Everyone’s favorite Hunter could have his spotlight, while he would be satisfied with what he had.

When he wasn’t tied up, of course.

“Thanks.” Hunter nodded. “Your Emira’s brother, right?”

“The one and only. The name’s Edric. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m-“

The med bay door burst open, a very distressed looking Emira barging in. “Guys we have to leave! A short witch and her abomatron are attacking the school!”

Boscha headed for the door. “I’ll gather an attack group.”

Edric followed, before looking back to Hunter. “If I untie you, you won’t hurt anyone, right?”

He hesitated in thought. “….I won’t.”

“Sounds suspicious, but alright.” After a moment of struggling, Edric got Hunter’s binds loose enough to free his hands. The two ran out of the med bay, away from the sounds of crashing and spells.

Once they reached the open air, Hunter immediately dashed in the direction of Blight Industries. The sky had darkened significantly, but he still had time. Maybe Mrs. Blight would just think he’d taken a longer route.

Sure, he was missing his staff, but he could surely come up with some excuse for that. And maybe if Hexside wasn’t in ruins by tomorrow he’d get the chance to snatch it back.

He slowed his pace when his eyes caught a strange figure ahead of him. It looked like a wounded animal, slumped over and breathing heavily in the shade.

The evening air gained a new chill as Hunter approached it. “Hey bud, you alright?” The creature looked sick. More than that, it’s skin sagged around exposed bones, and what looked like holes dotted it’s murky flesh.

The creature suddenly reared it’s head to look at him.

Hunter couldn’t scream. He just stared in horror at the humanoid face before him, with wide shining blue eyes that looked far too hopeful. The creatures pale hair was pierced by dripping antlers. It’s form looked anything but natural.

“…I have been blessed.” The rotting thing muttered gleefully.

“W-what?”

“Be silent, godless creature. Your life will finally have use.”

Hunter turned quickly on his feet, and ran in the other direction, only to feel a murky hand on his arm. He saw the creature had stretched beyond it’s proportions. Its’ talon’s grip seemed to soak into his skin.

He tried to use his ability to quickly move away, darting in every direction in flashes of gold- But it was no use, the cold wet feeling of decay was already settling into his veins. He held his breath, as if trying to avoid drowning.

The world faded away without a sound.

…

Chapter Text

“You were broken from birth.”

Hunter heard the voice clearly, like the moon resting in his silent sky. He was somewhere, he knew that for sure. He just didn’t know where, or why.

“I planned you so perfectly, yet look at the thing you’ve become.”

He wanted to shut the speaker up, to reply with a snappy comment or just with yelling, but he couldn’t find his voice.

He was in a forest, he realized. He could feel his own mind hum in realization, a rich wet noise.

“I never intended on you seeing the outside world. Strangely enough, you’ve only gotten easier to manipulate with consciousness.”

Was that true? He had willingly joined Blight Industries. Maybe he was gullible. Wasn’t that his nature?

“Strange, you seem to already know what you are and what purpose you hold. You’re a perfect host.”

A bit of pride swelled in Hunter’s chest. He was perfect at something. Before he could regain his senses, he laughed, nearly chocking on the giddy feeling.

Then he realized it wasn’t his own joy, nor his own voice doing the laughing.

He was in a forest, and his limbs were numb. He could feel his body sag under the pressure of something. Something cold and moist was crawling through his skin.

“Yes, you’ll do finely. Though, there is the issue with your lungs. Even with your wicked magic fix, your weak body still won’t be able to last long.”

He could see his legs moving beneath him. He could feel the pull of his muscles, all protesting with each step.

In the distance he could see the Titan’s skull coming into view. It was still so far away…

I still have time, a small part of Hunter reasoned. He didn’t have to let this… thing win.

“You still don’t know who I am? I never did get the chance to introduce myself to you, did I? ” Hunter felt his own mouth grin. “I’m the reason you’re alive.”

Belos , his mind cried painfully. He’d finally come for him. He was foolish to think a man like him could just die.

A new sickening feeling weighed down on him, a horror that was only built up as he felt himself slowly slip away. He was fading, leaving consciousness-

Consciousness. Mrs. Blight’s spell.

Hunter put all his will into moving his hand to grab the gem hung from his neck.

“You fool, what are you doing?” Philip hissed through Hunter’s teeth.

He hesitated, his heart pounding in its corrupted cage. This could kill him. He could die.

…

He tried to imagine he was in a better place. Asleep in the med bay, perhaps, deep in a nightmare.

He imagined that, when he eventually woke up, there would be witches around him to comfort him and bring him back to reality.

He squeezed the gem, and found it cracked very easily. Mrs. Blight must have given him a cheaper stone, that reflected his worth to her.

He watched the shards hit the red grass, a solemn sense of victory flooding him.

All he had to do now was let his creator steal his free will, only to be encased in stone.

The darkness that quickly swallowed him was very welcome.

…

He woke up.

Instead of the usual feeling of gasping for air, he felt…calm. Maybe a bit out of it. He touched his throat, and found he was…fine. Nothing was wrong.

He breathed a sigh of relief, then laid back on the ground and ignored the yelling of whoever had woken him.

Whoever was talking was incredibly persistent, though. Hunter begrudgingly opened his eyes to see Darius looking at him with all the concern in the world.

“Who did this to you?” The witch’s usually strong, and somewhat sarcastic voice now sounded weak.

Hunter blinked, wondering if he’d somehow hallucinated his “everything is fine” assessment. Looking at himself, he noticed the change. Scars now ran across his arms, and, from the sense of aching, trailed across the rest of his body as well.

“Belos.” He muttered, before sitting up fully. He looked around, anywhere but at Darius, and caught sigh of a trail of rotting somethings leading deeper into the woods.

Philip must have abandoned his body once he found out he was going to be trapped. And, by the looks of it, Hunter’s stone encasement had simply gone away, like it must have for the creature his lungs were snatched from.

For once his body worked as it was supposed to. Kinda. It was still a huge win.

Darius didn’t seem to take it as such, though. “Belos?! I thought- did he hurt you?? Titan, I shouldn’t have left you-“

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” He tried to counter the abomination master’s anxiety with reassurance.

“You’re not fine, Hunter. You had an encounter with Belos, who seemingly did a number on you. I…I’m taking you back to Hexside immediately.”

“Mhm, sure.” He tried to stand, but immediately became unsteady. Thankfully Darius held him upright.

They walked through the forest, the moon high above them, already beginning it’s decent.

As they walked it dawned on Hunter. Belos had escaped, and was heading for the Collector’s palace. Whatever he was doing, he had a plan.

And then there was Mrs. Blight, who probably thought he was dead. Which meant returning to Blight Industries wasn’t an option.

He could feel his sense of accomplishment start to fade as reality sunk further into him. The world was ending, and he had no where else to go. A tear ran down his cheek, burning across what felt like a new scar. He ignored if, focused on walking one step at a time.

When they reached Hexside they found it heavily damaged. It wasn’t completely destroyed, thank goodness, but a good amount of the walls had holes in them.

Darius payed them no mind as he stepped carefully around the rubble. They reached the inside, and it looked…bare.

“…I doubt this place is as empty as it looks.” Darius commented. “Do you think you can manage walking somewhere safer?”

Hunter nodded. The two began their trek again, going higher up till the windows clearly displayed the area’s full damage.

The reflection showed a far more concerning view, though. At first Hunter noticed the deep scars running across his face, but then he saw how his arms were practically dented with the deep patches that in other circumstances would have been bright with blood.

No wonder he felt so numb. He would have to remember to get himself checked out when a healer witch was free.

Then, he saw the factory that rested close to the horizon.

“Odalia won’t take me back.” Hunter mumbled. “I…I don’t know what to do now.”

“You’re lucky to have escaped.” Darius said with a frown. “I’d suggest you use your new free time to rest, and maybe find a better parental figure.”

It took a moment before Hunter squinted at Darius. “Are you suggesting something?”

“Maybe. But you also deserve one, after everything that’s happened.”

“…Are you just doing this because I’m a Golden Guard clone?” He finally asked.

“No.” Darius assured quickly. “I’d like to think helping struggling kids is a hobby of mine.”

“But was Hunter a ‘struggling kid’? Everyone acts like he was perfect.”

“He had to be.” Darius sighed. “When he was Golden Guard, he needed to be at his best to survive. But once he escaped, we realized how much Belos had broken him. When this is all over, I want to be with him for his recovery.”

Hearing that, Hunter’s idea of his predecessor shifted. He was probably still better than him, but it felt good to know he wasn’t impossibly better.

“Maybe-“

Suddenly the ground shook, and a bright light flooded every window and crack in the wall.

Hunter fell to the floor, wincing as his wounds scrapped the rough ground. Darius kept to the wall, his face partially covered with the glare.

Then the light faded.

…