Chapter Text
Vale loved running. However, he did not love being chased. Actually, Vale decided he hated it.
The young boy ran through the woods, huffing as his hooded pursuer got closer, and trying to avoid getting too scraped up. He had been halfway through his guarding shift when he spotted them. They had looked a bit off–considering they were wearing a cloak in the summer– but the first thing he noticed were odd horns that protruded out of the top of their hood. However, he had never expected them to run at him. As he ran Vale quickly realized that he was probably going to miss lunch because of this, which frustrated him enough to turn and reach for his sword. This was a mistake, as his chaser had not slowed their pace, and they promptly crashed into him.
Vale slammed to the ground. He felt the air rush out of his lungs. He felt his muscles tense again. He hated it when that happened. The person that had been running after him spoke.
“Can you just stay still?” He huffed, trying to pin vale down as he violently thrashed. Vale would not, in fact, stay still. The kid sounded around fifteen, and despite the fact that his hood veiled his face in shadow, Vale could see he had teal hair and pale skin. He tried to shove the kid off of him, who took this to offence. He finally managed to get hold of both of Vale’s arms.
“Stop this,” He said. He was trying for a demanding, authoritative tone –Like Hiro might use– but his voice cracked and he knew the other boy could probably see the fear tinging his features. The kid watched Vale closely as he hesitantly reached for something from a previously hidden satchel. Vale froze as he saw the glint of a blade. The boy frowned, holding onto it but searching for something else. He glanced at Vale wearily.
“Alright,” He started, bringing out rope. “I’m going to get up and let you go. You will not run, and you will not try to fight me. ok?”
Vale nodded, wide eyed. The kid slowly released his grip on Vale's arms, stepping back and standing up whilst eyeing him cautiously. Vale looked behind him for a split second, wondering if he should try to run. He wouldn’t make it that far. He stayed still as the boy bound his hands together, grabbing the rope and leading vale by it. The two walked in silence, both very tense. Vale knew the other boy still had the dagger he’d seen earlier, and in truth, he was scared. He didn’t like to admit it, but he was scared a lot around then. For the past three years especially. He remembered his scar and almost reached up to touch it before being snapped back into the present by a tree root. He stumbled for a second, regaining his balance quickly.
“Sorry,” Vale breathed. The boy’s eyes flickered back to him.
“It’s alright," He murmured “We’re almost there.”
Vale tilted his head down in acknowledgement, trailing behind the boy until they reached a break in the woods. He blinked in recognition. It was a hazy memory, but he and Mari had been here before. When they needed a place to camp without guards finding them. It was a small camp set up and abandoned long ago. Kids on the run came there to have a safe place from whatever they were running from. Mari had traded with some of the boys for food before she… He stopped himself. He didn’t want to think about her right now.
He looked around the sun bathed lot, nostalgia filled, as the boy led him to the ‘forbidden shed’. At least that’s what the kids had dubbed it. No one dared go in, but there were rumors that the kids who did never came back.
“Where are we going?” Vale asked cautiously.
“Base.” The kid replied simply.
“For whom?” He pushed.
“I probably should’ve blindfolded you.” He said whistfully, not answering as he opened the shed door. Vale hung back, but the boy tugged the binding on his wrist. Vale sighed and followed him, not too keen on potentially being stabbed. The shed was mainly empty, there was spiderwebs and dust. The warm summer light filtering through the broken windows made it look almost comforting. He looked behind him to see footprints on the dirt floor.
He felt the boy let go of him and turned his focus back to him. He was knocking on one of the doors. It sounded wrong, like metal instead of wood. There was muffled clambering, then silence. Vale stepped back, planning on running, but the kid was already next to him, pulling him forward as a second kid opened the door. She didn’t have a hood on, so you could see her mid length black hair. It was dyed pink at the ends. She was about 5”5 and had eyes that seemed harsh and kind at the same time. She had a face kind of like Mari's. Vale blinked the thought away. This place freaked him out. The girl rolled her eyes at him.
“He said to kidnap the sidekick, Casper.” she scolded. Casper looks at me.
“He is the sidekick, Ivy,” he grumbled. “I checked the schedules.”
“He’s very scrawny,” she mused, frowning. Vale felt his cheeks flush. He shot her a look before he caught a glimpse of something. Ivy had fingerless gloves on, but the unusual part was the symbol on her right one. The villains’ symbol. Vale’s eyes narrowed, darting between the two. Casper dragged him towards the door.
“No. No, let me go! Let me go now!” He shouted, struggling. Ivy scoffed, and Casper pulled out the blade he had been holding.
“Stop,” he whisper-shouted. Vale stiffened, watching Casper with a new fear in his eyes. He believed Casper would actually stab him this time. Casper sighed, putting the blade back in his satchel and rubbing his face before leading him down the last few stairs and to the center of what seemed to be a common room.
“Casper’s back!” Ivy called. Vale was brimming with anxiety. He had only ever encountered the villains and their leader once, and he had barely left alive after getting shot with an arrow. Now, bound and weak, he wondered what torment he’d have to endure.
The sound of boots -and something else- on stone rang out, before he himself entered.
“Hello, Vale.” Lucas drawls.
✮ ✮ ✮
Vale tried his hardest not to scramble back, frantically looking for a way to escape. Lucas seemed unfazed,walking towards him. Vale looked him over. He didn’t seem to have any normal weapons, but he had a fine black cane.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, You’ve grown,” He pointed out, as if he was a relative that had been away. He turned to the others, shooing them off. Casper and Ivy nodded, walking down a hall. Vale could hear them bickering as they walked. They seemed quite content for people that had been witnessing what was probably about to be a crime, Vale thought glumly. He felt eyes on him that he couldn’t bear to meet, so he just stared at the villain’s shoes, trying to avoid looking at the cane.
“Not very talkative, I see,” he observed. Vale stayed silent, even as he felt feathers begin to brim his jawline. “Well, then, I’ll get to the point. We want information on Hiro.”
“...No.” Vale stated, voice quiet but firm. He braced himself for a hit, knowing that answer was defiant and probably angered him. Even so, he wouldn’t betray Hiro, even if it meant pain. Not just because he knew the consequence would be horrible, but because Hiro had taken him in and taken care of him for almost four years. He had given Vale a life he could have never dreamed of otherwise.
After a tense few seconds, nothing had happened. Vale could feel Lucas studying him, and wondered if he was scanning for weakness. Lucas’s cane moved, and Vale flinched slightly. Lucas crouched down, laying the cane on the stone floor.
“You okay, kid?” He asked softly. Vale furrowed a brow. He knew that the villain must have sinister intentions behind this, he just couldn’t figure out what they were. Lucas stared at him with a nerve wracking intensity, as if trying to pick him apart.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” He reassured Vale, who looked thoroughly unconvinced. Vale realized he must be trying to gain his trust.