Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pandora's box killed the cat.

Some people get to escape the consequences of their actions, lucky to get away with the “perfect crime,” so to speak.

Tinker Knight is not one of those people.

He knew that the Enchantress was a looming threat long before she revealed herself to the rest of the Valley. He still remembered that fateful encounter at the bottom of that well. If she were to show up again, he thought, he would be prepared. He would stand up against her in any way that he could, for this threat would have never existed if he hadn't played a role in unleashing it.

How foolish he was, to think that he could defend himself against this otherworldly power.

She played him like a wind-up toy, waiting for him to trip on an obstacle in his persistent march forward, his pursuit of innovation. An invention gone wrong. When destruction struck, so did she.

It started with an invitation and, before he knew it, he found himself forcibly recruited into the Order of No Quarter. No prisoners. No mercy. What a dreadful name.

…this couldn't be it. He couldn't become a threat to the Valley again. Please, not again. Was there a way to keep using his machines for good? To rule over the land fairly and fix anything that they broke? To operate peacefully under the control of such a cruel mistress? There has to be. There has to be.

Since he had to fix a malfunction at the tower, Tinker Knight showed up at his first meeting later than he would have liked. He entered the dining hall of the Tower of Fate and observed everyone in the area. As he approached the other knights, this time without his mobile gear, he slowly realized that, even though they were all sitting down, most of them towered over him. Well, isn't that just great.

He walked past the gold-plated royal who sat haughtily in his chair. Huh, he seemed weirdly familiar.

He unwillingly shared a brief, knowing glance with the now fire-clad digger. This one, he recognized too well.

He sped up past the cackling bird-masked maniac, who was absentmindedly swirling an odd concoction.

He turned his head to look at the suave gentleman with a peculiar propeller device adorning his helmet.

He tried not to stare too much at the ghostly reaper-like figure who put him in this mess in the first place.

He took note of the imposing diver, taking specific interest in the anchor cannon attached to his arm.

He promptly avoided the icy glare of the gruff warrior sitting at the end of the table, rib steak in hand.

Finally, Tinker Knight sat down in the empty chair between the ghost and the diver, only to frown when he realized how low it was. He could barely reach up on the table. Luckily, he immediately thought of a solution. The little inventor got up, pushed the chair back, deployed his mobile gear and sat on it instead. Then, he adjusted the height until it was perfect. Wait. Maybe a little higher… aaand there we go. He allowed himself a moment of pride at creating such a useful, versatile piece of machinery. This just goes to show that most of his problems can be solved with some elbow grease and a bit of ingenuity. Maybe he could apply the same manner of thinking to his current situation, too.

After a bit of waiting, the Enchantress appeared before them.

“Oh ho ho! Welcome back, my knights! You must be wondering why I gathered all of you here, are you not?”

Everyone stayed silent — she had their attention.

“I need you to carry out some tasks for me, and in order to ensure my takeover as a success, teamwork will be of utmost importance.” She sat down in the air, still hovering above them. “But before that, I want to establish some rules.

First rule: do not disobey me under any circumstances. We all know what happens to those who go against my orders, now, do we?” she said, playfully.

“Second rule: if you have a problem with your fellow knights, keep it to yourselves. I do not want your little quarrels interfering with my plans.

Third rule: no weapons at the table. Of course, you must be prepared for an attack at all times, so I urge you to keep them under it.” She paused. “Treasure Knight.”

“Yes?”

“Your cannon.”

He gave a muffled reply, to her confusion. “...what?”

“That's my hand.”

“Well, it still counts. Put it away!”

He wordlessly did as told and pulled the anchor cannon down to his side. It was the closest thing he could do to putting it under the table.

The Enchantress scanned around the room for anything else she didn't approve of. “Tinker Knight,” she called out.

He perked up. “Yes, boss!”

“Tell me, do you think your chair is merely for decoration?”

“I, uh… no?”

“Then go sit on it.”

“But I…” He went quiet.

“Come on now, you can do it.” Her voice sounded a little more patronizing.

Tinker Knight suppressed a sigh as he got down from his mobile gear, put it away, and tried not to make too much noise by pulling on his chair while the Enchantress continued on with her fourth rule. After trying to find a good sitting position, he settled on kneeling while holding himself up on the table.

He looked over at the other knights and wondered how many of them were in the same situation as him, and how many of them knew exactly what they were getting into. He tried to determine the noble from the wicked, then quickly came to the conclusion that only time will tell. Either way, his hopes of turning things back to his favour would falter more and more with each passing day, especially when he’d look out the window of his tower to witness another violent conquest.

This felt more like a hostage situation than a knightly order.

Chapter Text

Birds of a feather flock together, but all is fair in love and war.

“BOOM!!! Ha ha ha hee hah!!!”

Plague Knight entered the Clockwork Tower the way he knew and loved the most: by bombing his way in.

Just a little bit. As a treat.

…it was a better alternative to splatting on the wall due to a badly calibrated catapult launch.

The Cogslotters who happened to be nearby did not share the sentiment. They all pointed their weapons at him.

“Intruder!!”

“Woah hoh hoh, talk about a welcoming committee! This was merely an accident! We're on the same side. Plague Knight, Order of No Quarter.”

Though they looked a little less alarmed, the alchemist's words weren't enough to disperse the hostility.

“You better not be spreading any diseases with those bombs of yours!”

“What will the boss think?!”

“Another damn thing to fix… listen, you don't want to bother the boss right now. Just tell us what you-”

Almost as if summoned, Tinker Knight stormed in. Predictably, he wasn't in the best of moods at the moment. “Ugh, what is it?! I can't work with all that noise! …and why is the wall blown up?! Who-”

“There you are, inventor!!” exclaimed Plague Knight.

“Oh, it's you! You're the one with the bird mask,” he noted. His mildly surprised tone quickly went back to that of an exasperated supervisor as he gestured towards the hole left by the explosion. “…why do this? What do you need?”

“Why, it's simple, hee hee! You're all about fixing, and I'm all about demolishing!! Ha ha ha! Boom!!”

“What?! You want to tear down MY-”

“Hee!! No, no, of course not!! If I had the choice, I would've knocked on the door!”

“Then get on with it!! What do you need?!” He repeated, getting even more irritated.

Plague Knight took a mechanical rat out of his bag. Its tail twitched indifferently. “I found this critter wandering around the Explodatorium and wondered if it was yours!”

Tinker Knight lightened up a little. “...Oh! That's an Electrodent!!” He picked it up and held it gently. Of course, one missing Electrodent wouldn't make that much of a difference now that he was mass-producing them, but he found the discovery interesting. “Yes, it is mine. Thank you.”

The alchemist was looking at the Electrodent while its creator examined it. “Hee hee… I'm curious now. Are they completely mechanical, or did you use a few test subjects?”

“My first prototypes were entirely artificial, yes, but the subsequent versions… well, let’s not touch that can of worms. You said that you found it at your base, right?” The engineer walked over to the hole and tried to spot the Explodatorium, but his view was blocked by the volcano. He held the little fugitive a bit more tightly in case it would try to escape again. “That's a long way from here.” How odd.

Plague Knight made a noise of agreement, which turned into surprise once a Ratsploder leapt out of his bag. “Hee!”

The Electrodent took advantage of the distraction to slip out of Tinker Knight's hands. “Wait-!! Get back here-” He turned too sharply and fell down. Then, he lifted his head to see his little automaton face the other rat and lie down. This didn't bode well. “Oh!”

His ears, however, weren't met with the familiar crackle of electricity. Instead, its key spun slowly while the Ratsploder snuggled next to it.

“Huh…”

“I do wonder if they knew each other in the past. That would certainly explain it!” hypothesized Plague Knight while his colleague got back up and dusted his apron.

“That would make sense, yes,” he replied. It's very possible that they met before they were transformed. Speaking of transformations, he was starting to worry about the chemical coating of Plague's rat and how it would affect the outer covering of his own rat. “…this is safe, right?”

“If it weren't safe, you would have another explosion to patch up by now, hee hee ha ha hah!!”

“Ah…” He responded with an unconvinced chuckle.

They both watched the two rodents as they started chasing each other playfully.

“I don't think we should split them, but where would they stay?” asked Tinker.

“What about the Tower of Fate?”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. Then, he took the time to think about his current encounter. Plague Knight was certainly a handful, from what he had seen, but after getting to know him a bit more, the idea of working with him seemed much less daunting. Alchemy involves a lot of metals, right? He could make for a good provider. “You know, I could use some of your skills.”

“Really?” he asked. Come to think of it, Tinker Knight could build some pretty useful contraptions for his experiments… it would be nice to have the help of a competent engineer who didn't regularly mess up his calculations and launch him into walls, for once.

“Yes! You work with lead, tin, gold… do you not?”

“I do! I am an alchemist, after all. And I could use some of your ingenuity in return!”

“It's on, then!”

“Hee hee hee! From one man of science to another!” he said before holding out his hand.

The other lit up and shook his hand happily. “Yes! You said it.”

Suddenly, a Cogslotter ran into the room… or, well, the hallway. “Boss! An accident happened at the factory and jammed one of the lines!”

“Aah! I’ll go look at that!” Tinker Knight ran off and followed the Cogslotter, though he took the time to turn back and wave at his fellow knight. “See you, Plague Knight! And, uh, let's hope that you'll knock next time.”

He waved back, giggling.

The remaining Cogslotters turned to stare at Plague Knight, wondering how such a chaotic individual could calm down their boss like that. He looked at them back and snickered smugly: he told them he was on their side.

…or so he wanted them to think.

***

Plague Knight finished doing some routine checks at the Explodatorium. He was supposed to stay here for a while, but he had already forgotten why. He now had the responsibilities of two knights, one serving the Order and one serving his personal goals, so it was no wonder that his mind couldn’t hold onto it. Surely it wasn’t that important, but he had to stay here in case it was.

He sighed as he took out his potion book and flipped the pages absentmindedly. Living a double life was exhausting, but it would all be worth it in the end once he managed to brew that Ultimate Potion by Mona's side.

Plague Knight giggled to himself as he went to the book's entry for the Serum Supernus. Hehehe… Mona… he couldn't wait to meet her at the Potionarium again.

Suddenly, a knock could be heard from the lab's entrance. Maybe it's her! He immediately ran over to the door, hesitated for a few seconds, adjusted his hood, fiddled with his robe, checked his breath, then opened it.

…

Huh? Where's Mona?

“Hey there, Plague!”

Plague Knight lowered his gaze, down from where Mona’s eyes should have been, to look at Tinker Knight.

“Do you have some spare tin?” he asked, straight to the point.

“Tinker!!” He sounded more alarmed than he had intended. It was all coming back to him: he had to stay here because Tinker Knight notified him that he'd stop by his base! “I do, actually! Come in!”

And so, he did. The two of them walked out of the entrance.

“Glad I could count on you! I knew it would be good to stop at your, uh… ri-um… thing…” Oh no. The name slipped out of his mind. He desperately looked around for a clue. Quick, quick… bird men… beakers… potions! This is a place where potions are brewed! In that case, it must be called the… “Po… tion…? A… ri…”

“EXPLODATORIUM!!” he practically yelled at him.

“RIGHT! Of course, thank you. I-I knew that.” Tinker Knight was red-faced with shame. Thank god for his mask.

“So, tell me, hee hee… what kind of invention do you need tin for?” He asked this question every time the other came over for some spare metal, but right now, it also served as a way to bounce back from that awkward moment.

“Oh, it’s not an invention this time, I require it for an alloy. Specifically solder. You see, I have been ever so slightly lacking in solder ever since the previous major repair of my tank, notably that of the outer covering and the chassis. A considerable percentage of the wooden components had to be replaced entirely, but that was no problem,” said the engineer in that usual tone he'd use whenever he talked about something technical.

Halfway into his ramble, Plague Knight spotted his potion book. His open potion book. Opened on the page about the Serum Supernus. And he was currently walking right next to one of the ingredients. How unfortunate. If Tinker Knight were to find out about the recipe, who knows how easily he could put two and two together?

“I have explained to you the various possible compositions of solder, right? What about its uses?”

“I-I'm more interested in that mech of yours!” Plague Knight said, trying to get Tinker Knight to babble on more.

“Whew! My mech? Let's see… what have I not said to you yet?” He then went on to talk about the most notable mechanisms, which Plague Knight already knew from him. He didn't bother telling him that, however. Instead, he pretended not to notice how much his Essence showed in that moment and took this opportunity to move the incriminating book away from prying eyes.

“…that is to say, I'm quite proud of it. I don't want to pat my own back, but…” the engineer briefly paused as his eyes fell on his coworker's book, no doubt curious about its contents.

“HEEEE!!!” Plague Knight promptly closed the book, something that he probably should have done before picking it up. “This is VERY sensitive research!!” He recoiled, still holding the book in his arms.

“Oh! My bad,” he replied as he respectfully looked away from it. “So, back to the tin…”

“Yes, the tin! Of course, hee hee heh, of course… this way.” He chuckled nervously.

And so, he went back to following him down the hallways of the Explodatorium, passing by a few minions on their way.

“You're tense…” Tinker Knight remarked, and the other simply ignored him. Did he do something to upset him? All these long hours spent working under the Enchantress made him so irritable lately… was he being friendly enough? Or, maybe this was a problem with Plague Knight. A bad encounter, perhaps? That man seems to get along with nobody. Does it ever take its toll on him? Maybe he needs more reassurance.

“I know that your line of work is not well-liked… and I know that I say it all the time, but I don't mind that. You don't have to feel shame for your work: mine is no more pure than yours. We're all crooks now,” he said with a hint of resigned sadness in his voice.

“You're right. But look at it this way, hee hee! The people of the village may frown upon my experiments, but I'm free to do what I love! And so are you! You should use that opportunity to go BALLISTIC!!”

“I should not!” He said in a more lighthearted tone. “You know I don’t have the heart, nor the time.”

“I know full well, hee hee hee!”

Finally, back to their normal banter… but somehow, it only made Plague Knight feel worse.

…

…right. Tinker Knight was being too friendly. This was suspicious. Very suspicious. A red herring… he needed a red herring to throw him off for good. Something believable, but not too personal.

“But I digress. Yes, I am more tense than usual! How perspicacious!”

“So, I was right… why is that? What has you down?”

“(Think, think, THINK),” he thought. Then, by scratching his chin, he got an idea. Suddenly, he turned his whole body towards Tinker Knight.

“S-Surprise!! Hee hee!! By catching me off-guard, you found my big secret: I wear a longer, more threatening mask when working with the Order!” He pointed at the beak of his current mask — the shorter one — for emphasis. “Hee hee… hee!”

“I see…” Tinker looked at the beak, then back at Plague. “…what kind of man do you take me for?” He sounded serious. More serious than he usually is. This didn’t bode well.

There’s no other explanation: he found out. Somehow. From somewhere. Likely from someone. Probably from one of his bird-brained minions. Either way, he knew about his plan all along. Was the tin thing just an excuse to catch him off-guard? Plague Knight couldn't risk another Liquid Samurai situation, not with Tinker Knight out of all people. The alchemist thought about what to do to dispose of him… that's right, an amnesia potion! He needed to restrain that tattletale before he could tell the rest of the Order about his betrayal, and then brew an amnesia potion to erase the very thought out of his head! Now, how would he execute this?

Before he could finish his thoughts, however, the person in question placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hee!”

“I would not judge you for that, Plague Knight!” he exclaimed in that same serious tone, now laced with sincerity. “If it makes you feel like you fit in more with the group, then so be it,” he declared. “...why do you think I use my gear all the time?” he added more quietly.

Plague Knight laughed along, but his mind refused to take in those words and went back to being fixated on the Ultimate Potion. Of course, the mobile gear! If he were to put his hands on it, Tinker Knight's Essence would be much easier to obtain! With this weakness of his, his plan was sure to… uh… wait. Hold on.

Perplexed, Tinker was staring at his hand on Plague's shoulder. He tilted his head, stood on his toes, observed him from another angle, then got back down. What’s all that suspicion about? Was that not enough information for him?

The alchemist didn't have to wonder for long.

“Did… did you lose some height?” From the way he talked, he was well aware of how nonsensical that question sounded.

Oh… right. The height thing. “Hee hee heh heh… I… I- I may have used a few alchemy tricks to make myself look taller-”

Tinker Knight placed his other hand on his colleague's other shoulder. “I would NOT judge you for that!” he exclaimed again before pausing. “…well…” he was gradually averting his gaze. “…just a bit,” he admitted with an embarrassed chuckle.

“I know, hee hee hee! Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the engineer replied with a smile in his voice. Then, he removed his hands and looked back at Plague. “I do need that tin, though. Wish I could stay, but I can't waste more time."

“Oops, hee hee!! Almost forgot about the tin!” Plague Knight's voice faltered just a little as he tried to regain his composure. How embarrassing. “How much do you need for that solder?”

“Two pounds.”

“Well, have I got the thing for you!” He took out an ingot from one of the drawers nearby. “Two-pound tin ingot! As always, feel free to check with the scales.”

“Mhm.” Naturally, they both knew that precise measurements were everything. Tinker Knight took the ingot, weighed it, then gave Plague Knight a small bag of gold in exchange. “I'll go now. Thank you for the help!”

“Well, thank YOU for the kind words, hee hee!! Bye-bye!!”

Plague Knight waited until the other walked out. Then, he closed the door, leaned on it, and exhaled: living a double life really was exhausting.

He could hear Tinker Knight activate his mobile gear and roll away, presumably on his way to melt down the tin at Mole Knight's Magma Furnace.

Tinker’s love for his craft was certainly admirable. They weren’t that different: he, too, strove to create something bigger than himself. One could say that he already did. How sad that he'll have to impede on that.

The alchemist continued to think while he prepared his things, ready to head out for the Potionarium. Maybe he could get what he needed without a fight. What if he tried to reason with him? Either way, the Essence of someone as industrious and intelligent as Tinker Knight was definitely too valuable to skip over.

He will procure it, by force or otherwise.

***

“…I hope you're still proud of what you did.”

A few minutes ago, Tinker Knight was in his workshop atop the Clockwork Tower with the Aerial Anvil crew and a few kids from the village. They were discussing plans to design and build toys together. It was a nice conversation.

Too bad that traitor had to come and ruin it by knocking at his door.

“Hee! Well, it depends on-”

“I take it you did not see me as your peer. Just a tool to be used,” he said bitterly.

Plague Knight tried to say something in return, but before he could, Tinker Knight sighed. “I should have known… of course it was all just a ruse.” He was so trusting. So stupid. So naive. So vulnerable.

“Hee hee… technically, I was fighting on the good side! You, on the other hand… heh! Kept working for the Enchantress like an obedient little sheep!” He didn't intend to go on the offensive, but it had to be said.

“...” Plague Knight was right. Too right. He shouldn’t have given up. Any respectable knight would have continued to fight for the greater good, but the only thing he did was go from an idealistic coward to a hopeless coward. A coward from beginning to end. “You did it for no more than your own gain and you know it, bird mask,” he retorted. He hated that slight shake in his voice. He hated it so much.

“Hee! You, out of all people, should understand my motive the most! Are you saying that this big, imposing yet flawed mech of yours has nothing to do with your ego?”

“I would not have lost if I had my gear with me!!” He yelled out.

“How ridiculous! If you cared about your gear so much, why leave it somewhere in your tower where I could easily-” he cut himself short once he let those last words slip by.

Silence.

“...you WHAT?!”

“I- I said could!! Like a hypothetical-”

“YOU stole my gear?! And then you gave it to- to him?!” Granted, he no longer had anything against Shovel Knight since he freed him from his service to the Enchantress.

“Well, hee hee, if I knew it would end up in Shovel Knight's hands-”

“Oh, you just HAD to stab me in the back TWICE and take MORE from me… my trust, my brains, AND my gear!! Take my whole shop while you're at it!! Do you know how much I was made a fool thanks to your mad quest?!”

“Tinker-”

“But you don't care, do you?! Shame!! Shame on you! You would be just as mad if I- just- how would YOU feel if- if I stole what made you good?! If I just… took a part of your self like that?! I don’t care if it’s just for a bit!”

“...”

“Think!! Just... THINK for once!! No more wits, no more bombs, no more-”

“Oi! Everythin’ alright out there, lil’ mate?” The Armorer shouted, peeking out from one of the windows.

“Yes, yes! I just lost my calm there. My bad! I'll be done soon, just…” Tinker Knight looked at his former coworker, then back at his current one. “…I’ll, uh, I’ll deal with him. You can go back now!”

Once that was dealt with, he went back to glaring at Plague Knight. “Is this why you came here? To taunt me?”

“Of course not, hee hee! You have me all misunderstood!” he gave a pitiful giggle, then a sigh. “I came here to… apologize. I'm sorry.”

“Are you now?” He was crossing his arms.

“I did say that I respected your craft, no? That wasn't a ruse. We make a good team! You and your mechanical monstrosities… me and my, hee hee, mighty bombs… showing everyone else the true strength of two brilliant minds!! Hee hee hee hee!”

Standing side by side like equals… it was nice while it lasted. “This is a lie, too, is it not?”

“I don’t need to lie to you anymore! I already got what I needed, heh heh… heh…” He couldn’t help but blush as he thought of his beloved Mona. To think that she fancied him back all along… somehow, he still couldn’t believe it. “…you know, when I took everyone else’s Essences, heh, I could not have cared less for the means. But you? I really tried to avoid fighting you.” Of course, convincing him to surrender in general was a near-impossible task.

Tinker Knight sighed. “We did make a good team…” He stopped to think for a moment. He had been selfish, too. Digging up the land, damaging the ecosystem, releasing an ancient power upon the Valley, helping that ancient power maintain its rule of terror… all for the sake of problem-solving. A very unimportant goal, in the grand scheme of things. And one that did so much more harm than good in the end… so, he held out his hand. “Here, let's make up.”

“Hee?! Just like that?!”

He nodded. “I get why you did all of that… I caused a lot of hurt, too. But those days are in the past. What’s done is done, but we can change what’s to come.” He thought about his factory inside the Clockwork Tower. Soon, it will be repurposed to make more noble things than tools of war. He, too, will be repurposed. “If we want to move on, we have to fix what we broke… and let go of a grudge or two. I work for good now. I hope that you will, too.”

For a moment, neither of them talked.

“So, Plague Knight, is our team back on?” He held out his hand. “I would love to work side by side… like we used to.” Just under more peaceful circumstances.

“Hee hee!! The feeling is mutual!” And so, they shook hands, just like back then. Plague Knight always liked demolishing more than fixing, but some things were worth salvaging from the rubble. This was one of them. “May your metals be plentiful!”

“May your duds be few.”

“May your inventions be… inventive! Hee hee!”

“Ha ha ha!! May your brews brew well!!”

“Hee hee hee hee hee!!!” Plague Knight ran off, though not before waving at Tinker Knight. “See you around, hee hee… friend!!”

“See you too!” He waved back. “Friend…!!”

“Friend?!”

“Friend!”

“Friend!!!”

Chapter Text

Brains versus brawn versus braving the storm.

Tinker Knight had to build a beacon in the snowy mountains within two days. Such is what the Enchantress ordered him to do during today's briefing. Supposedly, it would become part of a future weapon he had to build. He hadn't even finished her current commission yet.

Tinker Knight sighed, rubbing his temples. Of course she had to make this request right after tasking Propeller Knight with too complex of a mission to make room for transport. He didn't even ask for transport. The sky captain simply explained that he would have helped otherwise, but that his “formidable vaisseau” was “sadly unavailable at the moment.”

“As much as I wish to help, I shall decline the offer,” declared King Knight. “Alas, the ice-capped massifs are no place for an opulent monarch such as myself!”

“Not a single soul was asking you, King Knight,” commented Specter Knight.

“I could find a way to get there, if you pay the price,” said Treasure Knight, knowing full well how much he hates high altitudes.

Propeller Knight proposed a solution to make up for his lack of availability. “This area, you know it quite well, Polar Knight! Why not accompany him there?”

Polar Knight grimaced slightly. “Hmph. Too busy.”

Plague Knight briefly inserted himself into the conversation. “Busy with what? Playing with your little doggies? Awwww! Ha ha haaa!!”

He huffed, looking even more peeved. At least Tinker Knight is more bearable than that giggling weakling.

“I can go build it on my own, you know?” the engineer in question chimed in. He found it insulting how his colleagues didn't even consider that a possibility, not to mention that he didn't find the idea of working with Polar Knight very thrilling. His stare was disdainful, and his fists were bigger than his head… the thought almost made him shudder.

“Polar Knight would make it more efficient. You’ll build the beacon and he’ll escort you,” affirmed Mole Knight, taking the lead in hopes of concretizing this mission once and for all. It seemed to work, as neither of them argued against him… though, it didn't stop them from giving him a brief glare.

“...he's right,” said Tinker Knight. It was much safer, too. He stood up on his chair to look at his new teammate. “We can start next day at 9 o'clock. Are you good with that?”

He turned his head to nod at him. “Mmh.”

The other gave him a thumbs up before going back to his usual sitting position.

Polar Knight went back to his beer and sighed: he joined the Order to associate with great power. If he had to work with someone, he hoped it would have been a powerful ally, not some wimpy mechanic who can barely walk without that gizmo of his. His head was smaller than his fists; it better be as useful as them.

***

Tinker Knight put his more complicated plans on hiatus and left the rest in the hands of his Cogslotters. This wasn't the first time he had to leave the Clockwork Tower for an indeterminate amount of time, so he trusted them to keep everything running smoothly in his absence.

The way to their meeting point was simple: just go to the third gate in the third quarter of the Valley, then head for the mountain range. Tinker Knight was currently putting all his trust in the weight capacity of his mobile gear, for he had brought…

• His winter outfit (to keep him warm)
• His toolbox (to build the beacon)
• A tent kit (to protect from the elements)
• A water canteen (to stay hydrated)
• Some dried meat and berries (to stay nourished)
• A few medical supplies (to treat potential injuries)
• Flint and steel (to light fires)
• Dry wood (to make a campfire)
• A lantern (in case their mission took longer than expected)
• A flare (in case of an emergency)
• All the material necessary to build a beacon (self-explanatory)

The air was getting colder and colder. He wondered if he should use his mobile gear for the whole ascent, but quickly determined that the smooth metal would be no match for all those slippery snowy slopes. As he approached the white alps, he tried to determine a good place to set up that beacon. Finally, he could spot Polar Knight, who was already there waiting for him. It was probably better to ask for his opinion before settling on a destination. After all, any sane person would try to stay on the good side of such an intimidating warrior. He stopped his gear next to him and pointed at one of the mountains.

“Should we go to this one?”

Polar Knight nodded. Frankly, he didn't give a rat's rump about the optimal location for some beacon.

“Yeah, it seems like a good- Aah!”

While trying to get off his gear, he slipped on some snow that had gotten onto the platform and fell on the ground. He couldn’t ignore the stark contrast between him (covered from head to toe, carrying two bags, lying down face first in the snow and tiny slightly shorter than average) and the giant standing firmly with nothing but a shovel and clothes that barely shielded his skin from the cold.

Polar Knight glowered at him. “Hmph. Runt…” he muttered before walking towards the mountain.

Halfway into getting back up, Tinker Knight's head turned sharply to look at him. “Runt?! Who do you call a runt?!”

“Just walk.” What does the Enchantress see in him? How much genius can justify such a pitiful presence?

He narrowed his eyes at the larger knight. “...that's what I thought, ice man,” he said before picking his things back up and following him. Every ounce of fear was gone once he realized that this silent brute was just as arrogant as everyone else. “I don't need your help, by the way.”

“Hmh…” Polar Knight grumbled. Good. He didn't want to help him, either.

“I could have gone up there on my own. I've climbed a few peaks in the past, and-”

“Then why bring me here?”

“Why?! Do you think I like this?! I want to get done with my task as fast as I can, that's why!” He would've made a point about basic safety if his ego wasn't on the line.

“...” If Tinker Knight didn't stop rattling on about this situation, Polar Knight would've retracted his comment about him being more bearable than Plague Knight. Luckily, he had nothing else to say.

***

It didn't take long for the silence to stop being awkward. In fact, it was quite pleasant. Whether they were walking on flat ground or scaling steep slopes, the two of them kept climbing up the mountain with only the sound of snow crunching beneath their feet to remind them of each other’s presence. Though Tinker Knight’s bags were starting to feel heavy and his fingertips began to remind him of cold steel, he trudged on. He glanced over at Polar Knight, who looked as unbothered as ever.

If he had his strength, he would actually do something useful with it. Maybe he could even take on the Enchantress and end this once and for all… or, he could fail and become her new vessel, like what happened to Drill Knight. He could cause more destruction against his will and hope that a knight like the one he fought back then would be able to defeat him.

That knight… he was wielding a shovel. Tinker noticed Polar's own shovel: are shovels the answer? How many shovel-wielding knights are there in the Valley? He took a mental note to look into the lethality of shovels when he had the time. It might be useful for a future invention. He could already picture a few base concepts in his head… a retractable shovel, a rocket-propelled shovel, a propeller shovel… a shovel is a lever. It's a third-class lever. The blade is a wedge. A shovel wedge, a shovel screw… a shovel pulley… a shovel… wheel and axle? A shovel inclined plane? Wait, no, he was starting to think nonsense… was he?

When he snapped out of his thoughts, he realized that he couldn’t feel his toes anymore. As if that wasn’t enough, he looked around and saw that a storm had formed. The snowflakes that gracefully floated down from the sky were now rushing en masse, carried by the growing frenzy of the wind. He could hear them tapping and crashing on his mask.

Tinker Knight’s pace slowed down as the oppressive cold worsened his growing tiredness. He was staggering more and more often, nearly falling over a few times. He couldn’t stop. He had to prove his integrity. His resilience. His worth.

Polar Knight glanced at his struggling colleague. What an embarrassing sight… this order was supposed to be full of mighty fighters. How can he even call himself a knight? The Enchantress’ power was unlike any he had seen before, but a group is only as strong as its weakest link. As harsh as it is, there's a reason why runts get rejected in the wild.

Then, Tinker Knight stumbled again. He couldn't catch himself this time. His body fell in the snow with a thud, and so did his equipment.

How pathetic.

The warrior stopped, but didn't look back. Part of him wanted Tinker Knight to learn a lesson from his misplaced confidence. He had left a lot of foes like this, lying feebly as the cold claimed another victim, but letting an ally die this way was low, even for a man like him who valued survival of the fittest. Besides, his mistress’ power is to be respected, and there was no telling what the punishment for such negligence would be.

Polar Knight's thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of crunching snow behind him, which accompanied the other man's shaky breathing. He looked back to see Tinker Knight dragging himself forward with what little strength he had left, his diligence unwavering despite his terrible state. There was no way he could make it out of this storm alive without help, and yet, he continued on.

This sight evoked in him an indescribable feeling. Was it pity? Was it amazement? He couldn't tell. Whatever it was pushed him to walk towards Tinker Knight and pick him up. The engineer muttered faintly in protest, but quieted down once Polar Knight perched him up on his shoulder and covered the both of them with his warm fur pelt.

It was foolish. In their respective pride, they forgot that they each had a role to play in this mission. They had to work as a team.

When you live surrounded by wilderness and year-round frost, it’s easy to forget that the average person can't handle too much time in the cold, let alone a snowstorm.

Eventually, the winds calmed down and things went back to normal. Once Polar had finished climbing, Tinker lifted his head to look around. The area looked both elevated and stable enough for the beacon. He stretched, then tapped the other's arm.

“Here's good.”

Polar Knight put down the smaller knight's bags, then caught him after he tried getting off himself. Bitterly, he let himself be brought back to solid ground.

Tinker Knight immediately got to work by setting up camp. He started a campfire before deploying his tent: a metal frame covered in leather and built with the same technology that made his mobile gear so portable. Finally, he scooted it a little closer to the fire, secured it to the ground and sat down on the cushion inside of it to evaluate the temperature. A chill went down his spine when he remembered stories of frozen fingers becoming unusable and rotting away. His passion… stolen from him… he would be a goner. He took off one of his gloves and wriggled his red-tinted fingers to check their mobility. Luckily, they were already starting to feel normal again, just like his toes: it was only frostnip. Good thing he thought to wear warmer gear for this mission.

When he put his glove back on and looked up, Polar Knight was gone. If it was any other person, he would have been worried, but he knew that this kind of lifestyle was in his nature. Besides, if something ever went wrong, he could use his distress flare.

And so, without further distractions, he chose a spot and started building the beacon.

***

Tinker Knight wiped his forehead and admired his handiwork. He did a few test runs, rekindled the fire, then went back to his tent for a drink of water. This beacon would be activated by remote command and, ideally, only needed maintenance every few years.

Polar Knight was still away. Maybe he found his lack of endurance too miserable to keep participating in this mission. Maybe he was just on a really long hunt. In case he never comes back, Tinker Knight had to regain as much strength as possible before going back down the mountain. If another snowstorm were to hit, he would use his tent again, close it completely, light his lantern and wait for it to end.

He took off his mask, grabbed a piece of dried meat from his bag and ate it while looking out at the horizon. The cold air stung his bare face, but he was too entranced by the beauty of the land to care. What a peaceful place… it was nothing like his tower, or any other tower he would have to come back to later. Surely it wouldn't hurt him to take a break… right? He had nothing else to do…

After taking another swig of water from his canteen, he stretched with another yawn and lied down, falling asleep to the crackling of the fire and the faint howl of the mountain wind.

***

When Tinker Knight awoke, he noticed that he wasn't alone anymore.

Polar Knight was currently sitting at the opposite side of the campfire and eating some raw meat with two Spinwulves by his side. They had their own portions, but he occasionally ripped off some chunks of his steak for them.

Embarrassed, he promptly put his mask back on, then tilted it to finish his half-eaten piece of dried meat. He looked up at the sun and saw that they were in the afternoon. One of the Spinwulves yawned. Tinker Knight looked at Polar Knight thoughtfully: why would a hermit like him become part of the Order? Did they force him to do so?

“Why did you join?” he asked.

“I follow power,” he stated without elaborating, though there wasn't much to elaborate on in the first place. “You?”

“...” He didn't know what to answer. Instead, he went with the next best thing that came to mind. “I want to use my skills.”

They both stayed silent for a while. Then, Tinker spoke again “...do you think we can still be a force of good?”

“Hmph... whether we're good or not doesn't matter anymore; what matters is that we've picked a side… and like all things in life, we have to fight for its sake.”

Tinker Knight was staring at the fire. He didn't find that answer reassuring. “Do you want to fight for good?” he asked.

“Mmh.” A neutral response. More of an acknowledgement that he's being talked to than anything. “We could battle once in a while. To train you.” He was changing the subject to something he probably deemed more important.

“Train me?” he repeated, looking up. “Well, my mech could use a test or two.”

“No, not the mech,” he replied with a tone similar to that of a disappointed father before pointing at his fellow knight. “You.”

Tinker Knight pensively looked down at the pointing hand. Even if he wanted to, he didn't know if he could take time out of his already busy agenda for this. “I can hold my ground quite well, you know. All I need is my tools.” …and a bluff or two, but it's probably best not to advertise it.

“You need to know how to fight without your machines… or your tricks,” said Polar Knight bluntly before taking another bite of meat. “If we were ambushed, how would you fight off our enemies?”

“With my wrench, of course.” He said while idly spinning it in his hand. “If I can't have my gear, I'll still have my wrench.”

“Fair enough.” He switched his sitting position after one of the Spinwulves wandered away. “I'm only warning you: you can't rely on your brain for everything. You need muscle to get through life.”

“Not me,” he replied curtly.

“Hmph.” Suddenly, Polar Knight stood up and assumed a fighting stance, snow shovel in hand. He put his palm up in front of the remaining Spinwulf, who was growling defensively, to signal the lack of an actual threat. “Prove yourself, then.”

“Woah woah woah, I did not mean- uh-” He leaned back in surprise. “Right now? Right here? I don't have time for this! Do you know how much work we have to do?!”

“Wimping out, are we?” Despite sounding dead serious, he seemed to be having too much fun with this.

“...” Tinker Knight blinked. It didn't take much to rile him up in the first place, but this was enough taunting to convince him. He got up and walked away from the campfire, brandishing his wrench. “I do not wimp out.”

Polar Knight approached with the bearing of a seasoned fighter, and the other knight threw his wrench at him and started running away unpredictably in his usual way, though it was much harder without the help of his mobile gear. As he caught his weapon back, he ended up tripping on nothing and fell down… without getting back up.

A few seconds later, he was still lying motionless on the ground. Polar Knight seemed mildly perplexed: this wasn't normal. He wondered whether he should check on his well-being or hit him while he was down, which is precisely when Tinker threw a wrench at his face. “Ghh!”

Of course it was just a trick. “That was cheap,” he muttered before backing away, readying himself to throw some snowballs at him.

Tinker Knight managed to dodge the first one, but the second one brought him down again with a yelp. Polar ran towards Tinker while the latter got back up. “...all's fair in a real fight!” he said as he took off his glove and threw it in front of Polar Knight's eyes, then punched him while he was destabilized.

The warrior took a step back, then gripped his weapon tightly. “I'll show you a real fight.” Tinker Knight, who was putting his glove back on, had barely enough time to react before the other knight wacked him with his shovel blade and sent him flying. “AAAGH!!”

After landing on the ground, the little engineer shakily got back on his feet and threw more wrenches at Polar Knight. He took one to the leg, blocked the rest of them and buried him in a pile of snow with a swift throw of his blade.

Silence. Polar walked closer to the pile without getting out of his fighting stance. Suddenly, Tinker's head popped out of it. He looked like a disproportionate snowman.

“Ha!! I'm not done yet- WGH!! MFGHGHHH!!” His words were muffled by another shovelful of snow thrown his way, which he promptly dug through again while yelling angrily.

“YOU CAN'T KEEP ME DOWN FOR- MGHFGHMHH!!!” Polar Knight threw more snow over him. And a bit more. Just in case. As ridiculous as he looked right now, the ice-cold warrior couldn't help but appreciate his spunk and persistence.

He caught his breath for a few more seconds before a familiar hand obstinately emerged from the mound of snow, waving around with violent intent.

“...hmph.” He decided to dig Tinker Knight out of the mound: after all, he couldn’t just let him suffocate in there. Defeated, the latter lied down on the former's shovel blade, then sat up once he was dropped off near the campfire. He took off his boots one by one and shook the snow out of them. Neither of the two knights talked, but they both thought the same thing:

That wasn't so bad.

Polar sat on the other side of the fire. “You pack a good punch,” he said.

“Ha, thank you… I work a lot with my hands,” he answered, happy but still exhausted from the fight. This wasn't a compliment he got too often.

They stayed around the fire until Tinker Knight was fully dried up. He sighed. “Look what you've done. Now we'll have to rest and waste more time… eek!” He yelped as the other suddenly picked him up and put him down on his shoulder again.

“D-Don't just pick me up like that!! Do you know how rude it is?! I'm a grown man! I can walk just fine! Hey! HEY!!” He tried to wriggle out of Polar Knight’s grasp, then settled down once he started moving.

“You said you didn't want to waste time by resting,” he replied matter-of-factly before picking up Tinker's supplies. “You build the beacon, I escort you.”

Right, it's much more efficient like this. He crossed his arms, accepting his fate. “Warn me next time.”

“Mhm.”

As expected, the way down the mountain was still physically demanding but much more breezy, especially without a storm to hinder them.

Suddenly, Polar Knight could feel a weight being lifted off his shoulders… no, literally. It was soon followed by a thud. Once he turned to check on the other knight, he was already getting back up. He grabbed his stuff and started walking alongside him.

Tinker Knight was his own man, and a stubborn one at that. He couldn't force his ideals onto him. Polar Knight thought back to his mobile gear and his tent kit. While he could never understand the appeal of such complicated devices over the pure simplicity of nature, he knew that they took a lot of skill to create.

Maybe he wasn’t that weak of a link.

***

At last! His task was over! Now, Tinker Knight could finally come back to his beloved tower, his beloved workshop… and his not-so-beloved pile of endless work from the Enchantress.

A few weeks later, he found himself thinking about Polar Knight and how considerate he turned out to be. He could still hear an occasional sigh from him whenever he'd fall off the table or trip on nothing, but ever since that mission, he spoke to him in a much less cold and disdainful way than he used to… whenever he did speak, that is.

And somehow, he achieved that by acting like a complete fool in front of him.

Tinker Knight didn’t want to question what kind of dark magic could have made that possible. He was perfectly fine with this outcome.

Out of all those knights from that blasted order who looked down on him both figuratively and literally, Polar Knight was the last one he expected to get mutual respect from.

Meanwhile, Polar Knight caught a glimpse of the lit-up beacon in the distance and thought about that tiny, wimpy inventor who refused to give up no matter what. He didn’t expect to respect him, either.

Chapter Text

Every cloud has a silver lining. Let’s reach for it!

Whenever Tinker Knight looked outside of his tower, he would often spot Propeller Knight’s Flying Machine. Only now could he associate it with a familiar face… er, helmet. With him being surrounded by all sorts of mechanical contraptions, the engineer knew that they would have to work together at one point. What he didn’t expect, however, is that they would end up fighting each other in some sort of mirror dimension. Not the best first impression, but there was always time to rectify it now that everything was back to normal.

Propeller Knight puts the ‘air’ in ‘debonair’; his brimming charisma made him hard to hate. He was rather arrogant, however, even patronizing at times. Tinker didn’t have anything personal against him, as he teased pretty much everyone by every definition of the term – what even is his goal?

He just wished that his remarks towards him were more… original.

“Ah! Tinker, there you are! I almost did not notice you down there, oh hoh hoh!” The taller knight addressed him in the dining hall of the Tower of Fate. For some reason, he felt like bothering him right after a meeting. Despite all the things about this man that he found annoying, Tinker Knight always enjoyed the way he pronounced the ‘Tinker’ part of his name, ending it with this only-slightly-off vowel and this guttural R… though, it didn’t do anything to quell his irritation.

“…hey there.” He wasn’t in the mood to deal with this kind of thing right now. “So, how’s the weather from up there, sky guy? Huh?” he retorted in a tone that he hoped would come off as sardonic.

“Very pleasant lately! It is always a little colder aboard my ship, but still pleasant…” Propeller Knight replied amicably. Was he trying to mock him or to de-escalate the situation? “…though, I must ask, what is with the weather and the hostilité?”

Tinker Knight sighed: he hadn’t slept well since the mirror incident from yesterday. “...my bad. Let’s just move on. What do you need?”

“Your tower, I see it all the time, and it got me thinking about you. I know that we didn’t leave each other off on the best terms, but I came up with a proposition.”

“Go on,” he said, curiously.

Propeller Knight slightly bent down to look at him, almost as if he was about to tell him a secret. “You want to work on my Heli-Helmet, n’est-ce pas? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you eyeing it up since we met.”

“...Oh! Haha! Well, you guessed right.” He instinctively grabbed his wrench with progressively restrained enthusiasm. Calm down, now… it may be a nice change of scenery from his usual work, but if there’s anything he learned from his time in the mirror, it’s that Propeller Knight was frustratingly improv-oriented. In the end, however, he simply couldn’t ignore his proposal. “If you need my skills, then I would be glad to work on it. What kind of mods do you have in mind?”

“Whatever you want, mon petit ami. Follow your heart!”

“That’s… nice and all, but can’t you at least come up with a plan?”

He scoffed. “You and your plans… I just gave you carte blanche! You should be thanking me, if anything.”

“I don’t need that, I need your… well, your needs!” Tinker Knight really couldn’t fathom why someone would ask him to work on a project without even the faintest idea of what they wanted.

“Hoh! How mulish. Just go and do what you usually do in that little workshop of yours.” He waved his hand dismissively.

Oh, the NERVE of this man. “I won’t. The deal is off.”

“Why?”

“I don’t have the free time to let you talk down to me and treat my work like some sort of game,” Tinker Knight huffed.

Propeller Knight thought briefly about what to do. “...you may be right,” he replied nonchalantly, turning his head away. “Instead of a busy repairman such as yourself, I should find someone more creative to draw up an outline and then-”

“FINE! I’ll do it,” he interrupted before pulling one of the chairs closer to the sky captain while quietly babbling on. “I don’t just fix, I make. I draw up things all the time, you know? Lots of times. I’ll prove it to you, I will! …and, uh, you’re part of my job, so I might as well help you too.” He climbed on the chair, then took a measuring tape out of his pocket. “Mind if we start now?”

Propeller couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at the other knight’s petty determination: his strategy turned out to be a success. “If you’re ready, then yes.” He politely lowered his head when he noticed that Tinker was balancing on his toes to reach the top of his helmet. Occasionally, the engineer would pause to jot down any measurement he took, most of which were double-checked. Then, he started to properly examine the Heli-Helmet.

“How interesting…” Tinker Knight mused, his tone lighthearted yet thoughtful. He seemed to enjoy the opportunity of looking at someone else’s handiwork.

“How so?” inquired Propeller Knight. “Which part of my golden headgear has caught your eye?”

“The mechanism is attached to the helmet while the propeller itself is detachable. My hypothesis was a little different, but I can see the advantages of this design. I’ll have to keep that in mind,” he replied pensively. Tinker Knight then removed the blades from Propeller Knight’s helmet and handed them to him. “Can you hold this?”

“Oui, of course.” He resisted the instinct to tell him to be careful with it: as much as he loved his Heli-Helmet, he knew that it was in good hands.

Soon after, Tinker Knight started drawing what Propeller Knight assumed to be a technical sketch of the mechanism and probably not a portrait of his likeness, like some have done before. Not a word escaped from Tinker's mouth as he focused on all the important details. Suddenly, he spoke up. “Why do you fly? Or, well… what makes you want to fly?”

“La liberté, mon petit ami! The freedom of it all!” exclaimed Propeller Knight, all too happy to express himself instead of waiting in unbearable silence for the whole process. “I get to dance among the birds and the clouds, indulging in the beauty of the land with no strings attached…” he sighed contentedly. “The sky, he is my playground, you see?”

“Mhm… how does it feel?”

“Simply thrilling! Any wrong move could leave me plummeting to the ground, and yet, I laugh in the face of gravity. Almost as if I was meant to fly, hoh hoh! I have to let you try one day.”

“Thank you, but, uh… I’ll pass.”

A few more pencil scratches later, Tinker Knight closed his notebook. He re-assembled Propeller Knight’s Heli-Helmet before hopping off the chair and pushing it back where it belonged. “All done!” he declared, dusting off his hands.

“Très bien!” replied Propeller as he straightened the handles. “So, did my glorious aerial apparatus blow you away? Did it strike you with inspiration?”

“It did, and so did your talks of flight and feels. Thanks to you, I have a plan now!” said Tinker Knight with a hint of self-satisfaction.

So, that's why he was asking all these questions. That little trickster… a bit disappointing, but Propeller Knight had better things to worry about. “See? I knew you could come up with something! Well, with that done, I’ll be waiting patiently for your updates,” he said as he made his way towards one of the windows. In all honesty, he was perfectly fine with his helmet as it was. His real goal was to get to know the rest of the Order better, and with that excuse, he was about to make some fine progress. “Au revoir for now!”

Tinker Knight waved at Propeller Knight as the latter dropped down from the window and took flight. Looks like he valued dramatic exits almost as much as dramatic entrances.

Anyway. Time to get back home. He went outside, deployed his mobile gear and cursed under his breath once he realized that he could’ve just used its height adjustment mechanism instead of standing on a chair like some sort of artless scrub.

***

A few days later, Tinker Knight arrived at the Flying Machine… or, more specifically, the place where it was parked. Once he spotted the hanging ladder, he prepared himself to set his mobile gear to flight mode until…

“Bien le bonjour, Tinker!”

“Gyah!!” Propeller Knight’s sudden appearance almost made Tinker Knight lose his balance. He quickly steadied himself, taking extra care in not dropping the cloaked contraption in his arms, before glaring at his colleague. “Don't scare me like that!!”

“I'll be more careful next time.” Propeller moved to stand next to Tinker. The warm light reflected by his golden helmet hinted at the arrival of sundown. “So, is my little mechanic going well?”

“I am, thank you.” He tried not to make it obvious that he was wincing under his mask. “I was just on my way to the ship. You can fly with me, if you want.”

“Hmm…” The other knight stared at him thoughtfully, hand under his chin. “Yes, yes, you seem light enough,” he replied.

“What do you meAN-!?” he startled after Propeller Knight wrapped an arm around him, then took off. “AAH!!”

He flew past the ladder and landed on the Flying Machine’s deck, where some of his crew members were waiting. This shortcut saved them a lot of time, but Tinker Knight had other concerns at the moment.

“That was NOT safe!!” he exclaimed angrily, looking up at his unexpected transporter. “You should have warned me first!”

“Well, what else were you expecting? Did you not ask to fly with me?”

Tinker Knight sighed: he wondered if he would have any patience left by the end of this. “With my gear. You with your blades and me with my GEAR.”

“Really now! You ought to be more specific! If anything, you should be grateful for that experience,” Propeller Knight replied haughtily before staring down at the hills, where Tinker’s mobile gear had been left. He asked one of his crew members to go pick it up, then turned back to look at his guest. “…that aside, would you like some juice?” he asked.

Tinker Knight thought for a second. A glass of juice would help him get through the rest of the day… a good beer would do the trick, too… but he couldn’t accept it. Not on a Tuesday evening. Especially not when he had to finalize some blueprints tonight.

“No, no thank you. I'm just here to test what I built,” he said as he put down the cloaked invention on a nearby stool.

“Hoh! I’m not surprised, you’re quite the responsible type. Now, tell me, what do you have in store for me today?” asked Propeller Knight, slightly bending down to watch Tinker Knight take off the cover.

“This is a rocket-propelled frame,” he stated rather pridefully. “It is highly experimental, especially since I only finished building it two days ago, but I’ve done enough safety checks for real-life applications. Are you still willing to participate?”

“Why, yes, bien sûr! I’ll be glad to take the risk.” Propeller carefully picked up the contraption and gave it back to his colleague.

“Let’s start, then,” he replied, stepping on the stool.

Propeller Knight crouched to let Tinker install the add-on. “So, tell me more about this highly experimental frame,” he inquired.

Tinker Knight immediately began talking with that kind of liveliness that always seemed to possess him whenever he talked about machinery. “You see, I decided to utilize rockets because I thought it would be interesting to have this sort of dual system. You said that you primarily enjoyed the freedom and adrenaline that flying provides you, so I knew that it would fit perfectly with your needs and expectations. The powerful engines will let you ascend at high speeds for a limited period of time, and when you run out of fuel, you can always rely on the original helmet as you normally do.” He had already started to fasten the frame’s bolts with his wrench. “How did you get it, by the way?”

“I commissioned it from another inventor. She was a rather charming mademoiselle, I must say: very practical, and quite cute.” Propeller Knight couldn’t help but recall another one of his flings. “Just like you!”

“Well, her work still holds strong!” His wrenching slowed down as he processed the sky captain’s casual compliment. “...I'm not cute, though. I'm a grown man, not a child.”

Propeller Knight seemed amused by this reply. “Ho ho hoh! I did not mean cute like a child!”

“Right…” Tinker Knight was never really good at telling the difference between ‘attractive’ cute and ‘adorable wittle helpless toddler’ cute. When people called him that, he just assumed they meant the latter. Maybe things have changed since he went from a baby-faced scholar to a battle-hardened knight. His tough and utilitarian welding mask didn’t scream ‘adorable’ to him, but you never know what’s going on in other people’s heads. Too confusing. Just say ‘hot’ or something. That’s much simpler.

“Really now, a child… do you think I would offer juice to a child?” he added.

Was it the other knight’s bottomless charm, or was it his validating implication? Either way, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t blushing. “…hm. Good point.” Maybe he can be ‘attractive’ cute after all. Nice.

A little less than a minute later, Propeller Knight was fully ready for the test flight. He took off, blowing away everything around him: those rocket engines really were powerful.

Tinker Knight got back up, then laughed excitedly as he watched him soar. It worked! It really worked! Not many feelings can compare to the joy of seeing one of his inventions used as intended with no problems for the first time… which is why he couldn’t rejoice too much. He had to recompose himself until he was 100% sure that everything worked well. In other words, he couldn’t celebrate until Propeller landed back on the deck in one piece.

…which he did!

“Oh ho ho ho hoh hoh!!” He struck a pose as soon as his feet met the ground. His enthusiasm was dangerously contagious. “How THRILLING!! How DELIGHTFUL!! That was MERVEILLEUX, Tinker!!”

“Thank you, thank you!!” The engineer quickly re-recomposed himself. “…I mean, glad to have been of help!”

“With our talents combined, the Order of No Quarter will surely prosper beyond our expectations!”

“I know it will!”

And with that done, they gave each other their farewells before going back to their usual tasks. Once Tinker Knight arrived at the Clockwork Tower, he looked back at the Flying Machine.

Propeller Knight was definitely among of the friendliest knights he had ever met. If everyone else turned out to be like him, surely the Order of No Quarter had the potential of becoming a force of good no matter who ruled it. Surely…

…

***

Joining the Order didn’t leave Tinker Knight much time to socialize. He may have been used to staying cooped up in his tower, but even then, his hyper-focus didn’t stop him from going out into town. He had materials to buy, people to help, problems to solve. Thanks to Drill Knight’s charm, his gig with the Hexcavators ended up cementing him as the Valley’s most brilliant engineer.

…then, it all plummeted down.

The Enchantress put Tinker Knight to work as soon as she could. Before he knew it, his personal life was almost gone. Whenever he’d skip meals, forget to drink, stay up late or labour away at his workshop for hours at a time, it was no longer out of carelessness. He used to wonder if his mistress was burdening him with this unreasonable workload on purpose, maybe as some sort of punishment or manipulation tactic. In hindsight, the answer was always obvious.

He wanted to be kind to his loyal employees, but he couldn’t dare to wonder what they thought of him after all those sleep-deprived outbursts. He wanted to keep helping the townspeople, but he didn’t know if he could show his mask around them ever again. He wanted to properly befriend the other knights, but… god. They were all so condescending.

…well, same old. Nothing else for him to do than to keep doing what he was good at: thinking about machines, designing machines and building machines.

Without warning, Propeller Knight kicked the door open.

“Tinker!! This is all so désastreux!!” The faint shouting of employees could be heard in the background.

Sigh. Another interruption. Why won’t anyone let him do his job in peace? Tinker Knight turned away from his work bench to glare at the intruder. “Ugh, what is it?! This ought to be-”

“My beautiful Flying Machine!” Propeller ran over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. “She is malfunctioning in so many areas! I don’t know where to start!”

Only now did the frustrated inventor start processing the situation. “What?! Wh- whuh- how bad is it?! Are you harmed?! And your crew! Are they-”

“No time to waste! We have to go there posthaste!”

The sky captain ripped Tinker Knight away from his dim workshop as soon as he grabbed his toolbox, running through the hallway while the latter tried to reassure his workers.

“I’m fine! Just a thing I have to fix! You can go back to work now, I’ll be fine!” He then directed his words towards Propeller Knight. “Not yet, you fool! I still need to grab my gEAR-!!!”

They watched as their boss disappeared out of the window, carried by his lunatic gyroscopic gentleman of an associate.

Tinker Knight immediately noticed the problem as the two approached the Flying Machine, which appeared to be stuck slowly spinning into place. Moreover, a few of its paddles were rowing uncontrollably, and one of its large propellers seemed to be working at suboptimal capacity. What a strange sight.

“Do you, uh… know what could have caused this?”

“Hoh, my crew and I are still trying to find the culprit! I reckon it must be a sabotage, perhaps of the magic kind, or simply some incredible bad luck. I was relaxing in my quarters when it happened, so I can’t say for sure.”

Tinker Knight hummed in acknowledgement. Then, Propeller Knight landed on the ship and let go of him.

“You can start with the helm,” he said. “It will be more simple without all the movement.”

“CAPTAIN!!” A Hoverhaft flew urgently towards said captain before half-whispering something to him.

“...ah mais putain,” he muttered in response. An almost comical break from his usual grandiose tone of voice. Tinker didn't bother asking him what putain meant. “I’ll be back in a minute, Tinker! I just need to verify something.”

He nodded, then watched as the both of them flew away inside the ever-spinning ship. It probably wasn’t as dizzying for them when they could just stay above the floor like that.

While Tinker Knight was fixing the steering mechanism, he could hear some muffled voices coming from the room below.

“Ouste!! Ouste!! Hands off my ship, you meddling pest!” Sounds like Propeller Knight did find the culprit after all.

“But I’m boooored!” …who is that? Some kind of ghost?

“Bored, you say?” A small pause. “Ah, you three right there! Come entertain that undead rascal for me, will you? I’ll go get Specter Knight later so he can deal with this.”

“Gotcha, Captain! Wheeee!!”

***

His repair ended up taking longer than expected. Once he finally found the problem, Tinker fixed it and steered the ship back to its usual position… only for it to start moving again.

…

…

…

…of course! The paddles!

Luckily, the Flying Machine was spinning at a much slower pace now, making it easier to ignore. While he was going downstairs, he happened upon Propeller Knight standing in the doorway of another room.

“Shall I go get Specter Knight now?”

The engineer quietly peeked inside the room. Two Hover Meanies, a Hoverhaft and an Invisishade were gathered around a poker table.

“We’re in no rush, Captain!”

“Yes, Captain! We promised Shade we’d play UNO after that!”

“Hmm… I raise, Captain.” The Hoverhaft threw some chips into the pot.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the whole room (including Propeller Knight, who had decided to sit in one of the chairs) started exclaiming wildly as the Invisishade went all in.

…that’s enough spectating. He had a job to do.

After going further downstairs and passing by the cannons (which he actually upgraded a few weeks ago), Tinker Knight took note of the automatic rowers. He cheered up a little once he spotted all the malfunctioning ones, relieved that he wouldn’t have to search any further.

***

Another repair done, one more to go.

He climbed back upstairs, going past the cannons once again. Tinker kept forgetting that those cannons he worked on were firing at civilians only a few days earlier. He had gotten so eerily comfortable with his role… the naively hopeful Tinker Knight from back then would have tried in vain to prevent this.

As for the bitter and spiteful Tinker Knight, who never really left…

…no. No amount of resentment should justify this. And yet, he fixed those cannons. He fixed every single part of the Enchantress’ army that he could fix. And he’ll keep fixing them over and over again like the tool he had become.

He shouldn’t be having those vengeful, immature thoughts. They meant nothing right now. He wasn’t in control. He never was.

The beautiful sunset made him snap back to reality. It had been a while since he went to the Flying Machine during the evening… the view was always at its best during this hour.

He looked over at the giant propeller: his last repair. Tinker opened the engine with cautious optimism, then went to work.

***

The little engineer adjusted his gloves. Finally… everything was back to normal.

He almost didn’t notice Propeller Knight practicing his fencing behind him. Once the latter realized that he had an audience, he began to show off with flashy maneuvers that would be rather impractical in an actual fight… though, as cocky as he looked right now, it did make for an impressive show of skills. Finally, he caught his rapier and struck an extravagant pose.

Tinker Knight politely clapped, then stared over at the rest of the ship. Somehow, he couldn’t stay satisfied. Did he even repair that steering mechanism properly? If he only had to fix some of the paddles, who’s to say that the others won’t malfunction soon? In the end, the only thing waiting for him was more work, be it on land, in the air, in the water…

“Tinker!” Propeller walked towards him and leaned over. Or was it another pose? Either way, whatever he was doing looked dashing yet casual, befitting his natural allure. “Thank you for your help! I suppose you’ll need a transport?” he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

“Mhh. I still need to wait.”

“What for?”

“I just…” Tinker Knight got up and tried in vain to verbalize his feelings without showing too much vulnerability. “I can’t just leave now, I… I need to make sure that it's all good.” He started pacing around the deck. “If I don’t, then I will have to pause my task and get back here and waste more time and hope that the ship won’t crash or- AHH!” He tripped and fell down, then stayed there. His fingers curled up angrily: he was getting close to his limit.

When he looked up, he saw Propeller Knight kneeling down and extending a hand towards him. Tinker Knight seemed to hesitate for a bit, but eventually, he took it.

“Tinker, Tinker, Tinker…” said Propeller while helping him up. “If anything goes awry, it’ll be nothing serious, I am sure. Take a break for once! You don't have to prove yourself all the time!”

“I don't have a choice.” Tinker Knight hated being cared for like that.

“Of course you do,” he replied with a pat on his shoulder.

“I said: I don't have a choice.” His voice was firm and tense. He could’ve gotten up himself, like he always does.

“It’s just a matter of thinking, mon petit ami-”

“FUCK!!!” he yelled out, pushing Propeller Knight away. “What do you know?! I don’t get to play games or waste my time in the sky or just sit back and get praised like you do!! YOU DON’T GET IT!!!” He buried his head in his hands, frustrated and embarrassed.

Not a sound could be heard after that, except for stunned silence.

Propeller Knight took a few seconds to re-compose himself after that unexpected outburst.

“...here, why not have some juice to relax?” He carefully tapped his shoulder, directing him to some sort of outside sitting area.

Tinker Knight nodded. They started walking towards it together.

“It’s my treat. I should not have pushed you this far,” added Propeller Knight, softly.

“...”

Once the two of them were sat down, he asked a question. “Red or white? Do you fancy any particular flavour profile?”

The other shook his head.

Propeller looked back, but before he could say anything, Tinker Knight spoke again.

“I trust your pick.”

He nodded, then shouted: “Garçon! Bring out the Merlot! I would like two glasses, please. One for me, and one for our guest.”

“On it, Captain!”

A few minutes later, the two knight were clinking their juice glasses.

“Cheers, friend!”

“Cheers.”

Propeller Knight drank from his glass and sighed in admiration. “Ahh… even when the sun is down, the sky looks as gorgeous as he always does! L’heure dorée, l’heure bleu… they are all delightful.”

He tried not to laugh as Tinker Knight quietly repeated those foreign words. “Loor dow-ray, loor bleugh… what do they mean?”

“The golden hour and the blue hour. This is how you call the time before and after the sunset respectively.” He gestured towards the sky. “See how the sky is a deeper blue, but still a little bright? We are in the blue hour.”

“Huh…” What a nice phenomenon. Maybe he could find a way to experiment with that… that is, when he has the time to let his mind run free again. “That’s nice. I like the blue hour,” he said, then took a sip of juice.

“I do too.” Though it couldn’t be seen, he was smiling.

Neither of them spoke as they took in the view. Silence was an odd look for the boisterous Propeller Knight, but not too ill-fitting.

Tinker Knight’s eyes fell on the settlements below them. He felt a twinge of melancholy. “…do you miss them?” he asked, out of the blue.

This seemed to disconcert Propeller Knight more than it should have. “...miss who?”

Tinker wanted to ask him about this odd reaction, but decided to respect his private business and continue his thoughts. “The folks of these lands.”

“Oh! Yes, yes, the people of the land! I see them all the time, and yet… they are all so far away. I see what you mean.”

“It’s a shame, right?”

“A real shame!” He drank some more juice, then reflected a bit more on their conversation. “Ahh… I am starting to dislike this situation more and more. All business, no fun, no more soirées… my Flying Machine, she has lost her gaiety ever since. I would much rather be entertaining lively party goers than transporting morose soldiers!” He sighed, frustrated. “I have all the sky to myself, yes, but sometimes, I… wonder if I neglected the land too much.”

“…I get that. I spend so much time with my tools and bots these days, and I- I should feel good, but…” but he doesn’t.

“You feel it too, n’est-ce-pas? We do the same thing that we love to do, and yet, it feels so different.” He stirred his glass thoughtfully. “I am not a caged bird, but not a free one either. A homing pigeon, if you will… though, I would rather call myself something more chic, like an elegant dove.” he added with a chuckle.

“Mhm… yes, I feel it too,” said Tinker Knight in response. “I just… I wish I could be more good to all of, uhh…” He yawned, then neglected to finish his half-baked sentence. “and have that spark back, too, but I… I can't, you know?”

This seemed to lighten up Propeller Knight. “Ho ho hoh! I see the juice relaxed you a little too much! Or perhaps my ramblings put you to sleep?” he joked.

“Mmh…” He tried to rub his eyes, but his welding mask got in the way. “…’s not you… I had a long day.”

“Are you ready to go home?”

He thought for a moment. “…Not yet. I should, but… I like it here.”

“Then you can stay here for as long as you want.”

Tinker Knight muttered a ‘thank you’ before taking another sip of his juice. He knew that this moment couldn’t last forever, and he was fine with that. Keeping it as a memory was enough for him. Next morning, he’d wake up and look out of the window to see the Flying Machine floating as always. Only this time, he found a certain comfort in that sight.

Chapter Text

What happens if the molehill becomes a mountain?

Tinker Knight first met Mole Knight during his Hexcavator days, but they wouldn't talk that often. He didn’t have anything personal against the guy, they just… never really clicked.

…how much did he know about him, even?

As he made his way towards the Lost City, he recalled one of their conversations from back then, seeking some kind of answer to keep his train of thought chugging.

***

It was the end of a rather calm work day – Spore Knight must have outdone herself this time.

Sausage cooker in hand, Tinker Knight gazed at the evening sky, nearly losing himself in the comforting chorus of crickets mixed with the crackle of fire. His neck was starting to hurt, so he took the opportunity to check on his food.

Hmm… not quite done yet. He’ll give it an estimate of two more minutes. Might be a good time to use his timer.

His gaze fell on Mole Knight, who was warming himself up by the campfire. That guy always seemed so full of himself for someone who never builds anything… but the peaceful atmosphere was putting him in a jovial mood, so maybe he should put his preconceived notions aside and talk to him.

“What do you plan to do with our prize?” asked Tinker.

Mole Knight took his attention away from the flames and looked over at his tiny coworker. That guy always seemed so full of himself for someone who doesn’t dig on a digging mission… but this cozy evening was putting him in a convivial mood, so maybe he should put his preconceived notions aside and reply to him.

“That treasure is more like our pay to me. I’m in it for the dig,” he affirmed.

“Me too. I’m here to solve things… and test my skills, while I’m at it.”

“Your digging skills?”

“No, no. I don’t dig, I build. This kind of task needs a lot of plans, and the right tech. That’s why I joined.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

And they had nothing left to say to each other.

Tinker Knight began reflecting on his current mission. He probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for his hard work. It almost felt like yesterday since he started his new life as a freelance engineer, and calling himself a knight was something he could only dream of a decade ago. How lucky he was to be able to do his dream job, and to have the opportunity to develop his talents instead of letting them go to waste. He could almost forget the goal of this excavation: the journey was so much more fulfilling.

Ding!

Oh! Looks like that sausage is finally done!

He considered offering it to Mole Knight, but decided against it after seeing him open a box of jelly-filled donuts: he must’ve had his dinner already.

…also, he would rather eat his meal earlier than give it to someone who didn’t seem to appreciate the art of mechanical engineering all that much.

Oh well. It’s not like he needed to become friends with every single Hexcavator; even a neutral relationship is enough for efficient teamwork.

***

Tinker Knight wasn’t surprised to see a few familiar faces in the Order of No Quarter, as this land is home to many errant knights. Working with another former Hexcavator was very much possible.

It could’ve been Drill Knight. They both had experience with engineering, and he could have been able to further hone his skills alongside his former boss.

It could’ve been Scrap Knight. She already showed interest in working with him again, and her penchant for knickknacks could have helped with his inventions.

It could’ve been Spore Knight. She's shorter than him.

It could’ve been Hive Knight. Didn't he ask him to invent a double-sided net once? You know, for twice the catching? At least that's something.

But no. It just had to be Mole Knight. The one he knew the least. The one who rudely got in the way of his escape and fought him not once, but twice, when they got stuck in the Mirror of Fate. The one who, as it turns out, really is that full of himself.

He just digs. That’s it. Nothing to be so insufferably proud of.

Once Tinker Knight arrived at his destination, he got off his mobile gear and carefully inched down the rope leading inside the tunnels. Halfway through his descent, he saw that Mole Knight was already waiting for him. The excavating expert stopped tapping his claws on his clipboard after noticing his colleague.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“...I need to build a thing here. That’s what the boss said.”

“What thing? I need details.”

“A magma furnace to smelt more metal for the weapons. My factory is already witnessing a lack of resources; our current smelting methods are not efficient enough.” He missed his giant forge in the Smeltworks. Being able to melt down whatever he wanted whenever he wanted made up more than enough for the sweltering heat.

“Oh… you’re the guy they sent for that.” He briefly looked at his schedule, then back at his coworker. “Well then, let’s get to work.”

Who else was he expecting? They’re on the same team, and he’s the engineer of the group. Why wouldn’t he be the one to do that task? Despite all these questions nagging at him, he went with a much shorter response. “Right.”

He followed him deeper into the ruins. The atmosphere was tense. Uncomfortably tense. They hadn’t talked since the mirror incident, and Mole Knight still seemed bitter about his losses. They haven’t talked about everything that happened with the Enchantress, either… at least that’s something they can both relate to.

Tinker sighed. “She got us, huh?” he said, unable to stand the silence anymore.

“Mhm, it’s a real shame. No time for these questions, we’re here,” replied Mole, curtly.

Rude… though, the little inventor would be lying if he said his tone was any friendlier. He inspected the place: a moderately-sized open cavern, most likely picked for its nearby magma pools. It offered a view into a larger chamber with ruins from a bygone era scattered over the ground and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Looking out into it made him feel like he was at the second floor of an open below room. “Mhm… I can work with this.”

“I dug it specifically for this project! If you need me to clear anything else from that area, don’t hesitate to let me know so we can schedule a time for it,” he said, rather pridefully. It seemed as if he was about to go back to his task… but then, he added something else. “Before you start, just know that these are my mines and you'll have to follow my rules. I’m the boss here, not you. Got it?”

“Got it.” His response sounded appropriately peeved. Always so bossy… he became even bossier since the last time they worked together. And by that, he meant the excavation, not the mirror situation where he refused to be useful and picked a fight with him. TWICE!!

“Now, get on with it! That furnace won’t build itself.”

Tinker Knight grumbled something back under his breath while taking out his ruler.

“And no backtalk.” Mole Knight added, right before leaving… for real, this time.

He responded with an indignant hum. Whatever. He’s dealt with enough patronizing morons in his life to know how to roll with them.

***

It took Tinker Knight a few days to build the furnace. Progress started a little slowly since he also had an upgrade to work on for Propeller Knight’s Heli-Helmet, but it didn’t take long for his task at the Lost City to take priority in his schedule.

He carefully examined his handiwork, making sure not to miss a single detail. After all, magma is a dangerous material to work with. Proper insulation? Check. Adequate pressure? Check. Everything seemed to meet his safety requirements. If his calculations were right, the magma furnace should work as intended… the only way to be sure, though, is to test it.

Mole Knight peeked into the room at the exact same time as yesterday. Since the Lost Ruins were his self-proclaimed territory, he made sure to oversee this project on a regular basis. “How’s progress?” he asked.

“Good, I’ll be done soon. I just need to dig through some things.”

Mole Knight stared at his colleague. He wants to dig? Isn’t that his thing? Does he even like digging? Can he do it as well as HE does? “…I can do that for you, you know?” He told him that already, didn't he?

“I know, but I think it's best if I do it on my own.”

“Pff- HAHAHAHA HA!!” The clawed foreman couldn’t help but guffaw. “You?! On your own?! With your stubby little pseudo-claws?! Have you looked at yourself?! HAHAHA HA HA!! HAHA!!”

“Well, not quite on my own…” Suddenly, the Tinker Tank burst through one of the walls. Mole Knight instinctively recoiled.

“I’ll use my mech.” He stood a bit more confidently.

The other knight looked back and forth between the wall and the machine. “How did you- ?!?”

“…but you get the point. I should get back to work now.” Tinker started climbing on his mech. “You won’t have to wait too long, so you can just stay here and watch to make sure it all goes well.”

Mole Knight agreed, though he couldn’t help but bristle at that statement: who is he to tell him what to do in his own tunnels?! Even with that aside, having Tinker do the digging just didn't sit right with him. Seriously! That's HIS thing!! And he has the nerve to butcher it with his weird drill-lance fusion right under his nose? Right in front of the most renowned digger of these parts?! Why not ask HIM?!

He wanted to tell him off so badly, but they both agreed not to let their disagreements get in the way of work. So, he forced himself to stand there and watch in silence.

…well, that last part may have been a bit of a lie.

“He's compensating,” he told two of his Molers. Both of them responded with a squeaky giggle.

“Wha-?! Hey!! I heard that, dirt man!” the other knight shouted down from his tank.

“Good! Want me to say it again?” Mole Knight put his hands (paws?) on both sides of his helmet to amplify his voice. “I told them that you were COMPENSATING!” he shouted back, his remark accompanied by more giggles from his workers.

“Well you…! You’ve got big claws, so there! Haha!” Tinker then went back to his task, but Mole wouldn’t let him have the last word.

“I'm not short and wimpy with flimsy fingernails like you, pal, that’s not how the saying-”

“Well, I think there is more to it. Do you not like your real claws? I bet they’re all small and frail! That’s why you use-”

“You’re just projecting, you quarter pint twerp! Admit it!”

“Of course not, I don’t have claws! Are you dense?! And I’m NOT a twerp!! You clod!!”

“Get outta-”

“And!! I’m AT LEAST a quart!!”

“Get out of that mech so I can SHOW YOU WHO’S THE BOSS HERE!!”

“Aww, why should I? Are you scared? Is my mech too big and strong for you?! Is it-”

“FINE!! Fight me WITH the mech! See if that makes a difference!!” His flames were burning brighter and brighter by the second.

“It WILL!”

They continued shouting over each other as Tinker Knight haphazardly turned his tank to face Mole Knight. “I’ll show you the TRUE MIGHT OF MY SKILLS!!”

Mole Knight dove into the ground with a swift digging manoeuvre, then shot out of the wall with a lunging motion.

“And I’ll teach YOU TO RESPECT MY CAVES AND MY AUTHORITY!!”

Before Tinker Knight could react, he found himself knocked off his mech and pinned down by an angry mole man. He took out his wrench and wacked his claws furiously. “Let go of me!! You… You mud fiend!!”

Mole Knight snickered. “Not so mighty now, are y- AGH!” His response was interrupted by said wrench getting thrown at his visor. He picked it up and carelessly chucked it back at him, making sure not to loosen his grasp on the other knight. The latter reacted with a yelp, then… burst out laughing?

Mole seemed perplexed. He didn’t hit his head that hard, did he? Was that a mistake? “...what? Why are you laughing?!”

“What a fool you are! You think my mech can’t fight on its own?” He replied before looking over the other's shoulder. The Tinker Tank was about to run into the furnace pipes, which would distract Mole Knight long enough for Tinker to escape and retaliate. It might also cause a total collapse.

His smug demeanor slowly turned into dread as he came to that realization.

Oh no.

He was winning the fight… at the cost of everything that actually mattered.

“...wait. Mole Knight-” he tried in vain to break free, agitated once more.

Mole Knight turned to look at the ever-advancing machine in horror. “What do you think you’re DOING?!”

“Throw me up there!! I can fix this!” he shouted, still struggling against his grasp.

“Not a chance! You’ll only make things worse!!” He said as he ran over to the tank and tried to pull it away from its trajectory, to no avail. Tinker Knight, now free from the other’s grasp, rushed over to him.

“Quick, quick!!! I NEED TO GET UP-”

But it was too late. The two knights could do nothing but watch as the mech rammed into the furnace, causing a tremor. They did their best to shield themselves from the minor rockfall while waiting for things to settle down.

The dust gradually cleared, revealing before them a few badly damaged pipes surrounded by debris.

Tinker Knight resisted the urge to sigh from fear of breathing in too many rock particles. Looks like his mech still needed improvements. He ought to tune up the autopilot and remote control system.

He turned to Mole Knight, who’s flames had only just stopped sputtering and smoking. It wasn’t long before they were both looking at each other, still stunned from what had just happened.

“I don’t have-” they both said at the same time. Brief pause.

The smaller knight looked back at the damaged furnace dejectedly. “…I don’t have time for this.”

Mole frowned as he calculated the impact and delay in schedule that this disaster just caused. “…neither do I.”

“...”

“I’ll clear the rubble while you fix the furnace.”

“Sounds good.”

And just like that, they went from being at each other’s throats to working as a team in less than an hour. If they could cooperate as Hexcavators, surely they could cooperate as knights of the Order of No Quarter. It’s not like they had a choice: after all, the Enchantress was much less merciful than Drill Knight was.

And yet, working alongside Mole Knight in these circumstances seemed to genuinely bring the two of them closer. Soon enough, they were exchanging high fives and celebrating the newly built magma furnace together. Was it the task division? Their common goal? Their shared predicament, maybe?

Tinker Knight thought back once again to the fight they had in the mirror… yep. Probably the first one.

Nevertheless, if he could get along with Mole Knight, surely he could get along with the rest of the Order. If he could get along with the rest of the Order, surely he could influence them to rule as kindly as they could. Surely he could turn the situation around, like he always did. Surely…

***

…well. That could have gone better.

Once the earthquake had stopped, Tinker Knight went back to his temporary workshop in the Smeltworks. The tremors were one of the biggest problems he had to solve for this excavation; he couldn't stop them from happening, but he could reinforce everyone's bases. This near-collapse, however, was strong enough to make him worry about his tools.

Everything felt like a dream. A bad, bad dream. It only took one careless decision for a moment of luck to turn for the worst.

The engineer knew about this powerful weapon buried underground – that’s what their whole heist was about! – but he never thought that it would turn against them, let alone be sentient.

God, that was… so stupid of them.

He put anything that fell back in its place as he continued to reflect on all the events that led to this moment.

It's okay. Shovel Knight defeated the threat. He sealed it back in the amulet. The danger was neutralized. All is well. Everything is back to normal.

That knight, he… defeated him, too. Tinker Knight thought that his defenses were too strong for anyone to bother him, but now, he realized that he had a lot of progress to do. They both put up a good fight, yes, but there is always room for improvement. Despite Shovel Knight having been an active nuisance to their excavation, he almost wanted to thank him for making him remember that fact… and for saving them, of course.

…

Speaking of reinforcements, it’s a miracle how well this pit is holding up without the Stones of Fate. The deeper levels are definitely beyond saving, but this workshop was still usable. He wondered if the Gemstones’ power was still present, in some way… maybe in the form of shards, or some sort of magic residue. Were they even destroyed in the first place? Whenever he tried to recall what happened, the only thing that came to mind was an orange-tinted blur. Either way, staying here would be too unsafe. He shouldn’t push this chance to retrieve his valuable tools and research. As he gathered his belongings, however, he came across a particularly large blueprint that he recognized immediately.

‘Tinker Tank’ is what he decided to call it. A derivative of his magma submarine designed for combat on land. It was a rather recent project, started right after his fight with Shovel Knight.

He examined it with a strange keenness.

The look of surprise on that blue burrower’s face…

…

Tinker Knight shook his head. He had no business left to do here. This dig site was tainted. It was time for him to pack his things and leave.

…

…ugh.

He should have tried harder to warn the boss…

He felt so helpless, stuck in that crystal prison, forced to watch the fruits of his labour go to waste… after everything that they’ve done…

He felt much too helpless. He could almost get ill from it.

He should’ve… he should’ve, he should’ve…

…

…

He eagerly grabbed the blueprint and hung it on the wall. This was a terrible place to start building his new machine, but inspiration took hold of him, and he could never break away from its beautiful yet vicious grasp. Inopportunity be damned, he had to make it NOW.

This will be his biggest weapon yet. With enough work, no one will be able to stop him.

No one to get in his way. No one to make a fool out of him.

The look of surprise on that blue burrower’s face… he wanted to see it again. To turn all the ridicule on its head made him feel so strong, so clever… he needed more. He had to go further. Maybe then, those arrogant bastards with their patronizing praises and their condescending comments would finally learn to respect-

Tinker Knight lightly hit his forehead. Calm down. Calm down, now. He couldn’t get too carried away, lest he forget the actual goal of this project. This is for defense. This is to keep intruders from thwarting his plans.

Despite everything, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little: what is he, now, some kind of evil genius? What would he even gain from that?

And so, he dismissed those thoughts and worked on making his Tinker Tank a reality, building it up piece by piece. Everything seemed to be going well, until…

SPLASH!

The sudden sound almost made him jump. Charflounders don’t make that big of a splash… a chill went down his spine as he realized that he may have overestimated the structural integrity of this well.

He ran out of his workshop to investigate, only to find someone… swimming in the magma pools? Should he be worried? That person didn’t seem too distressed, they seemed… hold on-

Is that MOLE KNIGHT?!

What is he doing here? Why is he red now?! Who on Earth just goes from swimming in water to swimming in molten rock?! …is it his armour? What kind of material is it made of? Where could he get some?

All these questions, and yet, he never got to ask any of them.

Instead, he stood there and watched as Mole spun out of his backstroke to do a butterfly stroke. Looks like he’s adapting pretty quickly to this new consistency.

…wait, why did he care? He has better things to do with his time than watch someone swim. It’s not like he’ll ever see that guy again, anyway… right?

***

When Tinker Knight woke up yesterday, he thought that he had everything under control. He was supposed to do his usual maintenance checks, assemble a few machines, grab some lead, get some spare tin from Plague Knight, go to the magma furnace to make solder, assemble more machines, work on his Tinker Tank for just a little bit (as a treat) and draw up blueprints for the rest of the day. Furthermore, he had a backup plan in case Plague didn’t have enough tin.

When he arrived at the Lost City, however, he found out that the furnace was no longer in working order. And when he went back to the Clockwork Tower to get his toolbox, his employees notified him that the Enchantress had just placed another order. Once he went over the details, he realized that he needed to melt down a lot of metal for it. And when he finally finished the blueprints for said order, it was already 2:40 AM.

Long story short, he now had to fix a giant magma furnace first thing in the morning on three hours of sleep.

Should’ve made another backup plan. He knew that one wasn’t enough…

Tinker Knight sighed. Why? Why did it have to happen now? Why not later? Is this another devious plan from his cruel boss, or is this just some incredible bad luck? It’s been getting harder and harder to tell these days…

He made his way to the furnace room, where Mole Knight met him on the way out. He told him that the problem may have stemmed from “potential goo contamination” then walked away without further explanation. The engineer didn’t dare ask for more info; his coworker seemed rather stressed out already.

So, he decided to turn off the magma pump, drain the pipes, and…

The low, worrying clunk that followed awoke Tinker Knight a little bit more. Sounds like some kind of blockage. This might be where the “potential goo contamination” comes in.

That pipe was filled with magma; dismantling it would be too risky. Were his brain rested enough, he probably would’ve found a solution to this by now… but since it wasn’t rested enough, he saw no other option.

Once Tinker Knight figured out where the blockage was, he unscrewed the pipe, removed a solidified ball of goo… then promptly yelped and stepped back as the flowing magma nearly seared his apron.

He was left staring at the defective machine, trying his best to figure out how this kind of thing could have happened. He looked down at the green glob in his hands.

The only way that this kind of foreign object could’ve gotten in is through the source.

With that line of reasoning, he walked over to the magma pools connected to the furnace and found the problem: the area was infested with green mushrooms. A glob of goo must’ve hardened before falling into the pools. How? Tinker had no idea. He was an inventor, not a mycologist. If only Spore Knight were here…

Even without that kind of oddity, this was bad news: how can a magma furnace function optimally if its source keeps solidifying into goo at random intervals?

The idea of asking for permission first didn’t even cross his tired mind as he began plucking the problematic mushrooms.

***

It took him a while, but he was finally done.

Now, Tinker Knight could finally reassemble the pipe.

Soon, this whole thing will be finally over.

He removed the igneous rocks that had formed where that puddle of spilled magma once was, turned on the pump and waited for everything to go back to normal.

Then, from another pipe further away…

clunk

…

…

His head was already starting to hurt.

***

Between the unexpected rock slide and the myriad of problems that came out of it, Mole Knight thought he would never have enough time for his supervising duties as he went from clearing the rubble to checking on a few injured workers to carrying health potions back and forth. Once everything was back in working order, he finally got enough time to check on his colleague.

Tinker Knight’s movements had slowed down to a crawl. God, he felt so useless in this state.

The excavator watched him as he sat on his knees and fastened a bolt with the kind of lethargy that didn’t fit the kind of man who had to repair a furnace instead of dealing with a mining accident. “Pah!! You think you can slack off on my watch? Don’t be so dramatic!"

Slowly at first, then almost immediately, Tinker Knight collapsed onto the pipe. He wanted to cry. How did he even end up in this situation? Why couldn't he have kept fighting for his independence? Why did he have to give up? Why did his job feel like such a slog now?

Mole Knight realized that, amidst all the stress and strain, he might have judged the other knight a bit too harshly. “…Tinker?”

He responded with a shaky sigh. “I… I can still do this, just… give me some time,” he said while getting back up. “Leave for a while, then come back. If I’m passed out, please wake me up. You can go now.”

“...” Mole seemed to think for a moment. “We’re having a hot tub break soon, so hang in there for now,” he said before leaving.

Tinker Knight turned his attention back to his task. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel like crying anymore. His tiredness, however, was catching up to him…

So… he decided to rest his eyes… for just a… tiny little while…

***

“BREAK TIME! BREAK TIME EVERYONE!”

The engineer awoke in a panic once he realized that he hadn’t made any progress on the repair since he ‘rested his eyes.’ He turned to Mole Knight and tried to string together an explanation with his half-asleep mind.

“The-! The-! I just- I had to… do-! But then-! But, uh, but- but then I-!! Then it-!!!”

Somehow, his coworker seemed to understand what he was trying to say. “That’s alright. We don’t have much use for the furnace at the moment, so I’ll let you off scot-free.”

Tinker Knight tried his best to shake off his embarrassment, cleared his throat and gave a terse ‘thank you’ in return. That nap helped clear his head a little.

“Hot tub?” offered Mole.

“Sure.”

He got up, and the two of them started walking out of the cavern.

“Next time you come here, you better be well-rested! Sleep is important, you know?”

“I know what sleep is for. I’m not five.” Tinker dodged that first part. He couldn’t make any promises with the Enchantress giving him so much work to do.

“Yeah, yeah. Imagine if we could function without sleep, though.”

“…hm. That would be nice.”

“Think about all the work we could do…”

***

The air was ever-so-slightly thick with steam, but the bubbling of water was as clear as the sky peeking through the bridge above them.

Sitting at the far end of the hot tub, Tinker Knight allowed himself to indulge in this well-needed break. After a while, he looked over at Mole Knight and the handful of workers who joined him. His flames burned more gently than usual; watching them felt almost hypnotic.

Tinker subconsciously kept his distance from everyone: seeing those mole men all covered in fur and armour made him feel a little too exposed in comparison. Luckily, they didn’t seem very nosy.

“So… you bathe with your gear on?” he ended up asking his fellow knight. The sight of his blazing pauldrons being so carelessly close to the water was too intriguing to ignore.

“Sure do. It’s much more efficient that way, like a ‘two birds, one stone’ kind of deal. You should try it!”

He looked over at his pile of clothes in the corner and furrowed his brow at the idea of working in a thoroughly soaked outfit. The feeling of wet cloth clinging to his skin… eugh.

“...I don’t know. No thank you,” he responded before tilting his head back and going silent. After a few more minutes of taking in the moment, he spoke again. “…hey.”

“Mh?” Mole Knight turned his head to look at him.

“So, the whole thing with the boss… er, the new boss, I mean. How does it make you feel?”

Mole thought for a moment, then responded. “I’m just glad that she didn’t take my passion away from me. As long as I can dig, I’m happy. Even if I’d rather be the only one in charge.”

Tinker Knight wishes he could say the same.

The clawed foreman continued his thought. “…but I wouldn’t say that I’m pleased with our new employer. I still remember the first time I went back to that Tower of Fate. It all felt so weird… not even the normal kind of weird you’d expect from this situation.”

“You’re right.” Tinker Knight was sitting straight, too involved in the conversation to keep looking at the sky. “We’re back in the same base, but it feels so…”

“Wrong?”

“Yeah! Wrong…”

Neither of them could properly elaborate on it, but ‘wrong’ felt like the perfect word.

“In hindsight, I think it always felt wrong,” said Mole Knight. “Almost like some kind of warning… but how could we have noticed it?” How come they didn’t notice it? Was their greed really that strong?

“I think we all did, in some way, but we just shrugged it off. I guess we were doomed from the start.”

“We really were. That amulet couldn’t have stayed hidden forever: it was only a matter of time before someone else fell for the trap. I think that’s what happened, anyway. Or maybe the seal was too weak. Who knows?”

“We still dug it out in the end. To think that part of it was our fault…” Tinker Knight sighed. “…what fools we were. And now, we pay the price.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. As amazing of a digger Drill Knight is, he’s the one who messed with her. We were just doing our jobs.”

“…I mean, I did try to warn him-”

Mole Knight chuckled. “Don’t get too cocky now!”

He chuckled back. “What? I’m right!”

That brief lighthearted moment was quickly snuffed out by the reality of their predicament. Why were they laughing? This isn’t funny. None of this is funny. The whole Valley is under the rule of an ancient evil because of them.

Tinker Knight thought back to his time as a Hexcavator. Drill Knight didn’t flood him with work at the most inopportune moments. Drill Knight didn’t set impossible deadlines that left him sleeping at his desk so often. Drill Knight wasn’t exactly a law-abiding citizen, but…

“…he was a good boss,” he said out loud. And a good engineer, too.

“You’re telling me! I wonder what kind of work he’s up to right now.”

“Me too.” Tinker looked out into the rest of the cave. “…I miss those days. I kind of miss the old guys, too.”

“Same thing.”

A whole minute of silence passed before Mole Knight spoke again. “You like to build, right?”

“Just as much as you like to dig!”

“You better hope it’s a lot, then!” He laughed. “Just as I thought: we’re both passionate professionals, honing our respective crafts no matter what happens to us.”

“Mhm.” Tinker was looking over at Mole. “Is there a type of soil you like the most?”

“I’d say clay soil, but really, it depends on how I feel. Some days, I want to get the work done as fast as possible. Other days, I’d rather look for a challenge of my skills. Either way, I stick to the task at hand no matter what kind of soil I have to deal with. I’ve gained some experience with andisol now since I work inside a volcano. And then there were those diggable clouds in the pocket dungeon… what about you? What kind of machines do you like the most?”

“I like to design and manufacture many types of machines, but I've always been partial to automatons. I feel that they have a lot of unexplored potential, and seeing them come to life after you’ve poured so much time and effort into them is very rewarding. They can be more than just children’s toys, you see? Vehicles are very nice, too. Very useful and practical for everyday life. I have many examples for both of these categories… where should I start? How about-”

Maybe the two of them weren’t so different after all. Maybe they did click.