Chapter Text
Shades was sneaking around the long hallways. This was another one of their risky endeavours for which they had to pull some strings. Fortunatley, the hacker they found was willing to cooperate if they get a thing for him in return. Not to mention the attack on Zontopia was a perfect distraction for the homefront. It reduced the security because of army recruitment. As if the stars aligned and allowed them to rob the empire of it's most protected treasures. So now they are in the depths of the empire vault, squirming around and checking out each door, slowly filling their cloak with treasures. The hacker gave them a floor plan and shut down the cameras, in return they are to get him some chips from the vault.
And there they were, at the end of their quest, exiting the last vault room they had to visit before their pockets were filled, having safley stored the stolen chips in their pockets as their last treasure. But not everything was going as smoothly as planned... They heard footsteps from the end of the hall. It must be the guards. They already locked the last room they were in, it would take too long to unlock it again, the guards would come by and see them before they finish. So they ran as quietly as they could. Turning once, then twice, putting enough distance between them and oncoming guards to get just enough time to unlock some doors and hide in the room. They checked the list of daily codes the hacker gave them.
Lets see... Room 135. They placed a magnet on the lock, inserted the code into the side panel and rotated the magnet. Doors were open. They quickly entered as quietly as possible and closed the doors behind them.
But someone still heard them.
- GET OUT, I DON'T NEED ANOTHER CHECK UP!
A raspy voice on Shades's left was heard. ' A prisoner? ' Shades thought. They quickly scanned the room, searching for a place to hide before the guards arrive to enquire about the noise. On firsth glance, It was a simple relativley nice bedroom. And its inhabitant - a Warulandian. In a hurry, Shades gestured to him to keep quiet as they quickly and silently jumped into the closet.
- Wait, what? - the prisoner was surprised.
They just hoped and prayed that a fellow Warulandian wouldn't rat them out.... They listened carefully. The guards approached the doors and knocked loudly.
- What's the matter? - guards asked from the other side of the doors.
- YOU TELL ME! Someone just entered! I thought it was you bastards! - the prisoner was furious as he moved closer to the doors to talk to guards.
A sound of the small latch opening on the doors was heard. The guards were probably taking a look inside the room.
- Yeah right. Stop pulling our noses, W5.
The latch was loudly closed and guards walked on.
- HEY! GET BACK YOU IMBECILES! DO YOUR STUPID JOB FOR ONCE! AND I'M WARU FOR YOU DEGENERATES! WARU! NOT 'W5', NOT 'PRISONER', NOT 'PATIENT'!
WARU!!!
The prisoner screamed as he banged on the metal doors. Shades stayed in the closet untill it got quiet. Really quiet. They peeked out of the doorcrack of the closet a bit. The prisoner was sitting in front of the doors, moving his head and looking around the room.
'How did he not see me.... ?' Shades thought untill they carefully looked at the prisoners face. The prisoner had two transparent glass eyes, almost looking like holes in his head. He was completley blind. Shades sighed from relief and chuckled, leaving the closet.
- Who goes there!? - prisoner heard it and got up.
- Oh, noone important.
- YOU! - he pointed at the closet, but Shades wasnt near the closet anymore.
- A bit more to your left.
Prisoner took few steps back to the right, almost tripping on the nightstand.
- You aren't a disgusting guard, are you?
He asked. Shades was now standing right in front of him as the prisoner was moving his head in an attempt to hear and pinpoint Shades's location
- Nope, just an interested party. - they said, eyeing the prisoner. He was wearing a purple prison tracksuit, there was a nametag with 'W5' written on it. He was quite tall and his curly hair was a deep shade of green. He had a clumsily cut stubble too, who knows when was the last time he shaved. There were 5 fingers on each of his hands, a rare and noble trait. And his voice... it was so familiar.
This was no ordinary prison. This was the empire's vault. The most hidden and secure location where the government stored all its greatest treasures and secrets... Not some random unruly citizens. Looking at waru, they thought a bit. Could it really be him? They squinted and imagined... a crown... king's robes... a cape... and of course... glasses. Shades always had an extra pair on them. They came closer and reached out to give them to waru.
- Put these on. - they said.
- What? - waru hesitantly reached out. Shades handed him the glasses. Waru touched around the object to figure out what it was.
- Wait... Are these...? - in the moment of realization, Waru smiled and quickly put the green glasses onto his face.
- YES HAHA!
The glasses and that scheming smile were enough for shades to recognise their fallen king. 'It's true.' They thought. But there was still one thing unclear to them...
- Why didn't the emperor just kill you?
Waru's joy vanished from his face.
- He... I... Uh... We are kind of like brothers or something.
- Brothers?
- Of sorts.
' I guess that checks out. ' Shades thought.
- Ugh. Whatever. Now that you believe me, you have to get me out of here! - Waru commanded.
- Sure!
- BECAUSE I wait, what?
- Yea I'll break you out.
- Oh well that was easy
- Under some terms and conditions, of course!
Now that Shades was sure that this blind man was indeed the former ruler of their country.... They couldnt just leave him here. They had everything from Waruland, except the ruler himself. It would be a collector's sin to pass by such a great opportunity. But they need to set some ground rules:
- Here's what we will do. I will break you out, and in return you will remain under my employment as an unpaid intern untill your debt is payed.
- WOAH woah woah! Firsth of all, you can't order me what to do! I'M THE KING! I DO THAT. Second of all, WHAT DEBT? I DON'T OWE YOU NOTHIN!
- You silly, I'm not ordering you. I am offering you a deal!
- A lousy one. - Waru commented.
Shades said: - You want to escape, and I want something in return. It's plain buisniess. You can either agree to the terms or stay here.
- How is that a fair deal?!
- You are the one who wants to escape. It will take me risking capture to do it. Its also unfair if I don't gain something in return.
Waru grumbled angrily and thought about it. He decided the best way to go about this is agree to the terms right now and to ditch this person as soon as they break him out.
- Fine. It's a deal.
- Excellent! Let's shake on it!
Shades shook Warus hand.
- Wait a second, why are your hands tiny?
- So I can pickpocket more easily! - they said placing Waru's glasses in his hand. Confuzed, Waru felt his face with the other hand, realised he doesnt have his glasses on, furiously takes his glasses back and puts them back on his head.
- Allright, get me out of here already.