Chapter Text
When I first met him, I couldn’t help but have the thought, the question of how he had survived so long in a brutal place such as the Inpherno. Yes, Crossroads was more forgiving compared to the regions but it had gotten worse ever since the false deity of The Hearth set ruin to Lost Temple and abandoned the own region he was king of. Without a king to bow down to, some Inphernals make others bow to them. Such is the way of life, I guess, those who go unchecked will keep others in check.
Having others under your hand. What a stupid idea. You would merely have to care for them and ensure they will not leave. Although, the first part is optional and the second part could, no, would, be achieved through less than moral methods.
I would know that firsthand.
But back to my train of thought. I thought maybe he had thought it was Halloween somehow considering it was early October. Maybe he’s one of those freaks who wanted to celebrate the entire month in “spooky whimsy” as I heard Broker call it once. The kid was wearing a helmet you would only see cartoon knights in shining armor wear but made of real metal and real feathers instead of plastic and more plastic. Some kind of aluminum and likely the primary and secondary feathers of a Crimson Oziphrage, a large Inphernal-eating bird located in Lost Temple. To top off the whole overdone costume? A cape. A fucking cape.
It must’ve been 6 in the morning and we were in line for coffee. The boy had somehow managed to bump into the ,rather annoying, green horned worker there even though it was quite literally him and the blue horned barista. He apologized quickly before ordering an overly sweet frappe and a chocolate muffin. He moved to wait beside me near the counter.
I had ordered a simple black coffee because I knew I had a very long work day ahead of me. It was awkward. The only sounds left in the café were the squeaking of the likely-minimum wage worker cleaning tables and the owner of the place desperately trying to fix the coffee machine before rush hour. He started up a conversation.
“Heya, uhm… The name’s Sword! What about yours?”
No one really quite knew my name outside of the church. This had to be a joke, maybe a spy sent by Blackrock to finally kill me, or worse. Maybe Hyperlaser was waiting around to go in for the hit, maybe he was around hoping to get personal vengeance for what he wrongly viewed as an act of petty bullying. I tried to remember what Scythe said about my identity in Crossroads. The less they know the better.
“Why exactly should I tell you?”
The boy froze up, as if turned to stone by a response that was anything less than positive. He then began rapidly explaining the purpose of him starting small talk. I had to admit it was amusing, fighting against a smile that yearned to make itself welcome on my face. Maybe if I told him the bare minimum he would leave me alone.
“Okay, okay, pipe down kiddo. The name’s Medkit.”
“Medkit?! Like you have a healing gear?!”
And what a foolish thought that was. I spoke with the most sarcastic tone possible in hopes that this guy could actually take a hint for once.
“Why yes I am, how observant of you.”
“Hah, thanks! My fa- mentor says I have the eye of a hawk!”
He did not get the hint.
“Right…”
Luckily right at that time the barista came up with our drinks.
“I got an iced white mocha frappe and chocolate muffin for Sword and a black coffee for… M?”
The latter of which would be me. After all, it wouldn’t do me any good to have my name shout out in a place where so many could hear. The first letter of my name would do just fine. I took the paper cup filled with scalding hot liquid and took a sip. Bitter and painful, just the way I like it.
With that I started walking out of there at a rather brisk pace down the sidewalk. The entire city was cast in a golden light as the sun was just now beginning to rise. Maybe someone who was more optimistic, more believing in the good of the world, could’ve seen the sight as some beautiful miracle of nature. But I just hated the dawn’s blinding light for giving me a headache.
That more optimistic person came running after me, waving the hand that held his chocolate muffin around in the air. I started walking faster before breaking into a complete and utter run, this boy was surprisingly fast. But he caught up eventually, I couldn’t tell if I was lucky or unlucky that no one else was around. This was how I was going to die, wasn’t it?
“W-Ack, my coffee, wait up!”
I suddenly stopped, turning to him on my heel. The boy bumped into me but luckily saved his coffee from spilling and muffin from dropping. He still had a big ol’ grin plastered on his face, showing shiny white teeth.
“Hey! Medkit right? You seem really cool, and you have a healing gear? How does that even work?! I’ve only ever seen one guy with a healing gear and- and even then it was some kind of combination support gear? No clue! And if I’m being honest that guy was kinda scar-“
He spoke at speeds that I didn’t even think were possible for an Inphernal. I cut him off.
“Slow down there kiddo. I got work to be doing.”
I hesitated before speaking my mind.
“This shit you’re pulling? The talking to strangers, the following, the wanting to be liked? It’ll get you killed.”
The boy nearly immediately started crying. I groaned.
“Kid, kid, calm down… Some people say mean things to people not out of ill-intent but out of caring for them.”
“You care about me?!”
…
What have I just gotten myself into?