Archive of Our Own

Beehive quickly placed her chip onto his cape before he even noticed. Lucky for them, that someone as innocent as Sword landed in their turf. They said their goodbyes as Sword waved her goodbye. In return, Beehive watched as Sword left her tent. All happy and proud of himself. He never would’ve known the wiser that none of that was true. Nothing she said meant a thing, did it.

“....Damn,” she whispered to herself as she gripped the vine cactus tighter. This was never the plan. Not before and certainly not now. Why couldn’t it be easy? Sword created more of a problem than he thought he did, didn’t he. Her legs stood there as she watched Sword disappear into the distance. What was bothering her exactly? After a couple seconds of staring, something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place, she walked back to her desk as she put the flower down.

It was for the Wranglers. It was for the group. Anything for them, for her family, was worth it. But why? Why was she so nervous? Uneasy. It was supposed to be simple. Compliment him, get his guard down. Just chip him with it and send him on his merry way. It was easy. Was. Hell, she was even on board with it when Hook came to her with the idea. A good way to get intel without risking anyone valuable. Maybe then, they could turn the outcome of this entire situation they were in.

But if that was the case, she would’ve done it without any reason or worry. No regrets. But she felt anything but that. This feeling wasn’t good. Did she feel-

“Bee?” A familiar voice came from behind her. Her head quickly turned around and she saw Grappling Hook.

“What do ya want!” Beehive was so confused that she accidentally let that slip. Her head quickly turned away to avoid seeing whatever reaction that Hook had. She could hear them walk closer into the tent.

“So. I assume ya have something on yer mind?” Grappling Hook asked. That lash out probably made it clear. Even then, it was pretty obvious something was bothering her since her tent was wide open. In her thoughts, she completely forgot to close it. Ugh, Sword.

“Isn’t it obvious?” She turned around to face him, unconsciously hiding the vine cactus that Sword had given her. The flower was very much crushed due to her hesitancy from accepting it.

“So ya did it?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t know a thing. It’ll be good for us.” She looked away from Grappling Hook’s eyes, a hint of shame floated across her eyes. Something that was quickly noticed by Grappling hook.

“That’s great. If that kid can get to the church unharmed, then we can use the fella to get intel.”

“...” Something about the phrasing striked Beehive in the wrong way.

“I assume that’s not everything on yer mind” they got closer as they leaned onto the bench beside her, “I’m always here to listen if you feel like it?” Typical Grappling Hook, always caring about the Wranglers, even when it seemed like one of them would wanna be left alone.

“It’s nothing…” Grappling Hook looked unconvinced.

“It sure is a lot of nothing if it’s gotten you down.”

Of course they would push. Not that she minded but it was something she hesitated admitting. Especially to Hook. “Fine. It’s just that, in my mind, I thought Sword would be different.”

“Hm? What do yer mean?”

“I hated that phernal' on sight. I thought he was one of them city folk. Always yappin bout how good their lives are.”

“Those types of inphernals are the worst.”

“Then when he came in talkin bout that Medkit inphernal and it made me even more angry. How could he sympathize with someone that works for the church? Be friends with them, no less.” She gave Grappling Hook a stare warning them to let her speak before they could go on a spiel about how not all of them were as bad as she thought they were. “Lost and misguided.” As much as she admired Grappling Hook, that’d be the one thing she woulda disagreed with them.

“Look, look at this,” she grabbed the flower from her desk and pushed it to Hook’s hands.

“This is…!” Their eyes widened in surprise, “weren’t yer looking for this flower?”

“Yeah, I wanted it for a while but it was never worth the risk. Ya wanna know who actually got it?” Grappling Hook’s head turned in confusion. “Sword, that kid!”

“He did that?”

“Yes! That’s- that’s something that I’d expect out of someone from our group. Someone that we trust. Not some ragtag kid from the city.”

“So? He helped us cause he was trying to be nice.”

“But that’s the thing! How can someone like that, hell anyone in the Inpherno, think about others before themselves?! And, what’s worse is that his actions mirror one of our own.” Beehive gripped the desk. If Sword behaved like one of them, tried to fix the wrongs that they’ve done like any of the Wranglers would’ve, what does that say about them, about her. “Tell me, when I look at everything that kid has done, it feels like we’re doing something bad on our own.”

Grappling Hook stared at her as they took a deep breath in. “This is all for us.”

“I know! But why is it that we’re doing that to the same person who did this,” she gestured to the plant that Hook was still holding, “and saved one of our own. Chuck said it himself. Sword saved him. He chose to do that, out of what- the goodness of his heart?” A laugh almost came out from how ridiculous that sounded. No outsider was that caring, not in this world, not anymore.

“He did.”

“And am I supposed to just forget he just did that? Treat our people like- like it was one of his own?”

“What are you trying to get at?” Grappling Hook put the flower down onto the bench.

“I feel guilty! Okay?! I know it was the only option but it doesn’t help that I feel like this!” Every word that Sword said, every action that he’s done up to this point. Each and every single one of them kept breaking her stereotype against Sword. Hell, somehow, he was one of the rare inphernals that she’d actually consider good, so long as he kept up his selflessness.

“Sword did a couple of good deeds, I won’t deny that, but do yer really think we’re bad people for doing that to him?”

“No… no, of course not. You said it yourself didn’t you,” Beehive saw Grappling Hook put a hand up to pinch their nose in confusion, “he’s harmless. It’d be pretty obvious if that kid was doin something malicious but that ain’t it,” she looked at the flower, “surely not.”

“What do you want me to say? If taking advantage of the situation to make sure we all live makes us villains? Fine. If peacefully getting that kid to get intel makes me bad? Then, please, blame me and not yourself. I’d have to make the hard choice to save us all.”

“Of course I don’t think that! But it sure as hell doesn’t feel like right either, does it! Especially after all this,” she frustratingly gestured to the flower and outside, referring to the whole Chuck fiasco.

“Look. Bee.” He held his hands together as he prepared to say his next words. “I don’t regret what we’re doing. If it’s to save your life. Hell, any of the Wranglers lives, I’ll do it again.”

Beehive looked away from Hook. She knew that they were right. Sword’s opinion didn’t matter. Not to them, not to all their friends that died on the way. It wasn’t like they were sending him to his death. “I won’t bear anymore Wranglers dying for our cause. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Her head nodded as she looked back at the flower. Why? Sword, why did you have to make it so difficult? In a different world, they wouldn’t need to do this. “Was it all pretend?”

“What?”

“The kindness, the gentle words, the open arms you gave to Sword.” Beehive felt like she knew the answer. They lied to him. She thought he’d deserve it, that he was just like everyone else but now? It was different. “Did you ever really mean any of it? To the kid.”

Grappling Hook sighed. “For the most part. I did try sending him back to his kind. Do you think I should’ve been honest with him?”

She looked back at the vine cactus. She couldn’t stop thinking about Sword. His- his tone, his passion, his dedication. How- how does it come to this? “I- I don’t know.”

Grappling Hook slowly nodded in response.

Beehive leaned back on the workbench. “Tell me. We’re doing the right thing, right?”

“Ya know I don’t have an answer for that right? All I know for sure is that it’s an opportunity to keep us safe. And I’d do that till my dying breath.” Oh Hook. They were certainly a, one of a kind, leader. Beehive felt like she wanted a different answer. Maybe one that confirmed her feelings. But, course, life doesn’t give you an easy right or wrong, does it? She hears Grappling Hook move forward and back towards the entrance of the tent.

“Dinners ready, you comin?”

In replacement of an answer she made her way forwards walking with Grappling Hook. Left alone was a crushed vine cactus flower. Crushed and lonely. Just like the inphernal that picked it for her. Well, if not at the moment, certainly later. All he could hope was that he didn’t wither away just like a flower would without water.

All flowers die eventually though.

…

Sword walked proudly to the healer’s tent. Tarantula did mention that he should get checked up. Not like he really needed it. He was Sword! Nothing could beat him. Today was tiring but at the very least, no one died! Well, except for the poor vulture. He… he didn’t mean to. But their death wasn’t in vain. Chuck survived so it was for a just cause. There was just no other way of going around it.

Now that Sword thought about it, the blame really was Darkheart’s fault, if only they hadn’t pushed him then he could’ve thought of a better, peaceful way of doing it.

“Hey don’t get all mad at us.” Sword felt like rolling his eyes. “Don’t get sassy with us as well.”

“Leave me alone, Darkheart. Haven’t I made that clear?”

“Awe, but we were just being honest weren’t we?” Darkheart’s smile from Sword’s shadow got amplified. “After all, we’re the only ones here being honest.”

“Honest? Everything you said was just plain mean!”

“It did the job didn’t it?” Sword opened his mouth to reply but couldn’t find any words. His All-Mighty Axle Arc was the quickest way of solving the problem. No! He wouldn’t go down whatever path Darkheart wanted him to go on.

“I’m not listening to you next time!”

“Really? Alright then. Do heed our words though.”

“What?” Confusion was all over Sword. What’s with the cryptic message? What was Darkheart trying to imply? Sword wished Rocket was here, maybe he could’ve figured it out. Perhaps it was something about Darkheart being honest? Whatever was said while he was trying to save Chuck was anything but honest, so that’s definitely not it.

…

He missed Medkit. If only he was here. This was all too much at once for him. Why hadn’t Venomshank prepared him for this. Why had no one prepared him for this? No point in worrying now. He’s close to finding Medkit.

“I’ll find you Med,” he held the photo he had of Medkit, “with my new friends, it’s just a matter of time.”

Maybe they could go visit Thieves Rest when this is all said and done. Sword would want that right about now. Medkit would too. Ha, despite never saying anything, Sword knew that his brother wanted to. His heart ached at the thought. 

“I hope you’re okay.”

…

I miss you, Sword.