Chapter Text
"Telamon," a gruff voice barked at him from down the hallway. With familiarity, he turned to answer.
"What is it that you require, Doombringer?" The upper wings upon his head flapped in distaste at the lack of respect, but the man was both a coworker and friend of his so he'd let it slide.
The man in question looked quite disheveled. Starry fur was sticking up and sideways every which way, the name tag tilted, helmet slightly off centered and body language generally displeased. A large, spiked and fluffy tail twitched behind Doombringer as he spoke, "I need you to check something out, ban a guy, maybe."
Telamon raised an unseen brow before remembering to shift his stance in order to convey his confusion, "and you cannot do it yourself? Why need Telamons help in this matter?" Banning people was moreso Doombringer or Buildermans thing, they were best known for their ban hammers and other abilities in that area –although he had a hammer of his own– Telamon was not. Situations that needed his sword skills were usually what he was sent to oversee, otherwise he was stationed in SFOTH attending to his students.
Doombringer dragged a tired hand down his face, "I usually would, but I have to check up on the Banlands today... some of my wardens and officers stationed there mentioned needing to see me for something important, and I can't exactly brush them off, Tel."
Telamon hummed with understanding, duty was often unwanted and inescapable, yet it was also essential. He supposed he could tell that Doombringer wanted to be the one doing the chase himself, that his lack of respect was brought from annoyance at not being able to do so, and not something deliberately done with malintent. He would comply with the request, in such a case. Truly, he felt sympathy for the man, Telamon too disliked being deprived of his hobbies, "I see... Telamon shall take care of it, then. Where need I go?"
Doombringer sighed in relief, and sent him off to the Work At A Pizza Place server with knowledge that the call mentioned a hacker, and with the man's promise to deliver him an offering of chicken later. Truly delightful, he knew Doombringer was a deserving man of his aid, he would do his best to deal with the problem.
He said his niceties, and brought up his panel to teleport away. As soon as he spawned within the server indicated he took flight toward the coordinates given.
He tutted with distaste as he observed the situation, "really? Telamon was called to deal with simple texture replacements and blaring sound?"
Taking care of it would be childs play.
While looking at the repeated image of the same person pasted over the walls, grass, roads, vehicles, and clothing items was annoying and the sound of music was irritating– nothing seemed so awful that admin intervention was particularly necessary.
The man displayed, although making crude gestures unsuitable for a childs eyes, was not particularly displeasing to look at. The song was also quite a treat to hear, though maybe a bit out of season, it was one he would have enjoyed playing at a halloween party rather than at a pizza place in the summer.
Overall, a moderator could've dealt with this easily, 'what a waste of Telamon's time and skill, Doombringer would have been disappointed to learn that what he was 'missing out on' was such a small issue.'
Telamon was deeply annoyed. He had expected a fight, or a small challenge at the least.
Though as he brought out a panel to contact one and leave, a loud series of noises startled him and he turned to look back at the building. A smile curled at his lips, "oh! Now... how unfortunatly interesting... maybe I will get to have that fight after all."
A fire had broken out. It didn't appear to affect the robloxians in it beyond a slight singe of body hair, but it sure did burn the furniture and floors at a surface level considering how things were charring and the smell of burnt pizza wafted through the air. Regardless of its general lack of effects, the citizens were still screaming in fear so he technically had to prioritize them first.
Telamon walked, slightly lazily, into the fray and began airlifting those still stuck in place from fear onto the sidewalk outside, "fear not, the situation shall be over soon–"
A voice interrupted Telamon's speech, "oh, shit! They really sent an admin after me?" The statement, although familiar to Telamon, was not said with the fear it usually wrought. In fact, a laugh had preceded it. Furious, he immediately went to look at whatever pathetic little mortal dared not give him the respect he deserved.
When his head turned, he found himself greeted by the grinning man from the overlayed images. He was tall, for a mortal, with light skin, and brown hair. He was definitely at least college aged judging by the few telltale shaving nicks on his jawline. His clothing consisted of a red and black jacket, baggy dark pants with red straps and chains, and a shirt with a cat image on it. Though, most confusingly, he donned a unique shade of pink framed glasses and a burger hat.
'How egotistical of this hacker to so blatantly display a unique visage of himself everywhere, and still think himself above punishment and capture...' a cruel smile of Telamon's own matched the hackers.
'How absolutely intriguing.'
He dropped the final person outside, gave a worker a business card to call about repairs, and with a flap of his wings picked the troublemaker up for a short flight.
He was bringing the man to a less open and crowded area so he could interrogate and trap him most effectively. Telamon didn't do his best work with unfamiliar crowds. Too many bystanders to injure, too much sound input when it came to cheering, and they tended to stick in a close circle around the fight rather than at a safe distance. Too many variables to consider. Though Telamon also wanted to know more about the man without prying eyes– in a professional sense of course. He needed the details for his report after all.
He reached an alley, and dropped him on one end before blocking the exit. He turned to look at the man, noting that some of fabric had ridden up to reveal muscles on his calves. A runner then, great. Telamon just loved those. He allowed the man a moment to pick himself up off the ground before taking, "and who are thy?"
The man didn't seem anymore fearful despite his lack of way out, rather, he got more bold. The hacker laughed in Telamon's face, "did you just say, 'thy'? Who the hell says thy nowadays?"
Telamon stepped forward menacingly, pinning the hacker between himself and the wayt. Although the man clearly still wasn't fearful, he complied with the request anyways, " okay, okay! The names 007n7! Try not to forget it, birdy." A text box appeared over his eyes, displaying a winking kaomoji before the hacker waved it away.
Telamon's eye twitched under the hood at the borderline sultry tone in which that statement had been said. He ignored it, and composed himself with a flap of his wings, summou a pair of handcuffs to use.
Nevermind fighting the disappointing fool, by the musculature he'd seen, Telamon could tell that he was clearly a runner, and he didn't typically entertain those. Most chases were over before they even started. Eagles flew fast after all. He ignored the implications of 007n7's words and spoke through gritted teeth, "don't worry, Telamon will not. Until my arrest report on you is filed, that is."
The threat, once again, failed to instill fear in the hacker and Telamon was greeted with another laugh, "if you can catch me first!"
His brows furrowed, were they not in a secluded alleyway? Nevermind that, he reached his hand out to restrain and cuff the man when 007n7 had suddenly disappeared.
"What in–"
"Yoohoo, up here big guy!"
Telamon's head snapped upwards to find him on the nearby rooftop, his wings shook with an undisguised anger.
A panel. The hacker had summoned a panel, then fooled him with slight of hand. He hadn't just done everything using a cheap burner device like most others before him did, like Telamon had assumed he also did. He'd created a device dedicated to its purpose.
Shit, what a foolish mistake it was to assume and to not check.
"Sorry to cut all this short," the man's appearance had changed slightly, now bearing digital horns, tail, and strange spider-like limbs, each pitch black with a glowing red outline, "but I gotta bounce. Lots of updates to make on my c00lgui. You know how it is with your admin panels, right?"
Telamon's wings gave a sudden flap, and then the chase was on. They weaved through alleys, building tops and streets as they pleased. Telamon's wings working overtime, and 007n7's legs pumping rhythmically as he taunted and jumped around. Occasionally, when Telamons wings drew him close, the man would lean into his spider theme and use code like a slingshot spider would its web– vaulting himself several feet away from Telamons grasp. They quipped as they ran, each comment building a fire between them, and it all gave Telamon a rush of energy.
He hadn't felt quite so alive in the past several years as he did now. His face hurt with the force of the smile he wore, and his wings positively burned from the unexpected workout.
This. This was what he'd been missing, he would have to gift Doombringer something by the end of this.
Perhaps it was because he never wanted it to end, but the chase wasn't one he won. Instead, 007n7 had brought out that panel and teleported completely away the moment he got cornered again.
Telamon heaved heavy breaths through abused lungs as he laid with his wings splayed out on the rooftop. A laugh errupted from his chest, and he grinned triumphantly despite the slight wheeze as he spoke, "haa... I love a good challenge, 007n7..." he slowly sat up, resting himself against his right leg, "Telamon hopes you'll continue to grant him one..."
He didn't know if he truly just didn't have the energy for moving fast enough like he'd write in the report later, or if he'd let the man go on purpose so he could experience the thrill of a good chase later.
But it was the start of something for him.
From then on everytime he'd overheard someone call in about the man he'd jump to take it. Doombringer would raise his eyebrows, and look at him skeptically everytime, but whatever he thought didn't matter by the time Telamon found 007n7 again.
He lived for the chase, for the back and forth, for the exhilaration that came with it. Telamon lived to see him.
Which was why he was irritated as the weeks passed by and there was no sign of the man. One of his assistants approached him that evening, and he couldn't even be bothered to dismiss them when they'd pried him away from his desk.
"Hey, take a break. SFOTH will be fine without you for a few days, you're running yourself ragged by this point."
Telamon couldn't find it within himself to be too annoyed by their overstep. Usually he'd be furious at such a thing, but now he found himself just irritated by everything. It took him a moment, but he complied to the assistants wishes, and put them in charge.
Telamon flew around the areas they usually frequented, in hopes he'd find a clue. Eventually, his muscles grew tired and he needed to land. He didn't mind it though, maybe the closer view of the grounds could give him something.
It was a long walk around the neighborhood before something in his gut told him he needed to stop. Telamon was not usually one for superstition... but, perhaps–
His eyes caught on a particular house.
The door was an obnoxious red. A familiar red. One that stood out from the other houses doors.
Telamon looked around for cameras, and deduced that there were none as he walked closer. Just a quick peek through the window would give him what he needed. If it wasn't the right house, then he'd simply leave. No harm, no foul if it was a regular robloxian.
There weren't a lot of pictures on the walls or furniture that Telamon could see, unfortunately. But just as he prepared to take his leave, a man walked into his view. Even with his back turned, Telamon knew that burger hat anywhere.
"I finally found you..." he whispered, briefly relieved that 007n7 was alright before it turned to annoyance, "but why were you gone?"
As he moved toward the door, something stopped him dead in his tracks. He was utterly rooted to the ground by the window while muffled words floated past his ears.
"Shh, shh–" 007n7 was seemingly shushing a baby, and his face was panicked by its cries, "oh man... what is it now? Hungry? Want a toy? Oh, jeeze..."
Telamon left swiftly as he came. Thoughts burning with curiosity.