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Theo glares at the stone above him as he lays on the uncomfortable bench, bandages dot his body, but he’s pointedly ignoring the other presence in the room. He’s counted the same cracks four times in the last couple of hours, he takes a breath and closes his eyes.
Theo walks up behind Parrot as he paces at the top of the stairs where Cindercrest had bargained Reina’s life for Lettuce just hours before. The aforementioned woman was inside talking to Lomedy and Flame about the Royal Army and it was just the two avians on the stairs. Parrot was fidgeting with something around his neck, something Theo is painfully familiar with.
“They givin’ you any useful advice?” Theo asks, making Parrot startle and look at him sharply, before calming his nerves and letting the item go.
“As per usual, they are silent.” Parrot remarks as Theo approaches and stands next to the smaller man.
“What do you think the chances are?”
“Before Flame, I would’ve said impossibly low. With Flame, I think we actually have a chance. Unless Wemmbu interferes again.”
“With what Flame was saying earlier, I don’t think he will.”
Parrot nods at Theo’s statement and lapses into silence for a moment. It’s long enough that Theo considers leaving the King to his thoughts. He turns to enter the Northern Council again. “Theo…I need you to make me a promise.”
Theo looks over at him, concerned, “I don’t like where this is going, but okay?”
Parrot looks at the bulkier bird, sincerity across his face, “I need you to promise me to get Reina to safety no matter what if things turn at Capital City.”
“I’m your bodyguard, not hers.” Theo protests.
“You and I both know that I can make it out on my own, no matter what. I don’t trust the same for Reina. So please, promise me, bro.” Parrot implores.
Theo lets out a long-suffering sigh, “Fine, I promise. But then I’m coming in and rescuing you!” Theo states, crossing his arms.
Parrot laughs softly shaking his head, “Fine, fine.”
****
Theo shoves Reina past him into their old potion shop, before turning and carting six traitorous Royal Army fighters, he quickly blocks up the entrance to temporarily mask the chaos. Reina looks worse-for-wear, most of her armor is destroyed and she looks terrified.
“Theobald, what-?” Reina starts before he puts a hand on her shoulder and guides her to a wall.
“Stay there for just a sec.” Theo remarks as he retreats to the stall table near the front entrance he just barricaded.
“Theobald, what about Parrot? He needs out help!” Reina states.
“Parrot has his own way out. C’mon.” Theo flips the hidden lever in the stones under the table and rejoins Reina at the wall as the pistons open in the floor. One of the few safety measures for Parrot after his entrapment in Paragon. He and Theo talked for a long time about it and what would help him recover. Theo helps Reina down into the passageway before following her down, hitting the button to reseal the passageway just as he hears the TNT outside the shop light.
He follows Reina down the passageway; he turns her down away from the decoy path and takes the newest addition to the underground. A path straight to Northern Council. It was originally intended to be used in reverse, but both work. They are deposited just outside of the tower Parrot and Theo shared during the election and Theo immediately sets them to running towards the old sign board.
The clipped laughter is the Theo’s first and only warning that they weren’t alone. Theo turns around, keeping Reina behind him with a hand. ShoeBilly approaches the two, his head tilted softly and a smirk stretched across his face. Four CinderCrest elite soldiers follow a step behind.
“Theo, Theo, Theo….step aside and we may still spare you, even after all of this.” Billy remarks slowly. His eyes shifting between the bird and the woman. His hand flexing on his mace. Theo looks behind them to see how close they are before turning his attention back to the other avian. He moves the hand holding Reina back to his potion belt, most of the loops are empty except two.
“Billy, I am not letting you kill her.” Theo states, unlatching the chosen potion from his loops. He feels Reina shift behind him. He holds the potion out backwards to her and she takes it carefully, as soon as the bottle is out of his hand he reaches for one of his last remaining carts.
“Such a shame.” Billy intones before raising his mace, signaling his guards to attack. As they charge forward, Theo pulls out his cart and kicks it at them, lighting the bolt of his crossbow on fire and shooting it immediately. At the last second he turns and covers Reina from most of the blast, popping his totem as the green and yellow explode around him and two of the elites explode into items. Theo pushes Reina and she drops the speed potion on both of their feet.
They both take off sprinting towards the election board; a sing of a rocket alerts them to Billy flying into action. They just barely make it into the tower before Billy drops at them again, Theo brings his sword up to clash with the mace long enough for Reina to find the etched arrow Theo and Parrot told her about. She pushes the button opening the secret passage, Theo blocks up the entrance to the tower with obsidian running and pushing Reina through ahead of him. “Go, go, go!”
“Theo~!” Billy sings angrily as he makes it into the passage.
Theo makes a few quick calculations in his mind before taking a deep breath, “Reina! You know which ones are the decoy’s, right?”
“I think so, why?” Reina remarks as she keeps running ahead.
“Because I’m going to buy you time.” Theo states.
“Theobald! I can’t do this without you!” Reina remarks, nearly stopping in her running, but Theo pushes her forward to a certain spot.
“Go! Go play the server like you should.” Theo smiles at her as she looks at him horrified.
“Theobald.” Reina warns, approaching him. Theo takes a deep breath before throwing his last potion at her and pushing her into one of the non-decoy halls. He turns quickly and breaks the block to his right; a series of explosions erupt down the decoy halls. “Theo!” Reina calls through the collapsing tunnel as the Turtle Master saves her.
Theo turns and faces Billy only to be hit harshly by the mace and falling to his knees, two of the elites push their swords just into his back to keep him in place. Billy growls, “I thought I taught you better.”
“You didn’t, but Parrot did.” Theo challenges.
Billy glares deeply at his former student, “Bring him along, Saps has plans for him.” Theo is hauled up instead of the death he was expecting. He fights when he can, but it’s futile.
Three sets of metallic boots clicking on the stone pulls Theo from his memories, and he sits up slowly and painfully. Finally glancing at ShoeBilly who has been watching him this entire time, Billy looks up from his place leaning against the wall. Two sets of the boots stop at the end of the hall, the third continues as Theo pushes himself to stand and walk towards the bars. General Saparata stops in front of his cell, his arms crossed behind his back. Something seems to amuse Billy as a smirk grows on his face. “Theobald the Bird, Royal Bodyguard, Hero of the Law War and Veteran of the Mafia War. Quite the run of accolades.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m pretty awesome.” Theo tries to levity the situation. His eyes tracing the red-trimmed Netherite armor before latching onto the spiked crown atop his head. Theo forces his attention back to Sap’s face.
Saps seems unimpressed as he pulls his right hand from behind his back. Parrot’s crown lays in pieces in his hand and he drops it to the stone ground below. Saps’ boot comes and crushes the gold crown further. The central diamond that Theo gifted Parrot shatters fully, a shard sliding to the base of Theo’s cell bars, “I now see why Parrot needed a bodyguard. He gave a good fight.” Theo glares hotly at the man in front of him, itching for a cart. “Long live the new King of Unstable!” Saps holds his arms up in full glory.
Theo glares more before something shining catches his attention in Saps’ left hand, his glare dissolves into worry.
Saps laughs and lowers his enclosed fist, the sliced chain hanging limply from the fist, “Ah yes, during our fight he did lose this.” Saps tilts his hand and the five charms fall from his gauntlet off the chain and fall to the ground just outside of Theo’s cell. Theo falls to his knees quickly, covering the charms with his hands, just in time for Saps’s boot to crush both of his hands as they protect the charms causing Theo to hiss in pain. Billy’s clipped laughter echoes around the hall as Saps removes his boot and crouches in front of the bird. Theo keeps his hands on top of the charms, glaring up at new king.
“I won’t be Lettuce. Parrot did survive. He fled like the coward he is. So, you have two choices. The first is to denounce Parrot and join us where you should be.”
“Never.” Theo hisses angrily.
“Option two is to stay here in this-“ Saps’ eyes trace the cell, “comfortable cell and be our bait. Billy has told me how loyal you two are to each other, so Parrot is bound to appear again. So, Theo. Get comfortable.” Saps states pushing himself to stand again, “Maybe I’ll even let you out long enough to watch Parrot’s execution.” Saps leaves with a sinister laugh and a flourish of his red cape.
Billy approaches the bars, kicking the shattered crown away from the bars, “If only you had listened to me.” Billy shakes his head in disappointment as he leaves with a clipped laugh as well.
Theo waits for the two pairs of boots to ascend, ignoring the two posted guards, he carefully removes his bruising hands and picks up the charms that he protected. He pulls them into the cell along with the diamond shard. He carefully runs his thumb over each charm to ensure they aren’t further damaged.
The Yin-Yang, a small goat horn with a D engraved on it, the small allay with an emerald core, the touching stars one holding an N the other an L, and the most recently added owl charm. All look no worse than the last time Theo saw them. He takes a deep relieved breath, wrapping them in a spare piece of cloth alongside the diamond shard and deposits them carefully in an internal pocket.
“Man, I wish whatever wisdom you give to Parrot could be shared with me now.” Theo sighs, returning to the wooden bench. The council of ghosts remain silent.