Chapter Text
Dante had never gone through an entire series of traumatizing events all in a single week until his arrival in Fogland. He came on his own accord, to deliver and enroot within the prisoners the value of education, not to be kidnapped, beaten up, kidnapped, get eaten alive by a monstrous gargoyle, get kidnapped again, and be threatened by a damn crow. All in that particular order. Thinking about the encounters he’ll have to face tomorrow fills him with lethargy.
Thankfully, the Steel alley residents allowed them to stay for the night. They reluctantly welcomed Technologia, who drove away some of the hairy men until the crows started flocking somewhere else- their human counterparts dropping everything to run after their avian companions.
Of course, not everyone is willing to accept them just yet. A few hours ago, the Technologia bastards were just one of the many vagrants that looted and stripped them of everything they owned. So what if they saved Steel alley once? They’re still going to freeze to death at this rate. No blankets. No firewood.
Then, like a storm waiting to happen, a long-haired, muscular giant stomped towards the crowd. The ambience grew ten times heavier at the sight of the bulky man. His prison uniform was torn from the waist up, revealing most of his skin tainted a deep scarlet, no doubt traces of painful burns.
Hauling half a dozen supply crates that he declared belonged to the residents now, that giant went on to bow his head, apologizing for his bad deeds.
The crowd looks around in confusion. Who even is this? Is he one of those hairy men?
“Who… are you?”
The scarred man lifted his head and stood silently for a moment, large, terrifying blue eyes seemingly glowing in the dark as he looked over the entire population. Someone in the back pissed their pants.
‘It’s the name your parents probably gave you, and it feels friendly.’
The man finally spoke after a long, deafening silence, “I’m Nico.”
Wilson and Max stared with slightly gaping mouths before turning to each other. With synchronous nods, they bowed their heads so fast they almost gave themselves whiplash.
“We… we’re sorry too!!”
Far to the side, the trio passively watched the development of a new alliance. The doctor adorned in bloody clothes nudged the man beside him.
“Hey, Teacher. Did you make them do that?”
Dante shook his head, smiling at the scene before him. There was humanity left in this place after all.
The sun rose too early for Dante’s liking. He should feel guilty for sleeping in someone else’s house while the owner went elsewhere, but he’s not in a position to refuse the offer lest he sleep on the cold, hard concrete. Again.
The people of Steel alley held a small celebration with the ingredients found in the supply crates, cheering to the start of a winter soon to be enveloped in warmth. 182’s eyes sparkled when he bit into the warm, sugary, odd-shaped cookie and nodded excitedly when he was offered more. He better not run away when it’s time to brush his teeth later.
But before Dante could take the first bite into his own breakfast, familiar sharp talons dug into his shoulder.
Human, do you care about Nico?
“I have a name, you know.” After using his gift to pry into Gonzalez’s heart, he can tune in better to the crow’s thoughts. All he ever cares about is Nico, but if Dante’s planning to break out of Fogland, they’re both going separate roads anyway. Unless…?
The teacher raises a spoonful to his mouth, relishing the warmth of the carrot stew as he tries his best to ignore his two companions fighting in the background. Maybe having Nico around wouldn’t be so bad.
The crow clicks his beak.
Teach him to fight for himself.
Gonzalez doesn’t have enough time. No matter how much fog he consumes, its seemingly magical capabilities aren’t enough to extend his lifespan. Without him, his furry friend might return to being his lonely and harmless self, incapable of doing something as simple as stealing fog because every bad thing Nico has done is for his friend’s sake. Before he goes, he needs to make him learn how ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.
Dante ponders it for a second. To think a bond between a shoulder and a crow would touch his heart like this. Their dynamic almost forces a laugh out of him: a small animal acting like some sort of caretaker for a full-grown adult.
“Nico is a grown man, he’s just too kind for his own good.”
That’s exactly why I’m making this request.
Gonzalez jabs his beak into the human’s head, punishing him for his insolence. The teacher knows better to take him seriously, it’s basically his dying wish to have someone look after his fool of a friend!
Just a few feet away from them, Max leans over to Wilson.
“Is he talking to the bird right now?”
Dante sighed, rubbing the spot he had been pecked. He looked schizophrenic, didn’t he? If someone told him he’d gain the ability to communicate with an animal, he’d sooner send that person to his brother for psychological assistance.
“It’s a part of my talent.”
The Technologia crew members let out mixed noises of awe.
“Part? So there’s more!”
“Teacher, are you a Disney princess?”
Is that a serious question? He might have been kidnapped, was talking to an animal, and had his problems solved because big strong men showed up but…
He looks back at Mr. 182 and Hayren, back to bickering again after they’d just worked side by side to launch a rescue mission for Dante.
…Damn it, is he really that helpless to keep relying on others?
Fuzzyback was sitting quietly across from Dante.
Sharing a warm meal with friends instead of being driven away… the thought brings a shy smile to his face. It feels even more awkward to be uncovered from protective, thick layers of hair; he can’t even remember what he looks like underneath them. He watches as Dante tries to shake the crow off of him.
The teacher really is amazing. He can’t help but envy his ability to understand his feathery friend better than he can. There are a lot of things he wants to talk about with Gonzalez too…
“Squawk.”
That familiar sound broke him out of a daze as sharp but gentle talons perched atop Nico’s head. Gonzalez purred contentedly, cuddling into that hairy mess that resembled a bird’s nest.
Right. Affection isn’t something that needs to be spoken to be real.
Nico picked up a carrot from his stew and snapped it in half.
…
The residents gave him some mildly useful details about the shoulders. Outside their temporary hideout, Dante paced restlessly, as if physical activity would help him digest the information faster.
Some of them might still be searching for me. Damn it, should I just host another class and show them how to get fog water? Is that enough for those brutes to finally leave me alone?!
“Should you really be wandering around? Waiting to get kidnapped again?”
Dante jolted mid-step before turning around to clear his throat. He faced the owner of that interrogative tone- there stood Hayren, med kit in hand.
“Of course not. I came out for some fresh air.”
“Hm.”
Dante walked over to sit on the front porch. He was right to be cautious, witnessing how little effort it took to snatch the teacher away in a matter of seconds.
Hayren made his way to the teacher. “Your nosiness knows no bounds.”
Dante’s heterochromatic eyes snap up to meet the Doctor’s intense gaze. Excuse me?
“Huh?”
The wood creaked as the tall man sat beside him, long legs stretching along the ground. “I’m saying you act like some kind of altruist. Look at how you tamed that hairy beast. You even rejected my offer to stay at the hospital because you couldn’t abandon David.”
Dante huffed out a laugh. An altruist? Him? “I told you I needed all the reasonable people I could get. For my safety.”
Hayren continued, “Even when I guaranteed your safety, you still left with that guy. Then you came running right back to save Grandpa Dumpling. Do you have a hero complex or something?”
“N-no, I just… He could’ve died protecting us, he even gave us food and a place to sleep.” The teacher waved his hands, “To be honest, you were the hero that day, Hayren.”
The doctor scoffs. Dante nudged his shoulder. “You saved Mr. 182 too.”
“That brat throws himself into danger too easily. If he died, you’d probably cry.”
Dante sputters. Cry?? Over that primitive man in need of a shower?
“No, I…”
Would he? While his intentions are unclear, and that idiot did kidnap him just to learn how to grow a sweet potato, he’s sure 182 wouldn’t hurt him without reason. Even worse, that one-armed man saved his life multiple times and didn’t ask for anything in return. It should be ridiculous, the Dante from before would’ve paled at the thought of having acquired a sense of trust with that guy. Is it Stockholm syndrome?
The teacher sighed, a grin sitting on his weary face. At least one thing’s for certain…
“He’s a good person.”
Hayren stared at his earnest expression for a second too long before he scoffed and turned away, scratching the back of his neck.
The teacher’s smile was infectious.
“…He’s an okay guy. Don’t tell him I said that.”
“I’m pretty sure he can hear us right now.”
“Fuck you, David.” The doctor mutters under his breath.
These two are just gonna keep fighting like children, aren’t they? Hayren, someone who wouldn’t easily admit how much he cares, and 182, whose temper worsens around the doctor. These partners… He can already feel his hair turning gray.
Oh, well. At least today seemed rather peaceful.
“Teacher, Teacher!”
Or so he thought.
The pair turned to face the source of that gruff, slurred voice. A man came stumbling towards them, beer in hand.
“Um…”
“Hic- They said the Teacher crew destroyed the Fuzzyback’s an’ taught Technologia a lesson! And that’s right after you boys- hic- destroyed half the shoulders of sector O!”
Not this again.
Neither the doctor nor the teacher felt like clearing up the rumors, as vaguely connected as the stories may be. Another man with a bandaged arm came rushing in, his azure eyes frantic when they landed on the drunken inmate. He immediately grabbed him and started dragging him away.
“S-sorry about him. We’ll get going…”
They’ve really gotten livelier now that they don’t have to worry about being plundered or suffering from hypothermia this coming winter.
“You’re both handsome and strong, yes? You two make a great pair—” A hand slapped over the drunkard’s mouth. He shouted gibberish, muffled protests against his friend, who increasingly looked haggard. “Just shut up..!”
Can these two leave already?
“I’m so sorry!”
Dante waved them off, “It’s fine.”
The sober inmate no longer tried to walk away. He stood still, hesitating, worrying his teeth into his bottom lip. Something told Dante that it was not, in fact, fine. Hayren raised a brow, waiting for the prisoner to spit out whatever’s making him antsy.
“The thing is…this guy just used his talent on you.”
Huh? How?? Alarms rang inside the duo’s heads. An unknown variable came to ambush them? Great. Just great. The doctor quickly rose to his feet, glaring at the prisoners before him. “What talent.”
“Eeek!! It’s nothing bad! It’s just…” He averted his eyes, hands still keeping the drunken man steady around his shoulders.
Hayren wasn’t all that patient. “Well?”
“H-he was a dating coach before… So his talent is based on that, and um, basically, that guy’s ability can make people fall in love with each other for a day.”
The group went quiet. Yet the silence was enough of a response to such an absurd statement.
What kind of cliché plot is this?
With a single step, the doctor grabbed the prisoner by the collar, sinister fog-blue eyes staring him down.
“Are you messing with me?”
“I’m not lying, I-I swear!”
Hayren scoffed, securing his grip on the trembling man. “Teacher, do you-”
He shouldn’t have turned around. The moment his eyes met the teacher’s own mismatched pair, electricity struck and shook his core all the way down to his numb fingertips. He doesn't understand what happened, but it made the teacher look... off. It's not like Dante looks any different, but it feels like he did. Had his heterochromia always looked downright enchanting?
Fuck, he did not just think that. Hayren's body tingled all over, his head reeling from the psychic force as a flush began to crawl up his neck and paint his face scarlet. He watched the teacher’s face morph into something akin to pure, unadulterated horror.
Hayren had no doubt he wore a matching expression.
"It's only going to last a day or two, though–"
The doctor's other hand went for the intoxicated perpetrator's collar next.
"Make it go away. Now." Unfortunately, the root of their current predicament was unresponsive, blacked out drunk.
"He did say there were various ways to undo it."
"Then stop beating around the bush and say it."
At the back was a silent Dante, staring at the ground in a daze as he wondered when his life started to go so wrong.
"It's different for everyone! Holding hands worked for some, while others hugged... but a surefire method is a k-kiss– AHH-! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!"