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Every one dispersed after discussing the plans, Darius could feel the tension was thick but he shrugged it off.
Darius passed by Eda and Luz, who hugged each other tightly.
"Promise me you'll be safe, kid?" Eda asked and Luz nodded.
"You promise me first." Luz said.
"I promise. I'll come back to you and King." Eda swore.
"I'll be safe, I have all my friends looking after me anyway." Luz said.
"You've gone soft, Owl Lady." Darius commented once Luz and Eda departed.
Raine was at his side in an instant, a teasing smile adorned on their face.
"And you haven't?" They asked. Darius raised an eyebrow.
"I have no idea what you mean." He stated. Raine and Eda shared a look and it was one of those moments where Darius was jealous of their friendship because they knew what the other was thinking with a simple look.
Someone sniffled nearby and Darius turned to see Hunter looking around the room nervously, talking in a hushed voice to the illusionist kid while picking at his gloves.
"I'll be back," Darius said and walked over to the former Golden Guard, missing Raine's "He doesn't even realize he's doing it, does he?"
"Little prince?" Darius said and Hunter looked up with wide eyes, the other kid taking a small step in between Darius and Hunter. "Are you okay, you're crying."
Hunter ducked his head and Gus squeezed his hand before dropping it.
"I'll be over with Willow, just yell if you need me." Gus said and then gave Darius a harsh glare, making an "im watching you" gesture before leaving.
Darius scoffed and turned to Hunter. "So what's up? You look a lot more shaky than this morning."
Hunter bit his lip, looking down again.
"I... I'm scared Belos is going to hunt me. When we go out to fight? I know we're just going to recuse the Blights but... leaving the den scared me." Hunter mumbled.
"Hey, look, I know it's scary, and I also don't really want you leaving either but they need your help. And we'll keep Belos distracted so he doesn't even have time to think about you." Darius said and Hunter met Darius' eyes, his own red and puffy. "You've got... amazing friends. I think that's a first. People who are here and will protect you. Belos won't be able to lay a hand on you, I will make sure of it."
Hunter stared at him for a moment, clenching his teeth and holding back tears. He sniffled again and exhaled shakily.
"Can- I- Uhm," Hunter looked over where Willow, Gus and Luz were hugging and then his eyes shot to his tattered boots. "Uh,"
Darius sighed and pulled the teen into a hug, Hunter melting into the embrace almost immediately and clutching at Darius' cape like he was going to melt away.
They've hugged before, of course, ever since Hunter approached him when Luz told the kid he was touch-starved, Darius has been helping, but it was never as emotion fueled as this.
Darius lifted a hand to hold Hunter's head close, biting his lip when he felt how small the boy was in his arms.
Realistically he's always known Hunter was younger than them all, that he was just a kid, but he acted so mature, finished jobs with such a level of perfection that Darius never realized how young he was.
But now, holding him in his arms as he shook and tried not to cry because he'd been taught his entire life not to, fearing that he would be killed any second, Darius finally realized.
Hunter was just a child. A child who never really got to live out a childhood.
Darius already hated Belos, but now his blood boiled at the thought of the man for ruining the first sixteen years of this child's life.
He swore that after everything was over, he would make it up to Hunter, show him how happy and free he could be.
Darius pulled away from Hunter after who knows how long and Hunter smiled shakily, wiping away his tears.
"Thank you," Hunter mumbled and Darius smiled and ruffled Hunter's hair.
"Don't thank me yet, we still have some ass to kick." Darius said and Hunter nodded, standing up straighter.
"Don't die out there." Hunter said and Darius scoffed.
"Yeah, same to you, kid." Darius said and then Hunter smiled before he left to go talk to the other kids.
Darius stood and turned, coming face to face with Eda.
"Going soft on us?" She teased and Darius rolled his eyes.
"Hardly." He said and Raine peeked out from behind Eda.
"He's always had a soft spot for Hunter." They teased and Darius huffed, face heating up.
"I have not!" He claimed.
"Uh huh, then why'd you let him keep his palisman, even way back before all this Belos stuff, when you caught Hunter training after hours or coming back late, you never ratted him out. You had NO problem tattling on me though." Raine continued on.
"Shut up you stupid little songbird!" Darius screeched and Eda laughed as Raine and Darius went back and forth with insults.
She looked over at Luz who was already looking at her.
Luz smiled big and pointed at Hunter then Darius and raised an eyebrow.
Eda gave a thumbs up and Luz's smile got impossibly wider.
Soon after, Eda, Raine, Eberwolf and Darius all left for their mission while the kids left to go get the Blights.
They had their missions, their missions WOULD go well, and everyone would be able to return to their respective found families soon.
~~~
Hunter stared wide eyed at the wooden door, panic seizing up in his chest, hands shaking, tears welling up in his eyes.
Luz opened and closed the door frantically, suddenly collapsing in a fit of tears.
Amity was at her side in a second and Gus and Willow looked at Hunter.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked and Hunter was frozen.
He opened and closed his mouth before the tears he's trained to never fall for years came rushing down.
"Darius-" He wept out and collapsed similarly to Luz.
Willow and Gus sat beside him on either side.
"He's fine, okay? He'll be fine everything-"
"He was unconscious when we got there!" Hunter cried out, tears flooding his vision. "He was unconscious and now The Collector is taking over and he has no way to defend himself! Most of them are knocked out! No one is there to save them!"
Willow and Gus shared a worried look and looked over where Luz was crying into her girlfriend.
"King isn't, and everyone at Hexside isn't either. They'll find a way to save them and then a way to get us back." Willow said.
"You'll see Darius again soon, we'll all see our families again soon." Gus added and Hunter clenched his teeth.
"He promised me." Hunter whispered and let out one more shaky sob.
"He promised..."