A Disaster of Fugitives - an MCYT D&D AU fanfiction

14: Cub

This is all my fault.

Everything about this is my fault and I can't tell anyone why.

I let the others into the cabin at night. Well, I assume it's night. Apparently they dealt with Grian's body, and Doc had joined them for some kind of funeral Ren wishes they'd waited for me to be around for. I would've kept delaying it from guilt. I'm glad they did it without me instead of not at all.

'You feeling any better, Cub?' Ren asks. I don't reply, stroking Jellie still. Another reminder Scar's gone. He's not here. He's somewhere on their boat. Somewhere...

I hear his screams from last time in my mind. My arm itches just thinking about it. 

I know.

I know this time it'll be worse.

This time I'm not there to stop it immediately.

'We're going to get him back as soon as we can, dude. We've managed to steer the boat in that direction and convince Joey to keep watch.

'I've always been good at persuasion.' Martyn explains further. I don't regret what I tried to do to the coward. I should've known he was trouble from the moment I heard his boyfriend was Xornoth.

A hand on my shoulder.

'We're getting him back.'

'I know.' I mumble back. 'And I'm killing True.'

By the time morning comes, the True Vengeance ship is clear on the horizon. Scar. I feel alright leaving, just to figure out the plan.

'What weapons do we have?' Martyn asks immediately. 'And who's good enough at sneaking to get more from them?'

'Grian... was the rogue of our party...' The tone dips immediately at Ren's reply 'Doc, dude, you were a blacksmith, do you have weapons?'

'We have enough for everyone.' He replies simply. 'What about healing supplies?'

'Available. Who's best at that?'

'Me.' We all look over as Scott approaches, still dripping from emerging from the water. 'I don't know what Joey's doing, but I'll come too.'

'Really?' I agree with Doc's suspicion. He allowed Grian and Scar to be brutally taken from us. Him and Joey. And Lizzie too.

'We need all the help we can get.' Ren, ever the kindest, invites him in. I look between him and Scott, but don't argue. He's right. We need his help.

The boat's closer now. Martyn figures they've anchored up. They're waiting for us.

For the egg we don't have.

'Get in, Ren and Martyn distract, me and Doc get Scar.' I decide the plan is before it's too late. Everyone agrees. 'Scott, you stay on the ship to help Scar. He'll...' Another scream. 'He'll need it. When Scar's safe... We destroy the ship.'

'That's not a good idea.'

'They killed Grian!'

'My BROTHER is on there!' Scott shoots back. 'I'm not letting you kill him!'

'Your brother is a triton like you. He can swim. But we get rid of the ship, and hope True dies with it.'

'I'm in.' Martyn raises a hand. 'They're not getting away with this.'

'Doc? Ren?' Neither look back at me.

'I... I don't want to cause anyone's death dude. That's not on.'

'I've got some gunpowder. We blow up the ship.' Doc growls.

'3 on 2. We do it.' I decide. Scott starts protesting again, but I don't listen. With all of them gone, I'm safe. We're all safe. Another debt gone.

'Cub, how many of them are there and what are they good at?' I turn as Martyn asks.

'Hels is sadistic, EX is strong, Xornoth is annoying and True just needs to die.' I explain concisely.

'Xornoth is-' Scott pauses mid-refute 'Actually he is annoying. But he doesn't deserve to die.'

'Then we take him prisoner!' The ship's basically next to us. Scar. I stare over the edge again. 'Someone get me a sword. I'm going in.'

'Get me a guitar and I'm ready... I don't care who's brother they are, I'm hitting someone over the head with a musical instrument today..' Agrees Martyn. I glance around before running back inside. It doesn't take long to gather weapons, ready to go. And by that point the ships are near enough to get on.

'Hey! True!' Martyn jumps across before they get to us again. 'We come with good news!'

With a glance at Doc, I follow, slipping into the water. I'm not the best swimmer, but manage to get under the boat and up again, climbing up. True and EX haven't seen us. Hels is nowhere to be seen.

Accepting that whatever Martyn and Ren are doing is working, we slip through the open door of the cabin. No one spots us. There's an area of bunk beds, clearly where the crew sleep, and 2 rooms. One is locked.

The other is open.

And inside, Hels is shouting.

'WHO HAS THE EGG?'

'I- I don't know! I don't have it! We don't-' A muffled scream from Scar. I break into a run that's supposed to be sneaky. Hels turns, bloody knife in hand.

'TRUE THEY'RE SNEAKING IN!'

I whack him with my sword. With a squeal he falls. Doc holds him back as I dash into the cabin. We don't have much time. True will know what we're doing. Martyn and Ren are no match for her and EX...

Scar.

He's lying on the ground, hands and feet tied up. Shirtless, back bloody.

'I'm so sorry.' I fall next to him, cutting him free. 'Scar I'm so sorry.'

He just clings to me, sobbing. Guilt and relief drown me. He's alive. But his back... Whatever they did to him...

'TRUUUUUEE THEY'RE TRYING TO FREE THE PRISONERRRRRRR!' Hels whines again. Doc shoves him headfirst against the wall and he stops moving. Scar's just hugging me still.

'We need to get out of here, ok?' I murmur. I think he nods back. Outside, there's chaos. Ren's singing. I hear Martyn bellow 'YOU SMELL LIKE MOULDY DRAGON POO!' before there's a loud crash. A shout back from True. A scream from Martyn before she bursts into view, dragging the bard with her, a sword against his neck.'

'RIGHT!'

Scar shrinks away. I hug him close. True isn't going to hurt him again. Doc stands.

'Get out of here.' He growls. 'Or I skewer you.'

'Get out of here or I kill the bard. Slowly.'

'I'll kill Hels.'

'Let Martyn go.' I demand, not even thinking. If I think I'll stop. I can't stop. I can't let them hurt him. 'Let Scar go.'

'Why?'

A deep breath. I somehow lock eyes with True as I speak.

'Because I know where the egg is.'

A pause.

'How do we know you're not lying, Cub?' She spits, still holding Martyn captive. I close my eyes, thankful and worried for Scar next to me as I speak. 

'Because if I'm telling the truth, you get the egg. And if not...' Another pause. I don't look at Scar's questioning eyes. 

'If not, you can kill me.'

:)

The first half of this did NOT want to be written