----
Gemini did not succumb, he awoke tied up to a chair and with bandage wrapped around his eyes and forehead. "Eh?"
"Finally awake, I see?" Nix spoke, laughing. "It's about time, Gemini. You could still prove useful to me."
"Prove..useful..?" Gemini was slightly taken aback from Nix's words. "What do you.."
"Right. You're unaware about all of this. Hmph." Nix laid back in his chair, sighing. "Well, your objective is to kidnap Merid, and bring them to me. Got it?" Gemini nodded as Nix resumed speaking. "And if you refuse.. I have other methods of forcing you to do it."
"Yes your majesty.." Gemini slightly stuttered, before lifting his head up to ask something. "May I be released now?" Nix got up, beginning to remove the bandage on Gemini and untying him from the chair. "Yes, you may."
"Thank you, sir." Gemini nodded his head as he stood up from the chair, fixing his hair before he left. When Gemini had shut the door, Nix glared. He had the feeling that Gemini would not follow through with his orders. Either way, Nix would still manage to force him into it. He knew it.
Nix sighed, returning back to his studies.
----
As the group kept walking. As Summer kept watch on Nova, Jupiter watched from the sidelines. They twisted a wooden puppet in their hands, forming it to shape Archer. Jupiter forced Archer to keep his mouth shut, as he was forced to pull out his knife.
Archer's arm swung towards Merid, yet his shocked expression contrasted the power in that swing. Luckily, Merid had moved, causing their ponytail to be cut off in a messy fashion. "Archer, what the h-" They were cut off, seeing Jupiter standing in front of Archer. Jupiter messed around with some red, glowing, string in their hand. "Hello Merid. I am suggesting you do not interfere with this, as I am following king Nix's orders."
"Like hell I'm gonna let you go through with whatever he told you!" Merid yelled out, looking behind themselves to realize the rest of the crew had walked away. "Shoot."
"Well, well, well.." Jupiter smirked, wrapping Archer up in the string. "I hope you don't mind if I.." They slightly raised their hand, tightening the rope tied onto Archer's arm.
Soon enough, the rope would dig into Archer's arm, causing him to finally scream out in pain. Seeing this, Merid ran towards Jupiter, swinging their scythe at Jupiter with all of their might. Only to be tied up in the same red string. "Now now, didn't I tell you not to interfere?" Jupiter tightened the string on both of the two, beginning to walk to Merid, glaring.
Merid grimaced in pain, not responding to Jupiter. Without a response, Jupiter only got more upset. They made the string on Archer's arm nearly tight enough to deeply cut open his arm. "Answer me, and he doesn't get hurt." Jupiter demanded, knowing very well they'd do it anyways.
"Fine, fine! Yes.. you.. you told me not to interfere. Now will you let us go?" Merid shouted, in hopes of escaping. "..No." Jupiter smirked, the string causing Archer's arm to start bleeding. Archer fell to the ground on his knees, hyperventilating and almost in tears. Until suddenly, Jupiter passed out. The red strings loosened on the two, letting them free.
Merid looked up, seeing a light blue haired man, with a familiar ripped shirt. "Eh, Gemini?"
"Ah, it's so wonderful to see you alive!" Gemini beamed. "Huh? How are you.." Merid muttered in a confused manner. "Don't worry about it." He smiled, helping Archer and Merid up. "Now, let's get you back to your group!"
As Gemini led the two back to the rest of the group, Merid noticed something off. "Hey, what's that in your..hand?"
"Oh, nothing to worry about.. It's a device I use to talk to.. my um, friends! Yeah!" Gemini lied, making it ever so obvious to Merid and Archer. "Who are.. your friends?" Archer questioned.
Gemini swallowed, knowing this question was about to come. "Uh..you'll see!"
Merid, with a glare, shouted out. "We're not dumb! Just say you're working with Nix!" Gemini glared back, saying something back to Merid. "Yes, I am. What's your problem with it? He saved my life when I came here from a spaceship wreck."
"I don't care! He killed my parents and blamed Neptune's sibling! I don't care, I don't care! I don't care about him saving you, if anything you should realize he's just manipulating you!" Merid took a deep breath, continuing their speech. "The people who worked alongside me are dying! Carmen got stabbed, and Andromeda.. she.." Merid slowly nodded off, tripping over face first on the ground.
"I'm.. sorry." Gemini apologized for what he was about to do with sad eyes. As he then looked where Archer had once stood, Gemini thought that Archer must've ran away. He didn't hold it against him, Gemini just didn't want to get hurt. But wouldn't that make him selfish?
As he picked up the unconscious Merid, he called out a name. "Nix." Nix's voice slowly faded in, a screen popping out from the device in Gemini's hands in front of him. "Yes, Gemini?"
"I have Merid, how do you want me to bring them to you?" Gemini had asked, genuinely confused. "Walk with Jupiter to the castle. Once you get there, bring them to my office and I'll take care of them then." Nix ordered.
"Sounds good, see you then." Gemini hung up, the screen closing off. Keeping Merid in his arms, he wandered over to Jupiter. “Hey, wake up.” He said, kicking Jupiter’s side. As Jupiter awoke, they glared at Gemini. “I was so close to getting rid of that pink haired brat! Why did you interfere?!”
Gemini looked down at Jupiter, answering their question. “You nearly got rid of Merid. Nix wants you to walk with me back to the castle to bring them to his office.” Jupiter let out a sigh, nodding their head. “Fine. Let’s get a move on it already.”
“Thank you.” Gemini smiled, following Jupiter as they led the way.
“By the way, Gemini.” Jupiter spoke up. “Why did Nix tell you to get me?” Gemini looked at Jupiter, confused. “Well, I can’t exactly fight for myself.. And, I have to carry Merid to the castle, so even if I could fight, It’d be difficult as all hell.”
“I guess that is true, but.. Eztli would be much better for that. He’s stronger than me.”
Jupiter grimaced. “Don’t say that..! I’ve seen your abilities, it’s quite impressive.” Gemini grinned, before looking at Jupiter with curiosity. “How did you become Nix’s hitman anyways?”
“It’s a long story, are you sure you want to hear?” Jupiter answered. “Yes!” Gemini agreed, nodding his head. “Alright then..” Jupiter hesitated, before beginning their explanation.
“When I was younger, there was a job opening for working in the royal family. It didn’t say what it was.. But I went to the interview anyway. I thought that I would be able to support my family with the money I would receive. I guess I was wrong.” Jupiter sighed, frowning at the memories of their past. “I was put through endless amounts of pain, and I was forced to never see my family until I was granted the freedom to. That supposed freedom was me being given the instructions to kill my family.”
“Wouldn’t you just be able to decline it?” Gemini asked.
“No. I was threatened with my death. So even if I did, I’d be killed. ” Jupiter continued. “I don’t know what came over me, but I killed both of my parents that day. I ended up with my eye getting stabbed, so now I have this eyepatch. But, I hardly remember killing them… In fact, my memory has been extremely spotty when the war started..”
Jupiter stopped walking, an expression of shock on their face. “No..No..! It can’t be that!”
“Can’t be what?” Gemini stopped as well, looking at Jupiter with concern. “He couldn’t have mind controlled me all that time..!” Jupiter started panicking, beginning to run towards the castle. “Ah- Wait up!” Gemini hurried behind Jupiter, who was gritting their teeth in anger.
"Let's go already!" Jupiter picked up their pace, practically leaving Gemini in the dust.
Jupiter stopped in their tracks as the two arrived in front of the castle. "That...bastard.. kept me away from my family!" Jupiter began banging on the castle gates, in an attempt to get it open. "Open up, asshole!"
Soon enough, the gates would open, revealing the one and only Nix from the other side. He didn't greet the two, instead he slowly stepped towards Jupiter. "You." He pointed his finger at Jupiter. "Where is Archer?"
Jupiter gulped, about to answer before Gemini had said something. "He ran away, sir."
"Jupiter, is this true?" Nix asked, as Jupiter bowed their head. "Yes.." Nix's calm expression quickly turned angered, as he began to scold Jupiter. "I told you to kill that idiot and bring his rotting corpse to me! And yet, you didn't do as told!"
"Well it isn't MY fault Gemini knocked me out!" Jupiter began to yell back, frustrated. "If you would give me some more goddamn time maybe I would've brought him back! But no, you have to be so goddamn corrupt! Everything you do, everything you say is a goddamn lie! You brought this upon yourself!"
"What did you just say to me?!" Nix was taken aback by Jupiter's words, only getting more upset. "Take back what you said, right now!" Jupiter laughed. "You'd think I'd take back the truth? In your dreams, asshole!"
And as Jupiter finished that sentence, they vanished, leaving Gemini, Merid, and Nix.
"Hand them over, Gemini." Nix opened his arms, preparing to carry Merid. "Yes sir.." Gemini hesitated a small moment while handing Merid over, causing Nix to be slightly suspicious.
Taking Merid in, Nix looked back to Gemini. "Come with me, and don't try anything funny."
"Yes.. sir." Gemini slowly followed behind Nix, wondering. What if he knocked Nix out right here, what would happen? Does Nix have some kind of defense against it, would he fight back? He shook his head, catching up to Nix.
----
Standing on top of a pillar in the distance, Jupiter glared. They couldn't exactly tell if Gemini was really working with Nix, but either way Jupiter didn't like it. The fact that Gemini didn't seem to do anything against Nix made Jupiter upset. Sure, they probably needed to put themselves in his shoes, but why wouldn't someone like Gemini do anything about this all? They were conflicted.
Despite the indefinite answer to it all, Jupiter quickly tapped a puppet.
The puppet slowly faded into what looked exactly like Gemini. Jupiter quickly made sure it wasn't activated by checking the eyes, putting it in their pocket afterwards.
They sat for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for someone, anyone, to come out of the castle.
----