Cross-posted on AO3
Day 5 ALT: Hostage Situation
Diluc thought that quitting being a cop would be a relief, that he would finally be free of the corrupt police officers and greedy rich a-holes. But, apparently, he didn't know when to quit because he became a private investigator just to find a way to get around the law.
He needed a way to show the police just how incompetent they were.
To prove that his father had been wrong to put so much faith into them before they had covered up his murder.
So, he had become the one to call when the cops just weren't enough. When people got sick of them not really doing anything.
And it felt ridiculously good when he was able to prove to them that he could figure out a case faster than they could. That he could find the real culprit when they imprison the wrong person.
So, it was safe to say that he was surprised when he got a call from the Chief of Police, Jean Gunnhildr. After she had taken over when Varka had retired half a year ago, she had seldom ever reached out for help, preferring to solve the situation herself. She was probably the only cop that he could say he respected since he knew her reputation of solving a large number of cases herself without much help. But she also wasn't above using asking for help if she truly felt like she needed it.
Curiosity has him picking up the phone.
"Hey, Diluc," she started immediately after he put the phone to his ear. She always one to get straight to the point.
"What can I do for you, Ms. Chief of Police?" he asks. He felt a little guilty about how unfriendly he sounded, but he really just wanted the day to be over with. Was that too much to ask?
Apparently, it was.
"We've got ourselves a hostage situation at the City of Freedom Bank." She definitely sounded very stressed, so he knew that the situation must have been dire. But that still begged the question –
"What does this have to do with me?" he asked, trying not to sound confrontation.
"There are several kids involved." She said this plainly; as if it was good leverage.
And darned if it was.
It was well known, back in Diluc's active years as an officer, that he couldn't stand when children were involved or dragged into a crime scene. He was always crueler to kidnappers and the like when he interrogated them, making them scream until they fessed up and told them where to find the others.
He curses Jean mentally for using his weakness against him now. He hangs up the phone, abruptly cutting their call off, but he knew that both of them knew where he was going as he took a detour away from his home.
Who even takes their kids to the bank at this time of night?!
By the time Diluc pulled into the parking lot, he was pretty much completely well and truly done with his bad luck. The deputy present and on duty was not very fond of Diluc, but seeing as the redhead was close to punching someone on the throat, he ignored him – if at least to avoid worsening his record. He didn't need assault against an officer added to his charges.
Jean could only do so much to keep him out of jail.
It wasn't like he could even remember the man's name and he was more upset by the lack of sheriff on the scene.
Just what was the MPD thinking?
Just wanting to get all of this over with, he snatched the amp out of the Deputy's hands, ignoring the cursing as he turned towards the bank and switched it on.
"This is Private Investigator Diluc Ragnvindr of Dawn Inquiries! If you don't come out in the next five minutes, I'm gonna start shooting!"
He could hear the shocked protests from the other police officers on sight, but he knew this plan would work. Diluc was known all over the news for never missing a shot and for never causing collateral damage or losing a single civilian life. The criminals, at least the very stubborn ones, were sometimes less lucky. He was known as a loose cannon in the underworld that they would rather not set off.
He's proven right by a shout coming from inside and – while he couldn't quite hear what they said – he knew they were coming out. He shoots the deputy a smug grin and tosses the amp into the police cruiser's open window. The man's face just turned redder and Diluc knew he wanted to say some very colorful words, but he ignored him again and turned back to the bank.
When the men – or man as it turned out (seriously, a single shooter?) – came outside, Diluc found himself with one last and very unpleasant surprise.
The man had a hostage, alright.
A very familiar hostage.
Kaeya – his estranged adopted brother – grinned back at him from the robber's clutches looking all for the world like he didn't have a gun pointed at his head. He was bleeding from the temple, some of it even dripping from his chin and onto his sheriff's uniform, staining it red. He most likely knew that he must have looked deranged to everyone else, because his grin widened as if the whole situation amused him.
It took a moment for Diluc to realize that the man must have pistol-whipped him at some point to cause that injury. He can almost picture how it must have happened. If there was anyone who hated children being involved, it was his brother. Crepus had saved him when he was barely ten from an abusive father who had been a drug dealer working with an organization called the Fatui.
Kaeya had probably tried to deescalate the situation with his usual charm that made convicts lower their guard and had been attacked for his trouble.
Diluc felt an old rage build in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. Not since Kaeya had been bullied almost throughout their school lives for his foreign looks and his barely-even-there accent. It had led to many of them going to the infirmary and Diluc being sent to the principal's office quite a lot.
Diluc sighed as he prepared himself for what was going to be a very awkward exchange.
He really didn't sign up for this.
A/N: The outline was originally written on the 27th of January. This is the first and possibly the only one-shot that may be written in a Modern Day AU format unless I change my mind.
While it wasn't in the draft, I decided to make the last-minute change to Kaeya's backstory and his father. I don't know how Kaeya's father actually felt about him or how he treated him before he dropped him off in Mondstadt, but I decided to make him an abusive creep here. The drug he was selling was – naturally – called Delusion.