Note: This is really self-indulgent, yikes. Even the title is making me feel pretty ridiculous right now. Still, I ended up loving Shield Hero far more than I thought I would and I adore Naofumi so... self-indulgent fanfiction it is.
Full Description: Naofumi thought he already had his work cut out for him navigating this new world with Malty's false accusations hanging over his head. Still, he thinks he's doing pretty well for himself, even taking his ruined reputation into account. Too bad there's always a chance for things to get worse. And a bounty hunter- one who doesn't care about innocent or guilty- is most definitely worse.
"Look, if you would just stop and listen," Naofumi staggered forward when the rope around his neck was given a harsh yank. He regained his balance (though his dignity was not quite as lucky), "I'm sure you'd realize this all a big misunderstanding. I never…"
"Shut up." The bounty hunter yanked on the rope again. This time, Naofumi really did almost fall flat on his face.
He grunted, barely managing to catch himself.
The fact that his arms were bound- shield and all- behind his back really didn't help matters.
"If you don't shut up, I swear I'm gonna gag you."
"At least tell me your name…" he tried. "If I'm gonna be kidnapped, I'd like to know who's doing the kidnapping."
He already knew he was acting on the Bitch's orders (and really? Sending a bounty hunter his way? That was a new low. She must be getting desperate.).
The bounty hunter squinted at him, perhaps wondering where the request was coming from. He could see the wheels turning behind his eyes.
For a second, Naofumi's gut turned, but he didn't seem like he was about to make good on his threat to gag him.
The bounty hunter turned away. "It's Falty."
Actually getting an answer gave him pause- he hadn't been expecting that.
Another tug on the rope- much harder this time- brought him to his knees.
This was beyond humiliating.
He was the Shield Hero and here he was, all trussed up like some sort of damsel in distress.
And it was all because of the lies of that bitch. If she hadn't gone around, telling the world that he raped her, none of this would have happened.
He struggled to regain his feet, but Falty jerked the rope again, crouching down to meet his eyes.
He fisted a hand in Naofumi's hair, dragging his head back and holding his gaze.
"I didn't…" he began, but Falty interrupted him, eyes as dull as those of a dead fish.
"Listen," he said, face expressionless, "I don't care what you did. I don't care if you're innocent or. I only care about the money."
So that was it then?
He could argue his innocence, but this man didn't care about that.
And whatever Bitch was offering for his capture, he certainly didn't have the funds to counter it.
"Are you serious?" he sputtered. He shifted, trying once more to get his feet underneath him.
Instead, Falty forced him to the ground in order to bind his ankles together. When he was finished with this, he cut a strip of cloth from Naofumi's tunic to gag him with.
Naofumi twisted away from him, but Falty pinned him with a knee on his sternum.
He wasn't gentle, manhandling his jaw open with fingers hard enough to bruise.
The wad of cloth was crammed in his mouth, practically shoved down his throat, then secured with another strip of cloth.
"I know you have companions," Falty said, regarding him coldly. "I don't want to take the chance of you leading them to us."
Naofumi glared at him, teeth clenched around the gag, but there was nothing he could do.
Even feeling the knots, he knew they were something he couldn't work his way around. He had nothing to cut them with.
He could try to roll away, but where would that get him? He'd only be dragged back.
There wasn't even an angle where he could lie comfortably.
The shield was digging into his arm and he'd already lost sensation in his fingertips with how tightly he was bound.
Wonderful.
So what did he do now?
Lie here and wait to be dragged back to Bitch?
Unacceptable.
Falty was a yard or two off to the side- he'd seated himself comfortably on a log, one leg crossed over the other. He didn't show any signs of starting a fire- of course, he had to be kidnapped by someone too smart to give his companions an easy way of tracking them. Because they would be tracking them.
Naofumi let his head fall back and considered.
Raphtalia would most definitely be coming for him. The same went for Filo.
Melty was… well, he was a little less sure about her. She wasn't exactly fond of him, but they had been warming up to each other.
Thinking of them filled him with a surprising amount of pride. At the same time, he wasn't sure he wanted them anywhere near Falty.
Sure, they could take care of themselves, but Falty wasn't a pushover either as evidenced by the state Naofumi currently found himself in.
It wasn't like he took me in a fair fight, he reflected. That much was true.
Naofumi was still fuzzy on the details- which was concerning in and of itself- but he remembered a town, that something had excited Filo and Raphtalia had indulgently accompanied the two other girls away, leaving Naofumi behind.
And then what?
Had he been knocked on the head?
He didn't have any headache to suggest that.
Drugs?
Possibly.
Would he remember being drugged?
There was something else too- a band around his upper arm. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and realize that it was a precaution against him using his shield.
He grunted, letting his head fall back.
He would think of something, some way out of this.
He would.
Naofumi didn't know at what point he dozed off- only when he was startled back awake, did he even realize he had to begin with.
He craned his neck, trying to see what was going on.
Melty had her arms outstretched, trembling with fury. She shouted her spell, repelling Falty with one of her water attacks.
Somewhere in the midst of it, he thought he heard Filo shouting something.
Naofumi blinked.
They had found him already?
"Naofumi!"
Raphtalia gripped his arm, helping him sit up. Once he was upright, she cut the rope around his wrists away. The one around his neck soon followed.
Almost immediately, he cringed as the feeling of pins and needles in his arms overtook him.
Still, he wasted no time in tearing the gag away from his face, coughing.
The band around his arm took longer- but once it was free he saw it was just a simple ring of metal. There was nothing spectacular about it as far as he could see.
"Should I throw it away?" she asked, hesitating.
Naofumi shook his head. "Keep it." He'd like to look at it later. There was a chance it could prove useful.
Raphtalia rubbed his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Fine," he answered tersely, rubbing his wrists.
It wasn't that he intended to be short with her. This whole ordeal just had him feeling out of sorts.
Still, he was touched.
They had come for him.
After everything that had happened to him, the backstabbing and the false accusations, it had been hard to envision anyone coming for him.
Even them.
He took a shaky breath.
Her hand was still on his shoulder. It was embarrassing, but he didn't quite want her to move it. Which was okay, because she didn't seem like she was going to any time soon.
Naofumi took a deep breath. And then another one.
One after the other.
His mind was whirling, chest feeling too tight.
No matter how hard he tried to take in air, his lungs just couldn't seem to expand enough.
"Master!" He was taken off guard when Filo flew into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking the breath out of his lungs in one go. "I was so worried about you!" She drew back, but stayed in his lap. "I even saved a pretty rock for you…" She reached back, only to draw up short. "I don't have it!" She seemed so dismayed that Naofumi actually felt pretty bad.
"Actually," Melty reached into the pocket of her dress, "I saved it for you."
"You did?!" Filo's eyes were shining and Naofumi suspected she wanted to throw her arms around the other girl, but she didn't climb off his lap.
Maybe at another time, he would have found it annoying.
Right now, it was actually pretty sweet.
Melty gave the rock to Filo, who in turn handed it to Naofumi.
He took it.
It had a nice shape, a little long, but it was smooth and shiny and nice to look at.
Normally, he wasn't interested in rocks. He didn't want to put this one down.
He closed his fingers around it.
"Thank you." His throat felt thick.
Filo beamed.
Raphtalia smiled fondly at them both, but there was a heaviness in her eyes.
He had, he realized, scared all three of them quite terribly.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, knowing he had put them in this position.
He was the Shield Hero. It was his job to protect them. Not the other way around.
He had been stupid when he should have known better than to drop his guard.
He should have known better.
"Naofumi," Raphtalia said, sounding very small, cutting into his thoughts and redirecting them towards her. She bowed her head and gripped the sleeve of his tunic at the elbow.
"Hmm?" Naofumi turned his attention back towards her. He was dismayed to see she was crying. "H-hey, stop that!"
She wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I should have had your back."
So that was what was bothering her?
He surprised himself, reaching out to grip her arm. He gave her a comforting squeeze.
Naofumi tried to think of something to say, but words failed him. He swallowed thickly.
"No," he finally said, unsticking his tongue from the roof of his mouth. His throat felt dry and it occurred to him that he had no idea when the last time he'd had water was. "I should have been more aware. How can I expect you all to rely on me when I can't even rely on myself?"
Raphtalia stiffened. "That's not…" she began softly, but she seemed to be at a loss for words.
For once, even Filo remained quiet, though she was staring at him, eyes shining.
He didn't know what she wanted from him.
Melty, however, crossed her arms, glaring daggers at him.
Before he could ask her what was wrong, she pointed at him accusingly. "You need to get your act together. People are depending on you. We didn't save you just so you could wallow in your own self pity!"
Naofumi blinked at her. Had he really just been lectured by a ten year old? Princess or not, that still felt pretty strange. Like he was the child instead.
Then, he smiled, shoulders slumping, tension bleeding out of his body. "You're right."
She was young enough to be his kid sister, which was a strange feeling in and of itself, and here she was, pulling his head out of his ass for him.
Filo hugged him more tightly, burying her face into his chest.
Naofumi tensed at first, taken aback. Slowly then, he returned the hug, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm glad you're back," she said happily.
Naofumi smiled, content despite everything. "Yeah. Me too."