Two figures walk alone in the moonlight, approaching a small building in front of them, magically sealed with the Perfect Cube.
"You know one of us can do this for you instead if you prefer." Merlin says to her short friend beside her, casting Absolute Cancel to allow them to enter the structure.
"There's no need. I know what I have to do." Meliodas responds calmly, following the mage inside to the dimly lit room. "Yes but even after all he has done, he's still your brother. I understand if you'd rather have one of the others or myself do this instead." She continues softly, casting an illumination spell to light up the rooms stone floors and rusted metal walls.
The light also exposes Zeldris tied to a chair in the middle of the room. His arms and legs bound with Merlin's magic, and his eyes brimming with hatred for the two of them. Merlin and Eacanor had lured him from Camelot and captured him on the border of Liones a mere few hours prior.
"Oh I'm well aware Zeldris is my brother but we have less than 3 days till Elizabeth's curse is activated. We're running out of time and only I can get him to talk." Meliodas responds, taking off his sword and Boar Hat jacket revealing his red tank top underneath. Setting them both down on a table that housed an array of unpleasant looking trinkets.
"Like hell I'll talk. After everything you've done you really think you can still call yourself my brother?" Zeldris yells, lunging forward against his binds unsuccessfully. This wispy chains glowed a deep purple against his efforts. "I will never help you so go ahead and torture me. I'm all too familiar with you causing me pain." He finishes his scathing statement with a glare before settling his gaze on an unfixed point on the wall in front of him. Refusing to meet Meliodas' gaze which appeared slightly hurt despite his nonchalant demeanor.
Ignoring the dark-haired demon's harsh words, Merlin turns to Meliodas "If you're certain then very well, I will leave you to do what has to be done. Just open the door to signal you are finished and ready to be released." She says, walking out of the door as she reactivates her Perfect Cube. "Will do, thanks Merlin." Meliodas replies, giving her a wave as she shuts the door leaving the two brothers alone together for the first time in over 3000 years.
"Well I guess there's no time to lose. Let's get started." Meliodas says, walking across the room to stand in front of the chair his brother is magically bound to. Zeldris gave no sign that he heard his statement, keeping his gaze set on the wall before him.
"I'll give you one chance now to tell me what I need to know and assist me in our efforts against father." Meliodas continues, walking directly in front of his brothers line of sight. Zeldris sets his jaw but makes no sound, still refusing to meet his older brothers eyes.
"Well okay then, I guess you leave me no choice." Meliodas sighs, walking around behind Zeldris who now seemed slightly on edge to not have Meliodas in his field of vision. He could sense his brother behind him, lying in wait for whatever he had planned to attempt to force him to talk.
Refusing to show any fear in front of his older brother, Zeldris straightens his posture and makes a point of once again staring directly at the front wall. Focusing on the patterns of rust rather than Meliodas inching closer behind him.
What was he going to do, stab him, burn him, carve him into pieces? The uncertainty of his brothers intentions was maddening as his mind raced through different scenarios and outcomes. 'I won't break to that traitor. No matter what he does to me.' Zeldris thinks to himself, steeling his resolve once again in preparation for whatever the blonde-haired demon was planning.
"You know you really should reconsider. No matter what you say I am your brother, and I know exactly how to make my little brother talk." Meliodas teases, reaching his hands around Zeldris' sides to settle on his ribs.
Before the said younger brother could put two and two together, Meliodas began his attack. Scribbling all 10 fingers up and down Zeldris's ribs and sides. His eyes widened and Meliodas felt his brothers core tense beneath his wiggling fingers but he still refused to make a sound. His eyes intently fixed on the back wall.
'He really thinks these childish tactics will work on me? He truly is an idiot. As if I would ever - aughhh what is he doing?' Zeldris' thought was cut off as Meliodas started moving his hands inward. All 10 fingers merciless clawing at his brothers middle ribs and stomach.
"St-stop thahat." Zeldris growls, finally breaking his silence as he tugs against Merlin's restraints. "You know how to make it stop. Come on Zeldris just agree to work with me and tell us what you know, then we'll let you go and we can walk out of here together for a drink." Meliodas responds without relenting his attack."N-not a ch-chance yohou tr-trahaitor!" Zeldris manages to stutter through gritted teeth.
Meliodas sighs and relents his attack, circling back around to stand in front of his brother who was now openly glaring at him. "Don't be like that Zel. You know I'm going to end up making you talk just like when we were kids so don't make this harder on yourself." He says matter-of-factly.
"We're not kids anymore." Zeldris spits back coldly "Stop this childish insolence and fight me like a real man." He finishes with a challenging glare. But Meliodas had no intention of actually fighting or hurting his brother.
In fact he had little intention to let him out of that chair any time soon, after all this payback was slightly personal since it was Zeldris who brought back Elizabeth's memories - Activating the 3 day timer on her curse. Even so Meliodas could never bring himself to hate Zeldris, and would rather have his own arm cut of that bring any harm to his brother.
Knowing this, Meliodas let's out a chuckle and leans in closer to his immobilized captive. "Sure we can fight man to man - As soon as you break out of those bonds that is. Well, until then." Meliodas resumes his attack on Zeldris' sides. This time not going easy on him, immediately dipping his hands down to his brothers waist forcing tiny giggles to spill from the dark-haired demons mouth as he frantically fought against his bindings.
"M-Mehehliodahas s-stahap thihis rihihght nohohow!" Zeldris demanded, his face tinged pink from embarrassment and lack of air. Snickering, Meliodas moves his assault from his brothers hips up his sides - honing in on his underarms.
"Hehey wahahait d-dohohont yohou dahare!" Zeldris protests, his thrashing beginning to look panicked as he fought against the magical bonds with all his available strength. Trying to lean away from his brothers fingers and pull in on his arms from where they were magically chained to the chair.
All attempts of shielding or breaking free was futile as Meliodas' hands continued spidering closer and closer to his underarms until - "WAHAIT!" Zeldris said it with such ferocity Meliodas couldn't help stopping his assent, just mere inches away from his brothers arm pits. His fingers stilled but remained in their position threateningly.
"Yes?" Meliodas asks teasingly. Zeldris took a couple moments to catch his breath, mind reeling for a way out of the current situation without giving into his traitorous brother. "Zeeeldris, use your words." Meliodas teases, earning another scathing glance from his glowering little brother.
"After everything you put me through, do you really expect me to willingly help you? After what you did to Gelda I will never forgive you! H-hey wahait you bahastard!" Zeldris yells as Meliodas resumes his attack on the muscles just under his arm pits.
Despite his teasing, Meliodas was truly saddened by his brothers words. He felt terribly for the past centuries over what he put Zeldris through after leaving the Demon realm to be with Elizabeth. He did what he had to in the moment but he deeply regrets the effect it had on his brother and he would do anything to remedy their fractured relationship.
"If that's truly how you feel then I guess I have no choice. I'll have to make you submit by force." Meliodas says in mock-regret, finally slipping his fingers up into Zeldris' red outfit, closing final few inches into Zeldris' arm pits.
The reaction was immediate.
"NOHOHOHO STAHAHAP! NOHOT THEHEHERE YOHOU BAHAHASTARD!" Zeldris screamed, earning a tut-tut from Meliodas as he shook his head. "Such a potty mouth, this will teach you to respect your elders." He responds, doubling his attack on the trashing demons under arms. Scribbling 8 fingers into the hollows while drilling his thumbs into the sensitive muscles around his collar bones.
"STAHAHAP PLEHEHEASE! I CAHAHANT!" Zeldris pleads, but his begging fell on deaf ears as Meliodas continued his relentless attack. Constantly switching up the intensity and speed of attack to keep Zeldis guessing, unable to adjust to the torturous feeling. "Your arm pits are even more ticklish then I remember. It was your worst spot when we were kids too!" Meliodas teases affectionally.
Seeing his brothers face scrunched up in laughter, flushed cheeks, giggling frantically, eyes squeezed shut - it warmed Meliodas' heart. It looked just like the kindhearted brother he remembered and loved. He also couldn't help but notice Zeldris was no longer fighting as hard as he could. 'He is showing no signs of giving in but he also stopped threatening me so I guess that's a win.' Meliodas thinks to himself with a snicker, lessening the degree of his attack slightly to allow his brother to breath.
"Soooo has someone had time to reconsider my offer?" Meliodas asks, still lightly scribbling at the sensitive skin in the hollow of his armpits. Zeldris shook his head no but his eyes didn't seem as certain as before. He was breaking.
With a grin, Meliodas shrugs and resumes his attack - This time pushing his hands deeper into Zeldris' shirt to run his fingers down the sensitive skin of on his ribs before spidering them back up to attack the admits again. Repeating this over and over until Zeldris was in hysterics.
"NOHOHOHOHO AGHH STAHAHAP PLEAHAHASE AHAHA NAHAAH!" He wasn't even forming proper words anymore, and yet still he refused to take Meliodas up on his offer. Zeldirs truly was a particularly stubborn soul, he always has been. To be honest Meliodas expected this result from the start. Which is why he held off on his real leverage for his alliance proposal.
"You're just as stubborn as ever I see. Well I guess I am left with no choice. I have to do it." Meliodas says, smirking as Zeldris flinched away from his fingers when he removed them from inside his shirt - Clearly fearing another merciless attack.
But instead of attacking, Meliodas leans close and whispers 3 words into his ear. And with those 3 words, all the fight in Zeldris left as he sunk into his chair. His gaze becoming distant and cloudy and maybe even a little hopeful.
"Gelda is alive."
Meliodas knew from the start that this information would be what brought his brother over to his side. But he wasn't going to give up an opportunity to fulfill his older brotherly duties of wrecking his little brother with tickles.
"If she was alive why didn't you say that from the start? Could have saved us both the humiliation." Zeldris grumbles, though no longer with any malice in his voice. "Humiliation? Who are you kidding, don't act like you weren't secretly enjoying it." Meliodas responds cheekily. "But to answer your question I still wanted revenge for you restoring Elizabeth's memory, but I could never hurt my brother." Meliodas finished softly with a shrug.
"Yeah whatever. If you promise to take me to where Gelda is I will tell you whatever you want to know and I will assist you in your effort against our father." Zeldris responds gruffly, though Meliodas did note a slight grin tugging at his brothers lips. The sight warmed his hearts. Maybe there was hope after all.
"You have my word. Once Elizabeth's curse is broken you will be reunited with Gilda. I'll summon Merlin to undo your bonds." Meliodas says, turning away from his brother to open the door to signal that the 'interrogation' was complete.
The Perfect Cube was immediately canceled and Merlin re-entered the room. "Not even an hour Captain. I must say I'm impressed. And managing to get what you need without harming your brother, again - I'm impressed." She says, smirking at Zeldris who flushed red under her knowing gaze. "Like I said, I'm his brother. I know how to make him talk." Meliodas responds, playing into the banter knowing it would irk his brother.
"Okay enough of that. Let me out of these bonds so we can get this all over with. There is something important I need to attend to when this is over." Zeldris says authoritatively, though his words lacked any power in his current state. "Are you sure he can be trusted outside of his bonds?" Merlin asks Meliodas, cautious to free a former enemy so casually.
Meliodas nods "Yes without a doubt. He's my brother so I'll always trust him." Zeldris stiffens from his unexpected kind words. And while Meliodas wasn't certain, he thought he could see his brothers eyes soften just a bit. Yes there was definitely hope.
"Rest assured I will not harm him or any of you. As long as Meliodas holds up his end of the deal I have no quarrels with fighting beside you as an ally." Zeldris says, meeting Merlin's glare unwaveringly.
Deciding his intentions were pure, Merlin releases his bonds with a snap of her fingers. "However -" Both Meliodas and Merlin freeze at his words as he continued. Zeldris points his finger at Meliodas and holds an intense gaze. "When this is finished I fully intend to enact revenge over the humiliation you chose to put me through rather than being forthcoming from the start. Don't thing I've forgotten our childhood fights weren't always one sided." He threatens, still holding eye contact.
Realizing his words were merely brotherly banter, Merlin teleports away with an amused smirk, leaving the two brothers alone once again. "Ha whatever you say little bro. I'll wreck you again if you try." Meliodas responds with a snicker. "Without the witch's magical bonds you won't stand a chance so watch your back after all this is over." Zeldris shoots back confidently, secretly enjoying the feeling of playfully bickering with brother again after so long.
"I guess we'll just have to beat our old man and settle this then." Meliodas says with a shrug. "Sounds good to me, so how about that drink … brother." Zeldris responds with a small smile, following his older brother out of the room into the moonlit sky. With a mirroring smile, Meliodas starts leading the way back home "I know just the place."
