"Hunter Last-"

"Here."

The teacher's gaze lingered on the bandages taped to his face. Hunter glared back, a silent dare for them to say anything. They moved on. A small abomination waddled onto his desk.

U ok?

The note read, in Amity's handwriting. Hunter's squashed the abomination. Note passing wasn't allowed in class.

Darius stopped by the dry cleaners on his way to work.

"No questions, please," he said to the employee when he dropped off the bag with Hunter's Grom outfit in it. He slipped them a few extra snails.

It still made him sick to think about. He'd said goodbye to a boy coming out of his shell, eager for a night with his friends and peers, and brought back a re-traumatized teen covered in blood.

Hunter had pulled away shortly after that. He seemed almost robotic in his routine. He still appeared to eat, went to bed on time, showered, and kept up with his hygiene like normal. He went to Flyer Derby practice, he rehearsed. He did his homework.

He wouldn't stay downstairs, though. He never talked to Darius beyond surface-level 'how was your day' and was always too busy to see his friends. Camila had reached out about another sleepover, and Hunter had shrugged.

"Fine, you can send me away for a day, if you really don't want to deal with me," he'd muttered.

"You know that's not- whatever," Darius had sighed.

Gus started showing up at the door after school. Darius would go upstairs to an empty room, and Hunter would mysteriously reappear when his friend left.

Willow could never find him during break. "Is he mad at me?" she asked Darius.

"I don't think so," he answered, hoping it wasn't a lie because he really didn't know. Hunter wouldn't talk to him about that night. "He just needs some time."

He tried to approach him with the list of therapists that Luz and her friends had sent him. "If you want to talk to someone about what's been happening, maybe we could look through this list together, and-"

"You think there's something wrong with me?"

"That isn't what I mean. I think that you've been through a lot, and maybe-"

"Maybe you'll let them pick apart my brain or something," Hunter grabbed his backpack and started for the door.

"That's not what they do. Where do you think you're going?"

"Out, away," the boy tugged on a jacket.

"You're staying right here, and we're going to talk about this," Darius reached out, but in a flash of golden light, Hunter was gone. Flapjack twittered, perturbed. The bird seemed offended that Hunter hadn't taken him with him, flying around the house in search of him.

"Fine," Darius grumbled. "Just keep moping!" He yelled to nobody. Hunter couldn't hear him. "Just keep sitting in it, maybe doing nothing will make it better!"

What a hypocrite. He hadn't gone to anyone with his feelings of guilt and the crushing grief he'd felt after the death of his mentor. What a fucking hypocrite.

"Leave me alone, leave me alone," Hunter whispered, his breathing ragged as he tried in vain to outrun the voice. He knew it was coming from inside his head. It was there all the time now and he knew now that it wasn't a nightmare.

Hunter, go back. Go back and tell him I'm here, why don't you

It whispered to him, a whisper that rang loud in his head. When he thought back, he could never pinpoint exactly when he started hearing it. When he started realizing that these weren't his own intrusive thoughts. When he had gotten strong enough to start speaking like this to him.

Let him take you to the crazy-people doctor that's what you are

"Shut up! I want you to get out!"

I told you, you'll NEVER BE RID OF ME

I wouldn't lie to you

The kids at school could hardly look at him anymore. Whether it was out of guilt, fear, or it just wasn't fun to make fun of him anymore. Hunter accepted it, trying to fade into the background.

Why was the voice making it so hard? Why couldn't it just leave him alone?!

You know why, you had your moments of cleverness, Hunter.

He thought he heard a branch snap behind him, and whirled around, panting. A root caught on his foot and sent him crashing to the ground.

You've done wonderfully, don't regret a moment of it

"No, no..."

You've been such a wonderful host. As you got stronger, so did I

"No! You aren't real!"

You really never changed. You're still my Hunter, still my Golden Guard. You're still useful to me

"Stop it, stop it stop, please..."

You're going to help me so much. Don't worry, it won't hurt if you cooperate. You can have control of the body sometimes

"No..." Hunter curled in on himself. This had to be a nightmare, it had to be. He was going crazy, that's why he saw those things in the mirror, that's why he heard and saw these terrible things he was just crazy. "I'm going to get you out of here. They'll help me."

Go ahead, tell Darius what's happening. What's he going to think of you? Do you think he wants Belos under his roof? You tell him, and he'll REALLY send you away.

Go ahead and tell your friends how you've still been helping out your dear uncle.

And how it will be YOUR fault that I'm back

See how fast they turn on you

Hunter sat on the counter in the bathroom, holding still as Darius took the stitches out slowly. He resisted the urge to lean into his touch. Stay still. Stay still.

"You're doing a good job," Darius said.

Hunter ignored the voice that called Darius a liar. The older man wiped away the slight bleeding gently. "I don't think it will scar very badly. It should be very faint." A very thin layer of ointment was applied, and the wound was bandaged once more. For a moment, he felt like if Darius could fix this, he could fix anything. He could stitch or bandage it up and make anything go away.

"Thanks," Hunter murmured. Darius ruffled his hair.

"It's no problem."

He almost said something then.

Would he be helping you if he knew it was helping me too?

If he knew how disgusting you were

You can never tell him

Maybe he would set an example. Darius finished dialing the number and hit call, sighing. His hands were unusually shaky. The site said he was open for new clients. The man was well known, apparently. He shouldn't be nervous.

He could do this. It was only a therapist. He would go in for a session and show Hunter how much it helped or how easy it was, or how not dangerous the therapist was. He could be the bigger person.

"Hello, this is Mr. Valdez from the Bonesborough Counseling, how may I help you?"

Darius's voice takes a moment to cooperate with him. "Hello. I was wondering if- how I might schedule an appointment? Or a session, or whatever they're called?" Titan, he sounded like an idiot. "I've never really done this before."

"That's alright. Can I get a name and number? Then we'll pick a day that works for you."

Hunter sat curled up in the school library, arms wrapped around his stomach to keep it from making noise.

You think this will get rid of me?

He didn't respond. He knew that Belos already knew. It was uncomfortable having his space, his mind being invaded like this.

You think if you starve yourself for long enough, it will weaken me, kill me?

You will grow weak first.

You will not be rid of me.

Hunter curled up tighter, willing himself not to feel the pangs of hunger. He had slipped bites of his breakfast under the table to Flapjack for the past few days, and pushed his dinner around, eating just enough to satisfy Darius. This had to work, right?

You cannot get rid of me with these foolish ideas. I continue to grow stronger because you shelter me.

Damn it.

Darius marked the day on his calendar. He would go, then he would tell Hunter how good therapy was. He could totally do this.

There was a nagging worry in the back of his head. How good of a parent can I really be if I'm so messed up that I need therapy?

He shook his head. He could still be a good parent. (Right?) He heard the door open, and put a smile on his face. No need to seem nervous around Hunter. There was nothing to be nervous about.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"Fine," Hunter shrugged. That had been his response for days.

"I thought you had Flyer Derby practice today," Darius said, checking the date on his scroll.

"They... canceled," Hunter said. His lie wasn't convincing. Eda was right, the kid had a terrible poker face. He bit back his questions about it, maybe it would be better if he didn't pry. Something was obviously wrong but it was so hard to get Hunter to talk to him these days.

"Oh. Well, since you have some extra free time, do you want to watch a movie? I can make some popcorn."

"No thanks."

He went upstairs and didn't come back down. Darius wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Hunter's avoidance of their goodnight hugs- which he'd previously seemed eager to receive and sometimes came back for a second of- sort of stung.

Hunter slid under his bed again. The doorknob was rattling aggressively. His heart jumped up to his throat and he hugged his stuffie to his chest.

"Go away, go away, go away," he whispered. He wished desperately that he could leave his room and go to Darius's but he was right outside, he was yelling at him again. "You're scaring me."

You WORTHLESS little BRAT

let me IN let me IN let me IN

i made you I have EVERY RIGHT to do what i wish with you

YOU ARE STILL MY NEPHEW

open the GODDAMN DOOR HUNTER I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME

"Go away," quiet sobs began to shake his body. "Please leave me alone."

resisting is foolish

He slammed on the door and it shook in its frame. Titan, one night it was going to give in, and then what would happen?

you WILL obey me

it's what you were MADE FOR

what I MADE YOU FOR

you belong to me and i will use you as i see fit

"No," Hunter whispered. Little grey spots swam in his vision. He'd been trying so hard not to eat, to make it harder for Belos to gain power but it wasn't working. He wasn't sure if it was despair or hunger that twisted his stomach.

grimwalker bastard

open this fucking door

BADGIRLCOVEN: Hey, it's luz

RULERSREACHF4N: hey,

BADGIRLCOVEN: This weekend Vee and I were thinking of going for boba.

BADGIRLCOVEN: That human drink I was telling you about

RULERSREACHF4N: cOOl

BADGIRLCOVEN: Didn't you want to come with?

...

BADGIRLCOVEN: Hello? Hunterrrrrrrrrrr

...

BADGIRLCOVEN: You know I can see when you read these

...

...

BADGIRLCOVEN: Fine.

"Hey."

Hunter looked up from his locker to see Willow, Gus, and Amity standing there. He turned to go, and his path was blocked by Skara.

"Yo, we need to talk to you."

"Hunter, you've been acting... weird, lately," Gus began.

"I'm not weird, nothing's wrong," Hunter said, his voice slightly raspy from not having spoken since his hasty goodbye to Darius this morning.

"Are you mad at us? Be honest," Willow stepped forward, eyes brimming with tears. Hunter's heart twisted. "If this is about Grom... I'm so sorry, I'd do anything to make it up to you."

She'll hate you, his uncle's voice hissed in his head.

"Shut up," he snapped.

"Hey!" Amity glared. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but-" she gasped. Skara clapped a hand over her mouth. Someone's books hit the floor.

"What?" Hunter asked. They were all staring at him.

Gus hesitated a moment before grabbing his shoulders and leading him to the trophy case to look at his reflection. "That's not normal," he whispered.

Hunter looked into his own eyes. One magenta, and one a bright, electric blue. "Oh shit."

"Hunter, what's going on?" Skara asked. "You can tell us."

"I- I don't know, exactly."

"How long has this been happening?" Amity asked.

"This specifically?" Hunter reached up to poke around the blue eye. "I haven't... well, there was that one time I saw this man in the mirror instead of me. But this just happened today. Weird things have been happening," he admitted.

"Start from the beginning," Willow said. "And please, let us help you."

"Holy shit," Luz muttered.

"Holy fucking shit," Eda echoed. The kids, Eda, and Lillith all sat around the kitchen table in the Owl House.

"So, Belos is like... a parasite?" Lillith asked. "When he died, and you all ran through the... Belos sludge, he somehow attached himself to you, and he's been gaining power that way?"

"I thought it was my imagination, but it looked like that... stuff was moving," Amity shuddered. Luz put an arm around her.

Hunter shrugged. "I think so. That's what he tells me. Lately, he's started saying things to me. When I'm awake, not like a nightmare. I have those too, but this is different. He's been getting louder and louder."

"And now your eyes are turning," Eda said. "That isn't a good sign. He wants... a body to inhabit, right?"

Hunter nodded. "Since he made this one," he gestured to himself, "he considers himself entitled. But I've grown kinda attached to it, it's my only body y'know?" He chuckled, but no one else really found it funny. So much for using humor to deflect.

"Titan," Willow sighed. "First Grom, now this?"

"You can't catch a fucking break," Skara said.

"He keeps bringing up Grom. He keeps calling me a traitor, it makes me feel guilty about it. Which makes me feel even guiltier, because I had to kill him- Grom, I mean. He was going to hurt Gus, then all of you. He was going to- I had to."

"We know," Lillith said. "You did the right thing down there, don't let him convince you otherwise."

Eda sat down on the edge of the table. "Don't worry, you won't have to put up with him for much longer."

"I was thinking," Hunter set down the untouched mug of hot chocolate that he'd been given, "maybe the easiest way to get rid of him would be to... eliminate the body that he is gaining control over. And maybe-"

Vines shot out to wrap around his wrists and tug him closer to Willow. "Don't. You. Dare. Don't even consider it," she told him, the scariest look he'd ever seen on her face. "You have an issue with self-sacrifice, and after this is over, you're getting help." His ears were pinned back to his head, and he nodded meekly.

"Okay. Okay, plan B then."

"First, have you told Darius any of this?" Amity asked. "What has he been doing?"

Hunter sank lower in his chair. "I haven't told him. And maybe if I fix this today, at least the eye thing, I won't have to."

"He can probably help," Luz protested. "Plus he's your... guardian. We need to tell him."

"No, please don't," Hunter begged. "We can fix this ourselves, right?"

"Fix what?" A voice in the doorway made Hunter pause.

"I might have already called him to let him know where you were," Eda said softly. "He needs to know."

"It's okay," Gus said as he and Willow took Hunter's hands. "We're right here, we'll help you tell him."

"No, no it's not okay," Hunter shook his head, his breathing starting to become uneven. "It's not- all this time he's been taking care of me and I've been- I've been awful. It's my fault, I didn't even notice-"

"It's not your fault," Willow insisted. "It's Belos's."

"What's this about Belos?" Darius asked, coming closer to kneel by the kids, getting down to their level. He tried to look Hunter in the eyes but he couldn't stand it right then.

With his eyes squeezed shut, Hunter started to admit what had been happening, the escalation of the nightmares and the voice and how he'd been trying to get him to leave to no avail. He paused several times, wincing. Unfortunately, plugging his ears didn't tune out his uncle's screaming inside his head. "And he was in your house. I feel so horrible that because of me, he was in your house. Every time you helped me, or fed me, you were- and you didn't even know you were helping him. I should have noticed sooner. I feel like it's never going to stop," he said, voice cracking. "He's never going away. As long as I'm here, he's just going to cling on."

"No, he won't," Darius assured him. "Whatever it takes, he's getting the fuck out of there and this is the last time we're ever going to have to deal with him."

"We're manifesting it," Luz said. Hunter wasn't sure what that meant.

"I've already called up the one person on the Boiling Isles who knows the absolute most about curses, parasites, and hexes," Eda said, with a proud smile on her face. "She should be here any minute now. She's overdue for a visit actually."

At that very moment, there was a knock on the door. King ran to get it. Hunter heard him yell "Grandma!" Lillith got up and ran to the door as well. A woman with grey hair and distinctive Clawthorne features wrapped them both up in a hug. A huge bag lay at her feet.

"Lily, King! It's so good to see you two!" She ran one hand over Lillith's hair. "Now, I hear we have an exorcism to perform. What are we exorcising, and out of whom?" She let go of Lillith and set King back down. When she picked up her bag she looked fearsome, her glasses glinting with deadly determination.

"Hunter, this is my mother. She has spent years and years researching all manners of curses and other maladies and their cures. If anyone knows how to help you, it's her," Eda said. The confidence in her voice almost lifted Hunter's mood.

Lillith had taken her mother's hand and was explaining the problem as she led Mrs. Clawthorne over to the group of kids. Mrs. Clawthorne was nodding, already flipping through the big book she'd pulled out of her bag. Hooty looked over her shoulder at the pages. "Oh. I see," she nodded gravely. "Well, it might take the combined effort of most of us here, but I think by tomorrow, we can have that bastard out. Which kid are we working on?" She cast her gaze over the group, who all shrank in their seats except for Luz.

"Hunter," she answered, pointing to the boy.

The woman smiled and held out a hand. "Hello Hunter, I'm Gwendolyn Clawthorne. You can call me Gwen. Or Grandma."

"O- okay," Hunter said, hesitantly letting go of Gus to politely shake hands.

"Don't be scared, we'll get you squared away soon- is that a Coven Head?!" Gwen caught sight of Darius, caution and confusion suddenly taking over her expression.

"This is just my- just Darius," Hunter said quickly.

"He's pretty much the kid's dad, he hangs around sometimes," Eda waved her hand casually. "So, what do you think we're looking at here? Classic possession?"

"Here, sit up on the table, like so," Gwen instructed Hunter, pulling him away from his friends to sit on top of the kitchen table while she rummaged through her bag. Suddenly everyone's voices were overlapping. Willow and Skara were trying to ask questions, Darius was trying to talk to Eda, Luz and Lillith were scanning the bookshelves and all the threads were overlapping and Hunter couldn't hear anything but babbling like a river. When two people tried to speak at once, it felt like marbles hit in his head, and then his uncle's voice joined in and he couldn't even hear that despite it being in his head and before he knew it he was crying again like at that soccer game but worse, so much worse. He grabbed his ears, trying to cover them, tugging slightly. The pain might ground him, the pain might bring him back around out of the fuzziness.

Someone was prying his hands from his ears. "Hey, hey, don't do that," Darius's voice, soft and low. The background chatter was fading. "You're okay, what's wrong?"

Everything, everything felt wrong and his shirt was itchy and his tongue wasn't sitting right in his mouth. He couldn't say anything. He missed hugs. He'd felt wrong, contagious, for weeks now and he stopped hugging anyone but he missed them. He felt stupid, he'd gone sixteen years getting probably enough hugs to count on just one hand and now he was crying like a baby and wanted one how pathetic

how pathetic

you're pathetic

"Shut up, shut up," he pulled one hand out of Darius's grip and smacked his temple. "Shut up."

"Okay, he's really overwhelmed right now," Eda said. "I think we might have to send you guys home," she turned to the group of students.

"What? No, we can help!" Skara protested.

"He's our friend," Gus pleaded. "You have to let us stay!"

"Having too many people here is going to hinder the process, not help it. I'm sorry you guys." Eda knew how they felt, she really did.

"Okay," Willow was the first to relent. "Just promise you'll help him?"

"We promise," Eda stuck out her little finger, and each of the kids wrapped theirs around hers in turn. With the promise sealed, they each reluctantly turned toward the door and started to pull their shoes and cloaks on.

"I'll keep you guys updated," Luz promised.

"Nuh-uh, you're going too. The adults will handle this. You kids have had enough pressure put on you for a lifetime."

"But Eda-"

"Nope, nope nope nope. Camila gets home from picking Vee up from soccer practice in another five minutes, and you're staying in the Human Realm while we handle this."

Luz groaned. "But I want to help him! Look at him!" She gestured to Hunter, who was sobbing uncontrollably. "We've been worried about him for weeks!"

"I will keep you updated so you can update your friends, how does that sound?"

"Edaaaaaaaaa..."

"Kid, I'm not arguing with you anymore. You're going to take King with you and keep his mind off of this. It's stressing him out."

Luz seemed to reconsider. Eda silently celebrated. Adding some level of responsibility to going to the Human Realm seemed to soothe Luz. She would feel useful keeping an eye on King. "Okay."

"Alright. Now say goodbye to your girlfriend, and I'm getting Francois."