A/N: So, since my wonderful friend Iman (ABCeasyas123) posted the latest chapter of her story 'Argument' , I felt inspired to get my butt in gear and start posting things again. I'm sorry I've not posted anything in forever, but there's been a lot of stuff going on in my life so...yeah.
Also, from now on, my AN will be at the end of chapters. Anyhow, please review and let me know what you think :)
Kurt's daggers clashed with Brittany's in the field the next night as she attacked him with all she had. Kurt was easily the better fighter, evading and dodging all blows with ease as Brittany tried her hardest to get to him. They had training armour on to be safe, but so far the only injury sustained was a cut across Brittany's left shoulder pad, caused by an errant jab from Kurt to prove a point.
"Remember to guard your middle!" He scolded, ducking around and elbowing her. "If I was your opponent in battle you could have been sliced in half." He pointed out, fluidly twisting to face her again. He was still stood tall and collected. Santana saw the almost humorous difference between the pair as she observed her partner- she still had no idea what they'd be called in this world. Married? Girlfriends?- with her blonde hair stuck to her forehead and body glistening with sweat. Her chest was heaving as she panted heavily whilst Kurt didn't even look like he'd been exercising at all. "Come on, again!" Kurt barked. They ran at each other and they continued to train. "Come on, precision! You're getting sloppy! Focus! Your opponent won't hesitate to attack you if you give him a chance, remember, protect yourself and attack when you can. That's it!" He praised as she blocked one of his daggers and stabbed with her own. "Good! Now keep it up, remember to watch your footwork! That's it, good! You're doing great!" He complimented as they clashed. Brittany seemed pleased and they battled back and forth for a few more minutes until Kurt flicked his wrist, knocking one of her daggers out of her grip and tripping her easily until she lay sprawled on the grass, her second dagger easily kicked away so she was at Kurt's mercy. He eyed her critically for a second before tucking his daggers into his belt and helping her up. "You're doing better. Much better." He praised. Extending a hand, he pulled an exhausted Brittany to her feet. She worried her lip nervously so he patted her shoulder. "I'm serious Brit; you're getting better and better with each session."
"But you're still so much stronger and better than me..."
Kurt's lips curled up in a smile. "I've been trained pretty much all my life Brit. In the words of my father 'a King must always be prepared to settle a conflict. Sometimes through words, and sometimes through actions. As the heir you must learn to defend yourself, your title, and others whom surround you.'" He quoted, lowering his voice to mimic his father before returning to his normal pitch. "Honestly, you're doing great and you're picking up the skills really quickly."
"I've been training since before we got to Earth." Brittany mumbled dejectedly.
"Yes, and I'm not lying when I say you're doing fine!" Kurt promised, tapping the end of her nose. He sighed. "Look, yes, in a fight I would easily overpower you. And yes, you are nowhere near ready to take on any sort of hybrid even remotely similar to me, but 90% of Aladorn's forces here will be imprisoned forces or humans. And I can see that any human who crosses you is in for a serious beating."
Brittany's face lit up with hope and excitement. "Really?"
Kurt chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Really." He promised. "Now," He brushed himself down and looked across at Santana. "We'd best get back to Brit's house so we can take a look at these websites. I don't want any sort of knowledge of us being spread around. Especially not globally." He looked out grimly. "Aladorn's no fool, but he won't be skilled in the use of Earth's technology, and we can use this to our advantage for now. The moment he becomes aware those sites will put us all in danger."
"Gee, try and be a little more optimistic, would you?" Santana commented dryly, eyes widening when Kurt rounded on her sharply.
"Well I'm sorry I have to be a little more realistic." He hissed at her. "Forgive me if I have a little bit more riding on this than you do and have to be a little more sensible about things, but sure, let's all pretend that our win is absolutely certain and prance about the fields with daisies in our hair." He snapped. Santana and Brittany exchanged a worried look, fearful of triggering something as Kurt shook his head and turned away. "Come on, we'd best get on with this." He decided. Before either of them could complain, he was jogging away.
"What did I do?" Santana demanded as she watched him go.
"San, he's stressed. With his Dad, and with Aladorn, and his bullies, asking him to be optimistic is...well, what did you think was going to happen?" Brittany reasoned soothingly.
Santana sighed. "I see your point. Damn. I screwed up."
"No, you just...weren't aware of all the facts?" Brittany offered.
Santana smiled and kissed her partner, letting the blonde snuggle for a moment. "Come on. Let's go catch him up before he blows up a tree to relieve some steam or something." She decided.
Brittany giggled. "Nah, he loves his nature too much for that. He'd probably end up blowing out a whole street's electrics." She corrected, the two of them following their friend to Brittany's house.
Inside Brittany's room, the three shifted down, Santana wincing as her tail retracted and Kurt almost pouting (though he'd deny it vehemently: Princes do not pout) as he shrunk a little in height and his cheeks plumped out slightly. Brittany remained relatively similar, only her markings vanishing and her skin tanning somewhat. Once in their human masquerades Santana and Kurt quickly apologised to one another for their respective actions, settling the dispute with a friendly hug before they settled around Brittany's computer and googled 'The White Flash'. Instantly several websites popped up and, curious, Brittany clicked on the first link.
Their eyes were assaulted with various shades of blue and white. 'The White Flash: Ohio's own Superman.' was emblazoned across the top. Scrolling down the site, they found articles and blurred pictures all about Kurt, as well as artist sketches about what he was supposed to look like. Kurt scanned some of the titles in alarm.
White Flash: Friend or Foe to Ohio? By armouredjedi387
White Flash: Why is he here, and what does he want? By mage_of_darkness
Black Panther, the lover or the nemesis? By Shadow
Kurt shuddered at the last one, but the Latina at his side was just confused. "Who the hell is the Black Panther?" Santana wondered aloud, wrinkling her nose. She received only silence in response and turned to see her two friends staring at her with raised eyebrows. "What?"
"Well, out of the all of us, who already has an alias on these sites?" Kurt asked.
"You..."
"Okay, and out of you and Brit, which of you is a) a cat hybrid, b) has dark hair and c) happens to wear a lot of dark colours when fighting?" He reeled off with a knowing smirk.
"You mean...Oh man!" She threw her hands up. "Seriously? Of all the things to name me, they called me a Panther?" She groaned and buried her head in her hands. "I can't be known as a panther. Of all the cats, a panther. They're wimps! I could be a-a Lion or a Jaguar! Anything else!"
"A house cat?" Brittany giggled.
"Oh shut up." Santana grumbled, hitting her with a pillow.
"Ladies, please, let's keep focused shall we?" Kurt interrupted as Brittany moved to retaliate. "We can laugh over our respective nicknames later, yeah?" He asked. The girls settled back down and they continued looking through the site cautiously. Kurt snorted as he passed one title. "Seems like Santana's got a few fans." He teased.
"Huh?" She asked, shoving him aside to look more closely at the screen.
Black Panther body armour sketch by Shadow
Black Panther: Better than the Flash. By MagicIsMight
Black Panther: Sex on legs. By the PurplePanther.
Forum Discussion: Black Panther is just sooo hot! Started by Moonlit_warrior_87
"Okay...can we move on from this?" She asked, embarrassed as Brittany and Kurt sniggered in the background.
"Sure thing, 'sex on legs'." Kurt grinned as she huffed. He frowned. "Oh. Oh, that is...ew."
Brittany leant forwards. "What?"
"According to most people on here...Santana and I are supposedly a...thing." Kurt shuddered. "No offence San, but...ugh."
Santana took the laptop and also paled at what she saw, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "None taken. I can completely see where you're coming from..." She trailed off and started sniggering at the laptop. "Wow Kurt, according to these people you really are a lady killer." She laughed. "According to them you're also having a relationship with Brittany. Or should I say the Starlight Warrior?" She snickered as Brittany flushed red in embarrassment and Kurt looked almost ill.
"Please tell me you're joking..." He begged.
"Like I could come up with something as funny as that. They've even written stories about it!" She laughed, showing the mortified pair the evidence.
Fanfiction:
White Star: Drawn together in battle, our two heroes are forced to retreat into a cave for their own safety after Panther is killed. Will feelings emerge during their captivity? By White-Star-shipper-98
White Star: In a vicious attack, White Flash is taken down and it's up to the Starlit Warrior to take care of him. Will her hidden crush bloom to the surface and will Flash ever reciprocate her feelings? Or is she doomed to harbour an unrequited love forever? By Moonlit-Warrior
Kurt looked away after the second one and Brittany looked mildly horrified. "We need to shut this site down." He decided.
"Yeah, I'm with you!" Brittany agreed and the two started scrambling to remove it from the internet. Santana snickered from a corner as they worked until all the websites involving them were removed from the internet for good. It took them a good few hours (Santana falling asleep extremely early on) but eventually all traces of them were removed from the human technology. Then Brittany set about starting up prevention methods, keeping their names from the technology for good. That in itself took another 6 hours, Kurt chipping in on occasion to help fill in loopholes and lending his strength until the task was completed. The moment it was done the two flopped back onto the bed, and within a few minutes they were also fast asleep.
Kurt sighed as he walked into school the next morning, ending up being greeted instantly with a shove into a locker. He was absent from the world around him, bouncing off the metal without so much as a wince. His mind was too far away to register what was supposed to be painful, or the disgruntled looks of the jocks when they realised he'd not been bothered by their latest act of petty violence. Santana watched with concern as Kurt glided past her and Brittany, brow furrowed and deep in thought, shocking all the people in the corridor as he ducked out of the path of a slushie without blinking and calmly strolled into his home room.
It had been one week since Kurt had been over to Brittany's house. Since then he'd been training harder each day, spending hours on end pouring over his books and scrolls, going out into the forests to practice his swordsmanship and weapons skills, not to mention hand to hand combat (even getting Sam to help him with that one during their rehearsals) but something was still bothering him. He tapped his pencil against his desk, eyes on the window and thinking. He had been studying those attackers for a long while now, but still he had no explanation as to why such skilled fighters were with Jesse.
"Basic recruitment doesn't need such skill..." He muttered to himself.
Suddenly, an elbow hit his side and he looked over too Mike Chang looking concerned. "You okay? You seem distracted."
"Fine. Thinking." Kurt promised shortly and turned away to face the window once more as he resumed his musing, his pencil falling back into its steady tapping rhythm. He squinted outside. He could feel something unpleasant was about to begin, more so than they'd been dealing with already. It was crawling under his skin, niggling at him. There was something he was missing, some crucial piece of information or an idea that was escaping him.
He needed to figure it out.
Santana probed his mind but Kurt shut himself off. He knew there was something he wasn't seeing. He ignored Mike's concerned looks as he absently stared out of the classroom. Kurt was almost irritated by the problem. He growled under his breath. Then stiffened.
Hello.
Someone was outside, hiding by a tree. Kurt could see their silhouette, watching him from the way away. His features were a mask of boredom, just like 90% of the other kids in the class, but internally his mind was whirring. Who was out there? He kept his gaze firmly fixed on the window, watching without appearing to do so. The figure darted across to another tree, meeting his eyes even as Kurt fought not to let any recognition of the figure's presence be known in his face. The mystery person then bowed towards him, and he saw a brief flash of pink before they took off and ran out of his line of sight. Kurt relaxed a miniscule amount. Things were getting stranger and stranger.
He tapped his pencil faster.
For the rest of the lesson Kurt spent his time pondering his situation, but he couldn't come up with any feasible explanation for the events that had occurred. He floated through his classes, barely aware of what was going on (not that he exactly needed to pay attention) and worrying Santana and Brittany, although they thankfully maintained a respective distance in his head. Despite this, the occasional soothing sensation alerted him to the fact that Brittany was trying to send reassuring touches through their connection whenever she felt it was possible.
All too soon, Kurt was on his way to Glee. Sam jogged up quickly and tossed an arm over Kurt's shoulder, glowering at a nearby jock who twisted away from where he'd planned to toss Kurt into a locker.
"Hey, dude!" He greeted cheerfully.
"Oh, hey." Kurt responded a little too late, shaking his head afterwards. "Sorry, I'm not really with it today." He apologised.
"Hey, don't worry about it, it's all cool." Sam waved it off. "Anyway, we're going to kill this duet in Glee today!" He bounced a little excitedly. "But listen, man, you're close with the girls, right?" Sam asked, suddenly dropping his voice and glancing around conspiratorially.
Kurt turned and shrugged. "I guess..."
"Look, I really like one of them..." He looked almost embarrassed. "It's Quinn. She's just...awesome. And, once my shoulder's better I'll be quarterback again and she'll want me no problem, I'm sure, but for now...I just need to know how to get her to like me. Like, she didn't find my Navi cool so...what do I have to do to make her like me?" Sam asked, almost desperate.
"Sam..." Kurt smiled sympathetically. "This isn't just about Quinn, is it?" He asked, slowing to a stop in the corridor a few doors down from the choir room. Sam ducked his head and scuffed his shoe awkwardly. "Fitting in...it's tough for everyone. I should know." He remarked dryly. "But, from where I see it...there's always someone out there to accept you for everything you are. And, if Quinn isn't able to see how awesome you are, in all of your admittedly nerdy glory, then maybe you shouldn't be so focused on making her?" He suggested. "I get, she's head cheerleader and that means you'd be a power couple," Kurt hurried on hastily. "And I'm all for taking the time to win a person over, but all I'm suggesting is..." He paused to search for the right words. "Don't force a change in yourself to please other people. You'll know if someone is worth the wait." He settled on after a moment.
Sam sighed at the floor. "I just want to be liked, you know?" He emoted miserably.
Kurt patted the boy on the shoulder. "I know." He promised. "But changing won't mean you're liked...it'll mean they like the pretence." He pointed out fairly. "Popularity is great...but it's not the be all and end all. Sometimes...sometimes it's worth being the outcast. Because then you find friends who'll stay with you forever." He advised sagely.
Sam gaped at him. "Dude, are you like...my Obi Wan or something? Like, here to guide me through high school and teach me the ways of the high school student?" He asked.
Kurt smiled wryly. "Sure, if you like. Come along, my young Padawan," He offered, turning and heading towards the choir room again. "We've got a duet to kill. Plus if we win we can use the trip to BreadstiX to get you and Quinn on a date." He added over his shoulder.
"Dude, that's brilliant!" Sam enthused, catching up excitedly. "And man, listen, you've got to let me introduce you to this whole White Flash thing, cause something uber creepy went down a few nights ago. All the sites went down! Like, all of them! And any new ones that get put up mysteriously vanish within like the first few hours of being online." He exclaimed. "I called a bunch of guys and they all agree that his nemesis must be behind it. You know, trying to keep people from joining his side and stuff."
"Hmmm..." Kurt hummed noncommittally, refusing to let his face give anything away. Again, his father's voice filtered through his head. Remember Kurt, a King's thoughts must never show on his face. He must always wear a mask of indifference, lest his enemies take advantage of the emotion he displays.
"But it's odd..." Sam continued as they stepped into the choir room. He frowned, looking thoughtful. "I mean, I've talked about it online before...it's like White Flash emerges all around Ohio and stuff, but the main fights have nearly all happened fairly close by, you know?" He urged Kurt, who wasn't really paying attention any longer. "People keep saying it's because the bad guy's hideout is really close, but to me, it's almost like he's looking for something..." Sam pondered.
Beside him, Kurt froze, the last words cutting through him like a sword.
He's looking for something.
He's looking for something.
No. Kurt had to change the sentence slightly. He wasn't looking for something. Aladorn would never be so frivolous. He'd only come face to face with the villain a few times, but he knew enough to know that that wasn't his style.
No, he wasn't looking for something.
He was looking for someone.
The realisation almost had his knees buckling as every muscle in his body tensed up. His hands were shaking, knuckles white on the shoulder strap of his bag. He felt like his throat had closed up. He couldn't breathe, the room was too small, his skin was too small. Already he felt the first tingles of one of his fits coming on but he shoved it down forcefully, surprisingly overcoming the sensations as he battled to reign in his emotions. He felt scared. He almost laughed. That was putting it mildly. Scared was nothing. He was completely, irrevocable, wholly petrified.
The hunter had suddenly become the hunted.
The very idea was disconcerting to Kurt. He was being hunted down. He was being hunted down and had no doubt that if they caught him he would be in for a fate worse than death. He swallowed hard. Now he had new reasons to be terrified.
"...Anyway, what do you think dude? Dude?" Sam asked, already nearly at the seats. Sam looked really confused as he glanced over to where Kurt was frozen in place. The entire Glee club looked bewildered as they finally took notice of him. It seemed like every muscle in his body had gone rigid. His blue eyes were wide, and his face had drained of colour so quickly it was unnerving. "Dude...you alright?" Sam asked with concern, slowly stepping forwards and missing the worried look Brittany and Santana exchanged, their unease apparent to anyone who'd bothered to look their way.
"Y-Yeah...I just remembered...I-I've got somewhere I need to be." He blurted.
"Kurt, what about your duet?" Mr. Schuester asked, shocked the boy was turning down a chance to perform.
"Quinn can take my place!" He announced, pulling the sheet music out and thrusting it at the nonplussed girl. Then he dashed off without warning. He didn't listen to the people calling his names as he rushed out of McKinley and down to the forest, sinking to his knees and trembling, breathing in the scent of leaves and trees to calm himself down, focusing on the sounds of the creatures. He slowly matched his breathing to the pace of the forest, letting the thrum of life wash over him as a heartbeat in order to soothe him.
They'd found him.
He wasn't sure how, but he could see it now.
The highly trained guards that had been with Jesse, the sudden splurge of attacks in the area, it all made sense. Somehow, Aladorn had traced him to Lima. Somehow, he'd been cornered. And now, Aladorn was going to close in, and everything was going to go to shit. He groaned and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn't cry...he couldn't cry...he couldn't cry.
So instead he punched a tree.
Kurt winced as the bark split under his hand, his fist tearing through it as he dug into the wood, sap trickling over his knuckles as he pulled out. He rested his head against and willed the lump in his throat away. He was doomed. He was worse than dead.
"Kurt?" Santana's voice cut through the forest. "Kurt, what's wrong? You ran out of there like Ahnet on bath day."
He sighed and turned to face his friends. He swallowed hard, looking between them and unable to completely hide the fear in his eyes. "He's found me." He whispered. Brittany visibly recoiled and Santana curled her hands into fists, hissing under her breath. "It all makes sense. I don't know how, but he's tracked me to Lima; he's found out where I am and is trying to corner me. Why else would he be sending all these attacks our way? Jesse's bodyguards...those assassins...it all fits. If any of them had got back to him..."
"Kurt!" Brittany nearly sobbed and flung herself into his arms, clinging to him tightly as if he'd disappear from her arms.
"Shh, I'll be alright Brit." He soothed, although he wasn't sure if he was telling the truth. "It'll be okay."
"You think?" She asked, sniffling into his shoulder as he rubbed her back. "You think it'll be alright? That you will...that he won't... I-I don't want to lose you Kurt!"
"You won't." He promised fiercely, ignoring his own doubts. "Besides, now we know the confrontation's approaching, it means we get to go home sooner than we thought." He pointed out.
Brittany wiped her eyes as she leant back. "I guess that's some good news."
Santana knelt down and pulled Kurt into a tight hug. "We'll be by your side Kurt. As your subjects and as your friends." She vowed protectively. "We'll be with you to the end." She promised.
Kurt smiled shakily. "Thanks...but the game's not up quite yet." He reasoned, a glint appearing in his eyes. "He knows I'm in Lima...I can work with that. In fact, I can do better. I can screw up his planning." He nodded to himself.
"Care to let us in on the plan?" Santana asked. She had a hungry look in her eye. "I haven't had the chance to kill in a while."
Kurt smiled, understanding the bloodlust that could crop up in his friend. "Unfortunately, I'm riding solo with this one. If I need any help, you'll be my first port of call." He promised. Santana looked reluctant, but nodded her assent all the same. He hugged them both tightly. "Go to the bases, all of them. Warn the others that things have become more dangerous and that we need to be on high alert. I don't want Aladorn or any of his men getting to us just because we were unprepared." He instructed, switching into his general mode, Santana and Brittany also falling into line, listening with rapt attention. "San, I want you over to our main base more often and training all the people you can. Even those who aren't going to fight in the battles need to be schooled in self defence. Brit, I want you to cast a few wards over the humans at McKinley. Keep them safe from harm if Aladorn happens to work out they know us. I don't want them getting involved unless it's absolutely vital. Also put trackers on them, keep them away from any known checkpoints. Do what you can to keep as many civilians from harm, and they're the ones that are in most danger." He reeled off quickly, the girls nodding. "Santana, this coming Saturday I want to meet with you at the mansion. We're stepping up our planning and prep as of today. For the rest of the week and the next you girls keep your heads down as much as possible, limit interactions." He commanded. They looked disgruntled at this request but nodded all the same. Kurt's serious expression broke a little, a tiny smile breaking out. "He's not winning this time. I'm not going to let him."
"Kurt..." Brittany murmured proudly.
Kurt smiled again. "I'm going to go now. Girls, back to the school and do as much damage control as you can. I'm off." His face darkened. "I don't give a damn what Aladorn wants. I'm not letting this planet fall. Not without a damned good fight." He growled, disappearing off into the trees.
Within the depths of Ohio, the sound of steel clanked through the air as clouds of smoke and the stench of sulphur filled the air. In what appeared to be an old, abandoned quarry, huge and barren and a colossal blot on the landscape (in the eyes of many) a huge camp had been set up. The Marble Cliff quarry had been the perfect settlement for Aladorn and his troops after they'd set foot upon the new world, their plans derailed when the King's troops followed them through. The surrounding town had quickly been emptied of its populous, basic glamour points stationed around the town to keep people out. They'd swarmed through the unprotected city, each and every citizen taken as they removed them from their homes and tossed them into the prisons and camps. Children were taken for training. The unsuitable disposed of. And the unwilling locked away until such time when they were needed.
Most of Columbus was completely taken over by Aladorn and his men, only the outskirts and a small minority of the town remaining, and even they were oblivious. No one came into their domain. And if anyone happened to pass through...
Well it was their mistake. Actions have consequences.
Most of the humans seemed to know instinctively not to enter the glamour zone, finding other routes to get to their destinations, suddenly no longer finding a need to go into the town. They were slowly but surely spreading out across Ohio. First they took Columbus. Then they'd set up checkpoints near the area, and spread.
Throughout the quarry weapons were being forged; some by men with vicious smiles and others by ragged men and women bound in shackles, grime and blood staining their bodies as they grimly continued to work for fear of the alternative should they stop. The sound of metal clanking was constant; chains were clinking and banging together as swords clashed in some areas and were forged in others, the sounds ringing in the air. In the prisons coughing and spluttering could be heard as men, women and children choked on the thick smoggy air they were forced to inhale. The humans were cowed, terrified as they worked or remained huddled in their cells. The older prisoners, the ones brought across alongside Aladorn, kept their heads down and persevered without complaint, having found ways to ignore or bypass the foul smells and thick air. Throughout the entire camp screams and crying could be heard.
Far away from the majority of the camp, a group of four men cowered on their knees in the shadow of another. Boots paced in front of them, slow and measured steps designed to send fear jolting through them with each footfall. A long black cloak swept along the dusty ground behind the boots, swishing with each step. "So," A cold, clear voice announced, not a trace of emotion found. "After the disaster of the human recruiter," He paused and, from a corner surrounded by three guards, a pitiful whimper rose out only to be silenced with a crack of a whip, as the voice tutted disdainfully. "I send out twenty five of my, supposedly, best assassins, to deal with the new pest sent to join the king, and you come back as four." He concluded, pausing in front of the group, stopping right in the centre. "What? Happened?" He growled.
"T-T-T-The d-dragon s-s-s-shifter." A man stuttered, eyes still firmly fixed on the ground. "His-his strength...he w-w-was such a f-fierce warrior w-w-we c-could not d-defeat him."
"Twenty five of you could not defeat a single shifter?" He asked dryly.
Another of the four spoke up. "H-H-He b-b-b-brought allies, m-my Lord." He explained. "A-A cat g-g-girl w-who was j-just as s-s-strong as he and a m-mage."
"A mage and a cat..." the cool voice pondered. "Did he wear a crown?"
"N-N-No my Lord."
"Carry a staff?"
"N-No my Lord."
A hum floated through the air. "Pity. You could have been useful had he done so." He admitted. "So, a shifter, a house cat, and a little mage brought all twenty five of you to your knees?" He asked, tutting again. "Disappointing. So disappointing..."
"M-M-My Lord..." The second speaker tried. "P-P-Please, if w-we could b-be g-g-granted another ch-chance we will go and-!"
"Silence." The man cut across and the speaker fell silent. "You were supposed to be some of the best fighters in my army. Twenty five who could have been used in the final battle. At least the human I can understand losing. Clearly this shifter is a decent fighter, and that wretch wouldn't have stood a chance. But," The boots came so their tips almost touched the noses of the men on the ground. "You were supposed to know better. Twenty five on three, hardly an unfair expectation that you come back victorious. And then I hear news that nineteen are dead, and a mere few days later I hear two more have been felled." A tsk met their ears. "Disgraceful. You're unworthy to call yourselves men at all." The boots turned, dust blown into the four's faces, and strode away. "You are unworthy to be a part of this army." There was a pause. "Take them to be disposed of. I will not have weakness in my army. Clearly if you cannot take down a measly shifter, you're not fit to be here, and we all know what that makes you." A cold smirk they could not see, but could most certainly feel, graced his face. "Unsuitable." There was another beat. "Take them now. The human can stay. If I indeed underestimated the shifter, then I suppose it is not his fault. Give him another fifty lashings, then take him for resting. Once he is fit he will be trained to fight, whether he likes it or not." He growled. Barks of assent met his ears, and the four were dragged off screaming, begging for mercy. The human went without a fuss.
He had learnt quickly after his failure. He liked that in a soldier.
"You man," He ordered to a nearby soldier. "To this school...find the shifter at once. I want him intercepted or taken down before he reaches the King. Try not to kill him, bring him here instead. Anyone who takes down twenty five men with barely any help is worthy of my platoon. If he gives you too much trouble, feel free to cut him down in the most brutal and bloody manner possible." He paused to examine his nails. "Time wasters are just irritating and rather unnecessary." He mused, then turned to face the soldier. "Well? Off you pop. Go get some useful men and do as I said. We wouldn't want anything...unpleasant to happen to you? After all, rule breaking is such a terrible thing to do..." He reminded the man with a cold glint in his eye. The solider snapped a salute and walked off in search of men to complete his task. He watched with mild disinterest as the man walked off.
A new soldier approached. He admired the way this one concealed his fear. It was barely noticeable. "Sir, he requests your presence."
"Ugh. How tedious." He muttered, before sighing. "I'll be there right away." He promised. The soldier turned and left, and he sighed. "He won't be pleased the assassins failed...still," He snorted to himself and began walking. "Aladorn's never really pleased with anything unless it's himself..."
Kurt walked through the crowds the next Thursday, eyeing them all suspiciously when Rachel emerged from them to walk by his side. Her appearance was so abrupt from the within the masses he nearly pulled his dagger on her. "Hey, there was something I wanted to talk to you about." She admitted, following him despite his attempt to brush her off.
"Please not another pregnancy." He commented dryly, opening the battered locker he used and trying not to damage it further. From within his bag Zendric stuck his head out and chirped curiously before noticing all the crowds and diving back in again.
"No it's just I think that...you and I are a little bit more similar than you think." She admitted, causing him to pause.
He gave her a rather dirty look. "That's a terrible thing to say." He told her, spraying hairspray over his head in an attempt to make her go away. "For your sake as much as my own."
Rachel frowned but let the matter slide, scrunching her brow slightly. "I-I know that you're lonely." She blurted. He looked at her again, this time in shock. "I can't even imagine how terrible it must be to be in high school and have these...feelings you can't act on for fear of being humiliated, ridiculed or...worse." She finished, going a little softer.
Kurt swallowed, looking inside his locker and trying not to take the words to heart. "Not just high school..." He muttered to himself, unaware he'd said the words aloud.
"What?" Rachel asked, picking up on the mumbled words.
"Nothing." Kurt snapped, trying to find the right book in his locker and pointedly ignoring her.
"We're going to win Nationals this year." She promised him, looking at him earnestly. "And you know how we're going to do that?" She asked him. Kurt merely raised an eyebrow. "Because we have you." She finished.
"Well I guess that is true..." If I'm not dead before then. He finished in his head.
"There are 12 people in that room who love you, just for being exactly the way that you are." She promised.
"11." He corrected.
Rachel blinked. "I-I'm sorry?"
"There are 11 people who like me." He corrected. "Finn still thinks I'm a vicious gay predator come to attack all the straight boys that wander into the Glee club." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry...I thought he was better than that." She admitted.
"So did I." Kurt agreed.
She rubbed his arm comfortingly for a second, withdrawing her hand at his confused look at it. "Sorry. I guess...I just wanted to show you that, even if you're lonely, you're not alone." She divulged. He smiled tensely at her words, senses still mainly focused on the area around him for fear of a surprise attack. "So I was wondering," Rachel continued, batting her eyelashes at him. "If you wanted to maybe want to sing a duet with me?" She asked hopefully. "I think you'll be really happy with my song selection it's everything that both you and I love." She hurried onwards as he opened his mouth a little.
"But the, er, duet competition is over." He reminded the human girl. He hated himself for it, but he was beginning to grow fonder of the short brunette each day.
"I know." Rachel acknowledged. "I just...I thought this one could be for me and you." She ducked her head a bit, almost shy for once. "And also...I probably should thank you for-for what you did when Jesse showed up a few weeks ago." She relented, brown eyes meeting his blue ones uncertainly. "If you hadn't stepped in...I'm not sure what would have happened."
"Yes, well," Kurt cleared his throat and shut his locker door. "You might be just as short and egotistical as Napoleon once was and have an attitude to match my own fabulous diva-ness, but," He smiled tightly. "You're a good person. I wasn't going to stand by and watch when I could help."
Rachel smiled as he patted her arm almost awkwardly. "Thanks. I think there was a compliment in there somewhere." She teased, as he smiled again, this one staying a little longer. "So?" She asked. "Will you do the duet with me?"
"Well if I know Miss Rachel Berry then she won't take no for an answer...so I suppose I'll have to." He teased right back as she bounced up and down a little, running forward a step and linking their arms together as they headed to the auditorium to practice. "Besides, I seriously need to take you shopping as it is. Your reindeer sweaters are blinding me."