Dean sensed a pair of eyes on him and quickly shot a glare in that direction. Blue eyes met big brown ones. The other looked down, not seeming to dare to meet Dean's. Serves him right to stare at him though. Stupid Rune brat.
He looked at his leg where he had been healed during the battle. There wasn't any trace left of the wound, and the pain had left with it. It felt a little weird, but nothing… bad? Well, of course it was bad, it had been freaking Magic on it. And Magic always made him feel bad, it stung and crawled like ants under his skin. It was like the imaginary ants would have needles for legs as they ran across the insides of his body. Like the time when he got some Healing from the Guild's medic. That actually hurt more than the initial injury. As when he had to activate his Rune stone. It was just uncomfortable and unpleasant. He shivered at the thought. Thankfully he had been too numb to feel it from the brat's Magic.
"How's your leg…?" he heard a voice. It was the two-toned again.
"Mind your own business", Dean muttered.
"As a Healer, wounds are my business."
"Then be a nurse for all that I care."
"Dean", Roman interrupted. "The kid's just wanting to help."
"So you're taking his side?"
"I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying. Chill, man, he helped you, alright."
"I didn't ask for it, I didn't want his help."
"You were hurt, had to do something…" the brat said quietly.
Dean just ignored him. Why was it so hard for him to understand? Why'd he go so far when Dean had clearly stated he didn't need any freaking Magic? What was his problem? So okay, he was some stupid Healer, obviously with the key word being stupid.
It wasn't like he owed him anything. He hadn't asked for anything, so he wouldn't thank him. He didn't owe him any appreciation or anything like that. Or maybe they were even, that brat was probably saved when they took care of that monster, and he, unnecessarily, used his frigging Magic on him. So there. He didn't need to do anything more about it. End of story.
"Let's go Roman", he said, getting up, ignoring his thoughts. Or maybe putting a definite end to them.
"Right. Come on, Seth."
"Wait, whoa, seriously? You're bringing him?" Dean just stared at his brother in slight shock.
"Well, we're all heading back to Authority after all", Roman said plainly.
"I can go by myself if-" the brat started.
"No, it's me who offered. Dean just have to deal with it", Roman interrupted, giving Dean a very final big brother glare, before he turned and started walking back, offering the brat to walk with him.
Dean just made a mocking face when Roman wasn't looking but followed them a few strides behind.
Good for Roman to have gotten some new little buddy, as if he cared.
"Have you ever thought of becoming a Hunter?" Roman asked the brat after they had walked a bit in silence. Dean was surprised by the sudden question. As if that lanky rookie would ever fit as a Hunter. He'd be snapped in half at the first serious, or maybe half serious, attack.
"Maybe…" the brat said as quietly as he had been for a while now.
"You seem pretty fit for it, you did really good out there."
Dean raised an eyebrow. Didn't Roman see the brat walking beside him? How could he be fit for it?
"Thanks…"
"You're approved yet?"
"No…"
"What, your skills not good enough?" Dean blurted out as a result of his surprise.
"Well, for your information, I happen to have a douche bag for a Master and he's refusing me approval!" he snapped back. Oh, the kid had some backbone.
"Is that supposed to surprise me?" Dean said, lifting his eyebrows. All Rune Bearers were douche bags. Except Roman. Who only had Runes and some Magic.
"But you seem so knowledgeable about your Runes", Roman said. "I could only dream to have such control at your age."
The kid fell quiet again.
"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm probably going to be sealed now as it is. Considering I used unapproved Magic…"
"But you were in danger, they have exceptions for that."
"I put myself in that situation… and they have to take a statement from my Master. He won't have anything good to say. I'm totally sealed…"
Dean saw the devastated look on the kid's face. That reminded him of when had gotten in trouble during his training period and how he felt when he thought he'd be out for it. The threat and fear of being banned from becoming a Hunter. It had been beyond painful. He had finally been given a chance to do something he was good at, and being allowed to without being in trouble. And the feelings he got from the risk of that been taken away from him…
His room had never looked the same since.
The memory still stung, making him somewhere feel a little sorry for the brat. Just a little.
"Just fight it", he said nonchalantly. He couldn't make it sound like he cared, now could he. "Tell that douche bag off and tell then you were attacked by a dust slime-"
"Snail." Roman put in.
"- and demand your right."
"Easier said than done… My Master is my only chance for approval. I have to be in his good book."
"Doesn't seem that you are as it is", Roman said.
"That's just it… but it's still my only hope. I have to impress him…"
"Maybe he'll be impressed by your dust snail fight", his brother suggested, looking specifically at Dean when he said 'snail' for some reason.
"I doubt it… He'll just say that it was a shame I wasn't eaten by it…" the kid sighed.
"Maybe if we-"
"No!" the two toned said quickly before being more silent again. "No… I couldn't ask that. It's between me and my Master. Maybe the academy. But it has nothing to do with you two… I'm grateful you were in the area and everything… you've done more than enough as it is."
Stoic little shit, Dean figured. Too bad he was so annoying.
"Really… I'll be fine…"
Roman didn't press it further. They continued to walk in silence.
Dean got a little behind them again. Mages were just bad news altogether. Magic destroyed people, destroyed things. They had devastating powers and used them for bad things. Getting what they wanted, sometimes by hurting people to get there. People with attacking Runes just weren't good people. That was the difference between mages and Roman. He only had support Magic. He wasn't offence oriented.
That kid probably had some attack in him, he had some major defence, but he had a small feeling he had used some offence too. Maybe it was for the best for him to be sealed, then he wouldn't be a danger to everyone else...? Not that a skinny dude like him looked like a threat, but if he had attack Magic...
So why had he encouraged him before? For some reason he couldn't get that devastated look out of his mind. That was the reason. He got that, but he didn't understand.
He looked at the lanky frame in front of him. Stupid kid…
He just continued to walk behind him, looking at the back piece of the kid's coat, that flapped occasionally as he walked.
"What are you going to do now?" Roman asked the brat when they arrived back in Authority.
"Don't know. I don't know the protocol when it comes to unapproved Magic. It has never happened in my family or for anyone I know… so I'll probably just head home, and await protocol."
"I think they will contact you about it. The academy will know for sure."
"Yeah…"
"You'll be fine though. They won't seal you without a hearing."
The kid didn't seem too convinced by Roman's words.
"You got it from here?" Roman continued.
The kid nodded. "Thank you again."
"No problem", he smiled. "Maybe we'll see you around?"
The kid smiled a little a that. "That'd be nice."
With that, he left.
"Thank goodness, he'd off", Dean said when they were left alone.
"Dean, do you have to put on that attitude? He's a mage in training, yes, but he seems like a genuinely good kid. Can't you just see past the Runes?"
Dean wouldn't do that.
"Poor kid though…" Roman said.
"What?"
"About the sealing…"
"Yeah, poor him, he'd just be a normal brat without them."
"I'm serious, Dean. You saw him, he had some good instincts there. It would be a shame if they sealed that talent."
"Not if he's the attacking type…" Dean mumbled.
"He's not just attack, he Healed you. Attack mages don't do that."
Roman paused and seemed lost in thought for a while. Dean didn't like that look.
"No… No, Roman! Don't even think about adding him to our group!" Dean exclaimed as he suddenly feared what Roman was up to.
It backfired though as Roman just shone up when Dean had said that. He cursed himself for actually giving him the thought when that hadn't been on his mind in the first place.
"Hey, that's not a bad idea. I was just thinking about what we could do for the kid. Maybe if we could talk to Triple H, he'd be able to pull some strings. He has some connections with the academy after all."
"Hell no! Not a chance! I'm not adding anyone! Especially not a freaking Rune brat…! The Shield is an army of two!" Dean couldn't believe Roman just had said that.
"Think about it. We'd be unstoppa-"
"We're already unstoppable."
"Just let me finish, alright? Indeed we are two of the strongest fighters, but just think about his abilities, using Magic attacks and the Healing."
"I'm NOT adding some attacking mage, you know damn well how I feel about them. And we're strong enough without some freaking Healer. We're a two men wrecking crew for fudge's sake."
"Healing is always good to have. It's some major backup, even in the middle of a fight. You've experienced that first-hand. We would maybe even be able to get some of those elite missions with that support."
Dean hated it when he got painted into a corner with logic. "We're not doing it", he just said adamantly. It was him and Roman, that's it.
"Just give it a thought, Dean. You'll see the reasoning. And if that could help Seth, avoid him from being sealed, then that's good too."
"You can't be serious. Why do you care for him so much anyway? He's just another stupid mage." Then it hit him. "Oh. It's because of that, huh?" Dean totally got it. "It's because you both have Runes. So that's why you're liking him. Maybe you should just team up with your precious Sethie then."
Dean actually felt betrayed by his brother. By the way he was treating him and that stupid brat.
"Now you're just being childish. We're bros, man. I'm not leaving you", he put a hand on Dean's shoulder and smiled one of his most disarming smiles. Dean searched for the tiniest hint that he might be ditching him for that brat. But as hard as he tried, Roman was serious, and genuine.
"As I said, I would just see it as the greatest waste of talent" he continued as Dean had calmed down a little. "Maybe he doesn't have to join us, but I'm planning to talk to Triple H about it, to see if there's a way to sneak around it if he's in danger of sealing.
But Dean, would you be willing to take the risk of someone else having him, and maybe making them more elite than us because they'd have Seth?"
Dean was still a little mad at Roman, so he wouldn't answer that.
"And you know the pain of risking losing your dream."
"Don't you dare play that card…!" Dean growled. It had nothing to do with that brat.
"My apologies, I just meant… you must have seen the look on his face… I wouldn't be happy with myself if I hadn't acted when it might have been something I could have done."
"He didn't want our damn help."
"He helped us, he helped you, despite of that."
"That's not the same."
Roman just smiled. He didn't like that smile. It was as if he knew something and wouldn't tell, but knew Dean didn't want to know anyway. "I can just say something general. Doesn't have to be about Seth specifically, right? I know he declined my offer, but yeah… I'm not just gonna do nothing when I got the thought processed."
"You're too nice for your own damn good…" Dean said grumpily.
"Someone has to be the good one out of the two of us."
Dean punched Roman's arm. Hard. He hoped it hurt. Though Roman didn't seem fazed by it. He really deserved it though for all the crap he gave that brat.
"Are we reporting this stupid mission or what…" he grumbled and started to walk off to the Guild's headquarters. He didn't see it but he could actually sense Roman's smile behind him.
Bastard…
He really didn't get why Roman cared so much. It was just a brat they happened to save on their way back. He hadn't wanted to ignore him, but he had been more excited about being able to fight that big dirt monster. The bigger they were the bigger the excitement. Dirt snails were kinda rare, but really dangerous, it had been a great thrill to have been able to take that down.
Guess it was good though to have saved that freaking kid. It's unnecessary with people dying anyway. Even if he's a mage. Sealing was a better fate for them. Being disarmed, not eliminated.
But why'd Roman care? Was it really because of some secret mages code? Even though Roman more or less just had Runes… what if his outburst was true? What if Roman would rather team up with that brat?
But he had said they were bros. That's some serious statement.
But Roman just was like that… He just wanted to help people. Maybe it was as simple as that. Stupid kid… it's totally his fault.
They were already even. There was no reason for Dean to do anything more about him.
Tough luck if he was being sealed.
He watched Roman as he was talking to the mission lady, a spunky young lady with long dark hair.
They didn't have to visit Triple H for completed missions. This was handled by the Guild's 'agency', as the mission was reported, the Rune stones were checked and the acquired items given to the attendant. Or whatever was necessary for the mission to be completed. This time, Roman just had to present her with the skins.
They got their missions from Triple H, either by asking him themselves if he got the time, or by being summoned to get a mission. Dean and Roman usually sought Trips out for themselves, because bugging him were part of their missions. At least Dean's.
The quality check was over and Roman received their payment.
"Thank you", he said, finishing the report.
"Happy now?" Dean said, remembering the last reported mission.
"They seemed happy enough. We got paid in full, the higher price too", he gave Dean half of the acquired pay.
"Better be."
"As if you were the one responsible for it."
"Hey, give me some cred here, I did take it easy, right."
"You did good." Roman patted his head. Dean didn't like it, he felt like he was treated like a kid.
"Maybe I could talk to Triple H as I'm getting the next mission", his brother said.
"So you're really gonna save your precious Sethie?"
"Funny how you have already given him a nickname, considering you don't like him."
"I don't like him! I'm teasing him by calling him that."
"He can't even hear you."
"That's not the point."
Roman just gave him a raised eyebrow.
"Anyway, I still think it couldn't hurt talking to the man in charge. You coming?"
"You kidding, right?"
"Had to ask." Roman just shrugged.
Dean didn't bother hanging around as Roman left to talk to Triple H. He just went home instead. There had been quite some excitement, and if he didn't admitted it, even some major emotional excitement.
A nap sounded very nice at the moment.
