I'd love to hear some feedback, I'm also heavily editing these before I post any chapters. I did replace the first chapter after editing it.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Seven Deadly Sins, not that I wouldn't love to have the rights to have Ban... but yeah... It's Ban.
I own Hecate, her ability and any other characters not part of the anime. I also own the scenes not part of the original story and any additions to original scenes that are not there... originally.
Rated M for suggestive themes, strong language and potential explicit scenes later on.
This chapter also give some insight to the 'true' power of Hecate's ability. Yes, I am aware of how over powered it can be, controlling the blood in others can lead to some very one-sided fights, but there are some major repercussions that come with her using them to the extent that she does here. Her power is something I found fitting for her, when coming up with her character, but I also made limitations to what she can do with it, when she is in control of herself. These are limits that Hecate herself placed because of how dangerous she knows her ability can be.
It didn't take much for the prison buildings to collapse under the weight of excess energy coming off Ban and Meliodas. The two were so focused on their match that nothing else seemed to matter. Hecate and Diane both watched, amused at the way the boys lost focus in the world as they tried outdoing each other. It was only when the buildings turned to rubble that they stopped trying to win the arm-wrestling match and began bantering about who won it. Behind them, Diane, Hecate, and Hawk watched on, getting caught up with what they had gone through during their time apart. It pained Hecate to know that Elizabeth got hurt trying to protect their friends, but she also admired the girl's strength for pushing through all of that. And that the doctor had been blackmailed to help the Holy Knights in killing Meliodas, though his recovery had been a miracle, at least according to Hawk. In turn, Hecate told them about her adventures in the prison and how she found Ban. Diane giggled when she heard the halfling say she put her arm through Ban's stomach. It was well known in their group that the two got violent like that sometimes, especially Hecate whenever she was started or surprised.
By the time they all returned to the village, the group decided to split up. Diane, Hecate, and Ban would return to the Boar Hat to get Elizabeth settled in bed while Meliodas and Hawk looked for the doctor and reunite him with his daughter, who was also in Diane's pack with Elizabeth. It was a quick journey for the trio and Ban immediately headed inside to find a place to sleep. Hecate took Elizabeth from the giantess and took her up to Meliodas' room where she changed the girl into some soft, comfortable clothes. She gently brushed some silver hair from the girl's face as she sat down on the bed next to her. She would wait until the Captain and Hawk returned with the doctor.
From what Hecate could smell, there were no open wounds on her, and nothing smelt infected. But the girl looked exhausted, even while resting like this, she looked tired. It was still daylight out, but all the energy the halfling had earlier was gone and all she wanted to do was sleep. A couple times, Hecate had to stifle a yawn, not wanting to leave Elizabeth alone. Even though Diane was outside, the halfling felt a need to stay there. In the short amount to of time Hecate had been with the group, she knew Elizabeth had a permanent spot among them.
"Cat, just go to bed, I'll stay here and wait for the doctor and the Captain." Diane spoke softly through the window, her purple eyes staring at the halfling softly. "You've done a lot today already, just get some rest."
Turning to face the giantess, the halfling gave her a tired smile. "I know, Diane… I guess I just want to stay and make sure she's okay." She admitted softly, rubbing her eyes a little to stop them from drooping.
"Go on, if anything is wrong, I'll wake you up." Diane assured her, the worry in her voice clear as day and Hecate knew she couldn't fight with her, the giantess could easily force her to bed even if she tried to protest further.
"Alright, alright. You win." Hecate gave in with a chuckle as she stood up and stretched. She covered her mouth with her sleeve when another yawn erupted from her mouth. "Thanks, Diane, g'night." She waved to her friend before heading down the stairs.
When she reached the room she had claimed earlier, she wasn't surprised to see Ban had commandeered the bed, taking up the entire mattress. Far too tired to do anything about it. She kicked off her boots and tossed her belt next to her bag and walked to the bed, nudging the man, none to kindly. He responded with groan, but didn't move, even as she nudged him again.
"Come on, stop being a bed hog." Hecate whined a little. She wanted some sleep too. "Give me some space."
"Just get in the bed…" Ban blandly told her, opening his tired red eyes. "Do you know how long it's been since I've slept on a bed?" he whined to her.
"Do you know how much shit I put up with?" Hecate shot back needlessly, causing the man to merely roll his eyes. He knew it was just her being grouchy and didn't mean anything by it.
Instead of responding, he just grabbed her and unceremoniously pulled her onto the bed with him. She moved around a bit to get comfortable, but to Ban's annoyance as he latched an arm around her to stop her from moving around so much.
"I'm tired too, so stop it." He growled out, pushing the woman against him just so she would stop and let him sleep.
"Bastard…" Hecate mumbled under her breath as she managed to find a comfortable spot to sleep in.
"Yeah, yeah… just sleep, Kitten." Ban mumbled, already drifting off again.
It didn't take long until the two fell asleep, unaware that the others were back or that Elizabeth was being looked after by the doctor. Instead, they remained blissfully unaware of the ongoings of the tavern. The others left them alone, knowing the two needed their rest, everyone needed their rest, but worry over Elizabeth's health kept most of them from sleep.
Outside, perched on Diane's shoulder, Meliodas peered through his bedroom window where Elizabeth currently rested. She was looking better than before, the doctor had patched her up well, telling them that she should be on bedrest for the next couple of days, just to make sure all was well. He had a small smile on his face as he watched her. He felt guilty about her getting hurt and not being able to protect her, but she had saved them, realizing what was going on before either of the Sins outside.
"Hey, why is Elizabeth sleeping in your room instead of her own?" Hawk asked, calling up to the two from the top of his mother's head.
"Ban took Elizabeth's bed and said he was claiming her room as his own, and that he was going to share it with Cat, whether she wanted to or not." Meliodas supplied with an amused grin. Those two always had the strangest way of showing affection to each other. But then again, he knew their affection had formed in the least likely of places. "Apparently Cat hasn't had a proper sleep in a while too, at least according to Ban."
"What's Elizabeth supposed to do then?" Hawk asked, his voice pitching slightly as he spoke.
"Maybe she can sleep with me." Meliodas laughed, knowing that was exactly what would happen, whether anyone wanted it to or not. His response wasn't kindly taken by either Diane or Hawk as he found himself flying off the giantess' shoulder in a furry.
"What?" he asked, confused.
Hours later, just after the sky went dark, Hecate awoke to the familiar sound of Ban snoring above her. It was quiet in the tavern from what she could tell and as much as she wanted to go back to sleep, her mind was buzzing with thoughts. She slowly opened her eyes, noticing that the two had moved during the rest and now she faced the wall with Ban pressed up against her from behind. He was blissfully unaware of what was going on, his snores long and even, telling the halfling he was fast asleep. She closed her eyes again, but her mind would not settle down, and she knew she couldn't continue laying around. Almost as if sensing that shew as going to move, Ban's arm tightened around her, anchoring her to the bed.
A soft sigh escaped her as she slowly pried the man's arm off her. Despite claiming he was a light sleeper, the man slept deeper and harder than anyone she had ever met before. She remembered the times when explosions had gone off in the middle of a battle and the man slept through everything without ever waking. Just as she suspected though, Hecate managed to get free from Ban's iron grip and watched in amusement as the man merely grunted and rolled over onto his side. The snores that escaped him soon after caused the halfling to giggle at his ridiculousness. She crawled out of bed without Ban reacting or traying to capture again and silently headed down to the tavern. No one was around, but she could smell them close by outside somewhere.
That was something Hecate was glad about as she took a seat at one of the tables near the window and stared out at the sky. It was strange, but she was starting to feel at home in the tavern. Maybe it was because she was reuniting with people who accepted her and treated her no different than they did anyone else. It was a place she could belong without worrying about being persecuted or looked down upon because of her ability or what she was. She was comfortable there, something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. And she knew one person would love it here, with this mismatched, slightly eccentric group.
"I wish you were here, Dante… I think you would have loved it." Hecate murmured softly, her gaze softening as she thought about her twin brother. It had been so long since she last visited the place where he slept, and she regretted being a chicken about it, but her heart ached whenever she saw him laying there, unmoving, unchanging. Just as he had been since she first put him to sleep.
"We'll bring him back, Kitten. We'll bring them both back… I promised you, didn't I?" Ban's soft voice startled the woman from her musings, her eyes closing to stave off the prickling tears from falling. "I made that promise to you a long time ago and I still plan on fulfilling it, just wait a little longer…" His gentle embrace warmed her suddenly chilled body and she could only nod in response.
How could she ever forget? It was a promise they made each other and the people who meant the world them. It was always in the back of her mind, every single day, every single moment that her brother slipped into her mind, that promise was there.
Ban was quiet as he held Hecate, giving her time to collect herself. When he woke earlier, alone in bed, he had been disheartened. In all the years he forced his Kitten to share a bed with him, she never left him alone. Usually, he woke to her reading a book or working on some sort of project, just relaxing in the bed while he slept on, having done so for hours already since she need for sleep was random. This time, she was gone when he opened his eyes, expecting to see her there doing something. But now he knew why she didn't stay. When it came her brother, Hecate needed to see the stars. It was one of the connects she still shared with him, at least that was what she told him one night when neither of them could sleep. He never asked what she meant by that, but he had a feeling, he just wouldn't push it.
He felt Hecate shudder beneath him, and his heart ached for her loss. The stubborn woman always tried so hard to be strong, to never rely on anyone else, but he knew she was still lost without her other half. He thought back to years back, when he was part of the Sins and unknowingly reunited with her… after she went on a rampage in the Kingdom of Edinburgh… twelve years ago. He barely recognized the woman back then…
It was meant to be a simple extermination mission in the Kingdom of Edinburgh. The Sins were dispatched to quickly contain the situation, but none of them realized just how bad it had gotten. By unknown means, someone had unsealed the Vampire Clan, releasing them upon the poor people there. It had been a tiring battle for everyone, the vampire population kept increasing as more and more citizens were turned against their will. There was no one left of the Kingdom, it was a wasteland for the vampires to run rampant.
Ban was sitting at a bar, guzzling down bottle after bottle of alcohol, not wanting the drinks to go to waste. He was tired and bored. Drinking seemed to be the logical thing for him to do as the others did the work. He barely felt the vampire at his neck, guzzling the unending blood from him. With bleary eyes, Ban noticed someone staggering into the kingdom. Their form was thin, almost skeletal in appearance, thin, greying white arms swayed limply as this person dragged their bare, cracked feet along the street. Dark coloured hair was gritty and tangled, falling around their body in long, matted ropes. Dark fuchsia, almost black eyes swirled lifelessly as the person lifted their head, staring blankly at the vampire attached to his neck. This was when Ban noticed how threadbare and practically falling off her body. Dried blood was caked onto her cracked, dried fingers and toes, hinting that she had never stopped walking from wherever she had come from.
Despite being drunk and lazy, Ban couldn't stop staring at this person. He knew, somehow what this person wasn't a vampire, nor were they something human either. A human would have died already with the way they looked. Something in the back of his inebriated mind poked at him to snap out of it, as if he knew who this person was, but he didn't want to think or remember anything. He was happy with having a fuzzy mind, a numb mind. Nothing was going to stop him from having that, so he ignored the newcomer and went back to drinking. Though it wasn't long until he got tired of the vampire at his neck and killed it without a second thought. He grabbed another bottle of booze and popped it open, tilted the bottle back and drank deeply.
Around them vampires were beginning to approach them, probably having smelt the newcomer and wanted their next meal. It didn't matter to him so long as he could drink in peace, but he couldn't stop watching this person. The closer this person approached; the more Ban realized that the person was a woman. A very dirty and battered woman. He was distracted by this woman, his bottle of booze long forgotten as well as the oncoming vampires. He watched with furrowed brows as this woman slowly raised her hands, her dark eyes focused solely on him. He didn't know what to expect until something inside him began moving. He blinked slowly, gazing down at his hand where he saw blood welling up through the pores of his skin. Garbled cries made the man turn away from the woman, only to see the vampires crumple, blood pooling onto the ground before shifting towards the woman.
The leaking of his own blood, however, was beginning to make the man sober, and with sobriety, he had to face everything in his life. Annoyed at this, he tried moving his arm to drain the rest of the bottle he still held, but he found resistance. It felt as if his body was beginning to freeze, as blood continued pooling out of his body, but with his immortality, it returned, fighting against the control. The longer this went on, the more Ban grew irritated and he managed to turn his head, biting back a yelp when he saw the woman mere centimeters from him. Her dark eyes were wild, and unfocused, her dark brows pinched together in frustration.
"Knock it off!" he growled, managing to grab hold of the woman, breaking her connection with his blood as he forcefully stood up, lifting her up with him. She was lighter than a feather, nothing but skin and bones. "I'm getting sober, you fucking bitch!" he shouted angrily and without thinking threw her as far as he could.
Not even bothering to worry about where the woman landed, Ban grabbed more bottles and drank him dumb. He hated being sober, he liked having a numb mind and this was the best time to do it. The rest of that day was a blur for the immortal man. He didn't know how much he drank, but he somewhat remembered Merlin appearing nearby talking to him about something that he didn't remember before he passed out. When he finally came to, he was laying flat on his back on the ground, his skull pounding against his brain from the amount he drank. He sat up, noticing everyone but the Captain was there, but they were all focused on something. Their faces a mixture of apprehension, aversion, and tiredness, which he didn't understand until he finally stood and turned to see what they were watching.
Everything fell into place when he saw their Captain walking towards them with a limp woman in his arms. Her hair no longer fell in thick, disjointed ropes around her, covering her once gaunt face. While still dirty, he could clearly see her face, the familiar structure of her cheeks and the long lashes. No longer did grey tint her skin or her skin cling to her bones. She looked healthier now with pinkish flesh and some muscle mass. The woman still looked sick though, and the large, dark bruise under her eyes told him she had not slept in months, if not years.
"Hecate…" The name fell from his lips without a second thought, his heart almost stopped at the sight of her now. Fear creeping into his mind about all the possibilities that could have led to this moment. What happened to her? How could she let herself get to this point? Who was this woman now? Would she still be the same person he had known so long ago?
Ban noticed a few of the Sins turn to him when he uttered her name, their surprise clear in their eyes that he, of all people, knew the woman that almost destroyed them. It was later when he got the full story. Apparently, after he had tossed her, something he admittedly felt a little guilty about, she had landed in a large pool of blood, in the middle of a vampire horde that some of the other Sins were fighting. She had used her ability to absorb the blood around her, trying her hardest to drain the entire kingdom dry. The woman had almost succeeded until their Captain intervened, engaging her battle. From what some of the Sins witnessed, the woman had put up a fight with their Captain, a no small feat.
It was only when she wavered from trying to use her ability that she stopped fighting and tears of blood leaked down her cheeks. They noticed her black eyes turn dark fuchsia, and some semblance of sanity had returned to her, though they feared it wouldn't last long. They told him she had spoken to their Captain, but her words were far too quiet for them to understand before she let herself go and fell to the ground, weak and exhausted. Their Captain didn't let her hit the ground though, catching her as he spoke to her quietly before she finally nodded, closed her eyes, and went limp.
As Ban looked down at her now, he could understand what had happened. He knew enough about her and her ability to know where she got the strength to push through as she did and not just give up. He didn't say anything to the others about her, neither to his Captain who watched him carefully. Ban didn't try to go to the woman's side, didn't try to reason with what she did. He didn't even fault her for what happened. Simply because he understood.
"Where did you disappear off to?" Hecate's soft voice pulled Ban from the memory as he looked down at her. Her light pink eyes showed her curiosity, but he knew she wouldn't push him if he didn't feel like sharing.
"Back to twelve years ago." He admitted quietly, giving her a bit of a squeeze before moving to sit next to her, watching as she visibly flinched, grimacing at that. "I know I've asked before but…" He didn't finish, knowing she would catch on to what he was asking.
"It's a blank slate of time for me still… and to be honest…" Hecate looked down at the table sadly. "I don't want to remember it… I have no doubt that I did terrible things because of what happened… and I fell deeper into myself than ever… it was a slow burn though, I know that much…" she chuckled bitterly and shook her head, mostly at her own carelessness from back then.
"Hey, I didn't mean to bring that up, alright?" Ban nudged her lightly with a slight smirk. "Sorry, Kitten, I know you don't like thinking about that." He apologized and rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly.
"You're finally up, good!" Meliodas entered the tavern just as Hecate opened her mouth to respond to him. "Come on you two, the Doctor is giving us a free meal for bringing back his daughter." He informed the two with a grin. The two were looking better now that they had some rest. "It's time to celebrate now! You guys can get some more sleep later, so let's go!" He motioned to the two to follow and laughed as they rolled their eyes at him.
Standing, Ban stretched out and offered Hecate his hand. "Come on, Kitten. If we keep this noisy guy waiting, we'll be dragged out by a limb." Ban teased, giving her a lopsided grin.
"You're not wrong about that." Hecate chuckled, taking his hand, and stood with ease. She his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it, walking next to him. She lightly nudged him, causing the immortal to look down at her curiously. "About earlier… don't dwell on it too much, Ban… I know you didn't mean to bring it up, but for you, it must have eye-opening. You were the only one who knew me after all, and what I was capable of…. So, don't worry about it. It's fine. We're good." She gave him a soft smile before jogging ahead while Ban watched with a soft smile gracing his face.
It didn't take long for them to catch up with their Captain, who stood part way from the tavern and town with Hawk and Diane standing next to him. Diane was carrying Elizbeth, bed and all, being extremely gentle with the girl. Ban trailed in the rear while Hecate sat on Diane's shoulder to talk with Elizabeth. Their Captain and Hawk walked casually next to Diane, sharing conversation with the girls. Everyone was relaxed with gentle smiles on their faces.
It was a strange sight to behold, Ban would admit as he watched the others ahead. After a decade apart from each other, it seemed as nothing had changed. He looked at their Captain, frowning a bit. It was strange, he hadn't changed a single bit since they were a part, neither had Diane or Hecate, but their races explained that. Diane being a giant and Hecate being a halfling. He never changed due to being immortal. If he was being honest, it always bothered him, but he never questioned it. The man was their Captain after all, and he trusted the man, they all trusted him. Even his Kitten trusted the man, and she wasn't known for trusting others easily. To distract himself, Ban noticed some guys walking down the street and saw some clothes he liked. He didn't have any money currently, so he would have to make do.
The group was greeted by the doctor and his daughter, who already had a feast made up for everyone. The scent of cooked food wafted through the air, the enticing scent a welcoming change for Hecate. Diane gently set the princess down, being careful not to jostle her too much while she leaned over the buildings to be part of the festivities. Unfortunately, Diane couldn't join them in the main area due to her size, but she was still being included as the doctor's daughter climbed up a ladder to pass Diane some food. Hecate jumped from the roof where she made herself comfortable and joined Elizabeth at her bed. It was some point later, once everyone got settled that Ban joined them, arriving in his new, stolen, tight clothing. They were red with studs on them, the jacket didn't fit him properly, leaving his stomach exposed as well as part of his upper chest. His pants were no better as they hugged his limbs, sculpting them as they, like he other pants, sat low on his hips. He had shoes on his feet now, which matched the colour of his jacket and pants. He was sitting at one of the tables, grabbing a tankard of ale in his hand as he talked with their Captain.
"Miss Hecate?" Elizabeth spoke up, her voice soft and hesitant, which caught her attention.
"Yeah?" the halfling asked, tilting her head a bit.
"I never got a chance to thank you earlier…" the princess spoke quietly, her eyes downcast slightly, her cheeks lightly flushed as she played with the blanket a bit. "You helped me snap out of my shock and fear after finding Sir Meliodas like he was…."
"Hey now," Hecate smiled softly and placed her hand over the girl's hand. "He's important to all of us, and unfortunately, that man is impossible really." She chuckled, shaking her head. "The Captain tends to pull this type of stunt all the time. Sadly, we're all used to it… but it's never easy to watch." She nodded to their Captain who was chatting with Ban. "And call me Hecate, or Cat. We're a disjointed group, but we're pretty much family here."
"Thank you, Cat, and please, Call me Elizabeth." The princess said with bright smile and Hecate gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she nodded.
"My pleasure, Elizabeth." Hecate chuckled, glad to see her relaxed.
She sensed someone walking up to them and turned a bit to see their Captain and Ban walking up to them. The immortal pulled a barrel forward and sat on it, sending a wink to the halfling, who merely rolled her eyes at him, but that didn't stop her from smiling. The man was ridiculous, plain, and simple.