Hunter opened his eyes slightly, and the starry sky and the placid sound of the waves greeted him. It took him a moment to remember what had happened and his eyes widened; how was it possible that he was still alive? Belos had literally shattered all his bones... but then why didn't he feel pain? He wondered if in reality he had not now entered the afterlife, even if he didn't believe it: if that were the case he would undoubtedly have woken up in hell, certainly not in that peaceful place.

However, his every question was answered when a voice he knew well asked him: "How much longer are you going to lie down?"

Hunter jumped like a spring and stood up, and instinctively backed away from where he had heard the voice come from; there, a short distance from him, was an elderly man with long ocher hair dressed in a large white cloak and an underlying robe very similar to the boy's armor. What looked like a scar cut across half his face... but it wasn't a normal scar: it was green, festering, and seemed to be emitting dark fluid from its extremities. In his hand, which was covered by a golden glove, he held Flapjack, who was surrounded by a greenish structure that vaguely resembled a tentacle.

Hunter's breathing quickened. No, he definitely hadn't thought badly: he had ended up in hell, although he was not dead. And to have evidence of this it was enough for him to carefully observe the island on which he found himself, which turned out to be a small part of another large island; and it was smooth and long and paddle-shaped… just like a deformed giant fin. "U-Uncle..."

"Hunter, my boy" the man hissed. "Could you please answer a single… little… question?"

The man looked at him, and Hunter almost fainted when he met those eyes so full of cruelty. And when the man's mouth moved, the whole ocean shook and his voice came not from his lips but from the upper part of the island, which looked a lot like a horned head. "What the fuck are you doing!?"

Hunter drew back even further, and he slipped on the smooth surface of the fin they were on and fell into a sitting position. On the contrary, the man advanced towards him without any hesitation. "No, you don't need to answer. I've already looked at your memories. You probably don't remember... you screamed a lot while I opened your skull and brain" he told him. "So is that it, Hunter? Were you really stupid enough to get attached to people? Do you consider them... friends? Even... a love interest?"

Hunter felt his heart skip a beat. "Have you... looked at my memories...?" he barely whispered.

"You let your feelings get the better of you" the man continued without even considering it. "What a disappointment... of all your predecessors, only two of them had done the same idiocy as you, but never to this level. All of them knew that it was better to avoid becoming attached to anyone, because their only task was to serve me! And what about you? So many friends, and even love!? Have you gone so far as to hide important information from me!?"

Hunter had gone pale as a sheet. If his uncle had read his memories, then he already knew everything: the fact that Eda and Lilith could turn into monsters, the connection between them and Luz, the fact that Amity was a witch, the presence of King, who Luz aimed to destroy. becoming a real girl, and all the various relationship dynamics that existed between them. He knew the names and surnames of all his friends... and he knew about Willow and his feelings for her.

Almost as if reading his mind, his uncle chuckled. "Seriously, Hunter… you were one of my best achievers. How did you make such a mistake? Oh, wait… I already know. He convinced you to do so, didn't he?" The man picked up Flapjack, who looked more terrified than ever. He scratched his head, almost as if he were holding a loving kitten, but the gesture only seemed to scare the red cardinal more. "You know... he was the Palisman of the fairy who transformed me into what I am today. It was through him that his magic took shape and affected me. We can say... that I exist thanks to him"

Hunter remained still and silent for almost a minute; then, that revelation seemed to explode in his head with the power of a volcano. His eyes narrowed and seemed to catch fire, and suddenly his uncle's presence became completely invisible to his eyes; the only thing he was focused on was Flapjack. "It is true...?"

If he could, the Palisman would have sweated; but still he answered sincerely: "Hunter, I... I wanted to tell you, but... well..."

"You wanted to tell me what!? That you are the cause of my torment!?" Hunter roared in fury. "That you are the one who created this damn monster that made my entire life a living hell!? Is this why you chose me as your master!? What am I to you, your way of making amends!?"

"No! No, it's not like that!" Flapjack was quick to say. "Hunter, I didn't know who you were until you told me...!"

"And you think I should believe you!? After you hid the truth from me!? I thought you and I were a team, that we could trust each other! And now I find out that you were complicit in creating the greatest evil that this world has ever seen, and you didn't tell me!" Hunter was more furious than ever. No, worse... he was hurt. He felt like someone was stabbing him with a hot blade. Was this what it felt like to feel betrayed? "Because of you I have known nothing but suffering!"

"Come on, come on, now let's not exaggerate" his uncle said, even though it was clear that he was finding the scene extremely funny. His wry smile was unmistakable. "If you think well about it, based on this logic, if it weren't for him you wouldn't even exist today"

"WHO CARES! I WOULD PREFER IT!" Hunter roared, and his voice echoed across the island. He took his golden mask and slammed it on the ground with such force that it split in two. "For sixteen years I put up with this shit! I've never known anything but suffering! The first twelve years of my life were nothing but you tearing me apart to toughen me up and then putting me back together again! I'm not even sure I'm still there same person I was when I was born, or if that boy died and in reality I am a copy with the same personality as me and memories that you created when you put my brain back after taking it out of my skull just for fun! You operated me with open heart when you were bored, you forced me to fight until I broke my bones just for amusement, you injected molten lead into my veins to see how long it would take for my body to burn! Mine is not a life! I would much rather not exist than live this shitty life!"

At those words his uncle only laughed. "Oh, yeah… those times were really fun" he said, as if Hunter was telling him about when they went boating together or how they had a picnic. "What can I say? I have always been a person who loved to experiment. All men experiment with their creations; the fact that mine was able to think and express his pain through screaming and crying was certainly not a problem for me. In fact, for me it was even better"

"I know very well that it was better for you! Because this is you, a monster who takes pleasure in hurting others! It's as if their suffering for you was the perfect side dish before eating them!" Hunter snapped; he no longer cared about making his uncle angry, he was too furious. "I spent my whole life knowing that one day you would devour me! I knew I was nothing more than a war machine with the sole purpose of suffering and serving you, and becoming your meal when I no longer served you! This was the my damn existence! Why then could I ever want to exist? If I had had the choice, I would never have come into this world! If I had the choice, I would never have been born!"

"Hunter..." Flapjack muttered heartbrokenly.

But the boy didn't stop; his gaze fixed on the Palisman had become frightening. "And now... I discover that YOU are the cause of this torment of mine! You are the means by which that stupid fairy gave life to this monster who spends his days doing nothing but causing horror throughout the ocean! It's because of you that hundreds of millions of people have suffered and continue to suffer! It's because of you that I was born in this damned hell!"

Flapjack had fallen silent and closed his eyes; He didn't even seem to have the courage to look at Hunter, and a few tears fell from his eyes. Hunter was crying too, but more from disappointment and anger. He was experiencing a sensation he didn't think he would ever experience: his most trusted companion, a friend he thought he knew, had just turned out to be the cause of all his suffering. Flapjack may not have been the one who had recited the spell that brought Belos to life, but it was through him that that magic had taken shape. Hunter had been born into that eternal prison of horror and suffering because he had turned Philip Wittebane into a monster who terrorized the oceans. And Flapjack had never told him that. He had kept that important piece of information secret... from him. Hunter had revealed to him who he was not even a few hours after meeting him, and it had taken him a few days to open up completely to him; Flapjack on the other hand... he hadn't told him the truth. He hadn't told him that crucial detail. And for this reason Hunter couldn't help but feel betrayed.

His uncle's disturbing laughter caught his attention. "Look at you, you're really furious. I didn't think I could ever see you like this. I'm too used to the submissive and weak you" he said with a strange note of admiration in his voice. "So, Hunter, the first friend you ever made was someone who hid inconvenient truths from you? Seriously, am I the only one who finds a strange irony in all of this?"

Hunter bit his lip. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, can't you get there yourself?" his uncle told him. "I took a long look at your memories, and in none of them did you reveal to a certain puppet who was responsible for her no longer having a mother. And you were her first human friend, right? You could say that for her the situation went the same way as you, but in reverse. And just like the dear Flapjack who betrayed you by showing himself to me, condemning you to be captured by me, you too will betray that puppet and give her to me"

Hunter's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "No, it's different" he said. "It is... because I won't betray Luz. Not anymore"

But contrary to his expectations, his uncle seemed more amused than anything else. "Really, Hunter? You really think you can decide?" he asked him as his smile became far too wide to belong to a human.

Hunter took a few deep breaths, but still he replied: "Do whatever you want to me. Send me into your stomach and let me experience all the monstrosities inside it. I always knew I was destined for hell after all, it doesn't bother me. I will never betray Luz, not her or anyone else! Not anymore!" he answered; he was trembling continuously, but still he had the courage to look his uncle straight in the eyes: "It's true, I'm afraid of you, and I know that you can do such terrible things to me that you can drive me crazy just by telling me about them. But I refuse to be your pawn. Create another one, you're used to it by now, right? I'm getting out of it. I'm tired of living like this, this isn't life! If you want to capture Luz, send someone else to get her, because you won't have my help!"

Silence fell among them; Hunter closed his eyes, waiting for the monster's tentacles to grab him and hurl him into its mouth, sending him into what he knew would be a hell that would make him regret any torture he had endured in the past. But instead, what he heard was laughter; although a little hesitant, he opened his eyes and looked at his uncle, who was laughing loudly. And his laughter was even more terrifying than usual, so much so that just hearing it made Hunter feel the urge to rip his ears off, and he didn't just do it because he didn't want to give his uncle that satisfaction. "I can't believe it... pfff... this is incredible! Of all the ones I created, finally someone dares to speak against me!" the man said in a strangely hissing voice. "Oh, it's wonderful. It's a whole new flood of possibilities! What should I do now? What punishment should I carry out? I have so many options and I'm having a hard time choosing one! Oh, I haven't felt so… euphoric in decades! "

Hunter gulped at his uncle's display of hilarity; it was much creepier than usual. But then the man stopped laughing and stared into his eyes with a smile that showed off the sharp teeth underneath. "But you know what? I think I won't do any of these things that I have in mind. Instead I think I will destroy that silly illusion of yours and make you betray Luz, like you don't want to do, and I will enjoy your devastated face when you carry out such a treacherous act, destroying with your own hands that friendship that you consider so important. I'm sure it will be exhilarating"

Hunter snorted. "Never"

His uncle didn't even show any sign of having heard him. "You know, Hunter, now that I've accessed all your memories and discovered some interesting information about those fairies and that puppet… I'm ready to make my move. And I still need you; I don't have time to create another one like you... and anyway I need you, not someone else". His smile widened. "So, here are my options: I can possess that useless body of yours, and do the things I want you to do myself… or I can make you a… little offer: your freedom"

Hunter froze. "What...?"

"You heard me well. I'm willing to set you free. I'll dump you on a little island, and you have my word I'll never come back for you" his uncle replied. "And as an extra... I'll add the woman you love"

Hunter's eyes widened. "Keep Willow out of this!"

"Oh, but she's already into this. Do you think she won't follow that puppet when I'll invite her to my amusement park? You know she'll come with her" his uncle replied, and a tongue far too long for a human emerged from his mouth and licked his lips. "You know, I've never bothered to devour a cricket... but some foodies say they're delicious... she definitely won't be a substantial meal, but at least I'll have something to munch on before sending her into my intestines and digesting her properly"

Hunter couldn't reply; his body stiffened and he began to sweat at a feverish rate. He could barely stand on his legs while his interlocutor spoke.

His uncle chuckled to see him in such a state. "Look at you... you really care about her, hm? You know what will happen to her if I decide to put these words of mine into practice, don't you? In none of your memories have I heard her scream... I wonder how melodious her desperate voice is, it could be a highlight of my collection" he said as his lips retracted showing more and more of his sharp teeth, and his eyes shone with an evil light and unhealthy and corrosive liquid began to drip from the wound on his face. "But I'm magnanimous, so I'm willing to give up such a rare trophy. That cricket is completely irrelevant to me, so you can keep her. I'll let both of you go. So? Sounds like a good deal to me"

Hunter remained silent, not having the strength to say anything. Finally he asked: "Why?"

"For two reasons. The first is purely logical: if I possessed your body, I would have to further divide my mind and this could create some problems for me. It would be preferable if there was the real you to do your part". His uncle's face became a mask of cruel delirium. "But the real reason that matters most to me... is that I want to see your face when you will say yes to me, and you will agree to betray that puppet that you refuse so much to betray. I have broken your body so many times that by now I'm bored of doing it; what I want to see broken now is your spirit. I want to shatter every illusion of friendship you think you've built, and make you once again a pawn in my service like you hate so much, and then enjoy watching you for the rest of the day. your life while you grow old and sick hating yourself and seeing nothing but disgust in the eyes of the woman you love every time she looks at you. It will be... really fun" he said in an almost hissing voice, bringing his face a few centimeters from his, and his tongue emerged from his mouth again and wrapped itself around the boy's neck as if it were a monstrous tentacle aiming to chain him. "So, Hunter? What do you say me?"

Hunter felt like someone had just thrown a rock at him. Yep, it was obvious... his uncle wasn't doing him any charity or kindness. He was just having fun. His rebellion had been a novelty compared to the other grimwalkers, and he now wanted to destroy his fighting spirit only to see him devoured by guilt. And what was worse, Hunter knew he had no other choice. Either he accepted, or Willow would suffer a fate worse than death. He knew his decision had never been negotiable. And so in the end, defeated, he lowered his head and answered: "I say you... yes"

He didn't know what expression he had on his face, but his uncle seemed to explode with happiness upon seeing him: "Yes... yes! Wonderful! That's the face I want to see! So defeated, so bent, so broken! A masterpiece! It makes me want to to tear it away and hang it in my trophy room, it's something almost artistic!"

Hunter shuddered at every word the man said, but still he said: "But I don't just want Willow. I want everyone else"

"Tsk! Do you think you can negotiate? I'm not going to give them to you" his uncle replied, then he sneered. "Actually, no... just to see who you will choose, I allow you to take only one prisoner"

Hunter took a deep breath, then he replied: "Flapjack"

The Palisman looked up at him in amazement.

"Do you still want this idiot back even after he lied to you?" his uncle asked him. He seemed to think about it carefully, then he said: "Okay. I'm really curious to see how you'll torture each other for the rest of your pathetic lives. I really think it's going to be an amazing show". And then he looked at Flapjack: "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the unfinished business we have. I'll put a tracking spell on you; when Hunter will be old and will die full of remorse and resentment, I'll come get you and I'll eat you"

Flapjack gave a startled chirp, but the man paid no attention. "Obviously I'll keep the Palisman until this story is over. I'll give him to you when I get the puppet and get rid of those two fairies" he told Hunter. "Let's not waste time. Call your friends and let them know you're alive. Pretend you don't know where you are and that you've lost both this bird... and the djinn inside this lamp"

Only then did Hunter realize that his uncle had Darius' lamp hanging from his waist; as if to underline it, the man took it and twirled it in his hands. With extreme regret, Hunter took his staff and did as he was told, and contacted Willow. The girl's voice was like a cure-all for him, but at the same time he felt a vice grip his heart as he lied to her. When he finished, his uncle commented: "Good job. Now the game begins"

Hunter didn't look up. He no longer had the strength to do it. "What do you want me to do?"

"For the next three days, wander around here a bit. Contact your friends from time to time, and tell them you still don't know where you are. I've refilled your staff, so you won't be short on magic" his uncle answered. "After these three days have expired, choose a point of reference and arrange for the two fairies to come looking for you. Not the little witch, however; I have plans for her. The rest... you will know it in due time"

Hunter nodded sadly. "As you wish... my liege"

Unlike the canon where Flapjack seems to be absolutely aware of the grimwalkers (how? We don't know, he just knew), in this AU, having never met one, he initially didn't recognize Hunter as a grimwalker of Caleb's (even if he knew Caleb in fact Hunter could very well have been just a similar guy of him), consequently she really chose him as her master and not only because he was a replica of her mistress's old husband. So when he tells Hunter that he didn't know he was a servant of Belos until he confessed it to him (at which point Flapjack put the pieces together and figured out the truth) he's telling the truth, even if Hunter can't believe him at first glance anymore