Season Notes: violence, self harm mention, magical coersion mention

He woke slowly, his head pounding. He didn’t bother pretending to still be asleep. Opening his eyes, he saw a far too familiar ceiling. Reflexively, he rolled off his pallet to kneel on the floor.

“Welcome back, Lieutenant,” said the hateful voice. “I’m impressed. I was sure I had left you no way to escape. Be sure I will not repeat my mistakes.”

Silence. That had not been a question, and he knew better than to ask any of his own. Better than to reveal anything he could hide.

“How did they capture you? I wouldn’t have thought those annoying children could find you if you didn’t want to be found.”

It was like the universe froze. For thousands of years, he had lived controlled by the magic of his curse. But Mourningdagger — who had captured him and should have been his master — had asked a question. And he wasn’t compelled to answer it.

He didn’t dare let Mourningdagger realize that, and he had learned to think on his feet. So he answered almost immediately. “I let them find me.”

“Ah. You thought they would keep you safe from me.

“Well, we are going to show the world you are back with me. You will answer my questions where your would-be saviors can hear you, and you will lie. Make them think you were there as my spy.”

“Yes, my lord.”

~~~

A few minutes later, they were in front of the castle. He knelt with his head bent and the hated hand on his neck. He’d thought — hoped — he had finally escaped the monster. He had even dared to hope that he might serve masters he liked for once.

Frontman. Speed. Swords. Guns. Heals. They had been careful not to use their real names around him. Care he had respected at the time and appreciated now. What he did not know, the monster could not force from him.

If only they’d had another day, one day, and he might have been free. Not just free but able to strike back and help others strike back. “Mentor,” they’d offered to call him. Seeing, somehow, something of worth in him beyond his skill at bringing death.

And if MourningDagger has their way, those children would believe he had betrayed them.

Everyone saw that moment — there were cameras set up around the castle 24/7 by then, and MourningDagger knew it. That was why they were outside the castle — MourningDagger wanted a spectacle. They had a message to send to the world. And to Mighty Hero Force Epsilon.

“Report, Lieutenant,” MourningDagger ordered.

And he obeyed.

“As you ordered, my lord,” he said, “I managed to infiltrate your enemies.

“While they are impressive fighters, outside of combat they are naive and foolish children. They play with powers they do not understand and have no sense of how to fight a war. Your attack came very close to destroying them utterly because of their foolishness.”

The words were acid on his tongue because they were true. The children had potential — great potential — but no time to develop it. No one to guide them.

“They are weak defenders for a weak world.”

“Good lieutenant.” MourningDagger squeezed his neck gently, and he froze. “I know you have many details to give me in private. Everything I need to know to track down these gnats and eliminate them.” They removed their hand and stepped forward. It was all he could do to hide his shudder of relief. “Listen well, gnats! And the foolish world that depends on them. You took your enemy into your very heart and never knew it. The only reason you weren’t slaughtered in your beds is I wish that pleasure for myself.

“Think on that while you hide and cower in the dark. I give you one chance, little gnats.

“Come and kneel before me! Take down your magic, surrender, and I will show mercy.”

Then MourningDagger turned and snapped a finger at him. “Come, lieutenant.”

He obeyed, following MourningDagger back into the castle without looking back. He would have only one chance. He dared not waste it in pointless defiance.

No matter what it cost him.

~~~

It didn’t take Blade long to find the full video. And he nearly threw up.

He didn’t want to believe it. He refused to believe it. But… what if?

“Guys?” his voice broke. “Guys… we have a problem.”

He showed the video to the team. Salem was crushed.

Quickblade was stubborn but afraid. “I don’t believe it. The curse was real — he would have cut his throat just because I told him to. He would have died!”

“Would he?” Astaroth asked. “Do we know what he could do with his magic? Maybe he could have cut his own throat and survived. Or maybe he would have stopped anyway and was pretending to be under a curse.”

“Maybe.” Mobb, of all of them, seemed strangely happy. “Maybe,” she said again.

“But this? This is theater. MourningDagger wanted us to see it. And whether or not we can trust /him,/ we know we can’t trust MourningDagger.”

“What the fuck,” Salem said. “You were the one all along saying he couldn’t be trusted. You were the one….” Tears started falling from her eyes, and Astaroth pulled her into a hug.

“Yeah. Yeah I was. And I’ll still say it. You can never trust a barrack’s lawyer.” Mobb grinned, waving around the new safe house — the one they only had because of him. “And he still made sure this place was safe, didn’t he? Even from himself.”

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Mighty Hero Force Epsilon (S2, E3)

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