Second Lead Syndrome || Diluc R. x Reader

Sisterhood

Y/N quickly swallows her hopelessness. If I'm going to be behind, the only thing to do is catch up!

She looks back at Amber's determined face. "We're going in."

-----

Amber whips out her bow as Y/N unsheaths her rapier. They stand still, eavesdropping as they wait for an opening. Every nerve in their body is as tense as the air in the hall.

"He broke a contract with us. This is a Fatui matter and we do not need your involvement." Ida states with no flexibility in her tone.

"He is in custody of the Knights of Favonius. You have also broken into the Head Quarters and must face the consequences accordingly." A voice that Y/N recognizes to by Wyratt's, one of the Guards for the Library, retorts.

"We would not have to break in if it weren't for your ignorant meddling in others' business. Such matters are trivial in comparison to you Knights protecting this criminal." Ida shoots back. "Your more capable Knights aren't here. Your measly forces will be wiped out in a second if you dare to interfere furth- what?"

A small doll in the shape of a rabbit is thrown into the fray. The Knights recognize Amber's Baron Bunny bomb and back up just in time for it to explode, knocking some Fatui off their feet.

"Go!" Y/N orders Amber and they run into the battle field as the smoke clears.

Amber rushes towards Igor and Hillie, dragging them away from the scene as Y/N confronts the Fatui. Ida lowers her arm from over her face; her sleeve covered in gunpowder. Her eyes narrow as she comes face to face with the tip of Y/N's rapier. The other Fatui members draw their weapons.

"You're all under arrest." Y/N states. "Destruction of public and private property, use of explosives, extortion- the list just goes on and on, doesn't it?"

"Y-Y/N?" Ida's lips curve into a grin of disbelief. "What a coincidence, my darling little sister! My, how intimidating you act. You'll be a perfect fit for my department when you join the Fatui." Her voice is sickeningly saccharine and fake.

Some Fatui members behind Ida and a few Knights break out into whispers. The words, "sister" and "Fatui" striking a match that sets the crowd alight.

"Put your weapons away or I will have to use force." Y/N demands with an authoritative tone, dismissing Ida's attempts to get under her skin and effectively silencing the crowd.

Ida scoffs, dropping her fake smile. "'Use force'? Don't make me laugh! You're severely outnumbered."

"But not outmatched." Y/N replies with a smirk, trying to appear more confident than she feels.

Ida lets out a hollow laugh. "Really? I don't want to have to do this to my dear sister, but you need to be cut down to size!" Ida throws a punch and Y/N dodges just in time before grabbing Ida by the arm and throwing her onto the ground. Y/N's rapier hovers over Ida's neck as she turns to the other Fatui who seem a little shocked by how quickly their boss was taken down.

"Drop your weapons unless you want bodies to be dropping instead." Y/N states in a cold tone.

"Hah, don't feel intimidated!" Ida hisses to her subordinates. "She's all talk. No Knight of Favonius would kill a person if it's not self-defense. Especially not their own sister." Ida taunts, but Y/N's rapier never goes closer than a centimetre to Ida's throat as if an invisible barrier is physically preventing it. "I can't wait for when you join the Fatui and grovel at our feet!" She spits.

Y/N stomps her foot down on Ida's stomach, knocking the wind out of her to shut her up. "I'd rather not have to hurt anyone today, but if you keep resisting, I won't have a choice."

"Kill them!" Ida sputters out while trying to catch her breath and all the Fatui rush forward. Well, they've made their decision. Y/N thinks as she swallows up her disgust and defends herself against the Fatui coming her way. The Knights behind Y/N jump into action as well after seeing their Captain put the leading Fatui in her place.

Y/N slashes and disarms the attackers as they lose their weapons, teeth, and a lot of blood. Thanks to the poison on her blade, most of her victims are writhing in pain on the ground despite not being hit in a vital spot. 

"How could you...." A voice of a blond Fatui catches Y/N's attention. Her eyes widen as she turns, feeling a warm, viscous liquid trickle down her side. Y/N grits her teeth as her eyes flicker from the large gash across her ribs to the blond Fatui that created it. "How could you protect a traitor like him?!" He snarls.

Y/N quickly disarms the Fatui before he can go in for another stab. "Are you Percival?" Y/N asks. "Igor told me about you."

"I don't want my name in his dirty mouth!" He snaps. "He betrayed my trust!" 

Y/N frowns and mutters, "You're a lot weaker than I thought." Y/N quickly knocks him out with the hilt of her sword. Y/N glances at the blood blooming through the white fabric of her shirt like red wine stains. The adrenaline is dulling the pain for now, thankfully.

Suddenly, a film covers her field of vision and she reaches out to touch a bubble around her. Y/N looks over to see Ida had finally gotten up and is now using her vision to fight back. Water begins to fill the bubble at an alarming rate as Y/N desperately stabs at it with her rapier. More bubbles begin to appear around the hall, capturing other Knights. 

"Ida!" Y/N shouts out instinctively for help as the water passes her chest. The blood from her wound begins to dye the water red.

Y/N can see her sister turn to look at her through the translucent film of the bubble. "What? Just because you weren't able to kill your sister doesn't mean that I can't."

Ouch. Y/N clenches her jaw, her hands shaking in fury and betrayal. Y/N would like to believe she doesn't care so much about her sister, but if she didn't, why did those words hurt so bad? They say that it isn't easy to completely sever a bond with someone, yet Ida did in seconds. Y/N would like to as well, but some small, deep, naive part of her still sees Ida as her older sister.

 Y/N looks over at the other Knights trapped in bubbles of their own, thrashing around deperately. Fuck. I failed. She thinks hopelessly as tears prick her eyes. As the water reaches Y/N's face, she sinks down. Her weight causes the bubble to start rolling. Y/N's eyes widen as she quickly stands up and takes advantage of her mobility. Y/N rolls towards Ida, sucking her into the bubble with her. "R-Release i-it!" Y/N shouts out, gurgling though the bloodied water as she holds her sister's head under the water. Y/N lets go as soon as Ida releases the bubble.

The two sisters both gasp out for air as they lie in a puddle on the floor. Y/N manages to scramble to her feet first, and knock Ida out with the hilt of her sword. As Ida falls unconscious, all of her bubbles pop, releasing the Knights. The last two Fatui cower with their backs against the wall as Y/N glares at them. "Put your weapons down!" She manages to shout out through ragged breaths.

Their knives clatter to the bloodstained and flooded tile floor. Reflections in the water waver as the ripples distort the room. Y/N squints, unable to tell if the ripples are simply distorting the reflections or if the room is actually spinning. "You're all under....arrest..." The room darkens and Y/N can't focus on the faces of the Fatui any more. Y/N hears a splash and then worried shouts of the word "Captain" before everything stops.