Vengeance, Betrayal | Tartaglia X Zhongli (Angst)

Chapter 3

It's been a while now ever since the party started in the venue. Xinyan also started playing music along with Chongyun, Xiangling, and Hu Tao to light up the party more. To make it more enjoyable. Of course, the two newly married couples appreciate it very much. Though there's still this feeling that has been bothering the four. Childe, Xiao, Ganyu, and Aether. Let's say five since Paimon is also concerned. Childe couldn't enjoy himself and excused himself to Zhongli and the people they were talking to. He went somewhere that no one could see him use his 'Delusion Unleashed'. His phase 2. Though the suit didn't change, his mask was on and his eyes were purple. Using his speed, he checked all of the places that anyone could go but there was no one suspicious outside and anywhere in the venue except the four searching everywhere. As he saw Aether and Paimon outside, he immediately went towards them that gave the two a shocked reaction.

"Childe! Geez! You surprised us!" Complained Paimon. "Is there something wrong?" Asked Aether who's very concerned since he saw Childe using his delusion. He removed his masked and sigh. "Not really but there's been something bothering me. I don't know what but I searched everywhere and there's nothing." He said, still looking at his surroundings. "Hey, enjoy your day. I and the others are already taking care of it, don't worry and trust us." He said, patting Childe's shoulders. "Alright then. I'll leave this to you, comrade. Thank you." He said as he quickly went back inside, removing his mask to avoid any confusion. Though his purple eyes were still there. Childe called Zhongli to let him know that he was back though Zhongli noticed Childe has been panting and sweating. Also his purple eyes. "Ajax!" He called back, approached him, and gave him a quick kiss. His kisses could also remove the remaining evidence of his delusion as a way to make Childe calm. "You used your delusion again, darling. Tell me you still remember our promise." He said with a concerned tone in his voice, wiping off Childe's sweats and fixing his suit. "I'm fine. There's something that has been bothering me but Aether and the others took care of it." He explained and sighed. "Let's enjoy our day and ourselves. The Millelith will take care of any troubles." He said, caressing Childe's cheeks, giving each other a soft smile.

They went back to what they were doing and enjoyed themselves. Though it's been a while ever since the four left the venue. It's been worrying Childe. "Aether and the others are still not back. What could have happened?" Mumbled Childe while looking around, making the other notice. "Is there anything wrong? I can't help but get concerned about you." Said Zhongli, holding both Childe's hands and caressing them. "Aether and the others haven't come back. I wanna check-" screams and loud noises outside cut him off. This made him summon his weapon. People barging into the venue and people restraining vision holders, taking off their visions and everyone. All vision holders could not resist except Childe and Zhongli. "Well, well! You might have forgotten to bring us something back." The voice was very familiar to the ginger-head. A round hat, purple, black-ish Japanese-like design clothes with dark purple eyes and hair. The Balladeer, Sixth Fatui Harbinger. Scaramouche. Those people were the Fatuis. "Scaramouche. What are you doing here?" Asked Childe coldly. Ready to use his delusion again. "Oh, I thought I was invited because I'm your comrade." He teased, he was about to release an attack until Xiao dashed and tried to attack Scaramouche. He was able to dodge the attack. "Xiao, where's Aether and Ganyu?" Asked Hu Tao with a worried tone, trying to resist but could not. "They're outside, fighting enemies." He said, trying to attack Scaramouche again but had only dodged. "Adepti? I'm guessing." "You are no match for me." Threatened Xiao, attacking Scaramouche more but only dodges his attacks until Scaramouche made a big blow on Xiao, falling on his knees, Scaramouche stepping on Xiao's back and restraining both of his hands.

"What exactly do you want, Scaramouche?" Asked Childe again, stepping forward. "There is no need to hurt everyone. If you want to take something from me, let's talk about it. Alone. Just the both of us." He said, trying to sound calm as he can, trying to negotiate with the Balladeer. "Your Delusion, Tartaglia. Oh and not just that, your precious archon too." Xiao tried to move as he heard the Balladeer's words but he couldn't escape from him. That made Scaramouche restrain Xiao more. "What do you want from him?" He coldly asks, stepping back to Zhongli, trying to cover him. "We had a deal. His time is up." Said Scaramouche looking at Zhongli while the brown-haired one hasn't spoken a word since the Balladeer came. "What deal?" Asked Childe again, a laugh could be heard from Scaramouche. "Why don't you ask your precious husband? Been pretty quiet for a while, hm?" He said, making Childe give Zhongli a concerned look. He didn't look at Childe back and sighed. "I believe I do not know what you are trying to bring up here, Scaramouche. Did I not had already given La Signora my gnosis? Does the Delusion not belong to Childe?" He said with a calm voice. How could he be so calm in this situation? "Stop playing around now, Morax. You exactly know what I am talking about. You remember the exact words I- we had talked about." Said Scaramouche, starting to get pissed. He was about to finish off Xiao until a bow charged with Cryo element shoots at him. He may have dodged it but shot more icicles as it hits on the ground, giving a wound on Scaramouche's leg and letting go of Xiao. "Ganyu great job! Wait, Traveler?" Paimon looked around, seeing Aether sneak behind the Fatui who is restraining Ningguang. He sliced through their throat and gave Ningguang her vision back, telling her to give them a backup. "Miss Ningguang, distract other Fatuis while I help the others." He said, quietly running towards the other vision holders. Ningguang nodded and did as she was told to.

Xiao finally had the chance to strike Scaramouche but more Fatuis came to him and Ganyu for the Balladeer not to be interrupted from talking to Childe. He walked closer to Childe and Zhongli giving the both of them a threatening glare. "Morax, do you not remember clearly our deal?" He asked once again, readying his weapon. Zhongli stepped closer to him whilst the other couldn't do anything but held Zhongli's hand. Tugging him not to come closer. "And did you not hear what I have said? I clearly do not remember that we had talked about something." He said coldly, letting go of Childe's hands, summoning his polearm. Scaramouche tried to stab Zhongli out of anger with his sword but he managed to dodge it. Childe summoned his melee once again and went closed to Scaramouche as fast as he could, trying to at least scratch him but the other reacted quickly. (By the way, let's pretend Scaramouche is a sword wielder here since he doesn't have an official weapon yet.) Scaramouche, now locked on who he hated the most, Childe, as his target. Scaramouche's attack was too fast for Childe to handle and couldn't block nor dodge them all until he finally got hit hard, making him fall on the ground.

Aether finally had managed to help the vision holders to escape and had told them to help out the innocents. Now lastly, Childe's family. He was about to quietly approach them but a Fatui Pyro Agent noticed Aether helping out the others to escape. He readied his sniper and shot Aether in the leg. He groaned in pain but continued to approach his dear friend's family. The Fatui noticed where Aether was going and pointed his sniper at Childe's mother. Aether noticed and tried to go to them as fast as he could. He won't make it on time. As the Fatui was about to shoot, a brunette, eye-patched lady slit the Fatui's throat and ran towards the other Fatuis who were restraining Childe's family. One of them pointed a gun at the lady but had blocked the bullet with her claymore, still running towards them, and struck an electro attack on the Fatuis. Make sure not to hit the old lady and the children too. "Thank you, Captain Beidou." Thanked Aether who had finally arrived. "No need to thank me. Help them to get out of this mess while I distract the other enemies." She ordered and the blonde nodded as he did what he was told to. She watches them run away from the mess and dodged an attack from a Fatui who is ambushing her.

Back to the couples and the Balladeer again. Scaramouche was about to give another attack to finish Childe off but he rolled over to dodge it. It was a close call. He was about to attack Childe again while the ginger is trying to get up but Zhongli summoned his pillar, hitting Scaramouche on the stomach, and ran to Childe to help him get up. "Are you alright?" He asked. "No time to ask for that," Childe replied as he holds his vision and mask, about to use his Foul Legacy but remembered his family is here. He vowed to himself to never let them this side of his. This had made him have second thoughts but wasting too much time to the point Scaramouche finally had stood up, wiping off the dust on his clothes, and clicked his tongue from annoyance. "Shit." He cursed under his breath and looked back, seeing his younger brother, Teucer, watching him while he runs away with his siblings, mother, and Aether. Scaramouche gave another strike to both of them. Zhongli managed to block it with his polearm whilst the ginger head is still having second thoughts. "Ajax, it is not the time to just stand there!" Yelled Zhongli, trying to bring him back to reality.

Childe is confused. He couldn't process what was happening. Deciding if he should use his Delusion in front of his family, Fatuis barging in on their wedding day and ruining their celebration, Scaramouche's hatred towards him and taking back his Delusion, and mostly, his now-husband Zhongli having a deal with the 6th Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche. He couldn't understand everything. Just what is this all about?