The demise of a hero

Frostbitten

Childe pulled his hood deeper into his face. He was not at all familiar anymore with the cold temperatures that prevailed in Snezhnaya. Since evening had already fallen, it seemed especially cold. Exhausted, he trudged through the snow beside Stanislav when they finally reached the Fatui Harbinger headquarters. From inside, he could already hear loud voices, even if he did not understand what they were saying. Obviously, the fatui beside him had not underestimated the situation.... apparently chaos had really broken out here.

"I want to know right now who gave that order!" demanded Pulcinella angrily, pounding his fist on the table. The other Harbingers remained quite impassive, some of them even laughing because they rarely saw their cool, calculating colleague so loud.

"That was me," Dottore finally spoke up smugly.

"You... well...you know exactly how strong Scaramouche is, don't you?" retorted Pulcinella dismissively.

"Aye, I guess I know best. But are you saying your former apprentice, who you always bragged about back then, what a talented military man he was, isn't up to it? You're awfully fond of him, aren't you?" replied Dottore sarcastically, smiling smugly.

"No comment. In any case, I'm against you imposing such a thing on my Childe and bringing him all the way from Liyue to do it. I'd rather go myself," Pulcinella hissed contemptuously.

"I need you here with the recruits, dismissed," Pierro said formally, shaking his head.

"Now, now, Pulcinella, there's no need for that. In fact, Tartaglia has just arrived as well," said Dottore, grinning with satisfaction.

"What!!?" asked Pulcinella, shocked.

The next moment Childe entered the room and looked at the now smaller group of Harbingers, who were all looking at him more or less expectantly.

"Good evening everyone, so we meet again!" he said, grinning broadly. Then he looked for a seat.

"You're just in time. It's about the mission with Scaramouche," Pierro recorded, giving the floor to Dottore.

"We are grateful to you for accepting the important mission of retrieving Scaramouche, or rather the gnosis," said the latter, grinning broadly, "allow me to give you the finer details..."

"You can't be serious," Pulcinella spoke up again, visibly displeased. However, no one paid any attention to him. Childe looked confusedly at his former mentor before being forced to listen to Dottore now, as he finally explained in more detail the mission he had to carry out. Nevertheless, during the whole meeting, which fortunately was more civilized than he had first expected, he couldn't get Pulcinella's negative and dismissive attitude out of his mind. He was actually looking forward to seeing him again...

#

After the meeting, he wanted to get to his quarters as soon as possible, since Childe was tired from the trip. Besides, it was violently cold outside. But just as he was about to go into the building, he noticed that he was not alone.

"Childe. I need to talk to you," Pulcinella said sternly behind him. Childe didn't have to think hard to know that this was going to be awkward now.

"Make it quick. I'm cold," he muttered. Then, however, he unlocked the door and stood in the hallway with him so he wouldn't freeze to death.

"It's about Dottore's order. I don't agree with it, but apparently I'm outvoted. Basically, I'm quite reluctant to let you go there alone," Pulcinella explained, sighing.

"Are you going to come with me?" asked Childe in surprise. He hadn't expected that. But he remembered that Pierro had vetoed it during the meeting.

"I can't do that - you heard Pierro. But I'll make sure someone from the others comes along, all right?" asked Pulcinella cautiously. Childe stared at him with wide eyes.

"No. Don't bother, that would just get in the way of my work. This is MY job and I don't want someone snatching all the glory right out from under my nose again!", Childe indignantly said.

"I understand that, but that's not what this is about. Do you actually know how dangerous that was, accepting that mission? You should have refused! You can still refuse...", Pulcinella tried to convince him.

"Refuse? Are you serious?!! I'm supposed to turn it down once I get a good assignment? Besides, I can't wait to smack Scaramouche, believe it..." said Childe cheekily.

"Scaramouche may be out of your league. I -don't- think you'll succeed in the mission. Are you really too stupid for that to go into your brain?" growled Pulcinella, turning away.

"Ahhh, that's where the wind blows.... apparently I'm still just the stupid little apprentice for you, the one who can't do anything and screws everything up... honestly. That you stab me in the back like that. And I thought we were friends... Fuck you. I'll prove it to you and to everyone anyway!" hissed Childe. He hated that Pulcinella always wanted to keep him down. After all, he hadn't thought he would become a Harbinger one day. Childe was so angry that he was almost crying.

"Childe... please don't...", Pulcinella said agonizingly slow and turned around. Carefully, he touched his cheek to wipe away the single tear that was now running down his cheek, "It's not like that.... I...maybe I'm afraid it will go wrong..." Childe just sighed and turned away in a huff.

"Yeah. You're a scaredy cat. Just don't take on dangerous missions. Always just stay here with the recruits at headquarters. You only said that you would go for me because you knew that Pierro wouldn't let you go anyway. A couple of weeks in Liyue was apparently too much for you. Besides, you're afraid of yourself and your own feelings!" said Childe smugly, "but you know what, I'm not. And that's why I'm going for the mission!"

"If that's the way you feel about it..." said Pulcinella, now visibly miffed. "You know what, then go.... go ahead and run to your doom...!"

"Yeah, I'll finally go! You'll see!" retorted Childe, who by now had unlocked his door. Without looking at Pulcinella again, he disappeared into his apartment, slamming the door violently into the lock behind him.