Behind the Mask (HunterTOH x Y/N)

(16) Speaking Out of Turn

Hunter jumped onto the ship, and Jax turned back into bat form and hid in his jacket. He snuck around, looking for his friend, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hunter? What are you doing here?" Hunter turned around, and saw Steve sitting against the wall, holding an icepack on his knee.

"Oh, you're just the guy I was looking for! Come in here for a second." Hunter pulled Steve into some random supply closet.

"What are we doin in here? It's fun! Closet partayyy" Steve said with a funny voice, but Hunter cut him off.

"Take off your clothes, I'm gonna take off mine." He ordered, not realizing how weird it sounded.

"Woah dude, our relationship is strictly platonic, but if you're feeling weird about some things then we can tal-"

"NO EW JEEZ STEVE." Hunter slapped his hands against his face and groaned. "I need to look like a coven scout so I can sneak into the castle." He explained.

"Oh yeah, sure dude whatever you need." Steve replied.

Once they were changed,(no they didn't actually get naked) Hunter left the closet, now dressed as a coven scout. He was about to close the door, since Steve requested to stay in there because his leg was sore, but he stopped Hunter.

"Why are you sneaking into the castle? You're the Golden Guard, you can just walk in."

"Because I need to save somebody very important to me." He responded before shutting the door. Steve started gushing about romance and lovers, but Hunter was too busy thinking about how he would get into the castle to notice. He can follow the scouts in first, that's easy, but he has to make sure not to talk because of his "recognizable" voice.

He could pretend to go to his room, and then follow Kiki to wherever she was taking you! But that could get him caught. Whatever he did, he had to do it smoothly. No screw-ups this time. He walked up to the pink ball you were in and rubbed the side. You told him to gather the others, but he didn't care. He wanted... no, he needed to make sure you would be okay.

He walked away, struggling to see out of the Scout uniform's mask. He decided to just rest on a bench until the ship got to the castle. He tried to think happy thoughts, about how amazing life would be once he escaped his uncle's grasp, and didn't have to worry about cruel punishment.

What a life he would live once he could just get rid of Belos. And then, just maybe, he could take you on a date. A real date. Not one where you're rescuing him from a Slitherbeast, or one where he constantly screws something up. A genuine date. Like going to the movies, like he learned about from Amphibia. Or taking a walk and just talking, like in Gravity Falls.

Maybe he could have a real life, once all this was over. Maybe, just maybe, he could feel like he was being himself, and not some soldier that Belos constructed for his own personal use. He's a teenager, he's a kid, he's a person. He wants to feel like he's doing something because he wants to be, and not because he was ordered to.

He could have sleepovers, and go camping with you again, just not in the freezing cold. He can get his own palisman, since Belos won't be there to eat them all anymore. He wouldn't have to worry about anything, it would just be you and him. You and him against the world.

Hunter's time of daydreaming and zoning out was over, because the ship just landed at the castle. Hunter kept an eye on the bubble as a few scouts carried it into a separate gate. He followed them instead of the other scouts, and ended up following them all the way to Belos' room. He shuddered at what might happen to you, just because you disguised yourself as him.

The scouts opened the door, and he slid in after them before it closed. He hid behind a pillar, and watched as they popped the bubble, and you, as him of course, fell to the ground.

You made sure to keep the illusion going, and hoped that everything was going alright with Hunter getting Jax to fly.

"Hunter..." An eerie voice echoed through the walls, and it made you flinch slightly. You stood up quickly, brushing dirt and dust off your pants.

"Yes, Uncle?" You worriedly responded with Hunter's voice. "Where have you been? I've been so scared for you." His voice sounded immodest and bland. It was obvious that he didn't care about Hunter's well-being.

"I was down at The Knee, Emperor. Trying to catch a thieving witch. They broke my staff like an idiot, and their palisman wouldn't fly, so we were stuck there. I humbly apologize, Emperor Belos"

You were nailing your Hunter impression, and Hunter, hiding behind the pillar, thought so too.

"I see.. Well, I'll have another one prepared for you in the morning. Go get some sleep, and eat something, you're to be training again on Monday." Belos directed. You gasped slightly.

"Monday? But today is Sunday!" You replied in shock. Green goo shot at you, almost like one of his arms, and it put a large gash in your arm.

You put your hand over your arm, and tried to stay quiet to not make him do it again.

"I apologize. I'll return to work tomorrow, Uncle." You said, turning around and walking to the door. You couldn't wait to get out of there and heal your arm. The pain was unbearable.

With absolute hatred towards his Uncle, Hunter slipped out of the door right before it closed and walked up to you. He took off his mask, and whispered your name.

"Y/N, psst" He mumbled. With tears rolling down your cheeks from pain, you turned around. Your happiness distracted you so much that you turned back into yourself.

You basically threw yourself into his arms, and tried -and failed- to hold in your sobs. Hunter was crying too, realizing that his number one fear actually came true. He left you alone, and you were taken because he wasn't there to protect you. He stroked your hair lightly, and held you close. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Y/N. I'm so sorry.." He whispered in your ear.

"Hey, let's talk about this in your room." Your voice quivered slightly, but you took his hand. With your other hand, you healed your deep cut, and he led you to his room, holding hands the entire way.