Here Comes The Son (Ghost Band / Papa Emeritus fic)

You Will Never Ever Walk Alone

Following the guards downstairs, Copia would have been the first to admit that he was dreading this particular encounter. Lydia had been difficult enough, but Matthias? Well this would be merely a continuation of an earlier unpleasant conversation and he did not relish it in the slightest.

As the door to the cell opened, it looked to Copia that Matthias was very possibly in an even worse condition than he had been previously. It seemed something to open with.

"You look rough, Matthias," He stared down, trying not to show any of his more unhelpful feelings.
"You look disturbingly alive, Copia."

Copia laughed, shaking his head in surprise, somehow finding the attempt at a threatening statement amusing.

"That will be because I am. Belial did his best, but in the end it wasn't good enough."
"How does someone like you beat a Prince of Hell?" Matthias yelled back, his tone spiteful and condescending.

Something snapped in Copia, a reaction to a demeaning comment that he was not going to simply accept anymore. Swiping a gloved fist across Matthias's face, Copia reopened his split lip, spilling blood into his mouth. The former cardinal spat the blood out to the side and stared up, furious but with a look of curiosity.

"Backbone, eh? Where did that come from?"

Straightening his gloves and checking for any remnants of blood on the soft leather, Copia ignored the taunt.

"Still keeping your gloves pristine like a good boy, Copia?" Matthias sneered.

Copia whirled back around to him, his robes flowing gracefully as he spun, while in stark contrast his fist ploughed violently into Matthias's jaw with enough force to cause either a popping or cracking noise. He was neither certain nor cared which.

"Apparently not," he replied evenly as Matthias recovered slowly from the harsh, juddering blow.

Moving his jaw proved painful and he wasn't sure if it was dislocated, broken or merely badly bruised on top of his other bruises, but unexpectedly it raised a pained laugh from the former cardinal.

"So what now, Copes?" He laughed, believing he knew what response it would provoke.

Far from growing upset at the use of his familiar name, Copia turned to Mountain.

"Would you like to?" He asked.
"What? Your hand hurting now is it? Getting a ghoul to do your dirty work?" Matthias mocked.
"On the contrary, this is Mountain," Copia turned a bitter scowl towards Matthias. "This is my dear ghoul, whom you tried to kill."
"Who are you trying to kid, Copia," Matthias scoffed. "I shot him straight through the heart! You know my aim is perfect."
"Your aim might be perfect, Matthias, but your knowledge of ghoul anatomy is severely lacking. A ghoul's heart is on the right, not the left. You failed because of your own ignorance. But, now my dear Mountain would like to pay you back with a few hits of his own."
"What? He'll kill me!" Matthias's eyes widened and he tried to pull away as Mountain approached, but the chains wouldn't allow it. "Copia, please! At least give me a chance to defend myself! I'm chained up here!" He cried in panic.
"What chance?" Copia yelled bitterly. "The chance you gave him? Or the one you gave me?"

Copia watched with satisfaction as Mountain landed three solid punches. If Matthias's jaw wasn't already broken it certainly was now, as were his nose, more of his ribs and it now appeared that there was likely some internal bleeding too. Stepping back, Mountain looked to Copia to check he hadn't gone too far, but Copia was already checking that he had satisfaction from his efforts.

"Thank you, Papa," Mountain nodded, grateful for the opportunity and the comforting and reassuring pat on the back that Copia offered.

Copia noticed a change in the room that he couldn't place for a moment, but an unexpected lilac light drew his attention followed by a voice he knew well.