Chapter Text
Gepard Landau was loyal to a fault.
At least, that's what Serval said.
His oath to Belobog and, by extension, the Supreme Guardian, was the center of being a part of the Silvermane Guards. This was a fact drilled into him by years of diligence, and one he embraced wholeheartedly, even when his own sister was removed from the Silvermane Guards ranks.
Yet, everyone will eventually question what they once accepted as fact. That day was today, for Captain Gepard Landau.
Something was ominous about the order set on his desk, detailing the arrest of the otherworlders that had arrived the day prior. They had not struck Gepard as people with ill intent, far from it. They had seemed willing, even used to dealing with these sorts of situations.
This arrest warrant doesn't add up with the evidence.
It was an ill-welcomed feeling, the doubt and uncertainty that came with questioning the Supreme Guardian crawling on his back and shoulders, eating as his conscience but he could not shake it.
He was no intelligence officer nor a detective, even if he did play that role on occassion.It was far from his jurisdiction to even think about questioning a direct order from Madam Cocolia herself.
Someone has to know something.
Grabbing his coat, Gepard left the order to gather dust on his desk as he stepped out into the quiet streets of Belobog.
The cold air hitting his face was welcomed, waking him up to the cold sunrise, quite literally the crack of dawn. Just as the order detailed, Silvermane Guards were already surrounding the Goethe Hotel, posed and ready for the first sign of movement from the supposed otherworlders.
He slipped between each guard at their station, effortlessly weaving through the formation until he reached it's head, immediately holding to a proper salute. If someone had any intel on the situation at hand, he could trust her to have it.
Lady Bronya stood at attention, rifle at the ready in her grasp. She was elegant and cold, a spitting image of her mother, of Belobog as a whole. If there was anyone who might have an inkling as to what the reasoning behind these actions was, Bronya was the first candidate.
"Lady Bronya. Captain Landau, at the ready."
"At ease, Landau." Lady Bronya spared Gepard but a glance, lasered in on the hotel. But it was enough for him to see her lower her guard enough for them to chat. "Report?"
Gepard shook his head, internally grimacing to himself. He hated to take advantage of familiarity, especially of someone he viewed with utmost respect, but questions needed answers.
"None to give." He dropped his arm, glancing between her and the hotel. "I was assigned an hour previously to this arrest."
It wasn't a total lie. He had been assigned to the arrest, but only as a soldier, not as a commander. Lady Bronya had been put as the spearhead for the whole operation, and he was supposed to be at her beck and call for this.
And he would be, if he could get a satisfactory answer.
"Hm. The Supreme Guardian only gave the assignment out at midnight. Strange of you to be assigned so late." She glanced over her shoulder, steel gray meeting ice blue for but a brief moment. "I suppose I did request back up to be on standby, but with your caliber, I would have thought you would have been on the initial assignment."
"You flatter me, Commander." Gepard smiled, twisting his finger to hide the guilt eating at him from the inside. A glance at his watch told him the time to strike was fast approaching, the sun peaking higher over the buildings with ever passing moment.
Now or never.
"Do you feel like… something is off, with this order, Lady Bronya?" Guilt tore at his throat, every instinct screaming at him for questioning a superior, made even worse by Bronya's immediate turn and hard stare. Swallowing down the nerves bundled in his chest, Gepard plowed on, too late to turn back. "If I may be bold, is there any proper reason besides a supposed plot against her, with little evidence given, the Supreme Guardian gave you for this arrest?"
The choice was made, though, and he had to stand his ground now. Meeting Bronyas gaze was the hard part, steeling himself for a potential scolding.
..which never came.
A conflict was on Bronyas expression, a strange sight for Gepard. He had only ever seen Bronya with a schooled look on her face, an exterior of calm and collected, knowledgeable and elegant.
"..you are aware you could be speaking treason, Captain Landau? To defy or question a direct order could be dangerous to your station." Bronya finally spoke, turning back to attention. Gepard sucked in a tight breath, closing his eyes.
Yes, yes he was painfully aware. He could lose everything to this gamble. His position, his status, his family name, his life.
All this, for a gamble on some outsiders who might have some answers to questions unfulfilled.
"..Yes, I am aware, Lady Bronya." The words came out stilted, stiff. He really shouldn't push further, he had a duty to Belobog, to the Supreme Guardian, to protect from danger and threats. In fact, he should be assigned to the frontlines tomorrow. Everything was riding on this.
"... between you and me, Gepard, I have… unease about this myself. But we have a duty to Belobog." Bronya broke their silence, repeating a mantra drilled into the both of them. "If the Supreme Guardian bids it, in the name of the Architects, we must follow."
And on a normal day, with normal circumstances, Gepard would have taken that and followed, willingly continuing with the arrest, if not for the blatant fact that there wasn't a reason, an excuse, not even a show of evidence other than the Supreme Guardians word.
Even Sampo, god forbid, had to have evidence against him to incriminate him. If there was no evidence, then this arrest could be defined as.. an abuse of power.
Gepard glanced up. The clock tower in the distance inched ever closer to the hour, and its ring would initiate the operation into movement. He was constrained on time, and getting to the front line and taking charge of the interrogation would take too long, especially since he left his badge behind.
Most alleys led to a post where cut off was almost guaranteed. Should they run..
I loathe to admit it, but all those chases really did force me to memorize the city better. Gepard glanced around, assessing the area within a quick few moments.
He, unfortunately, had little information on these strangers' capability, but they had to be unfamiliar with Belobogs layout. That alone eliminates most of the more bizarre and convoluted routes they could take, ones Sampo would be likely to follow.
That was one relief about the situation. Gepard grimaced at the thought of Sampo Koski being actively involved with this whole scenario, it would just triple the headache he was already getting into.
Not that he doubted the man likely being behind the scenes. He almost always was involved in things like this. Could never miss the chaos, he guessed.
Now, the newcomers seemed able bodied and were capable of long term combat, using the initial scuffle he had gotten into with them as a basis for ability.. It was likely they could hold their own in both the blizzards and possibly the Fragmentum corruption, plus there were fewer guards stationed at the main entrance to the quarantine.
It was the easiest and most likely route. Perfect, all he would have to do now was get into position and wait for them, hopefully without fighting. Time to get moving.
The ring of the clock tower struck, startling Gepard. Aeons above, had he been thinking for that long?!
At it's behest, the Silvermane Guards flooded the streets, a sergeant pushing open the doors and entering the Hotel with an intent for arrest.
If one was to act, the time was now.
Gepard could barely believe he was going to go through with this, but the ghost of unease that he could not shake hovered over him, encouraging and pushing him to move amongst the chaos of the formation change.
He marched on with intent, soldiers getting out of his way due to respect and assumption that Gepard was a part of this operation, most oblivious to his path leading away from formation.
Gepard Landau was loyal to a fault, and his loyalty lay with Belobog. He would find out for himself whether or not these otherworlders were truly up to something nefarious.
It only took a few minutes for commotion to break out behind him. Bronya's loud cry for a halt rang out through the mostly empty streets, spiking his anxiety just slightly.
..Ok, sure, he completely froze in place, sweating bullets at the idea of being caught, but instead the true targets for her cry rushed past, leaping off the wall for the stairs that wound up to the hotel. He found himself reaching out in surprise at their fearless charge away from an army as they rushed past him.
But at least his guesswork was right about their destination, because they were beelining it into the Fragmentum.
Before he could even comprehend his movement, Gepard rushed forward, a practiced dash usually reserved for only the most notorious of runners. It wasn't long before he met stride with the otherworlders, the pink haired one shrieking a little from his sudden arrival. (March was her name, right?)
"Hey?!! Watch where you run, will you?!" She called out, drawing her bow at such close range that it shocked Gepard.
"Wait, waitwaitwait! I'm not here to-"
"Captain Landau, arrest them!!" Bronyas call from over his shoulder made him look back as he skidded to a stop, turning on his heel and raising his fist.
His arm flared with blue color, powering up at his behest. Energy was pulled from his body, condensing in his palm as he briefly looked up to see Bronya realize exactly what he was intending to do, her outstretched hand making him feel even more guilty then he already did.
"Sorry, Lady Bronya. We need another way." A guilty, apologetic smile was on his face.
"Gepard-!!"
He slammed his fist into the ground, ice erupting out of the ground in intricate, crossing crystals and patterns, sealing off the Fragmentum quarrentines main entrance. He shook out his hand, turning to see what was left of the guards either knocked out or frozen in place from a much bluer, shinier ice.
The ones responsible were all at the ready, March's bow drawn in his direction. He put his hands in the air briefly, before glancing behind him. They didn't have time for pleasantries.
"There's no time to chat, we have to run. The Fragmentums quarantine has three major entrances and it's highly likely they'll follow you in through one of them. The patrols are simple but they have an advantage in numbers." Gepard quickly approached them, rolling his fist. "Ask questions later, we have to go."
The one with black hair nodded, lowering his guard first. "Lead the way, then."
"Are we really going to trust him?" March had dropped her stance, hands on her hips as she glanced at her comrades.
"If Dan Heng trusts him, then I have no reason to go against it." The gray haired male shrugged, bat fading out as his counterpart, (sibling? Gepard didn't know, he and Serval didn't look that similar.) nodded.
"We have little to no choice right now anyway." She spoke, turning on her heel. "Let's get outta here!"
The first few steps into the Fragmentum were always a little dizzying, a grimace on his lips as he pushed into the zone. It only took a few moments before he gathered his bearings though, quickly glancing around the corner.
Only a few monsters. Most were low in power, minimal threats.
"Here. If we follow this trail, there's an alley here that has a passage leading to another area. From there, you can make your way into the frontlines, where the monsters surge. They won't follow us into that kind of danger." Gepard turned back, brow creasing.
Lady Bronya will no doubt have split the army, so they could have as many as three to four factions tracking them as they speak. It won't be too long before they break down his shield, so they couldn't stay in place for long.
"How long will your barrier hold them?" The black haired one, Dan Heng, folded his arms. "It looked fairly durable."
"Give or take 10 minutes. We cannot stay here that long, Lady Bronya is a skilled and learned strategist and likely has already sent multiple divisions to corner us."
"Is she good at chess?"
Him, March, and Dan Heng all turned to the man, Caelus he recalled, March facepalming.
"What does that have to do with anything…?" She sighed.
He shrugged.
"Just curious."
"He's got a point though."
"Not you too, Stelle.."
Gepard just stuttered a little over his worlds, mildly dumbfounded. These people, overthrow the Architects?? The Supreme Guardian????
There wasn't time to ponder on the subject for long though, Gepard shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
"That's not important. What is important is we need to get out of this area as quickly as possible and find a standing building we can base in, one harder to get to on foot. Lets head deeper into the shopping district, most places will not be locked, the evacuation was hurried." He almost stumbled over his words, pulling on his hand guards in anticipation for a fight. "Avoid locked gates, and try to avoid getting into a scrap but if we do, take it out quickly."
Almost collectively they all nodded, Stelle muttering an 'aye aye, capn' under her breath that Gepard barely caught. March turned away, trying to hide laughter in her fist as everyone readied their weapons.
Rolling his wrist again, Gepard peered around the corner to check once again for Silvermane Guards, and upon seeing the coast was clear, began their movement through the streets.
It was eerie, the permeating silence looming over the quiet group as they carefully navigated through abandoned storefronts and toppled tables, chairs, and other various items. At some point, they had to drag Caelus and Stelle away from corners, both of them insistent on thorough search of trash cans and treasure chests alike.
Gepard just kept quiet, silently questioning if this group really had any answers he could understand. Even Koski wasn't this rambunctious, at least not when he was cornered, though he did have the energy to match with them.
Granted, he, well, rarely saw Sampo relaxed or in any other state besides smug bastard or slimy businessman, both generally leading into a chase, which ended in either Sampo getting away and holding it over his head, or Sampos prompt arrest then jailbreak not even a few hours later.
"Hey, blondie, you good?" He quickly got snapped out of his head, startling him enough to snap his head up from where their ragtag band were scouting, swearing under his breath before turning to the questioner, March glancing him up and down briefly and placing her hands on her hips.
Red rose to his cheeks, the color dusting along to his ears. He hadnt meant to daydream, not while there was an imminent threat. Clearing his throat, he forced the embarrassment out of the way before speaking
"Yes, sorry. Anything of note?"
"No luck. All the doors and windows were locked." She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "If we want in, we have to break a window."
"Which is too risky." Dan Heng approached as well, Caelus and Stelle seemingly bickering quietly over whatever item they found stowed away wherever they found it. "The sound would be a dead give away to our location."
"And the shards would likely be too much of a hazard anyway, and we have no medical supplies on hand." Gepard grimaced, the situation was far from pleasant. "We'll have to try another area then. The Silvermane base of operations is close by though, it's a miracle we havent been caught out yet."
"If we take the route on our left, we'll end up at a checkpoint. But if we go right, we'll enter a patrol zone. While it's likely all troops have been rallied to chase us down, there is a high chance some have been left to the regular patrols to cover ground they couldn't thoroughly check." He pulled out a map from his pocket, a crude handmade drawing with the patrol labeled in neat handwriting. "You choose, with our chances either route has it's ups and downs."
"You're letting us choose?" Stelle peered over Marchs shoulder, curiously looking at the crude drawing. "What even is this?"
"Looks like a code.." Caelus tilted his head to the side, Gepards face flaring red in embarrassment as Dan Heng took the item.
"It,, it's a map I made to remember patrol routes before the Fragmentum. it's a little old.." He refused to face the otherworlders now, ears burning with the cascade of shame and embarrassment. Qlipoth above, is this punishment for turning his back on the Supreme Guardian?!
"Oh! You made this?? It looks pretty good for a beginner!" March giggled to herself, putting her hands on her hips. "You should see some of the first pictures I took, the quality was awful, seriously-"
A hand was pulled over Marchs mouth, the entire group startling at the motion before Stelle put a finger to her lips, having been the one to stop Marchs ramble. She pointed out of the alley with her free hand, and sure enough, footsteps were approaching.
That's Silvermane armor, surely. The sound echoed through the abandoned streets, with each step resonating in the quiet but persistent wind. They had moments to act and Gepard knew it, rolling his fist in preparation for combat. No time to be embarrassed now.
"Hey, check this alleyway too!! It's a complete sweep today, so no slacking!!" The footsteps were getting louder, Gepard guessed there were at least four in the current squad, meaning they had advantage in numbers.
He held up four fingers, meeting eyes with Dan Heng. He nodded in response, before backing up slightly and crouching, spear in hand. Caelus, Stelle, and March took that as initiative, each of them getting into position for an ambush.
March drew her bow, before looking to Gepard. She cocked her head to the corner, glancing between Gepard and the entrance of the alley.
She's waiting for a signal. Realization hit him, quickly turning his focus back to the entrance to the alley. The men were chatting and approaching without caution, something that irked Gepard mildly.
They're supposed to be chasing escapees of arrest. You should not be loud or give away your position!! If Gepard was ever reinstated after this, he was making sure they did a review of regulations and guidelines, because this was ridiculous.
For now, it just meant they had advantage. Pressing himself against the wall, he listened carefully and counted steps, taking a deep breath.
"Hey, have we checked this one yet?"
He motioned his hand forward.
The guards stepped into sight right as the arrow buried itself in the ground, snapping them to attention just a moment too late. The arrow exploded with ice, catching most of them in a block up to their shins. Immediately, the two twins, siblings, counterparts, whatever they were, sprung into action, leaping from the alley's entrance and clocking two of them across the head.
They were sent sprawling, the ice shattering around their feet from the sheer impact of the blow. The remaining soldiers fell to their ass from the sudden release, staggered and thrown off.
Stelle took the third one out quickly, Caelus going for the fourth before Dan Heng called out for him to halt.
"Wait, let's see if they can give us information."
"Information?? On what?" March followed him out of the alley, Gepard quickly chasing after them.
"On patrol route changes and the strategy." Gepard was the one to answer instead of Dan Heng, stepping around the duo. "That, and confirmation on whether or not this is an elaborate plot."
"Plot?" Stelle cautiously spun her bat, eyes narrow. "For what?"
"For our arrest." Dan Heng folded his arms, eyes narrow at Gepard. He shuddered a little under the sheer intensity of the gaze, but knelt in front of the dazed soldier anyway.
They snapped up, eyes wide as Gepards face came into view. The soldier seemed tense, their grip on their weapon tightening before they sprung up, lunging for Gepards throat.
Shit. It was only sheer practice and reflex that saved him from minor injury, Gepard swiftly ducking under the frantic blow before snagging their wrist and pulling their arm behind their back, forcing them to lean over the ground on their knees.
That's certainly one way to confirm he was now wanted as well, at least.
"Calm down, private. I don't want to harm you." He really hated doing this, but it was a necessary evil. Taking in a deep breath, Gepard forced himself to plow on. This was for the betterment of Belobog. It had to be.
"Captain Landau, what are you doing?! These are criminals!!" The private yelled out, squirming and shaking for all their worth, but it was futile to Gepards strength, being leagues ahead in training. "This is treason against the oath! Against the Architects! Against the Supreme Guardian!"
Gepards mouth thinned, pulled taunt.
"Private, are you aware how many people die on the frontlines everyday?" His voice dropped, almost cracking as the soldier almost immediately stopped squirming. "I've seen hundreds die. Maybe over a thousand. There has been no solution given to us by either the Architects, or the Supreme Guardian."
"So you trust some strangers?! They're no different from Koski!" They cried out again, squirms resuming in an attempt to throw him off.
"We have no choice but to try every option. If Madam Cocolia won't give them a chance, I will. Lives cannot continue to be lost. Now please, what is Lady Bronyas plan? Has she made any changes to patrols?" All the emotions, the guilt that has been building up inside Gepard from years of watching the frontline beginning to trickle out. But he refused to waver.
He would not falter.
The soldier refused to give up anything, though, calling Gepard a traitor through their teeth before he knocked them out. There was no useful information to be had there.
Gathering up their body in his arms, Gepard carried the soldier over to the alley they had been hiding in earlier, shrugging off his outer coat and placing it over them. Catching on, Stelle, Caelus, and Dan Heng picked up the remaining three and situated them carefully under the coat so they wouldn't freeze and were kept out of sight of any fragmentum monsters that might pass.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he dislodged his Silvermane Guard badge and set it down on top of the coat. He wouldn't be needing it for a while.
"Will you be alright without that?" Dan Heng turned to Gepard, who was crouched besides the soldiers, rifling through their pockets for potential physical orders.
"As long as I stay dry, the compression thermal will keep me warm enough." Finding nothing of note, he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Let's move on."
"Hey, why are you even helping us out? Why give us a chance when your boss wouldn't dare?" Caelus came around Dan Heng, brow raised as he stared down the taller man. "Not that we will give you up, or let you down, but this is your home. Why trust strangers?"
Ignoring Stelles sudden coughing fit, which kind of sounded like laughter, Gepard glanced down at the soldiers again, sighing. Honestly, he hadn't thought this through. He was winging it as they went, hoping all the practice of thinking on the fly he'd had from chasing a certain conman around would come to fruition here.
"....something hasn't seemed right. Since you all arrived, since the undergrounds sealing for it's protection, and maybe even before that, there has been something missing in Belobog. The Fragmentum gets closer every day to consuming the city, and we're running out of options rapidly. I need to figure out what's going on."
He looked up, meeting their gaze. Years of determination, pain, grief and work had hardened Gepards will, born from a world of ice.
"You four are the closest me or my sister have ever gotten to a potential real solution. Is my trust in you misplaced?"
They all glanced in between each other, Stelle having recovered from whatever ailed her. It was quiet for those brief, tense moments before Dan Heng turned back to him.
"Have you heard of anything related to the word Stelleron?"
-
"So Serval's research really was onto something.. she never shared details with me, as it was confidential research."
The walk was set at a brisk pace, the discussion hushed between the group. Gepard had just been flooded with information, sorting through it mentally at his own pace as they paused to check a corner.
"Would she know anything more?" Once they were sure they were in the clear, Dan Heng continued the conversation, keeping stride with Gepard at the front. Stelle and Caelus watched the flanks, with March taking up the rear, watching their back.
"More than me. It was her field before she was.. removed from service."
"Sorry for your loss."
"...She's not dead."
"...ah."
"But it would be likely she knows something. Unfortunately for us though.." Gepard groaned to himself, adjusting his gauntlet for the upteenth time, "Going back to the city any time soon would be an extreme risk, and text messages are too easily tapped."
They halted movement, reaching a plaza. It had been eerily quiet up until now, and it left a bad taste on Gepards tongue.
"This has been too easy.." March echoed his thoughts, all of them glancing around the plaza.
"It's been far to empty. Someone cleared out all the monsters, and left nothing behind." Stelle pulled up her bat again, arm held in front of March as she glanced around.
"Your assessment is correct."
A sudden shot rang out, echoing through the twisted streets of the Fragmentum. Gepard barely had enough time to throw himself in front of the trailblazers, ice coating his arm to tank the bullet headed for Caelus' chest.
"Lady Bronya." The ice dissipated, Gepard straightening up and rolling his wrist, gauntlet flaring up with energy. They aren't getting out of this one without a fight.
"Landau. Hand over the criminals." Bronya stepped out of the shadows, several guards on her flanks following just a few steps behind. "This charade is over."
"Charade, Lady Bronya? With all due respect, I believe my stance was clear when I left my badge behind." He lowered his stance, centering his gravity enough to be able to dodge if fired at. "The city is in peril, Lady Bronya, and my men are exhausted. We need an answer to the onslaught or we're going to lose hundreds more."
"Madam Cocolia is orchestrating a plan, and-"
"She has been 'orchestrating a plan' for years now, Bronya! I cannot sit silently by and let more of my companions die meaninglessly!" He spat back at her, venom rising in his throat. Frustrations and guilt that had been building up for years came tumbling out as Gepard grit his teeth.
"I have sworn to protect this city, and if protecting it's people means betraying the Supreme Guardian, then so be it."
Behind him, he heard a bow string being pulled taunt, the rustle of the ragtag team he would now stand behind readying for battle, waiting, watching for who would make the first strike.
As it turns out, though, the answer was neither of them.
An all too familiar voice cut through the tension before either side could leap, accompanied by a dull clunk.
"I've only got one thing to say, yknow?"
Gepard only got a brief glance at the objects that came rolling to a stop in between the two sides, but it was enough for him to know exactly what it was.
"DUCK-!" The cry tore from his throat in desperation, throwing up his shield futilely before the bombs burst with a loud sound, sickly sweet smoke quickly filling the area. His head began to get light, the familiar song and dance to Gepard.
The guards fled the scene, cowering out of the smoke and leaving them all behind as a figure stepped through the smoke, seemingly immune to the strange, thick air.
Sampo Koski lazily treaded into view, all eyes on him as he ran his fingers through his bangs, a lazy smirk on that ever infuriating face, seemingly ignorant to the hacking and coughing surrounding him.
"Sampo Koski never lets harm come to those who've helped him!" He let out a small chuckle as most of the group buckled, collapsing to the ground. "I say what I mean, and I mean what I say."
The rest of the trailblazers, even Bronya, succumbed to the smoke, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds. Gepard was the last one standing, even if just barely. He had been victim to these infuriating smoke bombs one to many times, the slight resistance built showing in him as he futilely reached towards the con-man.
"Koski-!" He buckled, finally falling to his knees, breath heavy and hacking coughs ripped from his throat, breaking up his speech. "I knew you- you were involved-!"
"Have to say, Captain, I'm impressed you lasted this long!!" In the blurry haze of his swimming vision, he barely saw Sampo kneeling in front of him, arm resting on his knee. "But it's time to sleep, kay? Can't have you knowing every single one of my escape routes now!"
The words began to fade out, black clouds swimming and swirling in Gepards vision before his mind finally faded to white noise, falling forward as his consciousness finally escaped his grasp.
-
When Sampo Koski had gone out for business today, his to-do list didn't exactly involve catching a Silvermane that had been the head of his capture for years in his arms!
But here he was, surrounded by unconscious friends and foes alike, Gepard Landau's limp body half on his lap. And while he was far from against that, this wasn't the circumstance he would prefer.
What an amusing predicament, the folks must be getting a kick outta this! Sampo snorted, gently pushing the blonde off his lap and dusting off his hands.
He had some cargo to transport after all, and little time to do so! Time to get movin~.
A few hours later, he was sitting cross legged in Natasha's clinic, lazy smirk dancing on his lips as the oh-so-kind doctor checked their vitals, sighing to herself as she finished.
"They'll be out for a few more hours, except for the blond man. He seems pretty resilient to your mixture, so he'll likely be up and moving sooner." Natasha slipped off her gloves and lowered her mask, letting out a huff of air before rounding on the con man, grabbing the collar of his shirt. "Now what were you thinking, Koski?! Wildfire is stretched thin as it is, and you go and bring not one, but two Silvermane officials underground!?"
Sampo only let out a laugh, lazily lifting his hands in the air in a motion to surrender.
"Now, now, my dear doctor! Good 'ole Sampo Koski knows exactly what he's doin, relaaaax!" He grinned, leaning back as Natasha let go of him, "I know the blondie intimately well, he wouldn't hurt a fly!"
She raised a brow, clearly not believing a word he said, but she relented anyway. Folding her arms, Natasha let out a forced sigh, squeezing her eyes shut.
"..you're very lucky our routes to the overworld are so limited."
"Believe me, doctor, nobody knows that better than lil ole me!" Sampo let out a laugh, lounging back in the chair again. He had a few hours to kill until his next, well, meeting, so he might as well relax, yknow!! The good doctor would never kick a poor soul from her clinic-
"If you have time to spare, however, there are some errands in Rivet Town I need someone to run."
-aaand it looks like it's time for him to leave!
Sampo chuckled, standing up and clasping his palms together.
"If that'll be all, my good doctor, I think I'll take my leave now- got quite a bit of perfectly legal business to take care of, afterall-! ..hey, what is that look for, you wound me, Natasha!"
"Don't get in too much trouble, Koski, Wildfire wont always be able to bail you out." Natasha almost fondly tugged on Sampos ear, the business man letting out a short yell at the sudden violence on his poor, poor face. "I'll let you know when the first one wakes up."
"Now, there's no need for that, dear Doctor Natasha! Favors owed, favors paid, after all!" Reeling from her tight grip, Sampo massaged his palm over his now red ear. She had a grip on her, must be from wrestling all the kids at the orphanage! "If they ask for me, just tell em their old friend will be out and about, they need only-"
A groan cut him off, a quiet sound that Natasha instantly caught onto. She snapped to attention, rushing to the patient's bedside, Sampo almost instinctively following behind to satiate his curiosity on who woke up first.
Sure enough, face slightly flushed and eyes dazed, Gepard Landau began to rouse, blinking blearily up at the doctor.
"..Ser..val..?" Sampo almost let the surprise show on his face as Gepard spoke, voice rough from sleep and smoke. Hearing him say his own sister's name was almost just as surprising, but glancing between the doctor and Gepard, who looked pretty similar to his sister, Sampo could almost see the resemblance if it wasn't for Natashas differently coloured eyes and hair.
"Unfortunately no, just a doctor. You're in a Wildfire clinic, sir, can you please confirm your name?" Natasha was ever gentle, placing a hand on Gepards forehead for a brief moment. Likely checking temperature, or, something.
".Ca-..Gepard. Gepard Landau.." With sluggish movements, Gepard managed to prop himself up on his elbow, pushing himself fully to sit. "Where.. am I, again?"
"Well, dear old captain," Sampo leaned against a nearby cabinet, ignoring the glare Natasha sent his way as he cut her off, "Your underground, courtesy of yours truly~"
"Ignore him. Gepard, right? The second child of the Landau family?" Natasha pulled out her notepad, jotting down a few notes. Sampo was mildly surprised she knew that, until he reminded himself that she was adopted by an overworld family. "How are you feeling? Tell me honestly, if the drug had any negative or uncomfortable side effects, we need to neutralize them quickly."
Clarity was back in Gepards eyes, the man rubbing sleep out of them momentarily before taking a deep breath.
"..Nothing seems abnormal, nor do I feel an injury." He spoke cautiously, glancing between Natasha, who he seemed fine with, and Sampo, jade meeting ice blue with a clash of distrust, confusion, and probably some anger in the mix. "The.. Underground?"
"Sampo brought you and four others to the underground after using an… unsavory means. Your companions are all still out cold, and likely will be for a few hours." Natasha finally set the pad aside. "You are a Silvermane Guard, are you not? Sampo informed me you've attained rank of Captain."
To that, they were met with silence. Sampo couldn't hide the surprise this time when Gepard shook his head, a noise escaping his throat. His good ole friend, the trustworthy, upright, stick up his ass, white knight, the Gepard Landau, wasn't a captain anymore?!
"Bullshit, theres no way the Shield of Belobog got removed from the ranks! Your the only one who made the chases fun!" Sampo let out a whine, almost, covering up the disbelief under a guise of teasing amusement.
To his credit, Gepard sent a scathingly cold glare his direction before turning back to Natasha.
"I.. broke oath fairly recently. Ive likely been stripped of any sort of title." Gepard went to roll his wrist, a somewhat cute nervous habit Sampo had noticed, before he seemed to realize something, frantically looking around. "Wait, wheres- Koski, did you take my arm?!"
"Woah, hey!! Don't go blaming me immediately, I only pilfered a few coins from your pockets!" He threw up his hands again, mocking surrender only this time, it felt like he might actually have to surrender under the sheer weight of that glare.
"Don't worry, Mr Landau, I had to take it off to properly check your blood flow. And Sampo knows better than to steal from me." Aeons, what was with people and their harsh glares today!? Sampo Koski is wilting from all this unfair hate!
Natasha reached under the cot Gepard was in, pulling out the gauntlet that always adorned Gepards arm. Sampo had to admit, it was strange to see the captain- er, ex-captain?, not wearing it. Almost as weird as finding out that gauntlet was a prosthetic and getting spooked by Natasha taking it off.
He definitely didn't get scared when he saw Gepards arm on the floor.
Gepard let out a sigh, gently taking it from the doctor and looking over it. Once satisfied with it's condition, he clicked it back on, the edge clicking and sealing to his skin. Natasha and Sampo watched on in interest as the device whirred for a moment, the blue geomarrow flaring the moment it settled in place of Gepards arm.
"What a fascinating device." Natasha reached over, running her fingers along the stone once Gepard nodded, letting her inspect it. "What is it, exactly?"
"Originally an award, and a replacement for my arm. It was.. a harrowing battle." A shadow passed over his face momentarily before he focused back on the moment. He flexed his wrist and fingers, energy seemingly collecting and condensing in his palm. A small, crystal-like ball of ice sat in the palm of his hand when he uncurled his fist. "I'm unsure of how exactly it works, but it supposedly converts my body temperature and energy into ice and fuel for it's functionality. My sister is a mechanic, she once explained the whole thing to me.. but it was mostly jargon."
"And it isn't harmful to you?" The notepad was back, Natasha quickly scratching down notes onto the old, rough paper. "No side effects?"
"A few. None that training couldn't solve. Stamina was a major issue when I first received it. The ice made also isn't safe for consumption, since it's directly made with geomarrow as it's converter."
Yknow, the lore drop really was interesting, but Sampo had already stuck around for longer than intended, and really, now that he's certain his good friends and customers would be alright, he should really leave-
"Koski, two steps towards that door and I will not hesitate to get Seele on your case. You've gotten yourself involved now."
-leave the matters to his business partners, they can handle themselves!
Sampo let out a nervous laugh as he got caught, kicking the ground a little. Natasha hadn't even looked up, still scribbling down notes from where she sat.
Gepard, though, was all eyes on him.
Now, Sampo Koski had seen some expressions in his time. Drunkards, flirts, desperation, anger, pity, sadness, frustration, joy, relief, you name it!
But there was something deep in Gepards gaze that rattled Sampo, swirling with the confusion and conflict, something he couldn't quite put a finger on.
Almost as if Gepard realized he unnerved Sampo, the man had the audacity to smirk at him.
"So there are people in this world who can strike fear into you, Koski."
"Wha- huh?!" Where'd the sudden blow to his ego come from?! "Who are you, and what have you done with the cap'n!? He would never-"
He was cut off by Gepard laughing, a sound he had never heard before.
The captain- ..fuck it thats what he would always be to Sampo, let out a full body laugh, the sound devolving into a light cough, sending small shocks through Sampos skin as the sound rang in his ear, barely managing to push it out. Soon enough afterwards, Gepard swung his feet over the edge of the cot, standing up a little shakily, reached into his pockets and pulled out some credit's.
"Here, Doctor…"
"Natasha, just call me Natasha. And please, there's no need for payment."
"I insist. I'll pay for everyone else as well, it's the least I can do to pay you back for devoting your time to us. Surely, you have other patients." Gepard placed the credit's firming in her hand, pushing it towards her. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"You've just woken up and barely arrived in the Underground, I can hardly assign you to any chores." Sampo watched as Natasha placed the credit's back in her pocket. She hesitated for a moment, before glancing over to Sampo.
He froze the moment she looked at him, nervous smile kicking in as he tried to sidestep out of the room.
Natasha shook her head, sighing. "Get out of here, Koski, but stay out of trouble, if that's possible."
She needn't say more before Sampo practically disappeared, the doors swing being the only sign he had even been in the room prior.