Chapter Text
Superheroes exist, and each major city of Teyvat has its main chosen heroes called Archons.
Schneznaya has Barnabas.
Natlan has Aym.
Fontaine has Focalors and the Hydra.
Sumeru has Buer.
Inazuma has Baal and Beelzebub.
Then comes the last two cities in Teyvat.
Liyue and Mondstadt.
Liyue’s current Archon is Morax, easily the most intimidating of the heroes of the current era. Mostly known for wiping out gangs and the gallery of villains that plague his city in a matter of days.
He is also the only known Archon that has no confirmed powers.
That is not to say that people do not have their theories.
Some believe that he and his sidekicks have been blessed by the gods of the olden days, and have the power of the dragon Rex Lapis. Others believe that he was a mutant under the mask, half-dragon half-human, explaining his inhuman demeanor.
But some crazy few believe he is an ex-soldier funded by the millionaires, the Dìjūn family. The elite of the elite of Liyuean society.
When asked, Zhongli Dìjūn, the “Prince of Liyue” in all but name, had rolled his eyes at the accusation. Muttering how Morax “knew what he did” and he was “offended at the thought of the Dìjūn family supporting a supposed hero cosplaying a dragon furry” before promptly toppling two Schneznayan diplomats into a fountain of wine.
The press had a field day with that one.
In contrast to Liyue, Mondstadt never had an "official" Archon. The City of Freedom never felt the need to. And with the past actions of Decarabian, that past “hero” of Mondstadt, most could not blame them.
He absolutely abused the power of “hero”, demanding the government to give into his whims or else face the wrath of his winds. Changing their usual breezy winds to something cold and unforgiving.
You can imagine how the City of Freedom took the blatant blackmailing.
Other Archons tried to intervene but the winds of Decarabian pushed them out before they even had the chance, or were too busy to fight him.
So the night when Decarabian fell on national TV the whole of Teyvat stood still.
Decarabian lied in his dragon form on the floor in front of the Mondstadt Capital Building, his body clearly not moving despite the smoky debris filling the air and the sirens ringing in the background. There was a single arrow that pierced his heart.
On the TV, the news host, Kaeya, clears his throat. The shock was still evident on his face, barely able to keep it professional.
“Amber? What’s your status?”
The news reporter hesitantly stepped forward in front of a shaky camera. Her steps were unsteady and so were her breaths. She takes two deep breaths before staring straight at the camera.
“Incoming News: Decarabian has fallen. A single arrow has seemingly pierced his heart. His death is not confirmed, but . . . I can confirm his chest, Kayea. It’s not moving.”
The news anchor jaw slackens.
“H-how?”
She glares slightly towards the camera, ”The how is obvious Kaeya. A more accurate question is who?”
Light laughter tinkered in the air.
“I think I can answer that question.”
Amber’s eyes widened and she whips her head around to the capital building.
Dandelion seeds float around the air. A gentle breeze tickles her air and blows away the dust on the floor to make the image of Decarabian all the more clear. She gasps and points up.
“Bennett, point up. Get the camera on that. Now!”
The camera-man scrambles to point the camera up towards the very top of the Capital Building and zooms in on the glowing silhouette.
Around the silhouette glows teal. Giant white wings extend from the small body and sails forward to the ground. As it does so, the fallen dragon’s body turns into feathers and dusts away into the wind. The air from the west blows in, bringing warm summer breezes that haven’t been felt in the last five years.
“Glad we got rid of that downer, right Mondstadt?”
Amber and Bennett stare, stunned. The whole city stops.
The only way to describe the man is ethereal and godly.
He must have been barely taller than Amber, but his wings let him practically float in the air above her. White cloth wraps around his body in a way that is not exactly conservative, yet not all the way liberal as well. His wings were white as well, but had golden accents that shine only brighter in the daylight, making him stand out even more.
It was very clear that he was the archer that took Decarabian down. If it weren’t for the bow lying on his left side, it would be because of his gloves that were in the style for archers specifically. Even his hands were weather and calloused, showing clear experience with a bow.
His hair was concealed in a hood, but two twin braids did fall out, showing how his raven hair faded into teal. A blindfold covers his eyes, yet a smirk was clearly evident on his face in spite of it.
Kaeya coughs and presses into his earpiece, “Amber. Say something.”
She blinked furiously but it was evident that there was still a dazed look in her eyes, “Are you the being that shot down the . . . ‘hero’ Decarabian?”
He laughs again and it reminded Bennett of wind chimes, “Well, I wouldn’t call him a hero Ms. Amber. He barely counts as a hero, I would much rather call him a Villain. He tried to threaten the Acting Grand Chief of Mond by capturing her sister. That is not hero-like behavior, no?”
She nods along, “A point there. So is he . . . y’know?”
“Dead?”
She flushes but nods nonetheless.
“Yes, he’s dead.”
The city exhaled a breath they did not even know they were holding.
Bennett's jaw drops and whispers, “Holy shit.”
Kaeya belatedly adds while on air, "Language" but it is barely comprehended by most of the city.
It's almost too much. Decarabian has been slowly tormenting his citizens over the years with his demands. And they were used to his abuse but that doesn’t mean they have stopped fighting. The hope, the fire, had dwindled though. So much so that they were not sure if they could get rid of him if they really tried.
Some were filled with relief. Others are still in disbelief. A few, like Amber, are not too keen on letting their guard down so quickly.
“Why?” She spits, “Why now? Why do you only save us from his abuse now? What do you have to gain from this? Sure, you got rid of the old ‘hero’, what’s stopping you from being the one and the same?! What is your angle?”
“Truly, I do not want anything. I cannot explain everything, but believe me when I say that I have no ill intent towards Mondstadt and wished I could have intervened sooner. I have nothing to gain from this except easing the pain and burden on my friends and family. I was born here. I know what freedom means.” The man’s feet touch the floor and he stalks forwards towards the camera, “I only wish to help pave that future for Mond.”
The genuineness and gentleness of his words almost made her flinch from whiplash. It was so different compared to the old ‘hero’. It couldn’t be true. Could it?
“So what does that mean for Mond? What does that mean for you? Are you trying to imply that you want to be Mondstadt’s new hero or something?”
“Oh Celestia no.” He retorts, his voice teetering with amusement, “I don’t necessarily want to be Mondstadt’s hero, but if there is a threat that the Favonius police force can’t handle, I think I have shown how capable I am to large threats. Mondstadt has always been about freedom, no? I don’t see the point of that changing in the Era of Heroes.”
Kaeya narrows his eyes quickly getting what the man was implying. Mondstadt had the right to handle threats on their own. The police can deal with crimes, the government can govern, and the people can live without the hero. If Mondstadt wanted to have him as hero, he wouldn’t decline but it was not as if he was gunning for the role.
If anything the new hero seemed put off by the idea, which tells for itself how he was probably Mondstadt born and raised.
Amber relaxes a little-
“But I do want something in return though.”
-And she stiffens up all over again.
“Listen here buddy-”
The hero snaps towards the camera. With a flick of his finger, the camera floated away from Bennett’s hold and slid closer to the blindfolded man.
“How about Mr. Ragnvindr gives me one Dandelion Wine and we call it even? You mind calling him for me, Mr. Alberich?”
Kaeya almost coughs on his spit at the addressment. If the callout wasn’t enough to catch him off guard, the connection of him to Diluc made him reel.
However, upon realizing that the hero probably could not see or hear him in the studio, Kaeya rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath, “And who shall I tell Mr. Ragnvindr to send this to? The sky?”
The other man laughs, “I can’t give out names, but you all can call me, Barbatos. And tell Mr. Ragnvindr to leave the wine at the bell-tower in the Favonius Church. I think that’s close enough to ‘the sky’, right!?”
And for what it’s worth, News Anchor Kaeya Alberich was able to keep a strained smile. The moment he got home however, he was freaking out in front of his brother.
Something ice cold hit the back of Zhongli’s neck.
He snaps his chair around, only to find Ningguang shaking a cold cup of cold water in front of him.
“Drink. You are going to get a headache from staring at a screen too long.”
He gives an unimpressed look, but takes the drink regardless.
It was a nice thirty seconds of silence before Ningguang sighs, leaning back against the wall, rubbing her temples.
“I told you to look over the murder case. Not stare at Mondstadt's new beau.”
“I finished the case.” He says simply, narrowing his eyes at the footage that replayed in a loop. It was the first sighting of Mondstadt’s newly crowned Archon, a year before he was labeled as the city’s favored hero. “So I decided to optimize my time.”
"You are obsessed." She says simply, "That's not a good thing Zhongli."
He clicks his teeth, “Do you not have a wife to go back to?”
“She won’t be mad. Especially if the reason is because Kazuha wanted to stay later playing video games and not because you are obsessing over the identity of Mondstadt’s newly crowned Archon.” Ningguang lets her mask fall some, “She has been worried about his adjustment.”
Zhongli fully turns away from the computer, letting his full attention fall on his friend.
“How has he been adjusting?”
“Fine, as all things go. He can’t watch any news stories about Archon Baal and Beelzebub anymore though, which is basically all of Inazuman news. But besides that, he is doing alright.”
He notices the subtle crease in her eyebrows, as she rolls one of his pens back then forth.
“He is smiling more. And that’s all one can hope for as a parent, right?”
Zhongli bites his lips, “Does he blame them?”
He knew Makato and Ei. Albeit superficially as Archons, but even then he knew that they were good people.
She sighs, “Celestia no. You know he’s far too kind-hearted for that. It was an accident, everyone knows that. Even so he is just . . . triggered, yes triggered would be the right word for it, when he sees them.”
Zhongli gives her a sympathetic look.
She hardens. She never been one for pity.
“Beidou is worried. I am too. That is what I am trying to say.”
He gives a pensive look.
“Should we bring him to hang out with Xiao more often?”
“Zhongli, take this as respectively as possible, but I want advice on how to let my son grieve his best friend properly. Not replace his old friend with another.”
He shuts his mouth, “You are right. I apologize.”
Curse his mouth sometimes.
She sighs, “It’s fine. I just want to know how you did it.”
“Huh?”
“Xiao. He is doing much better from when you first adopted him. I know this is not something you can fix, but still. I want to know if there is anything I can do.”
He closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, “Though unconventional, I noticed that Xiao got better at controlling emotions when he's patrolling-”
“Are you seriously recommending that I let my son fight criminals at night?”
He shuts his mouth. Ningguang glares at him with tight red eyes.
“Although I believe meditation and journaling works as well.” He coughs politely, “Release of emotions does not have to be physical.”
She hums thoughtfully, her guard loosening for a moment, “I’ll keep that in mind, Zhongli.”
He nods solemnly before turning back around to his monitor, switching to a different clip with Barbados dodging meteors in the sky with relative ease.
“It’s no surprise that Mondstadt claimed him as their Archon.” Ningguang notes, pulling up a chair right besides Zhongli, “I mean an Archon that only intervenes if there is a Kaiju level threat for the sake of freedom? It’s the hero they have all been dreaming for.”
“I don’t trust him.” Zhongli says shortly.
“You don’t know his identity. There’s a difference.”
“And that difference is enough for me to be suspicious of him. He could be a potential threat to Liyue.”
Ningguang checks her phone, “For a hero from Mond, other cities rate him high. He’s well liked.”
“That does not mean he is trustworthy.”
“He has kept all of his promises.”
“And yet has no contract to show for it.”
“Contracts are not absolute Zhongli.”
He purses his lips.
“I know that. Liabilities are liabilities though.”
She makes a face but leans back in her chair, “Fine. Tell me what you have on him so far, Morax.”
He nods, pulling up his master file on Mondstadt’s Archon.
I’ll unmask you Barbatos. I swear it.