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The industrial district of the Regime was noisy and busy as usual. The Pantheon was cold and unforgiving as ever. Ever since it had been built, it made the Regime look like an Empire. The white walls reflecting the sunlight and the seemingly endless ceiling really made it an intimidating building that made you feel small and worthless. Ash was pacing around in his office, waiting for the polishman to arrive for their meeting.
Graf was an active player, he would be a really valuable asset for the Regime had Ash not been so suspicious of him. A lot of information could also mean lack of trustworthy sources and the Regime being taken advantage of. Speaking of the man, he could be seen stepping up the Pantheon stairs, making his way towards the Supreme Leader.
“As-salamu alaikum, Ash,” Graf greeted with a bow, when he arrived at the front of the desk. It was never to Ash's taste to have people bow down to him. Don't get him wrong, he loved being respected and being a leader but even he had preferences. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Wa alaikum as-salam, Graf,” Ashswag greeted back. He gestured the polishman towards the chairs of his two underlings with a professional smile. “Yes, have a seat please.”
Ash sat down on his own purple chair, staring at Graf for a bit, as if thinking what he was going to ask first. Graf chose Tubbo's chair sitting in it more comfortably than Ash expected people like him would. Spies were wary of everything after all, weren't they?
“So, Graf,” He began, setting his elbows on his desk with slow movements and that same smile. “Are you a spy?”
The question, while simple, startled Graf a little even if he didn't show it. The Supreme Leader could read the polishman like a book at this exact moment. He knew that that was the right question to get a reaction out of him.
“I don't spy on the Regime. Who asks?” Graf states but raises an eyebrow. Ash would dare to say that he was being cocky.
“Does it matter?” Ashswag replied. “Who are you spying on?”
Graf crossed his arms in front of his chest. Was it worth sticking his nose in what seemed like The North's drama, if it didn't involve the Regime? Probably not. But he had to make sure Graf wasn't just lying straight to his face right now.
“I think that's a conversation for another time and another place, friend.” The polishman said a little quieter this time. Ash could tell by this that Graf had to be involved in something big. Big enough that if someone overheard it would be bad.
However the Supreme Leader wasn't about to let something like this slide. He had to know, one way or another. Graf must've understood the meaning behind the glare Ash was giving him and he sighed.
Ashswag quickly noticed the subtle clue Graf gave him. He exposed a small, but really distinctive paper out of his pocket and quickly hid it again, looking back at the entrance of the office in case there was someone there. It was the type of paper they used in The North to sign up contracts, its golden colour making it really recognisable.
Ash changed the subject in case he wasn't the only one in the room with Graf.
“I see,” Ash nodded and stood up from his chair. “What about… your polish mate Multi?”
Ash was a little reluctant about asking something like this. It was a sensitive conversation about him and The Regime as a whole. It was well known around the server that his War Commander was infected because of Multi's factory. Not only did it make The Regime look weaker but it also put his underling's health on the line.
“You're worried.” Graf commented also standing up to have Ash at eye level with a slightly cheeky expression on his face. “You're worried about Haiper.”
Graf knew, Graf was around. It was no lie that The Supreme Leader would do anything for his underlings. Whether it is killing, slaughtering animals or blowing up buildings for them. He would do it and show zero shame about it.
But this was different. This was… well it was Haiper. His right hand man, his spy, his informant, his most trustworthy ally. He trusted no one like he trusted Haiper. He had let's say… a deeper connection with him. Deeper than he would ever have with other members like Tubbo or Fit or Faris.
“That's not relevant to what I asked.” Ash shut him down quickly, shaking his head in annoyance. “Do you have any information or should I kick you out?”
“Haiper broke into the factory. Again.”
Ash froze for a second. Screw Graf noticing, screw any white bear spying on him right now.
Haiper had broken in again? And he wasn't immediately informed? Or even informed at all? Something must've gone really wrong if Haiper hadn't reported this straight to him which made Ash's already stressed brain even more stressed.
“He wants to impress you. He wants to make you proud.” Graf continued, as if taunting Ash in his mind. Trying to make him more upset. If Ashswag wasn't glaring at Graf before, he for sure was now. “You are harsh with everyone, maybe he's scared of you Ash.”
His hands were gripping the edge of the desk. He averted his gaze down to the papers scattered on top of the office desk. He knew what Graf was saying was probably true. That's what hurt the most.
“You don't want to lose him too, right?” Graf asked an unreadable expression on his face. Ash couldn't tell what he was trying to do. Was he trying to make him vulnerable? Was he trying to be helpful?
“Take action so you don't lose him by a petty mistake just like you lost your daughter.”
“Get out.”
Graf stopped talking and looked at Ash. The Supreme Leader didn't look furious, didn't lose his temper. Not in front of Graf. He couldn't hide the fact that this conversation was affecting him more than it should.
The polish man shrugged and threw an ender pearl with force behind his back, towards the exit of the Pantheon. He talked to Ash one more time.
“Talk to him, Ash.” And like that he was gone like he was never there.
Ash's mind was running a hundred miles a second. He didn't want to think about what Graf had told him. He didn't want to think about his daughter. He sat a long while just staring at the entrance of the Pantheon. Just him and his thoughts.
He needed to talk to Haiper, he really did. He had other plans today, more paperwork, more gear and potions to prepare. Wasn't Haiper more important than all this though?
In seconds Ash was spam texting Haiper. Anything to get him here as soon as possible. Not because he wanted to get back to his work, no. Because anything could happen to Haiper at any moment with this infection bullshit.
Prior to that Haiper was pretty out of it. He was at his base, trying to organise his chests and backpacks with no success. He had blacked out a couple of times, finding himself waking up on random chests, stairs, even the ground in his ender portal room. As soon as he got Ash's messages though he was wide awake.
Soon enough, a panicked Haiper in full armor, holding his sword and putting up his shield appeared. Maybe Ash overdid it a bit with the messages.
“Ash! What happened, I thought you were in danger?” The fox hybrid looked around Ash's office for anyone or anything hostile. When he saw nothing he looked towards Ash, confused. “What was so urgent?”
“We need to talk, Haiper.” Ashswag sighed. He was being more serious than usual. He walked out of the back of his office and right in front of Haiper. Said fox put away his sword and shield, fully trusting Ash being close to him.
Ash looked at Haiper. Really looked at him. The eyebags beneath his eyes, the fact that his ears were almost pinned back at all times, the fact his tail wasn't swaying around even just a bit. This was weird. This infection was weird.
Ash carefully and slowly brought his hands close to Haiper's face. Haiper wasn't really sure what was going on at the moment. Did he do something wrong? Did Ash need him for another mission? If it was actually a mission Haiper would be more than glad to follow his leader’s orders but this infection was really taking a toll on him.
What Haiper didn't expect was Ash taking off his helmet, and handing it to him to put away, seemingly to take a better look at the arctic fox. He tilted his head and bent down a little to Haiper's height.
“You went in there again.” Ash muttered while still studying Haiper's eyes, posture, movements and seeing his underling freezing for a second. Haiper knew exactly what Ash was talking about. “And you didn't tell me.”
No one was supposed to know that. Sure Multi saw him, but how did this even reach Ash? How did he know about this? Who did Multi tell?
“I've got this under control Ash. You don't need to worry about me.”
“Haiper.” Ash said louder than him. He was staring right into Haiper's eyes. The arctic fox couldn't tell if he was going to get dismissed, yelled at, scolded or straight up demoted. Instead what he didn't expect again was Ash grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly.
“Haiper, you have to tell me what's going on. You have to tell me everything. Everything about your health.” Ash looked… worried. Frantic about this. He would have never guessed that his Supreme Leader could look like this. Haiper wasn't sure if it was worry about his wellbeing or worry about losing his most valuable asset and follower. Maybe both.
“Ash I-” He began and didn't get to finish because his Supreme Leader's hand was already checking his forehead for a fever and squeezing his cheeks afterwards for some reason.
“Do you need potions? Food? Should I kill Multi? Threaten him for a cure?” His words were super panicky but externally he didn't look like he really lost his cool. At least to everyone else. Haiper could tell this was worrying Ash a lot more than he let on. Ashswag who never lost his cool unless a few certain white bears came too close for comfort. “Talk to me Haiper, what were you doing in there again?”
“Ash calm down, please,” Haiper sighed, grabbing Ash's arms and giving them a light squeeze. “I went in again because I wanted to know more about whatever this radiation is. Maybe find something to cure myself.”
Ash looked worried as ever. He couldn't accept the fact that Haiper, his right hand man, his War Commander, his spy, would ever do something as big as this and not immediately inform him.
“You shouldn't be in there for more time than you've already been.” Ash snarled at him. “You look like shit, Haiper. You don't sleep, you go through stashes and stashes of food everyday and you are feverish all the time. I see it, Haiper, I see you.”
Haiper didn't have anything to say this time. What Ash was describing was exactly what he was going through. “Who knows what else will happen if you go to that hell of a place again.”
“Ash, I'm okay really. The symptoms aren't that bad so I find this conversation useless. I will write you your report and everything will go back to normal.” Haiper tried to reassure Ash and console him even for just a second. He could deal with this alone. He was just a little sick. He didn't need the rest of the Regime to worry about something he had caused to himself.
“Screw the report, Haiper. Screw everything that happened these past few days. All I care about is you and your health.” Ash almost yelled at him. Suddenly Haiper got grabbed by the collar of his uniform and Ash was dangerously close to him.
“Let me take care of you, let me worry about you. Stop dismissing me.” Ash muttered right in his face. He was mad, he was upset and it was showing a lot. He cared too much, he was too soft. “I can't lose you too, Haiper.”
Haiper was… speechless. This wasn't like Ashswag, this wasn't like his Supreme Leader. His face was one of worry and frustration, he was talking nonsense and he cared. He cared about Haiper enough to begin this conversation, if you could call this a conversation. Ashswag was… soft. About him.
“You will never lose me, you know that.” Haiper stated with a serious expression. He would never betray or leave Ash. He just couldn't. Infected with radiation or not, he wouldn't leave his Supreme Leader's side. He trusted and respected Ash more than anyone in this server. “I think I just need… a break. Till the symptoms calm down.”
Ash sighed and let his head fall on Haiper's shoulder and let his hands fall from where they were clenching the fox's collar. Hesitantly at first but in the end really desperately, Ash hugged Haiper tightly. The hug was quick, as if nothing happened.
Before the fox could say anything, Ash was quick to leave Haiper's side and look for something in the room. He returned to Haiper with a heavy backpack, handing it to him. Haiper didn't need to open it to know it contained potions, he could hear it and smell it.
“It's regens. All my stash of regens.” Ash said, avoiding eye contact, and leaving Haiper, to search in the room again. He returned back with another backpack full of golden apples and golden carrots. “And food. For you.”
Haiper looked at both of the stacked backpacks and smiled a bit. Ash cared. Ash cared a lot.
“Ash,” Haiper said softly, waiting for Ashswag to look at him before continuing. He let the backpacks fall on the ground carefully and run close to Ash to hug him tightly with a sad smile. “Thank you.”
Ash didn't get startled, didn't freeze, he just let Haiper hug him. He eventually hugged the fox back. Haiper barely reached his shoulders but the hug was what they both needed right now. Reassurance, closeness and each other.
“Why didn't you tell me?” Ash asked softly. As if asking too aggressively would scare the fox away.
“I didn't want to involve you or anyone else. But I guess you are now involved.” Haiper chuckled, hugging Ash tighter, letting his tail sway a little.
“Don't do that again. Promise me.” Ash said quietly against Haiper's hair, one hand around his shoulders and one in his hair petting behind one of his fox ears softly. The fox could hear the slight shake in his voice. He could hear the relief and the fear.
“I promise, Ash.”