Chapter Text
Hunter’s POV
- Feeling restless but not in the mood for katas, Hunter was tempted to ask if someone wanted to spar with him. Most of the house was still asleep, though, so he decided to go outside for a run.
- On the blanket next to him, Flapjack slept with his beak adorably tucked into his wing. Hunter slipped off the sleeping bag without disturbing him—no need to wake a tired palismen.
- He was halfway up the stairs when he heard ruffling feathers.
- Hello, witchlet! Flapjack chirped as he landed on Hunter’s shoulder. Sleep well?
- “I did, actually. I think I had a dream, but I can’t remember much. And it didn’t wake me up,” he whispered back with a smile.
- Good, good! The bird rubbed his head against Hunter’s cheek. Breakfast?
- Hunter paused at the basement door. “Uh… not yet. I feel like training, or something, so I’m gonna jog outside. You can stay here, if you want.”
- I go with! Flapjack twittered before sternly pecking at him. Brekkie after, though. You didn’t eat enough at castle.
- He huffed, then turned the doorknob to enter the hall. “It was fine! I didn’t- Wait, ‘brekkie’?”
- Short for breakfast! Don’t hear it anymore, but I like it.
- “Yeah. Me too,” Hunter chuckled.
- Vee walked by as Hunter was putting on his shoes and he braced for questioning, but she slipped into the kitchen, instead. He let out a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn’t have to explain himself.
- This realm is so tame—there aren’t even any witch-eating demons, Hunter thought to himself. Like, humans don’t have magic to attack with! I don’t get why Luz and Vee are so scared of us being seen. I mean, Luz was fine on the isles, right? Well… mostly. But people here can’t shoot fire out of their hands.
- —
- [He goes for the run and somehow gets jumped and chloroform’d by the Jacob Hopkins, the museum guy. Flapjack tries his best to save Hunter, but soon retreats to the house for help]
Vee’s POV
- Camila leaves for work (doesn’t have to be written, just smth to note)
- As more people woke up, they started to question where Hunter was (since he’s usually one of the first up and he wasn’t in bed). Vee told them she saw him go for a walk or something. They worried, but figured it wouldn’t be worth searching for him by that point, so they waited for him to return.
- (2ish hours after he left?) Everyone tried to not overthink his absence, but their fears came full focus when flapjack zipped around in a panic after knocking on the window.
- Vee tried to convince herself that it was fine. Maybe Hunter just sent Flapjack to show us something… right?
Hunter’s POV
- He regained consciousness slowly. The first thing he processed was a dull ache in his throat, head, arms… his whole body, really. I must’ve been fighting someone, he thought. Damn. Whoever it was casts one heck of a sleep spell.
- After forcing his eyes to open, he was met with the sight of metal rods keeping him outside the room in front of him. Wait, no… He turned his head and realized that he was surrounded by cage-like bars. I’m trapped.
- A bolt of adrenaline ran through him, shaking him out of his stupor.
- Shit. I was captured.
- He wiggled around, testing how thorough his kidnapper was, and discovered that his wrists were bound in front of him with a few loops of rope. Rookie mistake. He brought the coil up to his teeth and tugged at it. The material was tougher than it looked, but the knotwork was pitiful and untied with ease.
- Hunter shook out his hands before examining the room. It was a mess with freaky objects scattered all over the place, but they had a theme. A training wand, outdated scout spears, Hexes Hold ‘Em cards… much of it was everyday items. Except that he was in the Human Realm, not the Boiling Isles. His attention was drawn to the large collection of photos and notes that took up half the wall space. Above it was line of fabric with writing that read ‘secrets of Gravesfield’. A conspiracy board. Oh boy.
- Some of the documents seemed to require context (where’s “Tik Tok” and why would a demon be there?), but he recognized one figure instantly: the Owl Lady. Of course she managed to be a menace here, too. Why am I not not surprised.
- Hunter was squinting at an article about two brothers when a door opened behind him. He hid his unbound hands behind his leg as he shifted to face them, hoping they wouldn’t notice.
- “Oh, you’re awake. I thought that’d last longer…” mumbled a person with brown hair and glasses. They closed the door behind themself before clearing their throat. “Greetings, WITCH! I, Jacob Hopkins, hero of Gravesfield, have put an end to your demonic schemes! You may be wondering how I know what you are, but I’m afraid that’s classified. All I can say is that I have experience.”
- Ah… the witch-obsessed guy that Vee mentioned, Hunter mused. Great.
- Jacob stepped closer. “I’ve already contacted the government. They’re on their way. However, I want some answers first,” he said, then grabbed an ornamental sword from its mount on the wall. “And you’re gonna give me them.”
- Hunter tried to stop himself, he really did, but his laughter slipped right out.
- “Wh- HEY! I’M THREATING YOU!” the man snapped.
- “I’ve met bug demons more threatening than you!” he said. “This is nowhere near the first time I’ve been kidnapped. I know an empty threat when I see one.”
- Jacob went red in the face. “I have NO MERCY for your kind! Talk like that again, and I’ll stab your arm!”
- “I don’t think that blade could even draw blood—it’s too dull and lightweight. You may be willing to kill me, but that doesn’t mean you can,” Hunter replied.
- “Well… d-don’t make me my real weapon, then! I… I have laser gun that can vaporize you!”
- Hunter went silent. He’d seen laser-firing devices on Luz’s ‘Tee Vee’ and they seemed formidable.
- “Yeah, that’s right!” Jacob said, waving his useless sword around. “Now… tell me why you demons need time machines! Is it to convert us to the dark side early on?! Or gather more-”
- “What are you talking about,” he stated.
- “Don’t play dumb! We both know you need human teeth to power your time machines and-”
- “I’m so confused. My friends and I literally just want to go home. I don’t care about your… teeth. That’s unsanitary. We’re looking for-”
- “Your excuses won’t work on me!” Jacob yelled as he stomped closer. “Wait… So you ARE looking for something! What is it?!”
- Hunter couldn’t resist. “Ligma.”
- “Aha!” he cried. “Wait, what’s ligma.”
- He opened his mouth, but soon closed it with a sigh. “It’s not even fun now… Too easy.”
- Jacob scowled and reached over to shake the cage, drawing a yelp from his captive. “TELL ME!”
- After he recovered, Hunter shot a glare. “Titan, calm down,” he mumbled. “Seriously, we just wanna fix our way to the demon realm. We got stranded here on accident. I don’t understand why humans are so obsessed about witches, but we don’t want to hurt you or or corrupt you or whatever.”
- “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
- “Uhm… how?”
- “That’s what I thought” Jacob said before turning away. “Tell me when you’re ready to talk. I might even think about letting you go if you give me good enough intel. Until then, get comfy, witch.” He spat the last word like an insult as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.
- Joke’s on him. I’m not even a witch, Hunter thought to himself.
- Reality set in. Shit. I don’t have magic. Or tools. Ugh, this is why I always carried a knife in my boot!
- He knocked his head against the bars with a huff. Hopefully someone notices I’m gone.
[And then everyone comes and saves Hunter’s dumbass, Vee leading the charge. The two of them probably have like a deep convo after getting home or smth idk I didn’t planned that far.]