Chapter Text
Dagbert was in turmoil.
Over the span of a few minutes, Tancred Torsson had stolen from him, betrayed him, insulted him, and broke up with him. It was humiliating, it was shameful, and it was a grievous insult that couldn't go unpunished.
Dagbert wasn't just furious. Beyond anger was something sharper: betrayal. Grief. The suffocating realization that not even the one person obligated to love him could do so. That Tancred wasn't just a thief, he was a backstabber and a heartbreaker. Soulmates were supposed to love each other over any meaningless friendships. Dagbert would have let Tancred kill his friends, and he didn't understand why that intense loyalty only went one way.
To make matters worse, Tancred refused to return the charm. He freely admitted that he wanted Dagbert to be weaker, that he'd rather protect his friends than help his soulmate.
Their fight became the hottest gossip at school. Judgemental eyes stared them down wherever they went, and whispering mouths spoke about how a pair of soulmates broke up. It was unheard of. Something had to be deeply, horribly wrong with them.
Dagbert ignored them. He was used to being a social pariah. He had bigger fish to fry, such as Tancred's death.
Tancred was obviously upset these days. Dagbert couldn't tell if it was the breakup or the social scorn, and he didn't care. He just enjoyed seeing his ex so miserable.
But life didn't stop for them, and soon Dagbert had a mimicry of a moth and Tancred had the time to trade.
Nobody wanted Tancred to go alone, of course. Not when the situation was so tense. The plan was that Lysander would join Tancred, as backup.
Dagbert said that was fine. They were just here to trade, nothing sinister. Tancred and his boyfriend could meet him in the sculpture room.
Emma watched as Tancred and Lysander descended to meet Dagbert. None of the good kids had felt easy about this, including her. She told herself that Tancred and Lysander combined could defeat Dagbert, if it came to that. That storms and spirits could hold up against the water. That following them would only make her look bad.
Even though she knew Tancred wasn't her soulmate, he and Lysander were still her friends. She worried about them. All she could do was worry.
When the little wren flew into the room, she saw her friends, Dagbert, and… a Branko?
"...it's only fair," Dagbert was saying. "Two against one? You'd beat me, steal the moth, and leave with my urchin. Inez is here to keep things balanced."
"Why not Joshua? Or Manfred?" Lysander asked. He couldn't look at Inez without betraying his distaste for her, so he steadily stared Dagbert down instead. It was the same reason Tancred and Inez were locking eyes.
"They were busy," Dagbert said airily. "The twins were free. And as a show of goodwill, I only brought one."
Tancred kept his eyes on Inez. "I didn't know they could be separated."
Inez stuck her tongue out at him.
"Enough formalities. Have you got my sea-gold creature?" Dagbert said, taking on a harder tone.
"The moth." Lysander demanded.
Dagbert took out a jar, and Tancred stepped closer. Lysander and Inez watched their boys expectantly. Tancred looked at Lysander, nodded, and took out the charm.
The swap was over in an instant. Tancred held the jar, and Dagbert's creature collection was complete.
The silence was broken by the shatter of the jar.
"You tricked us!"
Wind filled the room and the soft sound of drums filled the air. The older boys were pissed.
"Take care of him," Dagbert told Inez, pointing at Lysander. As he spoke, a flood of water destroyed the tap as it began to fill the room.
Inez cackled, and the Griffith sculpture slammed into Lysander at an alarming speed. The drums died down as Lysander lay on the floor, water rapidly reaching up to cover his face.
"Sander!" The wind was so great, Dagbert and Inez were thrown against the wall. Tancred ignored them, opting to run to Lysander. "Sander?!"
"Heartbroken?!" Dagbert spat. "I hope he's dead! I hope-" A bolt of lightning nearly hits him, shutting him up for a moment. "You don't scare me!" He strode towards Tancred, a difficult feat against the wind.
Emma willed herself to change back into a girl, but she wasn't fast enough.
Tancred was so busy trying to wake Lysander up, he never saw Dagbert come up behind him. "Sander, please, you gotta- hey!" He felt two slimy hands grip him and shove his head underwater.
"What's wrong, darling?!" Dagbert laughed. Tancred scratched at his hands, but they remained firmly on Tancred's throat. "Can't breathe?! Are you hurt?!" His laughter increased, giggling and cackling as he kept Tancred's head beneath the waves. "Haha, you're drowning!"
Emma, human again, ran for him, only to feel herself thrown back -not by the dying winds, but by the silent girl in the corner. Inez moved towards her, her eyes holding Emma in place.
The telekinetic force was so great, Emma couldn't even move her gaze away from her target. She watched, helpless, as the winds died down and Tancred's body became limp. "No!"
Dagbert looked up, and met her gaze. "Spy!" he cried, but it was almost playful. Leaving the bodies floating in the still rising water, Dagbert walked to her.
"Poor little bird," Inez jeered. "Whatever shall we do with her?"
"What do you think?" Dagbert asked, his bright mood souring. "The last time I left a witness alive, he snitched. I'm not going to make that mistake again."
"You... you...!" Emma couldn't move, but she could shift. Doing it in front of anyone, much less those two, was something that she had hoped to avoid, but she had no choice. "You'll regret this!"
They laughed as if her threat was empty. Without touching her, Inez threw Emma into the water. It was a surprise, but Emma remained determined. By the time the sinister duo was upon her, she was more Tollroc than Tolly. They looked at her talons, her beak, and the rage in her eyes. As the great bird got to her feet, the two scrambled for the exit.
That wasn't enough for Emma. Something more would have to be done about them. Whatever it would be would have to wait. Emma's friends always came first.
It was a weak and pitiful hope that they were merely unconscious, but it kept her going until now and it kept her going until she was feeling their pulses.
Every student in the area heard her scream.