Chapter Text
Author's note: I've recently re-watched Huntik after almost forgetting about it and I couldn't control myself. This is probably the first part of a two-shot that will come in the future. I tried to not portray Zhalia in a too OOC manner. Hopeyou enjoy it.
Disclaimer: This universe and it's characters do not belong to me.
"You look troubled..." He said after entering the dimly lightened room. Metz's presence was a rather peculiar one. It would charm one into relaxation but simultaneously exude respect in an exacerbating way. She felt serene but apprehensive. They had no familiarity whatsoever; besides the one time she spoke directly to him (where he frailly let her treacherous ass maintain her spot in the Foundation). Therefore, their contact was kept to a minimum throughout the whole "Betrayer" ordeal, a few empathic and relieved looks as he patted affectionately his recently resurrected protégé’s back. He was now leaning nonchalantly on the door frame, letting the corridor's clinical white lights seep into the dark compartment.
Zhalia was sprawled on a "too clean" smelling loveseat, reminiscing. She hated this city. Everything was impersonal and disposable. It reminded her of her former lifestyle. The sofa's "new" odour only made this sentiment feel more powerful. She wanted to go home, to safety, to emotional control. She straightened herself into a sitting position, stiff and uneasy.
They were in the Huntik International HQ since Lok had to present a historical artefact they discovered in Polynesia on their previous mission. He was obviously anxious as it was his first time presenting anything, let alone to an audience of that calibre so, for the past two weeks, he and the Casterwill heiress had been practising his presentation non-stop…With the rest of the team as an audience (a mixture of helpful goodwill and Sophie's death glare, which made them even more complacent).
It resulted in a very bored Den, a disgruntled Harrison, a supportive Cherit and a very irritated Zhalia, who would mutter passively-aggressively the now memorized speech to Lok as he failed to remember it yet another time .
The day before his flight, they were in one of the Casterwill mansion's loungerooms after Lok's last attempt to train the presentation, to everyone's delight, when Lok made the assumption they would all fly with him and Sophie to NY, which Zhalia and the Fears brothers weren’t expecting.
As he saw the looks on their faces, Lok started reassuring them that it would be okay if they didn't want to go with them, to Zhalia's great relief. Only for the Fear's brothers to feel guilty and then reassure Lok they would all like to go. Lovely . Now she was bound to go too. That and Lok had the most convincing unintentional puppy eyes. Great. It’s not like she didn’t want to go and support Lok , she appreciated the teen, heck, she cared for him and felt proud of him (not that she would ever tell him that), and it’s not like she had any business in Venice to cover for her absence.
But going to New York also meant meeting Dante, and that is what she was trying to avoid.
The three of them prepared their luggage quickly in the morning just before boarding the plane (it was not like they would be away for a long time).
The flight was insufferable. In the first hour, Den and Harrison had a petty sibling fight that ended with Den complaining to Cherit while Harrison sulked. Also, Lok and Sophie's recent romantic development was pretty much obvious as they giggled and mumbled sweet nothings the whole 10h flight. Zhalia kept trying to read the book in her hands, which to her dismay, was impossible due to all the noise around her. Who was she trying to fool? She was not going to be able to read anyways , not in her state of mind. Her stomach growled with anticipation and anxiousness just at the thought of seeing him.
It was not like they were mad at each other or something of the like, they were okay. They were on polite terms, which meant barely speaking with each other in the team video chats they rarely had. That's the problem. The distance was obviously there. They had been comrades, friends and somewhat more. They had proximity and it eased her, relaxed her trained strenuous attitude, she was even starting to like the lack thereof. She even relished in this comfort, letting herself be genuine and consequently vulnerable. Then this ominous sexual tension would surface after long days of coexisting with stressful teenagers, which they had taken care of a couple of times in a frenzy of blurred feelings and hormones that turned their whole situation way more complicated than she was comfortable with. But somehow it was fine because they were getting there, they were figuring it out. It was symbiotic and gave her the encouragement she needed to let her feelthe way she felt towards him.
But then, Blood Spirals started to appear out of nowhere, there were breaches everywhere, the Betrayer was coming once again. Then she volunteered to infiltrate the Blood Spirals because there was no one as fit as her for the job. She has always been honest with herself. She was a great spy and an even better back-stabber . There you go, the perfect match. She gave him the Logosbook, and throughout her stay in the Blood Spiral Base, she felt the comfort of being able to communicate with him, as reassurance the contact between them wouldn't be lost. And the final battle happened. Their hands were clearly tied and he and his hero complex had to change this. And there he went, to die.
She knew how selfish it was to think like this, like his human life was so pristine and precious when faced with humanity’s damnation. Sacrifice has to be made for the greater good. But why him? That's why she infiltrated the Blood Spirals, to be the one exposed. Not him. But no, he had to jump into danger, because after all, he is Dante Vale. Besides he always has a plan. Like he had when he knew he was going to die. Which, again, was not comforting because he had been dead. And she suffered every bit of it as she promised herself she would never again. And suddenly she receives thatsurreal message in her Logosbook, "You can't get rid of me that easily" which gave her a hope she knew she would regret later and he comes out of the ashes, like a phoenix, his very divinely and mythological titan. It wasn't human. It still isn't. And he did it.
But they didn't have time to have any kind of disclosure. Or beginning whatsoever. Even though he only officially started making part of the council a month after the battle against the Betrayer, he went to New York with Metz right after it . He departed only with a hurried goodbye to everyone, giving Lok more attention since he would become the new team leader. And never since sent any kind of regards to her, only speaking in a rush with them through Lok's holotome. It's not like she sent him a ton of messages herself, as she sent none. But her pride was wounded and she thought he had no time for their newfound "thing". He had moved on and yet again she clings to him. She is a mess, and she is more than disgusted of herself for thinking and feeling this way.
She lost the grasp of her thoughts when Cherit told her they had arrived. Deep breath. Just suck it up.
Lok presented the object that evening with flying colours, which surprised even the judgy eyes of the Council members. Not that she could tell. She had been shamelessly looking at the mane of deep red hair seated a good five rows in front of her. " Control yourself, goddammit!" She was sure he was feeling her gaze burn the back of his head. She was glad he had to be one of the people who had to, at least, appear they were paying attention, or he would have turned back to look at her. In the end, she waited in the back of the conference room while people congratulated Lok so she would be far away from him. It seems Dante had decided to treat them a well-deserved meal while praising Lok. An awkward and tense meal to-be , which she refused because she was tired . Petty. He nce the loveseat she was sitting at this precise moment under the scrutiny of Metz's eyes.
"I'm just a bit tired from the flight." She answered blandly, which seemed to amuse the older man. He knew it was nothing but an excuse.
He ‘humphed’ in amusement . " I thought you would be having dinner with your team." He implied while sitting in the armchair opposite to her.
Was he looking for a chit-chat? Zhalia surely didn't feel like humouring him, but he seemed like he was here to stay, and since she didn't want to be rude, she kept the conversation going.
"I don't like travelling much." She said guarded , but Metz's raised eyebrow made her think twice on the strength of the statement.
"Well, then you made a very interesting choice of occupation..." He retorted, looking curiously at her, answering her after a small, pondered pause.
"I don't like travelling if I have no purpose whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, I want to support Lok, but staying here three days without actually something to do makes me itchy." Well, at least it's true, she is a practical person. No beating around the bush, like Metz is doing at this moment.
Metz chuckled at this, turning his gaze to the sofa she was laying in at the moment, eyeing the woman with a glint in his eye. Dante was not exaggerating when he said she was down-to-hearth .
"Then Miss Moon, you shouldn't worry. New York has plenty of interesting things to see and learn about. I believe you will be entertained." He flashed an amused smile before adding "I gave Dante a few days so he could show you guys around a bit." She started flinching at this and tried to stop herself, which didn't go unnoticed, regretfully, and before she could come up with an answer, he spoke again "Thought you would be thrilled. It has been a long time since your team last reunited." He said, eyes full of questions yet to be answered.
This made Zhalia shift uneasily in the loveseat. He sure was more curious about her motivations than she was expecting . And here she thought that staying behind would let her have something that resembled peace.
Metz clearly wouldn't be satisfied without an answer and the fact he just didn't leave her be was bothering her. As was the way he looked at her. He was calculating her moves, her responses and her posture overall.
"Reunions are pointless. It makes people feel like things are back to what they were when it's just a temporary pretend. I understand why people want to do it but it's just a question of deluding yourself. It's not like I'm not happy we are all together again, but I know the toll it will take on the kids when we go back." She stated, actually dreading the flight back, full of nostalgic sighs regarding how things were before. Reminding them how different they were now.
"I know Dante's absence is patent, like any of yours would be, but I don't see how it could be as dramatic as you're making it sound. " Metz commented, eyes squinted in slight confusion and scepticism. He knew they were getting along just fine, not as smoothly, which was bound to happen due to the change, but they were doing a great job.
"They are teenagers, and not only the leader has responsibility. There are no more miraculous plans solving the problems like 'fairy godmother' would pull and they already miss Dante's security. Sometimes there are tough calls that have to be made and it's not being easy for Lok, you know?" She explained, focusing the sentiment on how worried she actually was about Lok's recent behaviour. He was doing very well, but clear fatigue and uncertainty was slowly growing, and would only be reaffirmed by Dante's temporary presence.
After intently listening to her, and snorting at his protege's new nickname, he interjected " On the contrary, miss Moon. I believe Dante will only reassure and show Lok how surprisingly satisfactory his performance has been. Therefore, the more confidence he transpires , the greater the team's morale. Also, you are there. You are a very experienced seeker who he can and surely relies on." He assured her.
"It probably hasn't been easy for you either , has it? " He asked, watching her huff a sight of nothing but tiredness confirming his suspicion. He then continued. "I know that without Dante, you're the only experienced adult of the team, and even though Mr.Lambert is a promising leader, it's obvious he is still very young. Just keep supporting him as you've been and I can assure you things will get easier." The older man reassured, seeing now how stressed the woman in front of him must have been in the past few months. She sure had a handful, it's not every day you're left with four teenagers to go on risky missions with.
"I know they will, and the teens are talented. They have been improving quickly," She retorted quite gratefully. It's true. They have been doing a great job even though everybody expected the world from them. She didn't know whether it was naivety or dismissal by their part, but they dealt surprisingly well with the weight.
After a pregnant pause, Metz spoke again.
"I admit I was expecting you to request working alone after the first mission you completed with his team." He confessed, appreciative by the turn of events. "I see working with them gave you a new perspective, since you're still with the team after all this chaos." He smiled at her, clearly seeing how this heart-to-heart was leaving the reserved dark-haired seeker fidgety.
Zhalia was contemplating. She also questions herself frequently about this, not knowing what pulled her to stay . Probably who pulled her to stay, now that she thinks about it.
She retorted with a humourless chuckle "I'm used to relying only on my work, believe me when I say it was way more difficult for me to depend on someone else's lead then the lack thereof." She spoke, remembering the first few weeks she had been assigned to Dante's team.
Metz already awaiting a revelation of the sort, responded earnestly.
"But as we start working with other people, we learn how beneficial it is, we begin gaining the ability to trust, to rely on and to depend on. And that is the problem , isn't it? How vulnerable one gets when they trust. Which makes me want to ask you that perhaps, isn't it you who is trying to be cautious about being disappointed?"
This time her face turned away from him. He poked her wound and she was whining like a stray dog. Pathetic. This time, she was silent. She digested his words as he looked at her patiently waiting.
"When I was first assigned to the team, I now know he was already suspicious of my loyalties. Princess was too, but she had no problem showing it. She was as smart as she was attention-jealous. She wasn't going to let me off the hook easily. Lok was just as trusting as he is now, which honestly makes me fear for him. But at the time, he almost made me feel bad about deceiving him. Later on, even though still sceptical, Sophie toned down a bit , and Dante would show me he trusted me and my abilities, by calling me on missions I had not been assigned to, by letting me guide the team, and somehow I let it touch me because it was so professional yet so personal." She paused here, grinding her teeth to keep the upcoming turmoil at bay. Metz looked at her expectantly, as a cue for her to continue. If this wasn't the man that gave her the second chance of her life, she wouldn't even have bothered to respond to the first circumstantial conversation, but she felt like she at least owed him a bit of insight on this subject specifically, even if it pained her to no end. After a few encouraging breaths, she kept going.
"He once told me directly he trusted me, which I should have seen as a sign that he knew this was my Achilles heel, a sign he knew who I was and my purpose. But I fell for it and let myself feel at ease, even enjoying my time with them. He planned to make me feel his trust weight on me. I only realised he knew when he did nothing to stop me when I had to kill him. I'm sure you know about that mission, right?" She enquired, a bit lost at how much she was uncontrollably speaking. He nodded assertively as if the burden of her deeds was in that nod, and told her to proceed.
"Then I saw it. He trusted me and I petrified the only person I ever considered family. For him, for his trust in my morality when he knew it was raw loyalty. Only to realize he didn't move because he already knew I wouldn't kill him. Because he planned it, to show me ultimate trust when he had schemed this false sense of trust in me. It wasn't trust. It was complete confidence in his plan. I was predictable enough for him to put his life at risk." She finished coldly, this reminder of her weakness keeping her emotions at bay with anger.
"Your analysis is indeed pertinent and well constructed, miss Moon. I wouldn't expect anything else from you, though." He made eye contact with her, waiting to see if her attention was fully grasped before continuing.
" I have known Dante personally for almost all his life and I can say that I do know Dante Vale fairly well, better than he knows himself. And I have also questioned the same before. The line between genuine feeling and the pre-conceived demonstration of emotion he cleverly shows so well is very tenuous." He sais gravely, clearly sensing how delicately the topic at hand must be treated. He pauses, to figure out how he will conjure his next statement, taking his time while she patiently listens to him.
"But there is always a telltale." He revealed, clearly satisfied with the speech he had formed in his head. "The truth is always there, plainly uncovered for you to see. He doesn't hide it when things are concluded. And that's where you have to look. And that's where is a fault in your argument." This caught her attention, making her posture change from thetense straight back position to a slightly inclined enraptured look. This adjustment earned her a one-sided smirk on his face.
"If I recall that mission's report, didn't you confront Mr. Lambert and Ms. Casterwill in the dungeon before you went to the roof?" He paused, enjoying the sight of such a stern woman now impatient and eager for him to continue to the point she was fidgeting. She gave a weak nod, clearly disturbed by the memory.
"Do you think that if he didn't trust you he would have let you get close to the kids? You sure know he would never put them in danger. Himself? He recklessly does all the time, much to my distaste. But other people? Never. And if you don't acknowledge this, which I don't think it's the case, either you overestimate his aptitude to plan or you underestimate his selflessness when other people's lives are involved." He finished. There it was. She looked rather confused before a genuine affective look appeared on her face. She clearly hadn't looked at it from this perspective. She knew for sure that people's lives were never at risk in his plans, especially his teammate's . This gave her a sense of resolution she hadn't felt in a long time. She was hopeful.
Before she could say anything else, a brown-haired head pushed itself through the cracked opened door looking curiously at the pair.
"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, I will come back later!" Den stammered while retreating, but Metz decided to intervene with a polite "Oh, we were already finished, right Ms.Moon?" He inquired after raising himself from his previous seated position, back already to her but his head turned sideways to look her in the eye.
"Yes, we have." She acknowledged, looking at Den, though she was more reassuring herself than anyone else in the room.
"Well, then, if you'll excuse me..." The older men said while he graciously got out of the room.
Den entered looking rather interested but apprehensive, to which Zhalia responded with a quick "How was dinner?", expecting the previous mood to disappear as she changed the subject.
"It was awesome! Even though council life is boring, Dante still has a bunch of epic stories from his past no one had heard of. That and he kept subtly making fun of the lovebirds. Repeatedly. Lok was so clueless that he got confused when Sophie jabbed Dante in the ribs. It was hilarious!"
She laughed a real laugh at the mentioned antics, feeling a bit sad she had missed dinner with them because of her cowardness to confront Dante. Although she would say the uncanny pep-talk with the Foundation's director about her personal life was very helpful regarding that matter. Den kept going on with his enthusiastic chit-chat.
"And you? Are you feeling more rested, grandma? I can't believe a little flight like that made you tired... Your age is catching up with you, you know? You'll be geriatric in no time!" He cackled while looking at her slightly amused face. "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, my elderly bones can still kick your ass in a heartbeat, brat!" She warned the teen playfully.
"Seriously now, Zhal. Are you feeling any better?" He asked, the amusement leaving his gaze, now filled with concern and curiosity. These kids would seriously soften her in no time if they kept looking at her like that.
"Yeah, it was just a headache, it has already passed." She said dismissively, not wanting Den worrying about her, it only made her feel guiltier. He was about to ask about Metz when he looked at her and clearly saw a ' Later .' look that left no room for conversation.
His face then struck with recognition. "Right, I came here to get an update on your state and to invite you for a little walk downtown. Dante wants to show us this tiny Caffe which serves real coffee and I thought you would appreciate it." He finished with a smirk. This imp was really starting to get to know her. And she was really craving for coffee. Real coffee. Awkwardness aside, she rose to her feet and started walking towards the door, stopping to look back at Den "Ain't coming, kid?" She asked with a challenging smirk, knowing too well the boy's distaste for the affectionate way she called him. He jumped off the sofa and accompanied her to the hallway while saying "By the way... We might have got Cherit a bit drunk..."...
.... "WHAT ?"