Something to Prove (Golden Guard x reader)

4.) Put You in Your Place

"Do you ever stop talking? I don't know how the Emperor puts up with you." Hunter already starts complaining.

"Stop insulting me, Captain Crazy. Don't dish it out if you can't take it and I know for a fact you can't take it." I shake my head as we walk down the corridors of the castle.

"And don't you dare tell anyone about last night." He crosses his arms.

"What happened last night? Oh, wait! You mean how I sang you to sleep like a little baby?" I nudge him but not too hard.

"It was obviously a sleep spell."

"It was not but your head is too big to admit it. What does E.B need from us anyway?" I ask.

"Stop calling him that. But seriously, I have no idea." He says the last part quieter.

"Golden Guards," Kikimora says as we reach the door to the dome.

"Hey, Kiki. How's the garden coming along?" I ask and try not to vomit. I hate Kikimora more than anyone has ever hated another person. But she likes me and I'd like to keep it that way.

"Oh, it's lovely! You should see the squash, it's amazing." She says somewhat enthusiastically and not like her usual heinous bitch tone.

"Enough small talk, are we allowed inside?" Hunter cuts to the chase.

"Yes. Whenever you're ready." Kikimora goes back to her old tone before Hunter urgently opens the door.

The door shuts behind us but Kiki definitely hasn't moved. She thinks no one notices how she stalks Belos like Joe Goldberg. We walk up to where Belos is but he faces the other way. Since he isn't looking, I move slightly closer to Hunter and shove him with my elbow. I already know he has his goofy mad face on under his mask. He shoves me back which prompts a back and forth thing before we reach the Emperor.

"We are at your service," Hunter says as we both kneel.

"Good afternoon, Golden Guards." He sighs and turns to face us. "You may stand, this is a rather boring request. I mostly desired some company but I also have some things to discuss with you. Lilith has been unsuccessful in all of her attempts to capture the Owl Lady. If she continues to fail, I will need one or both of you to assist her. We've gotten a large number of recruits for the coven after the covention so training starts in a few short weeks. I trust that you two can work together and lead?"

"Yes, Emperor. We have everything under control." I speak up.

"Good, good. I was worried you two were overburdened. In light of that, I have prepared a gift for each of you." He says and my interest is officially captured.

He steps closer to us with his hands behind his back. This is already creepy but whatever. He then holds out something to each of us. I stare for a second at what he's holding out for me. A dark blue baseball cap? I accept it but look it over. This is the most random thing he could've given me.

"It's a...hat," I say quietly.

"It's not just a normal hat, put it on." He urges.

Hunter seems to have a book which is also kind of random. I take off my mask and hood before replacing them with the hat. But it doesn't seem like anything special to me or even a good look.

"What did you do? Where did they go?" Hunter asks which prompts me to look around. I then walk in front of him but he doesn't even seem to notice.

"Am I invisible?" I speak up.

"Indeed." Belos nods before I pull off the hat.

"Seems appropriate." Hunter mumbles.

"No way, no way, no way. Thank you so much. This is the coolest, magical-est, most Percy Jackson thing that has ever happened to me!" I let myself freak out for a second. No matter how wrong it feels, I can't help but feel genuinely grateful for the hat. Only because of Percy Jackson.

"Thank you, uncle." Hunter nods, way less excited than I was.

"I have other things to work on here in the dome but you are welcome to stay in here," Belos says before he turns around to walk off.

"What did you get?" I ask and look over his shoulder.

"Pride and Prejudice?" Hunter reads the title.

"Oh, that's a good one." I gasp.

"Is it? I've never heard of it." He traces the cover with a faint hint of a smile.

"It takes place in the regency era so some of the words are totally outdated but it's definitely understandable. But it's that time period where all the moms want to get their daughter married and stuff. But it's also a time when an unmarried woman is an absolute disaster. I like it because the main character is never FORCED to marry who she does. And what's even better is- sorry, I've been talking for way too long." I take a step back.

"It's fine, really. Your rants aren't THAT unbearable." He sighs.

"Our day off is in one week, what are we doing?" I ask.

"WE aren't doing anything. I'm gonna relax all day and lock you out." He goes right back to his old self.

"I thought we were bonding for a moment." I cross my arms.

"In your dreams. I haven't forgotten what you told me." He tries to threaten me.

"You drool when you sleep."

"WHAT?"

"I'm just telling you the truth." I shrug.

"That's gross." He shivers.

"Not on me, sista." I can't help but make myself laugh.

"You're lucky I don't throw you into the hottest part of the boiling sea."

"I'll just play you one little song and you'll be out like a light." I laugh.

"That was an accident, a mishap." He grumbles.

"Don't worry, it's cute. I'm sure you'll be so loved for it that someone will call you...what was it? Oh! The poster child for why no one should ever procreate."

"Fine...maybe I was a little harsh. But you still are a monstrosity of evil, an agent of chaos." He practically spits out.

"And the top scorer in Dance Dance Revolution," I whisper.

"I don't care."

"I have an idea. Let's go out into town together for a best friend bonding day. We can say it's Golden Guard business and then go get eye scream!" I suggest.

"We aren't friends. You can keep talking about how I fell asleep while you sang or this stupid book but we'll never be friends. You aren't gonna win me over and everything would be better if you went back to your miserable realm. Because news flash, no one here actually likes you. They only know they you that has manipulated them into liking you."

"Then I'll change their minds too. I don't care if you like or respect me because I like and respect myself. I don't care about their opinion of me. Maybe you don't want to be my friend and that's fine. But I don't think that's why you're mad. And you aren't REALLY mad about the treason thing. You're upset because you don't want to get replaced and you see how similar we really are. You can't manipulate the god of manipulation." I put my foot down.

"That's not true! You're lying, you're a liar!" He starts to raise his voice.

"I'm going to my room. Maybe soon you'll realize that everything you hate about me, you see it in yourself."