Thsc One-Shots

Ruby For Your Thoughts? (Request)

Request: I have a request: At the end of Pure Blooded Thief, Henry brings the Romanian Ruby to Galeforce and Charles. Turns out he didn't go rouge, he just thought recovering the stolen Romanian Ruby from the Airship would be good evidence against the Toppat Clan.

I kept this one relatively simple so I hope you all don't mind that. It's just involving Henry and Galeforce's Pov since I don't see them interact enough in the fandom. 

As well, some light sprinkling of morally gray Galeforce down below if you can classify him as that here? 

***

Galeforce looked up and down at the ruby then over at Henry, confusion written on his aged features, "This. Uh… Why would you go through all this to just give us this?"

As the General took a final glance at the Romanian Ruby he shook his head and appeared as if a disappointed parent.  

"This will help us, yes, as evidence against the Toppat clan" Galeforce went to explain, running his hand through his long, grey beard, "Doing this was most certainly the long way around though? I must admit wouldn't it have been easier for everyone involved if you did just what was asked of you?"

Flicking his grey eyes towards the thief in question, Galeforce achingly straightened his posture thankful that nobody was here to witness the conversation between the men. 

"I. I know… I might've panicked back there. Kinda? It's hard to explain it" Henry guiltily responded, immediately looking off from the stern expression on the older man's face. 

"You panicked? That's quite hard to believe. You seemed just fine when I saw you" 

"Okay. Maybe panicked isn't the right word to describe it, alright. I saw the Romanian Ruby and I wanted it. So desperately, I couldn't help myself"

Henry rolls his head resulting in his sore joints loudly popping as he fiddles with his jacket's zipper, "I'm trying to make up for it. I didn't bring the ruby alone. I got the files you were looking for at the last moment. To make up for it" 

Guilt was eating Henry up slowly like a greedy parasite. It didn't help either that the General remained distantly cold with him, likely not trusting a single word he had to say. A topic change might help in the long run.

"Um. How's uh, Charlie doing? Whatever his name was… He seemed like a cool guy?" 

Or to make it worse, Henry was openly cringing when forced to witness the elder stiffening, tight-lipped frown deepen and seemingly gritting his teeth. 

"Charles Calvin. He's doing fine" Galeforce murmured in a low deadpan. "Now let's get back to the topic at hand, Stickmin. You came crawling back expecting us. Me or anyone else to take you back in without question? I do sincerely hope you know that I'm not going to give you a pardon so easily this time" 

Sliding down in his seat slightly, the thief nodded in understanding since he wasn't expecting much. He was simply surprised they didn't shoot him down at first sight and that General Galeforce would allow him to even speak.

"I get it. I really do. I don't enjoy what I do. Only asking for you to give me another chance. I'll prove it to you in any way I can" 

"Good. I'm usually not a very forgiving man on these sorts of things. More when it comes with criminals like yourself. You're cunning and likely to backstab to get what you desire. I wouldn't want that to happen again. Horrible and tragic things tend to happen then. Unless, Stickmin, you would like to face those consequences head on, wouldn't you? It's what you do best in?" 

Planting a hand on Henry's slumped shoulder, the man in question didn't bother to argue back as Galeforce patted it a few times after his mild threat, "Nobody would ever suspect a thing? You can disappear without a trace. I can make it happen with a snap of my fingers" 

"... I'm sorry…" 

"Don't worry. No apology is necessary. You can make it up to us. With a little hard work and groveling, we may be gracious enough to give you that pardon, after all"

"Thank you, sir" 

Afterwards stepping back to his desk, Galeforce shooed the man out from his tent giving him the privacy he wanted all before the other's sudden arrival had sidetracked everything. When he was alone with his muddled thoughts among the incriminating paperwork needing to be looked through now, the General shook the minuscule bits of pity that were rarely shown for the thief. It will take hell freezing over for him to ever completely trust Henry but he's willing to at least try for everyone's sake, Charles' in particular.