Glaze Lilies (Chili Flower Shop AU)

Chapter 17

Childe was quiet as he knelt beside the grave stone, offering a silent prayer to Celestia. The names of his family and siblings were written out on the stone. They had been lost to the cold of Snezhnaya and Childe missed them greatly. He wanted to see them one last time before leaving and going back to his city. Childe was betting everything that Zhongli was being kept at the orphanage that the Knave ran. If he was wrong, then no doubt the Tsaritsa would take him back as she was so desperate to do. He couldn't let that happen, Zhongli was trusting him.

"Childe?" A voice came behind him as he stood back up. He turned to find Ayato standing there, hands in his pockets as he watched the man that his brother had come to love. 

"Did you need something?" Childe asked with a frown.

"You're going after Zhongli, aren't you?" Ayato asked. 

"How did you know?" Childe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have my ways." Ayato shrugged. "I'm coming with you." 

"No way. There is no guarantee that Zhongli is there and you're a public face in Inazuma. If we are wrong it'll have bad repercussions on your city." Childe stated frowning at Ayato.

Ayato chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Accept my husband and I are thinking of adopting another child and we think a little baby from Snezhnaya would fit in perfectly in the family." Ayato smirked, holding the paperwork out to Childe to look at. "There are more ways than just bursting in guns blazing."

"If I show up with you, The Knave will recognize me. In fact everyone will recognize me." Childe reminded him, passing the paperwork back.

"Of course. You'll wait in the car while I keep them distracted. Once I get you the signal, you can slip in and search the place for anywhere Zhongli may be kept. If we are wrong, then as long as you don't get caught we can walk out without any issues or backlash and we can continue searching. If we are right then we can save Zhongli and you and Barbados will have your proof to bring down the Tsaritsa for her crimes." Ayato explained. 

"Barbados called you, didn't he?" Childe asked with a sigh. 

"Of course he did. He knows you'll get yourself caught before you even get close to Zhongli and his hands are tied as an Archon." Ayato smiled. Childe was smarter than he gave the man credit for. 

"Alright, then I'll need to be able to signal you when I either find Zhongli or don't find him. What's your plan for signaling me and does it work both ways?" Childe asked. 

The two left the small grave, heading back to Ayato's car where Thoma was waiting. Ayato explained his plan to Childe who was quiet, nodding throughout to show he understood. Ayato had spared no thoughts to the plan and if it came down to it, the two had no connection and if Childe were to be caught, they couldn't legally connect the two and Ayato and his family wouldn't have any backlash. With his and Thoma's connections, they were able to set up a last minute your of the facility to see and meet the children and see the conditions they were being raised in. With someone so important coming, and an esteemed member of the Inazuman military, they would spare no effort to make sure it went flawlessly and the staff would be distracted for the day. It was a perfect cover for Childe to be able to slip inside the facility and explore to see if Zhongli was there.

It was a long drive into Northern Snezhnayan City and the two spent most of the time going back and forth on the plan while Thoma drove. Once they were close enough to the Orphanage, Childe got out of the car to walk the last leg of the journey. This way when Thoma and Ayato arrived, Childe wouldn't be spotted with them. It was a cold trek, but it was nothing Childe wasn't used to growing up here. He had bundled up for the journey, pushing through the snowy forest. Finally he reached the facility, just in time to see Ayato slip inside the building. After a few minutes, the lights on the cameras blinked as Ayato hopefully set them to loop. The watch Childe had been given flashed once, his signal he was safe to go inside.

After checking to make sure no one was in line of sight, Childe made a dash for the house, slipping inside through a cracked open door. He lowered his hood once he was inside so nothing was obscuring his view. He had been here many times before during his time as a Harbinger and so he followed the all too familiar path to The Knave's office. He stopped short, dipping into an empty room when he heard Ayato talking with The Knave. After a minute the three passed by and Childe was able to slip out of the room and slip into The Knaves Office. It was far too quiet in the office as Childe looked around, pulled books out of the shelves, checking for secret entrances and trap doors. No matter what he pressed or what book he pulled out, nothing opened a door and Childe was left without answers. 

He quickly left the office again making sure everything was in order so The Knave didn't know someone had searched it before leaving to check the rest of the Orphanage. He stayed out of the areas the kids were in, The Knave would be smarter than that in the long run, but still he found nothing. With a heavy heart, he slipped out the back of the building, tapping on his watch once to send a signal to Ayato that he came up empty. Once outside, Childe caught sight of a hooded figure, crossing across the backyard, leaving from a rundown shed that looked like it should have been demolished a long time ago. The figure disappeared into the forest instead of heading to the house and Childe was glad, at the very least, he hadn't been seen. 

In a last ditch effort, Childe moved to the shed, stepping inside. Not far inside there was a wooden door on the ground that when Childe opened, he found a staircase. Childe took the stairs two at a time, practically running down them. At the bottom was a metal door, which Childe pulled open. It was unlocked, but given it was out of the way and not meant to be seen there was no reason to lock it. 

Sitting inside, passed out where he was chained to the wall, was a bruised and bloody Zhongli. Patches of skin was peeled off of his arms and legs, there were a few other fingers missing as well, aside from pinky that had been sent to Childe. Patches of his long brown hair were missing and Zhongli was shivering, turning away from the light. Childe immediately tapped quickly on his watch as much as he could to signal Ayato that he had found Zhongli as he moved over to him, kneeling next to him. He scooped the broken man into his arms, pulling tools out of his pockets as he tried to pick the chains trapping Zhongli. 

Zhongli managed to pry open one of his eyes, glancing up at his savior. Relief washed over him. "Ajax?" Zhongli said weakly. 

"Don't worry, I've got you Li." Childe said softly.

"Well, well, well, seems like we have a rat problem in here." A voice from behind said, scowling as he watched the two. 

Childe set Zhongli back down, turning around to face their company. Scaramouche stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he watched the traitor. Child smirked at him. "Would you look at that, you're actually working for once." Childe hummed. 

"Well, when I get to drag backa traitor then of course I'm going to do my part." Scaramouche beamed. "I didn't become number six for nothing." Scaramouche reminded him. He stopped short when a gun pressed to his back. 

"Too bad you won't be getting anymore promotions kid. Though perhaps you'll hit your growth spurt in prison. You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Liyue Archon, Morax. You and your friend The Knave will be coming back to Mondstandt City with us for further interrogation." Kaeya smirked as Scaramouche raised his hands over his head. "Here Childe, I think you'll need these." Kaeya said as he tossed Childe the keys. 

"When did you get here?" Childe asked in shock. 

"Barbados and Ayato had me following, just in case he was in fact found. Safer that way in the long run. I've already contacted him and Jean. Medical in on the way to get him out. Ayato is taking The Knave into custody at the moment." Kaeya explained as Childe freed Zhongli, lifting him into his arms. 

Zhongli weakly held onto Childe's shirt as he carried him out of the room he had been trapped in for a few days now. "The boys? Are they okay?" Zhongli asked, his voice raspy. 

"They are safe, they are with their Uncle Barbados, just as we planned." Childe assured him as Ayato ran over to them, relieved to see his brother safe now. 

"Thank the Archons, you've got him." Ayato said as he stopped in front of the men. 

"Yeah, I've got him here. Kaeya said medical is on the way, he just needs to last that long." Childe assured the worried brother. 

"Right. I'm just glad he is safe now." Ayato nodded, ushering the two over to the warmth of the car where Zhongli would be safe and out of the cold while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.