A Dangerous Game (Krel x Reader)

~22~

A/n: So, I learned that Costas is a sergeant, but at the moment, I'm way too lazy to go change all the 'lieutenants' to sergeant, and I didn't want to switch from saying lieutenant to sergeant halfway through the chapter, so until I go through to edit this, he's now a lieutenant.

The royals and Morando both knew where Gaylen's core was. (Y/n) had dismissed herself when Mother had showed up in the body of an Omen, heading back up to the regeneration chamber to help Morando.

Now she was back in Area 49B, helping prep the Omens to march into 'Trollmarket' to retrieve Gaylen's core. She would not be going as she didn't want to face the royals again, especially after Krel hadn't said a word to her, refusing to even look in her direction while she helped him. She shook her head. What was she expecting? A thank you? 

"Uh, Assassin (Y/n)?" She looked down at the human lieutenant as he stepped up to her and she looked questioningly down at him. "Once Morando has left, can I...talk to you?" 

"I don't like talking to inferiors," she replied, turning her head up as Morando clenched his hand into a fist and the Omens marched out of the hangar to follow him. 

"Be ready for my return!" he called back. "For when I do return, it will be with Gaylen's core!" And then he was gone, the Omens' pedesteps fading a moment later. The lieutenant tapped (Y/n)'s arm again. She huffed angrily and looked down at him. 

"What?" 

"Are you...are you still with him?" 

"Of course. Why would you question me?" 

"Because I see the way you look at the royals. At...Krel." She narrowed her eyes, wondering if she was really that obvious. She reached for her serrator but he stopped her. "I'm on your side, okay? Kubritz has lost it and Morando is full on crazy! If you're going to side with the royals, I'm in." 

(Y/n) looked off to the side, sighing. "I don't know whose side I'm on," she murmured. "Because now that they royals know who I am, that I betrayed them and tried to kill them, will things just go back to the way they were on Akiridion-5? Where they don't pay attention to me?" She hugged herself, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears fell down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do." 

"Wouldn't it be better...if you sided with the royals?" the lieutenant inquired softly. She looked over at him. "I understand your fears, but wouldn't it be worse to side with Morando? As soon as he's done with you, he'll toss you aside, maybe even kill you. I've seen the way he works. He only cares about himself." 

"Sometimes I feel like it's better to side with someone who at least pretends to care about me rather than to side with someone who doesn't care about me at all." 

"But what about Krel?" 

"What about him?" 

"I know he cares. So does Aja. And isn't your mother on their side?" 

"My mother can't stand traitors. She'll probably never speak to me again." 

"Or will she be joyous that her daughter made the right choice?" 

"Look, lieutenant. I'll tell you my little secret. I'm going to help the royals until this is over. Maybe I can earn their trust again. But if I can't, what will all of this have been for? I will have lost everything." 

"You won't," the lieutenant said, smiling genuinely up at her. She tilted her head slightly, then looked away. 

"I hope you're right," she muttered. "Because I really don't want to lose everything." 

~

Morando did return with Gaylen's core. The lieutenant and (Y/n) shared a glance. This meant the royals had either not gotten there in time, or Morando had beaten or worse killed them to get it. 

"We have to find them," the lieutenant, Costas, as she'd learned, said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the exit of the hangar. "Morando has to integrate himself with the core, which means he'll be vulnerable. The royals have to know!" 

She didn't argue, switching to human form as they ran out onto the streets, heading straight to Stuart's Electronics. The Durian would know where the royals were, however, getting him to tell the two traitors would be a bit harder. 

(Y/n) pushed the door open, allowing Costas into the store first before following behind. Stuart peered over the railing, his eyes widening upon seeing Costas and before he could react to the assassin, he ducked down with a terrified squeak. 

"I don't know where they are!" he cried. "Leave me alone!" 

"Stuart, relax," (Y/n) said. "We're not here to hurt you." The Durian popped back up, his eyes narrowing upon spotting her. 

"You," he snarled. "Get out of my store or I'll chase you out, you backstabbing traitor!" She sighed, looking over at Costas, who shrugged. 

"Please," she said. "We need to talk to the royals." 

"And set a trap so Morando can squish them? No thank you!" 

"Stuart, on my honor and my life, I promise I'm trying to help the royals." Stuart peered suspiciously down at her and she stared up at him pleadingly. "If it's the last thing I do, I want to die protecting them." 

"Alright, alright," Stuart said, coming down the stairs to stand in front of them. "They're actually...." The door opened, ringing the bell above it and (Y/n) and Costas turned around to come face to face with Toby, Vex, Aja, and Krel. 

"(Y/n)?" Krel asked, his voice wary. His eyes flicked over to Costas, who gave a small wave. Varvatos shoved his way past them, grabbing both traitors and clashing them together before throwing them against the front desk. Stuart squeaked, scrambling away. 

"What business do you have being here?" Vex growled, focusing mainly on (Y/n). In defense mode, she shifted back to her Akiridion form, rubbing her head from where she'd hit Costas. 

"Varvatos, back down," Krel said, placing two of four arms on Varvatos' own larger arm. "She helped us buy enough time to get the location of Gaylen's core. What's to say she won't help us again? She wasn't wrong." (Y/n) stared up at the King-in-Waiting, though he didn't look down at her. Vex, however, stared her down until she squirmed uncomfortably. He huffed and stepped back, allowing the pair to stand. 

"What do you want?" Aja asked in a low, quiet voice. (Y/n) noticed her serrator in one of her hands and knew that if she made one wrong move, the Queen-in-Waiting wouldn't hesitate to shoot her. 

"Morando has Gaylen's core," Costas put in. 

"No duh, we knew that," Toby hissed. 

"But he has to merge with it," (Y/n) added. "The process could take several hours, and during that time, he's vulnerable. Now would be your time to strike." 

"Except that Kubritz has also been sent to draw you out and kill you," Costas finished. 

"How is she going to draw us out?" Aja demanded. At that moment, Krel's phone started ringing and he stepped off to the side, whispering into it. Then he straightened and turned back to the group. 

"I know how Kubritz is going to draw us out."