A Living Hell, 08, LaGuards
Title: A Living Hell
Fandom: Original
Characters: Tyler, Aaron
Prompt: 8. Blood is thicker than water
Word Count: 1,044
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: Tyler has commited the ultimate crime -- and only his father can save him.
Table: here
Aaron is busy muttering curses under his breath as he heads to the lowest levels of the dungeons. He had known that Tyler had foolishly joined with Charon (for a day, a day!), but when he got the word that his son had been captured by his own guards…
He trips, stumbles. Glancing over, he realizes that he fell over a pile of bones; the dust from them gently floats to the ground.
Aaron grimaces, before pressing forward, and chewing on his bottom lip.
When he had gotten the word, his other two children had simply stared at him in disbelief. Aura cursed as well, and went to fetch her father his sword, but Ethan simply sat there. Even when the children’s mother tried to convince them it would be alright, he had given her a blank stare, and replied “How do you know?”
Aaron shudders, in an attempt to push the memory from his mind. What he has to do now…
Oh, how he doesn’t wish to go any farther down these steps. He can already hear the screams coming from his son, and he knows if he falters now, he’ll never be able to do it.
He inhales, exhales, and presses onward.
--
And his son is a sight to behold. Clothing in shreds, his face covered in streaks of mud, grime, and other horrid things, and his hair (his pride and joy, Tyler used to joke), is haphazardly covering his face.
Aaron doesn’t notice any of this. It’s the boy’s expression that forces him to stop.
Tyler isn’t even struggling - in fact, he’s pleading with the guards, tears streaming down his face, sobs racking his body as he grabs onto their cloaks. “I’m sorry!” He screams, his eyes wide and full of fear. “I was stupid, but I would have never hurt Mom! Please, don’t lock me in there!”
“There” is a dungeon devised by the entire family. After they had saved their uncle from another dungeon for a crime he did not commit, he told them horrifying tales of how he was locked away for years in a purely white room, where no sound reverberated. Their uncle had only to begin to go insane; those normally locked in there normally went crazy and killed themselves.
Granted, this dungeon that they had devised was at least ten times worse. Aaron gave another glance over to his once proud son, now reduced to begging for his sanity, before clearing his throat.
One of the guards glances over to him, his expression carefully hidden by the cloak he wore. “What.”
It was not a question, Aaron notes, as he steps forward. “My son. Release him.”
Another guard moves in front of Tyler, as the boy turns around, his eyes wide. “Dad…Daddy!”
Aaron feels a lump rise in his throat. Tyler normally would refuse to ever call him such a name. For him to must mean that the guards had made their decision.
Tyler rambles, in a mixture of sobs and laughs. “Oh Daddy…I’m sorry! I…I didn’t… I would never hurt Mommy. Please don’t lock me up, please! I don’t want to go insane! I just want Ethan and Mommy and …” before he can finish his babbling, a guard grabs his arm, hefting him to his feet. Tyler screams (the sound of someone normally so strong, so confident, screaming nearly tears Aaron’s heart in two), and shakes his head. “No! Let me go! Please! It’s not my fault! I would have never hurt Mom! Please!”
The guards act as though they can’t hear his screams, and attempt to drag him away, when Aaron reaches the door first and keeps a firm grip on it. “Let go of my son.”
A guard gives him a blank faced, bored look. “He sided with Charon - he who wanted to kill your wife. She is the leader of our people. Even if this vermin,” the man jerks on Tyler’s collar (or what’s left of it), and Tyler shakes his head more viciously and screams again. “Is your son, we must deal with the consequences…”
“I’ll do it.” The guards give Aaron a strange look - he wishes he hadn’t said that - but he stands firm. “I can deal with my son’s consequences.”
The guard raises an eyebrow (or so he thinks. Those cloaks are deceiving). “You’ll make sure he suffers the same fate that would be suffered in here?”
“No,” Aaron admits, shaking his head. “He is my son. I want him to suffer nothing.”
The guard shrugs. “No matter.” And signals to the others to continue on.
Aaron sighs, and unsheathes his sword. He did not wish to raise a finger against these guards, but this was for his son and his son’s future. And right about now, he would do anything to protect him.
The guard notes Aaron’s sword, and looks him in the eyes. “You’d fight us?”
“I would wish to not, but… if I must, than I must.”
Tyler is suddenly thrown onto the ground, a heap of sobbing mess. All of the guards disperse, leaving behind the apparent leader of the group, who shrugs. “If he puts one toe out of line,” the man gestures down to the sniffling boy. “We put him, and you, in the maximum detention.”
“Understood.” Aaron nods, and the guard disappears.
One he has gone, Aaron drops to his knees, and scoops his son into his arms, holding the boy tight. Tyler gives a sniff, but rests his head on his father’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dad…” He mumbles, almost embarrassed at how childish he acted.
“You’re lucky Ethan was able to hack into the mainframe and find out where you were,” Aaron gives a soft laugh, though it comes out more like a strangled sob. “I think we would’ve all missed our Tyler if he were to disappear.”
Tyler glanced down to the ground, before shakes his head. “I’m sorry… I… was scared. I don’t even know why I joined Charon! But… being in there…” he glances back to the opening of the dungeon, and shivers, holding his father tighter. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Aaron simply smiles, and kisses his son’s head, as Tyler continues thanking him, the boy’s tears leaking onto his shirt.
Fandom: Original
Characters: Tyler, Aaron
Prompt: 8. Blood is thicker than water
Word Count: 1,044
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: Tyler has commited the ultimate crime -- and only his father can save him.
Table: here
Aaron is busy muttering curses under his breath as he heads to the lowest levels of the dungeons. He had known that Tyler had foolishly joined with Charon (for a day, a day!), but when he got the word that his son had been captured by his own guards…
He trips, stumbles. Glancing over, he realizes that he fell over a pile of bones; the dust from them gently floats to the ground.
Aaron grimaces, before pressing forward, and chewing on his bottom lip.
When he had gotten the word, his other two children had simply stared at him in disbelief. Aura cursed as well, and went to fetch her father his sword, but Ethan simply sat there. Even when the children’s mother tried to convince them it would be alright, he had given her a blank stare, and replied “How do you know?”
Aaron shudders, in an attempt to push the memory from his mind. What he has to do now…
Oh, how he doesn’t wish to go any farther down these steps. He can already hear the screams coming from his son, and he knows if he falters now, he’ll never be able to do it.
He inhales, exhales, and presses onward.
--
And his son is a sight to behold. Clothing in shreds, his face covered in streaks of mud, grime, and other horrid things, and his hair (his pride and joy, Tyler used to joke), is haphazardly covering his face.
Aaron doesn’t notice any of this. It’s the boy’s expression that forces him to stop.
Tyler isn’t even struggling - in fact, he’s pleading with the guards, tears streaming down his face, sobs racking his body as he grabs onto their cloaks. “I’m sorry!” He screams, his eyes wide and full of fear. “I was stupid, but I would have never hurt Mom! Please, don’t lock me in there!”
“There” is a dungeon devised by the entire family. After they had saved their uncle from another dungeon for a crime he did not commit, he told them horrifying tales of how he was locked away for years in a purely white room, where no sound reverberated. Their uncle had only to begin to go insane; those normally locked in there normally went crazy and killed themselves.
Granted, this dungeon that they had devised was at least ten times worse. Aaron gave another glance over to his once proud son, now reduced to begging for his sanity, before clearing his throat.
One of the guards glances over to him, his expression carefully hidden by the cloak he wore. “What.”
It was not a question, Aaron notes, as he steps forward. “My son. Release him.”
Another guard moves in front of Tyler, as the boy turns around, his eyes wide. “Dad…Daddy!”
Aaron feels a lump rise in his throat. Tyler normally would refuse to ever call him such a name. For him to must mean that the guards had made their decision.
Tyler rambles, in a mixture of sobs and laughs. “Oh Daddy…I’m sorry! I…I didn’t… I would never hurt Mommy. Please don’t lock me up, please! I don’t want to go insane! I just want Ethan and Mommy and …” before he can finish his babbling, a guard grabs his arm, hefting him to his feet. Tyler screams (the sound of someone normally so strong, so confident, screaming nearly tears Aaron’s heart in two), and shakes his head. “No! Let me go! Please! It’s not my fault! I would have never hurt Mom! Please!”
The guards act as though they can’t hear his screams, and attempt to drag him away, when Aaron reaches the door first and keeps a firm grip on it. “Let go of my son.”
A guard gives him a blank faced, bored look. “He sided with Charon - he who wanted to kill your wife. She is the leader of our people. Even if this vermin,” the man jerks on Tyler’s collar (or what’s left of it), and Tyler shakes his head more viciously and screams again. “Is your son, we must deal with the consequences…”
“I’ll do it.” The guards give Aaron a strange look - he wishes he hadn’t said that - but he stands firm. “I can deal with my son’s consequences.”
The guard raises an eyebrow (or so he thinks. Those cloaks are deceiving). “You’ll make sure he suffers the same fate that would be suffered in here?”
“No,” Aaron admits, shaking his head. “He is my son. I want him to suffer nothing.”
The guard shrugs. “No matter.” And signals to the others to continue on.
Aaron sighs, and unsheathes his sword. He did not wish to raise a finger against these guards, but this was for his son and his son’s future. And right about now, he would do anything to protect him.
The guard notes Aaron’s sword, and looks him in the eyes. “You’d fight us?”
“I would wish to not, but… if I must, than I must.”
Tyler is suddenly thrown onto the ground, a heap of sobbing mess. All of the guards disperse, leaving behind the apparent leader of the group, who shrugs. “If he puts one toe out of line,” the man gestures down to the sniffling boy. “We put him, and you, in the maximum detention.”
“Understood.” Aaron nods, and the guard disappears.
One he has gone, Aaron drops to his knees, and scoops his son into his arms, holding the boy tight. Tyler gives a sniff, but rests his head on his father’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dad…” He mumbles, almost embarrassed at how childish he acted.
“You’re lucky Ethan was able to hack into the mainframe and find out where you were,” Aaron gives a soft laugh, though it comes out more like a strangled sob. “I think we would’ve all missed our Tyler if he were to disappear.”
Tyler glanced down to the ground, before shakes his head. “I’m sorry… I… was scared. I don’t even know why I joined Charon! But… being in there…” he glances back to the opening of the dungeon, and shivers, holding his father tighter. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Aaron simply smiles, and kisses his son’s head, as Tyler continues thanking him, the boy’s tears leaking onto his shirt.