Hand in Hand (part nine)
@whumptober No. 15: "I'm Fine"
cw: broken bones, gun mention
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Of all the things Jin expects to find while raiding a Riot Kings' base, Melchior is not one of them.
Especially not a Melchior who's chained to a bed.
When Jin kicks the door in, gun drawn, ready to make contact, he's met with a sharp rattling sound as the leader of the Riot Kings is startled awake.
At first, neither of them speak. It's not exactly the kind of situation you'd have a speech prepared for. Jin keeps his gun level, if only out of habit, as he takes in the full scene. Melchior's sunken cheeks, the dark half-moons under his eyes, the old bruises peeking out wherever there's exposed skin. He's wearing the usual crimson suit, but it's torn and rumpled, and his gaze seems like it's been blunted somehow, like a knife used to chop rocks. He looks half-dead, for lack of a better term.
What the actual fuck is going on here?
There's always the possibility that this is an elaborate trap, but it seems out of left-field, even for Melchior. Why chain yourself down and play a prisoner when the rest of your men are retreating, leaving you behind?
Melchior is the first to break the silence.
"Y-you're with the Fleet," he says, in a voice hoarse and tired. It isn't a question, but Jin nods.
The next words out of his mouth catch Jin even more off guard.
"Arrest me. Please."