“Fuck,” Quick Lips muttered, slipping into the shadows once more, “there’s a bunch of the Dark One’s followers everywhere.”

Katylid, his friend of a few months in the Underground, was beside him, quiet and searching as usual. There was a strange misty sheen in her eyes, her normally composed and focused gaze altered.

“Hey, Lids, we’ll have to go a different way to avoid them,” Quick Lips sighed harshly through his nose as he creeped to the nearest alleyway, “I already know Hare is gonna be pissed when we arrive late; aggravating lad sometimes, though I love him completely.” Quick Lips paused and glanced back to where Katylid was still standing, staring. She looked at the hooded people, the Dark One’s shifting tattoo proudly exposed on their shoulders, enamored.

That couldn’t be right, though, Katylid was against the Dark One; that was what the Underground was created for.

_Hey, Lids._

Katylids turned to him, eyes wide. Quick Lips rolled his eyes. She should be used to his telepathy by now. Quick Lips transmitted an image to her mind, showcasing their new way they’d have to travel and a rather angry Hare awaiting them.

Quick Lips went towards the sewer gate, it was crooked and sideways where it caged the ground, and lifted it up. Within a blink, Katylid was beside him. Quick Lips jumped, but only that, thankfully.

Katylid gave him a look that said _You should be used to this by now_ and jumped into the dark hole. Quick Lips grinned. How ironic.

He leaped into the hole after her, pulling the gate closed with a clanking shut.

***

**How long until it will be found? How long indeed.**

****

**Oh well. I still have my loyal dog sniffing it out.**

****

***

“Ten! Ten pushups on the fucking ground right now! Or you’ll be known as Bruised Lips for the rest of your life!”

“Skies, Hare, it was only a few minutes. And I don’t think you want my lips to be like that; you do an awful lot with them,” Quick Lips held Hare at arms length as the small boy flailed his arms in an attempt to smite Quick Lips.

Quick Lips and Katylid had made it to the entertrance of the Underground City. They hadn’t thought they would see a furious Hare and an apologetic faced Queen waiting for them there.

Quick Lips gave a glance to Katylid and Queen for help. Both were to the side and did not want anything to do with Hare’s inhuman strength. They stared at him, Queen even did as much as put her hands in the air.

“Come on, Hare, cut me some slack here. There were some of the Dark One’s goons.”Quick Lips gave him a peck on the cheek and he paused for a moment. But, alas, only a moment.

“So! You could’ve killed them!” Hare’s face was red and he was frowning, but his eyes weren’t angry. They just seemed glad that Quick Lips was okay. Quick Lips smiled to himself—no pushups for him.

Katylid suddenly spoke up. “We can’t kill innocent people.”

Queen gave her a look that could slice the thick neck of a guard. Quick Lips grimaced. Wrong words, wrong words to say in Queen’s presence.

The girl’s parents and siblings had been killed by the groveling shits. All because they wouldn’t submit to the Dark One and give them Queen with all her powers. That was a topic to be broached with care with Queen’s temper. And Katylid did quite the opposite.

Queen’s face was a thunderstorm. “What the hell did you just say?” She grabbed Katylid by her collar and growled into her face. “Innocent? INNOCENT!”

Quick Lips grabbed Hare and pulled him against his chest, just in case Queen decided to blow. Katylid could teleport away in case of that. The two boys could _not_.

Katylid, who was borderlining death with her stupid words, continued. “Yes, they believe what they believe…and it isn’t wrong. The Dark One; I’ve seen him with my own eyes.”

Queen turned a violent shade a purple.

“Hare, when I say run, we run. Okay?” Hare nodded at his words, eyes frantic as he watched Queen turn darker and darker, shaking, quaking. Katylid was still in a tight grip, and she made no effort to escape. Not even teleporting yet. She was cutting it close.

Quick Lips went behind the two, dragging Hare along with him towards the bricked entrance. He knocked on it twice, followed by two short taps.

“Open this damned door, Suits!” He hissed. Hare was quiet, staring at Queen as her tremors grew.

“Oh skies, is she really gonna…?” Hare said, unbelieving.

Quick Lips gave a breath of relief as the brick door opened, rearranging the order of the chiseled rocks to create a small opening. “Good man, Suits, now close the door.” After Hare and Quick Lips had made it inside to the secret city, Suits, after a curious glance to the two girls and seeing the explosive state Queen was in, hurriedly flipped the switches to close the door.

Soon after, they heard a loud boom and the walls shook.

Katylid appeared beside them. Unfazed. No look of concern or remorse on her face.

“I’ll go pick up Queen’s peices so she can regenerate somewhere else,” Suits muttered, opening the door again to let himself outside. If Quick Lips was also quick with his mind, he would have done the same.

Hare turned furious as she went into his line of sight. Quick Lips sighed but let Hare rip. The small boy pushed Katylid in the side. “What the hell was that, Katylid?! The whole reason you’re here—the reason that it’s supposed to be—is because we stand _against_ the Dark One, not agree with his cult!” Hare gestured out to the city below them. “That’s the whole point of all this! Too many people have been hurt by his followers,” he paused, his breath turning rapid as his eyes glazed over, “Too…too many.”

Quick Lips took over. He gathered a crumbling Hare in his arms and continued with what he thought Hare was going to say. “What he means, Lids, is that even though you haven’t lost anything, you should still be respectful to other people. And keep your thoughts about the Dark One to yourself.” Quick Lips stroked Hare’s thin hair. The boy stopped shaking but was crying silently now. Tears making a slow descent down his frail face.

Quick Lips eyes narrowed and he looked back up at Katylid, who finally had an ounce of concern and regret in her eyes.

“Or I will be the one to kick you out of here—and give the final blow.”

***

_(Bleh. I know it’s loosely based on the prompt, but hang on with me for a second, mh-k. I’ll probably make part two to wrap up the prompt tomorrow. Sorry ya’ll, I was busy with my Geometry project, so yesterday was the first day I didn’t post anything! That’s a first. But I got my project done and all good!_

_Thanks for reading and have an amazing rest of your day! _💙_)_