A/N: Written for

The Drabblechap Competition
The Mega-Prompts Challenge, dialogue prompt #18 – "You make it sound like a bad thing."
The Battle Spirit Challenge, Sukamon vs. Agumon, match 1

Prompts used in this chapter (from the Battle Spirit Challenge): girl, feeble, waste, lazy, defective, unbecoming

shadow spirit
1.

'That's pretty pathetic,' Puck voices, as Subaru drags himself up into a sitting position.

His back still stings, like the punk's knife is still wedged in it. Maybe it is. He runs a hand over it to be sure.

It isn't. There's no wound there, either. And no blood. His hand comes away empty and clean.

'Stabbed by a group of hooligans and not even having anything of value for them to take.'

'Puck,' Subaru groans – and then does a double-take. Puck is there without Satella – or not-Satella. 'Where is –?'

'I thought so,' the cat-spirit hums, flying closer. 'You smell faintly of the witch, now. I didn't notice that before.'

'Witch?' Subaru echoes. 'You mean the Satella that's not your mistress?'

Puck frowned. 'That's horrible taste, you know, to call Lia by that name.'

'She's the one who introduced herself like that!' Subaru protests – but that's not quite true anymore, is it? That was two lives ago. Or rather, he'd died twice and almost a third time since then.

'Did she?' Puck asks aloud. 'When was that?'

'Uhh…'

Puck crosses his arms. 'It'd be in your best interests, to tell the truth… and then I'll decide if you're a threat to Lia or not.'

'I'm not a threat!' Subaru protests. 'I want to save her.' But to explain… 'But this is going to sound pretty crazy, you know, the whole dy –'

He chokes on his words. A black hand comes out from the growing shadows and wraps around his throat.

'That's no good.' And then the hand is gone and Puck is back, humming. 'So Satella has taken an interest in you, has she? An odd and inept human like you.'

The cat-spirit floats around his head thoughtfully, examining him.

'That explains the scent, at least.'

'Satella,' Subaru repeats faintly when, at last, his voice returns. 'The witch, Satella? She's the one who did this?'

'But it's no good,' Puck sighs, 'if you're going to just die in an alleyway without even saving Lia. You need to work harder.'

'I know that,' Subaru sighs, relaxing now that Puck as at least decided he's not a threat. 'But I'm a pretty useless human being, you know.'

'Shameless,' the cat-spirit yawns, 'to admit that so casually.'

Yeah, Subaru agrees. Shameless. Saved by a cat and still useless.

'It might suit Satella to give you endless chances, but you'll make Lia sad.'

'Make her sad?' he echoes. Maybe… if she hadn't worried for him, hadn't followed him into the warehouse and died as well…

Puck suddenly pats him on the back, right where he'd been stabbed. 'You'll just have to do well with this life, then. Good luck…' He trails off, waiting for a name.

'Subaru,' he says dully. So he is out of chances. Can he really do it? Or is he going to die once and for all without having saved anyone?

'Su-ba-ru,' the cat-spirit repeats.