...I mean, this has sometimes gone well? As in... Once?

Another explosion rang out across the deserted plains as a lone fighter ran past... A shout from behind. Ignored. Again. They wouldn't turn back. They wouldn't take back what they stole.

'Hawk calling in. Eyes, do you receive.' They muttered into their transceiver.

'Loud and clear, Hawk. Loud and clear... What's the mission status?'

'Mission success...' 'Hawk' stumbled, tripping into a crater, but using it to his advantage, hiding from another barrage of arrows. '...out in the plains now. Found somewhere safe for a moment...'

'Good. Well... Stay safe, ok? We don't need another rescue mission. Not after what happened before.'

'I will... Making sure the coast is clear before making a move...'

'Hawk.' Eyes repeated, tone shifting to even more serious. Hawk sighed. 'Promise me.'

'I promise...'

'Promise you'll stay safe.'

'Eyes, I promise I'll stay safe... Look the arrows have stopped, there's no more explosions... I'm going to check before showing myself.'

'Alright. But just stay safe. Canary's on the door. And Lion's waiting for you too.'

'He got back safe too?'

'Yes. Lion's safe. Now stay safe... We don't want a repeat of last time.'

Eyes hung up. Hawk let out a sigh, standing slowly, peering over the edge at the enemy base... there was no one in sight, not even using a spyglass. He was safe.

Hawk climbed out the hole, bow was in hand and stolen loot safe within a interior pocket, before sprinting out across the desert again.

Arrow fire. Instantly. Hawk's run quickened, mind racing with how it could've possibly happened... what had happened? The coast had been clear. They-

Hawk yelled, stumbling as an arrow hit their leg... run slowed to a terrified hobble. Surely the base was somewhere around here... the entrance was nearby, right? Where was Canary? Footsteps behind. They glanced back, aiming an arrow at the group of soldiers running for him, constantly limping further back.

'H...hey guys... nice evening, am I right?' Every bow aimed at them. One wrong move... 

'Give it back.' Came the growl back from the closest, face hidden by a scarf but anger clear. 'And we let you live.'

One hand itched closer to the stolen artefact. 

'Let me live or I... blow you up.' Hawk improvised. 'You do realise we planted mines...'

A signal to check. One of the fighters started scouring the ground. Hawk took another step back. 

'Give it back.'

'I mean... how do you even know I have it?'

'Stop lying to us. We know you've got the egg.'

'What egg?'

'Slay, Luna...'

The fighters either side of the one speaking moved. There was no way for Hawk to move fast enough, letting out a yell as one held their arms behind their back and the other started looking through their pockets. Hawk struggled, trying to escape as all their possessions on them were tossed away until...

'It's here.' 

The soldier pulled out the dragon egg, holding it carefully, handing it over to the soldier still on watch.

'No mines. They must've been lying.' The soldier checking reported. 

'Good... what's your name?'

The soldier turned back to Hawk, stepping closer. 

'What's your name?' They shot back. There was clearly a smile under their mask. 

'Call me the Queen of Hearts. What's your name.'

'Hawk.' Hawk replied. It didn't matter if they knew their alias. They had no way of...

Pain. The Queen of Hearts narrowed her eyes, stepping away from punching Hawk as they recovered.

'Real name.'

No reply.

'Come on Hawk. You're smarter than this. What's your name?'

'Brian.' He lied. Another punch. Harder. Hawk fought a yell as they felt their nose break, blood down their face.

'Don't. Lie.' The soldier behind pulled him back even further. The other two were aiming their bows again. 'What's your name?'

'Scar. I'm Scar.' Hawk/Scar burst out. 'Let me go. I've given you back your egg.'

'Well, Scar. Tell your leader that we don't care how many times you sneak into our base, you will NEVER find what you're looking for. And you will NEVER manage to defeat us.' 

Scar braced for another punch, instead letting out a yell as an arrow hit his shoulder. 

'Luna, you can let go of them now.'

They did, and Scar crashed to the floor, curling tighter as Luna gave one last kick for good luck before following the others away.

Constantly wincing at the sand in his cuts, Scar gathered his discarded stuff from around him, finding a helpful stick barely long enough to pull him to his feet, give him something to lean on as he hobbled on towards the base. 

From there, it really wasn't far, finding the hidden trapdoor, hitting it 4 times with the stick, waiting a moment before...

'Oh my gosh... come in, come in.' Canary's face appeared, eyes wide, helping Scar down into the base. Every step down was another wince, almost collapsing as he reached the bottom. Canary closed the exit.

'Thanks... thanks Jimmy.' Scar leant against the stone wall, taking deep breaths as...

'I TOLD YOU TO STAY SAFE!'

Scar looked up as Eyes ran into view, followed closely by Lion. 

'Grian - hey - I tried to stay safe...'

'I TOLD you- what even HAPPENED?'

'I'm sorry! I looked around! I did everyhing - Can I- sit down? - I did everything!' Jimmy brought over a chair, helping Scar sit down. 

'Scar are you ok?' 

'Yeah... yeah, Cub, I'm fine.' Scar insisted as 'Lion' pushed past Grian and Jimmy, finding bandages in his pockets.

'What happened?'

'They saw me... and... I couldn't get away. They got the egg...'

'They got it back?!' 

'There was nothing else I could've done!' Scar insisted, wincing as Cub started dabbing at the arrow wound in his shoulder, tying it up.

'I TOLD you...'

'I WAS careful! I swear I couldn't see anyone. I even used the stupid spyglass- ow!'

'So the entire mission was utterly useless. Again.'

'It wasn't my fault!'

'Grian, it wasn't his fault.' Agreed Cub. 'He did everything he could've done!'

'YOU weren't there!'

'They shot me in the leg!' Scar replied, making the mistake of raising his bleeding leg to show everyone. 'They held me back- I couldn't fight them! They got the egg and... and they wouldn't leave until I told them my name...'

'You did WHAT?!'

'They would've killed me Grian!' Snapped Scar, fighting tears. 'There was nothing else I could've done!'

For a moment Grian was silent, just pacing. 

'You know how important this is to me...'

'And it isn't important to me?!' Scar retorted. 'You do remember they did this to MY home too?'

'Scar... it's ok...'

'You do realise we've ALL lost everything? It's not just you!' 

'Scar, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that...'

'You do REMEMBER where we still are?'

'Scar...'

'THIS IS STILL HERMITCRAFT.'

...Huh. I guess this does work still

The ending came all of it's own accord