Work Text:
Jedediah was exhausted, the museum was silent, everyone was still mourning the loss of Octavius, they remembered what happened to him, the fire that had burned him, and since Jedediah was not only close to Octavius, but his partner, he was made in charge of the rome diorama as well.
Jedediah: I'm so tired………..
The rome soldiers had to look at jedediah as their new leader until something else can be done, but they can tell that it was stressful for jedediah to handle, but even many of them were getting tired of this, some more than others.
Jedediah:’thinks’how the hell did he handle this?
One day, Jedediah was in the small area, checking to make sure they had supplies and if they didn’t, to tell Larry what was needed.
Valerius: jedediah.
Jedediah: valerius.
Valerius: How are the supplies?
Jedediah: still enough for tonight, but you should return to your posts, and to check up on the others in case they need something.
Valerius: Actually, I wanted to see you.
Then he starts to walk closer to jedediah.
Jedediah: what-
Before he could do anything, two more soldiers appear and grab his arms, then they pin them behind his back, valerius picks up jedediah’s weapons and throws it behind him, a thud is heard when it hits the ground.
Jedediah: let go of me! Let go of me! I hope you remember i’m the temporary leader, and octy won’t like this if-
Valerius: wake up, jedediah, octavius is gone, he’s gone, he’s dust now, he got burned alive, no one would have survived us.
Jedediah: but-
Valerius: And we may be figurines, but we can still get hurt, do you even understand the amount of pain he was in?!
Jedediah: You have no right to do this!
Valerius: But our blood does, but you? You’re a cowboy, a foreigner, a toy our emperor found interesting for way too long.
Then the two soldiers slam him against one of the pillars, jedediah winces in pain as valerius leans closer to him.
Valierus: You think that because you share a bed with our emperor, it means you share his throne as well? The only reason you were ever given this position was because he favored you for some reason, reasons I still can’t wrap my head around, I don't even know what he sees in you at all.
Jedediah: My relationship with Octavius has nothing to do with me being leader, it kinda does, but this is temporary, I'm keeping the peace until he returns.
Valerius: peace? Peace?! There is no peace without strength, and you’re weak, you’re too tired, and you’re no roman.
Then he backhands Jedediah, who spits out blood.
Jedediah:’shaking and looks up’
Valerius: We refuse to keep letting a foreigner rule our diorama, a foreigner who warms the Emperor’s bed, and I refuse to be shamed by the sight of a man who slept with our emperor and still kept his favor.
Jedediah:’spits on valerius sandal’then fight me like a man, but you’re not speaking with honor, you’re speaking with hatred.
Valerius: This isn’t just a duel, we have a plan.
Jedediah: What?
Valerius: You see, while you have been playing emperor, you forgot those little ones, augustus, julia, and tiberius.
Jedediah froze, they had been back as little kids, reborn, some memories remained, new ones were made, and they all loved jedediah, he had even gotten a shirt where he was the dad that stepped up, no one had a single idea when we got that shirt, but that was besides the point, Valerius was talking about them.
Valerius: it would be a shame if something were to happen to them, you clearly aren’t the best influence on them.
Jedediah: leave them out of this.
Valerius:’grabs his face harshly’
Jedediah: Don't you dare hurt them, they’re just children, they have nothing to do with this, it’s me you're pissed at.
Valerius: I am.
Then he kicks jedediah to the ground and stomps on his chest, grinning as jedediah cries in pain, the two other soldiers just grin at the scene, jedediah feels tears streaming down his face, he looks at them.
Valerius: if you want to keep them safe.
Then he kneels down and leans close to him.
Valerius: Then beg, I want to see our “temporary” emperor beg, if you beg enough, then we might leave those kids alone.
Jedediah:..............
Valerius: Well, anything you want to say?
Jedediah: please, take me, do whatever you want to me, hell, you can kill me if it keeps you and the others satisfied.
Then he looks up, blood drips down his mouth.
Jedediah: But leave the kids out of this, they are Octavius’s children, they have been given the chance to have a better life, a better future, I've already lived long enough, and I know the others will take good care of them.
Valerius:............
Jedediah:’think’d-did it work?
Valerius: You beg so well it’s pathetic.
Jedediah: It's not for me, it’s for them, I don't care what the hell you do to me, just leave our kids out of it.
Valerius:..........very well, they will be spared for now, i swear by mars, and no, not the damn squirrel octavius kept and named.
Jedediah:’sighs in relief’
Then he gets kicked to a pillar, jedediah coughs up some blood and it drips down his mouth, he winces in pain.
Valerius: We'll leave you there for a bit longer.
Then they laugh and walk away from the cowboy, but then Valerius stops, he turns to look at Jedediah, who is panting in pain.
Valerius: if Octavius ever turns, he will find a true roman running things, not some cowboy he has sex with, and if you try to fight us for a throne you never wanted, then the children will pay the price, we will make them experience what Octavius went through, and they will blame you for not doing anything to keep them safe.
Jedediah: You're a monster.
Valerius: I'm a Roman, and you’re from a whole other era, you have no idea how things work for us, or how we do things, and a reminder, cowboy, no matter what anyone says, you're no emperor.
Then they leave, jedediah slowly forces himself to sit up, then rubs his wrists against the pillar, and in minutes, the ropes rip off.
Jedediah:’rubs his wrists’
Then he slowly stands up and wipes the blood off of his mouth, he stumbles to a seat and lays down on it.
Jedediah: I hate this…………
Meanwhile, a star was staring at Jedediah, who wished he still had arms to hug jedediah and tell him that everything was going to be ok.