No but you know what you be really fucked up should it happen?
Lygus and/or Irontomb brainwashing Phainon and forcing him to fight for him. Just think about it.
Let's just say we're in an AU where the Trailblazer managed to come pretty close to fully defeating Lygus and preventing the rise of Irontomb with the help of the other Chrysos Heirs (who do remember the previous cycles bc plot), but Phainon somehow managed to not erase himself from the world like he did in canon. And as a last hail mary Lygus decides to basically pull a fast one on all of Amphoreus and set their own Deliverer against them.
How did he do it? No idea. Maybe he tampered with Phainon's code or with his memories, making him think his friends are his enemies or something. What's really important is the melodrama of everyone being forced to fight Phainon. A Phainon who is NOT pulling any punches and very much IS out for their blood.
One can only imagine how Mydei must feel dealing with that. Do you think brainwashed!Phainon would be able to beat/kill Mydei in this situation? Do you think Mydei would allow himself to be killed, unwilling to harm his lover? Or would he try to subdue Phainon? Perhabs try to break through to him in some way?
(also rly sorry If I'm being annoying with these very long and specific asks!!! Again, you're more than free to ignore them!!!)
First of all, keep the asks coming! I love them! People's interactions make me unbelievably happy when they come with ideas to play with! Reblogs that add to my post, asks talking about your own ideas, comments with thoughts... All welcome and wanted!
Now to the idea. Believe me, I've considered it, so let me write you down a drabble sized idea I've come up with... (it's a bit messy, but it's Tumblr so forgive me 😅♥️)
Whatever the MacGuffin reason is, I'm picturing a battle in a big play field. Not a closed arena, but a big area where they can actually be strategic and back off. Maybe an unfinished, glitchy, simulated area with hiding spots, shifting ground level, all dark..., the works.
And the moment brainwashed!Phainon launches himself against them it's an all out war on all fronts. Brainwashed!Phainon would be going for the kill with no mercy, because whatever is happening has either driven him crazy, trapped him in his own body, or changed his memories. And, even if no one wants to kill him, they are ready to do what they must. What other option do they have?
For the very first moment he goes after the weakest of the group. Immediately, Aglaea orders Cipher to take them away from the battlefield immediately. With that we have Aglaea, Mydei, Castorice and Polux, and Hysilens on the front line, covering for Cipher as she takes Tribbie, Anaxa, Hyacine and Cerydra away (I'm going to ignore Cyrene, because until we have more on her I don't feel comfortable adding her into these scenarios).
The four try their best to subdue bw(brainwashed)!Phainon, or at least figure out if he's even rational inside. It's all for nothing, though. Overwhelming him with numbers doesn't seem to help, and for some reason he seems innately familiar with their surroundings.
At some point they have a close call with Aglaea almost getting stabbed, but Mydei took the hit for her at the last minute. It's then that they all silently agree that a retreat is in order.
Castorice orders Polux to charge against him, landing a brutal blow and throwing bw!Phainon far away. Which gives them the perfect window of time to run away.
By the time bw!Phainon so he gets up, slowly and painfully, he's lost their trail. He goes back to the area they were fighting at, and goes to find them. It will take time, but he's got all the time in the world. He's a tracking dog, after all, in his puppet numbness knows they can never run forever.
Back to the others, they are far away and resting by the time bw!Phainon is remotely close to the battle ground. Hyacine is tending all wounds she can as quickly as she can, Cipher is keeping watch, Tribbie is aiding where she can, Anaxa is trying to figure out just how gone Phainon was...
They are all shaken, but decide to pour it into being productive. Aglaea approaches Cerydra, and they start sharing thoughts and observations to make a strategy. Hysilens goes to join Cipher. Castorice sits down aside to gather her thoughts.
Meanwhile, Mydei doesn't even sit down. He stays with his arms crossed, expression unreadable, tense. Stone cold looking.
They all allow themselves some form of unsureness, but him? The moment his brain understood the situation, it forced Mydei into a state of stillness.
He knows if he lets go of the solder mask, if for a moment he remembers bw!Phainon as anything but the threat he is now, he is going to hesitate later or break now, and no one cannot afford that.
And of course everyone notices it. Everyone knows. So they let him be. Even if they see how he has just bruised himself by accident from how hard he's gripping over his own skin, even if he barely acknowledged Hyacine when she approached him to help heal the deep cut from protecting Aglaea. They let him be.
They all love and adore Phainon. They all would die for him. But no one there sees him as their future or what they want most in life, no one was looking forward to sharing a life with him nor have their happiness intimately tied to Phainon. So they cannot blame him for looking like he's going to implode from what might be anger or something closer to grief.
Finally, they come up with a solid plan. The key points being to get bw!Phainon into a situation where Aglaea can trap him with her threads, knock him unconscious, and Anaxa and Hyacine will try to fix whatever is going on. If that doesn't happen... Hysilens was going to agree to kill him, but Mydei steps in and, in a firm tone that didn't quite belong to him, informs them that if they must kill him, he will be the one to do it.
(Here is where I introduce a small world building headcanon I have: In Kremnos there's a culture of loyalty that is near brutal. With a mindset that, were one's loved ones oppose you in battle of unreconcilable stances, you are not to spare them but rather prioritise their kill.
If turned mad (literally or metaphorically) to the point they turn their backs to everything they stood for and even fight against it, you must kill them as a mercy to their past self. As a show of your unwavering loyalty to the version that is long gone and was "killed" by the madness.
The death must be quick and painless, otherwise it's a show of contempt and hatred instead of one last act of love and clemency.)
Back to the narrative, Cipher comes running eventually, telling them bw!Phainon is getting closer and will be here in no time.
So they get ready to fight, this time with the advantage of strategy.
The main players are the same as before, except this time Anaxa helps by messing with the surrounding area to disorient bw!Phainon, Hyacine keeps giving them strength and healing from a safe distance, and Cipher is making sure to keep things interesting.
Eventually, they get him exactly where they wanted, and Aglaea can use her threads to effectively tie him down and neutralise him. He fights like an caged animal, trying to kill them, but cannot move with Aglaea keeping him trapped.
With Mydei and Hysilens as their bodyguards, Anaxa and Hyacine approach him. And after a lot of observation and prodding, they find a way to fix it. Probably some form of alchemy, so Hyacine helps Anaxa create some mad scientist fix, and they apply it.
Whatever it is, it's painful. Maybe they are forcibly purging some malignant code, or unlocking the memories that had been tampered with and messed with.
In any case, Phainon screams and looks like he's suffering. Most look away, unable to witness that. Castorice steps away with Tribbie.
At some point, minutes of long torture after, Phainon suddenly stops, goes rigid, and then falls limp.
Once Aglaea gets Hyacine and Anaxa's approval, she removes the golden threads, and Phainon falls to the floor with a thud.
Hysilens picks up his body and dutifully throws it over her shoulder before anyone can say anything, and they go back to a safe area to rest before figuring out how to get out.
As soon as they are there, all tension officially dies. Phainon is safe, they are safe, and all they need to do is get out. The worst is over.
Everyone would finally break in their own ways. Maybe from stress, or relief. Some would just sit down and let tension die, others go hug the friend they have the closest.
Mydei? He's still standing amongst the chaos, unable to let go of the right grip he has his emotions in. His eyes, hard and cold, are on Phainon's subdued figure. He's unconscious, weak, suffering, hurt... Doesn't even look dangerous anymore.
Hyacine had made sure Phainon was resting comfortably on the floor, in a position that didn't hurt, and even used her own coat to create a makeshift pillow.
Steps heavy, Mydei approaches him, kneels down and stares at him, expression still firm before reaching out to touch his face. Then something in him breaks. He sits on the floor, takes Phainon's unconscious body, holds it closer, cradling it so gently.
"It's okay," he whispers. If it's to himself or to Phainon he doesn't know. "It's okay now. You are okay. I'm going to take care of you. It's over."
And he just stays like that, holding Phainon close, who according to Anaxa might not wake up for a long, long time. But at least he's safe in his arms now.
(You said sorry for the long ask, I gave you an even longer answer ;>)
