“So, what’s the plan?” Landon asked as the elevator descended down into the Column’s basement. “You do have a plan, right?”

“Yes,” the Corpse Hunter replied.

There was a brief pause as the Protectorate politely waited for the other man to elaborate. His courtesy was met with deafening silence.

“It would be helpful to both of us if we were on the same page,” Landon said after it was painfully obvious that the man in gray wasn’t going to divulge the information without sufficient prompting.

“The last time I met with the Copper Prince he offered me a job. Naturally I declined the offer but if I tell the doorman that I’ve reconsidered his boss’s proposition he’ll let me walk right in.”

“Alright, I’ll admit that’s a decent plan so far. Once we’re inside then what?”

“We kill him.”

“Something tells me it won’t be that straightforward. What’s his Fate by the way, the Copper Prince?” the Guard Captain asked.

“He’s an Apparate Blade,” the man in gray answered casually.

“That man is going to cut you in half with a longsword the moment you get within ten feet of him.”

“Then I’ll be sure to stand eleven feet away.”

Even after knowing one another for over a decade Landon still wasn’t used to Aiden’s sarcasm. It was like he had a snarky response for literally everything. Which was surprising considering how little the Corpse Hunter socialized. Landon wondered if it was an aspect of the Corpse Hunter Fate. Perhaps there was some sort of tertiary ability that passively increased one’s ability to be passive aggressive.

Landon let the thought go as the platform came to a stop with a low metallic groan. A new thought popped into the Guard’s head as they stepped off the elevator, who was responsible for its maintenance? The thought had never occurred to him before now. Were the components that operated it so finely crafted that they simply didn’t degrade or were there Fate Holders that were dedicated to keeping it in working condition.

It felt like a reasonable question though he wasn’t sure who to direct it to. Either way that was something to ponder for a time when he wasn’t steeped in someone else’s troubles. The Guard Captain followed behind the Corpse Hunter who walked with purpose across the long wooden dock.

A handful of people parted ways as the two men moved past them. Landon couldn’t help but notice the stares directed their way. At first he assumed it was the mere presence of the Corpse Hunter that drew such odd looks but he soon realized that just as many curious eyes were sizing him up as well. He clutched his spear tighter and pulled the shield from his back, better to have that at the ready before trouble began.

When they reached a large wooden building that took up the entirety of the dock it was built on, the Corpse Hunter knocked three times. A metal slot opened and a pair of eyes greeted them.

“What do you want?” came the voice of the doorman.

“I’m here to see the Copper Prince,” the man in gray said.

“About what?”

“Tell him that after some deliberation the Corpse Hunter has concluded that the Copper Prince’s offer was just too good to refuse.”

“Wait there,” the doorman said before sliding the metal slot shut.

“What are the odds they all come rushing out of that door in two minutes and try to kill you?” Landon asked. There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice but the look in his eyes made him seem like he was somewhat serious.

“Two to one,” Aiden said.

“For us or against us?”

The door swung open and the two men were ushered inside.

“Apparently for us,” the Corpse Hunter said before walking into the building.

“This feels like a mistake,” Landon said quietly.

“We’ll be fine,” Aiden said, hushing him.

They were led through the building straight to the Copper Prince, too fixated on their surroundings to notice the fresh blood under the doorman’s nose. Just as before the crime boss was sitting atop his wooden throne. There were two men cleaning out the fighting cage to get it ready for another match. From how quickly they worked Aiden imagined the next fight would be quite soon.

“Ah, come in come in,” the Copper Prince said welcomingly. “I knew you were a smart man, didn’t I say he was a smart man?”

Several people sitting about the room nodded enthusiastically, though they’d agree to whatever it was that their boss had just said regardless of its truthfulness. You probably didn’t live long as an underling if you called your boss out on his bullshit. There was no way in hell that Aiden could stomach this man’s delusions of self-importance enough to really work for him.

“Of course, my pride got the best of me last time we spoke. You see, I've never worked for someone else before.”

“No harm done,” the Copper Prince said with the wave of his hand. “I don’t make a habit of letting people refuse my offers but I knew you’d come around sooner or later so I was willing to make an exception on your behalf. Now, who is this gentleman that you’ve brought with you? It’s not often I see City Guards walking around down here in the basement.”

“This is the Guard Captain of District Seven. He has a bit of pull within the City Guard and I thought you might be interested in employing him as well.”

“Well isn’t that fantastic. Not only does the illustrious Corpse Hunter have a sudden change of heart but he brings along a Guard Captain who wants to work for me as well. I don’t believe it.”

A wide smile spread across the crime lord’s face as he shook his head from side to side slowly.

“I’m sure it sounds too good to be true but I thought I should bring more to the table after so rudely declining your offer the first time.”

“No, I mean I don’t believe it because I know you’re lying.”

Both of the men standing before the Copper Prince tensed up as he continued to speak.

“You see, I find it saves me a lot of time and headache to have a Truth Speaker as a doorman. That way I know who’s going to lie through their teeth before they even have the chance to speak to me.”

“The cautious cat doesn’t need nine lives,” Aiden said.

“Indeed,” the Copper Prince said as a sword suddenly appeared in his right hand. “Get in the cage, both of you.”

He gestured with the sword towards the metal cage as the room swarmed with his underlings. Aiden recognized the Pain Bearer who grinned at him from a nearby doorway.

“What now?” Landon whispered.

“We get in the cage,” the Corpse Hunter said.

Both men made their way into the large metal structure as the thugs and bandits around the room jeered at them. Once they were inside the Pain Bearer walked over to the cage’s door. Rather than step inside with them, the woman locked the door and took a seat at one of the nearby benches.

“The one thing that always puts me in a good mood is a good fight. I’ve seen plenty of Protectorates fight though I’ve been dying to see what a Corpse Hunter can do. Whichever one of you wins, gets to live. You may begin now,” the Copper Prince said as he planted his sword into the wood at his feet and leaned on the hilt.

“I knew you’d get me killed someday, I fucking knew it,” Landon said, pointing his spear at the Corpse Hunter.

“I never asked you to come down here with me, in fact I repeatedly told you piss off,” Aiden said.

“If I listened to you every time you told me to piss off you would’ve drowned in your own vomit ages ago.”

“Fuck off.”

“No, you fuck off. I have put up with your bullshit for years and not once have you ever thanked me. Not once!”

“You think I want someone looking after me like a nanny? You think maybe I wouldn’t be happier if one of these days I could get black out drunk and not have to wake up the next morning?! Every time I see your godsdamn face I can’t help but think how much happier I’d be if I were dead. I bet your wife can relate to that feeling.”

Landon struck Aiden in the side of the head with his shield, slamming him back against the wall of the cage. The Corpse Hunter aimed his wrist crossbow at the Guard and fired, striking the other man’s chainmail about six inches below his neck.

“Oh thank the gods, I thought they were going to talk each other to death,” the Copper Prince muttered.

Angered by the nearly lethal counterattack the Protectorate charged forward with his spear. The man in gray turned just in time to dodge the tip of the spear and grab the shaft. He tried to punch Landon in the face but the Guard swept his legs out from under him and he lost his footing.

Aiden felt the blunt end of the spear crack him across the chest as it bruised his midsection. If he hadn’t been wearing his armor that blow would’ve easily knocked the air out of his lungs. He rolled out of the way of the second attack and reached into his pocket for a small metallic sphere. Without a second thought he tossed it at the Guard.

The metal orb sailed through the air towards Landon. Instinctively he raised his shield to defend himself but that was the Corpse Hunter’s true target. The sphere broke open on impact releasing a dozen strands of wire rope no thicker than a child’s fingers. The metallic cable wrapped itself around the shield and pulsed with electrical current.

When the current surged through Landon’s limb his entire left arm from fingers to shoulder went numb. The arm hung at his side, weighed down by the now useless shield. He looked down at his limp arm then back up to the man that had crippled it. Landon hefted the spear up and threw it at Aiden’s chest.

It slammed into him with enough force to knock the man in gray to the ground. Pulling his short sword from his belt the Guard Captain began hacking at the metal wires that encased his shield. He winced when the blade sunk into the flesh of his forearm but he was determined to regain the use of his shield arm.

Watching intently the Copper Prince leaned forward on his own sword. When his Mental Abacus ran up to his side and tried speaking into his ear the crime boss shoved him off his throne. The short man went tumbling head over heels before landing on a bench that broke under his fall.

As the Protectorate hacked at his own arm the Corpse Hunter pulled the spear from his chest. A streak of red crimson three inches long coated the end of the spear. Aiden considered throwing the weapon back at its owner but he didn’t want to risk rearming the Guard. The spear clattered to the ground behind him as he rose to his feet drawing his own shortsword and buckler.

Moments later something else clattered to the floor and the Corpse Hunter looked up to see Landon glaring at him as small rivulets of blood dripped down his left arm. The Protectorate raised his shield and the two men charged towards each other.

They slashed, stabbed, and tore at one another and the Copper Prince drank in every piece of the action. It was as though he were dying of thirst and the blood spilling out from the men in the ring was the only thing that could quench him. When the Mental Abacus slowly hobbled back up to him the crime boss held out a finger to silence the man before he could open his mouth.

“If you utter a single syllable before this fight is over I will cleave you in half,” the Copper Prince said.

With inhuman speed the short man calculated the odds of delivering his message without perishing in the process. When he found that his survival rate was less than one percent he promptly left the throne and sat down on a bench. Hopefully his next boss would have greater patience and be more open minded to urgent matters.

Blood and sweat coated the floor of the arena as Aiden and Landon traded blows. Their wounds were shallow but numerous and both of them were on the verge of exhaustion judging by how ragged their breathing was. The longer they fought the more intently the crowd watched them, cheering and shouting when new wounds were carved into their flesh.

The crowd was entranced by the duel and barely took notice of the half a dozen Protectorates that charged into the room led by a screeching vulture. Shoulder to shoulder four men and two women lined up against the main entrance that led into the building.

“Finally!” Landon called out as he saw the reinforcements.

“Took your damn time didn’t you!” Aiden lamented.

“What’s happening?!” the Copper Prince cried out.

“We’re being raided by the City Guard!” the Mental Abacus shouted from his bench.

“Why didn’t someone warn me?!” the Copper Prince shouted.

The Mental Abacus sighed wishing he'd listened to his mother and gone into bean counting.

“Don’t you just hate to get manipulated like that?” Aiden said to the crime boss. “I knew how much you liked to watch your little fights so I had a few ideas in mind on how to start one. Lucky for me you went to the trouble of setting it up yourself.”

All throughout the room every eye was fixated on the Copper Prince. His face turned red with anger as he processed the deception that he’d fallen victim to. He had been embarrassed in his own home in front of his own underlings. No man or woman with an ounce of pride would let that stand would they?

Sure the Protectorate were supposed to be stronger when fighting together but how strong could they really be? The Copper Prince had never seen them work as a team so their strength was unknown. What he did know was that his forces still outnumbered the intruders four to one.

If he killed them all there wouldn’t be any witnesses to report back to the Council. His operations could continue and his pride could remain intact. That was the guiding force for what he said next and he felt confident that his underlings were competent enough to carry out his orders.

“Let none survive,” the Copper Prince called out as he stepped down from his throne with his longsword gripped tightly in both hands.