Romeo never came back.

Lexi paced back and forth between two large trees; her feet almost silent as she moved. The darkness seemed to pool around her as she moved, sharp spikes of black reaching up to caress her fingers as she mindlessly clenched and unclenched her fists.

He had checked in right before his dinner with the Widow Black, with high spirits that this job was about to be over and he would be engaged. The plan had been for him to check back in directly after the dinner to give her any and all information he had gleamed, but that check in time came and went.

She pulled the Phoenix Stone from her pocket and tried again, but she was met with nothing but silence.

Her fist shot out to strike one of the trees, but she caught herself at the last moment. It wouldn’t due to draw undue attention to their position with the sound.

“Lexi,” Makina called softly. Lexi glanced towards where Makina was sitting. The young Goddess rocked back and forth, her arms around her knees. “What now?”

What now?

What now?

What now?

The question echoed in Lexi’s mind and she again resisted the urge to punch something.

“We…” Lexi faltered.

If Romeo was in danger, she needed to save him by any means necessary. If that meant breaking down the front door and killing whatever got in her way, then so be it. But what if he wasn’t? What if Romeo was just… just being Romeo? She could be compromising the entire mission and creating an international incident on top of that. The Sleeping Dragon Guild could very well suffer the wrath of both the Dumas and Voy governments.

It was possible she could sneak in, but that still left too much of a chance for error. The guards were likely on high alert for anyone attempting to sneak in or out.

Information. She needed information.

She gripped the Phoenix Stone tight. “Banksy.”

xXx

How had it come to this?

It was a question that had drifted through Banksy's mind more than once as he had knotted his bed sheets into a makeshift rope. A travesty, in his personal opinion, considering that the sheets were far finer than anything that he had ever slept on back at the guild. He had honestly contemplated stealing a set of them before deciding it wasn't worth the trouble. They were too large to properly fit his bed anyway.

Now he wished he had just stuck to stealing them. Grumbling, he tested the strength of the rope. It was strong, of that he had no doubt. Knots were similar to codes and locks in a way. Once you understood the basics you could pretty much work them whichever way you wanted.

Though, there was a big difference in knowing that the rope you made was sturdy, and actually having to use it in a life or death situation. And as Banksy leaned over the raining of his fifth story balcony and down at the lush green grass below, he realized how little faith he actually had.

“Banksy, we are in position”' Lexi's voice echoed in his ear.

"Yeah… me too." Banksy fastened the rope to the masonry of the balcony, looping it a few extra times for good measure, before tying it around his waist and chest. It was a novice mistake to only fasten yourself around the waist. If you fell, all of the force would be applied to somewhere along your spine. Might as well just snap your own back and save yourself suffering the fall.

With that thought in his mind, he cinched it until it was uncomfortably tight.

Better uncomfortable than splattered against the ground.

“The guards just did their rounds. You are clear for at least a few minutes. Get moving.”

"Yeah. Yeah…" Banksy nodded his head but did not move. His fingers gripped the railing tight as he stared down at the ground. Swallowing hard he shook his head clear and took in a deep breath. "I can do this. I can do this. I can… I can't do this. Lexi I cannot do this."

Lexi was silent for a moment. “Yes, you can.”

"Romeo is probably fine. Maybe he's just… you know? Doing something that is taking up all his attention."

Lexi was silent for much longer this time. “We cannot take that risk. Romeo hasn't checked in since his dinner with The Widow Black. We have to assume that whatever has happened to the other suitors has happened to him. Now move. You need to get down to the second story before the guards come around again.”

"Maybe I could just, sneak out of my room somehow. I don't think we've thought this through enough."

“You said that your door was being watched.”

"Well yeah, but like, maybe I could-"

“Banksy, go. Now.”

"Lexi, I will die."

“No, you won't.”

"Yes, I will."

“Banksy, if you don't go, I will kill you.”

Banksy hesitated, weighing the likelihood of that actually happening. If he was being honest, he knew Lexi wouldn't actually kill him. But she could still hurt him. Death at least came with a sweet release. Lexi's rage offered no such assurance.

"Yeah, alright," he mumbled as he awkwardly climbed over the railing. "Okay, I got this. I got this. I can do this."

Nodding once to himself he let go of the railing and began to gradually lower himself down. Or that would have been the plan had the rope not slipped from his sweating hands. He only had time for a shocked 'fuck' to escape his lips before he was falling backwards, hands desperately grasping at the air until gravity fully took hold of him.

The ground rushed up to meet him, or was he rushing down towards it? Banksy's mind continued to supply unhelpful questions as he raced towards his death. Unable to close his eyes Banksy could only wait for the inevitable when the rope suddenly pulled taunt and he came to an abrupt stop. What little air was left in his lungs was forcefully expelled as he bounced once, twice, tree times before his momentum finally came to a complete stop. Gasping, he hung limply in the air, his limbs weighed down with the weight of the world, and his poor life choices, that had led to this point. He should never have joined a guild. He should have done something safer, like fire eater or food tester for a particularly disliked noble.

As feeling began to return to his body, along with a healthy dose of pain, Banksy became aware of someone calling his name. It was a female voice, tinged with worry. He couldn't place it though. Who would be calling his name?

"Servilia?"

“Are you okay? Banksy, are you okay? Makina, get ready to move.”

Makina? Oh, it was Lexi calling his name. Lexi, who had convinced him this was a good idea.

"You bitch," Banksy moaned.

“What?”

"I said I'm okay," Banksy said, wincing as his head gently clipped against the side of the building. "I'm okay."

Lexi let out a relieved sigh. “Thank the Gods… no not you Makina.”

Banksy let out a snort of laughter, but the action sent spasms of pain through his chest. Curling into a ball he rubbed his hands tentatively over his chest and stomach. There was bruising there, that was for damn sure. A few of his lower ribs might have broken as well, but it was impossible for him to tell for sure. The smart thing to do would be to assume they were and do nothing strenuous for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, thanks to Romeo, that wasn't possible.

"I will kill you if you aren't dead," Banksy grit out as he groped against the side of the manor until he found purchase on a windowsill. He wasn’t kidding. If Romeo had simply fallen asleep after dinner, Banksy really would murder the idiot. His teeth ground together as he slowly righted himself, finding anchor points for his feet, and taking a moment to rest.

It was about this time he realized a problem.

"Lexi?" Banksy said as he stared up at where his impromptu rope was still firmly attached in place.

“Yes?”

"A bit late but… I think we might have a problem."

“What?”

"The guards might notice a bunch of sheets flapping in the wind.”

“Don't worry. Makina will be handling that. Now if you can move hurry up and get inside. No one has been inside that room in the last hour, you should be clear.”

Banksy decided against asking Lexi how exactly Makina would be doing that. It wasn't that he wasn't curious, or somewhat doubtful, but rather he found that even the act of breathing was causing his chest to feel like it was going to burst open from pain. This made it considerably harder for him to gingerly push open the window and pull himself into the room, yet he did it all the same.

xXx

Lexi let out a deep sigh as Banksy finally pulled himself back into the manor. She turned to look at Makina. The diminutive Goddess nodded and gave her hand a small wave. The trees came alive with noise as a gentle wind blew across the grounds. It swept up Banksy's rope and carried it up the side of the manor and back onto the balcony.

"Good work," Lexi said before growing silent for a long time. "Could you really have caught him if the rope had broken?"

Makina sniffed. "Of course. I am a Goddess. Saving a single mortal would have been nothing. Though I am glad it did not break. Tasks such as these are far beneath me."

"Of course," Lexi said as she turned her eyes back to the manor, ever alert for any signs of movement.

"Now we continue to wait?" Makina asked.

"Now we continue to wait."