"Listen, Mercy, I can explain."

"Oh yeah? Try it. Explain how you sold me?" I spat back.

"It wasn't a sell as much of a trade, but..."

"Or maybe you'd like to explain how the weeks up until your betrayal, you insisted on calling us your friends?"

"Yeah, that was not great."

"How about when, at almost every opportunity, Nev spoke about leaving you stranded, who was the one still vouching for you?"

"You did... a lot."

"So, with all that in mind, why would I help you?"

"I'll help you get Nev back. And whatever else you want."

"They belong to the Hippodrome, right?

"Yeah, but it isn't that simple. Fighters rotate arenas throughout the city, and even if you could find out where they would be"

"I wouldn't have a chance without some help." I mocked back at him. "I'll be fine. Thanks for nothing."

"Fine," Bert replied through welled eyes. "I can't stop you."

"I know," I replied, heading for the exit of his hideout.

A curved sword blocked my path.

"Stay right there, shit for brains." A small voice called out from behind the blade.

"Excuse me?"

"Boss, you said we needed this guy, right?"

Bert nodded in response.

"Then I'm afraid we can't let you go."

The voice belonged to a young woman. She was clearly a delinquent, dressing in loose tattered black clothing with dark makeup that contrasted against her light brown skin. Her hair was dyed myriad colors, exposing even more when she moved, revealing additional dyed sections above the top layer.

"I'm not interested," I replied. "And your boss is a schmuck. I recommend you find a different employer before he deci-"

She closed the distance between us instantly, and before I could even react, her fist collided with my jaw. It was a tiny fist, but that didn't stop it from throwing me into the wall of the hallway she blocked me into.

She just used the Exotic Skill: Rapid Step.

"He's done more for me than you could even dream of." She spat on my crumpled form. "And if he decided I needed to be traded for the greater good, I would go with bells on."

"Great," I replied, picking myself up and rubbing my pulsing cheek. "If I'm ever in the market for a tiny criminal, I know who to call. Can I go now?"

She looked to Bert, who let out a sigh and then nodded.

She turned back to me. "Let's make a deal."

"I'd rather not."

She continued, ignoring my response. "Fight me. If I win, you'll help the boss."

"And if I win?"

"It would never happen, so there's no need to worry."

I thought for a moment, looking between her and Bert. "Then, if I win, I want you."

"What?" She blushed, bunching her jacket and covering her less prominent features.

"Not like that. I mean, if I win, I'll be your boss."

"I don't know..."

"You said it earlier, you'd let Bert sell you if it helped achieve his goals. Time to put your money where your mouth is. Plus, it would never happen anyway, right?"

She looked to Bert for confirmation, who looked away in response.

"Fine," she replied. "What are your terms."

Bert's 'base' was a basement apartment located in one of the seedier parts of Dulcrois. There were no towers or crafters, only the lowest rung of society struggling to survive. A park rested nearby filled with vagrants and stray animals. Gemma decided that would be where our duel was held, and after screaming at the people and dogs occupying it, she had properly set the stage.

"So, no weapons." I started.

"Ooookay," she sassed back, dumping an absurd amount of weapons into Berthold's arms.

"No lethal blows."

"Ch, fine."

"This ends when one of us is unconscious or adequately restrained, agreed?"

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, let's do it already."

She bent from side to side, warming up like I was forced to do in grade school before exercising. I felt like I should've been preparing as well, but I didn't know what to do with my hands.

"Are you both ready?" Berthold asked, setting the comical amount of Gemma's weapons onto the ground.

"Yeah." "I guess."

"Then... begin!"

She moved like a blur, only visible for half a second at a time as she rapidly closed the distance between us. Broke had given me the rundown on this skill. Her rapid movement was only accessible while she was in mid-step. Otherwise, she had average speed and momentum. I thought her actions would be more predictable with more distance between the two of us. I thought wrong.

She moved toward my right side, and reflexively, I raised my hand to block the strike. Gemma smirked as she took a counterstep to my exposed side, vanishing in the process. Her fist rocked my jaw the same way it had earlier, although there wasn't a hallway to block my fall this time.

"This guy, Bert? This is the guy we need?"

I picked myself up, ignoring the ringing and headache assumedly caused by my brain shaking like a paint mixer. She disappeared again, and by the time I'd gotten to my feet, she threw a kick into my back, knocking me back to the floor.

"You should count yourself lucky the boss even sold you into the city. Without him, you'd still be stuck in the Beige Hell, praying with all those snake cunts."

I deconstructed my sleeves and quickly reformed them into dozens of strands extending from my fingers and enhancing my reach. All I needed was one solid hit to end things. Gemma dashed at me head-on, blinking from the left, right, and left. I swung at where she should've been, swatting through nothing but air.

"And he's not even smart." A voice behind me called out before a tiny arm wrapped itself around my throat and legs wrapped around my chest.

I took struggled breaths through the blood leaving my nose and mouth. Finally, I dropped to my knees and could feel her legs release and brace herself onto the ground. Blood-spattered teeth showed through a smile across my face.

"Don't you dare talk to the boss like that ever again, you hear me?" Gemma ordered. "You're gonna be grateful that he even chooses to interact with people like us."

"O-okay, sure, only one problem with that," I said as her grip tightened around my neck. "I'm your boss now."

My shirt ripped itself apart and reformed around my fun-sized attacker, she tried to step back, but by then, it was too late. Legs first, the threads climbed and ensnared her until her entire body lay covered with only her head exposed. Kicking against her cloth confinement, Gemma resembled a swaddled baby unready for rest.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

"Gemma, that's enough," Bert called out.

He approached me with a kerchief in hand and passed it over. I hesitantly accepted and used it to stop any more blood from gushing out of my face.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Mercy," Berthold said, stepping away from us. "Just so you know, I'm going to save Nev. With or without your help."

"Boss?" Gemma called out.

"I'm not your boss anymore. You made that deal." Berthold looked me in the eye. "Good luck."

He patted Gemma on the head and took a couple steps away from us.

"Bert, stop."

He turned back, with tears welling in his eyes.

"Tell me what you know," I demanded.