22 Fluke

There was no dignity in scurrying back home with our tails between our legs like wounded pups too young to lick their own wounds, but alas, that was precisely where we found ourselves.

We'd gone out expecting our name to still hold some weight, and that it had in that it made us only a more appealing target to the first ambitious gang wishing to make a name for themselves by going toe to toe with the 'reigning champions.'

And they had.

And they'd won.

Saku, Shuho, and I, we returned to the Hive with nothing but our lives, what little they were worth, especially following this humiliation.

We didn't know where to begin. We were back earlier than the others who'd set out, and empty-handed at that. It was clear things hadn't gone as according to plan from the moment we'd returned, and Danev's face was somewhere between rage in seeing that not only had we been pushed around like ragdolls but robbed as well, and relief that, at the very least, another Hornet hadn't been lost.

"We need supplies," Danev said later that night after Riu demanded we be in attendance as well to decide just how it was to approach this situation.

It was better than being confined to my room at least, though I was unsure if these were the circumstances under which it was considered a 'good' thing to be out. For all I knew, this was a meeting that'd been put together in the name of accountability to assign blame. A month gone, and I still was unable to stomach what had happened to Mahin. It was all I could do to not blame myself, but my connection to his death was still clear, and the similar situation I found myself in now, even more so.

"We're prepping for Winter," Danev continued. "Can't afford to have any lifelines cut off. If the Fireflies don't want to do things the easy way, we'll get what we need from them the hard way."

So there's vigor to fight left at least. Good. We can't afford to lose that.

Danev had made sure that none would hear of how we'd been rejected, much less how we'd been upright robbed, held up at spearpoint essentially as though we were little more than a wandering inner city punk who'd lost their way. Of course, Riu had been told, and no part of him had displayed any willingness to let Danev handle this alone. Business was one thing, but this had become personal.

"What we can't afford is to be made to look unable to hold our ship together."

"We can worry about our reputation when Winter's over. We'll need to find where it is they're keeping their stash. We can pull a few of them off the street, beat it out of them."

"Why bother?" Riu asked with a shrug. "We know where they are already. I say we go in there, cut the problem at the stem."

Danev turned to Riu, brows furrowed, this so-called discussion now more and more appearing to be an argument that Saku, Shuho, and I were only mere witnesses of. "They have eight people, Riu."

"And we have more. We can put a dozen people together, finally put our new toys to good use, and take care of this."

"You would have us go to war?"

It was impossible to miss the instant anger that flashed in Riu's eyes. "These aren't the Rats, Danev. This is eight over-ambitious pieces of shit who've flown too close to the sun. We have more people, stronger people, and better weapons."

"If we go out and wipe a gang off the map, it's going to get us unwanted attention?"

"Unwanted?!" Riu scoffed. "So is the current attention on us any better? About how one of our people fought in a war, won, then got killed for it making us look like bitches? I don't know about you, Danev, but I much prefer the attention that'd get placed on us if we stood up for ourselves, put these pieces of shit in their place, and reminded these slums it was us who won the last war. We do nothing, then that's just another nail in our coffin. We do things your way, we want, but people still remember that shit with Bee. We do things my way, we get our shit back, and people remember who's in charge."

It was a long-winded appeal, but, at least so far as I was able to see, he was right. We'd tried to adjust the narrative with Bee however we could, but the facts remained that she'd been one of us, and that she was now dead. I understood Danev's perspective, of course. It was safe to stay under the radar, worry about repairing our reputation once Winter was through and just focus on consolidating now, but the more we let people like the fireflies slip out from between our fingers, the less we had to work with, the more people would decide we weren't worth the price of the protection we offered, and the less we'd have to our name when the dry season came.

Danev was measuring his words. He may have played an active role in the decision-making processes of the Hornets, but Riu still was the one in charge. He was planning what to say, how to put the words together in a fashion effective enough to put his thoughts together, but not so effective so as to put Riu to shame, especially in our company who the two now seemed suddenly aware of once again.

We remained quiet of course. It was impossible to know what either Saku or Shuho were taking from this, but I believed that, once again, I was seeing more than I should have.

Riu spoke again before Danev had time to counter on his own. "We did things your way before, Danev, and we've seen where that's brought us. We do things my way now."

His way?

Danev made no response. I wasn't sure if he had any, to that, or to Riu's prior argument. He only nodded, and I still wondered, what did he mean 'your way'? My mind went to Bee, naturally, and the fact she was probably some mutilated mess in a Taisho back alley now, torn apart root and stem by a vengeful pack of rabid dogs known as Rats. Only some of them. It was still hard for me to imagine Riu willing to go ahead and give up one of his own. His pride would stand in the way of that. Danev, the same, but his reasons for refusing to do so, humanity.

So what had killed Bee, and how had it been Danev's way?

"It's decided, then," Riu announced, looking towards us, his face still a grimace, but his voice already sporting victory. "Saku, Shuho, you'll be going. Danev, gather the rest at your own discretion, but don't leave the Hive undefended. We don't want anybody getting any cute ideas."

So this is really happening?

"You mentioned wanting to play with our new toys?" Danev asked, nothing in his voice conveying bitterness of his advice not having been taken. The decision had been made, and he would roll with it. To stand against the tide would only lead to more disaster. All there was to do now was offer his unconditional support, and ensure things went as well as they could.

Riu turned to Danev, pondering. Saku and Shuho's eyes looked curiously to Danev, unsure of what these 'new toys' entailed. So they didn't know about the weapons? Those that'd been given to us by the Fire Nation?

"Yes," Riu answered, turning quickly to Saku and Shuho's questioning eyes. 'Weapons?' those eyes seemed to ask. "We intercepted a Fire Nation convoy about a month or two back," Riu said. "Stole some weapons, food, medicine." So that was the story he'd go with. "It's time we put them to use."

Even stoic Shuho managed a grin at the sound of that, Saku by his side giving a "hmph" of support before saying under his breath as they trailed off, "I'm quite liking these new toys."

They're going to attack the fireflies. They're going through with this. Where does that leave me?

"I want to go too!" I blurted out before my left brain could track down and eliminate these rogue right brain troublemakers. The outburst earned me the attention of all four present save myself, the words still hanging in the air.

I wasn't afforded a second of though before being told outright "No" by Riu before turning back to Danev, as though I was worth no more than the second it had taken to answer me, now trying to make up for lost time.

But I wasn't done. I don't know what it was that made me choose to continue. I'd already been part of the group that'd failed their job today, gotten robbed in the process. That couldn't be the final impression of me, not for something like this. I had to set things right. "Come on," I persisted. "I can help."

Riu, on a tight schedule that he had created for himself, interacting with me not anywhere falling into his list of priorities, groaned then turned to me, saying, "We're sending twelve people, and by the spirits, we're not going to waste one of those spots on you."

"I can be a lookout!" I pleaded. "Let you know if any more of them are coming or if any of them try to escape."

"And why the hell should we trust you. You're lucky to not be dead right now considering everything you've done. Why should we trust you with shit?"

"I can vouch for him."

Whose voice was that?

"I turned quickly to eye the man who'd spoken. Saku. "He was lookout at our stash house."

Why speak in favor of me now? After keeping your distance from me as though I had the plague for weeks now?

"The one that got attacked and nearly robbed?"

"The one that would have been robbed and maybe have even gotten me and Bee killed if Fluke hadn't been there."

I still remembered it all, of course. The indecision, speaking out even though I'd had no reason to, compromising the Rats in favor of protecting the Hornets. Why?

Because like it or not, I'm one of them.

Riu didn't speak. He was thinking of something to say, I knew, but this time around, it would be Danev to beat him to the punch. "Baker's dozen, then." 13. "Doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes."

Congratulations, dumbass, I thought to myself. You just put yourself in harm's way yet again.

But no, I had to recognize the facts for what they were. It was a chance to show my worth, to show that I was committed. Loyal. My eyes turned to Saku, he who'd spoken up in my defense, and given me that chance. He looked back to me, and he understood.

Thank you.

He nodded, then turned away, stalking off with the others who I suppose I was meant to follow. We had a fight to prepare for.

By the time the sun had set, a baker's dozen of armed Hornets had been rallied. I recognized all those present, faces I'd come to memorize over years of watching, and a month spent in the captivity of. There was Saku and Shuho, Aden, Meeko, Chote, Raomi, Riso, Shen, Bohan, Letan, of course, Danev and Riu, and lastly, the odd one out, me. I wasn't given a weapon, naturally. I'd asked, at the very least, for my shiv back, but it'd been denied to me on the basis that, In Danev's words, "Your our eyes, not our sword."

And I saw their swords. They were rusty pieces of iron scrap, sure, but they weren't wooden sticks that'd been sharpened with chicken bones. Danev told them the same lie that stuck in Saku and Shuho's mind, but none were keen on complaining. They had weapons, or at least, some excuse for them.

The idea was clear to all of us as we marched across the Liángshí Road, an unfamiliar sight, over a dozen Hornets all in the same place, mimicking some semblance of a military formation, and I with them. I was unsure if the prospect was empowering, horrifying, or even amusing. 12 others that towered over me, comparable to the walls that surrounded us so far as I was concerned from my perspective. I wonder if I could even be made out in the crowd as they marched.

And a march it was. There was a purpose to our movement, an intent behind behind the eyes that, in deadpan gazes, looked ahead, fragile blades in their equally surprisingly nonfragile grasps. Ever since what had happened to Bee, there was a bloodlust that'd consumed the Hornets. Their targets may not have been the Rats as they'd have preferred, but some dissenting fireflies would have to suffice. There was no plan. There was no need for one. They would go in, get the job done, and I would watch.

Watching was all I could do, I supposed, unarmed as I was.

We reached the side road that, only a few hundred yards down, would take us to the firefly-infested plaza, more than willing to advance without any further impediment had Danev not stopped us in the midst of our march.

There was a stiff silence, confusion seeping through the ranks until Danev's voice could be heard. "Fluke," he said, likely not for the first time judging by the tone of his voice.

Me?

A dozen curious faces turned to me, hidden amongst the scattered formation like a sapling in an overgrown forest while I struggled to look beyond the trees to find Danev's face within them, finally managing to make him out.

What was this? I wondered. Second thoughts? Is he turning me away? Decided I'm not worth bringing along?

"Go forward, get a head count on them, come back, tell us what we're up against."

The silence that followed was enough of an indicator that it was not only me who couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"What?"

"I need to repeat myself.

My mind suddenly went into rewind, endeavoring to remember all that had said, to decide if even it had been said. Scout ahead? Report back? Me?

"N-no. Scout ahead and report back."

"Think you can manage that?" Riu scoffed, looking over his shoulder from where he'd previously been watching the alley.

I was being sent first, to scout the enemy, on a quest that could very well get me killed. But it was an opportunity. I couldn't lose that.

"Yeah," I answered, endeavoring to stifle the fear in my voice. "I got it."

In spite of my words, my legs stayed still, refusing to move, not yet.

"Well? Going to get going?"

Shit.

"R-right. Yeah."

"Oh for spirits' sake," a voice mumbled in the crowd. Shen.

I began pushing my way through the towering bodies.

"Little shit even know how to count?" That one Bohan.

"Oh and you do, Bohan?" Saku.

"Shut it," Danev called out as I'd finally managed to shove my way past. "Any louder and it'll be us facing the ambush."

"Yeah," Chote chuckled. "Wouldn't want to put the new teacher's pet out of a job, eh?"

A few scattered scoffs and chuckles that now faded behind me as I stalked forward, away from them, and towards the enemy. The enemy. It felt weird to have one. There'd always been threats, dangers, but never enemies. First time for everything.

On the street as I was, I was an easy target, prone to be spotted from a half mile away. I turned a corner, putting me out of sight from the Hornets as much as those who may be looking for me with more malicious intent. Though unlikely any more malicious than the others.

If there was one thing to appreciate about shoddy Taisho outskirt architecture, it was that it did little to prohibit free movement. Buildings were built short, close to the ground, by no means difficult to scale. Just as easy to break into as well, I knew, thinking back on the old days, when still there'd been something left to steal within these slums.

Narrow alleys did little to prevent easy movement from rooftop to rooftop as I navigated parallel to the street that Shuho, Saku, and I had retreated down just earlier today, light a few bronze pieces and whatever dignity we'd brought with us.

It was no later that I came to the same plaza, voices in the distance telling me that they hadn't made the decision to pack up and leave. They were there, and from what I saw, six of them. Not eight?

They seemed still to be riding their high from earlier today, celebrating as much as people living in squalor could, laughing, bragging, making grand plans. It was frankly pathetic. Saze was there, at the very least, meaning the rest didn't matter. So long as the message got through to him, that's what was important.

And what will be the message?

I remembered Shaalin, what he'd looked like after Bee was through with him. I couldn't recognize the man before, the only way I had of knowing it was him being that I'd borne witness to the grisly transformation.

But that'd only been because of Bee, I tried to tell myself as I made my return to the waiting Hornets, my growing crisis of conscience not particularly helpful in determining how to proceed.

The fireflies, all they needed was to be pushed in the right direction. That didn't require killing them. I left the rooftop I'd been perched upon, returning to ground level, now on my way to make my return to those who lay in wait.

But these aren't Rats. The Rats were protected by the war that would ensue. The fireflies, they didn't have that. They were alone, stranded, able to be picked off in the blink of an eye.

My return was anticipated, not much more able to be done as they sat in silence, seemingly having finally taken Danev's advice to keep quiet to heart.

"Well?" he asked as I still found myself in the midst of fearing what the answer I gave would see come into fruition. You're not responsible. You're a survivor.

"They're there. Saze too. There's only six of them though," I answered.

"Hmph," Riu scoffed. "They could have called it an early night."

"Or they're out and on their way back," Danev suggested.

"Maybe," Riu responded, turning back to me. "Guess it's a good thing we brought you along after all. Make sure the other two shits don't come up from behind."

"Or more," Danev offered. "Never knew they had eight to begin with."

"We'll be ready," Riu answered. "Right then," he turned to the others gathered, sitting and leaning against the walls, basking in the setting mid-Autumn sun. "Off your asses! We're moving!"

The others were glad for it as well, finally pushing themselves off of the ground, cracking their bones, stretching their muscles, and reaching for their scattered off-brand weaponry. They were armed, and with lethal weapons too. It was more than a scare tactic.

It doesn't matter. They would have gone regardless. All you did was play your part in making sure Hornets wouldn't be a part of the blood shed.

"Don't look so worried," Danev said as he moved next to me, the others having already fallen into step around Riu as he no doubt reminded them of why it was they were here at dusk to shed blood. Worried? I wondered just what it was he believed my fear to be directed at. Did he know? "You won't need a weapon. You'll be far from any fighting." No. Of course he didn't.

"Where are you putting me?"

"Wherever it was you counted them from."

"Wow," I scoffed. "Giving me that much freedom, eh?"

"You haven't run yet. That says something at least."

That I'm terrified of ending up like Shaalin perhaps?

I made no immediate answer. My mind was elsewhere. Frankly, it was everywhere save for the present. "You guys going to kill the fireflies?" I eventually asked just as it seemed Danev had grown tired of waiting for a response.

He looked towards where Riu rallied the Hornets, stirred their anger, their pride, their will to fight, then back to me. "Saze's the only one who needs to die. If the others turn tail and run, they'll be free to go. They stay and fight, we'll defend ourselves."

It was a fair answer, I supposed. Honest, at least. But it changed nothing. The pit in my stomach only grew. A man is going to die here.

"But that doesn't concern you," Danev resumed. "Your job's to watch our backs, make sure none get the jump on us, alright? Keep your head down, and you'll be fine."

I looked towards Riu and the others. Did I believe that? Did I really believe it would end with Saze? These weren't Rats. They weren't protected. And the Hornets, there would be nothing to stop them if they decided to continue.

It doesn't concern me, I echoed Danev's words in my mind. Just keep my head down, and I'll be fine.

There was nothing to be done. I nodded. "Alright," I confirmed, certain not to say nor do anything that might point towards more hesitation than that which I had already been so foolish as to demonstrate.

He nodded, and turned back to the others. I, on the other hand, took a separate path. I knew where I was needed, and so it was a familiar journey to rooftops and between them, my eyes those of a bird, though a low flying one at that.

Only a quarter of a kilometer away, the others were approaching while I, enabled by what could only be described as youthful vigor, had already made it to my previous overwatch of the firefly plaza. Needless to say, moving fast and undetected had been a skill I'd developed long ago.

A different life.

There were still only six fireflies present, the conversation from earlier having died down.

Good.

Saze was there, I saw, and immediately, that same sensation of guilt flew into me. He's going to die here, I realized. I was unsure if it was simply my weak stomach, but it shouldn't have been any different. I'd seen people die before. Mini, the Lawmakers, Shaalin, but now, this was different. I knew. I knew ahead of time what would happen to him. It was as though it made me partly guilty. I had the knowledge that this man was going to die. Just over a month ago, I would have been quick on my heels, dashing towards him to make a bargain for whatever his life was worth. He would get his chance at life, and I would have dinner that afternoon.

But now, I have dinner waiting for me tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after.

The only price is that I keep quiet, and watch him, and quite possibly, five others die…

It was wrong. I was still naive enough to believe that. With a few more minutes given to me, perhaps I even would have done something. Hell if I know what it would have been though. I may have warned him, may have gone to the Hornets to lie and say Saze had left. The truth was, I had no plan, and whatever I would have ended up trying would have likely put me in more harm than taken another out of it.

It was thus to my benefit that the Hornets arrived before I could have done something idiotic. And so the standoff began.

The Hornets were noticed quickly enough, not exactly subtle in the fashion in which they stuck together like a blood clot in a vein, Danev and Riu at the head, weapons drawn, with ten men flanking them, just as prepared for bloodshed, me watching from above, a fly on the wall.

The fireflies' understanding of what it was they were facing dawned on them in a matter of stages. At first, it was simple muttering out of curiosity, wondering aloud to one another if what they saw truly was there–the mass of twelve men with weapons that the slums only see the likes of when being used by red-clad soldiers against the masses.

Then, it was confusion, the interest having passed. They recognized the Hornets, knew it was them, and soon, confusion made way for fear as they remained locked in place, even Saze hesitant to take a step forward, whatever foolish confidence he'd felt earlier now making way for realization.

I don't know if he planned to negotiate, to bargain, or just to plead as the Hornets continued to march forward, not stopping for anything as the others stepped back, eyes darting around in search for quick escapes. Saze was no exception, but the distance between himself and those who approached, he only had one fallback plan–his mouth.

It did nothing for him, not as his hand scrambled for the shank at waist, and Riu's slashed his blade across Saze's chest, tearing through the withering fabric as well as through his equally decaying skin and hollow muscle, only the first syllable of whatever plead he'd been preparing allowed to escape before it was stopped there, hanging in the air as opposed to Saze's body, which fell to the ground, dead.

My heart stopped for only a single moment, but the single moment was all it took for Riu to hold his bloodied blade forward, towards those who yet remained, and make his intent clear.

'Kill them.'

The Hornets leaped forward towards the fireflies who still lay in shock at the sight of Saze cut down in front of them as though he'd been nothing more than a street sign used for target practice by a bored pack of kids armed with rocks.

Just keep my head down, and I'll be fine. I looked away. Just keep my head down, and I'll be fine. I hid my eyes in my arms where I lay on the rooftop. Just keep my head down, and I'll be fine.

And the screams ended.

It had been a matter of seconds, so few that I could count them on my hands alone and not even have to take my shoes off.

No more was there the sound of rusted iron scraping, colliding against the wooden tools of those who tried desperately to protect themselves. No longer was there the desperate pleading of those who wished to plead their case before being cut to the bone by those with no intent to listen. No more was there anything.

I refused to open my eyes. Why should I? It's over. I know what I'll see when I open them.

No, I reminded myself. Open them. Don't let them see you shying away.

I did, and it was exactly as I'd expected to find, 6 bodies sprawled across the plaza, their wounds invisible in the night of the freshly-set sun, sleeping so far as I could tell, but there was no point in doing so. I wasn't a child, not anymore than those dead men were.

But not all of them.

There was one, shifting, crawling, attempting to get to his feet, assisted, somehow, by a new firefly who seemed to have come out of nowhere. They were unnoticed by the Hornets who reveled in victory, picking over the remains of the dead. One of them reached for their club, how had he still not been seen?

Say something!

The two clung to the shadows, approaching the nearest Hornet they could as I sat frozen.

Say something, damnit!

"Shuho!" I called out, finally, the end of the word catching in my mouth as I felt a sudden force against my back, pushing me back to the roof of the building, right where I'd been hiding my face a moment before.

The pressure was released for but a moment as, below, voices called out, and I used the brief moment to turn onto my back, attempting to face whatever the hell it was that had done this.

A firefly, one I did recognize. He'd been here before, when first they robbed us, when the advantage had been theirs.

Was it not now?

"What the fuck did you do?!" he called out, returning the pressure onto me, directly onto my neck now, the back of my head hitting against the corner of the roof, my eyes dimming, only able to make out the center of my line of sight, periphery lost to darkness. I could only see his face as I looked around me.

Somebody, I tried calling out, the words catching in my mouth. Help me. Please.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!"

I could only see his face, his eyes, flared in anger. He's going to kill me.

My arms flailed, my legs kicked, but it was no good. The boy atop me had at least a year on me, likely two, and he wasn't one who'd made his living on a career of running and hiding. The air was escaping my body, and all parts of me searched for something, anything.

It was just his face, desperate for the kill, his arms, wrapped around my neck, the tin shiv poking out of the waistband of his pants.

I reached. He didn't notice. As far as he was concerned, I was already dead. All it was now to him was taking out his revenge on a lifeless body belonging to those who'd slaughtered his friends. I reached, my finger brushing the hilt.

Just a little…

My eyes were going darker, all I could see being his face, the feel of the cloth hilt of his blade all there was to tell me it was still there, until, finally, I had a hold, and it was all I could do to swing it upwards before there was no energy left inside of me to do so.

And all at once, air, flowing into my lungs, and him, above me, screaming out, clutching at his face, blood seeping between his fingers, onto my lap. I coughed, heaved, gasped for every bit of air I could as he removed a hand from his face, revealing the gift I'd left for him, a gnarly gash across his face from left cheek to right brow.

"You little-!"

I didn't allow him to finish, kicking off of the sandcrete roof, forcing myself backwards, disregarding the tumble I was bound to take, falling at least 8 feet from where I'd been atop the building to the ground below, awaited by a swarm of Hornets who, suddenly, seemed aware of my presence, looking first to me, then to the ceiling above where a bloodied firefly struggled to his feet, overlooking a street of 7 dead fireflies, and nearly twice as many Hornets.

"Kill that fucker!" a Hornet called out, his voice indiscernible to me by the ringing that still lingered in my ears as I could just barely, in my fading vision, make out the sight of the firefly turning tail to run, disappearing just as quickly as he'd arrived.

"Someone get him!" a voice called out, unrecognizable to me in my present daze.

"Find that fucker!" Another.

All I had to my senses was that sight, the muffled sound of chatter as it approached, and the shiv I still clutched for dear life in my right hand, only now having it dawn on me just how close I'd come to death.

"Holy shit!" a voice said.

"Where the hell did he come from?"

"Is he dead?"

Am I…no, of course I'm not. Don't be an idiot.

I coughed again, now left winded not only from my throat having nearly been crushed, but from the fall that was nearly twice my height.

"Spirits, he's alive."

"Damn! That his blood?"

"Look at his knife."

I felt an arm suddenly grab hold of me then, beneath each arm, lifting me to my feet before they suddenly rested on my shoulders, stabilizing me. "Easy now," a voice I finally recognized now as Danev's said to me. It was only then I took note of the others gathered around me, interestingly enough, curious, concerned perhaps? Another group, however, I saw now, looking past the semi circle that'd been built around me, scrambled, attention on the fleeing firefly, some looking to go around, some above, some even under, interestingly enough.

"Leave it be!" Riu called out. "Let him spread the word!"

Miraculously, my balance was returning to me, both feet making solid contact with the ground, the weight of my upper body no longer threatening to bring down the entire structure in a violent collapse.

No sooner than Danev was assured that I wouldn't go tumbling down the moment he released his hands did he do just that as though I carried with me the plague. However, there was something else too, a latent concern, the same subtle expression that others seemed to display, namely Laohi, Saku, and Shuho, the latter of whom, though he attempted not to show it, was putting a portion of his weight on Saku, who propped him up, eyes on me as well.

Danev turned away along with Laohi, who seemed rather eager to see what pickings he could salvage from the dead. This left Saku and the man who relied on him for support, Shuho, motionless in spite of the longing glance he gave the poor excuse for a 'battlefield.' The attention on me thus shifted to Saku, asking, "You took a fall there. You alright?"

"Y-," I coughed, my neck still sore, the word failing to form in my mouth before my chest heaved, and a painful jolt flowed through my neck. "Yeah," I just barely managed to finish. My focus was elsewhere, however, drifting across the plaza as the boys, now more carrion birds than hornets, flocked to the bodies, picking over them, seven in total, the last of whom had seemed to join out of the last moment, either back from patrol, springing from some building, or just undetected prior by me, hidden in some shadow.

And I'd called them out.

I'd gotten them killed.

No. They would have died anyway.

But the man I cut, that had been all me.

And Shuho. I looked at him, the limp he sported now all the more prevalent, not having been worn before when first I'd seen him, watching as the other two approached from behind.

It could have been worse if I said nothing. He could have died.

But I'm in the game now. What would Mishi think of what I'd done?

You didn't choose this. It came to do. You did what you had to in order to survive.

I chose to believe that. It was the most I could do for myself.

"Found the money!" a triumphant voice declared, the three of us in our small group turning towards whoever it belonged to, revealed as Shen, another collector, just like us. How appropriate.

The others rallied, Danev and Riu lagging behind the others, allowing the 'soldiers' to enjoy the victory that they'd won, black blood still dripping from their weapons, still seeping from the bodies that decorated the stone floor, filling the cracks like the rain of a Summer night's storm.

"Well," Saku sighed, his eyes also having been wandering the scene. "It's over, I guess."

And that it was, none left alive save that for he who'd been allowed to escape. From between the bodies of the still living that swarmed the plaza, I made out Danev's face for but a moment, but I could tell what it was that was said in his eyes, remembering the words he'd said to me before this had all begun, the lie he'd told me that only one man here needed to die.

'I'm sorry.'