A/N: Final section! It turned out to be considerably longer than I had intended, but hope that it makes sense. Let me know what you thought - particularly with the Organisation Demyx onwards, I see the descent into darkness as exceptional emotional turmoil rather than physically being attacked by Heartless. Hope you enjoy the chapter, or otherwise hope you're glad to see this section done.

XXI. Dead Man's Hand

Despite the office door being shut, I could hear everything about what happened down the corridor and in the main part of the building. My eyes concentrated on the work at hand, reading through the figures and notes with apt skill of a multi-millionaire. It was all common language to me, and being top dog for six further years made all the difference.

A crash resounded beyond the door, and I didn't lift my head to wonder what it was. Their leader will find me soon, and the noises were coming gradually closer.

"Mister Ludor, I don't think it would be wise to stay here."

I signed the paper and let it join the growing pile on the other side of the table. "Rest assured, I have no intention of leaving. If the Silver Lynx falls today, let fate take its course. It would be dishonourable for me not to fall with it." I looked up at Joker, whose face looked so ashen that I knew that she was more concerned about me than I was. "I can't think of anything more humiliating. A man without pride in his work isn't a man at all."

"Whilst I appreciate your view, it still isn't too late to save yourself," Joker replied sternly. "However, if there is nothing that will persuade you otherwise, then it is only my duty to fall with you."

I let a small smile creep onto my face. I was feeling far from happy though – it was almost certain the end of me was to come. Her loyalty was admirable. "Thank you." I resumed back to the work, once again ignoring what happened in the rest of the casino. If I could grasp onto the last bit of my inheritance, then that was enough.

She knew my intentions more than I dared hoped. "You do realise speaking to the leader of the revolt is going to be futile? They've established that they're set on physical means of persuasion. With your permission, I can settle this. Call back the others and we can settle this."

My eyes lingered at the gun in her jacket, or at least the bulge of it. I couldn't see it, but it was common knowledge that ever since she became my bodyguard, extra protection was required to protect the King. She was a faithful subject to the end, of which I was grateful for. I had called off the rest of the House of Joker to lower the defences. The citizens were only claiming what was theirs – they didn't need to die for it and neither did the House.

"I think not. At the end of the day, we are men. I have reason to believe that this matter can be settled without the need of violence. All I need is the right leverage and words. Please don't open fire unless one of us is at risk." I sighed and placed my pen on the table horizontally. Without a doubt, it was hard to channel all thoughts of the riot out of my head.

Joker nodded, a look of contempt still showing on the creases on her maturing face. She was reluctant, but she muttered, "understood, Mister Ludor."

I leaned back into my chair whilst waiting, and she didn't feel the need to continue the small talk. We waited for the one person who had brought this team of rebels together, and the clamour outside did nothing to ease the nerves. I devised a variety of things to say and mention, but I merely kept my eyes shut and let the blackness envelope me and offer me sanctuary where the outside world wasn't kind. I was tempted to withdraw my father's pocket watch from the folds of my jacket, but I forced myself not to in case it jinxed us.

"Say Joker," I said slowly as I opened my eyes. "In what could be our final moment, would you care to indulge me?" I gave a small smile as I looked up at Joker. She really was exceptional, and although I saw her every day, she was looking at me differently. She was genuinely concerned about my welfare, and I wanted nothing more than to ease that. The look of worry did not suit someone so steadfast.

She blinked, but I didn't need her to reply.

I raised a hand to her, flashing a small grin to distract us both from the chaos beyond the office. "Before I met you, I hadn't realised I was only half a man. And now we have been in each other's company for so long, I don't think I could ever go back to who I was. I'm aware of how selfish I am in saying this, however I only say this because I want to know if you feel the same." It was surprisingly easy to come out with the words. They had constantly been at the back of my head, all those times Joker would lean over me with her innovative ideas and the way she shied away as we went about the morning routine. "I'm Albion Ludor. May I have the pleasure of your name?"

Joker shook her head slightly. "I don't understand what you're trying to accomplish, Mister Ludor." Her voice betrayed her, and I knew she was trying her best not to be flustered.

"Just play along," I confirmed, waving my outstretched hand to get her to take it.

She took my hand gingerly, and I guided her slight hand into mine so they slotted together seamlessly. I didn't feel the hand of a trained assassin, but just a woman who was still learning the way of the romantic affair. I had been familiar with all too many ladies, but no one had made me feel nearly as relaxed as I did right now. I kept my eyes locked on hers, reassuring her without words that she didn't have to be afraid.

"You can call me Feena."

I let out a small sigh. The mutual agreement between master and servant had been severed, and I didn't regret it one bit. "Feena. How exceptional."

I felt her hand relax in mine as she gave the tiniest smile. Perhaps she too felt the relief of us meeting as equals.

It was inevitable that in this one moment of bliss, we both heard the door handle lower with a creak. Feena was sharper than me, and I felt her fingernails scratch me as her hand left for her gun.

It all happened quickly before my eyes that I didn't have time to react. The first man entered with confidence regardless of the terrible jacket-trousers coordination (grey and brown never went together), but it was the scruffy man behind him that had the upper hand of already holding a gun in one hand. We both weren't to know.

There were two shots, almost simultaneous, then she slumped dead on the floor. Joker didn't cry out – she was simply gone with a bullet between her eyes. I felt the pang of loss, about how she had met her end sooner than I had anticipated. If it hadn't been for my order or my selfish desires, she would have seen it coming a long way off. Maybe she had already known. I didn't realise how hard it hit me how much she had meant to me and I realised that I was finally all alone.

In our last moment together, I was completely at ease and felt she was too. Yet, despite all that, I was quick to distort that memory. Did her feelings truly replicate mine, or was she doing it merely because I had ordered it?

The events transpired quickly, but I had to deal with the following matters in my own way. And I knew I would meet a similar fate soon afterwards.

I smiled anyway – even in the face of death, we Ludors never backed down. "Good afternoon. I knew that you would find me personally. Can I help you with something?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "Judging by your attitude, I suppose I can assume you're the one who calls himself King."

"Correct," I confirmed. "Is there a reason for all the commotion?"

He growled, taking a few steps towards the desk and throwing the gun onto it. "I have never been one for killing, but I think now's the time that the public fought back. Whilst you sit in a nice cushy life, there are people suffering every day with nothing to do except gamble. Anyone who lives off other people's misfortune is sick."

"I'm glad we're on the same page," I joked. I had that phase, there was no denying that. "Although, I would also imagine that you would agree with me that the company rarely advertises beyond the building alone. And being in a side alley such as this, would you agree that no one comes across it by chance?"

I could see him gradually go redder. "Don't twist things! You knew full well what was happening below, and if you're going to turn a blind eye on it, then we would have to take desperate measures."

I put my fingers together as I leaned forwards in my chair. "You have my attention. Desperate measures, you say?"

"Some of your most loyal clients are planting bombs around the premises. I'm sure that there are more ransacking the back of the casino where all the money is, but I take it you already knew that." He smiled toothily, and I could tell his diet hadn't been too kind to him.

I gave a firm nod. "What are your terms? I'd rather deal with the matter as gentlemen."

He stared at me for a few seconds, then broke into peals of laughter. It echoed around the room, even drowning the sounds that ensued in the corridor, especially with the door open. And that was no easy feat. "You don't get it, do you? We're getting what we want as we speak – you'd be bankrupt, and you're just giving money back to those who deserve it. Take it as an act of charity."

I sighed as I crossed one leg over the other. What he meant was that I should never have taken over the casino. I never doubted my decision, despite being in the face of death. I had made a difference, and had become a story to tell if the casino was to meet its end, which in any event was nigh.

If Father was in charge now, would this have happened? Or was it something that was dormant for so long and had accumulated over time, to the point that now was the explosion?

"I will," I replied humbly. There was little point resisting, seeing as I knew the rebellion had already gone out of hand and what little security was struggling as it was. What did I have to offer that they didn't have already? "Would you be considerate in aiming that gun at me?"

He looked between the weapon and me in turn. "Why?" he asked weakly. "We only wanted to claim what was ours. If there's no force needed to get you to listen to us, then there's no reason for me to…"

I made a pointed look at the gun still on the table. "Pick it up," I challenged as I offered a smirk.

His gun hand shook as he lifted it up. He wasn't fully prepared for open murder, which most people generally aren't made to do. The only exceptions I had seen were Joker and Liam, both men with no fear.

Fear ate at the heart of man. And a man with fear was the host to a great parasite that was best kept hidden from view. Having no fear meant to have power over the environment around you.

Which meant that I had a chance against this man.

"What's your name?" I asked. He could shoot me at any time, but he wouldn't pull the trigger.

"I was a regular customer. If you looked at your guest list once in a while rather than sipping wine in the VIP rooms with the insanely rich, you would know who I was."

I laughed dryly. "Apologies." Evidently, he wasn't open to friendly conversation. "How about some cards?"

I didn't wait for his response. I brought my hand to the desk drawer and withdrew several metal plates from it. They were special cards that had a certain flare about them that made them different from ordinary playing cards. They had sharp edges, particularly in the corners, and hurt tremendously, according to my observations. I had reserved them for the more challenging players, but today I could make a small exception.

There were four, and I handled them well so that I wouldn't cut myself. "Aces and Eights; you are lucky. Did you know that someone was shot and killed holding this hand? That's why it's known as the dead man's hand. He was killed before picking up the last card and it remains a mystery to this day as to what the last card was." I smiled wider as I turned the cards to face him.

He didn't look as impressed as I was.

I exhaled. If he wasn't going to end it all in one fell swoop, then I had to be the deciding factor. "I didn't want to do this, but tell me your name. I want us to be on friendly terms."

"Don't give me that! Why should I if you only go by the name King? Everyone knows that's just a fake name!" he shouted, and I arched an eyebrow.

I tossed one of the cards at him, and landed neatly into one of the thigh of the grey trousers. He screamed, writhed in pain as he clutched the card that prodded out there. The gun fell onto the floor with a clatter. I watched him as he did so, as unfeeling as the corpses that now dotted around the room.

"Tell me your name," I repeated coldly, holding the Ace of Spades between two fingers in preparation. I couldn't help but taste the irony on my lips.

He breathed heavily as he tried to ease the card out. "Dude, are you crazy?"

"Maybe I am," I agreed. "Yet I'm also a man who defines crazy as a need for stimulation." I tossed the spare two cards onto the table and got onto my feet. "How can you trust your followers not to do something crazy?"

The man jerked his head behind him. "He didn't shoot me in the back when there were plenty of opportunities. That's proof enough for me."

"Oh," I responded flatly. Blind trust didn't get a leader anywhere, and without a doubt the business relationship was mutual at best, and the members would forget about the whole endeavour once the mission of claiming their debt and more was complete. "Might I suggest, Mister Smith, that as the leader, mutiny is fairly common in the more assertive of comrades?" I twirled the Ace of Spades with my fingers as I watched the man sweat a little more. "Unless I am mistaken, you contributed the idea but there are others with more drive. In other words…you're just the figurehead of the real rebels."

His mouth opened and closed, the gasps of air so shallow I knew my intimidation act was working. "Show them you're in charge, that's my suggestion." I crossed the room towards the door, passing the gobsmacked rebel and casting a sorry look towards Feena. In the same way Mister Llewellyn did, I had to leave the dead behind. "You have the trigger, don't you? Detonate the bombs."

I didn't want to be forgiven for my actions. There was little point in starting a business that had flourished for five generations from scratch, and it was better off gone for good. And if I could help someone along the way, then that was even better.

Walking down the corridor lived up to the racket I had heard in the office. Men of all statures ran around either vandalising the place or screaming at the top of their heads. Everywhere I looked, I couldn't tell rebel from innocent customer caught in the crossfire.

I slipped the metal-edged card into my trouser pocket to prevent anyone getting hurt from it, and made my way through the crowd as if it was an ordinary day. In my early days, I despised looking down from the balcony on the second floor. Now, over the years, I had grown accustomed to the sight and loved the idea of the money flooding in.

Standing at the balcony now, with the glass chandeliers clattered on the floor and the lower floor scattered with overturned slot machines, similar appliances and people running around in no particular direction, I was overcome with a different sort of feeling. Pride, perhaps. What had once been a prosperous business I had seized without so much as a few bits of DNA. A father with the right connections was enough for me to make the income greater than ever.

And yet there was the guilt, the biting at the back of my brain telling me that I shouldn't let go of my rightful inheritance so easily. Everyone made mistakes, and I could recover from this.

I shut my eyes to block the sights. I concentrated on the darkness to heed no attention the noises that surrounded me. I wanted to lose myself in a world where I didn't have to face such a downfall.

I vaguely felt it was right to finally let the casino fall after all this time – I just hoped that Father would forgive me for such a rash decision. I had nowhere to return to, and I had grown so attached to the Silver Lynx I wouldn't want to do anything besides die with it. A casino with no money within its walls was miserable indeed. I was certain that all my ancestors before me would understand my actions.

There was a loud crash, but I didn't feel the need to locate what it was. The screams were louder, more frantic.

The money I had spent too long gathering was gone in a single day. I had admitted it as charity, but there was the undeniable greed of me wanting it back. It was rightfully mine, even if it wasn't rightfully earned in the first place.

Yet, even though I hadn't intentionally planned for it, I had fulfilled the vow I had made when I first came to the Silver Lynx. I had thought of it as an evil that needed to be cut short.

Then something stirred within me, wriggling at the pit of my stomach and scratching at the back of my throat. I tore at my head the same way my mother had, silently cursing. It was so dark.

I couldn't open my eyes. I panicked. I needed to see my family. They had to know that I wasn't like my father or his father. I was Eon Green, a simple brother who merely wanted to do the right thing. I never wanted to hurt anyone, and I could finally admit I had disappointed those who depended on me. I had made one too many wrong decisions, and it was too late to amend them. Lady Luck had set out plenty of chances for me to realise, however I had been too blinded by power and corruption.

And, like a nightmare normally did, I stirred in the eternal darkness and with only my semi-conscious, destructive thoughts for company.