Despite always keeping a level head, Will couldn't help but worry about his brother.

He had always been a bit worried about Bill. Ever since he could walk, he'd been getting into some kind of trouble one way or another. Will was used to having to chase his brother around, and apologizing to their neighbors.

He might as well have saved himself the effort, however, because Bill had a special knack for worming his way out of trouble. The time he grabbed Mrs. Trembley's cat by the tail? Why, he was just rescuing it from the gutter! The time he planted firecrackers in the Chu's mailbox? No, that wasn't him, that was Nathaniel from two floors up!

Will knew Bill was never trying to hurt anyone, but it was worrying nonetheless. Kill had given up on trying to control their youngest brother a long time ago, which meant it was up to Will to make sure Bill didn't caught in anything too deep.

The blue-haired Cipher sighed, carefully pouring tea into a porcelain cup. Something wasn't right with this whole affair. It was just too...out of nowhere. Not that Bill didn't have good qualities, but he didn't have a clue what Alcor's right-hand would want with his brother. He set the teapot down, deep in thought. Maybe he was just overthinking again.

"Cipher! The tea!"

He jolted, nearly spilling his elegant platter all over the carpet. Luckily, his hands just missed the tray, which he then scooped up and hurried out of the kitchen.

Will scurried into the Pool's extravagant parlor, all covered in velvet and golden accents. He set up the tea tray on the mahogany coffee table, very careful not to make eye contact with the madam of the house. "So sorry, madam. It won't happen again," he stuttered.

He was completely ignored, but that was a relief compared to being lectured. Mrs. Pool daintily picked up a cup with her green, goblin-like fingers, which contrasted horribly with her bubblegum pink party dress. "Now, 8-Ball, dear, be reasonable." Her voice was far deeper than any woman's he'd ever heard, and gave the impression of her living in a swamp somewhere.

"No!" 8-Ball howled back, making Will wince. He didn't see the teenage master much these days since he started shadowing his father at his casino, a fact that Will was grateful for. "I want it now!"

"Sweetheart, we talked about this. You're not set to inherit the casino until you're twenty-one, and even then we'll still have to see how business is. We can get you a pony, remember how happy you were when you got Maultooth all those years ago? It'll have eight legs this time, too!"

"That casino's mine!" 8-Ball stood up straight out of his seat, picked up the tea tray, and threw it furiously against the wall behind him. Will and Mrs. Pool both startled at the sudden crash, and Will waited for what he knew was coming next.

"You! Clean that up!"

He sighed. There it was.

Will trudged over and began collecting the shards of china with his bare hands, knowing he would be reprimanded if he want back for a dustpan. Hopefully he wouldn't cut himself too badly.

"Father doesn't even know what he's doing! He just doesn't want to admit that I should be the one in charge!"

"Just wait until you have a little more experience under your belt, start small-"

"Father's been letting humans into the casino! Our casino, run by the purest of the demon families!" 8-Ball scoffed. "If I had it my way, we'd have just done away with their filthy race the moment we arrived here."

Will's fists trembled. Sometimes he wished he could grab 8-Ball by the neck and squeeze, squeeze until no more grating whines came out of his throat ever again. But Will had to keep his cool, or else he and his brothers would be living out on the streets.

After Will had finished with cleaning up the mess, he quickly excused himself into the kitchen, which went completely unnoticed. After checking that he wasn't bleeding anywhere, he set about washing the dishes from Mrs. Pool's earlier luncheon with her demoness friends. That he is, he was, until someone began knocking on the kitchen door leading to the outside.

He paused, confused. The Pools weren't expecting anyone. Besides, even if they were, why would they use the servants' entrance? He walked over, opened the door, and-

"Bill?! What-what are you doing here?"

His younger brother was standing in the doorway, still dressed in his stolen suit, his blue eyes sparkling with glee. He puts his hands on his hips, grinning madly. "What? Can't I visit my brother once in a while on this fine afternoon?"

Will was frozen for a moment, before giving up. "Just be quiet, okay? They won't take kindly to you just popping inside their manor."

"Sure, sure. Don't get too worked up over it." Bill started humming a tune, spinning a little as he looked around the room.

"You look happy. What, did Maximilian drop a million dreiecks in your lap when you walked in the door?"

Bill whipped around to face him, excitement lighting up his features. "He might as well have. Will-" He rushed over to his older brother, right up in his face. "-he gave me a job. A big one."

The middle Cipher's heart stopped beating for a minute. "What?"

Bill nodded, biting his lip like a toddler. "Really. I went in, it was an interview, and I...I got it Will, I got it."

"That's..." Will couldn't help it. He started laughing. "That's incredible, Bill! What is it, then? What's the job?"

His brother's face fell a little, before abruptly picking back up. "Well, technically, I'm not supposed to tell you, but what's life without a bit of rule-breaking?" Will was definitely about to make a comment about that, but Bill pressed on. "It's called a Dealmaker. Basically, I need to assemble the new Ukrenium Council because the current one's falling apart, and to do that I have to make deals with the new prospects and make sure they uphold their bargains. Get it?"

Will blinked. He had only understood...about half of what Bill had just said. "No, I really don't. Can you explain it properly once we're all home? I'm sure Kill will be pleased."

Bill chuckled, a wistful look in his eye. "Oh, I can't wait to see the look on his face. You won't believe the salary. If I do this right, we'll be living like kings."

Will chuckled softly. "I knew you could do it. If anyone was going to make it, it would be you."

Bill smiled still, but it was softer and more loving than is earlier grins had been. "I appreciate it, Will." In a flash, the grin returned. "I'll meet you back at the apartment later, and I'll tell you everything. Got it?"

He flashed his brother a thumbs-up. Bill winked back, and bolted out of the kitchen door before Will could say anything.

His heart soared as he began scrubbing the piles of dirty dishes. Bill had really done it. If he was right about this job, their lives of squabbling for money would be far behind them. After so many years of working for others, Will could finally work for himself.

"Cipher? What was that chatting I heard?"

"Nothing, madam! Just talking to myself!"

...

All Bill could see was sunshine.

In all honesty, it was a cloudy day. He could even see some pedestrians pulling out umbrellas just in case it started pouring. But Bill wasn't worried about that, because why would he be? Everything was coming together at last. He was finally, finally being recognized for his talents, and was making his way through this static society.

Besides, the look on Kill's face would be pretty satisfying.

He wandered those streets for a while, not really sure where he was going, until suddenly it appeared before him. Mackerel Mechanics. His old job. Bill smirked, certain he would receive a warm welcome.

He scouted around the shop, looking for his target. He crept around the back, and saw an older man in his sixties working tirelessly on an old red automobile that had definitely seen better days. Bill grinned, creeping up behind the man as they grumbled and fiddled with a wrench. He got close enough, then-

"Boo!"

The old man yelped and dropped his wrench, then whipped around. His face tightened into a scowl when he saw Bill. "Cipher, what did I tell ya about comin' 'round here?" he snapped, crossing his arms.

Bill pouted. "Aw, come on, Fez, don't be like that!" He widened his blue eyes as large as they could go. "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me!"

Fez snorted. "Only in your dreams."

Bill's mind unconsciously went to the strange nightmares he'd been having, but then quickly banished those thoughts. "I bet you were heartbroken after you let me go. There's no way you found someone to replace me."

Fez had now turned back to his car, probably realizing how futile it was to try to kick Bill out. "What if I did?"

"I know you didn't. I'm one of a kind."

"You got that right." Fez grinned at him, but it was a bit too happy which made Bill nervous. "Frankly, I don't want another you. That's why we hired Fillman McGucket."

"What?!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You hired that old coot?!"

Fez laughed, clearly amused by Bill's shock. "Yup. He's a darn good mechanic too, knows what he's doin'. Doesn't skim the earnin's off the shop either." He gave Bill the evil eye, the one that had scared off many attempted thieves.

The yellow-haired pickpocket had seen his fair share of the evil eye and was unfazed. "Listen, it was just a little extra cash to make ends meet, you understand. It wasn't anything personal. It was hardly worth firing me over."

Fez slammed down his wrench and shook his head, mumbling under his breath something like, "I don't have the energy for this." Then he looked up at the ceiling and yelled at the top of his lungs, "SIXER!"

There was a series of frantic footsteps in the distance, then the garage door slammed open with a bang. An old man Fez's age burst in, panting. He wore handmade leather gloves, a beige trenchcoat, and a pair of cracked glasses. "What? What is it? Samuel, are you alright?" Then he laid eyes on Bill. "You. I told you to get lost, and if I ever saw you on our property again, I'd call the authorities."

Bill leaned heavily against the car Fez was working on, causing the engine to sputter. "Nice to see you too, Sixer. How's business been? Heard you got McGucket on your payroll now. Any raccoons been set loose yet?"

Sixer stormed right up to him, his eyes burning with rage. "He's the best mechanic we've ever had, considering he wasn't a lying thief like you were."

"But you couldn't prove I took anything, could you?" Bill narrowed his eyes and stared Sixer down. "For all you know, this was all a huge misunderstanding and I'm being falsely accused of a crime I didn't commit."

Something in Sixer's eyes snapped, and he lurched forward with his hands as if to grab Bill by the neck, but then youngest Cipher took a step back with his hands up in surrender. "But of course, I can tell where I'm not wanted. It was nice catching up, though." He walked past Fez, then kneeled down next to his ear. "By the way, you put that gear in the wrong place. Thought you ought to know."

Bill stalked off, the image of Fex turning bright red with fury making him chuckle. He could still hear them talking, oblivious to the fact that he was listening. "The nerve of him to walk back here, after what he did-"

"It's jus' how he is, Frederick. The victory's not enough for 'im, he's gotta gloat after."

"...Remember when you first started teaching him the basics, Samuel? He was so excited and quick at the mouth. When he went home that day, you told me that it was like looking at a younger version of yourself. Especially when he told us about his relationship with Kill."

A sigh. "I know. I think he still is like me, in a way, just..in over his head. It's not just about makin' ends meet, but the satisfaction of pullin' one over us."

"I didn't think he was like me at all. I just didn't want him to end up like...you know."

There was a beat. Then- "Well, enough worrying about Cipher. We have a business to run. Are you almost finished with that car?"

"Just about, it needs..."

By then, Bill was too far away from Mackerel Mechanics to hear, not wanting to hear any more of that conversation. He really had liked the Pines twins, but he did what he had to do in the moment. Even with all three of them working regular jobs, they didn't earn nearly enough for the rent on their apartment. Fez and Sixer trusted him completely, especially Fez, so when they let him lock up each night, he took his opportunity. It started out as just skimming the top a little bit, but as the weeks passed, he began taking more and more. Rookie mistake. He took enough money one night that Sixer and Fez noticed, which led to them investigating possible suspects. Bill was not on that list, even though he was the one who locked up. He'd laughed at his good luck, believing he could keep getting away with it.

Little did he know that Bill was on that list, just not officially. The Pines twins apparently had a sneaking suspicion that it was him, so they didn't investigate him in the hopes that he might slip up. And that was exactly what happened. They left the shop, bid Bill goodnight, to which he immediately got to work pocketing the money. Sixer and Fez came back to find him standing behind the register with a stack of bills in his hands.

In all honesty, he should have gotten arrested. He barely even knew how he got away with it. The only thing Bill did know was that when the police showed up, he talked a mile a minute, charming the ever-loving pants off of them. He spun a very convincing yarn about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he got let off. There was nothing he could do about Sixer and Fez firing him though, which in retrospect might have been fair.

It was a real shame though, because he did think of the Pines as his friends, even if Sixer could be a wet sock sometimes. He'd joke around with Fez and make raunchy humor that the elder twin sternly disapproved of. Sixer would show Bill what he was working on and his future projects, which were always fascinating. He'd sit there for ages in that garage, fixing up cars until he was covered in grease. It felt like he belonged somewhere, somewhere that wasn't crammed next to his brothers.

Bill would be lying if he said he didn't regret stealing from them, just a little bit. But time moves fast, and the past is past. Nothing to be done about it now. Bill found a new market in recycled jewelry, and Kill managed to get a raise from the syndicate. They could pay the rent, and both Bill and the Pines could move on with their lives, never having to interact again.

...

When Bill opened the door to the Ciphers' apartment, his brothers were waiting for him. Will was fixing something to eat in the kitchen, while Kill was already sitting on the moldy couch, a bottle of beer in hand. He raised an eyebrow as Bill walked in. "Well? Will told me you got a job. What is it?"

Bill grinned, slamming the door and waltzing over to Kill. "One that's going to let us move out of this slum, that's for sure. You're looking at Bill Cipher, Ukrenium's new Dealmaker."

Will paused and turned to Bill, looking at him like a grandfather trying to understand his grandson's interests. "See, you said that earlier, but I still don't know what that is."

The eldest Cipher, however, seemed to recognize it, and his eyes widened with incredulity. "I've heard the bosses talk about that before. Apparently it's the most wanted position in the Pyramid right now, and they've dismissed dozens of demons that applied. Are you actually serious?"

"As the plague." Bill settled into a crusty armchair, and told them both in detail what had happened in Maximilian's office. By the time he finished, both of his brothers' jaws had dropped to the floor.

Kill's brow was unfurrowed for once, his eyes blinked rapidly in disbelief. "So if I have this correctly...you've been hired for one of the highest-paying jobs in the whole world, and you're going to be taught how to do it by Alcor himself?"

Bill nodded vigorously, his face alight with euphoria. "Yup!"

"C-congratulations," Will stuttered. He was smiling, but his eyes betrayed something else entirely. But Bill couldn't care less, he was too caught up in the momentum.

The redhead shifted uncomfortably on the couch for a moment, before rising and walking over to his youngest brother. Bill was confused for a second, before Kill ruffled his hair a bit and said, "You did good."

Somehow, amongst all of the chaos that had unfolded that day, that was the biggest surprise of all.

Kill looked like he was about to stalk off to his room, but suddenly the phone rang. Bill darted to it like lightning, picking it up on the first ring. The other two in the room froze, wondering the same thing as Bill-what if it was the Pyramid?

He cleared his throat. "Hello?"

Maybe it was his imagination, but he could have sworn there was a sigh on the other end. "This is the front desk of the Pyramid, I'm looking for a Bill Cipher?"

Bill almost squealed with delight, and mouthed to his brothers, it's them. Kill grinned, actually grinned, and Will leaned forward with interest. "Speaking," Bill replied, hoping it sounded casual.

He could hear Grace shuffling papers. "I'm calling to inform you of an appointment with Alcor at eleven sharp tomorrow, is that doable with your schedule?"

It took all of his willpower not to drop the phone on the floor. "Y-yes. Yes. That would be perfect."

"I'll let him know to expect you. Mr. Pines will be awaiting you in the lobby, and reminds you to bring his business card until a clearance card can be made for you. Understood?"

"I understand perfectly," he assured her, a smile taking over his features.

"Excellent. Have a good day." Click.

Bill put down the phone, and slowly turned to face his brothers, who, for once, were hanging on his every word. He thought about how to tell them, but then it spilled out of him, his voice wobbling with glee. "I've got an appointment with Alcor tomorrow."