Episode 3: Double Trouble

"Come on, Garrett, let's go!" Harlan could scarcely keep still as he gathered all the items he took from the Waterdike mission into his sack. "I want to exchange for my gold, and get started on my next job!"

"Calm down, kid." Garrett did not look up from his mechanical eye, which he had removed from his face and began polishing with a rag he carried. "Even master thieves have to rest every now and then. At the pace you go, you take jobs faster than I can assign them."

"I feel like I can handle anything now," Harlan proclaimed. "After completing a real burglary in a real mansion, I'm ready to see what else I can handle. Maybe after a few more jobs on The City's nobility, I could even go after the Hammerite Temples, or a Pagan compound, even the Baronial Palace. Or even..."

Garrett gave a slight laugh. "Those last ideas you had aren't the smartest things I've heard you say. The Hammer-Pagan Wars have cost so many lives over the years, nobody can truly keep count. Anyone who angers either side really puts their life into their hands. When I got mixed up with the Hammers and Pagans, I was lucky that this was all that happened to me." Garrett held up his mechanical eye to emphasize his point. "I'm not likely to authorize such a task for you anytime soon. And certainly not for..." Garrett had to stop himself before he revealed the existence of the secret society who taught him the art of stealth and the basics of combat, the City's third faction that manipulates the others from the shadows, the organization that will no doubt make Garrett an unwitting hero for the third time. "Anyway," he continued, "lack of confidence is not going to be your weakness."

In spite of the enthusiasm and confidence Harlan projected, the Waterdike job did rattle him to an extent. He did not relish the fact that his first burglary saw him come face to face with the guards, or trigger the alarm. However, his experience on Nobility Day did prepare him for that type of encounter, and, while he still committed several potentially fatal errors in judgment, the ordeal did teach him to keep his head and think of some strategies to shake persistent guards. However, rather than dwell on the fear he felt, Harlan attempted to conquer it by looking ahead to the next assignment and focus on future success rather than past blunders. As Garrett finished polishing his eye, Harlan once again sprang toward the edge of the window and looked out over The City. "Look at it," he mused. "Rooms and rooms stacked with gold, jewelry, and artwork. It's sitting there collecting dust, and I'm sitting here, letting it collect dust. I have to get out of here and go for it!"

"Alright," Garrett grunted slightly as he popped his mechanical eye back into its socket and turned towards Harlan. "Let's go."

As darkness set in, the last of Stonemarket's honest vendors and merchants hurried off the streets and into their homes before the pickpockets, prostitutes, and other representatives of The City's criminal element oozed from shadowy alleys and dimly lit taverns and took up positions along the ancient cobblestones. Until the Metal Age, the district of Wayside served as the primary location for criminal activity. However, once Wayside was razed to make way for Soulforge Cathedral, the loss of viable quarters, as well as the presence of the Mechanists, forced the criminals to seek new sanctuary. Most of the criminals took up residence at Stonemarket, The City's oldest market district, filled with merchants to plunder, as well as the patrons of their shops. The City Watch was also unable to form an effective presence in the area, and could do little to stop the tide of crime, aside from the occasional patrol. As Garrett and Harlan entered the district, they instantly noticed the furtive movements of faceless figures, many clutching large purses to their chests. Others crouched in alleyways, scouting potential targets. Harlan could see some holding daggers, unsuccessfully trying to stay out of sight, their efforts somewhat frustrated by gruff howls of laughter.

"Stay close to me," Garrett commanded. "Keep in the shadows, don't make eye contact with anyone." On the wall beside them sat a Wanted poster, with a drawing of a hooded figure drawn with Garrett's features emphasizing the metallic eye, and a reward that could turn a street urchin into a member of the nobility. "As you can see, the Watch knows me," Garrett stated. "Whatever you do, if you see any of their officers, stay as far away as you can. If they do start to approach, don't do anything unless I do it first."

Harlan kept his head on a swivel as he and Garrett twisted through the maze of closed kiosks and maniacal faces. His eyes darted among faces sporting hideous scars, pockmarks, eye deformities, gaps between yellow and brown teeth, and unruly stubble. Harlan twisted his head as he walked to survey the mob, until he felt an elbow lightly but firmly clip his bread basket. "Relax," his mentor's voice proclaimed from behind his hood. "You look like an excited rat right about now. If you want these guys to sense fear and weakness, that is the way to do it." Harlan swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and attempted to heed Garrett's advice. Nonetheless, he kept his eyes roving, only at a slower, more subtle pace. Before long, he understood Garrett's point, as he spied a man rapidly switching his head from side to side, and glancing frequently at a purse on his belt. Harlan discovered a path of shadow he could take leading to the man, and swiftly glided up to him and plucked the purse from its nervous owner's side. As he returned to Garrett's side, his teacher motioned for Harlan to follow him into an alley. After a few twists and turns, they emerged into a dead end closed in by three abandoned store windows. Garrett peered up at his student, who displayed the edge of the purse inside his sleeve, awaiting praise for his skill and quick thinking. While awaiting a pat on the shoulder, Harlan suddenly felt the sting of his mentor's hand across his face.

"What did I tell you the first day we met?" Garrett asked angrily. "Do not commit any thefts without my knowledge and permission. You had no idea what was waiting for you when you made that grab."

"But, Garrett, he was..."

"Scared. Scared enough to look around wildly and possibly look right into your eyes just as you were stealing his money. Or he could have been a decoy. Teams of robbers will send out a buddy to act as an easy mark to lure a cocky pickpocket out, only for them to swoop in and run a sword through you. And did you notice only your target, or also look at what was around him? Did you check to make sure you were not in full view of a City Watch Officer or a Hammerite patrol, so they would not see you-or me?"

"Well, no..."

"So now we know why I tell you to do things my way," Garrett concluded as he turned around to re-enter the market. "My orders will save both our lives. If you can't follow them, you will be on your own from here on out."

Garrett and Harlan stopped before a narrow shop with no sign advertising its wares like the others around it, and a red handprint on the door. "The red hand signifies the underground trade in The City," Garrett explained. "But don't just waltz into any shop you see it on. I chose Douglas' shop because he's loyal, reliable, and will give you a fair price. You may get more from someone like Heartless Perry, but there's a reason people call him that. He doesn't open up to accept too many clients, especially new faces." Garrett turned to open the door on Douglas' shop. "When we get inside, let me do all the talking. Douglas will only do business once you give him the code, and if you get it wrong by even a word, it could mean your life."

The two thieves entered to see a large, burly man with dark hair and an unkempt beard finishing up with another hooded figure. Garrett herded Harlan over to a corner of the store and made him look away as the man passed. Once he had exited, Garrett approached the shopkeeper and deposited the loot sack on the table.

"Nice bag," the man remarked.

"Thanks," Garrett responded. "It's made of burrick hide."

A smile crossed the shopkeeper's face. "Garrett!" he greeted in a low but excited voice. "You have something new for me already?"

"I think you'll like this haul," Garrett remarked.

"Glad to hear it. And I'm especially glad you came to me instead of that crook Perry."

"Aren't we all crooks out here?"

"Honor among thieves, my friend, honor among thieves." Suddenly, Douglas stopped, and Harlan noticed his eyes were resting on him. His once-jubilant voice suddenly went steely. "Who are you?" he inquired.

Harlan kept his lips sealed, desperate not to make another mistake such as he committed in the market. Fortunately, Garrett rescued him, piercing the silence with a simple response: "He's with me."

Though still suspicious, Douglas once again projected a welcoming tone. "That's what I needed to hear," he announced. "Garrett, your word is as valuable as anything I keep on the shelves here." He turned once again to the apprentice thief. "What did you say your name was?"

"Harlan," the young thief managed to get out after seeing Garrett's nod of approval.

"In fact," Garrett went on, "this is the kid I told you about last time. The haul I brought here is actually another of his jobs."

"Ah, the famous Nobility Day plunderer. Any more jobs like that, and I'll be able to retire before too long."

"Don't retire too soon," Garrett jokingly warned. I turned Harlan here over to you because I know you're a reliable fence who will give him what he deserves.

Douglas lifted the loot bag, before setting it down with a contented smile. "Can't make too many promises," he answered. "This thing's pretty heavy." He reached over the counter and gave Harlan a slap on the shoulder. "I like you already, kid," Douglas proclaimed. "Between you and Garrett, I'm going to have myself quite a little business here. Anyway, your bag feels promising enough. Let's get out back and see what's inside. Do you have anything to hold a candle to Lord Bassel's crown?"

"This one should," Garrett remarked. "In fact, I'm thinking he may have topped himself already."

Douglas pushed on a book on the shelf behind him, and the adjacent shelf raised to the ceiling. After ushering Harlan and Garrett inside and once more shutting the entrance by means of a lever on the inside wall, Douglas led them through a narrow passageway before stopping at a steel door. The fence removed a key from a ring on his belt and opened the door, leading to a room containing a worn rug in the center, a fire burning in a makeshift fireplace, and shelves around the walls, stacked with glittering items that had to be kept off the shelves in the main room, as they would look painfully and obviously out of place in a humble pawnshop. "Alright, kid," Douglas said as they settled into chairs by the fireplace. "Let's see what we stole."

Harlan handed his loot bag over to Douglas, who emptied its contents on the floor. He sifted through the jewels and coins, occasionally holding them up to the light of the flames, muttering to himself periodically. Finally, Garrett rummaged through the pile of loot until he procured the crystalline vase. "I think this will interest you the most," he offered.

Douglas' face instantly lit up. "Garrett, you were right. This does put the Bassel job to shame. Is that..."

"Lady Waterdike's vase," Garrett answered. "Wasn't there some sort of bet as to who would get to it first?"

"Yep. Every fence in The City swore it would be one of their boys who would be the one to sneak it out, and how long it would be before someone succeeded. I could step up and claim to have won, but everyone will try to say young Harlan here wasn't acting for me when he took it.

"He was acting for me," Garrett stated. "If anyone tries to stiff you on the bet, let me know. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Garrett, but I'm not exactly your client either. How many fences do you have in this city anyway?"

"Some things are better off unknown. Things like what a wealthy nobleman would want with a gemstone with necromantic powers, why the City Watch would deliver beggars to the Mechanists as 'servants,' and my entire list of fences and pawns. So, can you turn this pile of junk into gold for us?"

Douglas looked up as he finished sorting and examining the various treasures that lay scattered before him. "Of course. I'll be back in a second." Douglas gathered up the loot in the bag and turned to a desk in a far corner of the room. "And don't touch anything," he added, turning towards Harlan, who was eyeing the myriad pieces that lined the walls. After several minutes, the fence returned, and handed the bag to Garrett. Garrett reached in and transferred two handfuls of coins into a purse on his belt before handing the remainder to Harlan "We each have our shares now, so we'll be on our way." Douglas led the thieves back through the corridor out to the main area of the shop, and bid them farewell as they exited the store back to the streets of Stonemarket.

Garrett and Harlan passed back through the dank streets toward South Quarter. As they passed through a narrow archway, Harlan noticed a dark-hooded figure heading directly for him with his hand in his cloak. Harlan shifted his bag of gold toward the other side of his body, reached for his sword, and braced for impact. Just as the mysterious figure was about to make contact with him, Garrett rushed in front of him and absorbed the blow. At that moment, Harlan felt a tug from behind, and his purse slipped through his fingers. He turned around to see a second figure running away from him, tucking the bag into his cloak. Harlan drew his sword to give chase, but felt an arm on his shoulder, and heard a weak gasp. Harlan turned around to see the first man bent over Garrett's shoulder, blood pouring from his mouth. Garrett took a step back, and the man collapsed on the ground, with Garrett's dagger in his stomach. His hood slipped from his head, and Harlan could see a hard, grimy face with dark eyes and short, light-brown hair. Harlan glanced back at the second robber, and saw him about to disappear into the mist. However, before he disappeared, the man stopped, turned back toward the scene, and ran back to his fallen comrade. He stood frozen at the sight of his wounded accomplice before pulling a vial of healing potion from his belt and lobbing it towards him. The wounded thief downed the liquid and pulled the dagger from his bleeding body. As the wound closed and the blood caked dry, Garrett retrieved his dagger and held it to his assailant's throat. His accomplice lunged toward Garrett, but Harlan greeted him with a forearm to the face, dropping the man flat on his back. Harlan quickly drew his sword, bearing down on the would-be thief.

"Give it back," Harlan ordered, simultaneously angry at the mysterious pair for attempting to rob The City's newest master thief, and himself for allowing these men to get the better of him, as well as a mixture of amusement, amazement, and content that, for once, he was on the other end of a sword blade aimed at a downed man's throat.

"Careful," Garrett warned as Harlan bent down to retrieve the purse from his subdued adversary. As Harlan took the purse, his prisoner suddenly jerked his head in the direction of Garrett and his quarry. "Is he okay?" the man shouted. "Is he okay? You better not hurt him!"

Taken aback, Harlan once more pressed his sword against the man's throat. At that moment, Garrett's prisoner similarly twisted and shrieked wildly. "Stop it! You'll kill him!" Garrett threw his foe's head to the ground and pressed the dagger firmly against his throat. "If you keep that up, we just might have to."

Harlan finally managed to exercise control over his opponent as well, but during the fracas, the man's hood fell off. A wave of shock overcame Harlan as he examined the man's face. The same short brown hair, steely brown eyes, and stark features were present in his adversary. The features were more than similar to those of his counterpart; the Master Builder had cast them out of the same mold.

"Let him go," the man under Harlan's sword urged. "I don't care what happens to me."

"Don't say that," replied his partner who Garrett had restrained.

Harlan looked toward his mentor. "Who are these guys? Are they..."

"Twins," answered Garrett. "They look and act exactly alike, making them the perfect partners to execute a tandem job. But their connection with each other makes them put their brother's safety ahead of the heist objective. That is the main weakness of this combination, and why thieves should work alone in general."

"Who are you to give advice to a thief?" asked Garrett's victim indignantly. "Unless you're Garrett himself, you can't tell us how to steal. Our team effort has paid off for years on these streets."

Garrett gave a slight laugh upon hearing his name. "Well maybe he is..." Harlan began, before remembering that his tutelage and his life would come to an end if he were to ever reveal Garrett's identity or whereabouts. Garrett, however, leaned in to his victim and pulled back his hood, revealing his eye. "So now can I tell you that your method is weak?" he stated.

"Master Garrett! It is you!" exclaimed his victim. "Garrett?" his brother gasped, turning his head in his direction before Harlan forced it back with the edge of his sword.

"It's alright, Harlan," Garrett assured him. "I don't think these guys will give us any more trouble."

"Trouble?" Garrett's prisoner returned. "We want to prove ourselves to you. My name is Ryker, and this is my brother Rayner. We apologize for the misunderstanding. If we had any idea it was you, we would have let you go in peace. Now, all we want is to know how to improve our technique."

"Isn't it obvious?" Harlan interjected. "Your style is garbage. All it got you was our blades against your throats."

"Excuse me," Rayner countered. "But I do remember snatching that purse from right under that big nose of yours.

"You mean this one?" Harlan dangled the bag of gold over the defeated twin.

"You know I would have had it. If only Ryker hadn't been wounded..."

"You mean if he hadn't gotten caught."

"Enough," Garrett interrupted sternly. Harlan and the twins fell silent and their eyes all fell upon him. "Harlan, you are in no place to criticize their style. If not for me, these boys and that purse would be long gone by now. You let your guard down, and you played right into their trap. On the other hand," he continued, turning toward Rayner, "you inexcusably let your emotions get the better of you. You had a sure-fire success of a robbery, but you blew it out of fear and panic."

"What was I supposed to do?" Rayner snapped. "Abandon my brother?"

"What you do not do is compromise your theft and your life. Remove yourself from the immediate danger, and then come up with a strategy to free your comrade safely."

"It really doesn't matter," interjected Harlan as he began to back away from Rayner, though still keeping his blade firmly on his throat. "I'm the top thief in The City now, and if I ever see you again, I will finish this job. There's no use talking to these two anymore."

"Actually," Garrett responded, slowly easing his blade off Ryker's throat, "these two have shown me something here. Like you, they have skill that is only limited by quick tempers and rash judgments. And they certainly outwitted you here tonight. Maybe I'd be better off with them under my wing."

Ryker and Rayner exchanged excited glances, elated at the prospect of learning thievery under The City's living legend. Harlan, however, marched over to his mentor, flabbergasted. "Is that all you think of me? One mistake, that didn't even cause any trouble, and you're willing to cast me aside for these two goons you know nothing about? And do you think for one second that when it comes to a real job-actual burglary, not just street robbery-that these taffers can hold a candle to me?"

"I say we find out," returned Garrett. "We can play a little game, with my tutelage as the prize, along with the loot. Abraham Tybalt is one of the wealthiest merchants in The City, who often holds many of the priceless trinkets that find their way into the mansions of the nobility, at least until thieves like us clean them out. Currently, he is holding four small but valuable statues in his warehouse intended for display in Lord Holanthrus' library. Your job is to ensure that Holanthrus has a few complaints about Tybalt's security measures. Whoever manages to procure the most of the statues is worthy to be my student. Get your gear where you can and meet up in front of Tybalt's warehouse in one hour. Then we'll see who can truly be Garrett's apprentice."

Harlan slipped back to Angelwatch, and mustered a small collection of arrows, flash bombs, and healing potions before heading to the Docks and twisting his way through the maze of warehouses and offices before stopping in front of the largest building in the area, with a bronze plaque reading ABRAHAM TYBALT, SHIPPING AND MERCANTILE over two massive green iron doors. As he approached the entryway, he noticed a black cloaked figure standing in front of the steps leading to the entrance who he assumed to be one of the twins. Harlan quickly slunk back into the shadows, drew his blackjack and silently crept up to the thief, hoping to eliminate one of his competitors before the race was even underway. As he approached the man's back, he raised his blackjack, only to hear a swift whistling sound behind him, followed by an abrupt sound and angry grunt. He turned around to see the other twin behind him, his blackjack raised to knock him out, and his wrist firmly ensnared in Garrett's hand. Harlan instantly realized the trap he would have fallen into: he was not the predator, but the prey, and one of the twins had stood out as a decoy, while his brother lay in the shadows, poised to strike him unconscious, leaving Ryker and Rayner to pillage the warehouse unopposed.

"Save it for when I say to start," Garrett ordered, pushing the blackjack-wielding twin aside, into his brother. "Once you get inside, however, anything goes. On my signal, you are free to enter the warehouse by any means you see proper. Remember, there are four priceless statues held inside. Whoever takes the most will definitively receive the title of my apprentice." Ryker, Rayner, and Harlan each took up positions as Garrett raised his right hand, scanning the building for safe, easy access points. "One more thing," Garrett offered, causing the three thieves to stop dead in their tracks, "Tybalt still guards his warehouse with illegal Mechanist technology. In fact, he relies exclusively on it, so you will need to keep this in mind when planning your path and your thieving techniques." Harlan felt his heart sink in disappointment and apprehension. Fearing interaction primarily with human guards, he stocked his quiver mostly with broadhead arrows, and only a limited supply of water and fire arrows. However, as he glanced at the twins, he noticed they shared an identical realization. He took a deep breath, and attempted to keep one eye on his route, and one eye on his adversaries. Finally, Garrett broke the stillness and silence, dropping his hand and yelling, "Begin!"

Harlan bolted in his chosen direction, before glancing over his shoulder to view the twins' path. To his amazement, he saw Ryker head straight for the front doors, which he brazenly flung open. A split second later, he saw a metallic orb hurtling in his direction, which he instantly recognized as a flash bomb. Harlan pulled his hood over his eyes just as the bomb impacted, emitting its eye-piercing light. He was able to avoid the brunt of the flash, but still absorbed enough to produce a red haze and pounding sensation in his eye sockets. Nevertheless, his vision was clear enough to rediscover his path, as he lurched into the nearest shadow against a brick wall. He saw a stack of crates to his right that he quickly mantled up to, just as a broadhead arrow cracked against the wall in his direction, no doubt another effort to finish him off before he entered the warehouse-arena. Although he was up high, he was still cast in shadow. He looked down towards the entrance to more clearly understand the twins' strategy. He was amazed to see one of the twins walk directly up to the towering green doors, lifting the bolt, and flinging them open. Within seconds, a shrill alarm fired a rapid beat, and an army of enormous blue metal beasts stormed out of the entrance way. The mechanical soldiers chattered in canned, nasally voices as a projectile shot out of one arm like a cannonball before exploding. The thief who opened the door managed to escape the pyrotechnics, but could not shake the relentless protectors known as the Builder's Children. Harlan, however, saw that as the last of the parade of Children passed through the door, the second twin, concealed in a shadow to the side, slipped through the door unimpeded.

Once inside, Rayner stopped to catch his breath. Their plan had worked seamlessly. While his brother served as decoy, he would slip into the warehouse undetected and explore for the grounds uninhibited. Sure enough, as he looked straight ahead, he noticed a small figure of a man on horseback standing on a crate directly in front of him. The maniacal inventor Karras continued to stare down on Rayner in a metallic form and sound its alarm unabated, but without the Children to provide security, he walked directly up to the ivory, jewel-encrusted prize, and snatch it off of its resting place.

Harlan quickly understood the twins' plan; he had fallen victim to the decoy tandem himself on numerous occasions since their first encounter. He decided on a quieter, less aggressive point of access as he climbed on a plank leading from the crates to an open window on the second floor of the warehouse, which he quickly traversed before slipping inside. As he crouched in the window, he looked down, and noticed a white figure that, while small, appeared highly valuable due to its luster and small rays of light beamed onto the floor and wall that Harlan guessed came from gems fitted inside. He donned his climbing gloves and began to descend towards his loot. Once he lowered himself below the windowsill, he turned around to survey the room. As he looked behind himself, he stared directly into a mechanical face with one lens as an eye. A small light on the bottom of the face turned from green to yellow, and Harlan immediately scampered back up towards the window. A second later, an alarm sounded, and Harlan heard a strange sound in the room near the statue. He looked down to see the now-red light on the alarm, and below that, two additional mechanical faces turning to face him, their mouths loaded with some sort of strange projectile. As he mantled back up to the window, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg, and blood running down towards his foot. He turned around in the window frame to see a sharp metallic projectile flash towards his face, only to strike the wall directly to his right. Harlan realized that the weapon was placed in conjunction with the scanning eye, and reacted to any foreign intruder it sensed. He readied a fire arrow, and, as the faces on the floor began to reload and refocus, he sent it hurtling at the scanner, which shattered into several pieces around the room, silencing the alarm as well. The Mechanist weapons stayed fixated on his spot in the window, but did not fire or budge further. After several seconds, Harlan once again pulled on his climbing gloves and descended to the floor. As he climbed, he noticed that the metal faces stood still, unable to react to the destroyed scanner. Once he reached the bottom, Harlan reached back and extracted a sharp metal cog from his leg. His hand moved towards his belt to loosen a healing potion, but he decided to forego its use, as the pain was relatively minor, and he may need the potion in another, more desperate situation. He crept up to the statue, one of an elegant woman on horseback, and shoved it into his loot bag, unimpeded by the blind weapons and disabled scanners.

Ryker unleashed a stream of fire arrows at the horde of enormous Children bearing down on him. He sensed explosions all around, with intense heat striking at his face and body, smoke punishing his eyes, and the smell of sulfur invading his nostrils. Nevertheless, he systematically unloaded fire arrows from his quiver and began firing away, occasionally shifting to his belt to unhook and swallow a bottle of healing potion. Fortunately, many of the Children's bombs disabled each other as they clambered into each other's paths and became caught up in the multitude of blasts. Nonetheless, Ryker found himself running low on ammunition and wounded from fire and shrapnel. Fortunately, a series of explosions began to echo around him, and he looked up to see several of the Children burst into pieces, while others shut down, disabled. As the giant sentinels shattered, Ryker could make out the form of his brother standing in the warehouse entrance, releasing fire arrows at his tormentors. Ryker joined his brother in dispatching the Children, whose poor aim also assisted in dismantling each other. When the smoke finally cleared, the twins stood over a pile of demolished Children, their path into the warehouse completely clear. Rayner tossed his brother a vial of healing potion, which he downed before the two of them walked through the front doors without further resistance.

Harlan navigated a maze of crates, occasionally stopping to check ahead for Mechanist security or his twin adversaries. On one occasion, he passed a short, green and gold Child on patrol, heading directly towards him. However, the Child only seemed to react when he moved loudly, and did not change its behavior as long as he was standing still, even in full view. Harlan quickly realized that the smaller Children patrolled on sound rather than sight, and limited his movement around them as a result, traversing the room with the aid of moss arrows whenever necessary. Eventually, he came to an archway overlooking the main floor below, and observed the next prize, a bejeweled white falcon with wings spread and mouth open, at the far end of the room. Between him and the bird lay a row of dormant, but able, Children, ready to strike at the first sign of intrusion. Harlan knew that he did not have enough moss arrows to cover the entire room, and any attempt to cross the room to his prize would result in his destruction at the hands of the iron sentries. He readied his climbing gloves, and began to scale the wall, hoping to snatch the prize from above. Harlan pulled himself nearly to the ceiling as he scaled across the wall until he hung directly over the statue. He realized that he could not move fast enough not to be seen, so he would have to move fast enough not to be hit. He rapidly lowered himself to the ground, and reached out to claim his trophy. Suddenly, an arrow arched through the air and landed on the floor in front of him. The impact produced a cacophony of clicks, springs, and thumps. If the benefits of the noisemaker arrow were lost on Harlan before, they flooded to his mind in one terrifying instant. At the sound of the impact, every Child in the room shrieked to life, and within seconds spotted him on the wall. He grabbed for the bird, but lost his balance and fell to the floor on his back, just as a bomb smashed into the wall where he had been hanging. The bomb missed as a projectile, but exploded beside him, sending a powerful blast into the side of his body, as well as toppling the table holding the statue. The prize rocked back and forth on its base before spilling off the table and into Harlan's lap. Harlan pushed the table over to shield himself from any further blasts before throwing the bird into his loot bag. Rolling towards the wall, he spied a grate in the corner. He wrenched the grate open and crawled inside, just as another explosive struck him from behind and sent burning shrapnel into the back of his body. Harlan just managed to crawl a distance down the narrow passageway and free a healing potion from his belt to numb the burns and lacerations before following the long, stuffy space to its end.

After a long trek down the crawl space, Harlan noticed a series of squares of mellow light just ahead of him. He pulled himself toward the spot he knew to be the end of the tunnel. Sure enough, he came upon the grate leading out into a new, lighted hallway. He eased the grate open to see one final prize on a podium at the end of the hall, a magnificent white dragon glittering with gemstones from head to tail. Harlan stayed within the crawl space, checking for either the twins or the Builder's Children, and his eyes eventually spied two mechanical scanners surveying the premises from the ceiling, along with a projectile launcher on each side. Harlan launched a fire arrow into each of the scanners before slinking out into the hallway and flipping a switch on the nearby wall to kill the lights in case of any further confrontation. He began what he hoped would be a quick, silent glide down the hallway and the acquisition of the third and decisive prize. However, at about the halfway point, he heard quick, desperate footsteps behind him, and turned around to find one of the twins galloping at him and the statute at full bore. Instinctively, he lowered his center of gravity and met the thief head-on, as the twin's arms snaked around him and they both spilled to the floor. Almost immediately, Harlan recognized the ploy of the tandem bait and snatch. He struggled to free himself, but his assailant continued to yank his leg and paw at his loot bag. This delay allowed the second twin to swoop in and swipe the dragon from its perch and stuff it into his own loot bag. At that moment, all three thieves heard CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! echoing through the halls in their direction. Harlan, Rayner, and Ryker all froze in terror. They understood that the Builder's Children, once aware of an intruder, will stalk their targets with unrelenting speed and uncanny precision. Shaking the pursuit of a Child is a task few have accomplished and lived to brag about. The competitors instantly forgot about fighting each other, as none had the stomach to turn it into a fight against the metal beasts. All three men made a beeline for the door, shoving each other out of their way, pushing past the broken scanners, and spilling out the front doors through the metal graveyard the twins had created earlier. The thieves mantled over a nearby wall and navigated a maze of crates and buildings, until a sharp whistle diverted their attention. As they turned, they noticed Garrett standing on the wall behind them. "Looks like our game is over," he declared. "Let's see who won."

Ryker instantly reached into his loot bag and held up the dragon he had just filched in the hallway, but Harlan pulled his statues out of his own bag and held them aloft. "Two! I got two," he yelled. "Looks like I win!"

"Not so fast," returned Rayner, who reached into his bag and produced the fourth item. "Look what I got here!"

"The rules said that whoever stole the most statues would become Garrett's student. As you can see, I stole two, while you each only stole one. Therefore, I won, and I am still Garrett's apprentice. Am I right?"

"It is correct that I said that I would take in whoever stole the most statues," Garrett answered. "And since you stole two, you cannot be said to have lost. However, Ryker and Rayner entered as a team. Their efforts must be thought of as the acts of one thief. Together, they have combined for two statues as well. Therefore, the result of this contest is a tie. Because you have combined to steal everything I ordered, and made me a nice chunk of gold in the process, and have done so evenly and through the use of clever techniques and strategies to outwit each other, I have decided to take all of you on as my apprentices."

The twins stood and stared in amazement that Garrett had accepted them into his fold. Harlan stood equally amazed, yet also unnerved. "You can't think..." he began.

"Yes I can, and I will," Garrett cut him off. "The bet was, win or leave. As I said before, you didn't lose, but you didn't win either. So you can always leave."

"No, no, I'm sorry," Harlan quickly protested. "You are right, if I am to be The City's new master thief, I can't lose, or even draw with anyone. I just have to become even better. Do you hear that?" he asked, turning towards the twins. "You may be Garrett's students too, but I'm not going to lose to you. I will out-steal you on any job we have!"

"We're not rolling over and letting you take the gold or the glory," Ryker replied. "Rayner and I have the same goal in mind. Wait until the next job. We'll show you thievery!"

Garrett filled the twins in on the rules he laid upon Harlan in their first meeting, and led the group back towards Angelwatch Tower. As the twins entered the second floor access point, he noticed Harlan lagging behind, dejected.

"Tying these guys is no shame," he offered. "You did the best you could to get those two statues."

"What would it take for me to have gotten all four?" Harlan asked.

"About two less thieves in the same building going after the same targets," Garrett replied.

"That's not what I meant."

"That was what I meant. Only stealing half the loot was no poor reflection on you. Nor was it a poor reflection on them. Their technique has its drawbacks, namely that one of them is always exposed to danger, but it is effective for people who take the bait and drop their guard for the other to come through and snatch the target. Didn't you fall for those techniques several times tonight?"

"Well, yes," Harlan replied, embarrassed.

"So their strategy is risky and dangerous, but it isn't completely ineffective. However, they had the problem of a determined, talented thief going for the same loot they were after. You and the twins each have your strengths and weaknesses, and in the end, they canceled each other out. Just as I had predicted."

"As you predicted?"

"I figured you would each end up splitting the statues the way you did. I set this competition up to test my theory and see if I could add to my little den of thieves."

"So, what changed your mind?" Harlan asked. "It took everything I had to convince you to take me on. Why are you now taking anyone who asks to be your student?"

"Not just anyone," Garrett answered. "If they show talent and a will to learn my way of thieving, I might consider expanding my teaching services."

"You have three times as many students to keep happy now," Harlan observed as he stepped into the trap door. "You will have to find ways to give three times the size of the job." Harlan suddenly saw a faint smile on Garrett's face. "Aha, that's it! With three times the thieves, and three times the job, you get...

"Three times the loot, and three times the payoff. There's a method to everything I do. And that method," Garrett explained before shutting the trap door, "is, if you maximize coverage, you will maximize money."