eyo! Single section again. enjoy

The Old Man didn't consider himself a coward. No, he was merely intelligent. Why did he care if fighting men looked at him with disgust? Those 'fighting men' would all soon fall by The Monster Knight's sword. He was going to live. Honor meant nothing in the grave, and even a shameful life was better than a respectable death.

They're all dead anyways, no way they can survive… why shouldn't I benefit from this situation?

So why wouldn't he betray them? Amidas had done the same. The Sea King's wisdom had determined these unfortunates were facing an inevitable demise and thought it best to abandon them. It was true! These people were all going to die regardless of his actions or inaction… so why not use their misfortune to his benefit. The Demolitionist was half dead already. With that great wound in his gut, he was in no shape to fight anybody, especially not The Monster Knight or the CC Agent. Alone, the Arms Dealer had already proven He could face The Spy head-to-head, but spies didn't typically fight head-to-head. They were clandestine warriors and specialized in assassination. She could easily take him down when he least expected it… and The Nurse, a non-combatant- was entirely inconsequential.

You're not doing anything wrong. Just keep calm.

The only difficulty was… actually securing freedom for himself. He had planned to pack all his things and wander the woods, posing as an innocent civilian who wished to trade information for his life - but his plan was already going badly awry.

"Disgusting Resistance scum… there's nowhere to run!"

He flinched and held his breath as he felt a cold prick at his throat. Heels against the hardwood wall, he did his best to flatten himself away from that deadly blade. There was ice running up and down his spine, yet it was imperative he keep his composure. With great difficulty, The Old Merchant fought down his panic and brought his breathing under control. Staring straight ahead, he spoke as smoothly and as calmly as he could manage.

"Please wait. I'm not one of them. I-"

"Shut up! Make a noise, and I'll gut you like a pig."

She whispered viciously and silenced him by pressing the flat edge of the knife into his neck. There was an underlying growl in her voice that made her sound more akin to a feral animal than a human, yet even so, The Old Merchant steeled himself. His survival depended on how well kept things together.

"Show me your hands."

She whispered again. The feral snarl had fallen off and her voice came through unexpectedly girlish - a sharp contrast to her frightful appearance. Aside from the tremendous golden insignia embroidered on her cloak, The Spy was dressed all in black, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She wore a tattered mantle that draped down to her knees, and her legs looked to be wrapped in pitch black bandages that ended in a very peculiar sort of clawed boot. The Merchant had seen this sort of footwear before. Only spies and assassins used them for the purpose of climbing and traversing urban terrain as quickly and silently as possible. Yet... if her work was Clandestine, why wear such a blazing target on her back? The thread wasn't only brightly coloured, but also reflective... had she woven sheet gold into the thread? It certainly looked like it.

She's a fanatic… she'll risk her life to show devotion to The King… nutjob - this one.

Zealots were a dangerous bunch, but their behavior was also quite predictable. This woman was clearly infatuated with The Tyrant. If he praised The King, she would most probably see him as an ally and release him. With a slow deliberation The Merchant raised his palms into the air, indicating he had no intention of resisting. He opened his mouth to phrase a line of propaganda, but was interrupted before he could get the words out.

"Hail The King. Hail Yhari-"

The blade was pressed more firmly against his throat and although her eyes were deeply shadowed, he could feel her glaring a hole into his forehead. He mashed himself further up against the wall and gulped hard. There was a long, tense silence between them. After a moment, she continued in a hushed voice.

"Tell me everything about this place. How many men are on duty. What is The Resistance's purpose here… and where are you keeping the Lab Director. Answer or die."

"I-I'm not one of them, Please. I don't know their purpose here, but I'll tell you everything I can. I was kidnapped and forced to work for The Resistance! I just want to escape!"

"..."

The Spy paused, then -unexpectedly- appeared to relent. She didn't sheathe her knife, but took a step back so it was no longer pressed against The Merchant's windpipe. She prompted him to continue with a motion of her wrist. Suspicious. Did she believe his claim with so little convincing? Surely CC agents weren't so gullible… yet although The Merchant felt hesitant, he dare not let this opportunity slip away.

Maybe zealots are all stupid? Yes, yes… I can do this.

The Spy prompted him once more.

"Tell me everything you know."

"Of course. Anything to fight the evil Resistance force that dares stand against our country's great King!"

The Merchant paused briefly in an attempt to gauge The Spy's reaction, but he couldn't see her face well and her body language betrayed nothing. Was she even listening to him? Mildly disappointed, he continued to sing Yharim's praises in an attempt to cement himself as her 'ally'.

"Lord Yharim is truly the savior of this wretched land. We-"

"Old man! What I need is information!"

She cut him off sharply; it appeared further grandstanding would do him no good. It was now obvious her patience was stretching thin and it would be best not to antagonize her further. The Merchant quickly gulped down the rest of his flattery and nervously blurted out the answers he'd been preparing. He spoke quickly. He felt sweat trail down his palms.

"There are three Resistance members here… The Demolitionist, The Arms Dealer and The Nurse. All three are veteren Resistance members and must be stopped at all costs. They had kidnapped me many days ago, and forced me to help take over this place under threat of death. I am so very glad to see you."

"..."

Once again, The Spy was a blank slate. She neither questioned him nor asked for clarification. She simply nodded curtly and posed her second inquiry.

"The Lab Director? Where is he?"

"The Guide? Ah, He's in the First House… however, he-"

The Merchant hesitated. Should he try to accuse The Guide of also being a Resistance member? No, it was too risky. The Guide had nearly killed The Demolitionist half an hour ago, and nobody would believe such raw desperate violence was merely part of some elaborate farce. However, if he did say The Guide was actually The Lab Director, the man might instruct The Spy to kill him - as the young man had clearly turned homicidal.

The Merchant cleared his throat. He'd choose the second-best option.

"The Lab Director's gone mad. The Demolitionist had tortured him quite badly, and the poor man had gone insane. There's nothing we can do for him. I'm sure he will tell you many strange things once you encounter him."

"I see. Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

Although The Merchant offered a beaming smile, his heart was pounding quite violently against his ribcage. Did The Spy truly just believe everything he said? Even children would ask questions. Surely she wasn't merely pretending to believe him… right? Could it be that she thought he was a Resistance member after all? The Old Merchant drew a breath and opened his mouth to speak, desperately searching for words that might save his life.

"Miss Spy, now that I've helped you - please help me leave this place for I am also Lord Yharim's faithful servant. The Arm you are carrying will allow us to pass throu-..."

*ka-shunk*

There was a horrible noise from beneath his chin. The sound of iron passing through flesh and cartilage. The sound of blood gurgling and bubbling from his throat. The Merchant, in utter shock, opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to speak, in an attempt to breathe, but all was in vain. In terror, he stared up at The Spy who watched him with a keen, cold detachment. Her voice was soft and girlish, but her words were terrifying.

"Be Thankful, Old Man. You have the privilege to die for the sake of Lord Yharim. Your death was for the convenience of his glorious name. There is no greater honor."

"N-no…" *gurgle* "p-please.."

His protest seemed to anger her. He could see her brow furrow from beneath the shadow of her hood.

"There is no room for cowards among Lord Yharim's servants, Old Man. Instead, water the ground with your blood. Use your body to fertilize crops for our glorious kingdom. Your service is much appreciated. Farewell."

He fell to his knees on the hard wooden floor and clutched at his slit throat, doing his best to clasp both hands over the wound in a poor attempt to stem the bleeding. He was becoming lightheaded. His temples pounded with his rushing heartbeat. Hot blood spurted through his fingers and ran down over his knuckles to splatter in fat droplets across the floor. His breath came in increasingly desperate wheezes. How could have things gone so horribly wrong?! What else could he have said to preserve his life?! Did this woman decide to kill him even if he was an innocent civilian? He glared up at The Spy, teeth gritted in rage.

She met his gaze quietly, then - suddenly - burst out in a wild fury. She reached down, seized him by the lapels of his bloodied shirt and with a single arm hurled him halfway across the room. He slammed into the doorframe with a horrid crack, but by this time, he was so dizzy - he could barely register the pain. She was screaming at him, but he could barely hear her voice. She was kicking him, but he couldn't feel that either. All he knew was he was becoming dreadfully dizzy… and unbearably cold.

"Didn't you hear me Old Man?! (*thud*) I said, die and fertilize the ground! (*thud*) That's all your worthless life is good for! (*thud*) Die! (*thud*) DIE! The King only asks the best to serve him. He doesn't need cowardly scum! (*thud*) Die! (*thud*)"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Good. Took you long enough… Next time, follow directions straightaway."

*Knocks*

Nurse: *grumpy, opens door* WHO IN THE FUCK DARES- oh, Hello Science Experiment!
Slayer: Arm. Now.
N: ...
Arms Dealer: *yelling from upstairs* Nurse! I can officially say I've wiped my own ass with another man's hand, give or take a bruise or two!
S:... *draws sword and begins to climb stairs*

-DukeDaniel

Notes: So nothing can break anything T Makes aside for bombs. The Spy didn't break into the Merchants house cuz even the locking mechanisms cant break. Merch left the door unlock cuz he's too busy packing his shit. The Demo & The Merchant were actually able to break into The GUide's house cuz they were using bombs. Thats also why the bullets were like bouncing off glass last chapter lmao.

aight. hope you enjoy me killing off like 35 chapter old chars lmao.

I always hated the Merch anyways.