"Housekeeping"

The morning sun breached an alleyway between a pub and an unfinished building. Its rays reflected off every possible surface before finally landing in Scrap’s eyes.

He stirred as the stench of garbage flooded into his nostrils. “Ugggh. Brick. Ya think Jesper’s gonna notice we skipped out on reporting to him so we could drink.” The scrawny man rubbed his eyes and held his head. He then fixed his collar then checked his coat pockets.

“Doubt it Scrap. He’s never cared before, which is good for us ‘cause it means the brass never finds out.” Brick effortlessly lifted Scrap out of the alley’s garbage heap. Unlike him, Brick’s uniform was in top condition despite the situation they both found themselves in.

“You really know how to keep up appearances, don’tcha Brick.” Scrap looked down; his own pants were on backwards and his belt was wrapped around his leg. He fiddled with his belt which had somehow found itself tied in a knot. “I don’t remember anything from last night. Do you?”

“Course not, I was just as drunk as you were.” They both laughed while grabbing each other’s shoulders. The brass buckle pressed against Brick’s shoulder.

Their laughter was interrupted by an elven woman’s feet clacking against the amber street as she made her way towards them, her face obscured by the morning sun.

Scrap hurriedly put on his belt, missing multiple loops in the process. “Hey miss, it’s not safe down here.” His feet shifted uncomfortably when he became aware of a strange, one sided tightness in his shoes.

“Hey Scrap, ain’t that Jesper’s secretary?” Brick nudged him.

“You’re right Brick, it is. Hey Vivi, where were you… last… night.”

Brick and Scrap noticed the staff she was carrying as well as the deep pink enveloping her as she made her way further into the alleyway.

“I want to know everything! Now!” Vivian shouted.

Brick held a hand against his chest as a sign of peace. “Now I’m sorry miss, but you know Scrap and I can’t do that.”

Scrap felt the cold steel of a barrel pressed against the back of his head. He grabbed onto Brick’s arm.

“H… Hey Brick. There’s—”

CLICK

The sound reverberated through brass structures before any one dared to make a sound. Its echoes were audible only in the silence it created. Scrap and Brick looked at each other, each of them silently acknowledging the potential danger from the unknown object behind them.

“You’re gonna tell us everything, got that.” There was an excited sparkle in Vivian’s eyes neither of them had seen before when she wielded her staff like a club.

“B-B-B-rick… W-w-we better d-do what she says. Who knows what is behind us.” His whole body shivered.

“I wouldn’t worry, it’s probably just some prank like what Sarj used to pull on us.” He walked up to Vivian. “Come on Vivi, you’ve known us for a while now. If we all just take a moment to calm dow—”

“I’ll show you how to calm down! I’ll show all of you fuckers!”

CRACK

Brick’s head caved in from the force of Vivian’s blow; his neck snapping when her staff finished its arc. His corpse fell into the trash heap. Scrap could feel Brick’s blood on his face. He watched as the blood slid down the pub’s wall into the garbage. “B-Brick?” Scrap looked towards Vivan. Why? He thought, the words failing to reach his mouth. A pink light washed over Viivan’s staff, removing any trace of liquid from it. Could this really be the nice Vivian who always smiled at us when we gave Jesper our reports. It can’t be can it?

An ethereal pair of wings with an ornate, floral-like pattern glimmered on her back as she stomped on Brick’s corpse. A wicked smile glowered on her face.

She never had wings before and her smile is different...

“How’s that for calming down!?” Unsettling cracks escaped Brick’s body as she stomped harder than before.

Fear and confusion glued Scrap in place.

“I will not kill you if you tell us everything now. You still have time to save yourself.” The person behind him spoke in a soft, almost soothing voice.

“B-B-Brick, what hap- Vivi, why? whats-” Scrap did his best to compose himself. “Ya know what! No! I won’t-”

A blade pressed against his neck.

“Heh heh.” He laughed nervously. “Onnnn second thought. Our plan is to use this city to poison the forest so the wizards can’t use its magic and to ‘establish a guerilla base’ so we can flank them if needed. Now please, plllllease let me go. That’s all I know. I promise.” He pressed his hands together. “I swear on my life that I don’t know anything else. Please. Just… let me go. I’ve lost enough already.” He did his best to stop his knees from giving out.

The knife pressed deeper into his throat. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? “I..I thought you said you wouldn’t… W-we had a deal.” His heart beat faster than it had ever pumped for. The stress alone made him feel as though he would pass out.

“It was not a deal. It was a promise. One you already rejected.” The soft voice from behind now carried a twinge of anger with it. Her blade dug inward.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do this!” Vivian’s voice rang throughout the alleyway. The squashing of her feet and the further cracking of bones caused Scrap to shiver.
If this is really Vivian, how come I couldn’t tell? She always seemed so nice. For the first time in his life, tears fell from his eyes. “I’ll do anything… anything.” His voice was strained from the blade’s pressure.

“Even if it is one you rejected, I will not break another promise.”

Scrap felt one liquid trickle out of his throat as another seeped in. Where is everyone? Why haven’t the steambots come yet? “Help! Anybody!” He screamed as loud as he could, his vocalization dug the blade deeper into his throat.

You’ve always been so incredibly pathetic.” Vivian laughed.

“You are the last problem alive.” The knife wielder’s breath warmed his ear only for her voice and words to chill it. Her blade now firmly rested in his throat.

Scrap could feel his muscles stiffen. “You… you… didn’t…” His voice gurgled. “You… Couldn’t…” He lost all feeling.

His attacker set him on the ground, facing away from her. He tried to look but his body wouldn’t respond. What’s going on? He tried to speak, but his mouth refused to budge. A maroon pool expanded beneath his head. He knew it was his own blood, though he could no longer feel it seeping out of him. This was supposed to be a safe position, how did it end up like this? Without the ability to feel the amber beneath him, the world seemed to rotate until he faced the blood-stained ground. He tried to close his eyes, but they remained open. Red filled his vision. The sound of bags being sifted through let him know they were still here.

Maybe they won’t leave me to die after all. Maybe they’re just trying to scare me and Brick is in on it.

“All of this is either compostable or biodegradable. If we take it out of the bags and spread it around the forest, it will add nutrients to the soil.”

“That sounds so boring. Why can’t we just burn it or something.”

“That would be wasteful.”

Biode… whatever. What are they even talking about? Scrap struggled to breathe as every breath sucked more blood into his lungs.

“You can do whatever you want with their bodies and spread them around with it.”
Why are they talking as if I’m already dead. I’m not dead yet. I still have a chance. He could tell Vivian and her companion hadn’t moved and were arguing about something, though he could no longer make out any of their words.

I can still survive this; I’m just… a little… tired is all. His vision darkened.

I just… need to rest… His consciousness started to fade.

All I… need… to do… is rest… His thoughts faded into nothingness. The only thing left for him was darkness, but it wasn’t long before that too disappeared.