"Happiness is a butterfly we should catch it while dancing, I lose myself myself in the music, baby."

— Happiness is a butterfly, Lana Del Rey.

Various threats and arguments later, they'd successfully fled Hellgate, Matthias Helvar with them. Said man kept glancing at the blonde haired girl who seemed to have an emotionless expression painted on her face at all times. A part of him wondered how she'd ended up here with all these thieves and criminals, she stuck out painfully, obvious that she didn't belong with them. There was something in the way she glanced at Kaz, as if he was the only man in the room, hanging onto every word that left his lips as if they were the last things she'd hear.

Unable to dwell on his sudden discovery, he turned his attention away from the blonde haired girl and back to the so called leader of this unlikely crew, Brekker. When he'd awoken from Nina rendering him unconscious, he discovered he had been bound to a chair in an unfamiliar location, eyes piercing him and his every move. It was all giving him a headache, especially when they started to speak about the drug, Jurda Parem and an attempt to raid the Ice Court.

When they finished, they turned expectantly to the man, awaiting his response with caution. It didn't take long for a reply to leave his lips, one which they'd already expected to receive.

     "No." Matthias had told them, no hint of hesitation in his words as he spoke simply.

"Believe me when I say this, Helvar: I know getting knocked out and waking up in strange surroundings isn't the friendliest way to start a partnership, but you didn't give us many options, so try to open your mind to the possibilities." Kaz replied easily, his words void of any emotion as he looked at the man before him.

"You could have come to me on your knees," Matthias spat back, sure in his response as he glared daggers at the crew, "and my answer would be the same."

"You do understand I can have you back at Hellgate in a matter of hours?" Kaz quizzed, raising a brow as he rest his gloved hands on his cane. "Once poor Muzzen is in the infirmary, the switch will be easy."

"Do it." Matthias quipped, hoping this entire thing was a huge nightmare he'd wake up from eventually. "I can't wait to tell the warden your ridiculous plans."

"What makes you think you'll be going back with a tongue?" Kaz shot back quickly, unaware of Trixie's lips upturning at the mention of such violence.

"Kaz—." Nina protested with a quiet gasp, unwanted worry seeping into her words.

"Do what you want." Matthias spoke once again, his tone making questions arise in Trixie's mind as she tried to recount what Nina had told her about the man.

"I told you." Nina retorted exasperatedly, already sensing this would happen.

"Don't pretend to know me, witch." The man snarled with such violence in his eyes that it excited the blonde woman opposite him, her own eyes sparkling as she watched the scene, the grisha hunter refusing to look at the grisha whom he loathed.

"Without him, there's no job." Jesper commented, speaking up for the first time since Matthias had woken up. "We can't break into the Ice Court blind."

"You can't break into the Ice Court at all." Matthias called out, in other circumstances he might've been amused at their idiotic claim. Only a foolish person would try and break into the ice court.

"Come now, Helvar." Kaz called out, looking back to the man before him. "Surely there's something you want. The cause is righteous enough for a zealot like you. Fjerda may think they've caught a dragon by the tail, but they won't be able to hold on. Once Bo Yul-Bayur replicates his process, jurda parem will enter the market, and it's only a matter of time before others learn to manufacture it, too."

"It will never happen. Yul-Bayur will stand trial, and if he is found guilty he will be put to death." Matthias confirmed, his tone firm and sure.

"Guilty of what?" Nina called out, her tone opposing his, sounding soft and unsure.

"Crimes against the people." Matthias responded, still refusing to meet her eyes.

Trixie watched the two with a questioning grin tugging at her cruel lips as she tapped her nail against the table next to her. The two had to have had a prior encounter that made them this hostile to one another. It made her curious, was it a forbidden love situation gone wrong or was it purely because Nina was Grisha and he spent his life hunting down her kind?

"Which people?" Nina snapped, unable to control the anger lacing her words like the poison in Trixie's dress pockets.

"Natural people." Matthias replied quickly. "People who live in harmony with the laws of this world instead of twisting them for their own gain."

The group merely looked amused at this response, of course the grisha hunter would say something like that. Once the amusement had died down, the group tried once again to convince him to change his mind, various tactics used but he didn't seem to budge, adamant he wasn't going to help. A thought came to the blonde ballet dancer and she placed her hands on her thighs and turned her attention to him.

"I don't suppose the promise of four million kruge will sway your incessant need to prove your beliefs and what not?" Trixie spoke up for the first time, finally letting that taunting and malicious grin drop as she looked at the man.

"You can keep your money. Choke on it." Matthias retorted, shaking his head as the girl pursed her lips.

"Fair enough." Trixie shrugged and leaned back in her seat, unsure how they were meant to convince him now.

It seemed they wouldn't need to think too much on it as he broke the silence that had surrounded them with a new proposition. "I'll make a deal with you." The ex prisoner spoke up, his gaze solely on Kaz.

"I'm listening." Kaz commented, raising a brow at this sudden change in opinion.

"I won't go with you, but I'll give you a plan for the layout of the Court." Matthias explained his new plan. "That should at least get you past the first checkpoint."

"And what will this valuable information cost me?" Kaz knew nobody did anything for anyone without a price, everyone wanted something.

"I don't want your money. I'll give you the plans for nothing." Matthias kept his eyes on the bastard, his voice strong and dark as he spoke his next words. "If you let me kill Nina Zenik."

Inej let out a sound of disgust as Trixie raised her brow at the man before her, no kindness or playfulness swimming in her depths. "You lay a finger on Nina and I'll cut them off." She snapped, ignoring the warning look Kaz sent her at the words she'd said.

"I can give you something better." Kaz interrupted, turning back to the man.

"There's nothing else I want." Matthias was adamant with his words and Trixie wished she could kill him, watch as the life drained from his eyes as he helpless tried to cling onto any strand he could to keep him connected to this mortal earth.

"I can make you a drüskelle again." Kaz announced proudly as he handed him a piece of paper which explained to Matthias how he'd be pardoned on all charges for slave trafficking. When he finished the explanation, Matthias finally looked at Nina and the entire scene amused Trixie greatly, they were lovers, or more correctly, ex lovers.

How interesting.

"We're going to untie you." Kaz spoke slowly, unsure if he was making the right decision on the matter. "I hope prison hasn't robbed you of all your manners or good sense."

Matthias merely nodded as Inej stepped forwards, pulling out a knife from her collection and sliced at the ropes which bound him. Trixie restrained a frown as she looked at all her precision when tying him up be erased with a flick of her wrist. What a waste of time.

"I believe you know Nina." Kaz began to introduce the members situated before Matthias, deciding now was the time. "The lovely girl freeing you is Inej, our thief of secrets and the best in the trade. Jesper Fahey is our sharpshooter, Zemeni-born but try not to hold it against him. Trixie Van Der Woodsen is our free pass anywhere, beware of what she offers you though, looks can be deceiving," at his comment she stuck out her tongue childishly and the boy merely held back an eye roll at her behaviour, "and this is Wylan, best demolitions expert in the Barrel."

"Raske is better." Inej called out and Trixie raised a brow, looking between the Suli girl and the golden haired boy as he looked up for the first time.

"He's not better." Wylan corrected, standing up for himself. "He's reckless."

"He knows his trade." Inej shot back, shrugging as she sat back down in her chair.

"So do I." Wylan retorted, refusing to back down from his statement.

"Barely." Jesper added and normally Trixie would've added her only little comment but right now she was finding amusement in watching this argument unfold.

"Wylan is new to the scene." Kaz admitted slowly, hoping this stupid and useless argument would stop.

"Of course he's new, he looks like he's about twelve." Matthias chimed in exasperatedly.

"I'm sixteen." Wylan interjected and Trixie rose a brow, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued to silently watch the conversation play out.

"We should be using Raske." Jesper brought the conversation back to their argument. "He's good under pressure."

"I don't like it." Inej agreed with the Zemeni boy's statement.

"I didn't ask." Kaz shrugged, shutting down the argument quickly. "Besides, Wylan isn't just good with the flint and fuss. He's our insurance."

"Against what?" Nina questioned, wondering what the boy could possibly be useful for.

"Meet Wylan Van Eck." Kaz called out, introducing him as the boy's cheeks flooded crimson. "Jan Van Eck's son and our guarantee on thirty million kruge."

"Holy shit." Trixie smiled, disbelief shining on her features as she shook her head.

Words~1740.
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