He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Seven - Assassin's Agreement

The usually unruffled man was sitting behind his desk in his small office, thinking of both the latest empty cell in the basement and the conversation that had occurred not long ago because of it. 

"That child was my favourite!  How dare you lose him due to some petty Lord's request!"

"Seven was a weapon, mine to wield as I see fit," he had argued with the man.  "And he was with Five, how was I to predict that they would fail the assignment with the loss of one of their lives."

"That 'assignment' could well have been completed within the city at the cost of a few days wait.  Not upon the surface where the dangers are increased by an unknown fold.  It is your rash decision that has lost me my boy."

"Seven's poisons could be blamed upon the plants with no one the wiser," he had thrown out the excuse, but in truth, the Lord that had paid him was impatient, did not wish to wait in order to gain what he desired.  Personally, he did not believe that a wife, who dearly loved her husband, would fall into the bed of another man the moment his death was announced.

"You are a fool!" The reply had come and he could not entirely deny the claim even if he wished to dispute it.  The accuser was more powerful than him and possibly even that Lord.  He had to deal with the insult in silence.  "Regardless, I have a new interest and as my pet is no longer in your care, I can no longer be bothered with you.  But try not to get my other toys killed, I still might have need of them in the future."

Rehashing over the memory did nothing to improve his mood.  So that man would no longer poke his head into his business, that did not mean that he was now free to do as he pleased.  He quietly lamented the day that he agreed to do business with that psychotic man.  Granted, he had earned a ridiculous amount of gold in the aftermath of the experiment, but to what expense?  Still oppressed in the face of his 'betters.' Still looked down upon pitifully.

He snapped out of his morose musings, distracting himself with the files before him.  Selecting one, he looked at the simple task and summoned one of the handlers to summon Five to come to him.

*****

"Five, you have a job."

The handlers had been shocked, one morning, when the large man had appeared in his own cell without word and without Seven, who he had always been attached too.  They could not get any answers from the man, who simply hung his head low and ignored their attempts to question him.  It did not take long to discover what had occurred.  They had plenty of contacts in the city after all.  Seven had been lost to the forest.  They had watched Five for several days after that, thinking the man, who had no attachment to this place anymore and could not be contained beyond his wishes would leave and need to be captured or silenced.  However, he remained motionless, even consumption of food and sleep taken in that melancholy form.  And so they had become complacent, believing that they had the man under their thumb.

"Are you listening to me?  Get up, you have a job!"

Five did not heed his demand, remained still like a human statue.  The handler unlocked his cell and withdrew his whip.  He flicked a few warning lashes to the side of the assassin, close enough that the man felt the air move sharply against his cheek.

"Five! Rise and get to work or I will punish you!" Came the final warning.  Five lifted his head slightly to view the handler through his dark eyes, but made no other move.  Frustrated, the other man lashed out with his weapon, intending on wounding Five, but instead the whip came to be wrapped about the assassins forearm and gripped in his fist.  The handler panicked, tugging at the whip, but Five did not release the tail and the handler could not make him budge.