Thump.

Jean dropped to the floor after Erin, taking the last few rungs of the ladder in one leap to the ground. His robes fluttered around him as he came down and landed in a roll across the hard stone. A stink filled his nose, harsh, bitter, and rank from the surrounding sewer.

"They didn't think to make their base above the sewers or below." Jean shook his head. "Instead, they chose to make it inside where the sewage flows."

"Was that a rhyme?" Wen asked. "Is that normal for you?"

"I don't think so." Jean smiled. "It just felt a little nostalgic in the moment."

The words sounded familiar as if he had heard the particular cadence of speech before. However, the thought faded from his mind as quickly as it had come. Jean needed to focus on the task ahead, and then he could worry about rhymes in his memories.

"Get to the side," Erin hissed from further down the tunnel. "Keep your voices down. The tunnel will carry your voice."

Jean made a motion of sewing his mouth shut with cross hatches before stepping forward. Erin took up the front. Wen took up the rear, and Jean walked in the center of their marching line as they walked deeper into the tunnels.

There was little direction for them to look for the gems. They knew that the gems were stored underground and that they should expect some resistance. However, they did not know where that resistance was or the precise location of the gems. Judging by the size of the sixth level, hundreds of gems would be hiding inside the tunnels. Depending on the size of the gems, storing them all would require a large amount of space, even assuming they were all in one place.

Splash.

Some fresh sewage dropped into the small stream of dark green water that flowed next to their elevated walkway as Erin picked the way forward into the lit tunnel. Jean pointedly stopped breathing through his nose to spare himself the smell.

"This place is almost empty." Erin stopped, turning back to them to whisper. "You'd think we would run into a patrol or something."

"Maybe they all went up to deal with the distraction." Jean pointed to the ceiling. "If it was big enough, why would they leave anyone behind? They shouldn't suspect that we would come down here unless they had a way to suspect their curse didn't work."

"The distraction would be evidence enough," Wen said. "They've been running this operation for a while now. If someone's able to disturb the peace, then they would have to assume that the memory suppression wasn't working."

"A good point," Jean said. "But the only way for us to see how right it is would be to push forward. There's no going back now."

"I know," Erin grumbled, turning and starting forward again.

"If you're uncomfortable leading the way, I can go in front," Jean said. "I may not have a curse, but I think my strength would be enough."

"We need stealth," Erin said. "And I think I know that."

Jean would have to admit that, with his particular look, he was not a very stealthy individual. His bare bones clacked against the stone with a soft but noticeable sound. On reflection, he might do best bringing up the rear.

"Shh," Erin whispered, dropping down at the end of the tunnel's arch, looking around a corner and into a brightly lit room.

Jean froze on the spot, opening his ears to the sounds around him. Water flowed through the small stream of waste to the side, but he caught a faint whisper of voices beneath the bubbles of stirring chemicals and waste.

"Do we have enough?"

"With everyone on duty, we have twenty Knuckles. That should be enough to turn away any attempts to steal gems, even assuming that is what the trouble above is about. You check on the others, and we'll guard this spot."

"I hope you're right, Chu."

Thud. Thud.

Erin turned back, motioning for them to back up. Jean did as he was told, following Wen as they retreated down the tunnel and around a corner. A small alcove in the wall provided a place to hide, and the three of them crammed inside just in time for the approaching figure to appear.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing simple jeans with a whip at his side. He had long blonde hair and was completely bare-chested. Muscles rippled across his body with every step, and he looked like he could easily break any person that stood in his way.

A real bruiser as part of the operation. Jean could understand what role he played just by looking at him. He sauntered past the group without looking his mind clearly on other things as he made another turn in the tunnels.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"They're all spread out," Erin said. "If there are a lot of gems, they'll have them across multiple rooms down here."

"And it won't be easy to navigate." Wen nodded. "Maybe we should split up."

"Do you both think you can handle yourselves?" Jean asked.

"I'm the only one with a curse," Erin said. "If anything, I'm more worried about you both."

"I do have a gun." Wen held up her gifted revolver. "That has to count for something."

"With how many bullets?" Jean asked.

"Twelve." Wen grimaced.

"If they catch you when you reload or run out, it won't be pretty. The noise will also draw attention. I don't think that is a particularly good path to walk down."

"What about you?" Wen shot back. "You're just bones."

She had a point, at least until he considered the strength of his bones. Jean held up one finger, pushing it against the wall with all his strength. Though he had no muscles, it flexed against the wall, unyielding.

Crack.

Stone snapped beneath the finger. His bones bore through the stone for a centimeter before he withdrew it, leaving a small hole and a long crack in the wall.

"Point taken," Wen said. "So we can split up, and I'll support one of you."

"I think it would be best for you to go with Erin," Jean said, starting back down the tunnel the way the large man had come. "You both can use stealth to your advantage while I take the more obvious path."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"That is my fate." Jean smiled. "These bones won't let me sneak around as easily as you two can."

"We'll follow him until we can catch him by surprise," Wen said before the two of them started after the path of the large man. "Be careful."

"I do not need to be careful," Jean whispered. "I have been waiting to dance this path for a long time."

As he walked, he dropped his robes from his skeletal frame, revealing a tight black dancer's uniform beneath. He had always worn it beneath his robes but never questioned why. It was a comfortable garment that brought back a warmth that couldn't be fully realized until his memories returned. He kicked his robes to the side, away from the sewage, with the hope that he might retrieve them when it was all over.

It was a vain hope, but it would carry him through the day.

He walked to the end of the hall, where Erin had paused a few moments before to send them back. The dark water slushed to his right as he peered around the bend. Five figures stood inside the rotund domed room in front of him, in the middle of several bedrolls that lined the room.

"Keep an eye out," a mouse-faced man said, looking over the four others from the center. "We'll hold this spot unless someone starts making noise."

"I suppose I will be the noise," Jean whispered before stepping into the archway.

"Chu, we have a problem." The frontmost of them saw Jean, his eyes wide.

Like the others, he had his own unique look. Whereas the mousy man had a long coat and a bent figure, this one wore a tight black jacket and long black pants. Only his white shirt contrasted with the rest of his clothes as he cracked his knuckles.

He was ready for a fight.

Crack.

"He is correct," Jean said, leaning his neck left and right to crack his own bones. "You have a problem."

"Get him," Chu said, raising one finger.

"Let's go, boys." The man charged with his fellows right behind him.

Jean didn't let them finish that thought. He charged forward, taking in a breath as he closed the distance between himself and the four men. He dropped down onto his hands, his legs whirling into a flurry of motion as he focused on a technique.

"Bone Break!"

He spun his body in a circle, his legs becoming a whirlwind around him as they scythed through the air. Invisible muscles flexed tight as his legs made contact, slamming into the men's side as they tried to get close. Without hesitation, Jean sent them flying into the domed walls of the room.

"Now, where were we? " Jean rose to his feet just in time to duck an attack from across the room.

Fwip.

The cut sliced through the air, aimed directly at Jean's face as he came to his feet. He dropped to one knee the moment he sensed the vibrations in the air around him. The attack flew above him and slammed into the far wall.

Crack.

A long line cut through the stone, sending cracks erupting through the stone, demonstrating the force of the cut. Jean raised one eyebrow as he looked at the mousy man, who held a stance with one finger in front of him. If the man before referred to him, he was named Chu.

"Better than I expected from someone with your look," Jean said, adjusting his footing so that he could dodge to the side easily. "Is that some kind of curse?"

"I wonder," Chu said. "Does it matter? You'll be dead soon enough."

The problem with an invisible attack like Chu's was that it was hard to track. Even looking directly at Chu, Jean couldn't be certain of the arc he would attack with. The fact that it could be done from range also presented another problem. Jean would need a moment to close the distance, and the cost would be deadly if he misjudged.

"You're willing to risk your life for this operation?" Jean asked, narrowing his eyes. "How much are they paying you to steal memories?"

Chu smiled, his whiskers twitching as his eyes flicked left and right. He was looking for an escape route. Jean smiled. He was certain he could take Chu down if he could bridge the distance.

The mousey man would flee like any cornered vermin. Jean leaned forward on his feet, getting ready for the right moment. He just needed Chu to make a mistake.

"None of that," Chu said, flicking his fingers faster than Jean could see.

Jean charged, taking in a breath and drawing in aether as he willed the distance between himself and Chu to reduce to nothing. His feet blurred as he jumped the distance between them, ready to kick Chu's head in the next moment.

That moment never came.

Crack. Thud.

From above, a shower of brightly colored gems fell between them. Chu's invisible strike had cut through the ceiling, and the debris from the strike fell on Jean. Jean threw his arms up to defend himself, and brightly colored gems fell all around him.

In the chaos of the debris, Chu ran out of the nearest arch and into the tunnels.

"Fools take fights to the death," Chu's voice echoed from the tunnel. "The crafty go get reinforcements!"

"That rat," Jean whispered as he lowered his arms.

He paused, looking over the fallen stones and up to the ceiling—hundreds of gems twinkled in the darkness above. However, Jean could not stop and gather them up. If he didn't stop Chu, he would be facing more problems. He charged out into the hall.

"I will be the cat chasing the mouse," he said, smiling a little as he chased after Chu.

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