“You little—!" In a flash, he unsheathed a knife from his side, bringing it up to Joseph’s throat, pressing just enough to make its lethal intent clear. “Maybe you are still an ill-mannered brat… You're nothing but a pawn in my game, and pawns should know their place..."

Sweat dripped down Joseph’s visage, and his grin began twitching, yet his words remained ironclad. "It's not about knowing one's place. It's about knowing the entire chessboard. Even a pawn can be promoted to be a queen, or kill any piece when moved and positioned correctly."

There was a slight pause before Joseph continued:

“If you think I’m gonna say sorry and beg and plead for my life you’d be greatly mistaken…”

No words were spoken. The knife at his throat pressed even tighter, enough to break the skin and let a thin line of blood trickle down before Owl finally whispered:

"You really think I won’t kill you?”

“You can’t…” Joseph smiled.

“And why is that?” Owl pressed the knife even tighter, mere millimetres from his vitals.

Yet Joseph did not even twitch.

“Unless you want to be a slave for a month. There is a zero percent chance you’d kill me right now.”

“W—what?” Suddenly, Owl's grip on the knife loosened slightly, and he took one step back.

“Nothing,” Joseph shrugged. "I just couldn’t help but overhear a certain conversation you had earlier. About a bet? With a… Weasel?"

"What are you playing at boy?" Owl feigned ignorance.

"Well, If you harm me or fail to deliver on your end, you'll lose that bet. And from what I gathered, the stakes are quite high for you," Joseph smirked. "Imagine great Owl, the feared, reduced to ‘ Weasel’s clapped lackey’. The humiliation, the loss of respect... Oh, how could you ever handle that?” He repeated Weasel’s line word for word in that same funny accent of his. “That dog tag part seems especially embarrassing, wouldn’t you say?" He added.

Owl’s grip on the knife wavered, his face a mix of anger and uncertainty. "You're playing a dangerous game, boy," he hissed.

Joseph smiled confidently, "That's the only kind I know."

For a tense moment, the two locked eyes, neither willing to back down. But finally, Owl let out a frustrated sigh, lowering his knife and taking a step back. "Fine. Ten times. But you better make sure you deliver, or it won’t just be a bet you'll have to worry about."

Joseph nodded, maintaining his calm demeanour. “If I came off as ill-mannered, it was not my intention. My goal was not to extort you but to get proper pay. I will be risking my life for this won’t I?”

“Yes…” Owl sighed once more.

Owl was careless. Who knew there was a chance that Joseph was listening in on them, but who could blame him? Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a boy of his age to so boldly capitalize on this information and push him against the wall. He had greatly underestimated him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your investment is repaid in full!”

Owl could not help but chuckle at such a response as he glared at him, with begrudging respect shining in his eyes. "We have a deal. But remember, boy, cross me, and there will be consequences."

Joseph smirked, "Likewise." before he put his hands on the cut on his neck.

“Don’t get carried away brat. Then let's get moving before we’re too late.”

______________________________

From their vantage point atop a small hill, Joseph and Owl stared down at the expansive facility below. Spread across several acres, the warehouse-cum-factory stood as a testament to modern industrial might.

Its exterior overlooked an empty road, lit by various street lamps revealing a stark combination of grey and muted blues.

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Even from afar, the structure was imposing, with high walls made of reinforced concrete and steel. At intervals, towering chimneys stretched skyward, yet there were no plumes of coal or white steam that dissipated into the cool evening air.

Trekking closer, the high chain-link fence surrounding the entire facility came into view, topped with coiled barbed wire. Unauthorized entry was not just discouraged but actively prevented.

One of the most conspicuous features was the plethora of security cameras. Like silent sentinels, they stood on every corner, every entrance, and at regular intervals along the facility's perimeter.

For a seemingly ordinary warehouse-cum-factory, the security was high, yet it oddly lacked any guards patrolling the parameter.

From the blueprint Joseph was given, he had known that the facility was massive, yet seeing it in person gave him a deeper appreciation of the scale and complexity of the task ahead.

"The place is a fortress," Joseph remarked, scanning with a keen eye, noting everything and linking it back to the blueprint that he had now all but memorized.

Owl, sensing the boy’s apprehension, leaned in slightly. "It’s damn Impressive, isn't it? But remember, every fortress has a weak point. Our job is to find it."

“Yes,” Joseph nodded. “The secret back entrance you marked should be right around the corner… ah… There…” He pointed at a seemingly empty metal wall, in an open area towards the back of the building.

“You really did your homework!” Owl could not hide his shock. “That ‘wall’ actually houses a secret door blended in. It’s meant for easy access for employees and is lightly guarded due to its secrecy.”

“Yes,” Joseph nodded. “There’s only one camera, and I can see the mark you put on the tunnel you dug to get past the wall, so they haven’t discovered it yet.”

“Good eye! It looks like you don’t even need me to explain anything to you!”

“Go under the wall, enter one of the vents, follow the map and get in, then open the door for you while you disable the outside camera. You said it so many times I’d be retarded if I forgot…” Joseph scratched his head.

“Don’t start acting arrogant now just because you have a little bit of leverage on me!” A small vein bulged from Owl’s forehead as he tapped his finger on his crossed arms.

“You’ll see…“Joseph did not look back as he descended the hill and dawned a black mask, yet his voice exuded confidence.

“That boy is not normal… Intresting…”

_________________________

The location of the underpass Owl dug was marked and covered by sticks.

The worm-infested tunnel itself was, small, tight and cramped. In its current state, it was impossible for Owl to have dug it himself. Either the tunnel began to shrink on itself as time passed, or he had used those now-dead children to dig it up for him, which was the more likely option.

Nevertheless, the thought did not last long as he emerged out, grasping a large breath of air.

Swiftly avoiding the light, he crawled towards one of two vents.

“The blueprint marked this vent… sooo… It’s the other one I need…” Joseph reimagined the map in his head and reassessed.

The vent itself was bolted on four sides. Pulling out a screwdriver, it did not take long for Joseph to pull off the cover.

It was like magic how fast his hands moved, a calculated genius. The knowledge and skills were quite literally beat into him from a young age helping his father in his workshop.

Entering the vent, it was somehow even more cramped than the tunnel.

In his mind, there were three main reasons why Owl ‘hired’ him. He was orphaned and had no one to look for him if he disappeared, he was unusually determined, and most importantly, his body’s constitution.

Joseph rarely ever ate. He got by with only what he needed to survive and left the rest for his sister. He was short even for his age, and his figure was pure skin and bones. Yet even still, he could barely move.

“Shit.” He grunted, letting go of the now useless blueprint bag. He sucked in his stomach as much as he could while he pushed his toolkit in front of him, a flashlight on top of it.

The air was stale, dust particles floated visibly in the beam of his flashlight, and the cold metal underneath him sent a shiver up his spine. Occasionally, the shaft would widen just a tad, giving him a moment's respite, but then it would shrink back down and the claustrophobic journey would continue. He could feel himself suffocating with every passing second.

Using the toolkit, he occasionally had to unscrew and remove barriers or gates that blocked his path. This was a challenge in itself, given the limited space, and made even worse due to his lingering injuries.

As he pushed forward, the cold metal underneath him began feeling hotter, and slightly ahead of that, he began feeling a breeze of ever-increasing lukewarm air until finally—

Hole.

Exit!

No.

Deadend…

Joseph’s teeth grinded, and his fists tightly clenched. “That Owl really is an idiot!”

That hole, meant to be his exit fell down towards a large, spinning fan. Anyone would be sliced into a million pieces if they were to drop.

At this point, the vent was so tight that it was impossible for him to turn around. Although he had memorized the layout of this labyrinth, he doubted he would be able to crawl backwards to where he came.

There was no doubt in Joseph’s mind— This was the point that all those other children died.

The only path was forward, and the only path forward was death…