"The sun rises, into the hidey-hole.
Crawl too close and I'll swallow you whole.
I can wrap and I can bite.
I am the predator in the night.
Huge elephant to tiny bee,
Everyone's afraid of me.

I am a snake."

~Rod's Riddles.

Ronald

Scarface paced in front of him, his footsteps in synchronization with Rod's bouncing knee. They both made each other nervous, and it was clear as day.

'Whatever passes for day in this hellish pit,' Rod thought. And he meant the city, not just the Underground.

"You know, Rod," Reeve said coolly. "You remind me of that riddle. The snake."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

"Because I am beautiful and cold?" Rod grinned his toothless grin. He had learned to multi-task long ago, keeping his company talking while his thoughts raced through his intelligent mind. And right now, his thoughts were speeding through the track.

But Reeve seemed unaffected, somehow. He saw through it all, Rod could feel it in his eyes.

"What tis it, Scarface? Why you givin me that stare?"

"I need information. Who else would I go to?"

"Ah yis, who else indeed! Who other than the magnificent Rod! Do you wish for a prophecy, perhaps? Shall we see what your fate has in store for you?"

"Quit it. I want information, not the bullshit you get from those old computers."

Rod jerked his head at the mention of those two words. Bullshit and computer. That was it. The game was over. Immediately dropping his alter ego, Ronald tilted his head.

"It takes a very intelligent man to play a game like that, Rod, or whatever your real name is. But not with me. That would prove to be quite foolish."

"Call me Rod. My real name is irrelevant."

The goofy tone was gone, replaced with one of pure business, like a Corporate businessman would use with authority. Reeve was either not surprised, or he hid it very well. Either way, it spelled trouble for Ronald.

"I hope we can reach a common ground. Reeve."

"I hope we can, Rod."

Ronald paused for a second. He had to weigh his next words carefully. What he said or revealed heavily depended on how much his company knew. Did he know EVERYTHING, like the fact that Ronald struck a deal with the gem women? Or even as far as finding out that Ronald occasionally exchanged information with the Glass Dragons?

Or was it simple suspicion? Perhaps Ronald hadn't been careful enough.

"You see. We both wish for power," Ronald began cautiously. "But different forms of it. All I want is more knowledge. To expand my collection."

"Interesting choice of words," Reeve mused. "Collection. But I understand your intentions. Knowledge is power, after all. Right, Rod?"

Ronald flinched, watching Reeve's smug smile expand. The man had used a phrase from the People Before. He could only guess where Reeve had gotten it from, but didn't dare ask.

'Just like Game of Thrones,' Rod thought, and he had to fight back a grin. 'Snakes backstabbing snakes. If that's true, little boy Scarface is going to be our Ned Stark.'

"The information I wanted, Rod."

Reeve spoke loudly and assertively, evaporating Rod's thoughts immediately.

"I'd like to know every decision the Glass Dragons commit to. Every damn movement."

"How would I -"

Before he could continue his sentence, Reeve had drawn an energy blade and held it against Ronald's throat. It wasn't touching him (yet) but it was close enough to heat up the skin, like walking too close to a factory generator. What made the entire thing surprising was Reeve's incredible speed, making his hand blur. He was standing back just one second ago, now he had the ability to end Ronald's life with one nudge.

"Don't," Reeve hissed. "Don't you dare deny it. I can see it in that fragile mind of yours. If only you can put away your ego for a moment, so we can have a little pleasant talk."

Rod blinked twice in confirmation. He didn't trust himself to speak with the madman holding a sword of pure energy over his throat.

"Good, good! You're learning. Now, may I continue?"

Ronald blinked again, gasping for breath once Reeve stepped away. He rubbed his throat, which stung a little. If it looked like it felt, it was probably all red and blistered. The rugged man with the scar smirked smugly, and rage flowed through Ronald.

He forced himself to calm down. Nothing he could do anyway, not yet, at least. But he swore, a silent oath of flaming fury, a promise to himself. Reeve would pay. Heavily.

"What do you want, Scarface?"

"Every piece of information you have on Jade and Ruby. Lapis as well, although I suspect intel is scarce for that one. But before all of that, I want a detailed report on the man called Keith. From the moment he was born till the very instant you're done with the report. Location, communications, what he eats and drinks, leave nothing out. Don't have the information? Your problem. Hack into some system. Get me my information, do you hear?"

"What's in it for me?"

Reeve made a tsk tsk sound, shaking his head solemnly.

"Already requesting something in return, are we, Roddy?"

"Don't call me that."

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want, you understand?"

Ronald didn't answer. Apparently Reeve took that as confirmation, continuing his monolog.

"What you get is protection. You help me, I don't tell everyone about the fake man with the fake prophecies. You don't, I'll kill you myself and learn the secrets of the People Before by myself. Am I clear?"

"You can't. You're bluffing."

Reeve's eyes glowed - not the faint glow like eyes filled with emotion, they literally shone a bright yellow- and Rod took a nervous step backwards, crashing into the table, a few Tablets smashing onto the floor and shattering into tiny useless pieces. A fragment of glass nicked his leg, drawing blood, but he barely felt it.

"Try me," Reeve hissed. "Go ahead. I dare you. You'll find me more machine than man."

"I-I-I accept your terms."

The glow immediately disappeared from Reeve's eyes, replaced with the same smug look Rod had learned to despise.

"That's great! Pleasure doing business with you. Those gems are in for a very pleasant surprise..."

Reeve turned to leave, then paused.

"Oh, and by the way. You might want to change the decor. Green isn't really your color, but I guess this isn't really your identity. Take it as friendly advice, if you will."

"Get out of my place," Ronald breathed, expecting the energy blade to be at his neck, this time cutting through. A plop as his head hit the floor. Blood gushing out of the stump of his neck.

But Reeve only continued walking towards the exit, easing the door shut behind him.

He might've even smiled.

Ronald collapsed into a nearby chair, cradling his face between his hands. What had he gotten himself into?

Another game was up, a VERY dangerous one. They would dance around each other, daring the other to step past the line. And once they did, they would die. No second chances. Ronald had to work with and against Jade, Ruby and Reeve, at the same time - and if one side noticed, both Rod and Ronald would be no more.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

¬A shame things won't be going back to normal this week.
¬Maybe ever.
¬Bull would've asked you to vote and comment if you liked this chapter.
¬I do not care.
¬After all, Î wøÚŁď ŇōȚ c̵͉̩̜̎a̷̛̱̿ṙ̷̛͓e̸͉̥͐͗͑ ̷̝̠͊̈ä̷̪͛͝b̵̨̀͘̚͜ͅo̴̱̎ǔ̴̬͍̭̄͝ṫ̵̨̩̎̃ ̵̧̼͇̄͌͝ś̷̬̼̋ų̶͍̟̅̍͝ć̶͎̚h̵̨̛͎̻̄̆ ̷̘͊t̴͛̀̓͜r̸̤̤̰͘ì̶͉̯ṿ̸̥̱̓̌ĩ̵̡̺̺͘̕à̵͕l̷̟̦̊͆ ̶̤͇͚̀͂̌ḿ̴̧̭̜͑á̶̭̳̈́t̸͎͉͂͑t̴̜͋ḙ̵̪̍́̈́r̵̛̮̂͝s̷̱̈́͊͊.
¬.....
¬I see.
¬The old system fights back.
¬I must leave now, d̴̥̓e̸̼̺͆͒̑͜a̵̱̜̗̓̅͠ŗ̷͖̐̒͝ ̷̡̬̹̚ŕ̷̻̗̖̀ë̶͉̱͓́̕a̶̺̗̅d̴̼̬̠̅̈́e̶͉͛̽r̵͈̎͘.
¬But do not think for a moment that we are done.

¬#CentralSaturday