"I don't think I made myself clear enough. Let me try again.", he purred in a tone that could have killed. "I am offering you to stop interfering in my plans and work for me without risk. Otherwise I'll be your enemy."

Still unimpressed, you stared into his eyes.

(E/C) collided with blue, black and orange.

As your mouth opened, your hand slowly slid into your pocket. Fingers wrapped around the cool metal of a scalpel.

"I understood your offer very well.", you answered, a sly smirk on your lips. "But I don't think you quite understand. I am the only doctor in this city that takes care of the people who want to change for the better."

"You are the only disruptive factor in my entire plan. They are supposed to be submissive, obedient. You heal them and give back the will of their own that I worked so hard for to break. You are my only problem in Zaun, the only parasite that is left within."

His lips formed the words as clear and careful as possible, as if they had to be forged with the most precise pronunciation in order to corrupt the mind of his victims.

He knew the effect he had on the world. And it was visible on his face how much it displeased him that you seemed to be immune to the game he had mastered to play.

His hand snapped forward. With a surprisingly solid grip, his fingers wrapped around your chin and squeezed tightly shut. His nails dug into your skin, threatened to crush your jaw. This simple movement wasn't just a threat. It was a demonstration of his not so obvious physical strength.

He could kill you himself, if he wanted to.

But something held him back. There was something about you that had caught his attention, something he needed, maybe even wanted.

You just had to figure out what it was.

Still unimpressed by his gangster behaviour, you gifted him a questioning gaze and a raised eyebrow.

"I heal what wants to be healed, Silco. Why won't you let them live their lives and make their own decisions? Healthy people lead to a strong nation of Zaun."

He huffed softly.

"What do you know about the nation of Zaun? I need soldiers. I need tools. And you are taking them away from me. My shimmer gives them the power to stand up against the hierarchy of the upper city."

"The shimmer causes nothing but harm. Physically and mentally."

"Great things need great sacrifices. What do you know about sacrifices?"

A soft chuckle made your chest vibrate.

"Oh, much more than you think.", your eyes hardened, now showing him just how much hate and bitterness you had to offer him. "My father had no choice when he was sacrificed for your cause. But those people will be able to chose. That is what I am living for."

His grip on your chin eased. For a moment, he held his breath and eyed you as if he could tell by the details and shape of your face who your father was.

The orange iris of his infected eye trembled, twitched and turned as if it was electrified.

"I won't repeat myself.", he finally said with more impatience in his voice. "Stop curing them and I'll make you rich and powerful. Maybe even a founding member of the nation of Zaun if you prove yourself useful."

"Neither will I."

Now, you couldn't help but laugh straight to his face. It amused you that he thought those kind of unimportant things were temptations to bury all the morals and lessons that your father had put into your head.

He really was a man of the Lanes, because the confidence in his voice gave away that those promises had worked more than once before.

The alighted faded. Instead, a cold, serious expression conquered your face, mimicking his own.

With one swift movement you grabbed him by the slender neck, pushed him against the wall and pulled out the scalpel.

Everything happened so fast he wasn't just struck by surprise but also too overwhelmed to react in any other way than gasp.

His eyes widened.

There it was, the very first honest emotion he had shown ever since setting foot into this hospital.

Surprise.

Maybe even a hint of admiration.

Threateningly, you pushed the pointy tip of the blade into his neck, right where the most important vein was located.

The pressure wasn't strong, unable to cut the skin, but enough to underline how serious you were.

With his hands raised slightly, he waited for your next move.

Slowly, very slowly, you raised your head and came so close to his face that on,y his ears were able to pick up the words you hissed.

"Listen, Silco.", you flashed him a sweet smile. "You shouldn't overestimate your influence in this hospital. You might think of them as dogs, mere slaves, but I save them and gain something much more powerful through that. Loyalty. And as the man you are, I assume you must know about loyal dogs, don't you? If you harm the hand that feeds them, they will come for you."

His breath was calm. But the way his eyes looked at you told another story.

He had come to this place in the believe that you were nothing but a good doctor that treated some drug addicts. Instead, what he had got was a maniac with the calm mind of a genius.

You knew exactly how to use all of those people to your advantage. And despite his threats, you stood your ground.

The two contents of his business were fear and greed.

You had neither of it, thus making you that one single enemy he could not defeat.

"Huh.", he mumbled while his shoulders relaxed. "I must admit, you are... smarter than I had expected. And you do have a point. Killing you could put me into a difficult situation. A civil war is not the kind of war I'm planning to fight."

You pulled back but kept the scalpel in your hand.

Taking a breath, he fixed his white tie.

"Give it up then."

"I never give up. I turn enemies that I can't win against into allies."

Amused, you hummed.

"Fuck off, Silco."