Six of Crows One-shots

Obstructed Blindness (plain sight part 2)

Kaz had long since forgotten the dream, had long since forgotten a lot of things. Over the past few years he forgot some of his greatest mistakes, pains, and fears.
He woke up warm underneath the blankets, with Inej pressed close to his chest, limbs sprawled about in blissful sleep. Kaz kissed her hair and pulled himself out of the warm cacoon the blankets had become around them.
He quickly got dressed, moving further into his room to find some late night paperwork he had meant to do last night. Picking it up he went downstairs into his office. He traded the paper in his hand for a blank sheet of paper, that had not been there earlier.
Kaz lightly thumbed its edge, grabbed his glove and a black light, a purple message glowed back and Kaz felt like someone had slipped an ice cube into his coat and let it slid down his back.

The crows gather, servants of death.
You've been called to the meeting.
Exchange, at ten.
When the bell rings, drop down to hell,
Meet us where the waters join and the cell opens.
If you don't, your nest will go up in smoke.

~ enjoy

It was unsigned, Kaz felt a flit of panic, then anger. Who would dare to challenge him, to pull him around like a pawn. It came out of nowhere, and it had no motive, and it scared Kaz. He folded up the paper and slipped it into his pocket, then slipped on his gloves, grabbed his cane and moved out into the street, the foggy evening hanging around, it was nine bells in the morning, he would have to hurry to meet the exchange on time.
He walked into a familiar alley, a spot known for gang business and meetings, a man hole leading to the sewers had the lid popped off and was laying nearby, a dark crow feather resting half under the lid.

"Damn." He didn't like the sewer, but what choice did he have. Carefully he glanced behind him before slipping down the drain, closing the lid and locking himself in the stinking tube of the sewers.
He slid down the ladder, thankful for his gloves that hid his hands from the grime and sharp rust that lined the ladder. His feet splashed in the murky water when he landed, and he huffed uncomfortably.

The water slushed about his legs as he walked, causing tremors to run through him. He breathed through his glove to dampen the stench of the water. The dim shadows twisted, and the darkness turned to waves of titanic size, dead hands with hanging skin reaching out, bodies brushing against his legs as he forced them onward. The cold water turned them numb.
At last the water poured together from other pipes, a cement slab lifting above it. Kaz pulled up to it, a small amount of the waste water dribbled out the side of the island nobody used. There was a crow bar pried into the grate, it was partially opened, the grate pointing out like spikes. With a flush of hope bursting in his chest for a freedom from the nightmares, Kaz grabbed onto the crow bar and shoved it roughly. slowly he pried the metal further and further till it was wide enough to slip through.

He landed with a thud into the nasty sand, before he could recollect himself a voice welcome him.
"Good evening, Kaz."
"Who are you?" The silhouette smiled in response. "We wouldn't want to spoil the twist, now would we?" They rose a hand, covered by a white glove with the fingertips and sides turned black by ink. "Please sit, and join us." Kaz stilled, taking in deep breaths before moving to sit on one of the dark chairs.
"Us?" Kaz asks, and the person grins.
"I'm sure you've met before. Your brothers after all." Kaz could not move, dared not, as Jordie lowered himself into the seat opposite of Kaz. His dark eyes were tormented, and pleadingly stared at Kaz. He was older, grown up, as he should have been but also wrong. He was twisted by agony as Kaz had been.

"How.."
"You were young Kaz, your still young. You just don't get it yet. Your not in your own world, this place isn't yours. It's mine." Kaz gripped the chair arms.
"Who are you."
"Anonymous." Came the short reply, before raising a hand and pulling out the crow bar Kaz had used.
"I warned you~" the figure crooned playfully. "I spelled it out... but you ignored it.." they began to twist the crowbar around in their hands. Kaz felt fear, ragged and wild slowly building up to a suffocating level.
"Jordie, dear... hold him," Those dark frightened eyes flashed to Kaz's. Then he rose, and walked behind Kaz's chair, and grabbed onto Kaz's wrists.
"I'm sorry Kazzy" he whispered softly, Kaz was shaking as his airways felt constricted.
The crowbar rose in a wicked arch, black metal stark against a Smokey blue sky, it came down.