Zephyr now observes the group as much as he can. 

He identifies the assassin's weapon, a katana, which was commonly used in more eastern cultures generations ago. Only experts like blacksmiths should be able to build and dig out these weapons, considering they have the monopoly on the market in this continent. The other way would have been exporting it from its original country by illegal means, as the United States, at least what's left of it, lost about all form of contact with outside civilization. Only Canada keeps rare forms of borders opened, but only under extreme conditions. Those details are pretty fuzzy, even for Zephyr.

The young man deduces that the assassin himself is clearly not at peak performance. He runs fast, but something about his left leg feels awkward, almost like he hurt himself during the chase. The three animals are interesting, but are even more so when Zephyr looks at the doctor. The weird outfit and punk aesthetic makes it hard for him to identify who he his and what could be his motives.

While Zephyr analyzes the situation, Riley finally arrives at destination, now a couple meters nearby the edge of the daunting bottomless pit.

Its name really fits the description: like a giant crack on the surface of the earth that stretches for miles away. It sure feels grand when you are that close to it. Many went down into the pit. No one ever made it back, as far as legends go. What is inside stays a complete mystery to humanity. It's all just speculations.

Despite such lack of knowledge, the pit's exterior offers enough food for thought on its own. Some weird staffs at the edge of the pit can be observed, but not touched. They are at least five times the size of a normal human being. Exposure to these artefacts ended up being the cause of many deaths before people could even jump inside the pit. Some have theorized that there's an abnormal concentration of radioactive wastes that causes the staffs themselves to be highly hazardous. For that reason, science has yet to decipher the truth behind these objects. 

What is also threatening is the giant box that is installed near the edge as well. Doctor Riley looks at the thing with an awe inspired look in his eyes, as if he discovered the most precious thing in his life.

It's a giant mechanical elevator, and Riley, even in his heavily fatigued state, is more than ready to take this bad boy to ride downstairs, into the bottomless pit. 

As he's about to press the button to open the door of this...clearly broken machine, the bounty hunter comes just in time to confront that thought process.

"Doctor... If I were you, I would step away from this thing...now." Asserts the assassin with a menacing tone to his voice.

The doctor is so tired the assassin can hear the pain in his voice when he breathes in and out. He's bending over to help his lungs have a better grasp at fresh air, but today is very dry inside the borders.

"- Damn it...Don't you know when to quit? Well...I will...find a way to...make you taste defeat! I know you're not dumb enough to jump...into the depths blind folded, at least not for a quick buck!

- And...Your point being?

- Unlike you, I am prepared! I have...a special transportation device that only I know how to activate from the inside!"

The doctor, with almost all the energy left in his gas tank, stands up and points with pride at the elevator that is two steps away from collapsing. The assassin, as well as the animals, look at the scientist with genuine concern.

"I shouldn't care about your shit, doc...but what the hell is that?

- Are you blinded by your mask, fool!? That's...That's an elevator!

- I think we have different definitions of an elevator. That thing looks too dangerous to even look at. I can see the rust, some broken tiles, as well as shattered glass from here.

- Silence! This village...prospered through hell back and forth! You have no...rights, to criticize ingenuity and hard work...from the past, y-you filthy rat!

- You know...Ingenuity and hard work, wherever it comes from, will not help you run away from me." Finishes the assassin, while getting from his sheath the weapon that will slay the doctor.

The hunter slowly advances towards Riley. He's good at hiding it, but he too benefits from this slowdown, as he's now limping on his left leg. The fact he is able to run with a wounded tibia is proof of how dedicated he his to this "quick buck"...maybe too dedicated. Other missions, if going to that scale, would have been a waste of time for him the moment he got himself injured and he would simply abandon ship, snatching another contract instead.

This is different.

In his mind, this is not just about the money. There is another motive that drives him to pursue this man as hard as he does. He himself can feel his fist clenching the katana in a way he hasn't done in a long time. The last leg of the expedition is in front of him, and he will not stop until that god forsaken monster is dead.

"- Hey! Pick on someone who can actually fight!"

That came from Zephyr.

The boy finally reaches the edge of the pit before anyone could die...yet.

He now drops his supplies on the ground and gets ready for a duel. He simply unlocks his very zany sword from its specialized sheath made of metal and locks. The young man is pressing switches and buttons with such calm and finesse it perplexes the hunter, who got caught in his own daydreaming and looked behind him, surprised to be even challenged by such a young soul.

The two of them look at each other, assessing their strength.

"- ...Okay, kiddo...And you are...?

- The name is Zephyr. I got curious on your identity, as well as the reasons you're hunting a scientist in the middle of a deserted area.

- Ha! Says the kid who walks around with baggages nearby the bottomless pit! What, you live dumpster fire behind ya or something?

- Yes."

The kid looks serious. With that same tone, Zephyr completes the unlocking of his torch blade. The weapon seems mechanical, unrefined and raw like pure metal. There's in fact a decently thick black layer surrounding the blade and a large lighter attached to the back of it. Zephyr ready for a fight...and the assassin is not in the mood to deal with that obstacle.

"- Look, I don't care for the reasons why you're going down, but you better pack your stuff and go home. Your family wouldn't want your death by the hands of this guy..." The assassin readies his katana.

Zephyr does not react to this sentence. 

The hunter is on his guard, confused by this boy who can stand in this life or death situation without fear in his dark, sparkling orange eyes. 

Idiots walking around with a poker face, thinking they can get the best of him, is one of the things the assassin despises. All of this progress and the goal post is going to be taken by some desert junky? Absolutely not. Just because this child easily made himself a part of the conversation and claims to be toe-to-toe with the bounty hunter doesn't justify such outrageous behaviour, not so close to achieving his goals. Under the mask, the bounty hunter is angry and grinning his teeth, ready to beat this kid until he falls unconscious, if it means getting to the doctor's heart.

Riley, on the contrary, is not focused on his saviour's battle with the predator. He is just trying to comprehend why this busted elevator no longer works. Sure, it obviously got a few loose screws and a ton of dust piled in its mechanics. Hell, the brown-ish almost black rust on every single piece of it should be a solid indicator that this option is down for the count. Sadly, that's all the scientist remembers of Gallows that is still intact.

He and the Gallows Knights built this thing! 

It not just about pride. It's also bringing him back lots of memories he treasures, while triggering regrets and pains he wish would stay burried six feet under. The last straw that brakes the camel's back is this elevator's state. It needs to work! It needs the ability to pull out one last breath, one swan song that will send Riley J. Smith into an array of discoveries and amazement!

...

The elevator is dead...functionless. 

The only thing that works is the door and even then, it barely opens up... then stops midway.

The doctor shifts from joyful to hopeless. There is officially no other way to get inside the pit without jumping straight ahead into the abyss of rock and death. The denial he expresses under his surgical mask is palpable, tears of sorrow and rage are about to coldly leak from his goggles and run through his cheeks.

Shorty the cat looks at its master with a wistful look on its face and starts rubbing the poor Riley on the lower back of his leg with its left paw. 

Browski is Browski: a frog that couldn't care less about its creator's plight, as it is just watching this insane view of where the pit could finish. It can barely tell anything because he's been gifted with the worst eyesight of the trio.

The only one curious about the predicament in some sort of way is El Boyo, who is flying around the warriors behind its master in a puzzled fashion, circling around atop of the two as they already jumped into battle.