Screeching sirens filled the dark halls of the stable. Cautionary lights swept the stone gray walls and ceilings in a rhythmic rotation. The entire facility was in an uproar after a scientist overheard gunfire near the stable nursery. Just down the hall, desperate breathing and rushed footsteps echoed around the corner. Belle clutched her side with one hand, and held onto the raiders cloak with the other as Link led her down the winding corridors. As they ran, a red trail slipped through her fingers; leading back into the scene of the attack.

A concerned scientist led a team of security into the dimly lit nursery. “Gone”, she gasped between her fingers, staring at the pool of blood in the middle of the small room. A thin trail was leading through the emergency exit of the nursery. Before a search could begin, one of the guards noticed that the pool of blood was growing. Looking up, he noticed red droplets coming from the ceiling. But it was too dark and too high to see what the actual source was until another guard made the same discovery. They both shined lights towards the ceiling to no avail. The network of pipes blocked the view from below, until one of the flashlights caught a reflection from something. “Looks like glass”, another security guard pointed to a third light to reveal a horrific sight. The scientist nearly fainted when she saw the red stained lab coat. Another drop fell from the broken pair of glasses sticking out of the mangled lab coat to join the pool below.

Blood rolled into red globs coated in ash near Holder's feet. The smell of singed flesh filled his nostrils.The workers removed the headless body of Holder’s previous opponent. Holder plucked a shard of skull from his hair then frantically wiped his face as his next opponent was already being summoned into the arena. By now the crowd was desperate for their usual violent entertainment, so Will decided it was time to put on a show. The pudgy announcer stood on top of his seat to address the crowd, “For the final fight of the evening, and for our friend here, I would like you all to welcome our champion to the pit!”.

A chant slowly grew into a harmonious roar over the death pit below. “One”, the crowd sang on one end of the arena. “Arm”, the other side of the arena finished the chant just so that it could begin again. The crowd’s anticipation peaked as the chant was passed across the pit. Even the slaves serving refreshments to the audience joined in on the excitement. This continued until a man appeared in a blast of ash in front of Holder. Cheers erupted above. When the smokescreen cleared, Holder could not believe what he saw.

The slave stood in the center of the arena with a confidence that only a champion could have. His body looked as though he had been taken apart and hastily put back together. The criss-cross of  scars and sloppy skin grafts created a jigsaw pattern over his visible skin. The scars on his face were the worst. His left eye was fitted with what looked like a fairly new cybernetic implant. However the left arm was completely gone. All that remained was a burnt nub of a shoulder.

Holder could recognize some of the scars his opponent displayed. He shared the marks of failed escapes on his back as well. But the burns and dismemberment were beyond anything he had to endure. Sensing calm, Holder reached out his mind and tried to communicate with his opponent.

No response.

One-Arm had mentally blocked Holder out and was ready to fight to the death. Holder steeled his mind for the upcoming battle as well. It was obvious that one moment of hesitation would be his last against this seasoned warrior. Without warning Holder races around the edge of the arena, running along the walls of the pit until he reaches the left side of One-Arm. Next he springs from the wall and delivers a devastating kick aimed at the neck of his opponent. However the attack lands firmly in the palm of One-Arm, who had tracked the movements of the kick with his cybernetic eye. Unable to break free, Holder is flung across the arena and into the wall. The monstrous grip of the one armed slave had partially crushed Holder’s right leg. The fracture would heal, but it would take time. In the meantime mobility was lost and all he could manage was to stand up against the wall. One-Arm raised a hand and stared at Holder. He’s going to use his power. Holder was starting to sweat. But it wasn't his nerves. The onlookers above had already begun to fan themselves and remove excess clothing. In a flash of light no bigger than the spark of a match, the pit was filled with flames. 

Audrey jumped back. She could feel the heat from where she sat high above the fighting below; alone with Will. Her hands were not enough to hide her face of worry for Holder. Will was too busy sweating and screaming like a pig being led to a roasting pit to notice. Audrey tensed as she glanced around her chair. Belle should be back by now. Audrey got up and peeked around the corner of the private room for a sign of her friends' return.

Belle inspected her wound as she ran. The bullet went straight through but the bleeding had not yet stopped. She wouldn't last long at this rate. Belle cradled a handful of blood in her palm and with a soft whistle carried the liquid down the hall and around the corner. Next she yanked the cloak and pulled Link into a recently abandoned lab just as Maw turned the corner.With every step he announced his presence as he followed the blood trail down the hallway. Belle hid inside the lab until Maw passed by, then she scoured the room in silence for a specific tool. Found it, Belle sighed in relief as she pointed the small device at her wound. The tool was the size of a ballpoint pen except the end was fitted with a small wedge shaped laser. She used it to cauterize her wound. Her cries of pain were muffled with her sound dampening powers. Link cringed as his mother screamed in silent agony. Once done, Belle swallowed a cocktail of pills; praying that at least one was a pain killer. Next she turned to Link and took hold of the cloak. Belle ripped the cloak in half and fashioned sleeves that covered every inch of exposed skin on the little boys’ hands. Still crouching, Belle turned her back to Link. Piggy-back? Link crawled onto his mother's back gently, careful not to touch her wound. Belle searched for an exit as a knock came at the door.

Bullets tore through the locked door as glass shattered nearby. Maw came bursting in and continued to fire through the broken window. His aim was true, but Belle was quick. Ammunition ripped through the walls and glass of the window. By now the stable and the rest of the compound was alarmed. Maw stopped shooting abruptly. “The hell?” He examined his weapons for malfunction but was interrupted by a voice in his head.

“ I told you no witnesses! What do you think you're doing?”, Durwood screamed into the internal communication system. 

Maw rolled his eyes as he sighed a response, “I’m doing my job. I’ll just get rid of any witnesses like that snitch scientist from before.”

“You can't just go around killing anyone who sees you. You maniac!” Durwood snapped.

Maw scratched at the skin stretched over his metallic chin. “Why not? I got enough bullets.”

“Proceed with stealth! That is an order!” Durwood signed off of the communication system before completely erupting. 

“Yessir”, Maw chuckled to himself as he watched Belle take refuge inside of the manor. Just as he turned to exit the lab, he was met by security who followed the blood trail, Maw shrugged as he mowed down the stunned workers in a hail of gunfire. He then dropped a grenade in the lab before continuing his hunt. Anyone who had not already evacuated was consumed by the flames that followed the explosion.

Fire encircled the walls of the pit. Any other slave would have instantly joined the ash at the base of the arena, but Holder had broken his own rule to defend himself. The fire had not touched him but the heat was nearly unbearable. Push. Holder had to choke the flames at its source before he was cooked alive. One-Arm remained fixed in the center of the pit. Fire swirling around him like a red tornado. But the flow of the flames was starting to ebb. Audrey watched as the small area around Holder began to expand to the edges of the arena. The defensive barrier formed a crescent moon as the fire was pushed back. The flames receded until Holder was able to take equal ground. The Holder's half of the pit was gray with charred ash, while One-Arm remained surrounded in a half circle inferno. There was enough force to crush One-Arm in an instant, and enough heat to burn Holder to a crisp. A stalemate was reached, with each fighter unable to relent. A single lapse in focus would spell immediate death. “Deadlocked”. Will spat in girlish glee, as he clapped and jumped back into his chair.

“We’ll see who lets up first.”, Will refused to blink as he stared down into the pit, but after a full minute had passed he was bored. He searched for Belle once more in order to get drinks, he needed water to offset the dry mouth he was suffering from. The rise in temperature and alcohol he consumed were not a refreshing combination. Audrey had not noticed Will rising from his seat; she was fixated on the fight below. By the time she realized that Will left the room, it was too late. Will noticed that Belle was gone.

“Where’d you run off to slave?” Maw whispered in the sadistic tone he often used when he tortured captured runaways. He scanned the mansion for heat signatures; unable to track her collar’s signal with the interference of so many other slave collars nearby. The Windhelm manor was vast and luxurious in comparison to the Durwood manor. Almost everything had a golden trim or a shiny finish. Some of the designs were archaic on purpose, to simulate a different era in time. Durwood Manor wasn't decorated but rather fitted with necessities and technology that made living more efficient. Between the 2, it was like choosing to live in a museum or a factory. In either case Maw was not impressed, to him a manor was just a house with too many rooms, too many stairs and way too much space for anyone to ever use. Normally there would be workers and slaves buzzing around to keep this place in good condition, but the manor was as quiet as a graveyard. If Maw could move his fleshy mask to smile, he would be grinning ear to ear. There was nothing the sadist loved more than torture, but hunting down runaways was a very close second.

 “Come out, come out wherever you are…” Maw sang as he began his search. A scan revealed various heat signatures hiding behind almost every closed door in the manor. Any room with less than two bodies could be eliminated; leaving just the rooms upstairs. Next he checked for a collar signal, and could eliminate more than half of the rooms. 

Finally, Maw compared heat signatures to ensure that at least one child was inside the rooms. This wasn't as fun as it used to be, but oh well. Got a job to do. 

With only 2 possible locations left he approached the nearest door and opened it slowly. He heard the voice of a woman shushing a child. Maw ripped the door from the hinges and jumped into the center of the room, weapons ready. But all he found was a worker and young slave asleep inside of a closet. Maw’s sensors picked up movement but not a single sound was detected. He scrambled back into the hallway to see the other room door left wide open. It only took a moment to realize that his prey had gotten away.