"Heh, I can already smell the little bastard!” Cavalier shut his eyes and clenched his teeth tight with anticipation.

The more excited he got, the more his strained and mechanical his voice became.

Stitches followed behind, quietly examining the marks left on the metallic frames of the mirrors by the revenant's paws of steel.

He made sure not to pay them too much attention as he walked through the field of shattered glass the impatient Cavalier left in his wake, careful to not let his suit snag on a shard of glass and tear.

Trying to focus beyond the metallic screeches and high-pitched shattering, Stitches listened out to the hurried steps of Subject #2 and his fast, panicked breathing. He even caught a glimpse of him in the mirrors that were still intact, meeting his frightened gaze at least once.

Stitches wondered what is going to happen when they will eventually corner him.

Will he try and test the limits of his abilities? If he even knows about them...If they exist, at all...

The mere thought of this limitless potential intrigued him.

He wanted to know how far is the reach of the kid's abilities, wishing to witness its full glory, even at the cost of his life.

As the thoughts slowly started to build up, a cold touch underneath his clothes reminded him of his real mission. He wasn't there to observe, he was simply there to assist in the elimination of a rogue experiment.

After all, if the Creator insisted he'll be put to an end, surely he knows exactly what the extent of the abilities are and deemed their potential a dangerous one.

He was supposed to use the gun he was entrusted with exactly for the purpose of striking down Subject #2 in the event that he'll find and use his hidden potential. He's not meant to just stand by and watch as things unfold.

And then what?

Could it be that the Creator would deem the two of them dangerous and disposable?

The questions filled what felt like an empty void in Stitches' mind as he kept following Cavalier, staring blankly at his back.

It wasn't long before something caught his attention again, this time a sound of shattering glass, farther than the ones his partner has been decimating.

The sound was repeating and constant.

And it wasn't very far.

Looking at his feet, Stitches track in the glass.

Seeing as he himself wouldn't see his own tracks and that Cavalier's feet only crushed the glass further, there was only one other possible source.

"Desperate act.” Stitches thought aloud just as Cavalier took notice of the new tracks, that slowly turned into a new trail going through frames of broken mirrors in their path. “He's risking his life to get out.” Or was he leading them into a trap?

Noticing the the clear path, Cavalier rushed forward before Stitches could voice any of his doubts, forcing him to tag along for a chase.

"Looks like you got quite a cleanup to do later.” Cavalier jeered and looked over his shoulder. “Gonna get a lot messier. I promise.”

Stitches remained silent, but didn't miss the chance to hit him over the head with the grip of his gun when he walked past him, evoking a guttural growl from Cavalier as he instantly turned to grab Stitches by his suit and slammed him into a nearby mirror, shattering it into more glistening remnants.

"Don't think you'll be getting some sort of special treatment just because we have to work together.” the words seeped through Cavalier's clenched jaws with burning toxicity.

"And why is it that we have to work together.”

"Don't you st-”

"All because you can't do something on your own without messing up.”

"Hey-!”

"No need to make a fuss, you've been told pretty much the same thing already.”

"Fuck, you're really pissing the ever living hell out of me!” Cavalier barked and released Stitches, who calmly straightened his suit, that miraculously remained completely intact. “Man, I wish you'd have a face, just so I could rip it the fuck off of your head!”

"As if you'd be capable of that.”

"Why you...-”

A terrified shriek ceased their feud and brought their attention back to the freshly made trail of glass.

The two walked through a breach in the maze, that ultimately lead to the maze's rigged destination – a circular room fitted with mirrors covering the entirety of it.

In the middle of it all sat a child, gawking at the bickering figures.

However, it wasn't the one they were expecting to see, much to Cavalier's increasing frustration.

"Are you shittin' me?!” his voice was like nails on a chalk-board at this point. “Where the hell did this brat came from?! Don't tell we went through all of this for the wrong target!”

Roaring in rage, Cavalier marched towards the kid, who screamed in terror and scrambled back, stumbling over his own feet until his back hit one of the mirrors.

"Wait.” Stitches grabbed the enraged maniac just before the child was within his reach. “It's no mistake, this 'brat' is our target.”

"What?!” Cavalier bared his teeth up to the gums and pointed a sharp, metallic finger at his direction. “He looks nothing like him!”

"That's the point. It might be his last resort.”

“How the hell are you so sure?!”

"It's one of my main directives.” Stitches remained indifferent to Cavalier's rage. “I just know it's him. But it shouldn't matter to you. Doesn't look like it's beyond you to kill an innocent child.”

"You're damn right it isn't.”

Their conversation was once again cut short by the sound of something hitting the ground, and the noticed the kid had passed out, his pale skin making it appear as if he bled into the jacket, now turned red.

"Looks like we terrified him into unconsciousness.”

"There goes the thrill of it.” Cavalier scoffed as Stitches walked to pick up the fainted kid by his shirt, keeping him far enough to not stain the suit.

"The Creator theorized that Subject #2 might posses the ability to alter his own memories, thus changing his appearance.” Stitches explained as he examined the child. “It's possible that he discarded his memories completely, so for him we're just some strange maniacs chasing him in a maze for no reason.”

"Great, whatever...” Cavalier rolled his eyes, flexing his arms. “It all comes down to this really being Subject #2, right?”

"Yes.”

"Good. Keep holding him up and think how many pieces you can carry.”  Cavalier raised his hands eagerly, only to find himself staring into the barrel of Stitches' gun, aimed right between his eyes.

"You better have a good fucking explanation for this!”

"He doesn't remember who he is. We can make use of it.”

Eyes flaring, Cavalier stared as if he had never heard something so asinine in his life. “Oh please! If you're really that uncomfortable about all the carnage, why don't you put that bullet in his head?!”

"I don't slaughter defenseless kids.” Stitches reasoned, resting the kid over his shoulder. “We can either 'train' him for our own good, or wait until he'll regain his memory and run off again.”

Seeing that Stitches wasn't going to drop his weapon any time soon, Cavalier ground his teeth and turned his back at the gunman, for once with nothing else to say.

Stitches another look around the now decrepit mirror maze, fixing the kid's position on his shoulder before heading with Cavalier to the exit.

And it was going to be a grand one.

"Explain it to me again – why are we not killing the brat?” Cavalier's voice sounded more jarring than ever in his protest of his promised kill.

It appeared that even the field of carnage left in the circus behind them didn't calm his rage, despite being responsible for a great deal of it.

"I don't think there's any calling for it at this moment.”

"You're not supposed to think!” Cavalier pulled at his own hairs, leaving red streaks on it. “You're supposed to do what you're told, no questions asked! Your job was to catch him and mine was hacking him to pieces!”

"And what do you think would become of us after that.”

Cavalier huffed and went silent again, struggling to get to the bottom of his question. Stitches' monotonous and expressionless speech didn't help a bit to figure it out.

"The Creator sees Subject #2 as a dangerous thing,” he started to explain. “If we were to kill him, that'll make us even more dangerous than he is. What reason does he have to keep us around.”

Cavalier burst out laughing, a shrill, mechanical laughter, like something heard in a low-quality recording. “Do you even suggest the this old fart can somehow hurt us?”

"I know he can.” Stitches' voice remained unchanged. “He created us. He'll have the means to end us. Subject #2 was an irregular instance that evolved beyond the Creator's expectation. His feelings wouldn't let him take him out on his own, having to utilize us as means of elimination.”

Cavalier seemed even more at loss after the faceless man's lecture.

"As soon as we return the kid or kill him, we will become expendable. He'll get rid of us, somehow.” Stitches tried to keep it as simple as he possibly could, shifting the kid on his shoulder and making sure he's still alive.

Cavalier's face twisted in disgust, his teeth gnashing. He couldn't stand the thought of being some kind of a disposable killing tool.

"We'll have to take care of the old man, if we want to keep the lives he gave us.” Stitches summarized, and started walking away when police sirens were heard in the distance.

The bloodied killer glanced at the blinking lights and pulled his hood over his head, hurrying alongside his tailored partner to stay out of sight.

"So if we get all of this info on the Memorium Project, the old man becomes expendable.” Cavalier wondered as they approached their base of operations, looking again at the blood stained kid, who's clothes stuck to his body in a couple of spots as the blood dried and hardened. “You're gonna let me kill him, but not the kid, right?”

"You're catching on.”

"But the old man won't be a threat anymore! Why would-”

"We'll get a lot more benefit from keeping the kid alive.” Stitches stopped him again. “May even help you get more kills eventually.” he had to come up with something to make the crazed man cooperate.

"Heh, now you're talking business.”

Looks like it worked. If Stitches had it right, he may not even have to keep his promise about the kill count.

He just had to make Cavalier play along until they'll get to the alteration stage.

"And if he ever regains his mind and goes out of control,” Stitches prepared the last nail to the coffin. “You'll get to kill him, just like you were supposed to now. After all, none of us can do it alone.”

Cavalier revealed his teeth once more, this time in a content, yet still somewhat deranged expression.

Without another word, a new deal has been sealed between the peculiar assassins.

There were only a couple of things left to tend to before the research could relaunch.