As soon as one of John’s targets had decided to teleport to safety, he had doomed himself, and his boss. Artemis noticed the man's disappearance, while John just continued with his fight. Artemis took the chance to expand his ability's area of focus, seeking the man’s signature and where he'd gone. It did not take long to find where the magic had taken the man, and that would be their destination.
“You know we’re being followed, right?” John asked, the two men wandering deeper into the dark and filthy tunnels of the underground network. His fresh cigar glowed amber as he pulled in deeply.
“Of course we are,” Artemis replied. “Let them. I’d love to see them try to actually make a move on us.” He walked calmly, his eyes taking in their surroundings and collecting information. His steps seemed fluid and easy, moving along the uneven ground toward his mark. The walls were metal and concrete, poorly kept and cracked sporadically. The muck beneath them sloshed and squished as they moved, though neither cared. The powerful pair knew little would threaten them, and with so little room, they would simply overpower any foe that dared impede their hunt.
“Take this back by the way,” Artemis said, tossing the pouch of coins to the big man. “Money is the least of my concerns.”
John caught the coins and pocketed them with a shrug. “If you insist. You won them fairly.”
“Your gamble paid me back in information, which I consider enough. We’re almost there. Try not to make too much ruckus. Subtlety doesn’t seem to be a strength of yours.” As he finished, Artemis reached into a pocket and pulled out his mask and gloves, donning the garments. Every inch of him, even his blades, were as black as night. “If you hear anything, then come in. If you hear nothing, it means everything is fine. Give me five minutes.” With that, Artemis slinked away, his movements suddenly remarkably silent.
John nodded, impressed with the man’s skill. He started counting off in his head, not willing to give more than the five allotted minutes. He took another puff of his cigar and waited. “Fine, but if I hear commotion, I’m coming in regardless.”
Meanwhile, Artemis had moved quickly into action. Two men guarded a steel door, reminiscent of a prison, blocking the way through a stone archway. A pair of arrows of black mist flew through the air, one for each, and they slumped over before falling to the ground. Artemis hastened over, finding a key on one guard’s body and opening the lock. He left the key in the door and moved on.
At the end of the short stone archway, the room opened into a large chamber of stone with vines crawling along the walls and ceiling. The stone and dirt of the ground appeared dry here, with steel grates allowing the water to flow out. The room had simple decor, with torches set throughout and countless crates and barrels all around. They had done well to keep the room orderly and clean, for the most part.
A large communal table sat in the middle of the chamber, with a pair of men talking over tankards of ale. They sat facing away from Artemis, making his work that much easier. In the far corner, off to his right, a man worked on a dais, occupied with his work and hunched over a table.
Artemis could sense the man he’d been tracking, down a hallway to his left, and stealthily continued on his path. He didn’t need to draw any more attention, but he also didn’t want any surprises. The gate guards were far enough out of the way and would stay asleep, but he worried knocking out these three might draw suspicion if someone came in from one of the other rooms while Artemis worked.
Creeping down the hall Artemis began to hear voices arguing in hushed shouts, as though the men were doing their utmost to control their temper.
"And you didn't think that drawing attention to yourself might be a mistake?" one voice asked.
"Drawing attention? Some big man offered a sack of coins for a fight. You expect us to say no? It's not like we're rolling around on beds with silk sheets and stuffed with premium wool."
"What, I don't pay you enough? Suddenly you're unhappy?"
"That's not what I meant," the man said, his voice retreating. "I didn't think . . ."
"Exactly! You didn't fucking think, that's the damn problem. They're probably looking for me right now you ass. Now get the fuck out of here and double the guards, get everyone on alert. I don't want any uninvited guests coming in."
"Yes sir!" the man replied, turning down the tunnel.
"And don't underestimate them!"
The man began to run down the hall, while Artemis had found a small alcove to hide. He activated his camouflage, hiding in plain site and nearly invisible when immobile. The target ran past, and a moment later found himself struck in the back, falling to the ground unconscious.
Artemis moved on, confused as to why his detection ability did not sense the man down the hall who the recently fallen man had been speaking with.
'Better to be safe than sorry then. If he has magical defense, we'll have to do this the old fashioned way.'
Silent and swift justice, invisible to the eye, rapidly advanced on its mark. Within seconds, Artemis had snuck up behind the man, hidden from view, and locked him into a powerful chokehold.
"Shh, just sleep. We'll talk soon."
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