The Mechanic and the Thief

Chapter 1

The vents were narrow and formed a challenging passage for the small burrowling to traverse through. Their light grey skin blended in with the steel walls of the tunnel, and the echoes of their soft footsteps resonated in the darkness. Up ahead, they could see narrow slits of light coming from the floor.

They shifted over to the light source, peering down through the cracks of the vent. Their ears perked forward and their nose twitched as they analyzed the environment below.

"--well if ya didn't steal all my goddamn wrenches, and where'd they go? And don't you fucking lie to me this time!"

A tall green orc towered in the room below, scolding an athletic-toned man whose hands were blackened with mechanical grease, and his clothes and face were equally stained. His hair was tied back into the messiest bun.

"I swear! I didn't touch any of your stuff, Mar! I have my own toolkit for that stuff!" the human protested.

"Bull!" Mar snapped, wagging his clawed finger in the human's face.

Above in the vents, Mouse smirked and transitioned to a vent that opened near a tall cabinet behind the orc. They could use this distraction to snatch some more supplies. They silently moved the grate and slipped quietly on top of the metal surface of the cabinet, crawling down the knobs of the drawers to get onto the workbench. The tiny creature scanned for useful tools, keeping a close eye on the quarreling orc and human to be ready to dash into hiding at the slightest movement. Just as Mouse finished up packing their small bag full of nuts and washers, the two giant figures seemed to conclude their fruitless argument and the human was dismissed to scurry out of the room.

Mouse froze as they were left alone with the giant orc, baiting their breath as they slowly backed away towards the edge of the desk. The orc was too close to risk climbing up the cabinet to the vents again, so Mouse had to wait for a better moment. The orc groaned, dragging his hand across his face before he turned back towards the workbench. The tiny creature had ducked out of sight just in time, crouched behind a toolbox. Their heart was racing in suspense. Ears perked towards the orc to listen for any opening to signify the coast was clear. The orc's footsteps drew closer, stopping in front of the desk. Mouse held their breath.

"Useless idiot." Mar muttered, reaching across the workbench to open his toolbox and dig through his tools. He emptied out a few miscellaneous tools onto the workbench, not seeming to have any luck in finding his missing wrench. Mouse practically flattened themselves against the floor of the bench, self-conscious of each breath that they might be detected.

After some time of this, Mar slammed the toolbox shut again, causing the tiny creature to nearly jump in surprise. The orc irritably flicked a nut off of the bench then froze, sniffing the air. Without a warning, a huge hand reached out, yanking Mouse by their leg and hoisted them out of their hiding place. The burrowling let out a choked shout of surprise, writhing instantly as they were held upside-down in front of the huge orc's face. They panted, swiping their claws at the hands that held them, but the angle was bad, and it was hard to reach up that high.

"Well looks like we've got a little vermin here!" Mar rumbled in an angered voice. He snatched the tiny bag off of Mouse's back and emptied it onto his desk with an unimpressed snarl. "And a fucking thief too!"

The orc's sharp blue eyes glared intensely into Mouse's. Mouse quickly narrowed their eyes to try to defy their fear and found their voice. "Put me down, you overgrown goblin! You got your stuff back! Fine! Sheesh! I won't bother you again!"

"Oh I don't think so!" The orc rumbled, bringing them closer to his face. "I'm still missing a wrench, you prick. Where is it?"

Mouse bared their teeth and their ears flattened backward defiantly. They didn't respond.