Fight or Flight

Unwelcome Visits

 Kaz's head felt like it was about to curl in on itself. His last 3 days had shared 7 hours of sleep, and within the past few hours he had been held at gun-point, kidnapped, and gotten a job that would grant him enough kruge to bathe in every night. 

 30 million kruge to break into the Ice Court and bring back Bo Yul-Bayur. That was what the wealthy merchant, Van Eck, had agreed to.

Kaz had repeated it to himself over and over. This was just a lock, and it could be broken like any other. And the first things you needed to pick any difficult lock were the right picks. 

"Jesper!"

"Ah will you shut up!" It was only 9 in the morning, and it was obvious that Jesper's hangover was just beginning to set in. The night before had been eventful- between Big Bol's demise, Kaz's brash decisions, and Geels eventually crumbling beneath Kaz's demands. Clearly, Jesper had seen the gang's win as an excuse to get drunk. 

"Jesper!" 

The Zemini boy stumbled through the door, still buttoning the top of his shirt. "Yes?"

"Inej was up an hour ago." Kaz's impatient expression had faded to displeasure.

"Inej can also walk a wire, but I doubt you're expecting that of me anytime soon." Under usual circumstances Jesper wouldn't talk to Kaz in such a way, but his drowsy state blurred the normal boundaries.

Kaz ignored Jesper's comment, twirling a red letter opener in his gloved hands. "How would you like to be rich?"

"Clearly, but what kind of question is that?" Kaz's lips thinned into a line.

"Let me rephrase. What would you do to get rich?"

"Are we talking like prostitution, because I'm not opp-"

"No, Jesper. More along the lines of near certain death." The letter opener lay still in his gloved hands, precariously balanced on his finger. Jesper just smiled, tugging his shirt into place.

"We've done that many times, haven't we boss?"

" Like breaking into the Ice Court."

"Oh fuck no!" 

Kaz nearly laughed at the Zemeni boy's outburst, and the insanity of the proposition lingered in his mind once more. It was indeed a ridiculous idea; a gang of teenagers removing a high-security-level prisoner from what was considered to be the most impenetrable fortress around. 

"For 30 million kruge." Jesper turned swiftly towards Kaz, wonder gleaming in his eyes.

"You're considering it then? Who even gave you the offer?"

"Merchant Councilman. Apparently they need this scientist who has knowledge of a drug to enhance grisha power- jurda parem." Nodding, Jesper took a seat, his interest peaking after the kruge prize was revealed.

 "It does sound like something we would do, doesn't it?" Jesper received an eye roll as he made a faux-whimsical face. "So I'm guessing you want Inej and I to participate in this?" 

"Yes." 

"Who else?"

"Nina, a Fjerdan, Specht, Rotty, a few more for the ship." Kaz rolled his eyes at Jesper's unamused expression. "I got a demo guy too. That ought to shut you up about it."

Jesper's face lit up as he rubbed his hands together in excitement. The high lasted a moment before it transformed into a look of mischief. 

"Well the demo guy would be spectacular. But with such a daring job, wouldn't it be nice to have someone super detail oriented-"