Six of Crows: To Hell and Back

Part Eight Kaz

(IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG!!!)
Kaz was confident. Yeah, that had to be the word, he was confident. Certainly not nervous? Definitely not nervous. He was the brave Kaz Brekker. Shit Dealer extraordinaire. He knew his way out of anything. Even family drama. If that was true then why did he feel... no he wasn't.

"Hey, Kaz, you ready?" Alexei asked. Kaz nodded. They were ready to approach Jordie. Why didn't Kaz expect this? It was death not life. Expect the unexpected. That is the saying. Seeing his brother wasn't part of the equation, but this was something to be welcomed. It was his brother, his foolish, stubborn, wonderful brother. The only person he ever loved. He really cared about Inej, but they weren't there yet. Were they? Being without her in this empty place made him think about that. Even if he did love her, he wasn't ready to express it to her her yet.

"Yes, I'm ready, its time."

"You sure?"

"Of course." Kaz and Alexei would go ahead before everyone else. This was to ensure that they wouldn't be fully associated together. the plan was to just get his attention and to talk to him out of sight, but apparently Alexei was what Marie called "a dramatic bitch" and he proposed a very VERY dramatic way to get his attention. Alexei wanted Kaz to use his tricks to get his attention without using his voice. Kaz would use slight of hand to slowly craze him up and look for who was causing it. That way they could avoid the tracking of his voice. As apparently her powers came from her ears.

"Do you know the plan?" Alexei asked. Kaz rolled his eyes.

"You told me three times. I got this."

And so the plan commenced. They entered the elevators and descended onto the casino floor. Jordie was there from time to time during the evening of the casino. Well, it wasn't evening, but it was the time before they declared lights out. Jordie gambled for forty minutes before returning to his room and doing Sankt knows what. Kaz stepped down from the elevator finally able to breathe again and Alexei also able to breathe again, but that was because Kaz finally let go of his neck.

"You are sick, Kaz, absolutely sick." Alexei managed to get out as he tried to have a regular "breathing cycle" They didn't have to breathe, but it felt better than be airless. Death was strange. It mimicked life but it will never truly reach the same heights. Kaz and Alexei entered the casino area. Alexei looked around and spotted him. There he was. Kaz's older brother. They really did look the same. Alexei got Kaz's attention and he looked over. He was at a blackjack table. The Darkling's affinity for blackjack was strange. Was it cause it had the word black in it?

"You, Brekker!" A familiar voice called out to him. It was Rosalie Oosterhuis. Shit. Kaz turned to face her. She was small, but buff. He needed territory and she was in his way. End of story. Her heavily tattooed arms grabbed Kaz's shirt collar and she head butted Kaz. She let go of him and he stumbled, "Looks like you, the great Dirtyhands finally kicked the bucket! Not so big now!" Kaz stood up.

"You're still the same grinch you were when you were alive. What a shock." He pulled out a dagger from his pocket. "Look Oosterhuis. Isn't this the same dagger that did you in? It is! How exciting." She kicked him in the shin. He put the dagger to her chin.

"Be careful Brekker! I'm not the only one here with a grudge. Watch yourself!"

"Now, now, lets break this up!" Another familiar voice called out. Jordie. He wasn't facing Kaz. He had no idea it was him. Kaz pulled the knife away from her chin and Oosterhuis backed away from Kaz. Jordie walked closer to her. "This isn't how we treat the freshly dead. This is peace. Not a place for revenge." He whispered something in her ear. Oosterhuis smirked and started moving back.

"This isn't over Brekker!" And she left.

"I apologize for Rosalie, she's a bit bitter."

"A bit?" Kaz rolled his eyes. Alexei just stood there in shock. After all he was right there. And he didn't even notice that it was Kaz. Jordie looked back at them. His eyes widened.

"Kaz?"

"Hello, brother."

"Well there goes the plan," rang Alexei's disappointed voice. Jordie walked closer to Kaz.

"It's really you?"

"I called you brother didn't I?" Jordie tried to hug Kaz. Kaz stepped out of the way. "I'm not a hugger."

"I see. We have so much to catch up on. You've grown." Something about how Jordie said that really pissed Kaz off.

"No thanks to you. Just be glad I didn't join you sooner." Kaz left the area soon and started for the elevators when Alexei caught up with him.

"What was that about Kaz?! I thought you wanted him on our team?" He whispered.

"Can't do it. After all these years I'm still made at him and foolish behavior. I thought he could help me and bring some familiarity to all of this, but i was wrong. He's foreign to me now. I'd like to keep my good memories of him, so leaving seems like my best option. We'll just go back to my original plan. No harm done." Then the two of them entered the elevators much to Kaz and Alexei's chagrin, but it was the only way up. The pair returned to Kaz's room.

"Why isn't he with you?" Fedyor asked.

"Couldn't do it." Fedyor looked flabbergasted.

"What do you mean?!"

"Turns out reuniting with your dead brother is hard. Who knew?" This really wasn't like him. Kaz cringed internally. He wasn't himself ever since coming here. Still he had only been here for a few hours, but it was starting to mess with his brain. He was getting soft. Dirtyhands, more like Softhands. A knock at the door caught his attention. Alexei walked to the door and opened it carelessly.

"It's you!" Kaz looked to who was at the door.

"Hello, Dirtyhands." Rosalie had followed him.

"Hello, Oosterhuis. I see you wanted me to kill you again." Rosalie entered the room, pushing past Alexei and walking right up to Kaz. She grabbed something from her pocket. She then punched Kaz. Fedyor and Marie burst into action. Marie dragged Kaz back and Fedyor moved her with his heartrending. She walked backwards out the door, but as Alexei shut the door she came back with someone else.

"Muzzen."

"Hey, Brekker."

"How many enemies do you have?!" Mikhael exclaimed.

"I stopped counting after 20."

"I really looked up to you, Brekker. I was ready to die for you and i did, but Rosalie here convinced me how you wronged me. Now I'd like to repay the favor." Before Muzzen could do anything Kaz saw someone hit him over the head.

"You have a lot of enemies little brother." While Rosalie as distracted Alexei and Mikhael tackled her. "This is the second I've saved you today. Looks like you still need me."

"Hello again, Jordie."

Fedyor laughed. "I still cant believe the Dealer is named Jordie." Kaz looked to the fallen Muzzen.

"What's going to happen to him?"

"I'll just take him downstairs and wake him up. Can't die in the afterlife after all."

"I can't believe you'd side with Dirtyhands!" Rosalie yelled at him. Still being held by Mikhael and Alexei. Jordie moved down to greet her.

"Sorry, Rosalie, i learned this lesson the hard way. Family comes first."

So, it looks like i updated like a normal person for once. This is crazy guys. Someone call the cops its not me. Lol. I just wrote this chapter kinda fast for me and well. Im sorry to say that you shouldn't get used to it. I started Mikhael's chapter right after Alexei's and it still took three months. But now that the team is finally together the real story can start. Hehe. I hope y'all are excited for this. I sure am. Ill try to update like a normal person, but like i said last chapter, no promises. Also 8 more chapters to go after this.