Kaz:

After all these years, Pekka was ripe for the taking. I could get revenge for Jordie, for all my pain and suffering. Though, his death wouldn't be quick, it'd be slow, sickening. Inej would most likely not forgive me for this, but it's all I have been working for since I was 9 years old. I needed to do this.

"Brekker." Pekka hissed, hiding away from me behind his gang.

"Pekka. Ready to suffer?" I asked, trying to sound intimidating. Guys like Pekka follow their own rules with no regard for the people they hurt. That was the difference, I had a sliver of humanity, while he had none.

"I won't be the one hurt here, Brekker," he said bitterly. "Leave while you can, relinquish the little power you have over Fifth harbor to the Dime Lions. Maybe you can join our side, you obviously are useful." He offered.

"Over my dead body." I say, tapping my cane twice to give the signal to Inej.

Over the years I have grown to care deeply for Inej, more than I ever cared for my late brother, or anyone else I had met. She was a mystery I wanted to solve, a lock I wanted to pick. I wasn't annoyed by her presence, I took care to make sure she didn't suffer, I had risked everything for Inej. I gave her my vulnerability, my story. I had gotten better, become better in her name. Even if she left me, though it was for the better, no matter how much it hurts me. You may ask, is she really worth it? Yes, every single step, every single action, all of it.

She descended from the ceiling using silk she had taken from Heleens pleasure house before we turned it to ash. Part of her goodbye gift. I had helped her with her revenge, so she was here for mine. Tonight Pekka was going to take his last breath. Or it would be mine. Either way, I will make sure Jordie is avenged.

"You brought your Wraith." Pekka speculated. "I thought she was out to sea, killing all of those slavers. Good, we can kill her tonight and revive the industry." Pekka said, trying to aggravate me. If he wanted a fight, I was going to give him a fight.

"You sure can try. But Captain Ghafa could kill you before you even find her." I corrected it.

"If you want a fight so bad, Brekker. Why don't you get to it already?" Pekka snarled.

"You know what. I think I will." I swung my cane towards one of the Dime Lions, landing it right on his jaw and probably shattering it, he immediately fell unconscious.

Pekka commanded his lions forward. What he didn't know is I had a certain demolition expert, a Grisha, a sharpshooter, and druskle on my side.

Wylan had rigged the containers on the edge of the doc to explode as soon as someone came within 20ft of them, soon enough about half the Dime Lions were dead. Another fourth of them were knocked out or too injured to fight. The rest of the lions continued to charge forward as Nina commanded the fallen ones to attack them from behind.

I walked through the chaos, occasionally having to bash in a head with my cane. Jesper had called me, "Extra" but that's the goal isn't it. The cooler I look the more the legend expands. What type of gang boss would wear clothes like Wylan, or go around smiling, that doesn't initiate fear. That makes you look like a target, I needed the look, the aesthetic to maintain my image and reputation. Plus, black is my favorite color, it doesn't clash with anything.

"How?" Pekka said, stunned. I walked closer to him. Staring him down, enjoying every single second of his defeat. Once I reached my cane out and completely fractured his femur, then pushed him up against the guard rail. Behind it the clashing water and moonlight reflection stood. He had killed Kaz Reitvield in these waters, he was going to die in them too.

"You brought this on yourself! You created this monster! You made me into this Pekka! Look your creation in the eye! Look at your killer!" I said leaning him over the railing. He grasped at my coat sleeve helplessly. If I'm being honest, I enjoyed seeing him suffer, he deserved every single bit of suffering the next few minutes would bring to him.

"I did nothing to you Brekker! You came at me one day claiming to have a grudge. I hadn't heard of you til a few years ago!" He tried to reason. How dare he not remember, who forgets causing a 13-year-old's death.

I pushed into his broken femur, resulting in him screaming out in pain and begging for me to stop. "The Rietveld's, Jordje, he was 13, a little brother aged 9. I was the little brother. You stole our entire fortune, an orphans fortune, a child's fortune. You left us out to the streets during the plague, we both died from that Plague. Only I got revived, to get vengeance, to kill you!" I yelled at him, realizing soon after that I had tears rolling down my face.

Pekka had a face of recognition, "The boys from Lij. It all makes sense. Well, I gotta say Brekker, props for surviving, I assumed you both were dead. You've from innocent child to murderous gang leading theif!" He laughed. A sick laugh that made me let go of him and wrap my hands around the crow headed cane that laid at my feet.

I picked up the cane, and smashed it down, first into his legs again, then the torso, then finally the head. He was mutilated, like Jordje, and now me. I was as bad as him, no mercy, brutal, uncaring. I felt no better, just the same as when I had finished a heist, like a job done. This was supposed to make me feel proud of myself, like Jordie could finally rest. Why didn't it! Why couldn't it!

I looked down at myself, covered in Pekkas blood. Dripping down my chin, and the cane now stained crimson. I felt dizzy, I looked around to see most of the Dime Lions on the ground, dead or unconscious, I didn't really care. Jesper was shooting, but all I could hear was ringing as I turned around, facing every direction but the unrecognizable body that laid behind me.

"Demjin?" Matthias spoke, it echoed through my head. I reached for Pekkas disheveled body, and leaned him over the railing, angling it to where when he fell in, I'd fall in with him and this nightmare would finally be over.

I look down at the rapids that had already taken one life from me, and were about to take the next. I wondered, what would it be like, would I see Jordie? Saints? The devil? No matter what, I knew I could conquer it.

So with that thought, I tipped Pekkas demolished body into the Harbour. And soon after the cold and darkness took over me.

Jesper:

This was the best night of my life. I got to fight along with my best friends, shoot a ton of people and not get in trouble. Kaz was in a good mood, he had bought me a drink this morning and said, "morning jesper." Which was insane.

Now when I looked at him he was covered in blood, tipping some mutilated guy, I'm assuming Rollins, over the railing. And next thing I know they're both falling into the black water. Before I can think, I throw down my pistols, and run as fast as I can to the railing. I stand up on it and dive to where I saw Kaz fall.

I knew Kaz had issues, and a ton of PTSD, but suicide? I thought he was too proud for that. Either way, Kaz won't be dying on my watch. I continue to push past the water, till I see a silhouette of my best friend. I also see his cane, still firmly in his hand.

I grab his shirt collar with one hand, and the cane with the other and kick to get to the shore. After what feels like an eternity we are both on land with the rest of the crows surrounding us.

I am fine, a bit exhausted, but otherwise physically fine. Nina pulls Kaz near her and Matthias, he starts doing chest compressions. If there's anything I know about Medical stuff, it's that doing chest compressions means that Kaz might die.

"Don't die on me demjin. You still need to torment us with your ridiculous plans." Matthias echoes into the air, begging the saints for Kaz to live.

Sure, at first they all hated Kaz. But me, I loved him. Not in the brotherly way I do now. I couldn't have my brother die, I just couldn't.

Now, he way lying on the ground, somehow paler than usual, blood stained to his skin. Dead. I started to cry, looking around to see that everyone else was also crying. Wylan walked over, reaching his arms wide around me and breathing hard. I put my chin on his head and we just stood like that.

Inej was standing to my left, hands at her side just staring, as if Kaz were a bear about to attack. This would hurt her the most, they had worked through so much together, and for it just to end? Like this? It might just kill her.

Suddenly, and scaring us all, Kaz shot up. He pushed himself into a crouch, and soon fell because 1. His leg, and 2. He had literally just been dead. Once he fell he started coughing out what looked to be a gallon of water, mixed with a concerning amount of blood.

We all tried to come near him but he kept screaming at us to get back. So we stayed back, well most of us, Inej kept getting closer.

Inej:

How could he do this to me? We had worked so hard, first taking down Heleen, and now Pekka. And then himself apparently. I was going to kill him.

After what felt like decades of not breathing, he finally shot up and pushed away. Everyone else pulled themselves away, but that wasn't going to help him. So I walked closer.

"Kaz, hey, hey, it's gonna be ok. Why did you do this?" I said calmly, hiding my real fear and anger.

"No, no, no, 'nej why am I still here. I killed Rollins, I more than killed Rollins, I mutilated him. It doesn't avenge Jordie, or make me feel complete. Why doesn't it!" He yelled to no one in particular.

"I don't know Kaz, nobody knows. All I know is that I never want you to leave me, especially like that." I sob. Sitting next to him where we are almost touching.

He relinquished the gap and put his head on my shoulder. One of the biggest contacts we've had. I snuggle into his side, getting soaked by his jacket but not caring. Because Kaz was alive, and he was going to stay that way as long as I had any control.

So I prayed to every saint. For Sankt Anastasia to cure Kaz of this disease. To Sankt Ilya, to bring life back into him. And Sankt Alina to bring light and happiness to us all. To every other Saint I could think of, that could help him. I knew I could help more than any of them, and I vowed to do so until it hurt me.

Kaz:

I looked out to see my crew. No family, they had saved me from the water. My lungs ached, and my limbs were frozen. I huddled into Inej, words coming out of my mouth without my permission. This is what I had amounted to, after everything. And for some reason, I didn't regret it. The only part of this I regretted was almost hurting my family. Cause that's what they are, my family.