In a cramped, moist room with dimly lit red lights sat two figures. Above them hung a mesh work of leaking pipes, and staring rats that skittered through the shadows, and beneath them was the stained concrete floor full of dark puddles that echoed with every drop.
"So, which card is this?" Asked a young man with orange hair wearing a brown, fur-collared jacket. His voice sounded high with giddy excitement as he held up a card from the deck he was holding.
"Eight of Clubs." Answered the older, sharply dressed man with blond hair, who wore sunglasses that reflected light from the smartphone in his hand.
"How do you keep doing that? You weren't even looking!"
"Don't you get tired of—"
"How about now!" The young man thrust another card at his face.
"Queen of hearts."
"You wouldn't happen to be cheating, would you?" There was a hint of distrust in his voice.
The blond man sighed, his expression was cold behind his sunglasses, "Of course I am, you'll just never figure it out."
"Ah, that so…" The orange-haired man's expression soured, and he started to shuffle the cards, the sound of cardboard slapping together filled the damp room, "So Julius, has Harbinger answered yet?"
"It's been a week since I last heard from him. It's possible that he's been compromised." The blond man dismissively responded as he put his phone down on the table, "Here I thought he was one of the stronger ones."
"Maybe someone stronger was in the way? Or maybe I didn't fill him up with enough steroids?" The orange-haired young man mused, his voice dripping with hostile glee.
"Any more drugs and you would have left him mentally impaired."
The young man pressed his back against the brown couch he sat on, making himself comfortable on the old, grimy leather, "So, what now?"
"We continue moving forward. I'll have to find someone new. In the meantime, would you get rid of the freeloaders? Try not to leave a mess." The older man said with a hint of exasperation.
"Right." The orange-haired young man walked over to the room behind him, one that was not lit, and was in near total darkness.
"Please… don't hurt me…" A woman with dark hair pleaded, her body shivered while her heart raced.
"Sorry, miss. But your husband has failed and is probably dead, and unfortunately, rent is due." The young man cocked the gun.
"Wait, please! I'll do anything you want!" She cried out.
"Okay then! I'll spare your life, if you answer this one question." He smiled brightly and pulled out a deck from his back pocket, and picked out a card, "Which card is this?"
"K-King of Hearts?" Tears blurred her vision, and she closed her eyes.
He flipped the card in his hand, revealing a red joker, "Wrong answer."
An unfortunate sound echoed in the dark room.
He then looked at the rest of the cards and added, "Well, you wouldn't have gotten it anyway." All the cards in his hands were red jokers.
~