Chapter Text
Matthias
Matthias thinks he could live for a hundred years, and even in death Kaz Brekker would still be one step ahead of him. He’d be waiting for him in the afterlife, smug and leaning on his demonic cane, and explain to Matthias how this had all been planned from the beginning, how the Bastard of the Barrel had carefully orchestrated his death to bring them to this moment. If the afterlife is kind, Kaz won’t be there at all, and Matthias can spend eternity blissfully and peacefully away from his gloved companion. Judging by the latest trends, though, he doubts he’ll receive any kind of mercy.
Last night, he had taken Colm Fahey to his hotel like the good little errand boy he has apparently become. He felt conflicted about lying to such a kind old man, but it wasn’t his secret to tell. Whatever happens between Jesper and his family is his own business; Matthias has no right to interfere.
Everyone is still awake by the time he gets back. Nina is in her usual spot, perched in a chair next to either Wylan or Kuwei. It’s easy to tell them apart when they’re standing- Wylan is taller by about an inch -but sitting down, it’s nearly impossible. He notices Jesper has diplomatically chosen to stand in the corner, away from both of them.
“Any problems?” Kaz asked, eyebrow arched. Matthias unconsciously rolls his shoulder until he hears a satisfying pop.
“None.”
He takes his place next to Nina, sensing that Kaz is gearing up for another one of his grand speeches. She smiles, and holds his hand in hers. Her skin is cold, and he gently tucks their conjoined fingers into the pocket of his coat.
“Van Eck is keeping Inej on Eil Komedie,” says Kaz without much preamble. “An old amusement park he bought in Wylan’s name. It’s isolated, and only accessible by boat.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the version of Kuwei that must be Wylan blush, tugging the sleeves of his jacket over his hands. Matthias wishes to do many things in his life, but he thinks punching Jan Van Eck in the face might just be at the top of the list. No one deserves to be treated the way Wylan’s father did him. Wylan may be naive at times, but he’s one of the smartest people he’s ever met. Anyone who can’t see that is a fool.
“Well, that’s perfect,” says Nina, cheeks red and rosy for the first time since her battle with the parem. “We get in, find Inej, get her out. Easy.”
But Kaz keeps staring off into the distance, a muscle in his jaw tightening in a movement so small you’d miss it if you weren’t paying attention. Matthias hates that he was.
“ Too easy. Van Eck is a lot of things, but he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t make it so obvious unless he knew we were watching. If we go there, he’ll have armed guards waiting for us, Staadwatch, maybe even Grisha on parem.”
“So what do we do?” asks Jesper.
“Always go where the mark isn’t looking,” Matthias mumbles. He flushes under the open-mouthed stares he earns from his comment. Nina shoves his shoulder with her own, and he pushes down the rush of pride. What has happened to him, to want the praise of these people?
“So where is he not looking?” Wylan asks.
A glint flashes in Brekker’s eyes, a shine that should be impossible in the dark of the crypt. That look never brings anything good.
He nearly strangles Kaz with his bare hands when he’s paired with Wylan instead of Nina. The rational part of his brain tells him that it makes sense, that Jesper and Nina can use their abilities as sorcerers to take out the guards together and Wylan needs the protection of Matthias’ muscle. But that doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it. She’s better, cheered up at the prospect of getting Inej back, but Matthias is the only one besides Kuwei who knows what she’s suffered through. She’d tell him off if she knew what he was thinking, but Matthias can’t help but worry.
Being paired with Wylan is…awkward. He supposes there are worse things in the world, but honestly he’d rather be in a fistfight now than squatting behind a bush in uncomfortable silence. The house is well guarded, but nothing Matthias can’t handle, and he wants nothing more than to simply make his attacks and get out of there. But he’s still waiting on Kaz’s signal. It seems that’s all he does these days, acting as Kaz Brekker’s lapdog while he schemes behind their backs and weaves his web of lies and secrets.
“This house belonged to my mother’s family for generations,” Wylan whispers into the dark, so quiet that Matthias has to strain to hear beside him. His expression is oddly blank, staring ahead with the barest hint of a furrowed brow. “And now it belongs to…to him. ”
At a loss, Matthias places a hand on Wylan’s shoulder in what he hopes is a display of friendly camaraderie. Honestly, he doesn’t know much about Wylan’s father, other than his responsibility for the events that have taken place ever since they returned from the Ice Court.
“Matthias,” says Kaz. “Stealth check.”
Matthias can’t help but snort; Kaz doesn’t even ask anymore, just tells them what rolls to make. To be honest, he doesn’t even do that as often as he used to. Everyone has just sort of become absorbed in this story, more focused on the roleplaying aspect of the game. Loathe as he is to admit it, Matthias has found himself getting lost in the game at times, so much so that he jumps a little in his seat whenever Kaz speaks in his normal voice, not the grating, awful gravel he uses in-game that Matthias has unfortunately gotten used to. His voice is naturally rough, but somehow for the game he makes it sound…darker. Almost like it must be painful for him to speak that way.
His introspection aside, Matthias knows he has a -2 to stealth and has been rolling like shit this entire session. This is not going to be a check that goes in his favor.
“Damn,” he huffs. “Two.”
Wylan raises his hand. “I’ll give the help action. Roll again.”
Matthias nods, and makes a mental note to talk to Wylan after the session. Ask him how he’s doing, at least. He’s a perfectly nice boy with a father that just happens to be shitty. Matthias can relate.
The corner of his mouth quirks into a smile. “Eighteen.”
“Ha!” Nina laughs beside him. “Eat shit, Brekker.”
“Nina–”
It’s easy enough to take out the guards. For once in his life he’s able to sneak up on them without making a sound, and a two quick chokeholds one after the other has the guards asleep in a matter of moments. It’s a bit silly, but he likes to think that Inej could sense what they were doing, and lent him some of her swiftness.
Nina is less fortunate with her dice. She’s already at a disadvantage because of the parem, and Matthias knows she’s only getting more and more frustrated. She folds her arms over her chest and huffs, leaning back into his chest.
“Nat one.”
Kaz only hums. “Try again, this time with a necromancer spell and add your competency bonus..”
Nina quirks an eyebrow, but she’s uncharacteristically silent as she rolls her die again. Contemplative, a gentle frown pulling at her lips as she scans her character sheet.
“I cast Finger of Death on the guards. I roll a…eighteen.”
“The guards fail their saving throw.”
It’s easy enough to get into the house. They tie the sleeping guards up and place them in the cellar along with the rest of the frightened staff. It hardly feels like a heist- at least one organized by Kaz Brekker -and Matthias finds himself missing that little thrill of danger, that rush of adrenaline that comes with a job.
The most difficult part of the break-in, surprisingly, is getting their target to stay quiet. Alys Van Eck goes with them willingly enough, a combination of luck and her own naivety. Their deception is high enough that she doesn’t recognize Wylan’s voice, and even if he still had his own face, it’s covered in a mask like the rest of them. Her singing is atrocious, and her crying is even worse. Matthias remembers her mother being overly-emotional when she was pregnant with his sister, but this is so much worse. The kidnapping probably has something to do with that.
“This had better get us Inej back,” Nina mutters darkly.
“We will,” Matthias reassures her. “We just–”
“Did you hear that?” Wylan asks, eyes darting about the room.
Come to think of it, Matthias does register something. A low humming, the slightest bit of vibration in the walls. “The garage.”
“Shit–” Jesper unleashes a cacophony of swears, and that’s their cue to start scrambling for their dice. It’s rushed, and messy, and he barely has time to say goodbye to Wylan before he’s being pushed back down the stairs. Jesper looks pale as they sprint to the car, but none of them dare speak until they’re safely back inside, buckled, doors locked.
“Did you see Wylan’s face?” Nina whispers to him from the passenger’s seat, clearly intent on keeping Jesper away from the conversation. “He looked terrified when he realized his dad was home.”
Matthias can only shake his head. He was raised to believe in honor as the core of a man’s being, and he had never met a man with so little of it as Jan Van Eck. He disliked him before he became friends with Wylan, the slimy snake buying half the town and bribing members of the school board to vote in his favor. His opinion of him hasn’t exactly improved over the past school year. Van Eck is the worst kind of coward, and Matthias hates him for it.
“Maybe we should try Zoom for the next game,” Matthias suggests gently, catching Jesper’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Until this all blows over.”
Jesper mutters something sarcastic under his breath, but Matthias isn’t paying close enough attention to hear it. Inej smiles on his behalf, places a hand on his shoulder.
“I think that’s a great idea.”