In the darkness of the night, the Imperial Wyvern Tower dominates the city center's skyline, the lights casted from its penthouse suites forming a gentle halo. The streets below the tower are choked with cars and pedestrians, funneling crowds into movie theaters, restaurants and nightclubs.

Evening might have fallen but the night was still young. Thick clouds blot out the moon entirely and the stars are nowhere to be seen. A lone man stands on the roof of the Tower, the wind ruffling his clothes. 

"What a view. I can see the attraction of living in a place like this." the man comments, peeling off the skull patterned scarf around his lower face. Scratching the stubble on his chin, the man could be mistaken for a teenager if not for the flecks of silver streaking his brown hair. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, the man goes back to checking his assault rifle, racking it and leaning the weapon gently by the roof's safety guardrail. 

"I know you're here." the man says to the darkness. 

"Of course you do." the squeak of a mouse responds, "You were the one who wanted to meet."

"Maus." the man turns around and to face the talking rodent standing on the Tower's central water tank.

"Pretty gutsy, slipping me a message in the takeout." Maus greets, "What would have happened if I didn't intercept the message in time?"

"Nothing?" the man raises an eyebrow, "No one else would understand my message in the first place. And if something did happen, either of us could have easily handled it." 

"Fair enough. What do you call yourself these days?" Maus settles herself more comfortably, "Is it still the Puppetmaster?"

"The press calls me the bandit." the man shrugs, his lean frame reinforcing the adolescent look, "I personally prefer the name some websites refer me by. Psycho Shooter."

"So, Shooter." Maus's squeak is heavy with mockery, "I hope you remember to be on your best behavior in front of me."

"I wouldn't dare offend the propriety of Lady Maus." Shooter performs an elaborate bow to the talking rat, "Don't mind the weapon. I merely plan to engage in a nightclub shooting later."

"Hnh. Do you know the meaning of insanity?" Maus rolls her eyes, sneering past her whiskers. 

"Of course. Doing the same thing hoping for a different result." Shooter leans back on the guardrail, "And I assure you Lady Maus, I'm not insane."

"Could have gotten me fooled." Maus shakes her head, "From stabbing random people in medieval markets to shooting up nightclubs, nothing seems to have changed with you."

"I didn't think you cared." Shooter cracks a sly grin. 

"You know my policy." Maus settles on her haunches, "I treasure my peace and quiet. The less I know of your antics, the better."

"And here I was thinking you were going to try and stop me." Shooter stretches, his smile stretching to reveal teeth. 

Maus's own fangs flash in the darkness, "Is that a challenge?"

"Oh, no! Perish the thought." Shooter laughs heartily, "I just thought for a moment you had begun to care about the world again."

"I'm not interested in whatever scheme you've cooked up." Maus waves her paws dismissively, "They never work out anyway."

"Things have changed Maus." Shooter grows serious, "This time my plan will work."

Maus sighs tiredly, "Provoking the will of the world won't get either of us what we want. How many Purge Cycles have you been trying this? Ten, twenty? A hundred?"

"That doesn't matter." Shooter insists, "We have a golden opportunity to make it work. Remember Maus, the first part of the key is already in my hands."

Shooter reaches into his trousers and pulls out a small package, securely wrapped and bound in an oiled rag. Maus makes a disdainful noise but her coal black eyes sharpen imperceptibly. 

"The key doesn't work." Maus says, "We can't even interact with that single piece to reassemble the entire thing."

"No, we can't." Shooter agrees, "Only someone from the ancient times can wield this relic. That's the nature of the curse laid upon it."

"Then why are you still harping on this?" Maus grows irritated at her conversation partner's intransigence. 

"Old souls in new bodies. That's what we are." Shooter continues, "Whenever the Purge Cycle takes place, everything about us is swept away. Other than our hearts."

Stony silence settles between Shooter and Maus. The talking rat appears disinterested and bored but a noticeable tension had built up between them. 

"Still playing dumb?" Shooter smirks. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Maus cracks her neck with a tiny pop. 

"I heard about the attack on Rutger's Academy. How there were no student deaths this Cycle." Shooter leans close to Maus's face, "So I decided to do some investigating of my own."

"I see." Maus squeaks back, staring back at Shooter with no intention of backing down. 

 "You're not the only one who knows how to assume the position," Shooter crows, "And guess who I saw wandering around town with his new girlfriend a few days ago."

"Someone marked by the Finger of Death." the man locks eyes with Maus, "The closest thing to an ancient body that exists today."

"I see. Interesting." Maus says noncommittally, daring Shooter to call her out. 

"You're selfish, Lady Maus." Shooter shakes his head exaggeratedly, "Trying to keep this new prospect all to yourself. Or do you think that its possible to make do without the key?"

"Key this, key that." Maus snaps, "Is that all you think about? The key is useless until it has been fully assembled."

"But an ancient body would be able to handle the relic -" Shooter tries to cut in but Maus is having none of it. 

"Have you forgotten already?" Maus rubs her head in annoyance, "Bart knows where one of the pieces is hidden. And he's using that knowledge to bait us into rescuing him."

Shooter falls silent at Maus's rebuttal as both of them ruminate on their own thoughts. 

"Fighting the Faceless Men on their home ground is suicide." Maus finally concludes, "I refuse to do it even with my invincibility."

"But you still lurk around Rutger's." Shooter points out, "Trying to work up your courage?"

"Perhaps I hope that one day things will change." Maus answers resignedly, "Perhaps you're not the only insane person here."

"And the boy you rescued -" Shooter rubs his stumble in contemplation. 

"Robert." Maus squeaks, "That's his name." 

"What are your plans for him?" Shooter continues with the question. 

"Don't have any." Maus hops off the water tank to stretch her legs, "I helped Robert because he needed it. That's all."

"And it just so happens this Robert was marked by the Finger of Death." Shooter's smiles wryly, "What an amazing coincidence."

"I had nothing to do with that, if that's what you're implying." Maus blandly responds. 

"Maybe," Shooter nods his head, "but you're certainly trying to take advantage of the situation. Please Maus, both of us are too old to be fooled by such transparent lies."

"What makes you think I'm lying?" Maus peers over the Tower's ledge taking in the streets below.

"You're not the charitable type." Shooter explains. 

"Do you see the people milling about below us?" Maus suddenly asks. 

"Of course." the man joins Maus in enjoying the view. 

"Hundreds, thousands, even millions of people," the talking rat muses, "talking, eating, buying, selling, working. And what drives all this activity is their need to use each other. That's what makes them gather. Like rodents."

"Agreed. And that's why I'm here tonight." Shooter taps the railing, "We need each other Maus."

"I do not need you." Maus demurs, "I possess the ultimate power. Invincibility. That's the reason why I can live by myself."

"Then why did you have children, all those cycles ago?" Shooter queries, "I still remember the day when you introduced me to -"

"Shut up." a blunt order. The man immediately falls silent. 

Maus takes a deep breath before speaking again. 

"The Trinity Sea has taken notice of Robert. I fear we may be too late." 

'What do you mean?" Shooter furrows his brows. 

"The servants in the penthouse are all talking about Robert becoming a knight." Maus explains, "He has accepted the Trinity Sea's favor."

"How troublesome." Shooter grumbles. 

"Robert has a strange connection with the Trinity Sea, he always dies early in the previous Purge Cycles." Maus paces about, "The current cycle's will of the world even went as far as to mark him with the Touch of Death in an attempt to bring about this fate."

"You've gotten sloppy in your old age." Shooter comments, "Weren't you watching your new prospect like a hawk?"

"I was sure that the bait laid out by the will for Robert was destroyed." Maus scowls, "Clearly I was wrong."

"So what will you do now?" Shooter asks as he picks up his rifle. 

"I haven't decided yet," Maus's eyes track Paul's limo driving into the building, "but whatever the case, Robert is now too valuable to us. I will stay here for the time being."

"Oh, its 'us' now, is it?" Shooter grins. 

"You're the one who wants to be used." Maus fires back, "I'm merely being gracious about it."

"If you say so." Shooter gets ready to leave, "The clouds are starting to clear. I should get going. There's a nightclub that needs to be shot up."

"Still not giving up on provoking the will of the world?" Maus doesn't bother to see Shooter off. 

"More trouble caused means the will being more distracted." Shooter answers as he walks to the rooftop access stairwell, "It gives me the opening to do the stuff that really matters."

"Like?" Maus squeaks back. 

"Closing in on the other parts of the key." Shooter replies to Maus's surprise, "See? Things do change. As long as you keep at it enough."

"Well done?" Maus congratulates in a shaky voice. 

"We won't need Bart's help soon." Shooter declares, "Just remember to do your part when the time comes."

And on that note the meeting ends.

As the stars light up the night sky.