Path to the Mad Man

David nodded. "So you see where I was going with this. I believe her daddy was the man in the tower. The crying one. He had to choose himself or his daughter he said. Byron they're collecting collateral from him. We need to catch him before he does anything." David said as he put the final piece of the puzzle, that he had been working on, in place. It was the clock tower. "The pieces are in place. We have to stop him."

"So where do we head to then," Byron asked. "Just now you said the mobsters asked him for collateral. That means he still has time to give them their money. This changes a lot of things. He won't be heading to deal with the mafia just yet. Now think, where would a person go to make quick lien?"

David just thought for a second. "Easy money with no way to lose. Pawn or thrift shops?" He asked as he looked to Byron. He was already doing something with a small white box. The box was labeled drone 5.

"Not enough," Byron deadpanned. "Pawn shops will only fork over a hundred at most for anything. He needs lots of money and fast. Now how would he go about getting so much money?"

David could think of a few places. "Well two ideas come to mind. Robbing a bank, or gambling." He walked over to a window and threw his box out the window. It soon turned into a small plane, and took off.

"This town isn't exactly famous for gambling," Byron stated, "But there is this one place. A horse race. They're holding a race tonight actually."

David nodded. "Lets get moving then....wait he's using his daughter as collateral.....we may want to leave someone behind to watch the place. If we do that person must be strong, fast, and smart." He said rubbing his chin.

"Alyss is a retired veteran huntress," Byron stated. "Her guillotine axe/sniper rifle is mounted above the TV. I'm sure we can trust her to watch things. But just in case, glasses can stay behind."

At that moment, Axel walked in from the kitchen, his mouth chewing on some food. "Hmm. It's a shame Alyss burned this food. If it were not so burned, it would have been delicious."

"I can do it." Robin said easily, "The horse race that is. I grew up on a farm ya know?"

"Then we best get moving," Byron smiled. "We should leave without Alyss or Dormir noticing. Let's go then."

Leaving Axel to guard the fort, Byron, Robin, and David left the house stealthily while the girls were busy in the kitchen. Byron led his teammates across the streets and down alleyways until finally they arrived at a stadium. Many cars and vehicles were parked around it and it was bustling with excited noises and yelling. Byron paid for everyone's seats at the front booth and they went in.

There seats were pretty high up the rows and it was fairly crowded. The group could see the horses being prepped at the gates. The stallions looked strong and powerful. Any one of them could have had a shot at the finish line. The exception was a rather bony looking one who didn't even seem to have the energy to act spooked or wild at the gates like all the others would.

The team sat down at the seats Byron snagged for them. The one eyed hatter tapped Robin's shoulder and pointed at a seat down twelve rows off to the left. Mr. Maus was sitting there, his eyes glued to the horses. In his hand was a betting ticket which he held it like a branch hanging off a fifty foot drop cliff.

Then two men in black suits wearing bowler hats squeezed their way down the row behind him and took seats directly behind him. Mr. Maus glanced back at them but kept a stiff poker face, though his eyes were practically bulging and sweat was running down his face as he looked back at the race.

David looked up to see his drone. He hit a button on his arm, and he could now see what it saw. He then zoomed in on the three. He then tapped Byron. "So what's the chance he loses, and we have to bail him out?" He said as he tried to zoom in on the ticket.

"Don't know. The point of gambling is that the chances are unpredictable," Byron stated. "I took a glance at the numbers. The winning bid that would yield the most profit would be... that one."

Byron pointed at the gate with the scrawny looking horse standing in gate 13. Obviously the least likely to win would be worth more if it did win, but no sane man would have bet money on such a horse.

The number on Mr. Maus's betting ticket was #13.

David just sighed. "One thing still bugs me, why get involved with the mob in the first place?" He asked with his hand under his chin. He looked down at the man and shook his head. "Gave up his wife.....would he give up his daughter?"

"Give up for what?" a squeaky voice came from between Byron and Robin.

To everyone's surprise, Dormir was sitting right there in between the seats, remaining completely undetected the entire time despite being right there.

David jumped a little. "......how....but....when......Axel is the worst baby sitter we know." He said stuttering trying to understand where she came from. David just stared blankly at her, before looking to Byron with a hopeful face that screamed, 'Cover for me!'

"Dormir, why are you here?" Byron smiled casually, changing the subject.

"I saw you guys sneak out," Dormir answered. "So I followed you."

Dormir looked at the tracks, bouncing in place excitingly. "I've never watched a race before! Hey, is that daddy?" Before Dormir could attract any attention, Byron clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Daddy shouldn't know we're here," Byron whispered, "Little girls like you shouldn't be in places like this. You should go home."

"But I don't wanna go," The mouse faunus managed to mumble through the hatter's fingers.

David watched the three men on his small screen. "Time to test something." He hit a button, and a small hole opened on his drone. Without any flash or sound a small black dot the size of an ant landed under Mr.Maus's seat. He had sent down a small one-way microphone to listen in on the men incase the said something. David put in an ear bud, and listen carefully. "Dormir you really should head home think of what Alyss would do if she can't find you."

"She'll send you to bed time with no supper.....Speaking of which, how did she even get here?" Robin asked.

Axel finished eating the meal prepared by Alyss. It, like Byron said, certainly was burned, but still, it wasn't too bad. Afterwards, Axel sat down in the living room, cleaning Laughter. Gore and grit started to coat its chain drive, and that made for power inefficiencies. Alyss entered to check up on him. Without looking away from the task at hand, he spoke, "So tell me about Father Time and the syndicate."

"W-Wah??" Alyss stammered. "Why would you ask about them?? Listen, it's best you don't deal with their lot. Harekles is Byron's friend so it can't be helped, but no matter what you can't make anyone from the Marchello family angry. Especially Father Time. He will off you faster then you can say 'ouch'!"

~~~~

"She burnt most of dinner anyway," Dormir said bluntly. "Most people would be disappointed but I'm just more curious as to how she burned boiled water. I saw you guys sneak out so I snuck out of the house and followed you guys. I'm very good at being stealthy."

While Dormir bragged, the microphone device picked up a small conversation between the three men.

You know what's at stake here if you don't get the don his money, right?

I-I know. Don't worry. I got a lead that this race is fixed. I'll get you your money, I promise!

Yous better. Remember what you've got up for collateral...

David leaned over to Byron. "Race is fixed apparently. I highly doubt it." He told him as he continued to listen for anything. He also kept an eye on the men.

"That's not a problem. Hits aren't anything new to me. So what kind of rackets do they run? Numbers? Smuggling? Protection? Substances? Prostitution?" replied Axel, still polishing his chainaxe.

"All of the above and more," Alyss replied. ".... Except that last one. They're mobsters not monsters." Alyss's eyes narrowed with that last comment but she just sighed exhaustively. "Look, I don't know much personally but I do know one thing. They're cold hearted and will do anything and everything to get the job done. If you get yourself mixed up with them, you might as well be dead."
~~~~

The gates opened with a loud bang and the horses bolted out at full trollop. The mighty stallions ran through the tracks at amazing speed, picking up speed to overtake another but soon after a different horse would get ahead of them. The powerful steeds kicked up massive dust clouds as they tore through the track, their gallops sounding like thunder strikes. All of the horses were fast and ferocious but only one could be in first place. The one stallion running ahead of all the others, reaching unbelievable speeds was the bony horse, racing like a blur.

The horses tried to catch up but the sickly looking horse never gave up the lead once. The horses circled the track, going round and round until they finished the first lap, the thirteenth horse finishing first. The stallions ran and ran, soon doing the third lap within minutes. The horses kept on going and going, each lap they finished being led by the thirteenth horse.

Mr. Maus looked on with amazement in his eyes. He was cheering, roaring at the sickly horse to finish the final lap. It was the final run and the stallion tore across the track, the thirteenth horse still running as fast as a typhoon. The finish line was coming closer and closer, the sickly horse still in the lead. The stallion was about to make one final sprint for the lead... and it fell.

Collapsing in front of the finish line, the thirteenth horse dropped dead before it could finish, the rest of the horses racing past him in a blur.

Maus looked in shock, his mouth gaping open, the betting ticket falling from his hand. He had a look of utter defeat and despair.

You know what happens now David could hear from the microphone.

The two men in suits stood up and walked away, leaving the rat faunus sitting alone, trembling in rage, regret, and despair, tears flowing from his eyes.

I'm sorry Dormir... I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Mr. Maus's voice wept as heard through David's microphone.

"Daddy?" Dormir said trying to stand up, but Byron suddenly swung his arms around her and pressed the little girl's head against his chest. Dormir tried to squirm but Byron refused to let the girl out of hiding. "What's going on? What's happening to daddy? Onee chan!?"

Byron's head was lowered, the brim of his hat shadowing his face, hiding it from the others as he kept hold of Dormir. Suddenly the little girl managed to squeeze her way out of Byron's grip, slipping out of his arms briefly. The little mouse faunus managed to escape just in time to see her father falling back, a tail of blood gushing out of his forehead, his eyes wide, tears still flowing down his cheeks. The middle age man fell back against his seat, his head bending back, red plasma oozing from the hole in his head.

It didn't take long for someone to scream and panic to spread. Dormir stared wide eyed in disbelief.

"Daddy...?" she whispered. "Daddy... DADDY?!?!"

Dormir tried to run to her father but Byron grabbed her again and hugged her against his chest.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" the little girl screamed trying to squirm out of his hold but the hatter did not let her go this time.

He lifted her up, carrying her in his arms while keeping her crying face against his chest. His face was still obscured by the shadow of his hat. He turned around slowly and mumbled. "We have to get out of here..."

Without waiting for a reply, Byron bolted, carrying Dormir with him, vanishing into the crowd.

David stood up and began walking away. He used his eye piece to lock on to the men. The drone began to follow them. He hit a button, and his eye piece went up. He put up his black hood, and began to leave. He caught up to Byron but kept his mouth shut. ..... He had no idea what to say. He just walked and kept silent.

Robin was strangely silent,her eyes hidden by the locks of her snow white hair.

The men had long disappeared into the crowd and the drone is unable to find them.

Dormir screamed and cried the entire way as Byron carried her all the way home, the little girl kicking and screaming like a child in a tantrum. Most people would have assumed Byron was a kidnapper everything considered but his face was too well-known for people to assume that of him.

The hatter carried the little faunus back to the house, his teammates following him close by. Alyss tried to ask Byron what was the matter when he practically kicked the door open but he ignored her and went up to his room, still carrying Dormir, letting her cry into his tail coat without word or complaint.

Several minutes have passed. Everyone sat on the floor in Byron's room. Byron had set Dormir down, allowing the little girl to ball her eyes out.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Dormir wailed with tears pouring from her eyes constantly. Byron sat down with his back against the wall, his head lowered so the shadows of his bangs and hat obscured the view of his face. He was silent as the little girl cried, not saying a single word. "Why?? Why did daddy have to die???"