The will of a large amount of the contestants had faded, and those that were still willing to fight had their eyes focused far too much on the money rather than the people they were fighting.
That alone had created the perfect opening.
Instead of everyone charging at the same target, they had started watching each other. Measuring each other. Wondering who would land the final hit, and who would be left with nothing after doing all the work.
It was exactly what Wolf had hoped for.
"Quickly, let’s get out of here!" Wolf shouted.
He turned and ran, sprinting toward the edge of the arena pit. Without hesitation, he jumped, his fingers catching onto the rough ledge above. His arms tensed as he pulled himself up with practiced movement, muscles straining but steady.
Once his upper body was over the edge, he twisted and knelt down, planting one knee firmly as he extended his hand downward.
"Joe, now!"
Joe didn’t hesitate.
He ran forward, ignoring the shouts behind him, and leapt upward. His fingers caught Wolf’s wrist, and with a powerful pull and a push from below, Joe was hauled up onto the platform.
Joe landed hard on one knee, but immediately turned, standing between Wolf and the pit below.
There were still several fighters near the edges, some hesitant, others clearly tempted. A few had noticed Wolf hanging over the ledge and looked like they were considering rushing him.
That was exactly why Wolf had pulled Joe up first.
"Help me! Help me!" Chad screamed from below.
Chad jumped.
It was... bad.
Even with his arms reaching as far as they could go, he barely made it halfway up. His fingers grasped nothing but air before he fell back down awkwardly, barely managing to keep his balance.
Wolf looked down at him, unimpressed.
"If you fail the next jump, I’m leaving you down there," Wolf said flatly.
"What? You can’t do that!" Chad shouted.
"I absolutely can."
Hearing that, Chad swallowed hard. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, backed up several steps, and then sprinted forward with everything he had.
He jumped.
This time, his fingers scraped the ledge.
Wolf leaned forward and barely managed to grab Chad’s wrist.
"Stop wriggling about!" Wolf snapped as Chad immediately started panicking. "You’re making it harder, you damn fool!"
"I’m slipping! I’m slipping!" Chad yelled.
Joe grabbed Chad’s other arm and helped haul him upward. It took a moment, but eventually Chad was dragged over the edge, collapsing onto his back and breathing heavily.
"I hate both of you," Chad said between gasps.
Wolf ignored him.
Below them, several fighters tried to rush forward, but Joe stepped in immediately, striking one across the jaw and knocking him back. Another tried to grab Wolf’s leg, but Joe stomped down hard, forcing them to let go.
Once the immediate threat was dealt with, the three of them stood together on the platform.
"So," Joe said, rolling his shoulders, "are we taking the elevator, or are we running down the stairs like idiots?"
Wolf didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked across the venue.
On the opposite side of the rooftop, Vivian stood calmly, hands clasped behind her back. Despite everything that had happened, despite the chaos, she was smiling.
That alone made Wolf uneasy.
"Not yet," Wolf said. "We can’t leave after everything she’s done. We need more than just escaping."
Vivian snapped her fingers. At first, nothing happened. Then the movement began.
Masked staff stepped forward. Waiters. Bartenders. Even kitchen staff from below emerged through side doors and stairwells.
They moved with purpose. Not rushed, but coordinated. Joe felt a familiar chill crawl up his spine.
"This is starting to feel familiar," Joe muttered.
Vivian smiled wider.
"Although you managed to sway a group of idiots into fighting each other," Vivian said loudly, her voice carrying, "did you forget where you are?"
She spread her arms slightly.
"You are in Black Hounds territory. Nearly all staff in this hotel belong to the Black Hounds. Escape will be impossible."
The people around her closed in.
Some stood directly beside her, others spread outward, slowly tightening the circle.
"Don’t even think about using me as a hostage," Vivian continued. "The person I protect the most is myself. I have the most influence here."
Wolf smirked.
"You’re right," Wolf said. "I never planned to escape the moment I saw you."
Vivian’s smile twitched.
"The moment I saw you," Wolf continued, "I knew you were the real problem here. Not the fighters. Not the guards. You."
He took a step forward.
"And that’s why everything until now has been a distraction."
Before Vivian could react, two waiters beside her suddenly moved.
They lunged forward, each grabbing one of her arms.
"What—!"
One kicked the back of her leg, forcing her knees to slam into the floor. Another pulled a blade from beneath a serving tray and pressed it tightly against her neck.
Around the rooftop, chaos exploded.
Bottles smashed. Trays were swung like weapons. Masks were ripped off as staff members attacked each other.
It wasn’t one-sided.
Black Hounds members were fighting Black Hounds members.
Screams echoed as bodies hit the ground.
Within seconds, the momentum shifted completely.
Those who had attacked were efficient. Precise. Brutal.
When the fighting stopped, around twenty people remained standing.
All of them were armed.
All of them were calm.
Vivian stared in disbelief, her breathing heavy.
"What is the meaning of this?" she shouted. "Why would you betray the Black Hounds for someone like that?"
The woman holding her from behind reached up and removed her mask.
Vivian froze.
"You bet on the fact that you wouldn’t recognize every staff member," the woman said calmly. "Even without the masks."
She leaned closer.
"But let me make one thing clear."
Her grip tightened.
"We didn’t betray the Black Hounds."
She smiled.
"We were never working for them to begin with."
Vivian’s eyes widened.
"We are the Pit."
****
*****
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