Kaz Brekker was a complete mess. He didn't have much in life, only his boat and one person who would never abandon him. Honestly, though, that was all that he needed. Was it all he wanted? Absolutely not. Kaz wanted much more out of his life, and he was willing to go through anything and everything to achieve his goals. Kaz wanted to ruin any man or woman who ever attempted to stand in his way; he knew that one day he would be successful in this quest.

"Kaz? Are you okay?" The other individual asked as Kaz glanced around the empty ship, knowing what needed to be done next. Dark eyes glanced over, meeting an almost identical set of eyes.

"Jordie, we're going to need a crew," Kaz breathed as a weak smile spread over the elder brother's lips.

Jordan Rietveld was now twenty-one years old. The two brothers looked rather similar, but where Kaz appeared rugged and sharp, Jordie was handsome and warm. Kaz Brekker was pale and made up of a fine bone structure; defined jaw, prominent cheekbones, intense stare, pointed eyebrows, chapped lips, and pale skin. Meanwhile Jordie appeared gentle, his eyes a vat of warmth and his skin kissed by the sun. The brothers somehow managed to look similar and nothing alike all at the same time.

"I agree. Are we both recruiting or just you, Captain Brekker?" Jordie taunted, poking fun at the false last name that the younger brother had given himself.

The last name 'Brekker' was one that the two would share in order to lie about their true identities. However, Kaz liked the last name so much that he claimed it as his own. Kaz was still a Rietveld, but he preferred to use the name Brekker. Jordie would constantly make fun of his brother for making that decision.

"Shut up. And you are more than welcome to help me recruit. But no one with too many morals. We are criminals, after all," Kaz expressed, his tone making it sound like a joke, meanwhile his face was completely stoic.

"I can definitely do that. Where do we begin?" Jordie questioned, this thought placing Kaz in a state of deep thought.

"Gambling dens and speakeasies, I suppose. And we'll each just get one person, then we'll meet up back here and do introductions. Sound like a plan?" Kaz explained as the older brother nodded along.

"We can make that work," Jordie agreed as Kaz weakly smiled to his brother.

The two split up, heading off the ship in search of some individuals who would be willing to assist them and their lawbreaking group activities.

Slamming an empty mug onto the table, Jesper Fahey glanced upward, looking at all the poker chips that were piled up on the table in front of him. An easy grin settled over the Zemeni boy's lips as he leaned back in his seat. Dark eyes darted between each of his opponents' faces. Surely, one of them was going to crack.

"Fold," One of the men announced, laying his set of cards facedown on the table. Jesper felt one of the corners of his mouth quirk as he looked as his hand of cards. His hand was complete garbage, if he was being honest: Queen of spades, three of clubs, five of hearts, ten of clubs, and eight of diamonds. This was nothing close to a winning poker hand, but this was where Jesper's specialty came into play: lying. So long as he could act like he had good cards, he should be able to win.

The door was pushed open, resulting in silence flooding over the bar. The game seemed to pause, everyone turning to look at the individual who was standing there. No one had ever seen him before, which was a rather strange thing. He looked like a criminal, yet Jesper didn't know him; and Jesper knew most of the criminals in Ketterdam.

"Jesper Fahey?" The male asked, looking between everyone sitting at the poker game. Jesper could've sworn at the boy, who seemed right around his age of seventeen, for interrupting his game; Jesper had a great feeling about this round.

"Who the hell are you?" The man sitting opposite of Jesper questioned, looking the unknown individual up and down. The boy, however, didn't act fazed by this.

"That's not important. Does anyone know where I might find Jesper Fahey?" The boy was persistent, so he deserved props for that. But Jesper didn't know if this boy was instantly going to turn him over to the stadwatch or just beat him to death in an alleyway.

Finally, Jesper exhaled a sigh and rose to his feet. The other men sitting at the table watched him closely, but not as intently as the boy in the doorway was. Jesper had to give this boy a once over, unable to ignore his attraction towards the individual. Meanwhile, the boy arched one of his sharp eyebrows, demanding an explanation for being approached.

"And what will you give me if I tell you where to find him?" Jesper questioned, watching as the boy seemed to size him up; Jesper had only noticed this detail because this is something that you do when you're approached by someone you intend to fight. You search for strengths and weaknesses, then attack based off the knowledge that you gather.

"Anything you want," The boy promised as Jesper raised an eyebrow of his own. Anything he wanted? Yeah right. That was practically impossible.

"Anything? Really? And you have the power to make that happen?" Jesper questioned as the boy showed him a sly smile.

"Why don't you come with me and we'll strike up a deal," The boy spoke as Jesper nodded, walking away from the game and following the boy out of the gambling den.

The pair made it out to the cobbled streets of Ketterdam, walking through alleyways and keeping themselves hidden. Jesper was highly aware of the direction they were heading: towards Fifth Harbor. Why were they going to Fifth Harbor? Nothing was ever there. Finally, the boy fell into step next to Jesper.

"My name is Kaz Brekker. Now, what is it that you want in exchange for this information on Jesper Fahey?" The boy, now identified as Kaz, asked of Jesper. The Zemeni boy hummed in thought, thinking about what it was that he could ask for.

"You know what I've always wanted? A beautiful twin set of ivory revolvers. You promise to fetch me those, and I'll tell you anything you'd like," Jesper explained, knowing that weapons like that were both rare and expensive; only rich merchants could afford them, but they were never used, instead they were just purchased to flaunt wealth.

"That's all it takes for you to help me?" Kaz asked as Jesper nodded, showing the other individual a grin.

"Hmm... Okay. Done. It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Fahey. If you would, follow me and I'll tell you what I'm wanting," Kaz spoke up next, beginning to walk off as Jesper's eyes popped wide open, absolutely not expecting that. It almost felt as if the world tipped sideways beneath his feet.

"You knew the whole time?" Jesper demanded as the boy looked back, a faux innocent expression being displayed on the stranger's face.

"Obviously. You're rather infamous, Mr. Fahey. I've never heard of someone who's raked up as much debt in gambling dens as you. Not to mention the fact that you're a flawless shot. Stadwatch is looking rather intently for you. Though, unlike me, they don't know where to find you," Kaz explained himself before gesturing for Jesper to follow him. Reluctantly, Jesper continued to trail after the stranger.

"What are you wanting from me? Do I owe you money?" Jesper questioned, debating whether or not he knew this boy.

"Not exactly. I'm wanting to employ you, Jesper," Kaz stated in a firm tone; Jesper only felt more confusion.

"I'm wanted by the law. Why in the world would you want to employ me?" Jesper demanded as the boy paused, turning to the Zemeni boy and displaying a sinister smile.

"I'm wanted in five countries for murder and robbery. Kerch is on that list. So don't you dare assume that I'm more afraid of you than you are of me. I'm a pirate captain, and I'm in desperate need of a crew. And you happen to fit the criteria," Kaz explained his intentions to the boy, who only blinked a few times in shock.

A pirate captain? No wonder he looked like an awful criminal; he was one. He was probably worse than any of the criminals in the Barrel, Pekka Rollins included. Jesper knew that he should be afraid of this boy, yet, he wasn't. If anything, he was drawn to this mysterious captain and the confidence he had. Kaz Brekker was everything that Jesper Fahey had ever wanted to be, and possibly even a bit more. Not only that, but he made rather big promises; after all, Jesper really was expecting those revolvers.

"I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment. So, a pirate crew filled with criminals, huh?" Jesper asked as Kaz arched an eyebrow back at him.

"Do you know what pirates do? Every pirate crew is filled with criminals. However, I want the very best criminals," Kaz went more into depth, expressing what he was wanting out of this exchange.

"And what assets do I have that make you want me? The ability to spend money? Seems like quite the valuable skill," Jesper joked as Kaz smirked, grabbing something out of the inside of his jacket and handing it over to the boy: a single ivory handled revolver.

"The matching one is on the ship. I want you to close your eyes and hit the center of that sign. You do that, they're yours. If you agree to join up with me, then there's more in it for you than just that," Kaz promised as Jesper blinked back at the boy, who seemed to be rather prepared for this encounter. How would Kaz have known? None of it made any sense in Jesper's mind.

Rather than replying, Jesper did as he was instructed. Sealing his dark eyes shut, the Zemeni boy raised the pistol in his hand and shot almost immediately, grinning with delight from the kick that the gun gave. Everything about the revolver was perfect. When Jesper opened his eyes, Kaz was looking at the sign, which now had a bullet hole directly in the center.

"I'm in," Jesper decided, twirling the revolver on his finger and slipping it into his empty holster; the stadwatch had taken his last set of guns. Kaz nodded, then turned and began leading them towards Fifth Harbor.

Jesper Fahey was officially a member of Kaz Brekker's Crows.

Nina Zenik stretched as she took a seat on the windowsill, looking outside and into the bustling streets of the Barrel. Currently, she was employed at the White Rose. Did this have anything to do with the fact that she was Grisha? Absolutely. After all, Heartrenders were a rare commodity that was in rather high demand; many people would pay to have her aid them in relaxation. However, when her next customer entered the room, she could instantly tell that wasn't going to be the case; then again, she could also sense that he wasn't here for the other business that the White Rose provided. So why was he here?

"Miss Zenik?" He politely asked as she smiled and waved for him to come in. She gestured towards a chair, where he sat down without complaint.

"What can I do for you, Mister...?"

"Brekker," He replied as Nina smiled and tilted her head to the side.

"Just Brekker?" She mused as he smiled back, leaning forwards in his chair.

"Jordan Brekker," He - Jordie - added. Nina liked the name Jordan.

"Well, Jordan Brekker, how can I assist you? You're not like any of my other clients. You want something from me, but I'm uncertain as to what," Nina explained as Jordie flashed her a smile filled with white teeth; Nina had to admit, Jordan Brekker was rather nice to look at.

"Rumor has it that you're a Heartrender. Am I correct?" Jordie questioned, leaning closer and making his voice softer. Nina smiled, nodding her head.

"That would be correct," She replied, lips curled upwards. Jordie nodded before meeting her eyes with an intense stare.

"Rumor in the more... Dangerous sectors of town... Says that you fled from Ravka. Do you mind me asking whether or not that's true?" Jordie inquired; this particular question piqued Nina's interest. Were there actually rumors of her spreading? Was this something that she should be concerned about? Why did this boy care so much about her past?

"Let's say that I did. How would you respond to that?" She questioned with an arched eyebrow, watching the boy's expression rather carefully. Nina still had no right to believe that this boy was even going to be a friend; after all, he did just admit that he spent plenty of time in the Barrel.

"I would be intrigued and want to know more," He replied, his heartrate remaining the same, allowing Nina to assume that he wasn't lying to her. She would allow this to play out, curiosity getting the best of her.

"There was a civil war in my country. I'm certain you've heard about it. My loyalties lied with the true king. At the time, it wasn't a popular opinion for most Grisha, so I was put on many missions. Many hidden truths were revealed to me and... It became too much to handle. But I stuck with it. While on a mission at the harbor, I was abducted by a Fjerdan group of pirates. I escaped, but ended up in Kerch," She explained, recounting many of the unpleasant experiences that she'd gone through over the past few years.

Jordie was far beyond interested in her story. It was all possible, and the telling of the lies her country possessed perhaps corrupted her pure soul. And she ended up working at a pleasure house located in the Barrel. Clearly, she'd been through quite a bit. But now this was going to be the hard part: convincing her to join their crew, even though she carried past trauma with a pirate crew.

"Miss Zenik, I want to offer you a job. My brother and I will ensure that you get out of here. Would you be interested?" Jordie questioned as Nina arched one of her brunette eyebrows.

"And what, Mr. Brekker, would you have me do?" Nina questioned, tilting her head a slight bit in a curious manner.

"I understand that you're probably not the biggest fan of pirate crews, but my brother and I are assembling one. We want you on that team. And I can make you a promise that'll convince you to join," Jordie negotiated, watching as Nina looked around her room.

She was debating her choices. What would be worse? Staying at the White Rose or joining Jordie Brekker's pirate crew? Then again, she supposed that all depended on what other promises that Jordie had to offer her.

"I'm listening," She breathed, her voice shifting from enchanting and enticing to hard and interrogative.

"We'll find those Fjerdan pirates. We'll take them out. And that is a promise to you," He swore as she hummed in thought.

"Just promise me one thing. We kill Matthias Helvar. That's all I need," She demanded as he blinked, processing her request. Clearly, this Matthias Helvar had done something to wrong Nina. But what could be so bad that she was desperate for vengeance? Jordie wasn't quite sure he wanted to know.

"Deal," Jordie promised, outstretching his hand for her to shake. Without any hesitation, Nina grasped onto his hand and firmly shook it.

Nina Zenik was officially a Crow.

A sharp gasp escaped the girl's lips, a hard smack landing against her cheek. Wincing, Inej felt her long dark hair dance across her bare back. Every part of her wanted to retaliate, but she wouldn't dare; if it had been anyone else, she would've struck back. But she never dared to harm this individual, knowing she'd probably be beaten to death for it: Tante Heleen.

Inej Ghafa wasn't human; instead, the girl was a siren. She was a mermaid-like creature with a beautiful and entrancing singing voice, which was utilized to lure sailors in so she could drown and feed on them. However, Inej wasn't independent. Instead, she was part of a large group of sirens, which was often referred to as a pod. Inej's tail wasn't beautiful, as most people depict them in movies and graphics; instead, her tail was almost completely murky grey with an iridescent purple shimmer, the end ripped and torn from where Tante Heleen had lacerated it with a dagger. The sirens didn't wear clothing, either, leaving their top halves completely bare.

"You could've gotten them! But you let them go! You're a fool, Little Lynx, if you attempt to protect them. All they do is sexualize you, showing an attraction towards you. And we have to eat something. They'd kill you if you let them. Stop showing them kindness," Tante Heleen lectured, glaring at Inej as she spoke.

Perhaps this was all the truth, but Inej didn't like killing innocent humans. It felt wrong. After all, they were still living beings who had families and lives of their own. Yet Inej and the remainder of her kind killed off so many people for their own personal needs. It wasn't quite fair.

"Your care for humans stops now. Are we clear, Little Lynx?" Tante Heleen demanded as Inej swallowed thickly, knowing she was about to regret her next words.

"No. You can beat me all you'd like, but you'll never manage to beat the compassion out of me," Inej firmly stated, glaring at the adult siren with her intense dark eyes.

"That sounds like a challenge, Little Lynx," Tante Heleen muttered in reply, a weak smile creeping onto her lips as dread welled up inside of Inej's chest.

At that moment, a ship darkened the sky above them. The two looked up through the water, seeing the bottom of a large pirate ship. Inej inhaled a jagged breath, knowing that Tante Heleen wasn't going to let them get away. In fact, Inej was almost certain that Tante Heleen was going to make her deal with them.

"Lynx... I would appreciate it if you would help me with them," Tante Heleen spoke; however, Inej knew it wasn't a request. It was a demand. She had to. Hesitantly, almost against her own will, Inej nodded her head.

The two of them sped up towards the surface, breaching the water and looking around. When Inej looked up, she made direct eye contact with one of the men on the ship. His dark eyes were narrowed down, filled to the brim with ruthlessness; this man knew what she was. And he knew what her intentions were.

"Kaz!" Someone else shouted from on the ship, resulting in the man looking away from her and over towards the shouting. Inej heard gunfire, followed by Tante Heleen's sweet singsong voice. Inej's heart leapt in her chest, knowing that what she was about to do would get her killed.

Inej didn't hesitate. She swam as quickly as she could to the other end of the ship, finding Tante Heleen. Four individuals stood at the side of the ship, looking at Tante Heleen with a wide mix of emotions. Inej tacked the adult siren, sinking her fang-like teeth into her superior's throat. But that wasn't enough to kill Tante Heleen, just to stop her from singing. The crew got their minds back, beginning to set sail. Inej just had to keep Tante Heleen occupied for the time being.

"Fahey! Get your ass over here and help me!" A female voice boomed from the ship as Tante Heleen finally began striking back. Inej hissed in pain when she felt her superior bite her shoulder, long and sharp fingernails sinking into her sides; dark red blood began oozing from Inej's body.