In the night's embrace, as the city's pulse slowed to a slothful rhythm, the weary moon shined its veil over the urban landscape. Shadows, and more importantly the guards, lurked in every corner, silently staring, judging, and probably dozing off in the job. In one particular building was Larynx, the Changeling Protector of this ruined city and the ruined region that comes with it.

"And that's the last paperwork for today... By the Queen that was too much..." He audibly complained, finding his mind too full of anxious planning, as administer work was still very much different than his military background. A sip of a heavy drink would calm his chitin and his mind... Until someone slammed into the door, causing him to spit his drink, going into a coughing fit as the 'bodyguard' approaches.

"PROOOOOTECTOR! I HAVE MAIL! YOU GOT MAIL! Why are you COUGHING?! You are supposed to be WORKING!" Shouted the 'Claw', a wicked crippled 'bodyguard' of his, whom he is cursed to have her this close to him. "And also- IS THAT A DRINK?! DRINKING ON THE JOB ARE WE?!"

Larynx was still coughing, still dying from the fact that he was nearly drowning himself in alcohol. After a few more harsh hissing and coughing, he finally managed to regain some composure, giving a weak toothy grin. What did I do to piss off Queen Chrysalis for me to have this fate?, he thought to himself as he wiped his mouth.

"Okay... Claw, what I did I tell you?" He started to say, ignoring the letter that she was trying to jab into his face, easier to do now since he's not dying at the moment. "About knocking? About not slamming into my door... That I just fixed this afternoon." He gave a look at the door, noticing that once again, it has a big hole on it. He stifled a sigh, trying to smile a bit wider.

"Who cares!? This letter is important! FOR IT WAS FROM ELYTRA!" She shouted at him, still trying to shove the letter on him, before slamming it on the table, glaring down as she noticed she slammed it on some of the alcoholic liquid.

Larynx's smile turned much more toothy as he heard who the letter was from. "Oh. That's marvelous. Thank you. Very much." He spoke as his horn glowed, holding the letter up to open it. The 'Claw' suddenly hopped right next to him, trying to not so secretly read the letter as well.

Urgent

For Protector's Eyes Only

That means you shouldn't read this Sphecidae

Dearest Larynx. How are you doing? I don't really care. Let's get down to business. You are to meet me and Klein in the Stupidly Equestrian Trash Known As "Sweet Hoof Donut Delights". We are trying to meet in a neutral place. Do not bring anyone else. Not Hanx. Not Sphecidae. If Sphecidae is reading this, I am going to hurt you for not stopping her. Also do not wear your protector uniform.

With Love

Elytra Bienenstich

The Protector stared at the letter for a moment before relaxing the fact that Sphecidae was also still reading. "Claw... Stop reading this. I really don't want to get stabbed by my own kind." He said, smiling a bit, trying to push the letter away, but all that happened as the 'Claw' glaring at him.

"SHE WISHES TO DISPOSE OF YOUR GUARDS! Chrysalis DEMANDED you to have TWO at all time- WAIT A MINUTE, WHERE IS HANX!" She shouted as she started to look out the window. "HEY HANX! YOU GRIFFON-LOVING EGGLING BASTARD, GET OVER HERE!"

With a deep sigh the Protector stared, before noticing she wasn't paying attention to him. He looked at his drink, his one little respite, his one little chance to get through this horrible night without wanting to just do something very drastic. He took a big swig of it, trying to balance himself. He needed just a bit to keep his grin, his smile, but not too much to become a dangerous drunk and reveal too much about himself.

The drink was finished. Larynx gave a satisfied sigh, stared down at the bottle, and shrugged. "Oh well." He said, placing the bottle on the table as he started to dress in a less fancy 'uniform.' Only to hear the 'Claw' gasp at him.

"HOW DARE YOU?! Wearing the clothes of a common GUARD?! To deny yourself the clothes that was granted by the Queen herself?!" She shouted, though Larynx was very confused, tilting his head even, but never losing his grin.

He really wasn't wearing anything different, it was just his regular uniform, but without the jacket, and without the medals that went along with it. "I... Yes? I wasn't given this by the Queen, someling just handed this over to me when I was a- You know what, not important, I really need to go, Claw." Larynx gave up mid-way into the conversation, speaking with a brick wall is one thing, speaking with a brick wall that screams and shouts incoherently most of the time is another thing.

The 'Claw' wanted to shout at him some more, before stifling herself, grumbling as she growled. "Fine! But I am NOT leaving you to walk out ther-"

"Enough, 'Claw', just let it go." Larynx spoke, a bit tired from all the shouting he had to hear. "If it makes you feel better, you can try to stalk me and stay hidden, okay?"

She glared at him, unsure if she should take his offer, squinting at Larynx. "Do not get fooled by her."

Larynx rolled his eyes before taking a sip from a new bottle he got from somewhere. A satisfying sigh is given as he clears his throat. "Hey, I'm sure whatever she has will be fair, reasonable, and moderate."

"This is unfair, unreasonable, and outrageous!" Larynx drunkenly slammed a hoof against the table as he glared at Elytra, where she also returned the glare, though hers was more out of disbelief.

They were in a donut shop, which seems to be scarce, and becoming scarcer still as Klein practically chews on the last remaining donuts. "You know it's a shame you soldiers..." Klein started to speak, before eating in the middle of his comment. "That you guys kept the bakers out of their shops, they make some good stuff."

"Don't you top-hat wearing chub-grub change the subject," Larynx shouted at Klein, who seems to be not bothered by the anger that much. "You two are trying to screw with me! Giving HALF of this MISERABLE CITY?!"

Elytra kept her baffled glare going, "You. Showed. Up. Drunk." She said through her sharp teeth. It didn't help that she seems to be annoyed at Klein's gluttony as well.

Larynx was about to say something, before burping as he rubbed his mouth. Collecting himself for a moment, he gave a sigh. "Yes yes, I'm drunk, let's just move on." Of course, he didn't move on, as he noticed something, staring at the uniform that Elytra had, "Wait, why do YOU have YOUR uniform?"

"Oh you know, I couldn't go anywhere without my medals." Elytra said with a smirk, tapping at her chest. The medals started to jingle, clicking at each other. She would smirk a bit harder as she noticed that Larynx was glaring again.

"Then what was the POINT of telling me to not bring MY medals?" He would shout again.

"Let's just move on, isn't that what you said? Who cares which one of us looks like a proper officer and which one of us looks like a poor guard." Elytra said, clearly caring about those things. "Besides, half of this miserable city 'for now' you know."

Larynx finally decided to let the matter go, before grinding his teeth again. "And what makes you think I'd agree to this NONSENSE?" He slammed his hoof against the paper, before looking down, trying to hold his drunkenness together. That is until he stared at another part of the paper.

Klein finally finished up his little light snack of 3 whole boxes of donuts, giving a little cough as he adjusted his top hat. "Because, as you can see from out the windows, this city is a mess." He made a very long gesture to the window. "And I have the capital to fix this mess."

"What is this..." Larynx finally took another glance at the paper as he squinted at a lettering. "Mercenaries? MERCENARIES!?" Panic was on his voice before he switched it to a glare... And then switched it to a pitiful attempt to swallow some vomit, panicking while drunk is not fun.

"Yes?" The top hat wearing changeling was annoyingly calm about this. "I'll be allowed to hire mercenaries to deal with some bat problems down south. You and I know that the production of rubber MUST commence at the earliest." Klein spoke in a matter-of-fact manner.

Elytra started to be a big smug as she said, "And since you've been busy trying to contain the communists here with your army, it shouldn't be that hard to grasp on why you'd want this. It's practically a gift to you."

Larynx was finally done with choking on his vomit before he swallowed it in, shivering in disgust before he returned to glaring at the two. "You two both know that if I even allow ONE mercenary in this damn region, Chrysalis would have my HEAD!" He wasn't wrong, changelings, in the Queen's eyes, were supposed to stand alone.

For the first time in the meeting, Klein seemed a little discouraged. "Come now," Klein started, "It will be under my wing, I would be the one beheaded." He made an awkward tap on his neck, not wanting to actually lose his head just yet. "Besides, I know of a team that are very sneaky when it comes to this sort of thing."

Larynx glared at him for a moment, before switching his eyes to stare at the Elytra, "And you'd let this? You? One of the Hauptsturmführer of the Queen's Guard? This is practically going against her will!"

Elytra rolled her eyes. "She would understand if she knew the circumstances that is going on here. Besides, she need not know what is going on, as far as she'll know, we'll just be done with our bat problem. For now atleast."

Frustration was in Larynx's eyes as he stared at the paper for a while, before scoffing as slumped on his chair. He was beat, he didn't know exactly how to object to any of this, he was facing too much trouble, and the offer was basically giving him a working city, and a much less of a headache down south.

And then he realized. He is the Protector of this region. He can just flat out say-

"No." Larynx said, finally flashing an action smile. He was staring at Klein for the most part.

That smile was being tested now, as Elytra was glaring at him, and Klein was a bit confused.

I really shouldn't have come to this place drunk. Larynx thought to himself before he collected himself. "Okay. Maybe not a no but... A quarter of the city, you fix the rest, and then you can have your mercs." He said to Klein.

"No deal, it'll be half or nothing!" Elytra slammed on the table as she glared close to the Protector. "Do not screw with me"

Larynx slowly stared at her, his smile had a smug element to it. "See that's the thing... Right now, this deal? I need him more than I need you. Actually, I might need you for this deal at all." He said, though his smug smile was a bit faltering as he noticed the murderous eyes of Elytra.

"...How about... Uh... You let her pick which quarter she wants and... She gets whatever else is in that quarter too..." Klein tried to calm the tension, all it did was make the Queen's Guard even more mad, before she would let a hiss.

"If." Elytra started, "And only 'if' I get to do whatever I bloody want in that bloody quarter of mine. It will be MY part of the city, MY rules will be in it, and anyponies in it will be MINE." With every demand was creeping closer to Larynx, to the point where they were pressed against each other.

Larynx took a few seconds to think, this... Was a good deal to him, a good deal for Klein, and a horrible deal to the Queen's Guard. Probably a horrible deal to the ponies in whatever part she will pick. "Uh. Deal." Larynx gave in.

The angry Queen's Guard suddenly changed her mood as she gave a smirk, before tapping her hoof against one part of the map. "Then I want the harbor and the little areas around it."

Oh. Thought Larynx. I really shouldn't have come to this damn place drunk.