"Well, this is...great." Zia broke the somber silence that had fallen over the dejected group. She sat on the outer edge of the makeshift circle between Pike and Keyleth.

"Greats not the word I would use." Percy denied with a sigh of his own adjusting his glasses that he just finished cleaning.

"Does this mean we're officially banned from every tavern in Emon?" Keyleth asked looking as sickened as they all felt.

"Only the ones who remember us." Zia answered, smoothing out her skirt freeing it from dust.

"Everyone remembers us, Zia." Vex waved a dismissive hand her way. The elf hugged onto Trinkets neck.  "We're Vox Machina!"

"You say that like it's something to be proud of." Zia ran her gloved hands over her hair in an attempt to get out any remaining debris that lingered in her purple locks.

"You don't think it is?" Vex challenged, the look she gave Zia as pointed as her half-elven ears.

"Well..." Zia started carefully, "...no."

Everyone looked at her, even Scanlan who'd just finished getting his clothes back on. 

"Oh don't look at me like that you guys. It's really not." Zia sighed. "Our reputation...it's starting to precede us."

"So?" Vex challenged. "What's wrong with becoming well known?"

"Nothing," Zia denied tilting her head. "Except for the fact that we're becoming well known for the wrong reasons."

"Surely it can't be that bad." Percy protested.

"There's a saying that's been going round after the last job. A catchy little jingle a couple of two bit cronies started..." Zia played with a tassel on her skirt. "Cmon...we've all heard it. Hire Vox and you'll pray to get done in by the pox."

"Okay, that is pretty bad." Keyleth frowned clutching her staff. "But the one I heard goes a little more like hire Vox Machina to get the job done and you'll wish you hired a fox or a hyena to eat your son."

"Wonderful. We've got no money, no place to live, and fuck all for prospects." Vax rested his chin in his hand. "Not to mention those awful rhymes to contend with." Vax groaned. "By the gods."

"Well perhaps if someone didn't accidentally decapitate the last fellow who hired us." Percy glared pointedly at Grog. "Such sayings wouldn't have spread faster than a rat carrying scurvy."

"I apologized, didn't I?" Grog asked as he played with his stolen hand. The big guy didn't seem all that down or even sorry for what he'd done. "And those tunes didn't have nothing to do with me."

"An apology doesn't fix the fact that we're running out of options now." Zia frowned.

"I'll admit you're right about that." Vex sighed. "We have a mountain of debts and," She shook the small sack in her hand. "Oh good. Three silver to our name. We need a job. Anything at this point."

"I mean, if protecting carts from swindlers and killing goblins for gold isn't getting us anywhere, I don't know, maybe... maybe we could try doing some good this time?" Pike made the suggestion hesitantly, a part of her knowing it was about to be ill received.

"Nah..." Vex, Vax, Percy, Scanlan and Keyleth all chorused.

"Boring." Came Grog's subsequent denial.

"Like what?" Zia tilted her head in curiosity actually entertaining the idea much to Pike's surprise.

"Oh." Pike tapped her fingers together. "Uh...I don't know. I actually hadn't gotten that far...maybe a holy mission or some volunteer-"

"Pike, ethics are a luxury we currently can't afford." Percy denied, he shifted his attention to Zia. "And you, don't encourage that kind of thinking, Zia. You're smarter than that."

"You think volunteering is stupid?"

"Yes, considering volunteer work will do nothing to help us. No church, is going to pay us in anything, but gratitude. It would be a waste of time."

"They'd give us food, maybe shelter..." Zia leaned on her hand. "...for a bit anyways."

"How long is a bit, Hm?" Percy challenged her. "Until we tested their patience like we did the tavern keepers? We wouldn't last an hour on something like that. It won't work out. We need something else."

A silence settled over the group. It stretched on for a good amount of time.

"Have you guys ever thought maybe we're not really meant to do this?" Keyleth hugged her staff.

"How do you mean?" Zia's eyebrows furrowed.

"I mean, Vex and Vax only care about themselves." Keyleth began.

"Well, fսck you." The twins chorused with matching glares.

"Grog just wants to murder everyone." Keyleth continued.

"Yeah, pretty much." The barbarian agreed.

"Percy barely wants to be seen with us in public, and Scanlan wants...

"To bed everyone in the realm. Yes, you can say it, Keyleth. I'm not ashamed."

Zia's nose scrunched in distaste.

Keyleth sighed. "Honestly, why are we even together?

"Because...Because..." Zia should have just let the question hang instead of trying to answer it. She didn't want to say the truth. That it was because none of them had anyone else. She trailed off into a sigh giving up on keyleth's question. She couldn't say it and silence echoed around the group.

"Well, while you're all moping around, I have to drain the proverbial basilisk." Scanlan announced. Yet another bit of information Zia could have gone her whole life without hearing. She didn't pay attention to how long the gnome was gone but she noticed the weighing silence Keyleths question had forced on them. The one she'd succumbed to when she failed to answer her question. Just when she was beginning to think the question would never be answered Scanlan returned holding a rolled up piece of parchment.

"This!" He held it up for all to see. "This is our purpose."

"Our purpose is a piece of parchment?" Zia raised a brow at him. "Did you hit your head on the stairs when we got kicked out?"

"What? No! It's not the parchment Zia. It's what's on the parchment! Just look at what it says. Your eyes see best in the dark. Read it!"

"Mercenaries for hire?" Zia squinted as she focused on the writing. "Lemme see it."

"Just think about it! The king doesn't go to shit taverns like this. I bet he'd have no idea we trashed any of them or f'd up our jobs. No way the big guy gossips when he's got a kingdom to run." Scanlan passed her the paper as he raved about how perfect it was for them all. "Cmon, you know this perfect! Fighting for justice, for glory, protecting the kingdom and stuff."

"We would be helping people by doing this." Zia looked to Pike who smiled at her. "We'd get a sense of accomplishment for once."

"And most importantly..." Scanlan's pants dropped. ".. Lots of money!"

"Welp, there's a sight I could've gone my whole life without seeing." Keyleth remarked.

"Damnit Scanlan, pull up your trousers." Percy had his hand over his eyes. "I've seen your dick far too many times tonight."

"Oh please Percy," Scanlan stubbornly stuck up his nose. "You're just jealous cause mine's better than yours."

Zia didn't say it. But as her gaze discreetly flicked to Percy's clothed crotch over the edge of the parchment she thought that that was beyond doubtful.

"We should find somewhere to sleep for the night." Vex's voice jostled Zia from her thoughts. She quickly took her eyes off Percy before anyone could notice her stare and rolled up the parchment in her grip. "We can't just stay in front of here. We'll go see the king at dawn. Pounce on this before any competition has the chance."

"I like how you think, sister." Vax nodded. "Let's try to find an alley closer to the castle."

"Did you say dawn?" Keyleth looked horrified by the prospect. "That's so early!"

"True but it's imperative we be the first ones before the king." Percy insisted. "If anyone who knows of us gets there first we'll lose our chance."

"Alright," Vex stood up. "Quickly then everyone. Follow me if you want a good nights sleep."

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Okay guys! That was Ch 2! Ch 3 will be out soon! Stay tuned! Don't forget to tell me how your feeling about this story or this chapter in the comments! 😁 Tiff out peace!!