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((The Mon/Wen/Fri Double -- page 2 of 2))
"That's not an answer, boss," said Crowe.

Morgunov ignored the question. "Is that all you had to report?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, you can go now."

But the Man of Crows' footsteps did not arrive, and Morgunov could sense him lingering.

"...Was there something else?" said Morgunov.

Crowe tilted his head slightly as he looked around the workshop. "I suppose I'm just wondering the same thing that everyone who knows you're here is wondering, boss."

"And what's that?"

"Whether or not you've got some special trick up your sleeve. With regard to our battle plan, specifically."

"Ah. Eheh. Hmm."

Bool, who had thus far only been listening, decided to chime in. 'You can always bet that he has something up his sleeve', the reaper said. 'What's less certain is whether or not he will actually decide to use it.'

'Hmph,' huffed Learxia, Crowe's reaper. 'Well, I hope he decides sooner rather than later. I'm sure it would save us all a lot of trouble.'

To Morgunov's eyes, the reapers were a pair of old, mangled clocks. Their faces were bent, their hands twisted out of position and pointing the wrong way, and gears and springs were visible brains through cracked open skulls.

"Maybe if you behave yourselves, I'll let you see something truly extraordinary," said Morguonov with a slight laugh.

Eheh. Wasn't often that a reaper other than Bool ever gave him any kind of attitude. And Learxia didn't used to do that. Perhaps she'd grown confident in Crowe's abilities over the years and thought he could protect her from him.

Ooh. A tempting thought. Morgunov decided to keep his back turned to them, just in the off chance that it might motivate them to try something.

'Don't tease them,' said Bool. 'This battle is still in its early stages. The importance of it cannot be overstated. The result of this battle will affect the entire war. Rushing in haphazardly, as fun as that might be for some of us, would hardly be a sound strategy.'

'Hmph. Do you fear Iceheart?'