Mister Nex's Story

The man in the suit had been sitting in what once must have been an officers lounge in the heydays of Otanis. It had been since allocated as a sort of greenroom for the mercenaries the head of the royal guard had hired for "extreme" situations. If the previous regime had seen the state the room was in now, they would break into a mad sprawl. The once golden and alabaster decor had dulled and tarnished over the years, helped in no small part by the alcohol that had been thrown against it in what must have been quite the fight. At one time the marred and chipped oaken pillars that had evolved over men 's knife-throwing skills coming into question, must have looked quite regal at one point. The smell in the air was a mire of smoke, body odor, liquor, gunpowder and an assortment of other things that could only have intensified the concoction. At one point, the man had been reading an untitled book sitting in one of the many red velvet arm chairs. He had since forgotten the words in front of them as his face visibly wrinkled as the smell somehow intensified. Or perhaps his tolerance for it was simply at an end.

"Hey! What the fuck are you look'in at?"

The man quickly adjusted his gaze without moving his head as it rested upon a man of substantial girth, and not the kind you get from eating too much sweets. He was sitting at a table with two other....men? It seemed the trio was playing a hand of Gambit. Apparently wrapped up in his own thoughts, he had been absentmindedly staring at this mountain of a man.

"Apologies, I was lost in my own thought. Think nothing by it." The man delivered the statement short and succinctly.

The larger man quirked his head a bit as his tone became more aggressive. "Nothing by it, huh? You were making a pretty nasty face at me. I have the feeling that you're a dickless chicken shit that got scared because he got caught. Now, why is that?"

The man's face didn't change as the larger man spoke. He let the him finish before speaking. "I assure you that it is nothing of the sort. My face must have looked odd as i was thinking about the smell in here. It had simply gotten to me, that is all."

The larger man's eyes narrowed. "The fuck did you just say?" One of the larger man's compatriots with a mustache rolled his eyes in frustration. The smaller of the trio seemed to simply scoot his chair back about 4 inches. "You trying to say I stink? Don't even have the balls to come out and insult me to my face. Got to do it through tricky wording. You better apologize to me you fish eyed cunt."

Almost as if a period to the larger mans statement, the lone mans book snapped shut and his body shifted ever so slightly. "I have offered you no insult and been respectful and cordial the entire conversation. Please don't mistake a civil tongue for a civil hand."

The two men eyes began to slowly harden. The tension in the large lounge was palpable and it was not lost on the other mercenaries in the room. They all began to shift to safer areas of the room while palming their weapons, just in case. It seemed the two men would strike at any moment. It was at this time the mustache spoke up.

"Alright now, let's all calm down. We're all professionals, right?" The mustache shot daggers at the large man. "Bull, sit your ass down!" Bull glared at Mustache, but slowly sat back down. Mustache turned back to the lone man. "Sorry 'bout that ,stranger. Bull get's a little testy sometime. He don't like it when people stare at his scars." From the moment Bull had stood up, the lone mans eyes had not left him. Even as Mustache spoke, they remained locked on Bull. It was at this point that the lone man had actually noticed his scars and started to realize the situation. Mustache continued. "Listen, how 'bout you join us for a hand and we can all get to know each other a little better. Whaddya say?"

It was at this point that the man in the suits gaze left Bull and landed on Mustache. He adjusted his suit, seemingly out of habit, and spoke. "It's quite alright. I think that sounds just fine." His tone still ever calm and professional. He stood from his seat and placed the book into his coat pocket. He made his way over to the only remaining seat at the table.

Mustache dealed him in. "My names Murdock. That over there is my daughter Florence." A light went off in the suits head as he glanced over at Florence. The large brimmed hat must have all of her hair hidden in it and that trench coat concealed the rest of her. He felt good that his instincts didn't immediately assume male. Florence gave him a simple nod, in which the suit returned. "And ya already met Bull." Bull just stared at the suit, but softer and more with suspicion than anger. "So Stranger, whats your name?"

"A pleasure to meet you Murdock, Florence.........Bull." The scarred man grunted. "You can call me, Mr. Nex"

"Gambit."

"Blasted lands!" Bull tossed his hand of cards down in frustration. Florence hung her head and Murdock eyed Mr. Nex warily. Mr. Nex began to rake the cash over to his side of the table and then begin to neatly and efficiently organize them into near perfect stacks.

Murdock had removed his hat and continued to eye the Mercenary. "How is it that you have won the last four hands in the row, yet before that, you had only one the whole hour. Now you seem like a straight up fellow, Nex..."

"Mr."

"...What?'

"My name, it's Mr. Nex. Please don't forget the Mr., it's rather important." Mr. Nex had been counting his money while speaking, only to look up at Murdock at the end of the sentence. His face placid, his eyes betraying nothing about his emotions. Murdock simply raised his hands.

"Fair enough. Mr. Nex. Back tot he matter at hand, how is it that you suddenly got so good at Gambit?"

"Yeah, you're fuck'in cheating aren't ya?" Bull added.

"He ain't been cheat'in, Bull. My peepers had been locked to his hands the second we started. Don't usually trust men who wear suits like that, but he hadn't reached down, made an itch or even a sudden movement. He clean." Florence stated, defending Mr. Nex.

Mr. Nex grabbed the deck of cards and began to shuffle with the expertise and dexterity of a professional magician, stoping half way to adjust his shirt cuffs and rolling them half up his sleeve as if to show them his innocence. He then continued to shuffle and began to deal. "It's a simple matter. I'd be happy to explain......after this hand." He said, with a shred of cheek in his voice.

Bull snorted, to no ones surprise. Florence and Murdock sighed at the same time. They all picked up their cards nd began to play.

Murdock began a conversation. "So, why do you think they're keep'in so many of us in the castle on stand by. Sure there are plenty a treasure here, but they got an ass ton of knights and the like. With the amount of pomp they walk 'round with, their training's gotta be worth a at least two licks. Gimme two." Murdock placed two cards down. Mr. Nex burned and dealt him two.

Florence seemed to mumble something. "Walk 'round with all that pomp, but they train'in ain't taught'em noth'in 'bout how treat a human being like a human being. Four" throwing down four cards, she slumped further into her chair.

"Don't mumble when ya talk girl, ain't polite, and sit up straight. Taught you better." Murdock said sternly, his parent side showing. Florence simply mumbled again and adjusted her posture in the chair. Mr. Nex burned the cards and dealt four to her.

Bull piped up at this time. "It's obvious ain't it? The girl. That princess they got up in that tower. She's gotta be....magic or something right? One."

Mr. Nex burnt it and dealt him. "Why is it that you think she's.....magic, Bull?" asked the mercenary.

Bull took the card and glanced at it, placing it among his hands. "Well, why else would the King of Otanis put so many extreme measures for her. All of us, the Knights, the walls, the tower. Shit(sheee-it), I even heard from when of 'dem maids that she don't even leave the Tower. Like ever. If she don't cry diamonds or somethin', why go through all the trouble?"

Florence seemed to give Bulls theory some thought, but Murdock and Mr. Nex stared at Bull like he was crazy. It was Nex who spoke first. "You aren't a parent, are you, Bull?"

Bull quirked an eyebrow. "Whats that got ta do with anything?"

"Because ya darn idget, thats his daughter. If a father had the power of a kingdom, you'd be damn certain he'd do everything possible to protect his daughter. I may not agree with his methods, but you can be damned sure i understand 'em." Murdock said, ending his statement by glancing over at Florence.

Florence rolled her eyes. "Pa, I ain't a little girl anymore. I got a killstreak and everything. One of these days you've got to accept that."

Murdock simply gave a heartfelt smile at her. "Ain't never gonna happen. No matter how many men you plug or how tall you get. A father is never going to see his daughter leave pigtails." His eyes grew warmer and Florence seemed to get flustered."Daddy..."

Something akin to the ghost of a smile briefly flickered across Mr. Nex's face.

"I believe to sum up, Bull, it's most likely something to do with the Queens death."Mr. Nex stated. burning three of his cards and refilling his hands. He then threw in a few high bills. "Sixty five, call."

"Call. I heard about that. What happened again?" Bull threw in his money.

"We ain't from here boy, I don't know. Someth'in probably to do with assassins. From the big WG in my opinion. See your sixty five and raise you 20." Murdock nonchalantly tosses in 20 more.

"Call, ya bluffing old codger. Ya really think the Govnt killed her? Ain't this supposed to be an independent country?"

"Call, again. Why the queen, if anything, wouldn't it make more sense to kill the King?"

"Damn, boy, I don't know why. It's just a thought." Murdock said angrily, waving the question away.

"Whadda you think, Mr. Nex?" asked Florence.

Mr. Nex called. "I think we should get on with this hand." He stated calmly. He then began to place six cards face down on the table into a circle pattern. He then flipped one over, revealing a six.

"Anyways, to get back on subject. I understand what we're protecting, but why? Why hire so many of us? What threat could so many knights not handle?" Murdock asked, removing two cards and placing them on the six, face down.

"........Jacks." Bull said with purpose, holding his cards from play. Mr. Nex snorted slightly through his nose.

"What? What's so funny about that? You don't believe they exist?" Bull said defensively.

"It is conceivable that a Jack is left out there, but I seriously doubt that that wanted poster is genuine." Upon seeing Florence held her cards, Mr. Nex flipped another card over. This time, a Queen.

"How'd ya figure that?"

"Several reasons. The bounty is far too high for any one being to possess or for the Government to realistically pay too one man. That, and the picture is far too vague and dramatic. A mysterious vest and bow tie with no face. A faceless villain to kepp the good citizens of Novahlis cowering behind the pant legs of the Admirals. I'm sure they feel a tad useless around now. The threat of a Jack keeps them relevant." Mr. Nex placed a card face down on the queen.

Murdock held his cards. "Suppose it makes sense. Never much took in anything they said."

"I can like the thought of a guy like a Jack of Trades out there. Fight'in the good fight and living free. It's kind of romantic." Florence kind of rolled on. She placed a card down on the queen next to Nex.

Murdock gave a quiet snort while Mr. Nex just gave a Hmmm.

Bull eyed them. "I'm with Florence...sort of. I don't dream about no her Jack, but that bounty could make a man for life. That much money and I could retire in fame and fortune. Mark my words, A Jack is out there and Bull is gonna catch him." He stated as jabbing a thumb at himself.

Mr. Nex just gave a pandering nod as Murdock and Florence rolled their eyes. Just as Mr. Nex flipped over the third card, the sound of fireworks and panic could be heard from the nearby walls.

"The hell is that!" said the trio at nearly the same time. They all heard guards shouting, stating that an intruder was in the castle. Not a moment later, the siren in the lounge went off, calling the Mercenaries to action. "Come one yall, lets get a move on! Lock and load!!" Murdock called as he began checking his gun. Florence, mimicking him, went right along after.

"Finally! Some action!" Bull stood from the table and charged after his companions.

Mr. Nex stood, adjusted his sleeves back to normal and threw on his coat. He was about to run out when something caught his eye. The third card he had flipped over.....was a Jack. Mr. Nex's eyes lingered on it for a moment, then headed toward the door.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Nex had decided to forgo his suit for the sake of time and was currently running at a great apce around the castle looking for anyone suspicious. Apparently dressed in the outfit that people described as similar to the poster of the Jack. Not saying that out loud, bu the outfit they described sounded like it.

Mr. Nex was somewhat shocked to see how utterly non-plussed everyone in the castle sans knights seemed to be. This was what Mr. Nex's assumption of a major breach in security, yet the staff just seemed to blissfully go about their day as if nothing was wrong. What the hell was wrong with these people?

Mr. Nex was running to a T intersection of the hallway when what sounded like an army ran past. It was a man being chased by around 50 knights. The man ran by fast, but in Mr. Nex's head, it was freeze frame. He noted the vest, the tie, the glasses, the hair.

As the knights pass he simply looked at the scene for a moment. Almost in disbelief at the utter ridiculousness of it.

Mr. Nex shook his head and began to check interception points for the intruder and himself. He marked a hallway in the distance through a window and crawled out. He then began run on the outside of the castle, looking to intercept this Jack wannabe......he hoped.

Mr. Nex made his way across the castle's rooftop edge with grace and confidence. Nothing you would see in a circus but every movement conserved energy and was made with purpose. No flourish or fanciful movements. Pure purpose.

He quickly ran across a narrow beam connecting two wings of the castle which was used to support some kind of large chandelier over a courtyard of some kind.

His gaze ever changing between the intruder to the access point, the mercenary quickened his pace as to keep in time with the gold-haired fool.

Mr. Nex leaped and landed on the edge outside a window at the bend of a hallway. Seeing it was locked, Mr. Nex carefully used the back of his knife to slip through the small space and unlock the window. He then climbed in, turned the corner, secreted his knife away and waited.

Jack's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly when he was hit with a sudden wave of awareness pointing his focus towards the end of the hall, where he spotted the tall Mr. Nex, noting his very nice-looking suit, as he stepped out from around the corner. The man appeared to be quite calm and collected, unlike the mob behind Jack, and this raised a red flag in his mind; one that told him this guy was different from the rest, and not in a way that was beneficial to him...

"Oh, God..." groaned Jack. "Not another one! Is this a CASTLE, or a House of Horrors?!" He continued sprinting down the hall, growing closer and closer to the mysterious suited man ahead, all-the-while never dropping his act.

As the distance between them lessened to a mere 50 feet, Jack made an assessment of the suited man, noting everything from his height, build, estimated weight, and demeanor, all the way down to his choice of clothes, current expression, and even his hairstyle. Jack wasn't able to reach any conclusive evidence as to who or what this guy might be, but one thing was certain: he didn't just happen across Jack while out for a simple stroll through the castle, but rather, seemed to have anticipated where he would go next and made to head him off. This told Jack the man in the suit not only had an intimidating presence, but also that he was likely very intelligent. Due to the fact that he seemed to be rather out-of-place within the halls of a castle, combined with everything else Jack was able to ascertain from his appearance and apparent battle experience, he deduced the man was likely either a mercenary or an assassin. However, an assassin usually would have chosen to hide in wait until his target had come close enough to kill from the shadows; only striking when the moment was perfect. This guy, on the other hand, chose to reveal himself to his would-be enemy without a second thought, which suggested that he was either the worst assassin in all of history, or his skill set simply didn't rely on stealth tactics worthy of labeling him as one in the first place.

Whatever the case, Jack wasn't looking to throw down with an experienced mercenary or a foolish assassin. He had better things to do, and a limited time frame in which to do them. With that in mind, and without taking his eyes off of Mr. Nex, he immediately went to using his peripherals to scan the rest of the hallway's path for means of escape, making a mental note of the long black table to the right carrying an assortment of beautiful potted plants atop its sleek wood, along with other decorated ornaments that spiced up the hallway's overall image. Aside from that, there was the more obvious path to the left, between the wall to Jack's left and Mr. Nex's right, but something told Jack this guy would easily anticipate an idiot with zero tactical experience wanting to take such a route, and therefore thought against it. Finally, there was the closed window just behind the man in front of Jack. That would serve as his portal to freedom.

Mr. Nex's face never changed as the intruder began to loudly curse his luck. As he should. It wasn't hard to underestimate him, as he was making a ruckus with a tow of around 50 guards. Though, the fact that he was so easily outpacing them without looking the least bit tired was definitely something to note. The fact that he had supposedly already defeated a few of them and didn't have a visible mark on his person meant that he was dangerous.

Though, that meant that he probably knew he was dangerous, thus overestimated his chances. Which is most likely why he was in such a situation. Would he use caution, or blind confidence? Either way, he looked at least 10 years younger than Mr. Nex, so he probably wasn't very cautious. All of his senses were telling him that he was some form of great threat, but something about him made Mr. Nex want to underestimate him. It was a perplexing thought.

He decided he would test him. He didn't want to endanger the guards, so he palmed one of his few throwing knives. Mr. Nex stepped back two paces towards the window, leaving a bigger gap for the intruder to get by and into the next hallway, baiting him. When he came a little closer, Mr. Nex let loose his throwing knife with deadly speed and precision, aiming for his right shoulder, herding him towards the bait. His body gave no indication that he was going to throw the knife until it was already loosed, but he decided to see just how the intruder would react nonetheless.

Jack followed the knife with his eyes as though time had slowed around him, and with a slight twist of his body, he moved his shoulder out of the way of its path, allowing it to just barely graze against the fabric of his black leather vest, leaving a slightly frayed scuff of faded color in the fabric.

The knife continued along its journey past its intended mark and into the shield of a guard not far behind, which ricocheted off of its metal and flipped upwards towards the ceiling where it stuck into the wood of a support frame.

"Huh?" pondered Jack aloud, putting on airs as to what it was that just shot past his head. "The hell was that...?" The answer to his question, however, would not be given, and the question itself was soon forgotten when Jack audibly voiced his notice of a gap Mr. Nex had deliberately made just for him. "THERE!" he shouted, making a lunge for said spot. This was, of course, a feint.

Placing one foot forward as if to make a break for the newly-made opening to the left, Jack allowed this foot to skid across the carpet before coming to a dead stop, creating leverage for his next motion; a juke. He suddenly sported a wide grin on his face as he kept his eyes on Mr. Nex that he was sure to notice as Jack spun around, his hair twisting with the motion as he moved his body not towards the opening so generously given forth by Mr. Nex, but towards the narrow, seemingly impossible path between him and the long black table. As he spun, however, he brought out with him his 9mm pistol, and aimed it straight at the other man's face. There was no more room for Mr. Nex to evade towards the right, as he had already moved there to open up a path for Jack to take on the left, thus meaning he would have to close that opening once again if he wanted to live, as Jack was going to pull the trigger one way or another...

The intruder should not have been underestimated. Not only was he skilled, but he had identified what the mercenary's plan was and immediately made to counter it. Now, Mr. Nex was staring down the barrel of a gun. It didn't show on any form of his person, but Mr. Nex was angry. He suppressed and channeled it into getting out of his current position and into a more advantageous one.

Mr. Nex immediately went limp and leaped back and towards the hallway to his right, his back leading and already 2 feet from the ground. He quickly palmed three knives and loosed 2 of them. Hoping to get lucky, but planning on having Jack forced against the wall. He kept the last knife as a pride saver. Of course, Jack had already begun to pull the trigger when Mr. Nex quickly made to evade the shot that was let off soon after. With Mr. Nex safely out of the way, the window behind where he had previously stood cracked outward from the bullet-sized hole that was now lodged in its pane.

Not even half a second after the gun was fired did those two hidden throwing knives fly towards Jack as he ran along the side of the long table to his right, forcing him to immediately take evasive action in the form of a dive-roll.

Unfortunately, at the angle Mr. Nex was in, he had little leverage and speed at which to effectively attack, thus a fatal wound could not be guaranteed. In actuality it likely wouldn't even slow him down. But, as he aimed for Jack's face, this knife would do the one thing Mr. Nex felt feasible at the time. It would make the intruder remember him. Just as his back hit the ground, he rolled back and stopped to witness what had been wrought.

The first two blades having been easily dodged when Jack had dove over the long table, his body slamming into and breaking several potted plants as he went, the golden-haired 'dragon' made sure to set the palm of his right hand down onto the floor at the end of the table closest to the cracked window once he cleared most of its length; his chest hovering over the edge of the sleek black wood that was now cluttered with broken pottery as the knives that would have hoped to do him in stabbed into a painting on the wall above it. He kept the momentum of his earlier dive and continued his action now in the form of a one-handed front flip. His legs were raised above the back of his head as they took the lead, sending the soles of his shoes facing the window he had previously cracked with a bullet.

But even as he pushed off, Mr. Nex's trump card was already on its way to meet its mark. Jack's brow creased seriously out of surprise when he managed to catch a glimpse of that unmistakable blur of silver hurdle towards his left eye. He gave a startled grunt as he jerked his head out of the knife's path just in the nick of time; the cold steel of its blade having only managed to break the skin of his cheek, leaving a thin mark in its place. The knife joined its sisters just to the side of the painting they were lodged in as Jack's feet planted into the window, shattering the softened tissue of its glass and allowing him to escape the hall without further injury.

Jack completed his single hand-stand vault once he had reached the wooden platform outside of the window, which served maintenance workers when on-the-job. His feet planted firmly on the rickety boards, forcing them to let out a whine that would suggest their faulty craftsmanship. Without allowing his pursuers the chance to catch up with him, he immediately shot his head to the right and spotted some roping that ran upwards toward another set of rafters, grabbed hold of its rough material, turned to the window and aimed with the gun that was moved from his left hand to his right, and fired off another shot at whoever might have stuck their head out to reacquire a line of sight on their perpetrator. Not even a second after their head had disappeared back into the hall to dodge the shot did Jack drive his right foot down onto the wood platform as hard as he could, effortlessly destroying the only way for them to follow; the broken boards of dead tree and rusty nails descending in all forms of twisted motion towards the courtyard below.

It was then that the men within the hall were forced to curse their failure and order each other around to find another way to head the intruder off. The halls were soon emptied once more, leaving only a few knives lodged in the surrounding walls and ceiling, shattered pottery, and a broken window frame to suggest what had went down...

Not long after...

Two unconscious guards were slumped together on the ground just behind the stone border that was raised a couple feet above the rooftop floor, and just past them atop that border, was the man who had left them in such a sorry state.

"Man..." complained Jack as he sat up on the roof of one wing of the castle, his legs draped over the side as the wind gently rustled against his hair and clothing every few seconds, his sunglasses resting on his right thigh. "What a pain that was." He picked the remaining shards of glass out of his hair and clothes, letting each one fall towards the ground far below his hovering feet. After his person was effectively cleaned of all the uncomfortable materials left over from his daring escape, he paused as he brought a thumb up to the scratch on his cheek and wiped. "Hm..." he hummed, inspecting the smallest traces of dried blood that had coagulated in response to the tiny open wound given to him by the man in the suit making contact with the air. He rubbed the evidence between his thumb and forefinger, causing it to fade into dirt on his skin. Jack stared at his thumb for a few seconds afterwards, a serious look in his eye as he thought about the well-dressed mercenary he had encountered. He hadn't expected to meet someone like that in a palace. The king must have been quite worried about intruders of a certain caliber if he went to such lengths to protect its halls... But this just made Jack even more excited.

Jack's lips curved up into a smile as he continued to stare at his thumb, lost in thought. He wondered if he'd run into that man again. He hoped so. He'd hoped to pay him back in full, if nothing else. Closing his fist now and raising his gaze from his dirtied thumb to the far out from the kingdom, Jack let out a chuckle. The cut on his cheek was so miniscule that it would fade within a day's time, nevermind leaving a scar. It was the impression of the man who had inflicted it that would truly remain. It wasn't often that someone could injure a man like Jack, and so that alone -- miniscule or otherwise -- was enough for him to acknowledge such an existence. Encountering someone like Mr. Nex a second time could prove fatal, but the thought was still somewhat enticing all the same. It easily appealed to Jack's love for a good fight. Survival was his utmost priority in any given situation, of course, but he still couldn't help enjoying the thrill of battle.

After this short moment of respite, Jack finally stood up, slid his sunglasses back over the bridge of his nose and brushed his hand off on his pants. Mr. Nex was certainly an unexpected bit of fun, but Jack had more important things to think about right now; such as finding a way back into the castle without alerting the guards so soon after managing to throw them off his trail. He turned his back to the sky and looked around the area of the castle rooftops.

"There..." he said, his tone of voice heavy with purpose upon taking notice of the tall tower some hundred yards away. He could see the faintest glimpse of red curtain drapes flapping in the wind from around the tower, suggesting that there was an open window or balcony just out of view from where he was standing. He would be sure to make use of it.

After stepping over the guards he had knocked out and making his way towards the tower, avoiding any other patrolling guards' ever-watchful eyes as he went, Jack managed to come up to the base of the tower from the roof. Even from where he stood, so high up from the ground floor, this tower continued to reach up and into the heavens. Jack placed a hand on its stone walling and looked up, letting out a whistle as his eyes traced the tower's top. Smiling and giving the stone a pat with the same hand, he moved towards the right and up a steep triangle-shaped part of the roof. He assumed there must have been some kind of chapel or library beneath him, but it didn't really matter all that much right now. Keeping his right leg bent at the knee and his left straight and to the side so as to remain leveled on the uneven footing, he brought his hand up to his brow, blocking the sun as he spied the balcony in the tower more clearly now.

"I can make that jump," he said to himself. "Royal curtains should be made of some pretty sturdy crap, right?" He shrugged with his hands upturned and his eyes closed, as if what he had just said was the most natural assumption in the world. Whatever the case actually was, Jack's mind was made up, and so he set out for the window by moving along the sharp top of the roof. He made it look as though he were walking on a tightrope, but his balance was unimaginably perfect; he might as well have been walking on even ground.

He finally stopped when there was about 50 feet left between him and the edge of the pointed roofing, leaving the tower's balcony a good 80 feet out from him, and 15 feet above. It would be a narrow leap, and an even more narrow opportunity to successfully grab the curtains flapping in the wind every so often, but he was confident that he could pull it off. Then again, Jack rarely ever thought things through before doing them; it's what made him such a scary opponent to face, after all.

The time had come. He waited for about a minute, perched up on the roof like a statue as he studied the winds and the curtains they were blowing. When he was sure he had a good idea as to when the breeze would align with the moment he leaped from the rooftop, he moved. His body was lightning as he ran across the narrow path with little effort, until he reached the utmost end and kicked off as hard as he could. The tiles of the roofing he had jumped from were destroyed from the sheer pressure he had impacted upon them, sending their broken remains clattering down either side of the sloped roof. Jack was easily 15 feet above the initial starting point thanks to that powerful leap, and his expression was grand and confident as he rapidly approached the crimson drapes that were his target. But it wasn't until he reached for them that he realized just how stupid this idea truly was... You can judge the distance of two points with perfect accuracy, and even calculate just how much power you would then need to put into a jump in order to leap between them. But you cannot accurately anticipate how the occasional breeze might effect a curtain...

Jack's confident expression dropped into one of panic as his fingers grazed the curtains just barely as he passed and kept on passing. He let out a surprised yelp as he plummeted towards the ground, only for it to be cut off by a grunt of pain from reflex of having the side of his stomach collide with the end of a large flagpole that was erected outward from the tower some 30 feet below the balcony window, further along the tower's large cylindrical shape. The force at which he slammed into the flagpole caused the hinges of the mechanism that both kept it rooted and allowed it to fold towards another window bent and broke, removing the one and only thing that was keeping the flag properly raised, and sending Jack swinging with it and through yet another window.

"Agh!" cried Jack as the glass shattered upon being assaulted with the back of a fully grown man and a broken flagpole, swinging both of them inside the tower's ballroom with the force of a hurricane. Jack tumbled into several things on the way, creating a ruckus that, thankfully, couldn't be heard from outside of the tower on account of being so many floors up from its entrance on the floor he escaped from earlier. Finally at the end of his blunder, he crashed into an armchair and brought it down with his momentum and added weight, effectively flipping him over so that his chest hit the floor. Groaning motionlessly for a few seconds, he eventually lifts his head to look up at the window over the toppled armchair with one eye shut tight, taking in the view of the now-destroyed window that had a flagpole partially bent around its frame; the flag dangling from its pole in tatters. "Damn..." he said in a strained voice. "I just can't seem to stop breakin' shit..." He smiled wearily at those words and let out a weak chuckle before allowing his forehead to fall back into the hardwood flooring of the ballroom.

After another moment of rest, he finally forces himself back up with a groan. He wasn't so beat up that it was difficult for him to move, mind you. He was simply feeling a tad bit annoyed with how things had turned out. As it so happened, Jack didn't really believe his plan to grab hold of those red curtains in the window of the floor above him was foolproof; he just didn't want to take the time to come up with something that was. He was aware of there being more than a single window of the tower he was now in before he had even entered the castle, as well as the addition of a fair amount of flagpoles sticking out of its wall, and thus knew he would have had a second chance if he did in fact miss the drapes. That said, he still wished it would have panned out for him. Crashing through window after window was rather uncomfortable, to say the least...

Checking over his person to make sure nothing was missing, Jack's hands stop at his face, finally realizing his sunglasses were missing. He cursed the air and began looking around at the floor for the blue-tinted babies, stepping over all kinds of junk he knocked free and broke in the wake of his entrance. His search led him to the destroyed window frame where the wind was casually blowing in to gently push the torn flag about. He stopped and soon spotted what he was looking for: his sunglasses were partially closed around the broken window frame and dangling as though they were clinging on for dear life. Jack smiled and picked his trademark sunglasses up, checking them over.

"Lucky~" he sung, happy that they were undamaged. "Alright, now..." He paused, raising an eyebrow as he turned away from the window and back to the ballroom while sliding his sunglasses back on. "Where in the hell am I...?"