Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 13:11:04 GMT -5
"Oh! Oh! Varus you've got to see this!"
Varus slammed the door and walked over to his eager brother. The brown-haired man, Valor, clicked the replay button and a skinny, almost emaciated boy stood in front of a clear body builder. It seemed to reflect the Jekyll and Hyde demonstration he saw a few moments ago but with a twist. Instead of popping two pills, the boy chugged a strangely colored drink and a blue aura surrounded him. The ground around the skinny boy rumbled and with a single punch, he knocked the body builder against the wall.
"Damn what the hell? That was so cool!" Varus exclaimed, turning the screen toward him.
"Yeah they're saying that it's this new 'homeopathic', 'all-natural' Qi enhancer," Valor laughed.
"Tch, ten dollars says that he's just on 'roids."
Varus walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed two sodas before tossing one to his big brother.
"I don't know man I saw this old guy selling it near one of the corners we work at," Valor caught the soda and opened it before taking a sip, "he was shady as hell but-"
"What like creepy shady or black market shady?" Varus took a swig from his own can as he looked through his text messages.
"Nah, nothing like that." Valor shifted his laptop toward his brother. "he just had this off feeling about 'im. Like the kind I usually get from my crazier clients"
"Clients? You're makin' it sound like you're part of some law firm," Varus scoffed.
"Nothin' wrong with that," Valor replied, "Leah said I oughta be more professional."
Varus couldn't hide a snicker as he put down his phone. "Professional about what? You're sellin' to a bunch of crackheads."
"Hey they are more than just your reg'lar junkies now! I'm movin' to the Upper East Side."
"Oh right cause some Bousie girls are going to care that you aren't speaking to them in the most proper of blue blooded English," he mocked, changing the register in his voice, "I swear you're either thirsty for that-"
He paused, remembering the smack he received the last time he called Leah the bitch word.
"-drug dealer."
"I told you, I don't like her like that. She was my "in", (she ain't your in no more) and we're like family."
"Oh like Maeby and George Michael?"
Valor stood, closing the family laptop and heading for the door.
"I'll be back," he answered curtly, "and stop using my Netflix account!"
Selfish bastard, Varus thought as he opened the laptop and pulled up the English assignment.
The band teacher had been gone for God-knows-how-long so he started using that time for study hall but it still wasn't enough time to write a paper, double-spaced or otherwise. He did the wise thing by outlining his book report to write out at home, but did the stupid thing by getting distracted over Valor's video.
What was it about that elixir that enhanced the normal guy so much? Well assuming this video wasn't just special effects. He scoured the Internet for anymore information on the drink but nothing came up except for similar footage at different angles. He would need to go directly to the source if he wanted answers.
The next day was a Saturday and being Saturday, his parents allowed him to have free reign over his workload. Sure, they might ask questions about his schoolwork on Saturday but there was a reason that Sundays (and Monday mornings) existed.
He left the apartment with his backpack but rather than taking the usual path to school he stopped at the third right turn where an older woman in a brown suit was reading a newspaper. He sat with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but rather than a stand, he merely had a table meant for petitioning weed legalization.
"Hey where was the guy from yesterday?"
The woman looked up at the blonde boy for a second before letting out a puff of smoke.
"Beats me," she shrugged, "I got this corner on the weekends, nine to ten."
"Okay but who works here on the weekdays? What's his deal?"
"Gee I don't know. So many people pass by everyday."
Says the woman I only ever see on the weekends.
Nonetheless, Varus signed the petition and slid the clipboard back toward the woman who folded her paper and set it on the table.
"He calls himself Sui and he's always going on about this miracle drink. He says that if I buy some off of him I'll feel loads better but I never did. I just know he sells bucket loads of it."
"Figures," Varus frowned, "you got anything else for me?"
She looked up expectantly at him so he sighed and forged another signature, this time with a "donation".
"They call it 'Overdrive' and I don't know what's in it, but you could probably ask one of those herb shops. We got one off of Atlantic Avenue."
Varus nodded, searching for the nearest shops while he walked toward Atlantic. It'd be far for most people but he was used to walking by now. Valor was using his car for a drug run today and as far his parents were concerned, Varus wouldn't be driving until he could one hundred percent the permit test (Varus tended to get two or three wrong). So it was walking for the next thirty minutes and then asking around for another five until he found "Qiulan Herbal Remedies" sandwiched between a Chinese book store and a takeout restaurant.
Signs were looking good.
He entered to the smell of ginseng and dried scallops and buckets of various dried ingredients (the most prominent being of course, scallop). The shelves open to the public contained pill supplements for different vitamins as well as a few books on how to use herbal remedies (he had to admit, they medicine they had here looked a lot more appetizing than Tylenol). Now obviously they wouldn't have any of the drugs on the shelf, but would they sell it to him that easily? He already felt the owner eying him from the cash register.
Varus walked over, resting his elbows on the glass counter.
"Can I help you?"
"Do you have any uh..."
Crap, what was a good herb?
"Ginger?"
"You want ginger? Go to the supermarket! Don't waste my time here."
Ugh, was his cover blown already?
"Wait, no I'm serious. I need something to boost me up," he said, "school hasn't been so good lately. I need somethin' extra to put me over the edge."
"Ginseng pills: fourth shelf, third row. Pure root is in one of the tubs."
The cashier's face didn't waver, but neither did Varus's attempt to seem genuinely curious.
"I was thinking more of a drink. I'm not big on cooking and I can't swallow pills. Mom never taught me," he shrugged, "I hear you've got something for people like me."
"Either buy something or go somewhere else," the cashier hissed, "you're scaring away customers."
Oh what, just because he was leaning over the counter and making drug allusions he was "scaring customers"? Unbelievable. Even so, he grabbed a tin of lozenges from one of the nearby shelves and slapped it on the table along with his money.
"Fine," he huffed, "this is all I came here for anyway."
Rather than going home, Varus entered the burger restaurant and sat down at one of the tables, contemplating what to do next. For all of his troubles his only other lead had been squashed and what did he have to show for it? Negative dollars and a box of candy. They probably didn't even work anyway and tasted bad...
Varus opened the tin and popped one in his mouth.
Well they're not shit, he grudgingly thought as he grabbed the receipt to look over the actual cost only to find a time and address written at the bottom.
10:30 PM two blocks left of the Hardee's. Bring receipt, he repeated and would continue to repeat for the rest of the day.
Aside from bringing the remaining cash Shiro gave him months ago he couldn't do much to prepare for the night's meeting so he resigned himself to homework until his parents fell asleep. It was a bit risky since Valor appeared to gone as well but the chances of his parents having enough energy to check on them was slim. Slipping down the fire escape and wearing all black (obnoxious belt covered), he hid himself against the walls of his apartment complex until he got himself on the streets. No real reason, just that he wanted to feel cool in the midst of all this investigative work.
Man why don't more people do this for a living! he exclaimed as he arrived at the location with a few minutes to spare.
The lot appeared empty save a few oil stains and a dumpster topped off with flattened boxes. In fact, the very idea that a deal (drugs or otherwise) could take place here at all seemed very likely given how untouched it felt compared to say, the park or PHS #552. Hell, five dollars said people got killed here before being scrubbed away.
"You must be the guy from the store."
Varus turned around, noticing a hooded figure with an entourage of three other guys behind him. They were all masked with the exception of the hooded guy who seemed unconcerned with the summer breeze blowing away his only means of disguise.
"Yeah," the blonde replied, hands in his jacket pocket, "you got the Overdrive?"
"Ah I remember you now. My grandfather was talking about some hakgwei making noise in the store," he chuckled, "I was expecting someone...bigger."
"Yeah I've been told," Varus replied flatly.
The dealer pulled out a small bottle, gesturing for Varus to show the money.
Under the dim lights behind the Hardee's, the dealer might have seemed scary but Varus reminded himself that it had less to do with the man himself and more with the entourage behind. Still, Varus pulled out a roll of bills and passed them to the approaching bodyguard before catching an eight ounce bottle.
"This is all I get for two hundred dollars?" he asked, "I know people that would sell meth for cheaper."
"This isn't meth now is it?" the hooded figure frowned, "I'm not Walter White and this stuff is purer than Blue Sky. Go ahead and try it. If you don't feel anything I'll give you your money back."
"Fine by me."
He opened the drink, ready to fake a sip until a bullet whizzed by his head.
"Like hell I'd let you run back to Caputo with Overdrive."
Two men ran at him while the last stayed back and continued firing. Each drew a knife but it seemed that neither had guns or a taser to disarm him. That was relieving, but Varus understood the danger nonetheless. He ducked behind the first who wore a ski mask while going for a telefono on the other who wore a bandanna. Bringing both his palms up, Varus used both of his hands to slap the man’s exposed ears before closing the two into fists and punching with his dominant side.
Though the ringing left him disoriented, the guy had enough sense to quickly rush the blonde boy with his knife out while the other used his height advantage to dodge Varus’s oncoming hits. Honestly, between dodging the bullets, the knife, and trying to make punches, he couldn’t be too mad at himself when the leader of the gang dashed to his side and knocked him out with a baton.
He awoke unsure of his precise location, but sure that he still remained close to town. Blindfolded as he was, he heard cars passing beyond the walls of wherever he was. Upon tapping his feet on the ground, the floor seemed hard somehow. Unlike rubbery linoleum, slick hardwood, or hard tile, it didn’t make any distinguishable noise which tipped him off to the idea that it might be concrete or asphalt. He wasn’t outside, but possibly a warehouse. He knew he wasn’t going to be killed (yet) because they decided to blindfold him; however, that begged the question of why exactly they brought him here to the possible warehouse. He had no stake in the drug game. If they wanted to kidnap someone with real information the neighborhood was riddled with them. Did they want Valor?
To answer his question, both implicitly and explicitly, a hand came and slapped him awake.
”Varus Williams, brother to Valor or should I say ‘[name of two brothers who took the underworld in Mayan mythology here].’ I’m so glad you have graced us with your awoken presence,” a voice different from the hooded figure of earlier rang out.
Maybe I can just wait for him to leave, he thought, sitting still.
”Don’t try to be slick now-“ she approached Varus with a warning tone”-I heard you tapdancing earlier.”
A resounding slap-and-rip combo left the blonde boy’s face fully visible and his cheek very, very sensitive. The woman before him dressed formally in a business suit and flats and as if to compound how painful the slap was, had nails that were manicured to a point. Narrowed eyes, red lips, and pale skin reminded him of a porcelain doll but the subsequent yelling and stinging burn of another slap made her seem more like a harpy.
”Tell me, what do you know about Caputo?”
“What? I don’t know anything,” Varus answered, “including your name.”
“My name doesn’t matter. What matters is how you answer me. If you want to live then you tell me what you know about him.”
“I just said I don’t know anything!” he exclaimed.
”You’re lying. Is it Adelina? Did she tell you not to talk?”
“Who the fuck is she?”
“Right, not everyone knows her by her real name. Leah Telerico.”
Leah? As in Valor’s Leah? As in “fuck that snake she’s just using Valor’s thirsty ass”? The thought of his words ending Leah’s life filled him with more joy than he would care to admit, yet Valor’s own face came to his mind as well. Would Varus really be okay with risking his brother’s livelihood over a shitty vendetta.
”Leah is…an interesting person. She’s shit on my family a whole bunch and I think she just wants to drag people down below her. I think she gets off on having people depend on her and I could go on for days but that’s really all I know,” Varus paused for a moment, ”unless I get something out of it.”
”How about keeping your life in tact?” she gestured for the hooded figure to come back along with his newly repaired guards.
”Seriously, four to kill me?”
He thought the slap was worth it.
”What about your brother’s?”
Okay no longer worth it.
She smirked at his sudden change in expression, pulling out her phone and showing off a few pictures she’d snapped of him.
”Yes, that’s the beauty of technology these days. You can track and record anyone you please whether it’s a kingpin, mafia, dealers, siblings, or even both. Varus Williams I was going offer you a shot at being one of my own-“
”You mean a sla-“
Instead of her, the hooded man from before ran up and punched Varus in the jaw, splitting his lip.
”Thank you dear but I can take over from here,” she smiled softly, utterly contradicting the grin she’d given Varus.
”I’ll make it simple as I know you inner city children seem to have all these ‘rules’ about snitching-“ she bent down to Varus’s eye level”-there’s nothing wrong with being a rat. In fact, the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac was a rat and I must say, between the life of family versus the life of someone you barely know I’d pick the former.”
”How can I be sure someone else won’t come after me?” he asked.
”Overdrive is going to take over the market faster than any drug in circulation,” she laughed, ”if you align yourselves with us I’ll guarantee you protection from Caputo’s men.”
”I don’t believe you.”
”Believe what you want, but I’m not waiting long for an answer,” she warned, pulling her gun out.
Varus wriggled his arms in the duct tape, trying to find a limit to the stretching while he remained understandably silent. In the room there were five enemies, the hooded figure to the right, the two men at the left, the woman at the center, and the ski mask wearer behind him. Beyond the fluorescent tubes at the ceiling, the room’s lighting was rather poor, as though they were conserving it for later. He supposed that shipments came through here, but for being a shipment area, it was awfully mismatched. Only a few stacked pallets and cardboard boxes lied at the top left corner behind the bandanna man and ski mask versus the crane lift in the corner. His best bet would be getting out of the chair and using that as a weapon, but to say that his hands were tied would be low hanging fruit.
Even if he stalled, the tape seemed too secure to rip using only his hands and tackling the woman would only result in him getting shot by either her or the hoodie guy. They had no obvious weak points and he was already handicapped by the fact that he was in a wooden chair (seriously, how did they manage to find a wooden chair in an area like this?). He honestly didn’t know what constituted cheap versus expensive in chair quality but the chances of him breaking the object were slim unless her body happened to be made of steel and he happened to be Black Widow.
”Time’s up! What’s your answer Varus Williams? A living rat? Or a dead dog?”
He had to think of a way around the problem, something that provided a distraction or even a chance to free himself.
Mother fucking hell why didn’t I just drink it when I had the chance?!
He balled his hands into fists, his anger gathering until it finally burst as a blue ball of energy that propelled itself toward the first person it hit, the ski masked man behind him.
”What the hell?”
As it bounced toward the woman, Varus rushed (more like hobbled) to the downed man and grabbed his knife, cutting himself free from the chair. He dodged the shots thereafter, running immediately back for his captor. Unlike the others, she didn’t have the same mobility (or endurance) so it should’ve been an easy fight, keyword: should’ve. She was smart to wear flats that day, using them to flee toward the hooded guy while the other three closed in on him.
Shit, he swore, how do I do that thing again?
He swept the first man and swiped at the other one but the third kept his distance. He didn’t care to kill them but might have been the last resort. Barely dodging the bandanna man’s knife, he grabbed the man’s arm and threw him over his shoulder before pushing the other thug toward the gunman’s shots. Luckily for him (and unluckily for Varus), the gunman reloaded and ran toward him to truly join the fight.
”Don’t you ever run out of bullets?”
Varus backed away to clear his mind, drawing upon the same anger that he felt earlier minus the bullheadedness that came after. Another burst of energy came forth, this time knocking the gun out of the gunman’s hand and knocking the other two unconscious.
”Looks like it’s just you and me now. Mono a mono. One on one. Human and dog.”
He threw the knife before barreling after the gun. While the other man had the distance advantage he proved no match for Varus's disarm. He fell to Varus's scissor kick and with a gun to his face he had no choice to give up.
"Just kill me now kid 'cause you ain't gettin' anything out of me."
Varus stared at the man, the gun in his hand still shaking. He was half-awestruck and half-annoyed that his own tactics were being used against him. Though he could understand the sentiment, it absolutely infuriated him that someone could be so disgustingly loyal to a woman like that.
"Just as I thought. Little boy can't even pull the trigger," he smirked.
"The fuck you say?"
Varus steadied his aim, but the other man only moved to press his forehead against the barrel.
"Do it."
As much as he wanted to interrogate the guy, Varus wasn’t a hero and his choices were essentially killing a guy or leaving another thug to go after Valor. Gun or not this wouldn’t look good in his record. He blasted the thug away before lowering his gun and sighing in relief.
He walked for a long time, so long that he’d nearly forgotten about calling the police until he saw a street sign (but don’t worry he totally did) and then he walked some more until he finally found his bed.
”Shit it’s been a long night,” Valor yawned, taking the extra towels from under his blanket.
”Yeah for me too.”
Varus slammed the door and walked over to his eager brother. The brown-haired man, Valor, clicked the replay button and a skinny, almost emaciated boy stood in front of a clear body builder. It seemed to reflect the Jekyll and Hyde demonstration he saw a few moments ago but with a twist. Instead of popping two pills, the boy chugged a strangely colored drink and a blue aura surrounded him. The ground around the skinny boy rumbled and with a single punch, he knocked the body builder against the wall.
"Damn what the hell? That was so cool!" Varus exclaimed, turning the screen toward him.
"Yeah they're saying that it's this new 'homeopathic', 'all-natural' Qi enhancer," Valor laughed.
"Tch, ten dollars says that he's just on 'roids."
Varus walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed two sodas before tossing one to his big brother.
"I don't know man I saw this old guy selling it near one of the corners we work at," Valor caught the soda and opened it before taking a sip, "he was shady as hell but-"
"What like creepy shady or black market shady?" Varus took a swig from his own can as he looked through his text messages.
"Nah, nothing like that." Valor shifted his laptop toward his brother. "he just had this off feeling about 'im. Like the kind I usually get from my crazier clients"
"Clients? You're makin' it sound like you're part of some law firm," Varus scoffed.
"Nothin' wrong with that," Valor replied, "Leah said I oughta be more professional."
Varus couldn't hide a snicker as he put down his phone. "Professional about what? You're sellin' to a bunch of crackheads."
"Hey they are more than just your reg'lar junkies now! I'm movin' to the Upper East Side."
"Oh right cause some Bousie girls are going to care that you aren't speaking to them in the most proper of blue blooded English," he mocked, changing the register in his voice, "I swear you're either thirsty for that-"
He paused, remembering the smack he received the last time he called Leah the bitch word.
"-drug dealer."
"I told you, I don't like her like that. She was my "in", (she ain't your in no more) and we're like family."
"Oh like Maeby and George Michael?"
Valor stood, closing the family laptop and heading for the door.
"I'll be back," he answered curtly, "and stop using my Netflix account!"
Selfish bastard, Varus thought as he opened the laptop and pulled up the English assignment.
The band teacher had been gone for God-knows-how-long so he started using that time for study hall but it still wasn't enough time to write a paper, double-spaced or otherwise. He did the wise thing by outlining his book report to write out at home, but did the stupid thing by getting distracted over Valor's video.
What was it about that elixir that enhanced the normal guy so much? Well assuming this video wasn't just special effects. He scoured the Internet for anymore information on the drink but nothing came up except for similar footage at different angles. He would need to go directly to the source if he wanted answers.
The next day was a Saturday and being Saturday, his parents allowed him to have free reign over his workload. Sure, they might ask questions about his schoolwork on Saturday but there was a reason that Sundays (and Monday mornings) existed.
He left the apartment with his backpack but rather than taking the usual path to school he stopped at the third right turn where an older woman in a brown suit was reading a newspaper. He sat with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but rather than a stand, he merely had a table meant for petitioning weed legalization.
"Hey where was the guy from yesterday?"
The woman looked up at the blonde boy for a second before letting out a puff of smoke.
"Beats me," she shrugged, "I got this corner on the weekends, nine to ten."
"Okay but who works here on the weekdays? What's his deal?"
"Gee I don't know. So many people pass by everyday."
Says the woman I only ever see on the weekends.
Nonetheless, Varus signed the petition and slid the clipboard back toward the woman who folded her paper and set it on the table.
"He calls himself Sui and he's always going on about this miracle drink. He says that if I buy some off of him I'll feel loads better but I never did. I just know he sells bucket loads of it."
"Figures," Varus frowned, "you got anything else for me?"
She looked up expectantly at him so he sighed and forged another signature, this time with a "donation".
"They call it 'Overdrive' and I don't know what's in it, but you could probably ask one of those herb shops. We got one off of Atlantic Avenue."
Varus nodded, searching for the nearest shops while he walked toward Atlantic. It'd be far for most people but he was used to walking by now. Valor was using his car for a drug run today and as far his parents were concerned, Varus wouldn't be driving until he could one hundred percent the permit test (Varus tended to get two or three wrong). So it was walking for the next thirty minutes and then asking around for another five until he found "Qiulan Herbal Remedies" sandwiched between a Chinese book store and a takeout restaurant.
Signs were looking good.
He entered to the smell of ginseng and dried scallops and buckets of various dried ingredients (the most prominent being of course, scallop). The shelves open to the public contained pill supplements for different vitamins as well as a few books on how to use herbal remedies (he had to admit, they medicine they had here looked a lot more appetizing than Tylenol). Now obviously they wouldn't have any of the drugs on the shelf, but would they sell it to him that easily? He already felt the owner eying him from the cash register.
Varus walked over, resting his elbows on the glass counter.
"Can I help you?"
"Do you have any uh..."
Crap, what was a good herb?
"Ginger?"
"You want ginger? Go to the supermarket! Don't waste my time here."
Ugh, was his cover blown already?
"Wait, no I'm serious. I need something to boost me up," he said, "school hasn't been so good lately. I need somethin' extra to put me over the edge."
"Ginseng pills: fourth shelf, third row. Pure root is in one of the tubs."
The cashier's face didn't waver, but neither did Varus's attempt to seem genuinely curious.
"I was thinking more of a drink. I'm not big on cooking and I can't swallow pills. Mom never taught me," he shrugged, "I hear you've got something for people like me."
"Either buy something or go somewhere else," the cashier hissed, "you're scaring away customers."
Oh what, just because he was leaning over the counter and making drug allusions he was "scaring customers"? Unbelievable. Even so, he grabbed a tin of lozenges from one of the nearby shelves and slapped it on the table along with his money.
"Fine," he huffed, "this is all I came here for anyway."
Rather than going home, Varus entered the burger restaurant and sat down at one of the tables, contemplating what to do next. For all of his troubles his only other lead had been squashed and what did he have to show for it? Negative dollars and a box of candy. They probably didn't even work anyway and tasted bad...
Varus opened the tin and popped one in his mouth.
Well they're not shit, he grudgingly thought as he grabbed the receipt to look over the actual cost only to find a time and address written at the bottom.
10:30 PM two blocks left of the Hardee's. Bring receipt, he repeated and would continue to repeat for the rest of the day.
Aside from bringing the remaining cash Shiro gave him months ago he couldn't do much to prepare for the night's meeting so he resigned himself to homework until his parents fell asleep. It was a bit risky since Valor appeared to gone as well but the chances of his parents having enough energy to check on them was slim. Slipping down the fire escape and wearing all black (obnoxious belt covered), he hid himself against the walls of his apartment complex until he got himself on the streets. No real reason, just that he wanted to feel cool in the midst of all this investigative work.
Man why don't more people do this for a living! he exclaimed as he arrived at the location with a few minutes to spare.
The lot appeared empty save a few oil stains and a dumpster topped off with flattened boxes. In fact, the very idea that a deal (drugs or otherwise) could take place here at all seemed very likely given how untouched it felt compared to say, the park or PHS #552. Hell, five dollars said people got killed here before being scrubbed away.
"You must be the guy from the store."
Varus turned around, noticing a hooded figure with an entourage of three other guys behind him. They were all masked with the exception of the hooded guy who seemed unconcerned with the summer breeze blowing away his only means of disguise.
"Yeah," the blonde replied, hands in his jacket pocket, "you got the Overdrive?"
"Ah I remember you now. My grandfather was talking about some hakgwei making noise in the store," he chuckled, "I was expecting someone...bigger."
"Yeah I've been told," Varus replied flatly.
The dealer pulled out a small bottle, gesturing for Varus to show the money.
Under the dim lights behind the Hardee's, the dealer might have seemed scary but Varus reminded himself that it had less to do with the man himself and more with the entourage behind. Still, Varus pulled out a roll of bills and passed them to the approaching bodyguard before catching an eight ounce bottle.
"This is all I get for two hundred dollars?" he asked, "I know people that would sell meth for cheaper."
"This isn't meth now is it?" the hooded figure frowned, "I'm not Walter White and this stuff is purer than Blue Sky. Go ahead and try it. If you don't feel anything I'll give you your money back."
"Fine by me."
He opened the drink, ready to fake a sip until a bullet whizzed by his head.
"Like hell I'd let you run back to Caputo with Overdrive."
Two men ran at him while the last stayed back and continued firing. Each drew a knife but it seemed that neither had guns or a taser to disarm him. That was relieving, but Varus understood the danger nonetheless. He ducked behind the first who wore a ski mask while going for a telefono on the other who wore a bandanna. Bringing both his palms up, Varus used both of his hands to slap the man’s exposed ears before closing the two into fists and punching with his dominant side.
Though the ringing left him disoriented, the guy had enough sense to quickly rush the blonde boy with his knife out while the other used his height advantage to dodge Varus’s oncoming hits. Honestly, between dodging the bullets, the knife, and trying to make punches, he couldn’t be too mad at himself when the leader of the gang dashed to his side and knocked him out with a baton.
He awoke unsure of his precise location, but sure that he still remained close to town. Blindfolded as he was, he heard cars passing beyond the walls of wherever he was. Upon tapping his feet on the ground, the floor seemed hard somehow. Unlike rubbery linoleum, slick hardwood, or hard tile, it didn’t make any distinguishable noise which tipped him off to the idea that it might be concrete or asphalt. He wasn’t outside, but possibly a warehouse. He knew he wasn’t going to be killed (yet) because they decided to blindfold him; however, that begged the question of why exactly they brought him here to the possible warehouse. He had no stake in the drug game. If they wanted to kidnap someone with real information the neighborhood was riddled with them. Did they want Valor?
To answer his question, both implicitly and explicitly, a hand came and slapped him awake.
”Varus Williams, brother to Valor or should I say ‘[name of two brothers who took the underworld in Mayan mythology here].’ I’m so glad you have graced us with your awoken presence,” a voice different from the hooded figure of earlier rang out.
Maybe I can just wait for him to leave, he thought, sitting still.
”Don’t try to be slick now-“ she approached Varus with a warning tone”-I heard you tapdancing earlier.”
A resounding slap-and-rip combo left the blonde boy’s face fully visible and his cheek very, very sensitive. The woman before him dressed formally in a business suit and flats and as if to compound how painful the slap was, had nails that were manicured to a point. Narrowed eyes, red lips, and pale skin reminded him of a porcelain doll but the subsequent yelling and stinging burn of another slap made her seem more like a harpy.
”Tell me, what do you know about Caputo?”
“What? I don’t know anything,” Varus answered, “including your name.”
“My name doesn’t matter. What matters is how you answer me. If you want to live then you tell me what you know about him.”
“I just said I don’t know anything!” he exclaimed.
”You’re lying. Is it Adelina? Did she tell you not to talk?”
“Who the fuck is she?”
“Right, not everyone knows her by her real name. Leah Telerico.”
Leah? As in Valor’s Leah? As in “fuck that snake she’s just using Valor’s thirsty ass”? The thought of his words ending Leah’s life filled him with more joy than he would care to admit, yet Valor’s own face came to his mind as well. Would Varus really be okay with risking his brother’s livelihood over a shitty vendetta.
”Leah is…an interesting person. She’s shit on my family a whole bunch and I think she just wants to drag people down below her. I think she gets off on having people depend on her and I could go on for days but that’s really all I know,” Varus paused for a moment, ”unless I get something out of it.”
”How about keeping your life in tact?” she gestured for the hooded figure to come back along with his newly repaired guards.
”Seriously, four to kill me?”
He thought the slap was worth it.
”What about your brother’s?”
Okay no longer worth it.
She smirked at his sudden change in expression, pulling out her phone and showing off a few pictures she’d snapped of him.
”Yes, that’s the beauty of technology these days. You can track and record anyone you please whether it’s a kingpin, mafia, dealers, siblings, or even both. Varus Williams I was going offer you a shot at being one of my own-“
”You mean a sla-“
Instead of her, the hooded man from before ran up and punched Varus in the jaw, splitting his lip.
”Thank you dear but I can take over from here,” she smiled softly, utterly contradicting the grin she’d given Varus.
”I’ll make it simple as I know you inner city children seem to have all these ‘rules’ about snitching-“ she bent down to Varus’s eye level”-there’s nothing wrong with being a rat. In fact, the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac was a rat and I must say, between the life of family versus the life of someone you barely know I’d pick the former.”
”How can I be sure someone else won’t come after me?” he asked.
”Overdrive is going to take over the market faster than any drug in circulation,” she laughed, ”if you align yourselves with us I’ll guarantee you protection from Caputo’s men.”
”I don’t believe you.”
”Believe what you want, but I’m not waiting long for an answer,” she warned, pulling her gun out.
Varus wriggled his arms in the duct tape, trying to find a limit to the stretching while he remained understandably silent. In the room there were five enemies, the hooded figure to the right, the two men at the left, the woman at the center, and the ski mask wearer behind him. Beyond the fluorescent tubes at the ceiling, the room’s lighting was rather poor, as though they were conserving it for later. He supposed that shipments came through here, but for being a shipment area, it was awfully mismatched. Only a few stacked pallets and cardboard boxes lied at the top left corner behind the bandanna man and ski mask versus the crane lift in the corner. His best bet would be getting out of the chair and using that as a weapon, but to say that his hands were tied would be low hanging fruit.
Even if he stalled, the tape seemed too secure to rip using only his hands and tackling the woman would only result in him getting shot by either her or the hoodie guy. They had no obvious weak points and he was already handicapped by the fact that he was in a wooden chair (seriously, how did they manage to find a wooden chair in an area like this?). He honestly didn’t know what constituted cheap versus expensive in chair quality but the chances of him breaking the object were slim unless her body happened to be made of steel and he happened to be Black Widow.
”Time’s up! What’s your answer Varus Williams? A living rat? Or a dead dog?”
He had to think of a way around the problem, something that provided a distraction or even a chance to free himself.
Mother fucking hell why didn’t I just drink it when I had the chance?!
He balled his hands into fists, his anger gathering until it finally burst as a blue ball of energy that propelled itself toward the first person it hit, the ski masked man behind him.
”What the hell?”
As it bounced toward the woman, Varus rushed (more like hobbled) to the downed man and grabbed his knife, cutting himself free from the chair. He dodged the shots thereafter, running immediately back for his captor. Unlike the others, she didn’t have the same mobility (or endurance) so it should’ve been an easy fight, keyword: should’ve. She was smart to wear flats that day, using them to flee toward the hooded guy while the other three closed in on him.
Shit, he swore, how do I do that thing again?
He swept the first man and swiped at the other one but the third kept his distance. He didn’t care to kill them but might have been the last resort. Barely dodging the bandanna man’s knife, he grabbed the man’s arm and threw him over his shoulder before pushing the other thug toward the gunman’s shots. Luckily for him (and unluckily for Varus), the gunman reloaded and ran toward him to truly join the fight.
”Don’t you ever run out of bullets?”
Varus backed away to clear his mind, drawing upon the same anger that he felt earlier minus the bullheadedness that came after. Another burst of energy came forth, this time knocking the gun out of the gunman’s hand and knocking the other two unconscious.
”Looks like it’s just you and me now. Mono a mono. One on one. Human and dog.”
He threw the knife before barreling after the gun. While the other man had the distance advantage he proved no match for Varus's disarm. He fell to Varus's scissor kick and with a gun to his face he had no choice to give up.
"Just kill me now kid 'cause you ain't gettin' anything out of me."
Varus stared at the man, the gun in his hand still shaking. He was half-awestruck and half-annoyed that his own tactics were being used against him. Though he could understand the sentiment, it absolutely infuriated him that someone could be so disgustingly loyal to a woman like that.
"Just as I thought. Little boy can't even pull the trigger," he smirked.
"The fuck you say?"
Varus steadied his aim, but the other man only moved to press his forehead against the barrel.
"Do it."
As much as he wanted to interrogate the guy, Varus wasn’t a hero and his choices were essentially killing a guy or leaving another thug to go after Valor. Gun or not this wouldn’t look good in his record. He blasted the thug away before lowering his gun and sighing in relief.
He walked for a long time, so long that he’d nearly forgotten about calling the police until he saw a street sign (but don’t worry he totally did) and then he walked some more until he finally found his bed.
”Shit it’s been a long night,” Valor yawned, taking the extra towels from under his blanket.
”Yeah for me too.”