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Vander pushes open the back door as he waits for (Y/N) and Claggor to follow. The women looks up at her friend before grabbing his hand and leading the way.

"All right, give me the details of exactly what happened down there."

The three swiftly make their way towards their destination, not before the young adult takes a quick glance at a certain blue haired girl rummaging through a trash can.

...

On a dirty corner of the street, an old wooden sign swung gently with the words 'Benzo's' inscribed in silver writing.

Vander adjusts his wrist band as he goes to open the door. (Y/N) looks back and nods to Claggor, the boy reciprocating before handing her the bag,

"Nobody comes in."

Together, the two push through the door before looking up and eyeing a man behind the front desk.

He had a hefty figure, with side burns and slicked back hair. Frown lines ran across his cheeks, indicating that he didn't really smile much in his youth.

He looks up from inspecting a small machine before glaring at the two. "We're closed."

Vander raises a brow at his words as (Y/N) shifts the bag from her left hand to her right.

"Well open up!"

The man looks up and slams his hand against the desk. "For good, you can take your worthless junk elsewhere!"

"Just as well.." (Y/N) sighs, "Owner's the shittiest businessman I know."

The three stay staring at eachother before erupting with chuckles. Vander smiles as he rests his palm against his friends back before guiding her to the two stools across the desk.

"Ekko! What's going on with that thing?" Benzo questions towards a small boy in the corner of the room. He was bent over a machine as he fiddles with a wrench, his striking white hair on display.

"Give me a few seconds, the cannon pinions still busted." The boy scoffs towards his parental figure.

"Finish it later, these two and I need a word."

"But-!"

"Uh-uh. Off you go." Benzo orders, causing Ekko to toss his wrench to the side before grabbing a box and waddling towards the door.

He looks up and smirks as he makes eye contact with (Y/N). Giving the lady a wink, he rushes out the door as Vander holds it open, biting back a grin as the older man raises a brow at the boy's action.

"Claggor!"

"He-he-hey, 'Little Man'."

Vander shuts the door before walking across the shop and standing infront of his friend, (Y/N) at his side as she picks the bag up with a sigh.

"Your a little early, my guys are still roundin' up this month's collection." Benzo comments, leaning back with a smile.

"Won't have numbers until next, um.." his words die out as (Y/N) dumps the contents of the bag onto his desk, raising a brow at the odd items.

"Why are you muckin' about with this?"

Vander rolls his shoulders as he looks up, (Y/N) taking a seat with a sigh. "I assume you've heard?"

"Yeah, me and half the undercity!" Benzo laughs, glancing to his (E/C) friend as she looks down with a pout.

Vander sighs as he leans against his forearms. "How could they be so stupid.." he asks, glancing to the women as she looks down with guilt.

Benzo scoffs at his friends hair, carefully, he leans further down before his face was eye level to Vander's, "Yknow, you keep looking at her like that and you'll leave here with a bruised head." He jokes, (Y/N) chuckling as she listens.

"Nah.." she shakes her head. "He's right, we were pretty stupid." She muses, bumping her shoulder with Vander's.

The man's expression softens as he watches her, carefully taking her hand into his, he runs his thumb across her knuckles, a small smile as he notes the striking size difference between their hands.

Benzo watches with a smirk as he glances between the two. Pulling his brows up and dropping his eyes, he speaks with a smug expression.

"So! You two tied the knot then?"

Both adults look up with wide eyes as (Y/N) pulls her hand back and curls it into a fist. Vander looks at his friend with a small glare before scoffing, (Y/N) doing the same.

"You know it's not-"

They both start before stopping, looking at eachother before turning away. Benzo nods with a smirk, shaking his head as he bring his hands up and claps his friends shoulders with a shake.

"All in due time."

...

The adults relax before picking up two cups, nodding to their friend for a drink. Benzo obliges without a word, picking up a can and pouring the liquid into the cups.

They look up at the sound of the door opening, glancing up, (Y/N) sighs as two enforcers stroll in, masks across their faces to keep them from breathing in any of the musty air.

The man looks (Y/N) up and down before going around her and coming up to Vander's side. Without a care, her friend takes a small sip of his drink before Benzo speaks.

"Something I can help you with?" Neither enforcer speaks as the trio continue to sip away, before the man removes his mask and glares harshly at them.

"Some trencher trash attacked one of the buildings in the Academy district, but you already knew that." He states, eyeing the three with a scowl.

The women goes to stand beside (Y/N), noting how the women relaxed at her presence, she removes her helmet before talking. "We're looking for the culprits."

"Got a description?" Vander asks as he swirls his cup around. The man nods, "Yeah, it's exactly who your picturing in that thick head of yours." He pokes fun at the older man, watching him raise a brow with a smirk.

"Hm, do you think my head is thick?" Vander muses, looking to (Y/N) before glancing at Benzo. The women chuckles as she brings her hand up and brushes the side of Vander's face, cupping it gently with a small smile.

"Just past the average." Benzo pipes up with a raised brow, acting as if the topic was necessary to the conversation. Vander smiles at the words before leaning the side of his face against (Y/N)'s palm gently.

The man glares harshly as he sits up before slamming his hand against the table and pointing to Vander. "Listen you shady son of a-!" He's cut off as his captain speaks up, (Y/N) having removed her hand from Vander and scowling at him.

"How about you go for a little walk, Marcus? Cool off a bit." It was obvious she was just trying to get rid of the boy. He wasnet a threat to either one of the three, and they all knew that.

Without another word, Marcus shoves himself out of the door with a huff before marching down the street.

"Lovely chap you brought." Benzo comments sarcastically, the enforcer nodding with an apologetic look.

"He's new, so don't mind him. But..back to the topic at hand." She goes to continue the earlier conversation, watching as Vander and (Y/N) tense at the mention.

"You know this crossed the line upstairs." She states softly, taking a sip of her drink and leaning against the counter.

"Was..anyone hurt?"

"A building was blown to bits! What do you think?" She scoffs at the man, glancing to (Y/N) and taking in her worried expression.

Vander watches her before speaking up, "Those who did this, will be dealt with." He promises, bringing his cup up and nodding.

The enforcer sighs, "That workshop belonged to the Kirammans." The name makes them all perk up slightly, having heard the name from the news several times before.

"You know the kind of stuff they had in their?Makes this place look like a candy shop." She gestures towards the entire room, causing Benzo to shrink back at the insult.

"The council needs someone to make an example of, people need to feel safe."

"Yeah, topside people." (Y/N) scoffs, glancing to the women but keeping her head down for the most part.

"We had a deal, you two. You keep your people off my streets and I stay out of your business." The Captain reminds, glaring slightly as she watches their hands clench their cups.

"Give me a name, we'll do things quiet. No one will know you were involved." She offers gently, not wanting to have to resort to extreme measures.

Vander shakes his head with a sigh as he looks down. "I can't do that.."

She raises a brow at his words. "You don't seem to grasp how serious this is. If I don't put someone behind bars tonight, the next time I come down here, I'll have an army of enforcers with me." It wasent a threat, it was a warning.

"We all know how that'll go."

(Y/N) shakes her head once more before looking up, a slight softness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Grayson, but we can't offer up our own people."

The women sighs heavily as she accepts the answer with distaste, taking out a canister, she sets it down gently against the table before looking up. "If you change your mind, this will reach me, and only me."

She goes to exit the store before looking back over her shoulder. "And, (Y/N)?"

Said women glances up with a hum, taking a small sip of her drink, she waits for the women to continue.

"Viktor sends his best."

And with a that, Grayson exits the door and goes to make her way out, leaving all three adults to let her words sink in.

(Y/N)'s eyes widen as the words repeat over and over in her head.

Viktor.

That was a name she hadn't heard in years.

"You alright?" Vander gently questions, grasping his friend's shoulder gently with worried eyes.

The women snaps out of her thoughts with a nod of her head before downing her drink in one gulp and slamming the cup down.

Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she looks up at her friends with a small grin. "Never fucking better!"

——