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befuddled-calico-whump · 7 months ago

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Total $hit$how: An Array of Unanswered Questions

in which Kaius maybe embraces friendship a little bit

cw: referenced/fear of torture, manhandling

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×~×~×

The air was thick with the promise of rain when Kaius stepped out of the compound. Ruebin trailed a few steps behind, his usual uncertainty plain on his face. They hadn't exchanged many words since receiving their assignment; Ruebin spent the rest of the evening in his room with the door closed, and Kaius had taken the opportunity to pore over the files they'd already acquired.

Vic's sudden decision to drop Finley didn't surprise him. Their handler had seemed opposed to the idea of speaking with her from the start. Investigation of the supposed drop-site, however, seemed as though it would be just as fruitless. Was Vic just trying to keep them occupied while the others worked on more crucial tasks? Perhaps.

A sleek black car with darkened windows, identical to the vehicle that had brought him here, pulled up within a few minutes of their exit, and Kaius climbed inside, Ruebin once again trailing behind. The other man's nerves were palpable. He hoped they wouldn't interfere with their task. It would already be difficult enough as it was. The odds of running into Finley's customers and gleaning anything from them were minimal, and the site itself would likely be barren. With all his distaste for wasting another day, Vic certainly seemed intent on a wild goose chase.

Unless he had some ulterior motive; another thing that would not surprise Kaius. He knew very little about Vic. Normally, he'd expect as much from an employer—it wasn't as if he cared what the other man got up to after business hours—but lately it seemed ignorance was a dangerous game. The man was an enigma, leaving little to be picked up on, even with careful observance.

A few things could be gathered. Vic was in his fifties, and had been in this game for decades. Desensitized to violence, lacking empathy, dangerous. He seemed to report to a federal or governmental agency on some level, as suggested by the drivers and nondescript vehicles he had at his disposal, but Kaius didn't know if he was an asset or merely an errand boy, paid off to do the bidding of those in power.

If the latter was the case, he remained perplexed as to why Vic would delegate the task to them. He'd made it abundantly clear that he outshone their skills and experience in this area, and even if they held certain skills he did not possess, the gap didn't seem large enough to warrant hiring proxies. He'd spent time, money, and energy on getting them to the minimum level of preparation required for the mission when he could've already enacted it himself. Something wasn't adding up, but Kaius couldn't figure out what.

Vic had saved them, or so he said, but he didn't do such a thing from the goodness of his heart. It was a simple exchanging of favors. He hadn't heard the circumstances that brought the others into the compound, but Kaius had been in hot water, pursued by a pair of strangers, cornered, saved at the last minute. His rescuer had acted on Vic's orders, delivering him from a fate he didn't want to dwell on and right into Vic’s hands. His freedom for the elimination of a threat. It seemed fair.

But how far would their handler go to see this mission completed the way he wanted?

Kaius was content to sit and think on everything for the duration of the car ride, but beside him, Ruebin seemed twitchy and nervous. Hardly optimal. He didn't want to deal with the man's anxieties on top of watching for danger and effectively searching the scene. Better to nip it in the bud.

“You seem on edge,” he said in a low voice, and Ruebin’s eyes darted to meet his.

“Yeah,” he said. “I just… the drop site. Seems like the scary one, y'know?”

Kaius raised an eyebrow. “The scary one?”

Ruebin gestured vaguely. “Crime drop-site? What if we run into a criminal?”

“Are you not a criminal?”

“I am, but I'm not dangerous. Vic outright said Finley’s customers are dangerous. I’d just… I wish he would've picked you and Jericho. Or you and Joy.”

“Anyone other than you,” Kaius mused. It seemed a pointless thing to wish for when they were already en route.

“Anyone bigger than me,” Ruebin said. “What will we do if we run into trouble? I mean, you’ve seen me fight. I can’t do anything.”

“I’ll plan an escape route once we arrive,” Kaius said. “If we come across trouble, we run.”

“Okay,” Ruebin said, not sounding entirely convinced. He rubbed his forehead. “Fuck, jail is almost sounding like the preferred alternative.”

Kaius huffed. “Do you honestly believe that?” Ruebin had been a thief before he was picked up. Didn't his whole job revolve around risk and reward? Why couldn't he apply the same principles here?

Ruebin's shoulders slumped. “I mean… not really, I guess. I just don't wanna get jumped or something. And I don't have the best feeling about this.”

Neither did Kaius, but he elected to keep that to himself. Someone needed to be the voice of reason.

Ruebin continued. “I just… I don't think I'm cut out for something like this. This isn't stealing from some too-rich dipshit. This is real.”

Kaius sighed, pressing his back into the leather seat. “And what you did before, was that not real?”

The other man shrugged. “You know what I mean “

“I don't.”

“Well…” He blew out a puff of air, pushing a wave of thick black hair over his shoulder. “I guess it always felt more like a game? Well, mostly. There were other days, days where it got real, but those weren’t exactly frequent.” He fiddled with the collar of his shirt. “We just had our task. One job, no bigger picture. No ‘thousands of people will die if you fail’, y'know?”

Kaius wanted to point out that it was a possibility, not a certainty, but he got the feeling it wasn't what Ruebin wanted to hear. Instead, he nodded. Pressure. It made sense.

“I don't think I'm ready for that to be on me,” Ruebin said. “Not for this job, and definitely not for the whole thing. I think… I think you all could do this without me.”

Was that what this was? Not cowardice, but feeling useless? Kaius knew Ruebin wasn't the boldest of the group, but a life of crime required some degree of bravado. The man hadn't run from the task Vic had given them in the labyrinth, but he had seemed somewhat dejected after the fact.

“Do you not think your skills are adequate?” Kaius asked. “Necessary?”

“I’m a lockpick,” Ruebin said with a short laugh. “I’m a couple steps above a street magician. We’re a dime a dozen.”

Maybe that was it. “Regardless of how common your skillset is, it will be needed here,” he countered. “You’re a thief. I’m an investigator. Right now, we need to pull critical information from a delicate location. Both our talents are required.”

“Yeah,” Ruebin said, not quite sounding convinced. Kaius tried again.

“I know your record isn’t spotless, seeing as you’ve wound up here, but you avoided being caught up until this point, did you not?”

Ruebin shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, I guess I did, but—”

“Then you’re essential here,” Kaius said, leaving no room in his tone for argument. “Your chosen lifestyle has given you an edge when it comes to escaping notice and fleeing the scene. If we do wish to avoid trouble, we’ll need your instincts to make it happen. Do you agree?”

Ruebin’s expression was twitchy, his face flushing a few shades brighter, as if from a sunburn. “I mean— I, yeah. Yeah, guess so.” He rubbed his neck “Jeez, alright.”

His eyes were on the carpeted floor of the car, but there was a slight smile on his face. Despite knowing the argument was necessary for Ruebin’s confidence, and therefore necessary for today's mission, Kaius felt an odd pleasantness at the sight of it.

Perhaps it was the familiar satisfaction that came with winning an argument. Perhaps not

After approximately an hour and a half of driving, the car came to a stop, and the driver gestured for them to get out. Kaius obliged, Ruebin on his heels. They were parked adjacent to a moneylender, on a street with an unfamiliar name. The driver, silent up until this point, rolled down her window and extended a gloved hand towards Kaius. There was something in her palm; a little metal capsule, silver buttons shielded by a clear plastic lid.

“What's this?” he asked, taking it from her.

“A way to tell me you're done,” the driver replied.

“You're not staying?” Ruebin squeaked, clearly not enthused with the idea of being left there alone.

“It's policy,” she replied simply. It seemed sensible. If there was a risk of interception, it was better to have as few people involved as possible.

“Is the site nearby?” Kaius asked.

“I don't know about any site. This is where I was told to go.”

Before he could ask any further questions, she rolled the window up. Kaius tried to keep himself from scowling. He understood the mission specifics were likely revealed on a need-to-know basis, but that didn't make the exchange less aggravating.

So it was on them to find the exact location. Fortunately, Kaius had been the one to identify its existence in the first place, and had a vague idea of where it would be. He watched the car pull away, feeling Ruebin deflate beside him as it disappeared into the sunrise.

“Let's move,” he said. “Keep your eyes sharp.”

“Sharp.” His voice lacked enthusiasm. “Got it.”

The sun wasn't quite high enough to light up the block, and the surrounding buildings were painted in a blue wash. Scanning the area, Kaius saw no one out and about, but given that these streets seemed to be made up of businesses and it was just shy of seven in the morning, he wasn't overly surprised. Kaius led the way, searching for anything familiar from what he'd read. Within a quarter of an hour, he’d found it: A wide gap between a bar and a bodega, more of a loading area for a semi truck than the usual alleyway. A sensible spot; if Finley met her customers at night they could easily be taken for bar patrons. It still made little sense why they were there. At this hour, the bar was closed, so it wasn't even as if Kaius could question the staff.

Pointless. But if Vic wanted a futile search, that was what he'd get. He gestured towards the open area.

“There,” he said. “This was the listed location.”

Ruebin nodded, taking in the blank pavement ahead; plain brick walls with smatterings of graffiti here and there, a singular rubbish bin sitting against the bar’s exterior.

It would be a quick search. Kaius directed Ruebin to the bodega side, not wanting the man to get his fishnets in a twist combing over the bin, and began scouring his own area. He fell into step rather quickly, beginning a methodical search for anything that seemed out of place. Useless as their task may be, it felt almost relaxing to get back into groundwork. Relying on his senses to find details others had missed, applying the tiniest clues to the bigger picture.

Just a few more days, and he could go back to work; moving in solitude, solving small mysteries or collecting information. It meant working long days, constantly looking over his shoulder, but Kaius could never get enough. Once a question was posed, he had to find its answer. If unsolvable, he had to find out why.

Much like the question of Vic. His mannerisms and motivations could boil down to personality and lifestyle, but Kaius couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. He knew he should put it to rest and focus on the mission ahead, but his thoughts kept trailing back to it.

It doesn't matter, he tried to tell himself. In a matter of days, you'll be gone, and you'll never see him again. Or the rest of them.

The thought wasn't as neutral as Kaius had imagined it would be. He found himself wondering what the others would do with their own freedoms. Would they return to their individual crimes? Jericho had a family, he knew. Did Harbor? Ruebin?

He knelt beside the rubbish bin, checking its exterior for tampering.

It wasn't as if he were going to do anything about it if they didn't. They were all adults with their own lives, and a few scant weeks wouldn't change that. Kaius would certainly be fine. He enjoyed being alone. Still, as irritating as the rest of the group could be at times, he had to admit it was nice not being lonely.

After a handful of minutes, Kaius was satisfied with his own search. He cast a glance back at Ruebin, and found him standing still, eyes on the bodega’s wall. Kaius frowned. What was he doing? Attempting to read the jagged scrawl of some vandal?

“Hey, Kaius? What exactly did the thing you read say? About this spot?”

“Not much,” Kaius replied. “A vague description and some coordinates.”

“Nothing about like… a secret cubby or anything?”

His frown deepened. “What?” In two strides, he was at Ruebin's side, staring in the same spot. After a moment, he spotted it; a clear seam cutting through the bricks.

Odd. He certainly hadn't expected a physical drop site, much less something so concealed.

“Good eye,” he murmured, stepping closer to the wall and tracing the seam with his eyes. The area it surrounded was quite small, only amounting to two bricks, stacked directly on top of each other. Easily missed if you weren't looking for it. Perhaps there was something useful to be found here after all.

Kaius reached for it, hesitating when he remembered he didn't have any gloves. Damn it. Lacking a better option, he tugged the sleeve of his jumper over his fingertips. The brick would likely snag the material, but it was better than nothing.

“Keep watch,” he said to Ruebin as he dug his knit-covered fingers into the seam and worked the cover off. A little upwards force, and the brick panel slid right into his hands, allowing Kaius to peer into the gap.

At a glance, it seemed empty. No papers or boxes. Then, his eyes landed on the thin wire, running through the upper corner of the compartment and down to a small metallic shape. He squinted at it, and the object flashed green. Slowly, his gaze dropped to the panel in his hands.

There was a sensor there.

“Damn it,” he whispered through clenched teeth, slipping the brick panel back into place as quick as he could.

“What's wrong?” Ruebin asked, but Kaius shook his head, rolling his sleeves back.

“It's monitored.”

“What?”

“They know someone's been here.”

Ruebin's eyes widened. “Oh shit. Shit… they'll take some time to get here, won't they? We have time to run?”

“Some.” Kaius scanned the street ahead. “There. Cafe. Let's get breakfast.”

Ruebin gave a too-sharp nod. “Right. Hiding. Blending in.”

“Walk, don't run,” Kaius said. “Try not to look like you've done anything wrong.” To his surprise, an expression of friendly ease crossed Ruebin's face. Just like that. His disbelief must've shown, because the look quickly changed to a frown.

“What? Too calm?”

Kaius blinked. “No. No, it's perfect. Carry on.”

Side by side, they strolled through the alley, casual as Kaius could muster. It was still early morning, and the streets ahead were still empty. Both a good and a bad sign; no one to see them and grow suspicious, but no witnesses either.

“I've heard this spot makes a mean macchiato,” Ruebin said, and Kaius turned his head abruptly to look at him, his brows drawing down. Ruebin sighed as he did, seemingly exasperated.

“What?” he whispered. “Do you want me calm or not?”

Kaius faced forward again, rubbing his eyes. “We're not… I didn't realize you were an actor.”

“Maybe you should take some classes. You're tense.”

“I'm not—” Kaius froze mid sentence at the sound of an engine. Behind them. Framing it as stretching his neck, he cast a glance back and saw a van pulling around the corner. White. Well-used, no front license plate.

“Kaius—”

“Keep walking.”

Ruebin let out a nervous sound, but obeyed, his steps falling a little quicker.

“We’ll be fine,” Kaius assured him under his breath, though his own heart was thumping. That could be a lie. The two of them stood out in the empty streets; the only plausible culprits. He scanned the block ahead, spotting two possible paths down alleys too narrow to fit a van.

“Between the cafe and the comic shop,” he murmured. “As soon as we hit the sidewalk, dash for the alley and lose them. Just stay with me. We'll be—”

The engine behind them suddenly let out a roar, pealing forward, hooking at the end of the alley to cut them off. The rear door slid open, and Kaius locked eyes with a tall figure in a hockey mask.

“Fuck!” Ruebin yelped.

“Run!” Kaius snapped.

The alley met the road not three meters ahead. The van took up most of the path, but there was a two meter gap on either side. He could see the silhouette of the driver, and no one else. One person at the ready for chasing them, not prepared to pursue two targets.

“Left,” Kaius said, giving Ruebin a shove. “Take the path. I'll find you.” Thankfully, Ruebin was quick to respond, breaking out into a sprint towards the rear of the vehicle as Kaius made a break for the front.

It had the intended effect, stopping the masked figure short as they decided which target to run after. The heavy footfall on his tail told Kaius he was the lucky pick. He did not slow. He'd run for his life enough times to be rather good at it, and if he could only make it to the next alley—

The van cut him off, and Kaius stopped short to avoid impacting its side. He nearly tripped over himself trying to change directions, but the masked figure was on him, crushing him in a bearhug. It took a split second to accept that his arms were pinned and he'd need to find another avenue of escape. He kicked his legs, driving his heel upwards to try and catch his captor in the groin, but the figure barely stumbled at the contact, letting out a curse. The door slid open, and he was flung into the cab. The masked figure wrestled his arms behind him, and someone else, also masked, darted forward to zip tie his wrists. The door was already slamming closed, the van already pealing away.

Kaius clenched his jaw, trying to get a look around. Battered interior, smelled like old chips, seats taken out to make the rear compartment flat and open—

Before he could take in much more, a bag was thrown over his head and cinched tight.

Damn it all.

“Fuckin’ hell this one's quick,” a masculine voice complained, breathless. He could assume this was his pursuer. Loud voice, English accent with a lilt bordering on cockney.

“What about the other one?” his companion replied. American. Smooth voice, annoyed.

“Only need one, eh?”

Despite the hood obscuring his vision, Kaius squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe deeply. Focus. He was caught, there was no changing that. The next step was to anticipate what exactly they wanted with him, decide how much he was willing to comply, and search for a way out.

There were three assailants in the vehicle with him, unless a fourth was making an effort to hide. With the ski masks and battered van, he could assume they were thugs for hire, lacking organization and proper funding. But who had hired them? The supposed drop site had been a come-along, but was it meant to target anyone who came looking for Finley, or only Vic? In the case of the former, he could perhaps talk his way out. He had no quarrel with the woman, no desire to steal her customers or blackmail her. On the other hand, if they were targeting Vic, he could be in trouble. What if they were with Rotorworx?

His mind went to the video, Sahota's brush with the Rotorworx hires, and he suppressed a shudder. It wasn't like that, was it? Would they torture him in an effort to reach Vic or uncover the team's plot? He wouldn't do well maintaining silence; he needed to brew up a convincing lie. Damn it, unless he was meant to be used as bait. Screaming for the camera in an effort to draw out his comrades.

He was all too familiar with the ways a person could be made to feel pain. Though he'd never seen his mother or father at work, he'd seen the remains they'd left behind; the tools carefully organized, shining against a bloodstained backdrop.

Kaius bit down on his tongue, trying to use the pain to anchor his thoughts. He didn't know that was his fate. He didn't know anything yet, and until he did, his best chance was to be still and silent.

“Is he alive back there?” A third voice, the driver. Feminine with an accent he couldn't quite place. Spanish, perhaps?

“He's fine,” said the loud one. “Sometimes they stop moving, y'know?”

“You know?”

“Well I read about it. It's the fight or flight reflex.”

“He does not seem to be doing either.”

“There's more than just those.”

The trio seemed to be fairly stupid, which could either work for or against Kaius. Easier to trick, easier to outwit and escape. Harder if they decided he had to know something about Vic's operation and decided to drag it out of him. Again, he suppressed a shudder, realizing for the first time just how badly his hands were shaking.

Enough. Enough, there's still time, it won't come to that. None of them had been unnecessarily rough or intentionally hurt him. He wouldn't panic for no reason. …At least that's what he ordered himself to do. His body failed to obey, feeling so rigid he wasn't sure he could move quickly if he tried.

Breathe deeply, stop it. Stop.

Even his breaths became stilted when the van made a sharp turn and shortly came to a stop. No matter how he tried to correct himself, no matter how illogical he knew he was being, Kaius was physically afraid. He managed to retain his silence as the van’s door was pulled open. A big pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders, propping him up into a seated position.

“Would you look at that? We actually caught one.” A new voice. Feminine, somewhat rougher than the driver's, American accent. Kaius clamped his teeth down on his tongue, trying to ignore the turning of his stomach.

“You're one of Shepard's bodies, huh?”

The question caught him off-guard, and for a moment, he forgot his resolve not to speak. “Who?”

A short laugh above him. “Right. It's Vic to his friends, isn't it?”

Damnit, the group was after Vic then. They couldn't prove he worked for him. He just had to stay quiet.

“You don't have to answer that. I already know. Why else would you be snooping around where you were?”

They couldn't prove anything.

“Look, I'm not here to grill you on that asshole’s comings and goings. I brought you here as a favor.”

“A favor?” Again, his silence was forgotten at the sheer incredulity.

“Yeah. You… fucking shit, I can't keep doing this with the bag. Jazz, be a gentleman will ya?”

There was a tug at his neck, and then the bag slid off his head, pulling at his hair. Kaius squinted up at the newest speaker.

He came face to face with a lean woman, her hair an offensively bright shade of yellow, cut into a jagged mullet. Her face and shoulders were covered in freckles, and her eyes seemed to glitter as she looked down at him.

“Damn, where'd Vic pull you from? Juvie?”

He couldn't tell if it was meant to be an insult, or just a misplaced observation. This time, he remembered his silence, but the woman was unbothered by his lack of response.

“So tell me about your little group. How many of you are there?”

The query was more along the lines of what Kaius expected, and he set his jaw, staring back without a word. The woman sighed.

“Come on babyface, I'm not your enemy. I want the same thing as you. Wrecking the Reality Cage, yeah?”

Less expected. Kaius frowned. “If that's what you want, then why are you impeding my progress?”

“Impeding? You came looking for me, didn't you?” She spread her arms. “I'd say I made your life easier.”

He'd figured as much, but hadn't wanted to assume outright. “Finley.”

“In the flesh.” She cast a look behind him then, tossing her head in a gesture to the loud one.

“Bring him inside.”

The hands were around his torso again, hauling him up and setting him on the ground, large fingers remaining behind to encircle his upper arm. Scanning his surroundings seemed a better use of his focus than getting frustrated at the unwanted contact, so Kaius turned his attention past Finley, into the room beyond.

They were in a large bay, the sort a fire brigade might use to park their vehicles, though it was empty save the van and a few scattered shelves. A singular office was inlaid in white cinderblock, and Finley seemed to be making her way for it.

“Don't drag your feet, I won't bite,” the woman said, flashing a grin over her shoulder. Kaius did not return it. His thoughts were in a whirlwind.

She knew about Vic, that shouldn't be a surprise. Knowing about the Cage was to be expected considering she'd had a hand in it, but she wanted to destroy it? Why then was Vic so set on keeping away from her? On killing her if they had to meet?

He needed answers. But maybe this was the person who could give them to him. Ahead, Finley pushed the office door open, leaning on its frame.

“I think it's high time we had a chat.”

×~×~×

tag list:

@theonewithallthefixations , @violets-whumperflies , @whump-me ,

@pirefyrelight , @soheavyaburden , @snakebites-and-ink , @whumpsday , @kixngiggles ,

@echo-goes-aaa , @whumpcateyes , @clickerflight , @sodacreampuff , @starfields08000

#summary for this chapter: 'kaius was not surprised. this made sense.' > 'this did not make sense'#constantly telling myself it doesn't have to be perfect it just has to exist 😭 first draft jobs babey 🤙🤙#total$hit$how #story #writing #idk what genre this is #action adventure #whump #combined

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