The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 14: The Club

"You think that makes it better?" Blake hissed. Vao shrugged.

"Not really. All I know is they watch my back, I watch theirs. It's just one big family, if you think about it."

"I-If I think about it, I worry you'll kill us..." Cardin stammered. But Vao just laughed.

"Nah mate, I'm not a hitman." He took a sip from his flask, sitting back down and crossing his legs. "So. Any questions? Willing to bet you've got loads of rubbish on your minds."

"You don't kill people... Then what the hell do you do?" Yang growled lowly. Vao scratched his girly chin.

"... Not a whole lot. I mainly sell drugs, fuck up someone's store when they don't pay what they owe, or just beat them up. On the rare occasion, I have to kidnap people. Which is what I did with you guys. But this was the first time I had to kidnap people I care about..."

"You just said you didn't kill people!"

Vao held his hands up defensively. "I don't! We always let them go! We take them to the basement, rough 'em up a bit, and send them home. That's all, bruv."

"How long have you been doing this?" Blake asked. She was the calmest of the group. Vao shrugged.

"Since I was like, sixteen?"

"How?" Y/N asked. Vao turned to him, shrugging his shoulders again.

"My mum knew the Boss from her bandit days. She told me about him because I wanted to drink, but I was underaged. I was like... fourteen back then? Maybe fifteen...?" He shook his head. "Whatever. I became an associate to the mafia shortly after that. It worked out great: I go out and beat a few people up, I get free drinks. On my sixteenth birthday, I was offered an invitation. I was given a lot of money, and it seemed like a good idea. But I've-"

Sasha kicked her legs out, catching his attention. Vao snapped his fingers, one of the goons peeling the duct tape from her lips. The giant snarled.

"You... I'm going to beat you to a pulp, you hear me!? I won't forgive you, you rotten gangster! Once I get free, I'll fucking KILL you!" She screamed. Her eyes were growing wet, hot tears streaking down her cheeks. Y/N was taken aback. He hadn't expected Sasha, of all people, to be this angry over their situation.

Click.

They screamed in horror the moment the goons drew their pistols, aiming right for Sasha's skull. The giant stopped, her eyes widening. Vao was the only one who remained calm.

"... Lower your weapons."

"But she-"

Vao turned a glare towards him. "That's an order. Lower your gun. Now."

Y/N hadn't seen this side of Vao before. For the first time, the usually laid-back, lazy alcoholic was acting responsible, assuming leadership. The henchmen slowly moved their pistols back into their pockets, but kept their hands on them. Vao turned back to Y/N. "See? I'm not here to have anybody killed."

"H-how can we trust you?" Y/N whimpered. "Vao... I never thought you'd be a... a criminal... You've done terrible things, but this... This completely blows everything else out of the water..."

Vao looked at Y/N like he just said something incredibly stupid. The gangsters behind him snickered, wearing matching smirks. Vao leaned forward, as if in a business meeting. "... Mate, I steal literally every day. I have enough money to buy expensive clothes and feed my crippling alcohol addiction, I'm persuasive enough to get on the General's good side, my car has bullet holes in it, and I still have a driver's license despite drinking behind the wheel. How did you not think even once that I might have connections?"