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TWO. two kinds of shots
new monsters , -lantsov
"dirtyhands and his serpent"
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VERA DID NOT want to have to experience an argument between Kaz and Inej so late in her evening. She was tired, pissed off, and in need of a drink. Being dragged along on a mission with no pre-given knowledge on it, simply being left to figure it out as they went along, had put quite a dampener on Vera's night. Besides, she was also pretty pissed off that Kaz was planning for them to go to Ravka.

Maybe she simply lived in a state of constant annoyance nowadays.

Inej had followed Kaz into his office, the look in her eyes telling Vera that shit was about to go down. Few people would stand up to Kaz, (namely, Inej and Vera), and Vera always knew when Inej was going to put Kaz in his place. Vera had taught herself how to spot lies, and that came from reading the body language and mannerisms of a person. Luckily, that skill of reading people also helped to figure out what other people were feeling and planning.

The Crow Club wasn't too busy that evening, but there was still a decent crowd. Enough to have some fun, that is. Jesper clearly had the same idea, for he went straight to the bar to order the pair a few shots.

Vera trailed behind the boy, slipping onto the seat next to him and leaning her elbows forward on the bar top. The bartender, a scrawny guy named Roeder who was always eager to please Kaz and anyone close to him, got the duo their shots quickly, bowing his head in submission before leaving them be. Roeder wasn't really meant to be a leader, that much was obvious.

"To one million kruge," Jesper snorted, lifting his shot glass in a toast and turning to Vera. "May we not die horribly in Kaz's hands."

Vera mirrored his actions and clicked their glasses together. "May we not die horribly in Kaz's hands."

The two of them tilted their glasses back and swallowed the burning liquid quickly. Vera held her cough in as Jesper broke out into a wicked grin. His hands quickly found his second shot, lifting it up as he waited for Vera to match his pace.

Vera scowled but grabbed her second shot nonetheless. The two downed their glasses again, this time with less of a burn because of their previous round. Before Jesper could signal Roeder for more shots, Vera stood up and bid him goodbye. She should probably make sure Kaz and Inej hadn't killed each other yet anyways.

The office was silent when Vera reached its door. Tentatively and slowly, she wrapped her fingers around the doorknob and pushed it open. The silence wrapped around her as she walked into the room, softly shutting the door behind her.

Her eyes found Kaz leaned over his desk with a stressed expression. Vera's eyes instinctively darted to the right where Inej's favorite entrance and exit window was halfway open. So she had left, it seemed.

"You scare her off?" Vera asked, walking forward to meet Kaz at his desk.

"No," Kaz said. His voice sounded tense and angry though.

Vera didn't push the matter and looked down at the papers he was shuffling through. "So, Ravka? Didn't think to tell me before dragging me along tonight?"

Kaz sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Finally, he looked up at Vera. "No. I didn't think I'd need to."

"Yeah, no, because that's not something I need to know," Vera said. "It's definitely not a good idea to tell the native she's gonna have to go home."

"If it's going to be a problem, we can leave you behind," Kaz snapped, shifting his eyes back down to his stack of papers.

Vera briefly considered it. "Nah, you'll die without me. Do you need help with anything?"

Kaz paused and Vera could practically see the gears shifting in his mind. "Were you captured on the West or East side of the Fold?"

"West."

"So how'd you get through?"

Funny story, Vera wanted to say.

"By sandskiff," she stated.

Kaz nodded. "Have you ever heard of people getting across the Fold without a sandskiff?"

Vera shook her head. "It's damn near impossible to get through any other way. A shadow or sun summoner could walk through, maybe, but that's it."

"We need to find a way through," Kaz explained, "and it can't be on a sandskiff."

Vera nearly snorted. "Impossible."

"Improbable," Kaz corrected her. "Someone has to have done it before."

Vera dragged a hand over her face, deciding to play along with Kaz's delusions. "Okay. Whatever. If someone has done it, which is highly unlikely, they'd probably be someone fleeing from the war. They're more likely to have Grisha blood in the family. Lots of parents don't want their children going to fight for Kirigan. If you're delusional enough to believe someone has actually done it, they'll likely fit that description."

Kaz nodded as he memorized Vera's information. He knew of her nationality and small bits of her past, which had made her an excellent ally to have when looking for Ravkans and Grisha. She always seemed to know everything about them.

Footsteps pulled Vera's attention away from the papers. Kaz stayed bent over, fingers shuffling through the documents, while Vera turned towards the entrance to his office. She did not expect to see two burly men she didn't recognize barely ten feet away from her already. They were dressed for business but held themselves in a way no man of great importance would. Just their posture alone screamed henchmen.

Kaz seemed to notice something was wrong because he looked up at Vera curiously. He finally noticed the two men, his posture straightening and hands coming to hold onto his cane in front of his body. Vera could see he was readying up for a fight. So, in tandem, she slipped her hand into her waistband for her gun.

Vera was never an up-close fighter. She had always preferred to fight from a distance. To her, guns were quite easy until it came to a close contact situation. Unfortunately, that's exactly where she was at that moment.

It was Vera who got held captive first; the man fighting her held her wrists together behind her back and pressed her gun into her temple. Blood was trickling down from where it was pressed because of the aggressive jab to the temple he had used the gun for first. Vera would need to ask Jesper for help using guns in close proximity situations.

When she finally remembered Kaz, he was already being held tight by the other guy. Vera felt a wave of discomfort for Kaz flash over her at the sight of the man's bare hand clutching the shirt on Kaz's chest. She could only imagine how he felt with that much contact.

Vera stayed still in her captor's hands as the face of the ever-so-terrible Pekka Rollins strolled into Kaz's office. Kaz, on the other hand, was struggling to break free from his hold, which was probably easier for him due to the lack of a gun aimed at his head. While Pekka Rollins made Vera annoyed, Pekka Rollins made Kaz's blood boil. Vera had no grudge towards the man, but her loyalty to Kaz had slowly made her pissed at the man after hearing so much shit about him from Kaz. She would punch him happily if given the chance, but she didn't actively seek revenge on him as Kaz did.

"Evening," Pekka greeted with a sniffle. "Mr. Brekker, is it? And his Serpent, I reckon."

"You're a long way from home," Kaz commented.

"Am I?" Pekka moved to sit down on Kaz's chair. "Like you were earlier? When you took a Grisha from the Orchid."

"The Orchid isn't Dime Lions' turf," Kaz said.

Pekka shook his head slightly. "Well, it's a new acquisition. You heard it here first."

The man holding Kaz tossed his cane towards Pekka, causing Kaz to grunt in protest and struggle with more vigor. Vera jerked at the movement, and the man holding her dug his fingers into her wrists tighter.

"Now, I know you saw Dreesen," Pekka said. "You got the jump on whatever job he has. I don't know the details, obviously, just that you have a little travel hazard ahead of you. So, here's the deal. You can do nothing, walk away from it. I'll tell Dreesen I'm taking over for you. Then we're even."

"Not even close," Kaz snapped back without missing a beat.

"Hang on," Pekka mused. "The other option is..." Pekka leaned forward and pulled Kaz in close, "I'll tear your Serpent's tongue clean out of her mouth and leave her in multiple pieces for the fish to eat in the harbor. Then I'll cave your head in with your own cane and toss you out alongside her. That first option seems better now, don't it?"

Pekka finally backed off, standing up in front of Kaz, who at that point Vera could tell was clearly shaking in rage.

"Tell me, have we ever made a deal before?" Kaz asked.

"You and me? Nah. Otherwise you'd know better. Or you'd be dead."

Pekka walked away, tossing Kaz's cane onto his desk carelessly. The man holding Vera tossed her gun alongside it and let her go with a shove. Kaz's captor did the same, and the two young criminals finally caught their breath as Pekka and his henchmen left.

Vera looked down at her wrists, the marks from the man's fingers beginning to bruise her skin. She was hesitant to leave the office, but Kaz seemed like he needed a moment alone, so she made her way down the stairwell and stood next to Jesper at the bar. Her hands darted for the shot glass in front of him, tipping it back without a second thought.

Jesper looked at her incredulously, eyes wide as she stole his drink like Inej had done only moments before.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Well, I just got held at gunpoint in the world's worst bonding experience," Vera complained. She lifted her hand to catch Roeder's attention. "Two more shots!"

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Episode Two : We're All Someone's Monster