Theodore Dolion

This had never been the sort of attention she valued, the one which instilled pity and concern in the eyes of those whom she only ever wished to see valiant. Yet once a person became admitted to the hospital, it seemed such expressions were impossible to avoid. Though how Theo managed to enter without Zephyr’s hovering figure to prevent him amazed her quite a bit, after all the man rarely left her side throughout this extended stay. Not to mention his complete fury as she regaled memories of the night in question, shifting some of the blame to the consigliere despite Sera’s disagreement. Nothing more was said until the nurse vacated the room and allowed a lingering silence to befall two friends, one of whom seemed to carry more guilt upon his conscience than necessary. “Please don’t apologize.”

As is her nature, she wishes only to assuage any sensation of burden which weighs upon his shoulders, for it is unnecessary and quite truthfully breaking her heart to witness. The emotion welling up within his hues sparks her own throat to tighten. “You did not fail me, Theo.” Confirmation that she would never hold his actions, or lack thereof, against him–– not now, not ever. “Do you know something? I would rather you sit here with a broken hand than have to bury you. Because that’s what it would have come down to: a hole in your head.” Sera would volunteer her own fate over his any day of the week, content in the prospect of a final rest for herself than any of those whom she cared so much about. “But we’re not ghosts and the doctors said I can be released tomorrow. All is as it should be.”

He said nothing, he wouldn’t take her answer at face value. He knew where he sat and where she lay, he knew what the outcome should have been and he knew in his deepest parts of what passed for his heart, he had grown to care for Sera. He cared for her. She was beautiful, powerful and intelligent. She also would never be his nor would he ever pursue that train of thought, she was someone Zephyr had ordered him a long time ago to protect her, over that time he had grown to care for her and that had been both helpful and a mistake. Allowing himself to care for another made him weak, he knew he was weak right now. He was resting on his arms still, not looking up at her as she spoke, telling him that he’d have died. He sort of smirked a little before he glanced up finally to meet her eyes, “I will politely disagree.” 

Zephyr’s words from weeks ago pinged around in his head, overpowering the ones that Theo railed at him left and right. Cause. Intention. Target. Most importantly now, intent. And what he wanted to do right in this moment was knock Dalton straight on his ass and damn the consequences. Because he deserved it. Deserved to have a pounding jaw to teach him how to watch his fuckin’ mouth when he was talking. Despite that, he wasn’t going to. No matter how much his knuckles ached to feel the flesh of the man beneath them. No matter much they wanted to bruise and break something. He breathed. He ingested. He processed. Not that the ramblings of the lawyer made it any better. In fact, it added gasoline to the fire in his chest. Burned through the sinew of his resolve until he had to force himself to step backward because if he moved closer he would knock the man’s jaw right off his face.

“My fucking assignments don’t come from you. This is a favor that you’re asking of me and I do not have to complete it. Tell me something, do you walk into Rafal’s office and tell him how to do his job? Do you suggest to him that anything he does can’t connect back to his own name? How fucking stupid do you think I am? Do you think Zephyr is? Hmm?” He snatched the file back, gritting teeth so hard they protested. “Somehow you’ve offended me? SOMEHOW? Jesus fucking Christ you can’t even admit that you’ve done nothing but stamp my fucking name down underneath your cloven hooves for the past five fucking years. I stepped into this household and you barely said two god damn words to me before you decided who I was. So yeah, fuck you and your fucking whiskey, you piece of rank shit.” He moved to the door and opened it without any sort care if it hit the wall behind. “Why don’t you run along to Rafal and whine about how much of a disgrace I am. Make sure the underboss is there when you say it.”

Theo just watched him, he was so full of emotion, passion, and anger. He couldn’t quite understand how someone could just feel so much inside themselves. In some ways, he was jealous of that that someone could just let themselves feel. Though these were not emotions that were helping them at all at this moment. He watched him as he snatched the papers away and moved to the door. Theo knew he would have to make him listen if he wasn’t going to pay attention and just make jumps in his mind. He crossed the room after him and slammed the door shut on Val. 

Alp knew that at some point he’d have to give the full story, but not here–not when anyone else in the room might be listening; not before he’d made a firm decision.  All the signs seemed to point to him so far, but Alp knew better than to rush into anything.  And after spending so long keeping the incident secret, it wasn’t going to be easy to reopen the wound.  It wasn’t even easy to talk about this much.  He’d managed to hold Dolion’s gaze through his initial explanation, but when the other man questioned him, it finally dropped, a shift in his jaw as he held back a defense (I didn’t mean to) looking almost like a cringe, giving only the slightest of nods, guilt and shame in his eyes.

But only for a moment.  A deep breath and he lifted his chin again, meeting Dolion’s eyes with the mask back in place.  Alp guessed it was only fair of Dolion to bring up price again–in any case, it didn’t surprise him–but the suggestion that it might go pro bono did, and even more so the idea of the press catching wind of it.  Eyes narrowing just a bit, he wondered what effect that might have on his boss–and what he might have to do to prevent anything bad from happening.  They’d have to discuss that later, at the meeting.  Hell, they’d have to discuss a lot, and Alp wasn’t looking forward to any of it.

But he had to keep the end goal in sight.  Nodding agreement to the meeting, he listened to Dolion lay down the rules–and honestly, the first one was good to hear.  “I don’t lie.”  Not in his personal life, anyway.  He wouldn’t for this.  If he had his choice, he wouldn’t have to lie at work, either.  But work complicated the second rule.  “I’ll need as much notice as possible,” he said, “I work on-call.”  And he didn’t want to choose between his boss and his future–he was afraid to find out which one he’d pick.  Nevertheless, he agreed, “All right.”

And that was his cue to leave, wasn’t it?  They’d accomplished all they needed for the moment.  Taking out a card, he offered it to the other man, then stood up to go.  “I’ll call your office tomorrow, or you can reach me.”  The card only offered his name and cell number–he didn’t want to get calls on the bank phone about this.  Leaving his whiskey stood nearly untouched, he just offered his hand, and, after a moment, “–Thanks.”

Theodore didn’t believe him. He was a liar in his core, a corrupt individual and he knew it. He always had to stifle a roll of his eyes or scoff when someone claimed they didn’t lie, lying was human nature. From the moment a child could speak, they lied. No, Mom, I didn’t eat the cookie. It was a natural part of human survival to lie and if this man claimed to be honest, he had secrets to hide and knowledge to be laid bare. It had him all the more intriguing. He listened, watching every aspect of Alp’s face. Taking in telltale signs if they existed, waiting for the blatant control in front of him. No one kept that much control if they didn’t have things to hide, a lie of omission was still a lie. Maybe this wouldn’t be so boring after all. 

He nodded as the other said he needed notice, “The meetings will be scheduled. It is a court system nothing will be unscheduled, you’ll have plenty of notice.” He took the card offered to him as the other stood. He was glad to see the other had taken the close of the moment naturally. He slid the card casually between his fingers as he was listening to the other, “I will expect your call. My secretary will set us up a more formal meeting.” He said with a nod, shaking the other man’s hand, watching him for a moment as he walked away. He just sat in his spot. This had been an interesting and much-needed distraction. 

He had finished off another pill, he couldn’t quite remember if he had taken one in the last four hours or not, he didn’t truly care at all. He had pain still, so all that mattered to him was to get rid of it. With Sera in the hospital, it meant Theo needed to take a more proactive role in their plans. She could still move product as needed and he knew that, but he wanted to get something of his own to make sure that he could place it where they needed with his old friend. It wouldn’t be that difficult and he knew that despite everything, his loft wasn’t at risk of raid at this point in time. He had placed a few calls, getting out feelers within the organization before he found someone that could get him the amount of product that he needed for his plans. 

Now here he was, standing on his balcony, overlooking his pool. His cat was meandering around the balcony, batting a large ball around that Theo had gotten it months ago, surprisingly it only had partial tear damage despite the huge animal's abuse of it. One finger held a dangling cigarette, burning in the night sky. He heard the ding of his call button, pulling his phone out to glance down at the man in the camera. The app was quick to call it up, looking at the man in his parking garage. He didn’t know him, though he had seen him around before, Jasper. It was who he expected to be here tonight. He hated the idea of having these chemicals and bullshit in his home, but it needed to be done. 

He buzzed the other in, speaking into the voice comm, “Come up. The door is unlocked, fifteenth floor.” He finished off his cigarette before shoving it into the plant at the side of his door, pushing the large glass door open to let Poseidon in first, the large cat immediately dashing through the open door. Theo was dressed down for once, wearing only a pair of black tight slacks and a white t-shirt, shoes only a pair of black slippers, about as dressed down as Theo got outside of going swimming or the bedroom. He knew Jasper would be up quickly, but he didn’t care. His cast hung at his side as he finished walking into the large open floorplan living room. He walked to his couch, taking a seat, as he leaned forward to one-handed begin pouring himself a glass of whiskey, a briefcase of a few thousand dollars sat on his table before him as he waited for the other man to join him.  

Showered, free of the oxygen chamber, and finally assigned to her own hospital room, Sera might have considered herself lucky to enjoy the simplicity of this moment. But considering she was still entrapped within the walls of a hospital until official discharge, the brunette hardly found it acceptable. Loathing for this sort of institution had been ingrained within her for years. Doctors asked far too many questions, held prying eyes, made reports she could not control. Even now as a nurse placed an oxygen mask gently within her palms, distrust echoed across  soft features until she spotted another figure lingering in the doorway behind the woman. The last she’d witnessed before being dragged away to her near death… “Hey, stranger. Are you planning to stand in the doorway all afternoon or use one of these perfectly good chairs?” @coldxsilver​

He didn’t move, for the longest moment, seeing her there and knowing in his heart he had broken the only promise that he had ever made, the promise to protect what mattered to Zephyr. Something had broken inside of Theo. He just gave her a sort of sad half-smile as she spoke to him, her words like gentle knife wounds to his ego. She still somehow looked beautiful even lying near death in a hospital bed, she was an impressive woman and Theo was glad to know her. He nodded in her direction, shrugging just slightly, all normal bravado gone. This is why he had always told himself that he couldn’t feel, couldn’t love, this was his greatest fear brought to life. Caring for another and knowing they could be taken from him. Nearly losing her had sparked a break in him, all he could see was his mother lying in a pool of her own blood, the last time he’d failed someone he cared about in life. 

“I...I am not sure that I deserve to step inside. But, for you my dear, most anything.” He said with a small nod of his head as he came in, side eying the nurse in a way that said she was free to leave. Theodore was dressed, of course, to the nines. A full suit head to toe, suit jacket hung over his arm that he now draped over the back of one of the chairs. His silver shirt clung by a black vest and matching pants. He moved to sit in the chair and just leaned forward to look at her, “My dear, I am sorry.” He said softly, a small wetness forming in his eyes at her looked at her, “I failed you.” He wasn’t full on crying at this point, but his heart had sank, allowing himself any sort of visible weakness was unlike Theo. He hated himself for it. He hated everything and hated that now he knew deep down, someone could get to him through Zephyr and Sera. He hated that knowledge and made a mental note that perhaps it was time to shut down once more, to pull away and make sure no one got close. That no one knew him once more, a tear in his facade meant a weak spot others could exploit and some unknown assailant had done it without evening trying, 

A house of cards, tethered to the ever-changing shift of the wind that no longer seemed to swell in the direction of the Kovali’s upper hand left him with a knot thick in his chest. For those who were so strategically prepared for being blindsided, the shadows of this city they believed belonged to them had crept up and torn at their ankles so violently it toppled the long-standing precipice of calm into something far more violent. It was something that Zephyr had only ever felt a small handful of times, near minute in comparison to the overwhelming stretch of stoic expression that so often dawned on him in times it almost seemed out of place. An attack on the Kovali would always stand as an attack on him – as much as Rafal himself was the organization, Zephyr stood the backing that never seemed to fail, until more recently. It was something he didn’t intend on letting slip through his fingers again.  Not now, that such an attack would rage war on the organ that before long had existed purely to keep him alive. One and the same that constricted so brutally he might have sworn the body hanging from the gallows had turned his insides to ash, jarring with such force against the inside of his ribcage that any blade or bullet might have been a welcome replacement. He’d known what it was, known that it betrayed every pinnacle of his own pivotal rise to glory but there was far too much truth in the wreckage to ignore it. Love. The ashes had buried him once before, the damage inflicted so carelessly upon his heart once before left bitterness paramount, but this..– this felt cataclysmic. A life without someone so embedded into everything he did was, crippling even in thought. Thoughts of which he’d never allowed to situate themselves so consciously even despite the previous weeks of separation from her. Passing minutes had felt eternal as the imploding fury caught knuckles white as orders fell to secure Rafal fell without room for argument. 

The lowering of the body had barely earned itself a breath of relief. They’d missed the mark, pieces of the woman hanged no doubt a perfect silhouette for Sera, but details he’d never miss and the closer he drew the easier breath filled his lungs until all that was left was the balling anger that’d left the question: where was she? Anything beyond such thought was automatic. Preprogrammed into the very veins of the under-boss as he moved through the crowd pushing his men to flood the boat with a presence that came flanked by something far more unruly as officers drew rank that in the underworld, they never held in the first place.  Now, hovering the platform of the club, shielded behind bulletproof glass overlooking the floor below, holding the underbelly of the city didn’t feel like enough. Not while his insides burned white-hot with the transgression painting a target on his back — across his chest in such a public display. He wanted blood, wanted to watch the city burn and collapse in on itself, to twist it until what was left snapped at the knees and recognized that certain targets came with a far higher price than any of them were so willing to pay. Chaos, was an entity, and neither state of being nor tirade could overthrow what people knew lived within the shadows. A chaos and cataclysmic being that existed through the shifting chess pieces that Zephyr himself controlled. And as if fate itself sealed the door of Purgatory shut, one such piece showed itself before the reckoning. 

All too aware that perhaps Theo had yet to show face here knowing what Zephyr likely already knew, he simply watched from above as he helped himself to a drink. Good. He’d need it. The permanence of white-knuckled fists dove the depths of his pockets for as long as it took for his equal to find the office door, pausing behind the stringent knock offered by cast covered limb. He didn’t move, didn’t shift from a sentient post beyond the glass window, stoic as he waited. The thing about fury was that it was often uncontrollable, a variable that Zephyr didn’t work with; he refused to hold at his side for any amount of time purely for the unpredictability of it. It wasn’t something he trusted, not something he could fall back into and safe-guard as he so often had those around him. “Fuck us?” He deadpanned, the rising sense of questioning that slipped beyond statuesque existence offered the shift of boots against the ornate stone flooring until he came to rest behind his desk.  “Fuck us.” Repetition only further solidifying disbelief as he stood to full height, neither intimidation necessary, for the man opposite, stood taller. Yet, azure hues burnt line of sight across the room as if he’d intended to cut Theo down to size purely to meet him eye for eye. “I’m gonna’ ask you one question,” he started, heavy timbre a knifes edge as the weight of one such answer hung the precipice of how this night ended. “I know what happened on that boat,” The short nod he offered barely notable, “I’m just curious as to whether you’re aware of what happened,” Digits tightened and he felt the shifting of his knuckles from years of broken bones. Standing still felt unnatural, far too unlike a man that sought secrets and truth from the shadows. Ever moving, he never rested and that essence remained as he rounded the edge of his desk and perched the expanse of wood. “Because last I checked, I’ve only ever asked one fuckin’ thing of you and somehow…” The details of which surrounded only one aspect, yet perhaps he’d somehow believed that Theo might have anticipated the true extent of what he’d asked. Protect me like I protected you.— “Somehow that small little detail keeps slippin’ right through those fingers of yours.” Hands pulled from his pockets to clasp together across his lap, right hand shifting to gesture roughly to the cast he wielded.  Perhaps, it pressed the boundaries a little more than he could serve to deal with. He’d only ever asked Theo to protect Catalina; shockingly enough, he’d managed at least that this time. Alike most, however, expectation bared it’s teeth with the knowledge that everyone knew the lengths Zephyr Jackson would go, to keep Sera safe and alive. Further still, what he was willing to do to anyone who put her at risk, markings of their own hands or failed intentions baring the same stretch of fault. “So, my question is —” He rose again, the tepid itch that stretched the length of his spine cold and unrelenting as he moved to close some of the distance that remained until calloused hands could find the glass within Theo’s and take it. “How the fuck,” he spat, tightened fist shattering glass to rain shards and amber liquid to the floor below, “did they get their hands on her so easily?” It was, regardless of intent, a direct attack on Zephyr Jackson himself — Rafal Kovali be damned, he’d raise their own organization to the ground and build it all over again if it meant ensuring that the pillar being in his life remained where he intended her to. 

He listened intently, the words that came from Zephyr. His lawyer mind couldn’t help but call a technicality at the fact that this was really a series of questions tied up into one. He was going to keep that thought to himself, his heart sank at the words. The other man was right, he had failed him. He had dropped the most important ball in the world, he had committed his life to protecting the assets that Raf demanded, but he had given his trust to Zephyr the night that Zephyr saved his life. Nothing mattered more to Theo then feeling safe, feeling in power, Zephyr had given those things to him. 

The air in the room was exactly what Theo expected, what he deserved in reality. He was back to being that child on the streets, that rat that was stepped upon. For the first time in years, Theo felt weak. He sucked in a breath as Zephyr crossed to him. His voice wasn’t coming, a rare moment for him, but he didn’t blink either. It took a lot to get Theo to break when it came to his outside appearance, but internally he was broken. His mind screamed that she had been taken because he was a useless piece of shit, but those words would never come out of his mouth. No, he wasn’t that stupid. He took in a slow breath, not revealing his emotion as he nodded, the glass breaking a power move. 

He couldn’t help but think that Zephyr probably shouldn’t be doing that, his hand was most likely going to need bandaged at the very lowest level. He took another slow breath before finding his words, “I know what happened. Not immediately, but I learned.” He said in a low tone, eyes flashing to look up into Zephyr’s eyes now, meeting him as the man postured in front of him, “She was taken because I am not you. Because when they came for her, I put myself between them and her, I was removed as an obstacle.” He said, not as an excuse, but he was being honest. A rare moment for him. His hands moved to his side, closing his fingers tightly at his sides. 

“You saved me, more than I can ever repay and I recognize that, but do you honestly think if I was capable of stopping them, that I would not have? Can you look at me, Zephyr and think that I wouldn’t have done anything to save her. They broke me and they moved me, I failed. I won’t deny it, but I didn’t come to the place I am at without having skills, those skills failed me when it came to protecting her. If I could trade places with her, I would and you fucking know it.” His words were not his usual charming flow, this was not him just working a room or making people fall under the spell of his words, this was just him being raw and honest. He was broken internally and he knew it. 

He didn’t step away or back down, lowering his vision for a moment, looking down at the ground, he thought through his next words as he steeled himself to the flow in his head, the world had come to a small point as if reaching the end of a needle as he collected himself mentally. He was doing his best not to fall back on his skills, to embrace this as a lawyer would, this wasn’t the time to go to that place mentally. He could shut down everything and treat this like a legal case, he could talk his way out of this room and move on with his life. He knew Raf wouldn’t wash him away, but he didn’t want to do that, he wanted Zephyr to knew he understood the gravity and that he gave a fuck about what had happened that night. 

Looking back up finally, he spoke softly, his low tone as he looked into those intense eyes in front of him, “I failed you. I failed her. I will hate myself more than you can because of it, I know who I am and I know my limitations. I stepped beyond those limitations the moment I saw them come for her and I failed to do more than get myself injured. I understand what I did and I didn’t do, I came to you not out of fear or even guilt on all levels. I came to you because I know that I failed you, you deserve your retribution if you so desire it.” 

Cold wind. This November weather here in Chicago bit into the skin as Theo sat outside the club. He was smoking, he never smoked. He hadn’t lit up a cigarette in nearly ten years. His heart was beating quicker from the rush of unfamiliar nicotine, eyes fluttered and his hand hurt. Cigarette balanced on light lips under the city lights, the neon and hallogens that made up Chicago. He hated them sometimes, but they were home. They seemed to emanate and air that screamed for the world to burn. Burn it would. Between his mistakes, the things falling apart in his head, it was all a lot for Theo to take in and his mind wouldn’t stop racing. He needed to just scream ever since that night. 

Hence the taste of burning cancer on his lips. He wished it would rain, the cold could tear down onto him in a more forceful way. His black suit, thread count higher than his damn IQ clung to him in the cool night weather. His body seemed to be aching everywhere, in particular in his stupid hand. Cat had done what she could that night, but it hadn’t mattered, he’d fractured a couple bones. The Doctor had set them, chiding him for trying to get involved in a terrorist situation, Theo had wanted to tell him to fucking die, but he had bit his tongue. The pain still coursed through him, though he had nearly refused his pain pills. His pain killer of choice involved a bottle and a long drink. 

The cast and metal placed around his right wrist, fingers barely able to move, throbbed. He was glad in the long run that he hadn’t refused the medicine, the bottle popping with a sickening snap as he opened it. Tossing the clear plastic up to his lips and swallowing the pill. Cigarette having to be moved to make the connection with the chalky pill. He swallowed it dry, a lump in his throat, body feeling the dry clump of pharmaceutical science as he downed the mess of chemicals. He hated drugs. Hated the drug trade that made the Kovalis and by proxy himself wealthy. He hated himself most of all though, wishing he had been less of a piece of shit and more of the man that Sera had needed that night. Zephyr, fucking hell, Valentine, would have been a better choice for protecting Sera. They wouldn’t have let her be taken and gotten themselves broken in the process.

He lifted the stick back to his lips, finishing it off in a sick drag as he shoved the bottle of pills back inside his jacket. The night was long and he was dreading having to go talk to the man inside the damn closed club behind him. Zephyr Jackson. Arguably the only person on the planet that Theo trusted to not kill him, the one man he could easily say had actually saved his life before, he had failed him. He had failed Zephyr like he was some common thug. He knew his skills had never lay in fighting, no Theodore Dolion was a talker. A damn good public speaker, debate expert and talented as hell lawyer. He knew all of that in his soul, but the reality of it was that when it came time to protect someone he cared about in the slightest, he had failed horribly. He felt like his mind was going to collapse in on itself before he even talked to Zephyr, he had actual guilt, he wasn’t the stoic manipulator he had always promised himself that he would be, he had given into emotion and he was going to destroy that line of feeling before it took over and broke who he was on an internal level. 

The cigarette finished fully, he tossed it out into the gutter. The bit of fire still evident on the end of it, flicking through the air as it landed into the concrete. Cars flashed by with a bright flick, he stared them down, knowing that it was unlikely that the car had anything to do with him or any part of their business. It was nearly impossible in a city this size, but they had been attacked, they had been nearly destroyed by a calculated hit on that damn boat. Nothing would ever get Theo off edge again, he didn’t trust this city and he didn’t trust nearly anyone in the world anymore, not even his old friends and lovers, Zephyr was different though. Zephyr was the one person in the world that he knew wouldn’t fuck him over in the long run. 

Tucking his shirt in again slightly making sure that the dark fabrics weren’t bunched and that he looked good. Theo knew that he always looked good, it was a selling point. Half of convincing others to do anything was your look, not what you said, he was going to make sure that he was at the top of the game when it came to what he was capable of controlling himself. He moved to the door and without thinking, he moved to open it with his broken hand, cursing under his breath before moving to throw the door open with his good hand. He stepped inside, the smell of alcohol and various colognes played at his nostrils when he let the door clamp closed behind him. 

Theo made his way across the club. Chairs on top of tables, shut down for the night. He ran his fingers along the wood, casually checking for dust the way he had been taught when he had gone through a formal school for etiquette, he didn’t even know why he did it anymore, it was just a habit. He found none, Sera and Zephyr always kept a clean and well managed club. He didn’t see Zephyr at all, he knew Sera wasn’t here. Still in the hospital, again because he had failed his only friends. His feet slapped wood as he walked across the room, stepping behind the bar with a soft sigh, “Get your shit together, Dolion.” He said to himself in the empty room. 

He assumed that Zephyr was in the office, the last time he’d been here was with Sera in that same office. He had made plans, ones that were probably going to fall apart if Theo didn’t nail down some points on it soon. None of that mattered, he had gone to see Sera, she had been kind enough, but he still blamed himself in his core. He managed to lift one bottle of whiskey out from behind the bar, setting it on the wood top. He tilted the bottle to pop the top off and onto the counter. Took him longer working one handed, but he grabbed a glass, they were chilled in a fridge behind the bar, a nice touch. Beautiful golden liquid hit the glass as he tipped it, watching the glass fill about halfway. He licked his lips as he finished, popping the top back on to the whiskey, leaving it on the counter.

Whiskey in hand now, he took a sip, knowing Zephyr wouldn’t care that he was taking a free drink, he would have been offered one anyway. He moved slowly, leaning into the office door, his broken hand’s cast knocking against it before pushing the door open, immediately catching the sight of Zephyr. He didn’t say anything at first, just staring at the other man as he pushed the door open fully. He stood, swirling the glass in his hand, just looking at Zephyr before he took a slow sip, tipping it up to his lips as he tasted the warm liquid, swallowing, “Fuck us right?” He finally spoke, sighing as he stared at Zephyr, “I owe you. Many apologies.” 

“I can secure us the drugs, that won’t be a problem. I just have to call in a couple of favors.” Her entire position within the Kovali rankings involved the smuggling and transport of narcotics, so acquiring them might be the simplest task yet. It would only require the barest amount of rerouting. “You might need to convince Zeph and Raf, though. I can’t imagine they would be keen to lose the money, but if it’s to protect Irena… They might be willing to budge on the matter.” The rest of his plan echoed with lack of fallacy and she rather admired the way in which his mind spun out with various possibilities, all of them airtight in a courtroom due to his surplus of knowledge. It’s the compliment which catches her up short, features blanking for a moment as she registers the genuine nature of its delivery. Few are ever so forward with her, so untethered to circumstance or position to voice their true inclinations. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to remind them should anyone ever dare to forget.”

To Michael it was strange talking to Theo like this, both seemingly guarded and holding themselves.  “You’re a wonderful lawyer and the retainer should be amazing,” he said and smiled.  “I am aware how it works you know,” he added with the slightest of grins.  But it faded just a tad when Theo started throwing words like allegedly and not convicted.  Michael knew it would come to this but he also had no desire to argue with Theo either.  Both were better than most at public speaking - Theo with the legalsese, Michael with the debate background, both charismatic and smart.  “I can’t deny some of the good the family has done for the city but at what cost, what price?” he questioned.  “But you’re right, it’s not for either of us to decide Theodore.”

He finished off his drink and carefully leaned forward, still relaxed as he looked over at Theo.  “She was caught in a raid and is under medical care.  I’m sure we can both produce witnesses who will support what we need, that is not the point.  The DA say they have a strong solid case, hardly a stunt Theo, you wound me.  And your philanthropic thought at my image in front of the city, I didn’t think you care” she replied, the sarcasm veiled thin.  “You think I can just say whoops and tell them to let her just walk out?  I’m flattered you othink I have that much power,” he said smiling.

Michael’s expression softened at the compliments.  “Thank you, I’m proud of you too, opening your own firm, doing so well for so long, I knew you’d do so well,” he replied.  This is what he remembered best about Theo.  “I don’t want to fight you either, you have to know that, you have to.  But I meant it, I don’t have arbitrary power like that,” he said but he was trying to think of a way it could work for both of them, a peace offering of sorts.  “I’m not heartless though, and it means a lot that you did bring it to me personally.  “I can promise I will bring this to the DA and encourage Irena Kovali’s release to her family.  But she will have to relinquish her passport and there will have to be guarantees that she’s available if and when a trial does start.”  He was flexible, he wanted to do what’s right for the city and despite his push forward of the raids and plans against those who would harm his city.

He shook his head, “No.” He got a bit more firm in his tone, it wasn’t for them to decide, but he knew that Michael was messing with him back slightly. He was not annoyed by it persay, this was a game of cat and mouse and he was happy to play it. Because Theo knew deep down that he was the cat. He smirked a sort of half smirk, “No, I don’t think that you can just waive your hand and make it all go away. I do think you’re smart enough to figure out how to spin it that not only do you look good but I also get what I want, you’re capable of turning an ear as well as I am and we both know it.” 

He smiled at him, shaking his head, “No passport. No issues, you know I have never missed a trial date and I have never had a client skip town. I am not unwilling to convince others to pay bail either, and I can promise that I will give you what you need to make a good name for yourself on a plate.” He said as he nodded to him. He smiled gently over the edge of his glass as he sipped his whiskey once more, resting on his knees, just looking at Michael directly. 

“Now that is a sentiment I can stand behind.” Anyone who might threaten the Kovali business and family required a quick drop and a sudden stop, as Zephyr might have eloquently put it were he present for this discussion. Everything that had been learned, from Sera’s ability to play the game to her position as the one of the deadliest pieces on the board, stemmed from that tutelage. “Well then, what seeds should we start with?” Perched once more upon the edge of her broad desk, she gestured for Theo to take the floor as he might in his legal battles. “You’re in my courtroom now, Mr. Dolion. What is the mens rea?” Features twist slightly at her own wordage, entirely uncertain if she had even chosen the proper phrase, but relying entirely upon old reruns of Law and Order to achieve the intention. “Did I say that correctly?”

You seem to know a lot about me.  Well, Alp hadn’t planned on becoming an investigator, but over the years he’d learned how to track down obscure information and fit scattered pieces together into a whole, and he’d be stupid not to put as much care into this as he did into learning about his boss’s contacts.  But he’d also learned not to reveal how much he knew, or where he’d learned it, and so he just nodded in answer, not offering any explanation.  They’d have to trust each other eventually, at least to some extent–but they weren’t there yet.

He wasn’t impressed by the statement, but the man’s record spoke for itself, and there was something promising about the way Dolion admitted the limits of his experience–calling on experts when needed was a strength rather than a weakness, although Alp wondered if he’d be better off going directly to the military expert instead.  He’d have to try to find out who they were, to learn the nature of their professional relationship if nothing else.

He waited as Dolion put the facts together–and honestly, he wasn’t wrong.  He couldn’t count on Dolion seeing this case as equal to the charity cases–it wasn’t, Alp recognized that–but maybe there was a chance that he’d see the injustice in it, the promise that’d been crushed out.  “I’m not lookin’ for pro bono,” he said.  “But I like what you do through the charity.  And these cases show that you’re willin’ to fight for people everybody else’s against, if they’re in the right.”  Moving his whiskey in order to set his arms on the table in front of him, he gave the briefest explanation he could: “I have a dishonorable discharge, and I need you to help me turn it into anythin’ else.”

The lack of explanation was absolutely noted, Theo just let the other man speak. His skills rested on reading others, but Alp was being good about keeping his secrets. He was going to have to have to get to know him, learn to trust the other to at least be upfront with what they needed, unless red flags came up that he felt would need to be investigated into on a deeper level. He picked up his drink and took a long drink from his whiskey, finishing off the last of the glass. He folded his hands in front of him as he took in the words that the other said to him, “A dishonorable?” He cocked his head at the admission. 

Theo knew from just his law classes how big of a deal that was, he knew how it could destroy a life. It usually wasn’t unearned though, one had to put in some time or do something drastic to get one, they would have a lot more to talk about, he thought for a moment, “We can discuss price points. I am not opposed to the idea of the case going pro bono if it feels right. I rarely do it, but a case of this sort could be very positive press if the reason behind your discharge is good enough.” He cut himself off as he made a small wave of his hand, as if thinking to himself. 

“We will set a formal meeting up. I am intrigued for sure. I have two rules when I take on a new client, do not lie to me when it comes to anything to do with your case. Good or bad, I need to know if I am going to win. Second, you miss a single meeting or court date, I drop you, immediately. Regardless of the reason.” Theo took his law cases extremely seriously, he wanted that to come across plainly, “Do we have a deal?”

The brunette ignored the male’s comment as her own mind whirled about the little tools she had on hand to deal with his injury. It didn’t take long for her to begin to pull at curtains, open and clothes drawers until she collected items that could work for the time being. “We do have time.” She hissed in turn. While she didn’t want to be mean, she knew to press an injury that could only get worse if it wasn’t stabilized correctly. “It’s going to take seconds and after that you can do what you need to do. The doors locked. We’re not going anywhere.” She argued. Sure, she worried about the men who had taken the woman she despised, but this was all Cat could control in the moment and she wouldn’t let him leave without finishing the job.

While the male spoke, she only hummed little comments in order to keep his attention elsewhere. He was seated at the moment, still and that was all she needed for him in order to put his hand on the little piece of wood she’d found and to wrap it up straight. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to open it on our own. The window looks a little narrow and we’re high up, but maybe there’s a way to climb out? I haven’t seen a secondary door, unless there’s one hidden in here. However, I think the latter is a little unlikely at this point.” She whispered as she slowly tightened the bindings around his hand. “It’s going to hurt, but it’s going to keep it still until you can get it checked out.”

He didn’t argue with her. He knew when someone had their mindset on something, they wouldn’t be deterred without effort. That would cause more issues in the long run, it would take longer to convince her to back off than to just let her do what she felt needed to be done. He stayed seated as she began to set his arm. When the wood went into place, he sucked in a hard breath and actually cried out when Cat placed his hand into the split. He bit his lip hard, nearly drawing blood, “Fuck. Geezus woman.” He hissed through his lips. He was in a lot of pain and it bleeds through his normally stoic resolve. He was  breathing fairly quickly as he collapsed back for a moment as she finished. 

“Okay. Fuck me.” He wasn’t normally one to casually curse in public, hell he kept himself fairly together ninety percent of the time. He closed his eyes and his good hand came up, pulling his Nightwing mask off, setting it aside. He didn’t even know why he did it, it was just something he felt necessary in that moment. He collected himself and finally sat up again, looking at her, “Okay. Exits. Now. We find those men that took her. We get to my phone.” He wanted to add on that they needed to hunt down and cut those idiots throats, to find Valentine and sick the rabid dog on them. He wanted them ripped to shreds, “They took Sera, they obviously have a motive.” He looked over at the different ideas she’d mentioned now that he could process again, “Window is an option. Taking the door down is also an option, but we’d need to remove the hinges.” He was just glad the door opened inward. 

The beauty in immersing oneself amongst the Kovali came with the benefit that the main family spoke her mother tongue, which created for almost seamless assimilation in the end. Granted twelve years had passed since her first foal like steps into their rankings, she maintained a semblance of gratitude in that no loss of culture existed. Even Zephyr had taken the time to learn it, for her benefit and his own. Were time not of the essence, perhaps she might have even offered to teach Theo as well. “Idle hands, is that not the saying?” The smirk tilts along the edges of painted lips, amusement discovered at the very thought. “Front page news,” she repeated as hues relegated to the morning paper positioned just below a stack of information regarding their imports. “I can give you more than a villain. How about the one thing people hate more than a criminal?” Shifting the loose documents away, a swelling of inspiration began to blossom within her stomach as she lifted the paper to hand in his direction. “A politician.”

The title of that morning’s headline listing their ideal target in an ominously dark, bold lettering. 

                                                        Senator Judd Rockwell.