#veerthreads

Veer was being inconspicuous, black hoodie, skinny jeans, beat-off vans, his hair fluffy and falling over his forehead. He was quiet as a mouse, moving through the world without leaving a single imprint, could've been a spy, if he didn't have such a big mouth. He'd been sitting at the bus stop for about ten minutes, staring out into the rain, the other person gave no sign that they'd noticed him.

They weren't so sure if they liked that, the silence would drive them mad. Sound, they loved sound. Even in their hide-outs now, they had a machine nearby, the wiring of its fans a reminder that they were alive.

"Did you know this bus stop was the direct inspiration for the famed bus episode of Spongebob?" they asked, smirking as they spoke. "One of the writers sat at this exact spot for three hours, then really had to pee, and as they returned, the bus drove off. Then they sat another four hours before another came. True story." Perfect bullshit. But hey, Spongebob had saved their life in prison, truly.

Veer licked their lips as they made their way down the street towards the abandoned building they planned to stay the night in. It was cold, despite nearing the end of February, and Veer was well aware of the holes in their hoodie and their skinny jeans, their more fancy clothing carefully stored away in the sports bag that they left in places all over town whenever they were on the job. The job today had given them a good wad of cash, and they planned to spend it on a delicious dinner. They froze in their steps when seeing a familiar face. "Well well. Older, definitely, but not a face nor a set of eyes I will ever so easily forget... Xiang? Don't tell me we have reserved the same room?"

Veer did not easily care for others. There was a threshold of importance one had to overcome in order for them to regard anyone as valuable enough that they would change anything about their life to fit them. At times, not even their parents fell in that category. But this kid.

Mujhe yakeen nahin ho raha!

This kid only existed, and Veer felt like he could move heaven and earth for her.

Though he had reservations as well. As he sat at the bench in the park watching the girl spin around, falling, getting back up, chasing ducks. She was perfect, a creation of his chaos and Rhodes’ beauty. Precious, tiny, he could pick her up and carry her around for days. This he knew.

But alas. She was connected to someone Veer did not know how to trust anymore. The real fear of getting send back always hung over him, like an immense shadow of a hawk that might swoop down at any second. Set its claws into him, scoop him up and throw him back into that tiny cell.

His dark eyes studied Rhodes as she got distracted, a call to someone, whomever. And he sped along the paved path to the girl, his back to Rhodes, hunching down beside Goldie. His child, a creature made from him. Partly at least.

Up close he saw the similarities better. “You must be Goldie,” he said, studying the girl. “You are adorable.”

The world was burning and it was glorious. Veer could not imagine a better way for chaos to reign over New York City but chaos created and brought about by Snake Den. The perfect plan. However, they still didn’t plan on participating, they still didn’t attempt to pluck the fruits of their labour, but instead ensured they were well away from the actual violence. An onlooker in the streets of the city they’d made their home, a voyeur. 

Veer was constantly getting distracted, life would teach them this night that during the apocalypse, they would probably be too late to save the people they loved. But they didn't want to think about it.

They walked past the closed store fronts to see one of them broken open, the metal bars pushed inward by the force of... probably a car. The contents of the store - a jeweller, of course - spilling out onto the streets. There was little left that could catch a high price, but Veer couldn't help themself, they pressed onwards to check the shiny pieces - like a raven. And within seconds, they had rings and bangles and necklaces on - like a scene from a movie. "Do I look like a gangster?" they asked the first passerby. It was chaos on the street anyway, what did it matter who made off with what treasures.

VEER: pinned location VEER: me cancel hai VEER: don’t feel good

Veer had waded in and out of consciousness. Sometimes awake, sometimes asleep despite their eyes being open. They laid curled up in a foetus position, every piece of clothing and blanket either beneath them or on top of them, hoping to keep the warmth in. Clearly he wasn’t prepared. Clearly he should’ve found warmer clothes and thicker blankets. But he’d survived a much colder winter, and spring was about to step through the door. Why should he get sick now? 

He coughed as he got up to shuffle to his sports bag, taking the last water bottle in there, but finding that it was empty. He shook his head and laid back down. Perhaps he should send a message to the others from Snake Den, they could come pick him up, get him some blankets. He just wanted to be warm. He’d forgotten if he’d send a message to Rhodes, so he checked his phone again. Empty… he couldn't even let Rhodes know he wasn’t meeting her and Goldie for lunch. Or had he already? 

Veer crossed their arms together to hide the small bag where they'd collected three wallets so far, they walked outside of the reach of the bodyguards and dumped the wallets without the cash and cards in the gutter, then returned, smiling brightly. Currently there wasn't anyone on duty who might've kicked them out right away, but Veer still pretended to need a moment longer outside, though they didn't smoke, nor did they really need to clear their mind.

Their attention was drawn by another individual walking out of the club, and Veer decided upon his next target. "Do you have a lighter by any chance? And some smokes?" they asked, hoping to be given a look at whatever else they were carrying.

Veer could never be blamed for being predictable, if anything, one could never really say what they were about to do. If they would show up on your doorstep - something that always must happen unannounced. Showing up at Mollie’s was a risk, but Veer had always been a risk-taker. To owe someone meant to be in their debt, and they were certainly coming up with a big one. But that didn’t matter, because with New York City growing colder by the day, as winter swept about, they simply couldn’t spend another night on the cold floor of an abandoned building. They would have to take care over the next few days to pick homes and houses they were familiar with, without ever overstaying their welcome. 

Their hoodie up, dark sunglasses on their nose - despite it already being past eleven pm - and a gym bag slung over their shoulders, Veer could easily blend in with the darker parts of the streets. They rang the bell and waited for their chosen host to open up, while holding a plastic bag with cheap Indian food in their hand, the other stuck in their jacket. Hardly clothes for winter, but a wanted fugitive couldn’t really risk going into a store to buy a new jacket. Perhaps Mollie could be convinced to do some online shopping for them. As the door opened, Veer presented their most friendly smile. “Dinner?”