In a Different Light

yesha-yahu​:

“Just go.” He had no reason to hold onto that favor; Isaiah had had more than enough of dealing with anything similar to what was being offered, and he wasn’t interested in dealing with it all again. “And don’t try this again.”

Here at least. Nowhere, if he got lucky.

Laughing nervously, Lucio’s wide eyes gave away how much the situation had actually scared him. “You got it!”

He might not have a choice in the matter, but he’d certainly try his best not to come here, again.

“…Uh, if you could… not mention this whole thing to anybody? I’d appreciate it. I have reputations to maintain.” He’d be ruined if the two sides of his life were to overlap.

At the request Isaiah stays quiet; mentioning this to Amoxtli was going to be necessary, as was letting Ava know. Neither of those plans, however, were going to be shared with Lucio.

yesha-yahu​:

With a sigh and very little effort, Isaiah gives Lucio the ability to pull his arm back. He was still prepared to hit the call button of course but not quite as close to it as before. “With what?”

And whatever it was, it sounded like potential trouble.

Lucio yanks his arm away the moment he can, hugging the prosthetic to his chest and examining it. To his relief, it dosn’t seem damaged. Almost strangely undamaged, actually. He kinda expected at least some dents… He must just be lucky.

Letting out a huge breath, he looks at the crack in the door. “I- Thanks, man. I just- I owe you one. A favor. Whatever you want.”

He’s already edging away, more than ready to make good on his promise to get lost. The Devil will punish him, but better to come back a failure than… He’ll get far worse if he has to be sprung out of jail.

“Just go.” He had no reason to hold onto that favor; Isaiah had had more than enough of dealing with anything similar to what was being offered, and he wasn’t interested in dealing with it all again. “And don’t try this again.”

yesha-yahu​:

“And you’ll leave, then?” Isaiah asks, the number dialed as his thumb hovers over the ‘call’ button. Frankly given the chance, with his own experience with the police, he’d prefer not to. Though there was at least one here he could say was more trustworthy than the rest.

He hasn’t unstuck Lucio’s arm just yet, wanting to hear that assurance first before possibly doing so.

If he had to… If he really had to… If the cops were on their way and he had no other options… He could take off his arm’s outer armor and leave it. But that was the absolute last resort.

“I’ll go! I swear! No argument, I won’t-” His voice broke as he gulped. “…Just help me. Please. I’m begging you. I’d seriously owe you one, if you let me go.”

With a sigh and very little effort, Isaiah gives Lucio the ability to pull his arm back. He was still prepared to hit the call button of course but not quite as close to it as before. “With what?”

That reply isn’t what Lucio would have expected, and it actually gives him a moment’s pause. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Any thoughts along these lines leave his head once he peeks through the crack and realizes, A: Isaiah has a phone, and B: he can’t move. His prosthetic fingers must be caught in the door. (It wouldn’t be the first time his arm had gotten stuck like this, so he doesn’t look for other explanations.)

After a moment of increasingly frantic struggling proves fruitless, Lucio is forced to try another strategy.

“…Wait wait wait wait, listen!” His voice betrays his desperation. “I’m- I’m sorry, just- just open the door a little so I can get my arm out? Please? I’ll go and leave you alone, I promise! Don’t call the cops! Please?! Buddy?!”

“And you’ll leave, then?” Isaiah asks, the number dialed as his thumb hovers over the ‘call’ button. Frankly given the chance, with his own experience with the police, he’d prefer not to. Though there was at least one here he could say was more trustworthy than the rest.

yesha-yahu​:

Despite Lucio’s posturing, knowing the gun wouldn’t be able to fire makes it easy to keep his instinctive knee jerk startled reaction off his face. Still Isaiah moves again to get the reinforced door between the two of them.

That helps to keep him from letting his amusement over the attempt at slowing the man having worked so well show, too. Regardless, there was still this situation to deal with.

“You can and will. Leave.” With that, the door is mostly closed and being given further shielding.

He’s never gonna make it before the door closes, but that doesn’t stop Lucio from scrambling to his feet and attempting to get there in time.

Which mostly involves him stumbling over more rocks or whatever it is that’s tripping him.

“I can’t, actually! You’ll regret this!”

Oh, he is so not giving this guy his commission business!

He gets there just in time to shove his metal hand in the door. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?!”

“More of one than you seem to.” His response is muffled by the mostly closed door, but still Isaiah takes the given chance to make sure Lucio wouldn’t be able to pull the metal arm free of the door.

“What-” Lucio was deeply perplexed. Nobody had ever been so unbothered by the fact he was armed. “Wait just a minute, mister!”

If Lucio had his way, he’d have swooped up beside Isaiah, shut the door, and cornered him.

That wasn’t what ended up happening, however.

He hardly took a step forward before he tripped on something and took a spectacular fall onto the pavement, flailing and giving a sharp yelp as he went down. His hat flew off and landed in a puddle, along with the rest of him.

“My suit!” he cried. Without missing a beat, he turned his gun on Isaiah. Not trying to fire it, yet, just lining it up. Slower guys than him had been stabbed or shot after a fall like this, after all. “Listen, you! I can’t go back empty-handed!”

His cover was absolutely blown, but Lucio couldn’t face the Devil without getting results.

Despite Lucio’s posturing, knowing the gun wouldn’t be able to fire makes it easy to keep his instinctive knee jerk startled reaction off his face. Still Isaiah moves again to get the reinforced door between the two of them.

That helps to keep him from letting his amusement over the attempt at slowing the man having worked so well show, too. Regardless, there was still this situation to deal with.

yesha-yahu​:

Ah, that explained the rest of this, at least on more than suspicion. “Nobody. Leave.” Isaiah answers shortly, more irritation making it’s way into his voice.

The order request isn’t likely to work, he knew that much, but saying it felt privately helpful.

“Bullshit.” Lucio sets his jaw, silver eyes glinting cold under the hat brim. “You’ve got somebody in your corner. You’ve gotta, or you wouldn’t talk like this. Come on. Just give me a name, and I’ll leave you alone. The Devil isn’t a patient man, and neither am I, but we do reward people who help us.”

A winning smirk crosses his face as he adds a little honey to his vinegar. “You look like a smart man. Surely, you can see what side your bread’s buttered on.”

“There isn’t anyone.” Isaiah repeats, annoyance rising. “And there is no need for your offer.” It didn’t seem Lucio was going to listen, of course, and making sure the man wasn’t able to step closer was his next goal.

yesha-yahu​:

Ignoring the familiar feel of nearby metal isn’t working, clearly, as it’s more than obvious what that metal is. Eyes narrowing, Isaiah is thankful one of his hands is hidden from view by the door as he makes sure it’s less of a threat.

“And those would be?” For good measure, he’s reinforcing the inside of the door and partly stepping behind it as well.

Oblivious, Lucio still believes he has the upper hand as he squints at Isaiah. He doesn’t point his weapon at him, because he doesn’t think he needs to. People usually listen to a guy with a gun, he’s learned.

“Who sold you protection?” He isn’t mincing words anymore. “My boss will want to know who’s horning in on our turf.”

Ah, that explained the rest of this, at least on more than suspicion. “Nobody. Leave.” Isaiah answers shortly, more irritation making it’s way into his voice.

yesha-yahu​:

“Measures have already been taken.” There’s some warning in Isaiah’s voice as he turns his head just enough to keep an eye on Lucio, warring with annoyance and amusement.

The want to completely refuse the man’s order at this point was more than tempting, and even with Isaiah’s muted emoting his irritation is clear.

There’s definitely another gang involved, Lucio can’t imagine another explanation for this answer.

(He’s aware that the population of this city is diverse and, occasionally, very powerful, but he isn’t thinking about that. Why would somebody with super powers or magic or anything be running an ordinary store? It isn’t even a possibility in his head, right now.)

His eyes harden as his hand tightens around the grip. “…I’m sure you won’t mind if I ask you a couple questions.” He starts to draw his gun.

Ignoring the familiar feel of nearby metal isn’t working, clearly, as it’s more than obvious what that metal is. Eyes narrowing, Isaiah is thankful one of his hands is hidden from view by the door as he makes sure it’s less of a threat.

yesha-yahu​:

“None of that is a worry.” And none of this was anything near the level Isaiah had lived through; he wasn’t about to discount that Lucio considered the consequences a threat, but it was what he considered a low level one.

With that thought he considers simply closing the door and leaving, already partly turning away to do just that.

Lucio raises his head a little to look at Isaiah in astonishment, blinking. This isn’t in the script. There’s no “no thanks, I’m good” in the script!

“…W-wait.” Lucio’s hand automatically slips into his pocket, palm on his gun. “I don’t think you’re getting it. Something really bad could happen to you, if you don’t take these measures against it!”

“Measures have already been taken.” There’s some warning in Isaiah’s voice as he turns his head just enough to keep an eye on Lucio, warring with annoyance and amusement.