Vi sat in the armchair of the gang's hideout. Her arms were crossed and body hunched defensively. A guilty, trembling expression with watery eyes, but she didn't speak or meet Orion's gaze.
'Yeah, I'm looking at you.'
Orion was sitting on the couch beside Powder, bandaged and bruised, staring at Vi with a pissed-off look.
Mylo and Claggor had to support him the entire way back, his arms draped over their shoulders. Their return through those same streets earned harsh chuckles and mocking laughs from those who watched them descend. Vander had stayed behind to 'clean up' and offered no further explanation.
'I'm not even mad at you guys anymore. This was my fault too. I'm mad because I can't find a moment to be alone to heal myself!'
He exhaled sharply, and the sudden sound caused Vi and the others to flinch. His suffering persisted, but thankfully none of the injuries were life-threatening, even the bite in his forearm.
The bigger concern was infection.
Half the time it wasn't the wound that killed you in the Undercity, but the toxins that came with it. His wounds were inflamed and burning, and while it had only been several hours, he was starting to feel woozy. Even the small kit he had bought only had bandages and stitches.
Thankfully, the tavern had antiseptics. Alcohol, of course.
'At least they care. Thinking about it… I'm glad they ran. Any one of them could've died to those creatures. I only survived by- I don't even know how I kept up with those creatures.'
A nervous side-glance from Powder drew his attention. She was hunched over next to him, quietly knitting rough patches into his jacket on her lap where the creature had torn through.
Orion couldn't help but ruffle her hair again, though it did little to change her somber demeanor. Her eyes remained fixed with an unhappy smile as she pulled a thread through.
She hadn't said much since they got back. Just sat quietly next to him, as if making herself small would make the memory go away. But every so often, she would softly poke him to check that he was still alive.
The sound of whispers and metallic clicks drew his attention to the boys across the table.
Contrary to the ladies, the boys were the complete opposite.
Mylo held Orion's gun pointed toward the floor with both hands. They opened the chamber and were fascinated.
"How did you get your hands on a real gun?" Claggor asked curiously.
"I'd tell you, but Vander would kill me." Orion chuckled weakly, his gaze lingering on the gun. "Careful snapping it back. If your fingers get caught, it'll hurt."
Upon hearing this, Mylo glanced at Orion innocently and then back to the gun, carefully turning it in his hands to look at the designs.
Claggor, however, couldn't resist. He jerked his hand upward toward the gun's barrel and Mylo panicked, twisting away with a yelp.
"Jerk!"
Mylo glared at Claggor, cautiously relaxing. Everyone collectively let out a small laugh, except Vi, of course, who continued to sulk.
She had barely spoken since they returned, but her silence wasn't the same cold front Orion had seen before. She looked... shaken. A little smaller.
The scene had played over and over in her head on the way back. Her stubbornness moving forward, ignoring Orion, the sound of snarls and the gunshot. And now, seeing Orion slumped, pale, and bruised next to her little sister, she hated herself even more.
"I-I'm sorry everyone," Vi's broken voice finally emerged. "That was dangerous and stupid. I'm sorry."
"Are you kidding?" Mylo said, one eyebrow raised. He paused, his grip on the gun tightening briefly before flicking a glance at Orion.
"Well, maybe a little. But there's always a risk, right? We scored a nice haul!"
Claggor shoved Mylo's shoulder roughly and glared at him. "Orion was hurt! If it wasn't for him, we could've died! Powder could've died!"
Mylo softly rubbed his shoulder, a guilty look flicking between Orion's bandaged figure and Powder seated beside him.
"Yeah... My bad."
A gloomy atmosphere returned before Orion, in a forced upbeat tone, tried to change it back.
"We made it back, that's all that counts!" Orion looked at Vi. "And we've learned, right?"
"Right," Vi muttered. "I get it. I messed up. I should've listened to you."
She paused and continued, her tone firm but laced with regret. "I was trying to prove to myself, to you… but I almost got everyone hurt."
"Why are you trying to prove yourself to the new guy?" Mylo scoffed before getting whacked by Claggor again. "Stop it Claggor! I'm serious!"
"He's right, Claggor. There was no point risking everyone's safety like that."
She exhaled bitterly, shaking her head. "It won't happen again."
"You're right, it won't."
An angry and deep voice rolled across the room like a boulder. Vander was standing at the entrance again, arms crossed, with an expression that blended disappointment with anger.
"Everyone else but Vi and Orion, out."
Orion froze, halfway off the couch, before apprehensively settling back down. The rest of the gang shuffled their way out, and Mylo set his gun down with a heavy clunk.
'Powder didn't even glance back...'
Without saying a word, Orion shuffled down and Vi swapped seats next to him. Vander remained silent and sat down in the armchair, glaring at Vi.
"What were you trying to prove?" Vander demanded, his tone cold and firm.
"You said I needed to prove myself as a leader!" Vi shot back, her jaw tight as she clenched her fists.
"Then you put Orion in the group! How am I supposed to do that if he keeps butting in?!"
'Ah, so that's what this is all about,' Orion thought, noting her contrasting words to the group and now. 'I shouldn't be hearing this though...'
Vander's furious gaze, living up to his reputation as the hound, caught Orion's expression and he raised his voice, "You were supposed to help keep them out of trouble!"
Orion returned a glare of his own, gesturing at his injuries while anger also crept into his voice.
"I did! And I tried! Am I supposed to die in the process like my parents?" he spat venomously at the end.
"You're smart!" Vander gestured at the gun. "You knew it was dangerous before you stepped foot down there. BOTH OF YOU!"
He bellowed at the end. Orion flinched, gritting his teeth, and Vi cowered, bringing her knees up like Powder to shield herself.
A long silence hung in the room before Vander sighed in frustration, leaning back into the armchair.
"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything, Vi."
Vi quietly told the story from her huddled posture. The westside kids mocked them, calling them "Vander's puppies" and "too scared without him," the dangerous journey through the Black Lanes, and the Old Hungry.
By the end, Vander had his eyes closed, the deep wrinkles on his forehead displaying his rising stress levels.
She didn't speak of her fear, of the way her legs trembled climbing the tower, or how her heart nearly cracked when she thought Powder would die. She left those things out, just like always.
"What kind of jobs are you running, Orion?" Vander suddenly asked, eyes still closed.
"What?"
"You haven't been around here for a few days, and you don't look starving. This means you have a new job. What was it?"
"I've had one outside of the mines. It was to pick some flowers. Why?"
"There's a buzz amongst the Enforcers," Vander frowned. "A search for a boy with brown hair, brown jacket and brown pants, who may be linked to a break-and-enter topside. A garden of all places. From the sounds of it, it seems to be you."
'Ah, fuck. Caitlyn!'
Orion felt Vi's gaze boring into the side of his head while Vander refused to break eye contact with him.
"Yes... It was for alchemy; the client wanted some flowers. Someone else was there too. They freed one of the animals."
"Someone else? From our side?"
"No, from Ionia. She's probably trying to flee the city and return to Ionia with the Spirit Fox."
"Spirit Fox, huh." Vander mused. "Sounds like you accidentally got blamed for a crime worse than what you did."
"You're telling me. This is the first I'm hearing of this search."
Vander leaned back, eyeing both of them with frustration. There was a moment of silence before he stood up, nodding to himself.
"Well I can't have both of you running about right now. Orion's in charge while he's here or at your hideout."
"What?!" Vi protested, bolting to her feet with anger plain on her face.
"It was an accident! Why am I being punished? And why are you putting someone who's screwed up a job and is wanted by Enforcers above me?! I know the—"
"How many 'accidents' will it take for you to avoid almost killing your friends? Your family? Powder?" Vander sharply cut her off. Her defiant body language remained, but she bitterly slid back into her seat.
"You're not being punished," Vander said, more subdued now. "You're being told to slow down. Your heart's in the right place but you're too close to this to see clearly."
"You're second in charge. Orion won't be able to move much from the looks of it," Vander eyed small beads of sweat falling from Orion's head. "But his say is final."
"He will remain in charge for a few weeks until you learn to control your impulsiveness," Vander said in a concluding tone. "While he's gone on any job, you'll be in charge. Orion could also learn a thing or two from you."
He smirked, giving Orion a knowing side glance.
"Try and get along."
Vander called back before opening the door. Faint yelps and a squeak echoed from beyond the door and a commotion began as he closed the door.
'Ah, fuck.'
Vi's glare snapped up to him the moment Vander stepped out. She was boiling and looked ready to fight.
"This is bullshit!" Vi hissed through gritted teeth, her voice resentful. She violently pushed herself up from the couch, fists clenched, completely ignoring the fact that Orion was still bandaged and bruised.
"Yah think I'm trying to do this on purpose?"
"I don't know, are you?"
Orion rolled his eyes, which wasn't perhaps the best idea with the room spinning. He had to grip the couch to stop himself from falling over.
"Sorry," Vi muttered, eyeing his unsteady condition.
"Are you?"
"I am! I'm just... I don't know!"
She shook her head angrily, her expression full of turmoil.
She didn't want to cry. Not in front of him. But it was there, pressed beneath her ribs like a bruise. She had wanted to lead, to earn Vander's trust, to make him proud. But now she felt little. Loud, hot-headed, and helpless.
'Looks like I'm going to be babysitting from the couch,' Orion thought after Vi turned and stormed toward the door.
"Hey Vi, I heard—"
He heard the commotion from outside again before the loud door slammed, leaving him alone on the couch.
"Welcome to the Playground."