Location: Gala ➟ Garden ➟ Alleway Fundraiser
"What do you mean it wasn't you who blew up the cargo? you have-" Boris was caught off when Lev actually blew up a hole in the wall. Boris scratched his head and scuffed with a confused grin.
"You have that." he gestured vaguely before he looked around quickly, worried this would draw the attention of others but it looked to him like in the midst of all the chaos, no one looked their way. Hesitant at first, he shrugged, hearing the police approach the building.
Boris walked past Lev through the hole, landing on the garden outside, and Lev just watched him. He couldn’t stop himself from watching the man’s body move as he moved past him. He really had gotten physically bigger since the last time they had crossed paths. He hesitated only a moment before the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He turned back to the group converging on the leather clad men. Deciding he didn’t wanna be around if a fight broke out he jumped through the hole following Boris.
Boris turned around briefly to look at Lev. A part of him wanted to say thanks, but he decided not to when he noticed something weird was happening with the shadows inside. He grunted, turned around, and started walking as Lev followed.
“Really though, how did you fill out so much, what’s your secret?” Asked Lev, to which Boris did not respond, Lev was honestly just trying to distract himself from his back which was beginning to sting more as his nerves calmed and he stopped converting his body’s energy. But if he could annoy the former cop that was a plus, at least a little bit. Not too much though, he would need help treating his back, and it seemed the only good option right now was the man he was now following.
The former cop did seem annoyed, he had a lot to say earlier, but the question struck some nerve that pushed him into silence, so Lev decided to speak again.
“Say um…could you help me out once we get the heck out of here. I know you probably don’t like me too much but I can’t exactly reach my back to take care of the glass that may or may not be stuck in it.”Boris stopped briefly to eye Lev, and really only now noticed he looked injured. Lev hadn’t been acting like someone who’s in pain, and Boris was too busy remembering how his last ordeal with him was the catalyst of the cascading events that ruined his life.
"You should probably go to a hospital." He wanted to throw in an insult, but instead just sighed and nodded, reluctantly. Lev smiled and looked around for a quick way out without them being noticed and after a moment or two he pointed toward the back of the garden that seemed to go toward an alley.
”We might be able to sneak out that way.” He said, pointing in the direction to which Boris just grunted to again, and began walking.
As the two made their way to the alley, Boris put a hand out to stop Lev from walking, and began sniffing the air. The white haired male raised an eyebrow in response but said nothing.
"Good, There are no cops through here." said Boris before he proceeded forward.
Once they reached a secluded spot in the alleway, Boris just gestured with his hands for Lev to take off his shirt and turn around. Lev complied easily enough, though it seemed the act of removing the clothing caused him some pain.
In Russian, Boris asked in a low voice
"Did you really pay off your debt with the Mafia?." As he noticed the piece of glass protruding from Lev’s back, Boris took off his jacket and dropped it to the side before he ripped off the sleeve of his shirt to use as cloth. He carefully placed his hands on Lev’s back, and used the cloth to stop the bleeding as he pulled on the glass. There was an audible hiss of pain from the pull, and Lev tightened his hands into fists. Lev hadn’t even realized that there was actually glass in his back. No doubt the injury was made worse by the fact that he had fought off more than a few of those ninjas.
”I haven’t paid that fucker a single cent if I am being honest."Boris scuffed.
"You know, Kazan thinks I’m dead. You’d think that would mean my debt would have died with me." sounding annoyed as he spoke, he pulled on the glass a little harder almost on purpose. The white haired male grunted and dug his fingernails into his palms in an attempt to not scream like a little bitch. Shit hurt but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna let Boris know.
"But then he went after my sister to pay my debt for me."”Let him go after my folks, if he can find them. They ain’t got shit either...” There was malice in Lev’s usually unbothered voice.
”Not to mention it was the Chinese gang’s fault. He should really be going after them.” Lev had no intention of ever paying back Kazan, he would get his money when he pried it from Lev’s cold dead hands. Not that Lev was well off.
He shook his head, shaking off the foul mood he was in now.
”Why does that fat fuck think you are dead?” He was trying to change the subject from himself back to Boris. He didn’t get paid for information about himself, but others, that he could make money off of. Not that he would sell Boris out to anyone but still, any dirt on Kazan and his gang was leverage he could use if they ever caught up to him.
Boris fell silent again for a moment. That was honestly a complicated question, and Boris wasn’t sure how much he wanted to share. Kazan thinks he’s dead, and the less people that know about that, the better. He finally pulled the piece of glass out, and pressed the cloth firmly against Lev’s back. It soaked red, but soon the bleeding stopped.
"Okay. Looks like nothing vital was cut." He reached his jacket with his foot and kicked it up to catch with his free hand, before he held it with his teeth to pull out a flask from the pocket while his other hand kept the cloth on the white haired male’s back.
"This is going to sting." he said before pouring cold liquid down Lev’s back, as the stench of alcohol filled the alleyway. Having had some warning this time about the pain Lev was braced for it, still it didn’t stop yet another hiss of pain from escaping his lips, his eyes now watering a little bit. To distract him, Boris finally answered
"Because officially, I am dead. Hit and run." Finally he let go of Lev’s back.
"As I am sure you are well aware, you gain a lot of enemies dealing with certain types of people and not doing exactly what they ask."His back now stinging and cold, Lev shivered a little. He couldn’t help but think about how much a shower was going to hurt later. He would have to take cold showers for a while.
”Well that honestly brings up more questions than answers but I suppose pushing further won’t help anything, especially since you helped me out." Boris put his jacket back on
"Mhm. Don’t mention it." He said as he crossed his arms.
"Even if you were a little…unnecessarily rough about it.” There was a hint of teasing in Lev’s voice.
"Yeah well… I've wanted to strike you ever since the cargo blew up." He paused to drink the remaining vodka in his flask, knowing it wouldn’t have any effect on him but liked to pretend anyway.
"But I guess pouring this on you will do."“Really though, thanks. Can’t afford the hospital, nor do I want to explain to anyone how I got my injuries…” He glanced at his shirt and vest, both of which were pretty much useless at this point.
“So is it safe to assume you haven’t paid off your debt either, what with the whole, being dead thing?” Boris shrugged. Lev leaned down grabbing his discarded clothes, figuring they were better than nothing. They would get him home at least.
”You got a place to stay?” He paused for a moment before realizing it might come off that Lev was trying to mooch off of Boris more.
” Ah, I ask cuz I am not sure how long you have been…back from the dead you can crash at my place as payment for helping me out if you need to.” He wasn’t sure if that was worse or not but it had already exited his mouth, too late now.
"So what, we’re friends now?" Boris smiled, now a hint of teasing in his voice. Boris did have a place to stay. He had been renting out the same motel room where he keeps all his stuff, including his suit and weapons, and now with the money the two demon boys gave him, he could stay there for much longer - but he wasn’t going to tell the white haired male any of that.
"I go from place to place, mostly trying to avoid the police or the mafia from finding out I am back -" He suddenly stopped speaking when a raccoon jumped out of a trashcan in the alleway, his eyes suddenly focused on it, he pulled out his tongue in excitement. He had an urge to chase the raccoon, but turned around and pressed his palms to his face to fight it. He groaned, annoyed at this inner persona constantly trying to take over whenever something like this happens. Lev carefully watched Boris as this happened, making a mental note of it but not saying anything about it.
"Thanks for the offer. But if I am being honest, I doubt Kazan isn't keeping an eye on you and where you live. And I really don’t want him to know I am back, not before I can get to him first." He turned around, the expression on his face was firm.
"And do me a favor. Don’t sell me out." When Boris turned back to face Lev his eyebrow was raised.
“You planning on going after Kazan?” It would seem Boris had caught Lev’s undivided attention at the mention of it. Boris stared at him blankly.
"I did just tell you he went after my sister." He crossed his arms and sighed.
"I came back to clean up some of the corruption I was involved in, and decided Kazan was a good place to start."”I know a few of his safehouses, getting information from upset, or slighted lackeys is pretty easy if you are good with people.” There was a sly look on Lev’s face, like a cartoon fox excited at the thought of his next big trick.
“Of course, to give you that information I would need, a way to keep in contact with you.” His gaze never once left Boris, excitement in his eyes at just the thought of taking Kazan down.
Boris hesitantly gave a half nod. Of course, if anyone would have wanted to take Kazan down it would be someone who owes a debt like him. He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and extended his arm out.
"Call your number." He did as Boris asked, his phone vibrating for a second before he ended the call from Boris’s phone and handed it back to the man.
”I honestly forget some people actually like there family sometimes.” He muttered to himself as he did so.
Boris put the phone back in his pocket and stared at Lev for a moment, clearly deep in thought. Then he spoke.
"Text me the details. I’ll take care of it from there." Lev scrunched his nose when Boris said he would take care of it.
”No offense but…you weren’t exactly the most helpful the last time we worked together. Sure you got some muscle on you but…what exactly do you have planned? I would hate for you to go in alone.” He really meant no offense, even though he was sure Boris would take at least some. Packing on a muscle wasn’t going to be enough to take out Kazan. Lev would have done it ages ago if that was the case.
Boris put his hand to his head as he wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
”Look a lot… a LOT has happened to me since we last met.” He turned to look around, searching for something to show Lev that would be easier than explaining. He picked up a rock, bounced it in his hand for a moment, before throwing it. It flew past Lev like a bullet, crashing into the cement wall at the corner end of the alleway, much farther than where they stood, creating a loud echoing sound. The rock itself shattered almost as if it vaporized, but the cement wall it hit had a crater crack on it.
Lev blinked, staring at the wall the rock impacted, his mouth agape slightly in awe. He definitely didn’t do that the last time and he doubted the larger male had that hidden in his pocket since then. Things were certainly getting interesting. After a moment or two of staring his blue eyes went back to Boris who continued to speak.
”Obviously that’s not how I plan to take him down… well maybe… but there’s a lot more that I can do. I plan to hit him before he knows I am coming, and then I plan to hit him hard.” He said gesturing toward the crater on the wall. He kept things vague enough on purpose, not wanting to reveal his identity as the masked vigilante that had been lately stirring up trouble for the authorities, taking down various known criminals in the area.
”And no offence to you, last time we worked together things did not work out great for either of us.””Fair enough, guess you have it handled.” said Lev. Boris gave a reassuring nod. In truth, he did consider that Lev’s abilities could be useful when it came down to it, but for the sake of keeping as much about himself as secret as possible, he wasn’t going to agree to it right now.
"I'll send you the info, and anything else I can dig up in the meantime. If you need bait, as much as I would hate it, I would be willing to do it. Anything to take this fucker down.” He looked over to the wall, his eyes traced the damage on it.
”Also, if you need anything I have some…less favorable contacts I can pull some favors from, just let me know and I will see what I can do.” ”Thanks. I do appreciate that.” Boris said as he put his hands into his pockets. Maybe this guy wasn’t all that bad after all.
Lev turned back to Boris, the sly smile still on his face.
”Glad you aren’t dead. See you around maybe.” He turned to take his leave.
"I am going to go home and… attempt to wash my back, then sleep for 12 hours.” Not to mention his exposed back was getting colder the longer they stood out here since his jacket had been long since forgotten in the employee area of the gala. He would have to find a way to get that back.
Boris stood there silently for a moment, watching Lev as he walked away, before turning and walking the other way. He pulled out the cash the two demon boys gave him, smiled at it as his stomach grumbled, and chuckled. Time to get something expensive to eat, a happy thought that was interrupted when his phone vibrated. He thought Lev had already texted him the information, but it was Spencer. The text read “DUDE U GOT ME FIRED??”
