•To The Simpler Times ~Vi x F!Oc•

•4•

Brandy's POV

When I woke the next day, i felt at a loss. With the new information i had, i could question things. And i did.

I wondered about the circumstances and the reasons. After everything that had happened, this was the last thing to expect.

I shifted to my back. The shuffling in the shop told me it was somewhat late in the day. Mumbling, negotiating, and bartering filled my ears.

Ekko walked into the room and sat down on the bed with me. I sat up.

"You know, don't you?"

"Yeah... I just wanted to know what the Enforcers wanted. Didn't want to know what I do now."

"Neither did I. Hey, let's go meet up with Vi and the others. Could lift our mood."

"Alright, where will they be?"

I got up and grabbed my jacket, throwing it over my shoulder.

"The arcade. They have to lay low. Vanders orders."

"Race ya!"

And he ran up and out, and I soon followed. We passed the people in the shop and ran through tunnels, under and over pipes.

When we got to the ladder, enforcers were everywhere, and in the middle of it all were Vi and the others. Ekko whistled and dropped the ladder. They climbed up and kicked down the ladder, making it impossible for the topsiders to follow.

"You need to hide those crystals."

"Yeah, no shit."

Powder and Vi spoke of something I didn't quite understand. Everything we got was lost. What crystals? Yet I kept my mouth shut and pushed it to the back of my mind.

"Vi, are you ok? What happened?" I asked, concerned about the enforcers that had followed them.

"I'm ok. They just found us in the arcade." She looked at me with those reasuring eyes as we walked back through the tunnels. The eyes that got me hooked.

Unexpectedly, she grabbed my hand and squeezed it. My eyes widened, but as she pulled away, I held on tighter. She looked at me shocked, but her gaze softened swiftly. She kept hold of my hand.

We walked through tunnels and the main streets of the lanes. People stared at us, and we knew why. Either that or they were homophobic.

Walking through the doors of The Last Drop, there seemed to be some form of meeting. If you could call it that. We went to the stairs and stood at the top, listening to what was being said.

"We should hit them back. We've got the numbers to beat them."

"Yeah! Lets teach them what it means to mess with us."

Cheers followed, but Vander and Benzo stood quietly. Vander lit a match and began to smoke his pipe.

"You sure that's what you want? We crossed that bridge once before, and we all know how that ended."

"You're just protecting your kids."

"I'm protecting my people. I'd  do the same for any one of you. We look out for each other. It's the way it's always been. This will blow over. We just need to stand together."

I agreed with him. I wouldn't want another war or big battle like last time. There was no need. It was going to end one way or the other. I'd just prefer for the less violent path. But that wasn't my choice to make.

"The Vander I knew, the one that built the underground, wouldn't be afraid to fight."

Vander stood and confronted her. Sevika - she was by Vander's side, has been for a while, but she had grown sour - she had become this awkward bruise in that one place that you usually find comfortable. She grew from this person I sort of admired to this bitch I sort of hated.

"Do I look afraid?"

"No. You look weak."

She whistled, and her and half the people in the bar left.

"Why isn't  he doing anything?" Claggor questioned.

"We kicked the enforcers butts with just the five of us. Imagine what the whole of the lanes could do!"

"Jeez, even Powder wants to fight." Mylo mused in a mocking tone.

"So why aren't we?" Vi let go of my hand and waved her arms up in frustration.

I looked to Ekko and stood with him. We eyed each other, using looks that question whether we should tell them or not, without saying anything. Vi noticed my absence and silence, walking back up the stairs and looking at us in confusion.

"Spill it, Brandy, Ekko."

"Ok, well, um... Vander's got a deal with the enforcers."

"What deal?"