As I Collide, I See I Am a Paradox // White Collar

TWENTY-TWO

ask me how I got here

~

The Backdoor Casino.

Kira almost wished she didn't know where the sword was because if they had to rob that particular casino, they would fail. And she knew that. She had absolutely no hope left now. Of course, the sword would be there — the most secure casino in all of Tokyo.

It's never easy, is it?

"You gotta be kidding me." Her eyes drift to Hank. He was the exact opposite of her — full of hope, his face shining, and smiling. "The Backdoor Casino? That place is impenetrable. If it's in there, then..." She lets out a breathy scoff, "...there's no point."

Matthew turned around to face her, "Now, you sound like me."

Jayson looked at the two of them cluelessly, then turned to face Neal while he stared at the treasure map in thought, "Nothing's impenetrable. There's always a way inside. There's always a flaw, there has to be."

"It's never been done before." Kira raises her voice to argue.

Neal turns around to face her. His voice never rose, because he was trying to convince her, not fight her. The Backdoor Casino posed a challenge and the challenge was what he loved. "There's always a first time."

"Are you seriously considering this right now?"

Matthew took a quick glance at Neal, then turned it onto Kira, "Are you seriously not? If the sword is in there—"

"—If!! We don't even know if it actually is!" She throws her hand in Hank's direction, "You guys are gonna trust some guy we barely know?!"

"Hey!" Hank crosses his arms in offense.

"If the sword is in there," Matthew continues his earlier statement, "then we have to get it! If we don't do it, we're dead!"

"Did I just hear you agree with me?" Neal feigns shock to mock him, "Wow, Keller. That must have killed you." Matthew gives Neal a nasty look.

"Have you stopped to think what's going to happen when we give him the sword?! Have any of you?!" Now, they were all quiet. Kira was definitely making sense and now they came to see their lose-lose situation. "Ryo's not gonna quit! He'll ask us favor after favor. And when he's done with us? You know what he's gonna do?! He's gonna shoot us in the back!" She pants heavily from her yelling, then lets out a breath, "We're dead anyway." Turning away, she hops up the stairs quickly to get some air.

The room was left with silence as each of them pondered her words.

"Who's this Ryo guy?" Everyone turns to face Hank slowly.

Neal didn't know where to turn from there. They had too many decisions to make. They could give the sword — if they find it — to Ryo or Mr. Tokugawa. They could follow Adrian Schlemmer's lead and talk to his contact or they could infiltrate the Backdoor Casino. They could also choose to not retrieve the sword and die or they could retrieve the sword and die. Too many choices that didn't have the best options. And that's when Neal's feet grew a mind of their own and followed Kira up the stairs. He looked around when he left the basement and wandered into the kitchen in search for her. And there she sat, eating chocolate pie, sitting at the table alone. Her face held a frown. He didn't blame her, he was sure his did, too.