Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is said that among the syndicates that are under the King's command and all the people that work for him, there are four he trusts more than others. Rumours has it,that they are more than simple right hand men: the blonde, the most loyal.

They are deadly, precise, ruthless, they are the spitting image of their boss. 

The first thing all new members are told is not to mess with the Four stars: they are the eyes and ears of the King, and no one has ever survived being put on their blacklist.

Most stood in line, following orders, but two of them dared to try to rebel. He wanted to be seen, noticed by the boss, but he forgot one crucial rule: no traitor lived to tell the tale.

To say he didn't envy the blonde was saying nothing. He admired his skills, his elegance, but he hated to see him especially so close to his mentor and idol. It hurt to think that the boss didn't even pay attention to him, a young man so vibrant and energetic, ready to prove himself.

He had his chance, though. He came across a tip leading to one of their enemies' warehouse, thou he knew better than to pass along incomplete tips. Daring the fate, he chose to willingly use a faulty tip to achieve his dream. He didn't care, he planned it through: if they were out, he could have a shot.

He did it, and soon they were sent out to the warehouse: their orders clear, find and retrieve anything worthy of value.

Senior agents noticed this behaviour and warned him not to play with fire, because he wouldn't get burned. A much crueller fate awaited him.

The mission was a fiasco. He knew he gave them a bad tip, but he hadn't planned on two of them coming back injured. Findorr had to be transported to the hospital for a severe concussion, among other things, and Abirama had bruised 90% of his body, but ended up way more lucky than his blonde companion.

Oh, Barragan wanted blood now. No one escaped with injuring his men, blood would be shed, one way or another.

Ggio took the opportunity to step up and continue from where the Four stars left. " Boss, let us go and find them. WE won't fail you" pleaded and promised the young brunette. He suspected foul play from the boy, but without proofs, he couldn't just make him disappear, no matter how much he loathed him, " Bring me their heads. Do not come back unless you bring them here. Is that understood?" his voice boomed, making them quiver in their boots, before they scurried off.

He took a moment to gather himself, before he made his way toward the flat. He left the office to one of his seniors, trusting them with keeping the business moving, " I will be taking today and tomorrow off. Call me for any emergencies" he said, before his driver came around and went away into the night.

The Penthouse overlooked the city, painting a beautiful scenery. He sighed, before calling for Poww and Chulhorne. Sitting on the massive sofa, he motioned them to do the same. "Now, tell me what happened, with every detail possible".

They looked at each other before starting, " first off, Abirama has been sent home with a lot of prescriptions. Findorr, though, may have to extend his stay for a few days. They want to make sure he doesn't develop any after effects. But he's in a rough shape" stated Poww, before re-telling the story.

It was a routine check, but something was immediately off. The place, the building. " Stay sharp, I don't have a good feeling" said Abirama. They nodded and spread out.

Entering the building from the front door, both Findorr and Abirama were shocked to see nothing inside. They checked every nook and cranny, to clear the room from any possible threat. They moved from room, to room, but found nothing. Moving back to exit the building, they found all the door locked. They tried the comms, but interference prevented them from talking to each other.

A ticking sound engulfed the room: a bomb. They ran towards the first window they could find, but the bomb exploded. Findorr used his body as a shield, protecting his companion from the explosion. The impact made them fly through the sealed metal door and across the field. Debris covered them both, but luckily Poww and Chulhorne heard the noise, and rushed to the pile. They heard faintly Abirama calling their names out. It took a combined effort of ten people and half an hour to free them, but the damage was already done.

They rushed to the hospital, but Poww noticed one of their cars there. " You four stay here and investigate the area, there's one of our cars ,and we have to know why is there and who brought it here. For the moment we go radio silent. It's to be considered an emergency situation.

" That's what happened. We still have a squad out there investigating the car, and another one in incognito to monitor the new arrivals. Something doesn't add up with them, " said Charlotte.

Shuffling and a low groan made them turn their heads towards one of the bedrooms. " Excuse me" said Poww, before making his way there. 

Low mumbling could be heard, a shushing yet comforting sound filled the room.

Barragan merely raised an eyebrow, " It's all under control, the medications made him confused as to why Findorr wasn't there", said the man, "speaking of him, have you heard anything new?" they both shook their heads.

They could only wait for now.

Chapter Text

At the hospital things were going from bad to worse. 

Findorr awoke to a blacked out room, hanging from the ceiling from his wrist. His head was swimming, his every joint hurting. Where was he? He remembered almost nothing, apart from the explosion, someone telling him to stay awake and then the white ceiling of a hospital.

Why was the room so dark?

"I see you are awake" said a distorted voice. A masked man entered the room, surveying him with ill intent. He knew where this was going, and he couldn't help but worry. "You see, you have been a very naughty boy" said the Mask, circling him like a hawk, " you could have left room for others, instead you hogged up all the attention" he went on. It felt familiar, did he know this man?

"Smile, Mr. Callius, you're live. Your friends are surely enjoying the following show" he paled. That red dot.

He heard the door open, a metal bar being dragged down the floor. He started to shake. "Oh don't worry, we won't be too rough" said the Mask, while putting a hand on his lower back, whispering more threats.

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Meanwhile…

Abirama was awake, but he felt something wrong, he had a hunch. Making his way towards the kitchen he heard shouts and threats. Barragan was furious, this people were taunting him. "B-Boss" he said, but the elder didn't turn away from the screen of his computer, neither did the other two.

"Find them immediately, and find those two rats. I want their heads on a silver plate" he screamed, while shutting down harshly the screen. Poww immediately organized a search party, while Chulhorne started to look into the feed.

Abirama was shocked. He caught a glimpse, but he didn't need to see more. He understood.

"Ah, Abirama, you're awake. Come sit down, give me your version of the events" said Barragan, strangely calm. He did, and this did nothing to quell his growing suspicions.

"Boss, we found the coordinates of the place. We've already sent a car" said Charlotte, while Poww looked for clues. He got a message from the men he left investigating the destroyed building and the car, "It seems that Ggio Vega did use the car, but vanished after. There were traces of gunpowder and an empty briefcase" explained Poww, " the trackers on the money show it went towards a gang in the North, known for the extreme violence they use and the bizarre masks worn by its members. It could be the one in the video" he concluded.

A call interrupted the silence. The squad had arrived and retrieved Findorr, but there had been no trace of the people who were there previously. "Is he awake?" he asked, concerned with what happened, " barely, but he's been repeating some words. Maybe to you sir, they mean something" said the agent, while he listed down the words he heard.

…death would not await them…not for what they had done.

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"Ggio, not to be the pessimistic one, but we crossed a line", Nirgge was worried of the retaliation that was about to befall them, "that was unnecessary. Why did you torture him? And why did you put a hand there?" he screamed. Words came back to his mind: One thing you will need to remember is to never, for any reason, touch East on his lower back. Never lay hands on him.

He never understood why, especially because North, South, and West particularly did it every time. One of the seniors explained why they could, " they have a different bond than he does with all of you. We can touch him, but never there. You can't. You don't question this. Period. It's not your business.

"Nirgge, shut up. No one is going to trace this back to us. Now let's get back with this,they can't and will do nothing" he said, driving towards the black castle.

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"How's he doing?" asked Poww to Charlotte. He didn't move from his position, the blonde clutching his shirt tightly, even in his sleep, "he's…he needs time" he said, stroking lightly the long strands. They were beginning to go gray, the stress showing.

"Did he…?" he continued, meaning clear as a day, "no, he didn't. I think he recognized us, that's why" he told his companion, not once moving from his position. " He just fell asleep,calling out our names. It took a while for him to understand he was safe" , his eyes once again fell on his face, marred by dried tears.

Poww nodded, before closing the door softly. 

He took a sip of his drink before he went into the office. " Boss, they're back ,and they would like to talk to you" he announced, a solemn mask of stoicism. Barragan asked, looking out the window, 'did you post some men outside his door?'. He didn't need to turn to see the other nodding, " good, let him in. Have Abirama and Chulhorne listen in too" he said, getting ready.

The boy came in, but immediately he felt scrutinized. The air was heavy, saturated with murderous intent. " You have five seconds to explain why" he said.

"Boss, I don't know what you're…" Poww cracked his knuckle, the noise extremely loud in the quiet office. He jumped, and immediately got a feeling. It would be better to play it smart than to lie. 

" We were exploring the ruins of the building, before we found a lead and followed it. We ditched the car because we didn't know how the people connected to it would react. The items found in there were decoys, to fool them into believing us" he said.

On the other side of the line, Findorr tensed at the mere mention of those people, making the other two seethe in anger. "Bullshit" muttered the purple haired man, while he continued to reassure the blonde.

Those eyes, black as ink studied his every move.

"Poww, escort him outside. You, screw up one more time" he said, leaving the threat hanging. There was no need to spell it out.

"Yes sir, we will not make another mistake" he bowed before scurrying out.

The door closed, and silence fell once again. "My boy, breath. You are safe. I'll make sure nothing happens again to any of you" he said in the handset, " Anything I should know boys?" he asked. Poww prepared the file, ready to add notes to it, " when he said he used the gunpowder and money case as decoys, we have found the same type of powder in the bomb" said Charlotte.

The lab's result didn't lie, they were the only one who used that brand and mix of powder. " And he said he didn't know those people, but he sounded too defensive when he mentioned them" he continued, while rubbing gently the back of Findorr, who started to shake in panic and fear.

" Understood. Why don't you bring him here today? I'll take care of him, while you rest. You have been working hard. Now it's time to let the little mouse to trap himself" he ended, closing the call.

Time passed, he worked from the couch, with the blonde resting in his lap, safe. His office had been closed to anyone outside S rank, as to prevent further intrusions. He had to sign paperwork, everything else was already set in motion.

A twitch made him look up, his hand moving up and down, drawing meaningless circles. A sigh made him relax, going back to the rapidly thinning stack of paperwork.

Once they recovered, he would spoil them all. They deserved it after all that happened.

Chapter Text

There was a reason only they were allowed to touch East's back, but they weren't about to tell them why. 

Whenever stress got to him, or they simply wanted him to calm down, placing gently a hand there brought a wave of comfort to the blonde, safe in those hands. "Breath, Fin, you're okay. Leave some for your subordinates, you are burnt out" said Poww, leading the latter to a sofa.

He tried to justify it, but his mind was a mess of thoughts, "just breathe deeply. I've got you" . Other times, it meant something more, "Why don't you lay down, handsome. You have been carrying too much stress lately". It was a pot meant only for them and them only. His peace and pleasure were a gift.

He didn't mind being touched, but no one could make him feel so secure as them.

It had been painful, when a stranger's hand stopped there. Especially when what followed was only pure agonizing pain.

He startled, regretting it almost instantly. His body screamed for mercy, and the jolt made his leg ache even more than it already did. It had been shattered beyond belief, and it was a miracle he could still even use (albeit with the help of a cane). His breath ragged, his body shaking. Everything was blurred. 

"Breath, doll" said Chulhorne, rubbing his lower back while keeping his voice steady and low. It broke his heart, to see a once so confident man reduced to this. He continued until his breath stabilized, before he fell back into the toned chest. "Doll, do you want something for the pain?" but he was met with a shake of the head, "I feel nauseous" he said, trying to lay down. He was helped onto the bed, before he heaved a sigh.

Charlotte brought back a pill with a glass of water, as well as a cold rag. "It takes time, you did have a concussion after all, and you really had a chance to recover only this month" he said, making sure to keep the rag on his forehead. " You have to take it slow" he said, keeping a hand on the small of his back, massaging those strained muscles.

" That feels nice" he mumbled, closing his eyes, " I bet it does" he smirked, keeping a light pressure, without aggravating the other injuries. He made a bit of space, when Abirama joined them, massaging those tired legs. He felt safe, knowing that no one else could touch him. Fighting was hard when closing his eyes to doze off sounded too appealing, before a rumbling voice made it harder and harder. "Just sleep, we're here" Poww had just come back from grocery shopping, and he saw the futile attempt. 

It was, futile of course. He fell asleep not long after.

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Days passed, life went seemingly back to its normal routine. But Ggio was still scheming . He followed close the schedule of his superior, trying to stay hidden in the shadows. It took months of work and careful planning to pull off the next daring move.

Findorr was going to the doctor to remove the cast. He had his assigned driver, and he felt confident enough to go alone. He had Nirgge keep watch over the situation while he waited for them at the doctor's office.

His plan was simple: once East got out,he would subdue the driver and take his place. He had already a deal with some people up north. He would become the best man, no matter what.

The opportunity came ten minutes later, when the unfortunate driver was left alone. He acted quickly, already dressed. A quick snap of the neck had done the job, and removing the body was easy enough. He waited, it would be a question of minutes.

When East came back, he instructed his driver to go back. Everything was normal for a while, before the car turned left instead of right. He noticed it, and quickly pushed the emergency button. " You missed a turn" he said, slowly taking out his gun, "no sir,we're going in the right direction" said Ggio, while accelerating.

A shot rang out, immediately making the car stop. He bolted,not taking its chances. Ggio was hot on his tail. It wasn't fair when he was limping away. He hit the ground hard, a scuffle ensued. The youngster may have had youth bravado on his side, but he had experience.

It was hard, though, but he managed to knock him out and go back to the car. His chest hurt, he was hyperventilating. He locked himself inside,starting the car back up.

Just enough to put some distance between them. He was forced to stop, the pain becoming overwhelming. He called back home, but panic started to well up inside him. 

The incident changed him, deeply.

"Rama?" he asked, teary-eyed and exhausted, " yes, love, we're on our way. Do not move and don't get out of the car" he assured him partner, " me and Poww are on our way".

While he waited, he could see cars passing up and down. He just hoped that neither one was Ggio. Meanwhile, Nirgge found him on the ground, waking up. " Dammit, where'd he go?" he shouted, furious at this foiled attempt. " Ggio, we don't have time to fool around. Either we find him or we're dead. Let's go, I can track his GPS" said while motioning for the other to hop in.

It was a tense situation.

Both raced to get there first.

Unfortunately, they were there when they pulled up.

They heard shouts and screams coming from the forest nearby, they rushed in, ordering their men to spread out and surround the area.

It was a flash and everything stopped. Findorr was on the ground, trying to get unpinned, while Nirgge tried to manhandle into submission. Ggio was trying hard to bind his limbs, but he never came close to success. Guns drawn, they circled the two.

"Get off of him" shouted Abirama, training his gun on the younger one. They tried to resist, but when they noticed their disadvantage, they complied. Poww hurried and helped the blonde up, who was trembling. Mumbling soothing words, he helped him inside their car, where a medic checked him for injuries. " Sir, I'm going to put a mask on you. Next I will check the leg and its mobility. Later, I will move on to the chest" , the doctor explained every step of the procedure, knowing well their boss liked to know what was coming.

He was pale, his breathing ragged and shallow. The man was in poor health. Poww called Abirama, changing places to deal with the little shit. ""Hello, love, focus on me," he said, keeping the exhausted blonde upright. He felt the tears fall on his hands, he wound them tighter, whispering comforting words into his hair. 

Once the medic was done, he turned him around, minding the oxygen mask on his visage, " there you are, beloved. It's alright, let it out, we're here" he continued, bundling the man up in his coat.

Poww, instead, was back. His men had cuffed the two up and brought them to the van. He texted the boss to let him know they were coming. He closed the doors, before going back to his car.

"I'll drive,don't worry" he said.

The drive was quiet, soft tunes lulling him to sleep. They exchanged glances before stopping in front of their flat. Chulhorne was already waiting for them. The trio went up, directly into the office. Findorr was now awake, though unable to stand.

"Sit down" said the old man, before turning his chair around and putting out his cigar, minding his boy's health. "Are they ready?", a nod soon followed, "good, leave them for a while. They don't deserve the luxury of a quick death" he said, before motioning for Findorr to come to him.

He was helped to the chair before sitting down, resting his head on those broad shoulders. He dozed off not long after. "You three go prepare. You have a busy week ahead" he ordered, manic smile plastered on his face. They rushed off, excited to play with their new toys.

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The day had come, a door opened. Light enveloped the room for a moment.

"Hello boys"

Chapter Text

Waking up in the softest bed ever felt good, especially after a tiring day like yesterday had been. Toying the line between the land of dreams and reality, it all felt woozy. He felt a hand go through his locks, now a beautiful mix of grey and gold. He relaxed, as much as his body could allow, but he felt safe, in those arms he was always safe and sound.

Meanwhile, the other two were smiling bitterly at that. "Chulhorne, you'll meet us later?" said Abirama, while changing his pyjamas, " yeah, once he's awake, fed and everything I'll reach you. The office today or are we at the Palace?" he asked, adjusting his position to be more comfortable for the other.

He paused, thinking about it, " Last time we just stopped to see them, maybe today the boss lets us have a go. But I'm sure we have some meetings, and we have to cover his" , confirmed Poww, who had just finished showering.

"Well, that's a long day. Think the boss will let me sub in from here?" he asked, moving out the bed, gently and slowly. He placed a body pillow under him, before leaving to change, " He just texted, he said you need to. He can't be in the office today, he's out for a business meeting with other important folks from the country" said the brunette, adjusting his tie.

Mumbling came from the bed, before a body rose from the cocoon of soft silk sheets, "w-where are you going?" he said, slurring a bit. He stretched, making some joints pop before sitting against the headboard.

They turned to look at him, and no matter what happened, he still was their sleeping beauty, " Work. Want to join?" joked Charlotte, brushing his maroon locks down. Those grey eyes suddenly turned opaque, losing the confident shine they had just moments before. They shared a look, before sitting down on the bed with him, " want me to stay here with you or do you want to try to come with one of us?" proposed Poww, trying to lift the situation up.

He stared at nothing, mulling those thoughts, before sighing and slumping on Abirama. He was scared, no terrified of going back to work. They knew, and they were fucking furious. But they would reverse those frustrations on them, all of their wrath.

A call broke them out of their reveries, Chulhorne reached his phone before putting it on speaker. The old man, seemingly sensing the mood, called them one by one.

They didn't know what was going on, but nonetheless were ready for anything. " You all have a long day ahead of you. You have some thinning to do, we have received word that they may have escaped, so you'll have to hunt them down" he said. Findorr, involuntarily started to shake, panic welling up inside him. Those memories popping up, making everything hurt.

Poww was quick to act, bringing the situation down to a stable situation, " Now, I know, But I need you to solve this situation, and Findorr must be with you. I believe you understand why" he said, before telling them more info.

Findorr, meanwhile, had started breathing again, feeling exhausted already. He understood why, it didn't mean he had to like it. " Is that clear, boys?" he asked, but he didn't hear one voice in the group, "Is that clear, FIndorr?" he asked again, more forcefully.

He tried to answer, but nothing came out of his mouth. He was dissociating, everything was louder than it should have been.

"Boss, he can't. Not yet" said Poww, while juggling the anger of his boss and the feeling of helplessness of his partner. Before the elder spoke again, 'He will, because I cannot leave him without protection.' He stated that, while the measure may be harsh, it is in the best interest of the situation.

They looked at each other before getting up.

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"Boss" started a senior agent, " was it really the right decision?" he asked. He pondered it for a long time,before answering. He had to use the right words in the right context. " Yes. At the moment, he's feeling less than himself, he's retreating. I know my boy, and what I want to achieve is made possible by this. Is it harsh? Yes. Will it make him break before he gets better? Possibly, but I have a surprise that will make it worth it" he explained, satisfied.

The other nodded, before resuming his work.

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As he predicted, the day was taxing. He was exhausted by the time he finished the last paper, but he felt…well better than that morning. 

What he didn't expect was the knocking at the door, before he saw a familiar face. He was shocked, but he reacted immediately ( and maybe impulsively, be it dictated by shock, panic, or fear), shooting the boy in the leg, along his companion.

The echo rang loud in the building, prompting the other three to run inside his office. They found him wide-eyed, shaking, with his gun still pointed at the two rats. "Well, that's our surprise right here" said maliciously Poww, going to bind the two and drag them out.

Findorr sat down, breathing heavily. He did it…he did it. Everything ringed in his ear before he slumped down, blackness taking over his eyes, "Well done, darling" said both Abirama and Chulhorne, before taking him home.

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Night fell, and he was eating slowly on the couch, covered in his heavy blanket. Poww is cleaning the kitchen, Abirama is talking with Barragan and Chulhorne is washing the dishes. He was safe, warm, content.

"Did it help?" asked Barragan, smoking his cigar near the window, " well, in the end, yes" said Abirama, handing him the reports, " what about them?" he continued, reading the stack of papers. He paused only to look up at his boys, before focusing back, " we have him in our best care. But we don't know if you want them gone or reformed" . He never specified that, but he left the decision to them, " do what you want, I don't care" he dismissed them after.

The night passed without a hitch, and no one heard of the two traitors.