Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They leave the apartment, locking the door quietly behind them. They trek through the hallway, down the stairs, and outside into the parking lot. V eagerly gets into the passenger seat and Alvaro scans their surroundings before getting behind the wheel.

He starts the car and backs out of his parking spot. He drives the speed limit down the street and the man can particularly feel the buzzing emotions radiating off the teen.

“Can we go to a party in Heywood?” V asks since that is usually his go to when he’s in this kind of mood.

The man can see he has steam he needs to let out, probably from that Jackie guy making him upset. While this isn’t a healthy approach to Vincent handling his emotions, Alvaro decides to let up knowing how hard it can be for a teen especially for someone like V who has been through the worst and has it even harder.

“Ok. Pero no beber ni consumir drogas y sólo nos quedaremos un poco. (But no drinking or doing drugs and we are only staying for a little bit).” Is all he calmly says. He turns the car and starts to drive to a Heywood party he knows will be on the safer but of course on the rowdier side since that’s just how Heywood parties are normally.

V is a little bummed out that he can’t drink, the Valentino is being a bit of a stick in the mud.

But Vincent is happy that Alvaro is being so cool right now by letting him go to a party. He should have had him come a long time ago. He always thought the man would be a buzzkill, even though he’s not letting the kid drink. Drinking doesn’t matter to him at the moment.

If the Valentino had come the other day, he would probably have prevented V from walking around half naked. He feels mortified just thinking about it. Hopefully no one recognizes him from that night.

After driving for a while, the man parks a few houses down from the party. V looks around seeing that there is space closer to the party. “Ummm… choom? Why are you parkin’ far away? You could park closer.” He says nodding towards all the space ahead of them.

Alvaro gets out while scanning around and keeping a careful eye out and he doesn’t plan on moving his car. “I’m not parking any closer. Es una invitación para un desastre. (That’s an invitation for a disaster). All those drunk people will hover and hang out around my car.” His lowrider is his baby.

V makes a puzzled face when he steps out as well. He looks at the young man’s ride and it’s a piece of crap. It’s rusted, old, and it already looks destroyed. What more could anyone do to it?

But Vincent holds his tongue knowing if he says anything truthful about Alvaro’s wheels, the Valentino will probably end this night early.

The Mexican man moves over to his trunk, popping it open. He takes out an extra pistol and a back holster that can be strapped around the waist and hidden under a jacket. He hands them to V, the Valentino trusting the kid since he taught and trained him to know better.

Vincent is a bit surprised that Alvaro is trusting him with his piece and he takes the iron and the holster, wrapping it around himself. He double checks the safety of the beautifully clean and powerful handgun before lifting up his jacket and securely fitting the weapon in the holster, dropping his hoody over it and hiding the possibility of ever having it.

“Remember to always stick close to me and don’t even think about sneaking away.” His voice goes a little lower, warning the teen to behave. V doesn’t plan on being a dick to him since he brought him here.

“Don’t worry choomba, I’ll be on my best behavior.” He smiles at his friend trying to show he doesn’t have any ill intentions. Alvaro, with his serious expression, won’t believe it until he sees it. Therefore, he plans on keeping a careful eye on V.

They walk towards the party. The booming EDM drum and bass can be heard from their distance, but once they get closer, the bass is just a little too loud for comfort.

The crowd is huge with many people outside and inside the house. However, there seems to be a street fighting match going on in the middle of the road in front of the house. Vincent’s eyes light up seeing the brutal fight up ahead.

Many people who have formed a circle around the brawl. They yell and cheer, enjoying the illegal fight club. The group of party goers look like a bunch of savages craving for the spill of blood.

Multiple bets are being taken and the two people in the ring beat each other bloody, until one of them is too hurt or unconscious to keep going. Rules and decency are thrown right out the window and it’s every man and woman for themselves inside that circle. Though, killing their opponent is very much encouraged.

If his dad were here, he would be disgusted by the sight of this dangerous fight club. V’s father is big on morals and honor, especially since he’s a retired professional boxer where there are rules and respect when it comes to fighting in the ring. Specifically, when it comes to keeping the fight safe for the fighters involved.

But street fighting is dirty. It’s brutal with no rules or respect. Those type of fights are exciting to Vincent, keeping him sharp and on his toes.

V notices there seems to be more civilians here than Valentino’s. Wondering if that is a conscious effort done by Alvaro. But the kid isn’t complaining, he needs a break from them for some time.

Like a moth to a flame, Vincent walks up to the large circle of raging people and pushes through so he can get a closer look at the show. Once he gets close enough, he finds a man and a woman fighting each other in the middle.

They both have cybernetic titanium arms and what little is flesh on their bodies is bruised and bleeding severely. Some of their implants has been bashed in and barely functioning and it all looks painful.

But the boy watches with amazement, not at all sickened or taken aback by the harsh and violent environment. V feels like he’s in his element and he feels the itch within himself to want to get in the ring and start fighting himself.

He turns over and looks back at the bodyguard who is silently observing their area, ensuring their safety. “Hey Alvaro…” V says casually with a smile and the young Valentino can see that look in his eye and he knows what he is thinking.

“No, V.” He shoots it down right away and crushes his hopes and desires.

This is the entire point of why V wanted to come out. He misses the thrill of the fight. “Come on, big bro.” He begs. The kid knows when to pull out his secret weapon and pull at his heartstrings.

Alvaro gives him a firm look. “No.” Padre and Viktor will both have his head if he lets a scratch get on him.

V tries harder, not backing down. “Bro, you know I can throw down. Don’t you think I can handle myself in there?” He pushes further trying to get the young man to agree.

Alvaro does remember how he fights. He’s a good fighter. “Tu padre me mataría, hermanito. (Your father would kill me, little bro).” He reminds V about his dad, knowing how scary he can be.

V gets frustrated hating how they all baby him even though they just don’t want to see him get unnecessarily hurt. “Damn it, choom… Forget it.” He takes the defeat, feeling a little annoyed.

He knows he can’t do what he wants with Alvaro with him. So, the boy settles for just watching, a part of him wondering if he can take place in the betting. He decides just to enjoy the fight and assess their fighting style and debate to himself who he thinks will win.

He thinks the guy may win this fight against the woman, even though the two of them are equally violent.

Both of the fighters are brutal while they fight each other. Both the man and the woman having mantis blades. The opponents narrowly dodge and block each other’s attacks and ferociously swipe and stab to win the fight. Blood drips all over the pavement in their fighting circle from their painful wounds. The sound of the cheering crowd is almost drowned out by the loud EDM.

The woman slices her rivals left arm cleanly off right at his shoulder. The man screaming in agony but he still has the balls to keep going. However, because of his horrendous injury, he’s slower in reacting. It’s obvious the woman will be winning the fight and she toys with him before killing him, giving the wicked crowd what they want to see before putting the guy out of his misery.

V finds his eyes dulling over, feeling a little bored. He turns and walks away from the fight just as the woman cuts her opponents head off and the audience goes wild.

He pushes through the crowd, going inside the house party that is pack full of people. Normally he would find where the liquor or beer is at, yet he knows better than to try it with Alvaro with him.

Instead, he awkwardly stands there looking for something to do. V feels restricted with what he can do to occupy his time. The kid walks around the house and finds a little dance circle in the living room and he nudges the Valentino with a smirk. “You should bust out your moves, choom. Show ‘em how it’s done.” He laughs not even trying to hold it back. Easily giving the Valentino a hard time but he means no harm. The man rolls his eyes at the boy and he shakes his head, he’s not even going to dignify that with a response. Alvaro just keeps staying on high alert for any potential threats.

He scans the party goers hoping to see someone he knows from school and yet there is no one he recognizes. He does see a few women he finds attractive and he wants to try talking to one but he feels nervous.

His heart aches and he wonder if he should even try putting himself out there or if he should just give up and accept being alone. He feels lonely and apprehensive.

Each girl he sees is either with someone else and he’s not looking to hit on the wrong one. He’s never really felt this vulnerable before. He usually would just fucking do it. The nervousness kind of went away after doing it so many times. Though, he can feel his nerves more prominently now.

Vincent finds one female who looks the most inviting, her body language doesn’t seem stand offish, and she seems to be by herself. The girl looks pretty cute having dark blue hair that ombres into a lighter shade of blue towards the ends of her long hair.

She gazes around the party, nursing her beer in her hand. The woman seems a bit lonely, something he can resonate with. Feeling the urge to push himself and just do it, he starts moving and walks right up to her.

When he stops in front of her, to his surprise she smiles when she acknowledges him and that makes him feel better in approaching her. “Hey, how’s it goin’?” He says in a casual way.

“It’s goin’ good… how about you?” With a smirk she checks him out right in front of him which is very out of the ordinary for typical female behavior. They aren’t so blunt, usually.

That makes V smile a little more, knowing that she’s into him makes this entire interaction easier for him. He relaxes, the awkwardness that was once there, goes away when he leans his shoulder into the wall next to her and he becomes more comfortable.

“It’s goin’ better now.” He flirts without any shame, getting right into the fun. She chuckles digging his bluntness.

“I’m Aurora.” She introduces herself, her eyes practically undressing him and V is all for it, looking at her the exact same way.

“Vincent.” He gives her his name too, the sexual chemistry between them is intense and they don’t look away, they stare into each other’s eyes with that knowing look that they’re both down to hook up. Good thing V brought a few condoms with him.

Alvaro slowly walks up, coming up to the teen and he is killing the vibe when Aurora peers up and notices him. Since her eyes are darting away a few times, it makes V turn and look too, seeing the bodyguard getting in the way.

Vincent gives him a look, vocalizing for him to fuck off. But Alvaro approaches them anyway, standing by the kid, and ignoring his angry glare. “Mejor que no, chica. Es menor de edad. (You better not, girl. He’s under age).” He informs her since she’s well over eighteen years old.

He straight up cock blocks V, the teen getting annoyed and upset at him for interfering. Aurora looks with shock, she thought V was over eighteen or at least eighteen, and she’s alarmed to find out he’s a kid and she leaves right away.

He watches her go quickly. “Wait…” He says awkwardly but he knows it’s too late.

V glares back at the young Valentino angrily. “The fuck Alvaro?” He’s flabbergasted by the audacity but Alvaro was just trying to look out for him.

“She was probably in her thirties, hermanito. (little bro).” He informs him, the bodyguard is disturbed by the age difference. But none of that matters to V.

“Pussy is pussy. You fuckin’ for real? I don’t fuckin’ care.” He’s just looking to get laid and Alvaro rolls his eyes at him for being a typical guy with no shame or standards.

“Can you just back off? Don’t interfere, ok? I can fuckin’ handle myself.” He snaps at the man and the Valentino is a little disappointed in him for thinking with the wrong head.

Alvaro’s eyes snap behind them, he hears something that V wasn’t even paying attention to. Three Valentinos walk into the party and the bodyguard goes on high alert knowing about how Campo and Viktor aren’t in good terms and he knows these are Campos men and not Padres.

He looks back at the boy, not wanting to risk anything. “Let’s get going.” He keeps his hand on his holstered gun just in case. V sees his reaction, not understanding it. He doesn’t know why the young man is acting hostile towards his own Valentino’s.

The Valentino’s spot Alvaro in the flow of civilians in the house and they start moving towards their fellow comrade, the bodyguard already knows they’re walking up and he turns acknowledging them with a straight unwelcoming expression.

“Alvaro!” One of them says with drunken happiness. The other guy slings his arm over Alvaro’s shoulder as a friendly gesture but the bodyguard’s expression doesn’t change in any sort of way.

He remains unfriendly, clearly wanting to be left alone. “¿Cómo estás, hermano? (How you doin’ bro?)” They seem to know him but Alvaro doesn’t give a shit about them.

They notice V, not knowing who he is. “¿Es tu hermano pequeño? (Is this your little brother?)” One asks him and he doesn’t answer. The men seem to regard Alvaro very highly, because of his status with Padre and his reputation for being an excellent fighter.

The three men ignore his coldness since he’s known for being unwelcoming and a loner. “¡Dispara con nosotros, hermano! (Take a shot with us, bro!)”

“No puedo, estoy ocupado. (I can’t, I am busy).” He turns their offer down without to care but they don’t let him go, holding onto his shoulder and annoying him more.

“Vamos. ¡Sólo uno! (Come on. Just one!)” They yell excitedly and they persist in trying to get him to comply. Alvaro keeps refusing them, getting more irritated by their refusal to accept his answer.

V uses the distraction to slowly and quietly slip away. He leaves the party and starts walking down the sidewalk, looking around to make sure he’s in the clear.

Once he can see no one is following him and he’s finally by himself, he relaxes a little. He wanted to have a good time at a party but Alvaro ruined that for him. So now, he will go somewhere else. Vincent has a spot in mind, a place he wants to go.

He walks quickly for a little bit until he reaches his destination. The spot he showed Misty once.

Vincent climbs to the top floor of the building. The neon lights and advertisements light up the space around him allowing him to see on top of the dark building rooftop. V walks out into the middle, his young eyes gazing out at the beautiful Night City view around him.

He feels like he’s on top of the world here.

The sound of supped up cars and motorcycles are heard driving in the background every so often as well as the aerodynes zooming by and the rumble of their engine echoes all around.

The night sky is clear and the few stars in the sky shine down on him. The kid looks up at the view, seeing the large and very tall buildings in the distance. The intensely bright LEDs are always on, keeping anyone from truly sleeping peacefully during the night unless they have thick blinds to keep out all the life and light.

It seems no one sleeps in Night City. The loud hologram advertisements are always talking, playing music or existing in the air peacefully quiet and they are always there and they cannot be avoided in the busting city.

The large hologram advertisements can be seen far away in the far distance as well as close up. They can be an annoying eye sore.

A very large blue goldfish hologram of sparkling rainbow lights within it swims graciously around in the air. It swims closer to the kid and he is engulfed in the hologram, standing in the middle of its belly.

The 500,000 complex pieces of lasers that make up the hologram and V looks around while he stands in the middle of it, the many intricate colors are amazing and he appreciates the art of it quietly.

Feeling tranquil and at peace himself. This has always been one of his safe places to go to, to relax his speeding mind and heart. During the day or even at night. This is the place V and Jackie would frequent to, to get away, and to relax.

He closes his eyes and relaxes even more. While he always tries to go to a party or any other sort of activity, he goes to those just to distract himself. But being here, it’s different. It’s better. It’s where they can wine down and be completely themselves.

There are more fond memories here. He thinks about all the times Jackie and him laughed and had fun hanging out here together. He thinks about his best bro’s smiling face and his infectious laugh.

The way they effortlessly had fun and V always thought they could both handle anything together. They were an inseparable team. However, that horrendously changed. The memories fade and he feels hollower inside.

“V?” Jackie’s voice says with surprise. Vincent opens his eyes and looks over to the right surprised to see him and he tenses up.

“No te estoy siguiendo. (I’m not following you), I just came here, the same as you, to relax.” This is their happy place after all. V doesn’t say anything, he only just looks at him expressionless.

His silence seems like an invitation to Jackie to stay. “I couldn’t sleep… I see you probably felt the same as well?” he asks not looking to hear an actual reply. He’s fine with just being the only one talking. The kid doesn’t reply though.

Vincent stays like that, looking over at him a few feet away as J casually strolls closer to him. The fish hologram finally moves and swims away in the air, and freeing the boy. “V…” He says with a lot of hesitation with a combination of devastation in his voice.

The teen can hear the way his voice sounds. It sounds like he’s about to speak again, probably about the obvious. Their shattered friendship. “I heard about that guy who’s been after you. I found out his name is Esteban. Why didn’t you tell me about him? I coulda helped you, Habría matado a ese tonto hace mucho tiempo. (I would have killed that fool a long time ago).” He pauses looking for some sort of reply but he’s not surprised when he doesn’t get one.

Vincent is a bit surprised to hear J knows about him, V even forgot that he didn’t know. That he didn’t tell Jackie about it since they used to tell each other everything at one point. But it doesn’t matter to V and he doesn’t react nevertheless.

“Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. I am going to handle it. No te preocupes. (Don’t worry).” While Jackie wouldn’t mind if his revenge turns into an olive branch or a peace offering, he’s also completely fine with just doing a good deed for his brother without getting anything out of it. Because at the end of the day, Jackie truly cares about his brother, and he wants to protect him.

Still V doesn’t say anything, he only just looks at him a little detached and coldly, his eyes tired. “¿Está bien si me quedo aquí? (Is it ok if I stay here?) A little longer? I won’t bother you.” He says and he’s already bothering V. Even Jack knows deep down he is bothering the kid since he doesn’t want to be around him.

Jackie likes being close with him even if it’s from afar and silently. V looks away and Jackie sits down, taking a load off while he sighs. Vincent doesn’t move or say anything. He just stands there in the uncomfortableness of being around him.

Although a part of V does miss it. He misses Jackie and the friendship they used to have. He wishes he could truly go back to the way it was. But that feels impossible now.

Jackie starts laughing out of nowhere and V looks over his shoulder at him wondering what is so funny. “I was just thinkin’ about this funny memory…” He says quietly while he mind wanders to the happy past.

“Do you remember that one time when we walked into that Italian restaurant and accidentalmente entramos a muchos (we accidentally walked into a bunch of) Tyger claws that were robbing the place? How fast we turned and ran out of there while avoiding bullets? That was fuckin’ crazy.” It is just one of those wild memories that he’ll probably never forget even though they have done a lot of crazy stuff together.

V remembers it, how the Tyger Claws were glaring at them with menacing looks while he and Jack stared back in surprise. They knew they had to get out of there. He closed the door delicately, thinking that would have made any difference before he ran like hell.

Jackie laughs again remembering a different one. “Bro, do you remember the time we stole and snuck a bottle of your dad’s fuckin’ whiskey up here?” He laughs hard just remembering it. V’s cold expression slowly starts to crack when he can feel himself smiling, he’s close to chuckling with him but he holds himself back.

“¿Recuerdas lo borrachos que nos emborrachamos? (Do you remember how drunk we got?)” He laughs some more. J’s infectious laugh is influencing V to laugh as well but he tries to keep it back.

“When we got back to your crib, your old man knew we hit up his stash. He was so pissed, especially since we took one of the good old and expensive whiskeys he likes to save and savor on special occasions.” He grins, his bubbly personality shining through with no problem at all. It’s the kind of personality that has allowed Jackie to make friends so easily, that makes him so endearing.

“He knew because he could practically smell the liquor on our breath.” V chimes in chuckling, feeling himself fall back into his old self when they used to hangout and vibe all the time. Vincent is surprised, as well as Jackie to see him laughing with him again. It makes J happy while V pulls it back reprimanding himself internally for laughing with a murderer.

Vincent looks straight ahead forcing himself to stop. He shouldn’t be laughing and having fun with him. Just as fast as it started, it ended. While J thought he could have fun reminiscing with his brother, V just as quickly stopped and went back to being cold and detached.

“¿También recuerdas cuando...? (Do you also remember when…)” The young Mexican man starts to bring up another memory wanting to keep the fun rolling but his brother interrupts him.

“Why are you acting like what happened doesn’t matter anymore, like you are just trying to go back to the way it was?” It bothers V. He could never forget. J pauses for a few seconds, his smiling face falling when he thought they were getting along and going back to normal. It was short lived.

“It does matter… I just want to move on… now…” Jackie did what he did. But, is he never allowed to move on? To try to have a happier life even though he has made mistakes in his past.

Him saying he wants to move on annoys V. How can he just move on from murdering an innocent person? V watched her die and it eats him alive every day, and he struggles to live life normally because of it.

“I want us to go back to being hermanos (brothers) again. I’ve said it so many times and I’ll keep saying it. I’m sorry V. I want to somehow make things better between us, please.” J knows V has every right to be pissed off but he keeps trying.

V turns around and looks him in the eye. “You hurt me and not only me but someone innocent who didn’t deserve to die. You don’t get to come back into my life and try to make it better.” He wants him to understand that it’s just not possible to go back to the way things were.

“But… hermano (bro). I’ve been trying, I’ve been putting the work in, can’t you see that? I know what I did… what I couldn’t do… but I’ve been tryin’. Can’t you give me a chance?” Jackie stands up and looks at him pleadingly.

Give him a chance? That sounds foreign to him. “Why should I give you a chance? You think you deserve it?” As soon as he says it, it rips Jackie apart.

“No… I don’t deserve it…” His voice says softly full of remorse. “But I am begging you. Doesn’t our friendship mean anything to you? We are more than friends, we are brothers, we are family! I’m your family, V!” His voice pleads a little more, searching for any sort of emotion in his best friend.

“You were at one point, but not anymore.” He says coldly, his expression is detached.

“Don’t say that.” His voice cracks, the Mexican man can feel himself getting sadder, this is all ripping him a part.

“I’m your family! We grew up together. You can’t give up on me, you can’t leave me behind. We stick together! Through thick and thin! Right?!” He shouts at him wanting to remind him and have him agree.

“My family?” He says with confusion taking a long pause and Jackie hangs on that long pause.

“My family doesn’t murder innocent people.” It hurts even more for the young man to hear V say that. They talked about this many months ago. V expressed that he didn’t want to lose him when he takes his first life. Now it’s too late.

“Not too long ago we were dreamin’ about this life. We wanted to be in a gang or mercenaries. Don’t you think they kill people? Especially innocent people? They make mistakes all the time.” He says and V didn’t realize what it all entailed until he experienced it first-hand the realities of what it turned into. The pain. The mistakes. The regret.

“Don’t you think you are goin’ to make mistakes when you join a gang or become a mercenary?” Jackie is only human; he can’t prevent every death. V knows he’s right about that. He’ll probably make a lot of mistakes.

“That doesn’t make it any better.” V says coldly, his eyes still lack feeling and emotion in them.

Jackie steps closer to him. “No digo que lo haga. (I’m not saying it does). When I met her that day… that first day in the club, I could have killed her but I didn’t. I let her go, just the same as you. I didn’t want her to die. I felt the same way… that day when she did die. I never wanted anything to happen to her! Ever!” Jackie didn’t want to harm her in any way, but everything was out of his control.

“Yet you fuckin’ killed her.” He says it bluntly and Jackie stops talking for a moment. He stares at V, feeling all sorts of emotions. Most of it is frustration and regret.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do anymore for her… I could only save you, but not her.” It’s the cold reality of it. But Jackie did try to help her in any way he could.

“That’s not true. You could have done a lot more. You could have stopped it. You could have not let it happen.” V doesn’t let him take the easy way out in coming to terms with everything. He’s at fault more so since V screamed at him to stop.

“Campo wanted her. You know Campo always gets what he wants. She wasn’t walking out of there alive no matter fucking what.” Jackie is trying to get V to accept reality as well. It’s a bitter pill for him to swallow, even though he knows J is right.

V stops talking, he only glares at him, the kid feeling numb inside. Jackie looks deeply into his eyes, stepping closer J stands right in front of him.

“But I failed you…” Jackie says softly, the pain in his voice.

“That’s what hurts the most. I regret it the most. I failed you… You are my family. You are my brother… and I care about you…” He’s deeply remorseful and he truly wants his best bro to see that and feel it. To give him another chance. V looks at him with a serious expression.

“I failed you and I don’t know how to make it better. I don’t know what to do, what I should do… I’m so sorry, V. It’s my fault… for everything that happened to you and what I couldn’t do for you, for her. Please forgive me. It tears me up every second of every day knowing what I couldn’t do for you. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.” He just wants V to let him in, to give him another chance he so desperately wants. He’ll never betray him again if he just gives him a chance.

V listened to every word, and every second of it hurts his heart. He stares coldly and bitterly at him. He can feel the darkness inside himself, it’s begging to be seen, to be recognized. With a whirl of uncertain but extremely negative emotion, Vincent starts to embrace the darkness a little.

It consumes his soul, changing him even more. V reaches behind himself and takes his gun out. He holds it in his right hand while he looks angrily at Jackie. Jack looks down, noticing the unexpected firearm in his hand. He gets tense and his eyes roll back up to V, wondering what he plans on doing with it.

V looks angry, angry beyond belief. J doesn’t do anything, he doesn’t move or panic, he just stares his friend firmly in his eyes and he’s confused. Waiting for his best friend to make a move.

Vincent clicks the safety off his pistol and he lifts it up, aiming it at Jackie’s head. His Mexican friend is shocked beyond belief and heartbroken. But he keeps his voice calm and serious. “What are you doin’ V?” He asks him looking him firmly in his teal eyes and he can see the deep pain in them.

“Are you going to shoot me, hermano?” He keeps his voice calm and firm, never breaking away his eye-contact with him. V glares at him, every ounce of his agony and rage going into that stare while he starts to move his index finger closer to the trigger.

Everything around V gets slow. His heart pounding so heavily against his chest, he can hardly breathe properly. His senses and adrenaline skyrocketing, and the shock and fear of what he’s about to do plummets through him.

Jackie looks him sternly back without faltering in any way. V’s right hand holding the firearm starts to tremble. The teen breathes heavily and he struggles, he struggles so deeply with what he is doing. The memory of Zu dying keeps popping in his head. Her pleading eyes were full of so much pain before she said goodbye to him.

Vincent drops the gun to the side, breathing heavily. He can’t do it. He can’t do it and he could never do it. Jackie is his brother, his family. He still cares about him and he still loves him. Jackie is physically relieved once he lowers the gun.

“I can’t do it.” He says softly and he doesn’t feel pathetic for not being able to pull the trigger.

“I’m sorry… I don’t know… Why did I do that? What the fuck is wrong with me?!” He chokes out in shock and fear. He’s afraid of what he is becoming.

The darkness recedes back inside of himself, and the kid seriously contemplates what is wrong with him. Is he a monster? Why would he try to do such a fucked-up thing like that? Vincent feels utterly awful and regretful.

He switches the safety on and puts his pistol away while he lowers his head. All of his horrible emotions stabbing right through him. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Jackie…” He could never in a million years kill him.

A wave of nausea crashes through him and he feels like he could vomit at any second. The out-of-control emotions is unbearable. He’s becoming a monster… But V can’t let himself get far gone like that. The boy looks up and makes painful eye-contact with him and V doesn’t blame him if they are done after this.

Jackie is silent and shocked. He’s just glad V didn’t kill him. He can see how much his friend grapples with his misery though. Yet, J doesn’t say anything. The Mexican man not knowing what he should say, he’s tongue tied, and just frozen.

V feels like he’s fucked up. He severely needs help. He turns and leaves the roof top quickly, feeling sickened with himself. The kid walks all the way back to that house party where he left Alvaro behind, hoping the walk will calm down some of his nerves but it doesn’t.

Vincent stops walking, and he chooses to lean against a fence next to him in the neighborhood before reaching the house party. He breathes hard feeling himself panicking. His right-hand shakes uncontrollably and V does everything he can to make his hand and forearm stop trembling by relaxing it or shaking it to stop but it’s no use.

The issue in his hand progressing, the teen can feel a burning and stabbing sensation deep inside and that concerns him even more. There is something severely wrong with his hand and forearm and he needs to take it seriously.

V breathes in and out slowly, doing his best to use those breathing exercises his dad taught him. Carefully, overtime, the teen is able to calm himself down, even his hand stops shaking. He relaxes, feeling tired and burnt out. He just wants to go back home and rest.

Pushing himself off the fence, he sluggishly walks back to the house party. He sneaks inside the destroyed house full of people. The loud drum and bass dull his senses completely, he can hardly hear or feel anything else.

He looks around the house until he finds Alvaro. Once the Valentino spots him too he is glad that he found V. Yet he’s suspiciously ticked off. “Where did you go? Te estaba buscando por todas partes. (I was looking everywhere for you).” He stares at the kid noticing right away that something seems off about him.

“Can we go home?” He’s tired and the young bodyguard can see that. He doesn’t need to be told twice. They leave the party and walk towards his car a few houses down.

They are both silent while they stroll back to his lowrider. Alvaro occasionally looks over at him every so often, noticing the obvious. V keeps to himself. He’s stuck in his head, his young mind thinking firmly about the kind of choices he wants to make with his life and what road he wants to go down. Today scared him.

They get in the car. V takes out his pistol and unwraps his holster and hands it back to him with a shaky hand. The bodyguard takes it back, noticing the shakiness but not knowing why and he gazes at the kid who is tired and lost in his own thoughts.

He puts the items away, still studying the boy before he starts the car. the young man safely drives back to the apartment. The drive is even more blatantly quiet. Vincent doesn’t even try to put the radio on which he normally does when he rides with him.

They park in the parking lot later; the sun is in the horizon as it starts to rise. On the side of the building, the maintenance is finally repairing that gutter V’s fat ass broke ages ago. He looks up, acknowledging what maintenance is doing and a part of him is happy to see it. He can finally go back to sneaking out without anyone needing to know.

Alvaro follows his gaze, noticing the steady repair the workers are doing on that gutter. His brown eyes moving back and forth to the kid and the gutter and he knows something is up.

V continues walking into the apartment complex, climbing the stairs and sauntering down the hallway. He unlocks the door and goes inside. It’s quiet and it seems his dad is still sleeping. He’s hoping he can get some shut eye before going to school.

He goes into his bedroom without saying anything to Alvaro, kicking his shoes off, and he collapses face first into his pillow before he turns on his side. He closes his eyes and his body relaxes.

Slowly he can feel his mind drift to sleep until his alarm suddenly goes off, startling him. He swiftly turns it off and settles back down on his bed, pulling the cool covers over his body and he closes his eyes again. There’s a quick knock on his door and his dad pokes his head in. “Time for school, kid.” He says and V responds with a groan.

“Can I please stay home today?” He asks needing the sleep desperately. Knowing his father and how he values education, he makes a face at that request.

“Not a chance, kid. Next week are exams.” Of course he shoots it down.

“But… I don’t feel good.” He decides to take the health route knowing it’ll grab his dad’s attention. Which it does when his doctor and worried parent instincts kick into gear.

He enters the bedroom, standing in front of the bed. “What are ya symptoms?” Vik reaches his hand out, resting the back of his hand against his forehead to check for a fever. He thankfully doesn’t find one and that makes him relax a little.

The man steps back and crosses his arms listening intently to his son. “I have a headache, I feel dizzy…” He starts to explain and Vik accesses all the medical knowledge in his mind to figure out what the problem could be.

“Did you drink enough water yesterday?” It could possibly be dehydration but V shakes his head shooting that down since he needs something more serious in order to miss school.

“I drank a lot of water yesterday.” He gets rid of that diagnosis and his dad looks for the next answer.

“What else are ya feelin’?” He’s taking this completely seriously while V tries to figure out what other fake symptoms to mention without it making it sound like he has a horrible and sudden disease that will scare the shit out of him.

“I feel weak. Like I’m sick, my body doesn’t feel well as if it’s slowly startin’ to develop all the other symptoms over time. But right now, I can tell I don’t really have an appetite.” He explains vaguely and even Vik can tell how vague he is being.

“Hmmm… ok.” His deep voice replies as he tries to figure out what could be wrong.

“I just don’t feel good, like I don’t feel like myself.” V doesn’t know what else to say. He doesn’t have a runny or stuffy nose or even a cough and he can’t fake that because his father will use his otoscope to check for inflammation in his nose and throat. As well as a stethoscope to check his lungs out and to see if he has phlegm in his lungs, he would hear it.

“Let me get my medical bag and check ya out, kid.” He leaves the room to go get that in his own bedroom. While V’s eyes dart around to try to find something that could help him look sicker. But there is nothing. So instead, he decides to start coughing to irritate his throat and make it look redder and more bothered.

By the time he walks back, which is only a few seconds, he sets the bag down beside the bed, putting his stethoscope around his neck. “I’m starting to feel a tickle in my throat now.” Vincent adds and his dad silently takes note of that.

“Sit up straighter, kid.” He says while opening his medical bag to take out the otoscope. Vincent sits up so his dad can work properly. He turns the light on and looks up his sons nose not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

V opens his mouth without him needing to ask and Vik shines the light down his throat seeing it’s a little red but that’s because he was coughing earlier. He puts the otoscope in his ears looking for an infection and they look fine.

He turns off the otoscope and puts it away, putting his stethoscope in her ears next. He presses the diaphragm to his chest, checking his heart. He listens for a few seconds and his heart sounds fine. Then he moves the bell to his bottom of his ribcage while V breathes normally. Before moving his hoody up to place the cold diaphragm on his bare back. “Breathe in and out deeply.” He says in a kind and patient way.

Vincent does as his dad instructs. Each breath he moves the bell around checking each angle of his lungs out before he steps away moments later. “Your lungs sound clear.” He gladly informs him while taking the stethoscope out from his ears and resting it over his neck.

He crosses his arms again while silently looking over his son. “I think I may know what the problem is.” His deep voice says calmly and V listens.

“Are you experiencing aching muscles, irritability, blurry vision, and poor concentration?” He lists out the symptoms with a studying eye and Vincent nods his head.

“Yeah, all of those.” He confirms it to his father and the older man relaxes feeling easier about his diagnosis.

“It sounds like fatigue then.” Vik is very sure of that result but V doesn’t like that answer. He was hoping for something more serious so he can comfortably stay home.

“No… I think it’s something else…” He protests trying to come up with a different symptom that will throw him off. But his dad shakes his head seeing right through him.

“No, kid. You’re just tired, that’s all it is.” He should be happy that he is healthy. But the boy was really looking forward to sleeping in, he needs it so desperately.

His dad can see that bummed out look on his young face and he chuckles. V can’t pull a fast one on him. But Viktor is also glad his son is ok and in good health. He doesn’t like seeing him sick or hurting in any way.

“Come on, get ready for school, kid. Ya don’t want to be late.” He smiles at his son finding him a bit humorous. He’s used to his boy always trying his luck every once in a while, by faking being sick.

V forces himself out of his bed and his dad leaves to go start on breakfast. The poor kid feels like he’s going to collapse at any moment. He puts his shoes back on and walks back out.

Vik is surprised to see his boy isn’t going to change from what he was sleeping in but he doesn’t say anything. “What do you want for breakfast today, kid?” Since he’s up early enough to choose instead of his father making whatever.

“I’ll have cereal.” He prefers it. He doesn’t need a fancy breakfast; his dad usually tries to make something filling but V is cool with a simple bowl of cereal. Vincent goes into the kitchen himself and grabs a bowl from the cabinet and grabs a box of something sugary and most likely unhealthy. He slowly but tiredly starts assembling his breakfast.

While Viktor heats up leftovers he made for breakfast a few days ago. He gives some to Alvaro and the Mexican bodyguard quietly chomps away in the background, always staying on alert and near the front door.

The older man sits down at the table, eating his breakfast quietly with his son. He looks back at Alvaro, seeing him staying back. “Come sit with us.” He offers for the Valentino to join them. He looks over at them. Seeing Viktor look at him with a welcoming smile while V is trying his best not to doze off as he eats his cereal.

Slowly, Alvaro approaches the table and he sits down in his usual spot. He’s getting a little used to it, being included into things. It’s a nice feeling for him. One he is not used to.

Vik turns back over to his food and starts eating it. He looks up at his son and notices how destroyed tired he looks. He knew he was tired but he didn’t think he was this tired. It worries him. “Did you get any sleep at all last night, kid?” He’s afraid to ask. V shakes his head no, not having the energy to reply with actual words.

His father doesn’t like the sound of that and he wonders if it has to do with the pain V was talking about last night and how he needs help. “I made a few calls earlier today. I got ya in with a grief counselor that seems good. I was thinkin’ we should take the natural way before turnin’ to pills to help ya. Maybe all ya need is to talk to someone?” He’s trying to be hopeful, though Vik isn’t one to turn to a therapist himself, he doesn’t believe in them. He’ll easily do everything he can to help his son though. He really hopes this will help his son.

V tiredly nods his head; his mind is in and out from passing out. Alvaro quietly listens to Viktor, his eyes darting to V and observing his reaction. However, the kid is too exhausted to show any type of emotion. Vincent is mainly straight faced. His dad watches and he feels more concerned but he doesn’t verbally express it. His heart aches just looking at his boy. The man chooses to be quiet and only keep a silent but careful eye on his son.

After eating their breakfast, they leave the apartment, and get in their cars. They drive towards V’s high school, the teen doing his best to not close his eyes in the comfortable passenger seat. He only closes his eyes for a second before his dad speaks up. “We’re here, kid. Have a good day at school and make sure ya study hard.” His old man says enthusiastically, hoping to lighten up the mood of his quietly exhausted teen son.

V opens the car door and rolls his body out without saying anything, closing the passenger door behind him. He slowly walks towards the front door of the building. All the students with more energy walk towards the entrance.

As soon as he walks in, he sees Misty waiting in the front for him. The girl noticing how tired he looks right away and that makes her worried too. “Hey V, how are you?” She asks. Vincent keeps walking and Misty walks with him.

“I’m ok.” He answers plainly. However, it is hard for him to talk. It uses too much brain energy. The blonde girl looks at him intently, her care and fret for her friend deepening.

“Really? You don’t look so good. Did you sleep last night?” Her green eyes study him. She’ll help him in any way she can if he would just ask.

“Yeah.” He answers with one word. It’s the best he can do at the moment.

She furrows her eyebrows at his reply, not believing it. “Are you feeling, ok?” She asks next.

“Yeah.” He answers again. He is existing on autopilot at this point. His body and mind working on muscle memory.

“You don’t feel sick or anything?” He looks sick or just extremely tired. She wants to make sure.

“No.” He answers her fourth question and he’s even too tired to react to all of her insistent questions.

“How have you been doing overall, are you good?” She doesn’t mean to be annoying but knowing V, he’ll silently suffer alone. She needs to know.

“Yeah.” His one worded replies are starting to annoy her though.

“Can you say more than one word? I’m just trying to make sure you’re fine here because I care about you.” She sighs with a little frustration. He’s not making this any easier for her.

V stops walking, he turns, and looks at her. She waits for a reply, expecting him to talk like a normal person. “Yeah.” He says instead, though this time he’s just messing with her.

She rolls her eyes at him and Vincent manages to smile and laugh a little. She swats his arm. “Stop being a pain in the ass. I mean it V, are you ok?”

He smiles a little bigger and she knows he’s planning something. “Yeah…” He says slowly and she gives him a stern look expecting more words to come out of his mouth.

“I’m fine.” He manages two extra words which is a miracle.

Her eyes look into his searching for anything he cannot express. “Would you tell me if you aren’t fine?” She always wonders about that. He’s a typical guy that doesn’t like to talk about his emotions. But she wants him to trust her and confide in her.

He stares at her seeing an opportunity to mess with her again. “Yeah.” He takes it. She gives him a scowl for the one worded reply but she really hopes he means that.

She looks deeply into his eyes looking for anything that may contradict that. Misty wants to help him in any way she can. Vincent looks back into her green eyes, he feels guilty. He wonders if Jackie told her anything about what happened last night. He wouldn’t blame him if he did, however, Jack isn’t the type to do something like that.

Misty can see he seems concerned and deep in thought about something. Though, she doesn’t have the faintest idea what it could be. Her and Jackie don’t really talk that much anymore.

The bell rings suddenly, startling them both. It’s time to go to class. They look at each other one more time, “See you at lunch.” Misty reminds him that they will be having lunch together as usual.

“Yeah.” He starts off and Misty feels like punching him. Her face twists up with frustration and that make Vincent genuinely laugh. “I’ll see you there.” He adds at the end, preventing the girl from knocking him out.

Misty and V both know he avoided a beat down from her. She smiles at him, tired of his antics and he grins back at her, he enjoys messing with her.

They walk away, going towards their first period classes.

In his classes, V hardly pays attention. He’s just too tired, fighting to keep his eyes open. But he does his best to try to learn and memorize.

-----Later-----

When lunchtime comes around a few hours later, V and Misty sit and eat their lunch together.

“Alright V. I am going to quiz you for the upcoming exams next week.” She smiles, getting the questions of the things she knows will be on the exam as well as the multiple-choice answers ready.

Vincent groans. “Come on, Misty. This is my time to relax in between classes, not do more work. I need to shut my brain off at lunch.” Plus, he didn’t sleep last night on top of it.

Misty gives him a stern look. “You need to study for the upcoming exam, V. You can relax after you take the exams.” That must be her motto when she studies. Vincent shakes his head any way, refusing.

“Have you even been studying at all lately?” She looks at him with a hard expression. V thinks about it but he knows the answer to that question. No, he hasn’t.

Misty assumed as much. She wants to graduate with him and she’ll do her best to make that possible. “Exactly. So just sit there and answer my questions, they’ll help you.” The kid knows he’s being forced at his point and he nods his head just to make her happy.

She starts with her first question. “What is photosynthesis? Is it A. A type of photography. B. It is the study of human beings. C. It is the study of human history. D. All of the above. Or E. None of the above. F. It is a chemical process that happens in plants and other organisms when they’re under sunlight.” Misty asks him a biology question first.

While eating his chicken nuggets, he looks at her and sighs. “Those selections don’t make any fuckin’ sense. How can there be an all of the above when the previous answers are completely unrelated?” He looks at her like she’s an idiot.

The young girl gives him a pointed look wanting him to behave. “Hey, I’m the teacher here, and I make the rules. Now pick the answer.” She’s taking this seriously. V can see her becoming a tyrant if given enough power to do so.

He scoffs. “The answer is so fuckin’ easy. Obviously, the answer is A. Any idiot would know that.” V looks at her confidently like he knows his shit.

Misty is flabbergasted by his answer. She tried to make it as easy as possible. “Are you serious?” She’s ready to give him an angry nerd fueled explanation on what photosynthesis is.

Until Vincent’s face cracks and he starts laughing uncontrollably. Misty slows down and it finally dawns on her that he’s messing with her. She punches his arm. “V! You are really giving me a hard time today.” She finds herself chuckling alongside him.

“Sorry, sorry. You made the answer so obvious; I couldn’t help myself. I mean… everyone knows the answer is E. None of the above.” He smiles at her feeling comfortable with that answer. She laughs at his second answer.

“I get it. You’re still joking with me. Now give me the real answer now…” She can’t take any more jokes from him; she just wants to study for real.

He looks at her confused. “I’m not joking… It’s E, isn’t it?” He asks her seriously. Misty looks at him firmly expecting him to start laughing again.

When he doesn’t start laughing, she starts feeling concerned. “No… it isn’t E.” She still thinks he’s joking.

Vincent scratches his head. “Then is it B?” He asks, missing the mark again. She hopes he’s still messing with her; she really hopes.

“V, you can’t be serious. We studied this bio question a few weeks ago, don’t you remember?” She looks at him concerned and he thinks hard about it.

She is surprised and her face doesn’t hide it. “Come on, V… Are you for real?” She can’t tell with him; he has such a good poker face sometimes.

He gets a little annoyed wondering why she hasn’t revealed the answer yet. “Well, what is it? Is it C? Is it G, H, I, J, K?” He spews random letters out and he just wants to know.

“No, V! It’s F! F is the answer.” Misty is truly astonished by him. Then it hits him.

“Ohhhh….” He takes a pause, his eyes looking to the left, and he thinks about it. “What was F again?” He already forgot the selections.

Misty face palms herself. “F explained that photosynthesis is when plants or orgasms have a chemical reaction when they are under sunlight.” She repeats the answer again and V nods his head.

“Right, right. Ok… that was actually what I was thinkin’. You basically finished my sentence for me. Good thing great minds think alike.” He raises his flat right-hand out to her for a high five and she’s confused by it.

She gives him a high five any way. “Good teamwork. We’ll definitely pass this exam next week.” He smiles at her not sweating it. Misty knows he’s a complete idiot and she sighs.

“Ok. Now let me explain why F is the answer.” The girl explains for a while what photosynthesis is. V is absent minded when she talks. After speaking for a few minutes, she moves on to a new question.

“What element gives plants their green color? It is A. Cellulose, B. Chloroplast, C. Chlorophyll, D. All of the above, E. None of the above, or lastly, F. Cotyledon?” She presents the next question making it a little harder but to her it’s super easy.

V can’t take it anymore. He takes a handful of his French fries and stuffs it into his mouth. She looks at him puzzled and he points at his puffed-up cheeks full of food. “Sorry… I can’t talk…” He manages to say through his full mouth.

He’s doing it on purpose and she can see that. She watches him, waiting for him to chew and swallow his food but he chooses to chew the fries extremely slowly. She shakes her head at him. “Really, V?” He smiles at her reaction before shoving more fries and nuggets into his mouth. He’s doing this for his own piece of mind.

“I’m just trying to help you…” She feels a little hurt and annoyed. When Vincent swallows some of the food in his mouth, he quickly stuffs more food back in.

While he tries his best to stretch out the time, he can see that he’s nearing the end of his lunch. The blonde girl can see that he’s almost out of food and she knows he won’t be able to avoid her anymore after that.

Misty eats her own lunch, calmly taking her time, her fierce eye-contact piercing through him while she waits for him to finish. Slowly but surely, he finishes his food, wishing he had more.

Vincent sighs, he feels like he’s being tortured. Misty looks at him expectantly. “Is it…” He asks softly. He just knows he’s going to get the answer wrong.

Then the bell rings and Vincent stands up swiftly. “I don’t want to be late to class, cya!” He grabs his empty tray, throws it in the trash and he darts out of there. She chuckles and she’s honestly not surprised.

Vincent takes a mental break in the hallway before going into his classroom. He wonders when today will be over so he can sleep in his soft bed at home.

-----Later-----

School ends and Vincent is walking outside with Misty and to his surprise he sees his dad parked in the front which is different. He saunters up to the car, he’s used to Alvaro picking him up at this point. “Hey… what’s up?” He stands outside speaking through the open passenger side window.

His father peers at him and smiles softly. “Hey kid, I decided to pick ya up, we have some errands to run today.” Errands? V already knows that’s going to be boring. He’s not looking forward to it.

“Come in.” He says and he notices Misty in the back. “Hey Misty Alvaro can still take ya home if ya want.” He lets her know.

“Thank you, Mr. Vektor.” She says politely with a smile and he smiles back at her. He thought she was a bad influence on his son, but he realizes he was wrong about her.

“Bye, V.” She says to her friend and he nods towards her as a goodbye. The teen is burnt out from today. He gets into his father’s car. They start driving away.

His old man drives all around doing all sorts of errands for the clinic, picking up packages, and even doing a few apartment visits for his clients who are bedridden. Doing checkups while V hangs on the sidelines, helping in any way he can which is mostly assisting.

At the end of it all, the last thing on the list is shopping at the grocery store. V follows his dad around while his pops moves the shopping cart down each aisle while he gets the food they need to restock the fridge at home and at the clinic.

Vik sends his boy to a different aisle to get him something, having him pick up a few things to make the shopping process faster so they don’t have to be there for long. The kid leaves to go get what his father wants, hoping his son won’t get distracted on the way there.

As Viktor keeps shopping, checking off his list, he accidentally runs his cart into another. “Sorry about that.” He says automatically before he turns and sees who he ran into it. To his surprise, it’s a beautiful woman who looks to be around his age.

He pauses for a second and immediately gathers his bearing with no problem at all, having a good poker face. The woman smiles, “That’s fine, I actually wasn’t paying attention.” She speaks. Viktor moves his cart out of the way and he chuckles.

“You and me both. Directing the cart and looking down at my list is a dangerous combination.” He jokes and she laughs at it which perks him up and makes him feel good.

“I understand your pain. It is difficult to push the cart and look at your shopping list at the same time.” She adds to the joke which stirs Vik up a little. It opens up emotions he hasn’t felt since his wife was alive. It’s an exhilarating feeling to connect with another, especially a goodlooking stranger.

“It’s a good thing we are only pushin’ shopping carts and not on the road.” He chuckles a little and she continues to laugh at his jokes, enjoying his humor. They pause and look at each other with a smile, the mysterious woman and Vik seem to have a connection. Viktor feels like a happy and excited puppy, his heart fluttering when looking and talking with her.

V walks up right at the pause in between them, the teen not realizing they are talking, and not even aware of it. He stops beside his pops, “Hey dad, I got those diarrhea pills you wanted.” He says out loud without thinking twice.

His pops face becomes a deep shade of red when he looks at his stupid kid horrified and then he peers back at the attractive woman with a painful cringed smile and awkward chuckle before turning back over to his son.

“Kid!” He says in shock, feeling extremely embarrassed. V is numbed from his exhaustion and doesn’t understand his reaction. The boy hasn’t caught on yet that his dad is having a nice chat with the pretty lady across from him.

“I didn’t…” He looks over at the woman, she looks a bit confused herself wondering about his son and thinking he seems to be an interesting character. Yet she feels embarrassed for Vik a little. Vincent’s eyes roll over at the random lady standing there and he still isn’t processing what’s going on yet.

“I didn’t ask for these pills.” He tells him curtly, not appreciating the humiliation, giving his son an annoyed but stern look. V holds the box still confused. The brain isn’t working for him.

“I asked for dietary supplements.” He corrects and reminds him. Vincent is puzzled. He was sure his dad asked for diarrhea pills.

“Please put these back and get the right ones I wanted. Take ya time while you’re at it, read a magazine or somethin’.” He politely tells his boy to fucked off. Vincent stands there, a good portion of his brain not functioning and he slowly processes what his dad just said. A part of him tiredly spacing out.

Vik turns to the woman trying to laugh it off, “Sorry about that…” He attempts to continue the conversation but he notices his dimwitted son is still standing there.

He turns giving Vincent a displeased but firm look and the boy snaps out of it realizing his father is chatting it up with that random pretty lady. He turns and leaves, not meaning to ruin it or get in the way of anything. She watches the teen leave wondering what’s wrong with him. Why he seems slow.

He watches his child finally walk away which makes him sigh softly feeling irritated. “Kids…” Viktor shakes his head hoping that explains enough of that mortifying experience. The woman awkwardly chuckles with him though she is cringing pretty hard internally.

“So, what were we talkin’ about?” He tries to salvage it as much as he can. She looks at him blankly not remembering what they were talking about before. “Are ya from Night City?” He moves the conversation along and looks at her with a pleasant smile.

“No… I’m from Washington.” She answers his question, her eyes looking around them. She feels uncomfortable.

Vik finds that really interesting and having excellent personable skills, “Washington state?” He’s interested in getting to know her.

She shifts in her stance, her body turning away from him. “No, Washington D.C.” She looks around. Vik notices the way she’s moving away from him and he’s attuned to the sudden shift and change of her emotions on her face.

“It was nice talking to you, but I am going to continue shopping.” She ends it right there. It disappoints Vik but he hides his emotions super well and doesn’t show it on his face. Instead, he smiles softly bouncing back without letting it affect him.

“Nice talking to ya too. Take care.” He moves his shopping cart along and they go their separate ways. Vik looks at his list on his phone and continues.

-----In The Meantime-----

V is in the magazine aisle. He’s checking out the new awesome cars that are on the market. In his mind, he looks at every single one assessing which one is more badass. He dreams about making a bunch of money as a merc and which ones he would buy. Imagining himself sitting inside and driving through Night City going to gigs or to his own apartment in his slick ride.

“Kid.” His dads voice startles him and makes him look over at where the sound of his voice is coming from. His has a full cart and he already paid for everything, ready to go. “Let’s go.”

“I have the dietary supplement you wanted.” V holds it up for him to see. Since it looks like he paid, he’s not sure if he still wants it or not.

“Leave it.” He doesn’t want it. He just wants to drop by the clinic to restock the fridge and leave the packages for work, tomorrow. Then take the rest of their groceries back home.

Vincent puts the magazine and the box of the supplements down and walks beside him. Going outside the store into the parking lot. They quickly put the groceries in the trunk and get inside the car.

-----A Few Hours Later-----

They walk into the apartment so tired. V and Vik both don’t have the energy to eat dinner, his dad sits down on the couch to rest for a bit. While Vincent goes into his bedroom to hit the hay. Alvaro quietly sits down in his usual spot.

The teen strips down to his boxers and lays on top of the bed, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He closes his eyes but sleep doesn’t come to him. He was so tired all day but for some reason, now that he can finally sleep, he feels wide awake.

He tosses and turns for an hour and he gives up right away. Sitting up, he looks around his room wondering what he could do to distract himself. His old man took everything away, all the electronics that could occupy his numb mind.

He sighs feeling annoyed. He gets up and turns his light on, looking around his room to find something to do but there is nothing of interest unless he wants to start working out with some free weights. Though, the kid doesn’t want to lift weights right now.

Slowly, he peers over to his left side at the window knowing the maintenance finally put that new gutter in, which is a miracle. Hopefully it lasts for a while. He can’t hold himself back. He’s just going to go out only for a little bit and the boy will be back once he feels tired enough to sleep.

Putting black sweatpants, a black hoody, and black sneakers on, he turns his bedroom light off. He opens his window and carefully lowers himself hoping this gutter was installed a good way that can support his weight.

It’s a bit terrifying, he remembers the last time he climbed down the last gutter, it broke and he landed on his back which sent a shrilling agony through him. That bruise on his back took forever to heal with tons of added pain.

He isn’t looking forward to another one. But he climbed up and down that gutter so many times he lost count. This one is new, it’s the first time he’s climbing down it so it should last a while. Carefully, his shoes and hands cling the metal as he slides down it. He’s happy that he doesn’t hear or feel creaks or any sort of noise indicating that it is going to give out or that it’s struggling.

It seems strong and Vincent plans to abuse it until it gives out too. He looks around, making sure no one is watching him. The nightness engulfs V and he easily blends in because of his clothes. He lands at the bottom, his thumping heart starting to calm down once his feet safely touch the ground.

He turns and walks several feet until he’s standing in the middle of the sidewalk and V thinks about where he wants to go tonight. He can do anything he wants and that makes him feel happy.

Slowly a lowrider pulls up in front of V and stops beside the sidewalk. He gets tense, his intense gaze staring the car down as warning bells alarm inside him. He doesn’t recognize the car nor can he make it out in the darkness.

V’s firm glare watches this strange car approach him wondering what they want. He gets ready for a fight. The passenger window rolls down, the lights inside the car are on and it reveals to the boy who is driving. Finding Alvaro behind the wheel. V physically and mentally relaxes, letting out a sigh. He thought he had to fight for his life for a minute there.

Then it hits the kid, how did he know V was going to sneak out? “Hey V, where ya headed?” His demeanor is friendly and calm. While Vincent stares at him blankly as if he’s looking through Alvaro.

“No where.” Vincent was hoping for some alone time. Especially, the Valentino kept him from doing all the cool shit last time. He doesn’t need a ball and chain. The teen wants to get away and have a breather but not under Alvaro’s nose, it seems.

The Mexican man smiles, “Great. Lo mismo digo. (Same here). Hop in and we’ll go together.” Alvaro knows V wants to be alone but he can’t let that happen. He needs to keep his eye on the kid and protect him. Besides, he shouldn’t be left alone anyway.

V sighs and reluctantly gets inside the passenger side. Before the Valentino drives off, “Put your seatbelt on.” He can see V is spaced out and not fully paying attention to his own safety. Vik and Alvaro want him to live and not die and they very much care for the teen boy. V clicks it in and they go. Vincent wonders if his dad knows too.

“Don’t worry, your pops doesn’t know.” Alvaro reassures him as if he can read the boys mind and knows exactly what he is thinking. V is glad to hear that at least and relaxes a little.

“How did you…?” Vincent goes to ask how the young Valentino knew he was going to sneak out but he trails off with a puzzled expression.

“I was a teenager once too. Sé y entiendo cómo fue. (I know and understand what it was like).” It seems to be a sixth sense for Alvaro at this point since it seems like he knows and understand V. Even understanding the pain, he struggles with.

The kid wonders what happened to him and how he could possibly understand his pain. V doesn’t say another thing. His young eyes look out the passenger window numbly. The man plays some quiet Mexican music in the background.

The bodyguard aimlessly drives around, not going anywhere in particular but just to drive. V spaces out, the boy is allowed the solitude he wouldn’t fully get from his old man knowing his dad would be silently worrying about him. Yet, he gets it from Alvaro, the young man understanding what the kid needs.

Easily, he keeps quiet and just drives. V watches some of the people out and about during the night on the sidewalks walk to where they are going or hangout in groups without a care in the world.

Passing by nightclubs that Vincent knows allows underage people inside. Even some serving alcohol illegally. If the boy wasn’t with Alvaro, he’d hit them up. But this time he watches the car slowly drive past them.

The Mexican bodyguard doesn’t stop driving until V expresses his desire to go back home. They park outside and the teen goes to climb the gutters back up to his room since he’s got to hide the fact that he snuck out to begin with. The man stops him gesturing them to go up to the apartment the normal way, up the stairs, instead of V taking the obvious dangerous way.

V doesn’t like that idea, not wanting his father to catch him. He’ll wonder how he got outside when he didn’t see him walk out the front door. Seeing the distress in his young eyes, “No te preocupes, (Don’t worry), he was passed out on the couch when I left.” But he could have woken up.

He follows Alvaro the way he wants to go but stops just at the front door of the apartment. Seeing his hesitancy, the Mexican man decides to go in first to check it out. Several seconds later, he comes back out letting V know the coast is clear. “Todo está bien. (Everything is fine).” He reassures him quietly which relaxes the poor teen.

Putting his finger in front of his lips, the Valentino gestures to the kid to be quiet. They both tip toe inside. His dad is still thankfully passed out on the couch. V carefully walks to his room. But before going inside his bedroom, he stops and turns to look at the young man feeling grateful to him for having his back.

For being there for him and for being kind to him. Alvaro is a great guy. He has compassion deep inside his heart. It seems he is starting to only let it out with V since he sees the kid like a younger brother that he wants to help. He goes back inside his bedroom, going to sleep this time.

-----The Next Day-----

Laying on his right side and snuggled underneath the warm covers, V is sleeping deeply and peacefully. So deeply that he is drooling on his pillow.

“Kid?” The sound of his father’s voice is calling to him but it doesn’t feel real. V remains in his comfortable dream where he’s at a free buffet and he’s eating as much food as he can.

“Kid, wake up.” His dad’s voice is calling him again. He’s trying to wake Vincent up but he doesn’t want to leave his wonderful dream yet.

“Wake up.” The older man plants his hand on his left shoulder and gently shakes him awake. V’s eyes crack open, the room is still a little dark while the early light of the sun is barely coming out and entering through his window.

His gaze looks around before falling onto his old man who is standing over him. “Dad?” The teen isn’t sure what is going on or if he happens to imagine him there for some reason. “Am I dreamin’?” His tired voice asks confused.

A soft chuckle escapes the older man’s lips, finding his sons sleepiness endearing. “No, this isn’t a dream, kid.” His tone is deep and soothing.

Vincent peers at the clock on his nightstand and he can see it’s four forty in the morning. “I forgot to tell ya yesterday since we were so busy, but you have a consultation today with the grief counselor before school.” The boy doesn’t like the sound of that. He feels iffy talking to a mental health professional. Even though this may be the only way he can truly get help and make himself recover and move on.

“Oh…” He doesn’t act too excited and Vik can see that. This is new for both of them. This is a process and journey for both of them. His dad will do what he can to help his son, to get him help and to better support his son in any way he can. While V receives the help he needs and more thoroughly understands what he is going through in order to move forward.

“Damn dad, it’s so fuckin’ early. Couldn’t you get it at a normal time?” It’s the ass crack of dawn and V wonders why he has to wake up so early instead of going at a reasonable time.

“I tried. This is was the only openin’ I could find for the counselor I chose for ya.” Only the consultation is super early thankfully. Most therapists and counselors have very full schedules.

He doesn’t want to leave his bed but he knows he has to. “Where is it?”

“It’s on your holo. The appointment starts at five.” That acknowledgment is like music to Vincent’s ears. He doesn’t have to get out of bed? That’s better at least.

“But ya still need to get dressed. Ya might as well get ready for school.” That immediately changes when V finds out he still needs to leave his comfortable and warm bed.

“Can’t I just do the consultation in bed?” He doubts the counselor would even care. But his dad cares.

“No, V. I want you to get dressed.” He doesn’t want his son to give him a hard time on this knowing how much his boy likes staying in bed.

“Ok…” He agrees to it right away even though he doesn’t like it and Vik smiles at him.

“Good. You better get dressed now, your appointment is startin’ soon.” Viktor turns and leave his bedroom to give his son privacy. V throws the covers off his body, stepping into the early morning coldness in his bedroom. He finds some dark blue jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a cozy black jacket, putting them on.

He sits on his bed and waits around for the call. Until finally the caller ID pops in his vision and the ring of his ringtone. V accepts the call and he sees a woman on the other side who seems to be around his dad’s age.

“Hi, you must be Vincent Vektor, I am Isabell Elsher. Nice to meet you!” The brunette smiles at him and V doesn’t smile back, not out of rudeness but because he’s used to not showing that much emotion.

“Call me V instead.” He doesn’t like people calling him by his full name, preferring his short name instead.

The woman takes note of his preference as well as the lack of emotion. “Ok, V. How are you?” She looks at him thoughtfully while Vincent looks at her blankly.

“Good.” He answers plainly without meaning to be rude. He just feels uncomfortable, like he’s under a microscope.

Then he remembers his manners. “How are you?” He decides to ask her back and Isabell smiles softly at his question.

“I’m doing well, thank you. Your father told me a little about what has been going on in your life, do you want to tell me a little about that? About your friend you lost?” She asks another question which hits a nerve for him. He doesn’t want to talk about it even though he knows he needs to in order to get the help he needs.

Isabell can see he is uncomfortable because of his body language shifting and turning and the way his eyes look away. “We don’t have to talk about it if you aren’t ready.” She respects his boundaries which is different for V to not have someone always poking and prodding.

“I know talking about that is the entire point of this… but I can’t…” He honestly admits and she nods her head her expression full of kindness and her body language open and welcoming.

“I completely understand. It’s ok. It’s whatever you are comfortable with.” She reassures him and V looks at her blankly not knowing what else to say.

She moves the conversation along. “How has your week been?” She takes a different approach.

Her question isn’t something he needs to think deeply about. “It was good.” He gives her another plain answer.

Vincent wonders how this lady plans on helping him. So far, he feels like he could go to sleep.

“Your father told me you developed anxiety from your loss…” She begins to say and V is surprised to discover that. He didn’t realize he has anxiety like it’s a permanent thing. But he sees his dad told her a lot of things about him and he’s not too sure if he likes that too much.

“Have you experienced anymore anxiety this week?” She asks and V is reminded of the last anxiety attack he had. It was right after he pointed a gun at Jackie’s head.

He gets quiet. The uncomfortable feelings rising inside of him when he is reminded of it. He finds himself struggling to answer and he really doesn’t want to answer. She can see he seems overwhelmed and she speaks up. “It’s ok, V. This is a safe space.” Isabell reminds him.

But that doesn’t help him. “No. I didn’t have any more anxiety this week.” He chooses to lie. It’s just easier that way for him. The woman can see that he is lying which ignites a curiosity in her.

She wants him to open up and become comfortable with her so she decides to try and keep things light. “How about we just get to know each other this session instead?” She asks, her voice soft and soothing.

V doesn’t really care. “Sure.” He’s not sure if he’ll ever get comfortable with talking about his feelings and what’s going on with him.

“So, I went to Night City University. I got a bachelors in psychology and a minor in biopsychology. I pursued a masters in grief counseling as well as many other specific mental health areas. I have been a counselor for over twenty years.” She smiles hoping to bring his guard down but her biography or her smile does nothing for him.

“Preem.” He doesn’t give a shit about her background.

“Yea, I guess it is preem.” She says his younger generational lingo and it doesn’t sound good coming out of her mouth. Like an old timer trying to be cool and hoping to fit in with the younger generation, yet it is only cringy to witness.

“Tell me about yourself, V.” She moves the conversation along. Her curiosity is like nails on a chalk board for him. But he forces himself to comply since he’s here for a reason and he does want to get better.

“Um… What do you want to know?” His mind is blank, he feels a bit nervous and she can see that.

“Are you from Night City?” Isabell helps him out.

“Yup, born and raised.” He answers with a straight face and she looks interested once finding that fact out about him.

“What was it like growing up in Night City?” She asks her next question and he takes a second to think about it.

“It was mostly fun.” He answers vaguely, V recalls his memories with all the times he hung out with Jackie.

“And what about the times where it wasn’t always fun?” She waits for his answer, gauging his reaction. V sees what she is trying to do and he answers anyway.

“What about them?” He doesn’t know what she wants to know.

“How were they? Did you experience any hardship growing up?” She’s slowly working her way to getting into the deeper parts of his mind.

His eyebrows furrow once thinking about how he was raised by a single father who worked most of his childhood. “I guess… a little.” He answers.

She can see the shift in his expression. “How so?”

“Well, I grew up with a single dad… My mother died.” That automatically implies that life was a little more complicated for him.

“I’m sorry. That must have been very hard for both you and your father.” She feels sorry for him and V doesn’t like her pity, it makes him feel a bit uncomfortable.

“It was whatever.” He brushes it off, trying to look unaffected and she can see that understanding that he bottles up his feelings.

“How was life growing up without a mother?” Her questions annoy him. How does she expect it to be?

“Well…” He pauses trying to remember. “It wasn’t bad, I had my best friend Jackie there. We basically hung out every day and his mom was like a mother to me.” He informs her and she nods understanding that.

“That is good that you had outside support. But how was life at home, with your father?” She wants to know more about that and V stares at her doing his best to remember.

He sits there for a while without saying anything, thinking about it. “I don’t know why… but I can’t remember anything specific. I just remember my dad working all the time and I just hung out with Jackie or I would sometimes help my dad out at his job a little.” He admits. He never really thought about it until now.

She nods. “What does your father do for work?” She listens carefully.

“He’s a ripperdoc.” Isabell is impressed by that and because he grew up with having a ripperdoc for a father, it isn’t that amazing to him.

“Wow, a ripperdoc? That is hard work.” She points out and V nods agreeing with her.

“It is.” He knows his dad is a hard worker.

“You said your father worked a lot?” She clarifies before continuing.

“Yeah. He loves workin’ and helpin’ people.” He knows that’ll impress her. It would impress most people.

“But did he have time for you?” Her question is something he didn’t expect.

“What?” He feels a little blindsided.

“Did you two spend a lot of time together growing up? Did he make time for you?” Her question makes him quiet. He takes a moment to think about it.

“I um… I think so…” He stammers, trying to remember. She listens without interrupting.

“I don’t really remember.” He laughs at himself, feeling like a weirdo. He never thought about it until now. A bad feeling sinks in his chest when he tries to recall it, a sadness to something he doesn’t quite understand inside himself but he doesn’t know why it’s there and why he can’t remember it.

He ignores that uncertainty. “I’m sure we did. We were really close back then.” They had to be close for a reason, he ponders.

Isabell can see he’s confused and she can also see V has repressed some experiences from his childhood.

“You said you were close? Why aren’t you two close anymore?” That stuck out to her and she points it out with curiosity.

He didn’t mean to slip that fact, but it does seem that way to him. “Because my dad and I keep butting heads.” That’s one way to put it.

“Why are you butting heads?” She asks further, hoping to understand a little more about them and the situation.

Vincent doesn’t know how to word it. “Well… I guess I don’t really make the best choices. My dad just doesn’t want me to be an idiot and I want to live my life.” He explains and Isabell is starting to understand the dynamic a little more between them.

She nods taking note of their relationship so far. “So do you feel like your father keeps you back from living your life?”

“Abso-fucking-ly. I would be doin’ all kinds of crazy shit, if it wasn’t for him…” He starts to say but he feels like an ass for saying it. He knows his father means well.

“I know he just wants the best for me. But I wish I could live my life the way I want to.” He thinks firmly about the desire of wanting to become a merc and how he doesn’t have the balls to finally admit it to his pops.

“What is it that you want to do with your life that your father keeps you back from doing?” She’s to know, assuming it’s probably something reckless.

He looks at her debating if he should tell her but he ultimately decides not to. “Nothin’.”

Isabell is used to him choosing to not completely honest at this point. She observes him quietly for a few seconds. Then she attempts to change the subject, speaking up. “When you two do get along, what do you two bond over?”

He can at least answer this question with no problem. “Boxing. That was our main shared interest that he really likes. I guess we bond when I help him around his clinic. He has some pretty funny jokes too that’ll crack me up.” He says with a smile on his face. She smiles, the woman is starting to understand a little more about him.

“Do you feel like you can’t completely be yourself around your father?” She throws another curveball at him and it stumps him for a few seconds. She can see he’s having a hard time with that question.

“Do you normally feel like you can’t be yourself?” She is seeing a theme going on. V is trying to process and answer the question.

“It depends on the person.” Vincent feels like most people are like that. That they don’t act like their true self around most people.

“Who knows you? The real you?” She presses and watches his reaction. V thinks about it.

“Hmm… I guess my ex-friend Jackie. I guess… Z… I mean my other friend who died. She knew me.” V wants to name Misty however he knows he can’t be completely honest with her because it would make her very worried and he doesn’t want that to happen so he keeps a lot of things back.

But Jackie was the only one who really knew him for who he is. “So, not your father?” As soon as she asks it again, V knows he doesn’t show all of his true colors to his father. Just knowing the fights, it would start.

“No.” He feels bad to admit it but it’s the truth. She nods understanding where he’s coming from.

“Is that bad?” He feels like a bad person for not being real with his old man.

“No, not at all. It’s normal. It can possibly be a defense mechanism that some of us have learned to adapt and survive in our environment, especially for our own peace of mind.” She speaks some much-needed truth he never knew he needed until he heard her say it.

He doesn’t say anything more and only thinks thoughtfully about what she said. “Well, our session is up.” The woman suddenly says while looking at the time and V is internally grateful that it is over.

“I will see you at the next appointment next week at four-thirty in the afternoon. Have a great rest of your week!” She informs him with a smile and Vincent isn’t so sure if he wants to keep continuing doing this therapy thing.

The call ends and he sits there on top of his bed a little lost in thought. He doesn’t really know if it helped or not. But it made him acknowledge some old memories he completely forgot about, never knowing their influence in his life until now.

He gets up from his bed and opens his bedroom door, stepping out. He finds his dad watching tv in the living room and when V walks up beside him at the couch, his father realizes he’s done.

Vik smiles. “Hey kid, how’d it go?” His deep voice asks his son, the man looking a little relaxed while he watches tv.

Vincent takes a few seconds to think about it before replying. “It was pretty good.” He answers and his old man can see he means that.

“Glad to hear it, kid.” He chuckles, he’s happy to see his son in a better headspace and V grins at his father’s easy-going laugh.

“I made breakfast. You can sit down and eat. We are in no rush to leave right now. Or ya could bring it with ya.” He gives him the option to choose.

“I’ll eat here.” He doesn’t mind chilling if given the chance. He’s not in that much of a hurry to get to school. He turns going towards the kitchen.

“Nova. Breakfast is in the kitchen, on the stove.” His old man says and V finds himself cringing again at the awkward usage of the slang word ‘nova’ which is father never uses. It just doesn’t sound right hearing that word coming out of his mouth.

“Did you just say nova?” He says over to him while he finds the scrambled eggs and toast on the stove.

Vik knows his son, knowing he’s going to give him a hard time for saying it. He chuckles, “So what if I did?” He continues watching tv.

V grabs a plate and stacks the eggs and toast on his plate before replying. “Just don’t.” His reply makes his dad laugh even more.

“What do ya mean, ‘just don’t’? What is that word only reserved for you youngsters? I’ll use it whenever I want.” He challenges his son to stop him. V walks out from the kitchen and he hops over the back of the couch and flops his body on top of the couch, a few small pieces of scrambled eggs fly from his plate onto his father.

“I’m just trying to keep you from embarrassing yourself.” He chuckles at his dad. V is only trying to look out for him.

He notices the few stray eggs that found their way on his shirt. “Watch it, kid.” He picks them off and he keeps chuckling at their playful joking. V notices a few scrambled eggs flew into his dad’s hair and he can’t help but laugh a little more at it.

“Do you have no faith in your old man? I can be hip. I can be cool. Or like you kids like to say, hard.” While that would have made Vincent cringe a little more, he’s still too distracted with the eggs in his father’s hair to react to what he just said.

Viktor can see his son is still laughing at him but he doesn’t know why and he looks at his boy with an expectant look wondering what is so funny. “Sorry dad, I got some eggs in your hair.” He finally reveals it and lets him in on what’s so funny.

“Oh, that’s what you are laughing at.” He lifts his hand up and swipes the top of his hair a couple of times, attempting to get rid of them.

“Will ya eat your food instead of gettin’ it on me?” He gives V a pointed look and then chuckles a little.

Alvaro silently watches them interact from his spot, the man having a rare smile on his face. He’s glad to see them getting along.

The kid looks down at his giant plate of food with hungry eyes. He’ll gladly eat his food. V practically starts to inhale it.

Vik looks over seeing him get through the plate in no time which isn’t surprising to see. “Take your time, kid. It’s not like the food is goin’ to run away from ya. Let yourself enjoy it.” His pops wants him to slow down. Vik doesn’t want to have to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him. V looks up at him puzzled, Viktor knowing his cautionary advice went in one ear and out the other. The teen already finishing his food.

He shakes his head. “Geez, this kid.” He crosses his arms over his chest. A smirk on his face.

“Are ya ready to go?” He asks and Vincent stares at him for a second, a part of him always doesn’t really want to go to school. Vik can see that pause and the way he’s looking at him and he already knows what his son is thinking and what he plans on saying.

V opens his mouth to protest going to school and suggest doing something else but his dad raises his hand gesturing for him to stop, preventing him from saying anything. “Don’t.” He beats his boy to it.

The teen is a bit surprised that he knows already what he’s about to say, his old man knowing him so well. “But- “ He starts to say. He just wants to spend the day with his dad.

Vik interrupts him again. “No, V. You’re goin’ to school and that’s final.” He gives him a stern look but there is a hint of amusement and a smile behind the firmness to keep his son in line.

Vincent sighs knowing he’s not going to get anywhere with his father. “Ok…” He accepts defeat feeling bummed out. His dad chuckles a little at him, glad that he accepted it right away.

V stands up, putting his empty plate in the kitchen sink, and he meets his dad and Alvaro at the front door, after Alvaro did his routinely sweep of the outside before leaving the apartment.

They walk down the steps and exit the apartment building, going to the parking lot. Vincent gets in the passenger seat while his dad gets in the driver’s seat. They buckle themselves in and his pops backs out and starts driving towards V’s high school with Alvaro following behind.

Vik quickly gazes at his son, seeing him lost in his thoughts and looking out his passenger window. The older man feeling a warmness in his chest towards his son. “Hey kid…” He speaks up suddenly while keeping his eyes on the road.

Vincent looks over at him. “Huh?” He wonders what his dad is going to say.

“When ya get back to the clinic from school… we should watch a boxing match. Roman versus Silas is fighting today and it comes on right as ya get back.” He smiles knowing his son is a fan of the young fighter Silas who has seven wins and zero losses.

V is surprised to hear that, his eyes gaping at his father. “What?! Silas is fighting? That’s fuckin’ nova! I can’t wait until we see that.” He’s buzzing with excitement and his dad smiles and chuckles, he’s glad to see his kid happier.

“Who do you think is goin’ to win?” Vincent asks his old man since he knows these things like the back of his hand.

“How about we bet on it?” Vik decides to say instead. He wants to make it interesting. V perks up hearing the opportunity to bet.

The older man continues, “If you win, I’ll close up the shop early and we’ll go do somethin’ fun. If I win, you’ll have to do more work around the clinic. Deal?” He proposes the bet with a knowing smile on his face.

“Deal.” He agrees to it right away without thinking about it too much. Vik smiles, looking forward to it. Seeing that look on his dad’s face, V is starting to feel a little hesitant. Wondering if his dad is setting him up to make him into his slave today.

However, Viktor knows Silas is going to win. In a sneaky way, the man is attempting to connect with his son. He set up the bet anyway so that his boy and him could have a day off and a day of bonding.

Viktor pulls up to the school and stops right in the front. “Have a good day, kid.” He waits for him to get out.

Vincent steps out and turns to look at his dad before closing the door. “You’ll see, dad, Silas will destroy Roman.” He smiles having faith in his favorite fighter.

Vik grins back and he laughs a little. “Alright, kid.” It is super easy to fool his teen son. V closes the car door and walks into the school feeling happy. The boy can’t wait until school is over so he can see that fight.

When he walks in, he sees Misty hanging nearby with some of her friends, they are chatting in the hallway. When he approaches her, she can see right away how much of a good mood he’s in and that makes her feel glad.

“Are you ready to study a lot today, V?” She’s still making it her mission to whip him into shape. Vincent knows he can’t escape her tutoring and he just accepts it at this point.

“I’m ready…” He agrees right away, though reluctantly and that puts a smile on her face. She’s satisfied that V is accepting it without a fight.

-----A Few Hours Later-----

The last school bell rings and all the students disperse from the building to go home. V already met up with Misty in the hallway and they push through the double doors into the front of the school.

Vincent is laughing his ass off because he made a weirdly vulgar but harmless joke, finding it funny. While Misty is rolling her eyes at how shameless he can be, amused by his goofy side.

V stops walking and looks around at the cars and school buses parked in the front with the large crowd of students going where they need to go. To his surprise, he doesn’t see Alvaro parked in the front there where he usually is. Not even his dad’s car is there.

Feeling puzzled, he keeps scanning the many cars parked all alongside the school. Thinking he missed one of them somehow. Yet, he still doesn’t see his pops or Alvaro. Misty is also looking around and she doesn’t see that beat up lowrider or Mr. Vektor’s car either.

“Maybe Alvaro is running late?” Misty proposes. She can see her friend is wondering the same thing.

Vincent shrugs it off. “Yeah. It’s possible my dad had to run some errands today and they’re runnin’ late in order to get back here.” That’s most likely the possibility if they’re not at the clinic because Alvaro normally picks him up.

“Let’s go sit down.” She gestures to the bench over off the side of the front of the school. V follows her over and they sit down, getting comfortable while they wait.

The time slowly ticks by. Cars with parents in them picking their children up leave one by one. Eventually the school buses that steadily collect the students inside start to leave the parking lot and the many others who don’t have the luxury of having a car walk off school property, walking away.

V is feeling more confused. His teal eyes peer around looking for Alvaro’s or his old man’s car. He keeps thinking what is taking them so long to show up. Even Misty is starting to feel worried too and she knows this is out of the ordinary.

The kid just wants to walk to the clinic. But he knows how pissed his pops and the Valentino would be if he walked back. So, he stays put, feeling more antsy as the time progresses. He wishes he had his phone to call someone. Maybe they forgot the time?

V looks over at Misty. “Hey, can you call my dad’s phone?” He asks her. They’ve been waiting for almost an hour and his father or Alvaro didn’t even holo him yet.

She takes her cell out. “Sure.” She hands him her phone and he takes it and dials his number quickly, putting the phone to his ear as he hears the phone dial the number.

It rings repeatedly until V is sent to voicemail, his heart sinking but he’s trying his best not to feel worried. It’s possible his dad is busy with a difficult surgery. Though, that wouldn’t make sense why the bodyguard hasn’t shown up yet.

He hangs up the call and hands the phone back to her. “No luck?” She asks and he can see that she’s starting to feel more worried as well.

“No.” He searches through his mind trying to remember if he missed something. If maybe his father mentioned he was going to do something important today and him and the Valentino were probably going to be late.

But he doesn’t remember him saying anything like that. The more he desperately searches his mind, the worse this all feels. He stands up from the bench, a horrible gut instinct stabbing away at him. Something is wrong.

“I’m gonna walk back.” He lets her know. He needs to put his heart at ease and make sure they’re both fine instead of waiting.

“I’m coming with you.” She gets up too and V isn’t sure how he feels about that, not knowing if there is any real danger going on. He doesn’t want her getting hurt.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea… Just in case… I think you shouldn’t come.” He’s only thinking of her safety. It’ll be one less person to worry about.

She can see how worried he is and she doesn’t want to get in the way. She nods. “Ok. See you Monday.”

He turns and starts running as fast as he can. His sneakers beating down on the sidewalk. With his adrenaline shooting through his body, he pushes himself hard and he doesn’t feel tired while doing it.

His fretful mind racing to all kinds of possibilities but he doesn’t want to let his mind go there. V’s dad or Alvaro can’t blame him or be angry with him for running back. They should at least let him know what’s going on, all of this is their fault and they both can’t be upset with V.

He keeps sprinting, taking sharp turns and accidentally running into a few angry patrons. They swear him up and down but V ignores their shouts when he keeps going.

Once he starts getting closer, he can smell smoke. His eyes looking up and he can see a large gust of smoke filling into the blue sky. V can’t tell if that is coming from the direction he’s racing to.

The kid hopes so deeply that the smoke has nothing to do with his dad or Alvaro. He pushes himself harder, running with everything in him. His heart is pounding so hard in his chest and he’s panting heavily.

He finally arrives stopping in his tracks for a split second as he takes in the scene in a shock. Alvaro’s lowrider has been blown up, his car ablaze as it once exploded and pieces of the vehicle scattered all around the streets.

There are many dead and bleeding Valentino’s all over the street and sidewalk. V looks around at twenty or so dead bodies not seeing Alvaro as one of them, he doesn’t see the bodyguard anywhere.

The flames are scorching, just standing several feet away is too much for him. The smoke is overwhelming. He struggles to breathe properly, his eyes burning from the smoke and chemicals from the burning car.

V lifts his right arm up to shield and cover his nose from inhaling the toxins. It feels like he stepped into the end of a battlefield, finding the many dead and mutilated bodies laying around his feet. They were killed in many horrific ways, body parts lay around, their blood paints the walls and pavement.

He runs over the bodies, his sneakers squishes into the thick crimson liquid on the concrete and he opens the front clinic door quickly and frantically. “Dad! Where are you?” His voice calls for him frightened, he’s worried beyond belief.

As soon as he steps in, he sees all the blood and he can’t comprehend what he’s looking at for a split second. The sight is sickening, seeing all the gore everywhere. Pieces of body parts and flesh shredded to pieces.

His father is slouched over a dead client who is still on the ripperchair and his old man isn’t moving. His dad is laying there seemingly lifeless. A pool of blood drips below the chair underneath them, as well as cooled blood that sprayed all around from the violent attack of the gunfire.

The dead client got a face full of bullets and their skull exploded everywhere. Their brain, flesh, and blood caking the surrounding area as well as his fathers’ clothes.

The monitors and medical equipment are destroyed to bits.

He stares in unbelievable disbelief.

Vincent’s eyes gape in utter and sickening shock and horror, his heart stopping to a chilling halt. “No!” he yells and he rushes up to his father and he grabs him.

Vik’s back is bleeding profusely, his spine riddled with bullets. It seems as though someone shot him with a rifle and sprayed the bullets all across his back, killing the client on the chair instantly since he was caught in the crossfire.

A coward shot him with his back turned while he worked on a patient. V clenches his jaw full of despair.

“Dad!” He chokes out his name, his voice cracking in suffocating emotion. His shaky right-hand shoots for his neck as he feels for a pulse while his other hand attempts to press down and control the bleeding on some of his wounds.

He yells out terrified, his tears burning his eyes. “No, no, no!” His world spiraling out of control and the darkness within his soul just at bay while his fear screams in agony within himself. “Please be fine!” He begs desperately.

V listens for a pulse, the terror within himself is rising to an extreme degree. With his panic drowning him, he doesn’t feel his father’s heartbeat.

He can’t feel his pulse. Everything around Vincent takes a chilling halt.

Vincent can’t accept it no matter what. He refuses to accept it. Putting his emotions and panic on the back burner. V goes into the zone to save his father.

Vincent pushes the dead client off the chair and keeps his pops from falling down with the dead patient. He barely picks up half of his old man’s heavy and lifeless body and puts it on top of the ripper chair with a heavy thud. Getting his dads blood all over himself.

The terrified kid rushes over to the cabinets and grabs a handful of gauze. He runs back to apply them to his injuries.

“Don’t let go!” He yells louder, his voice getting hoarse. The pain in his voice is heartbreaking when he wracks his brain trying to bring him back. He’s never going to give up.

He picks up the defibrillator and it’s broken. He drops it to the floor instead. There is no advanced medical technology in the room that can help him since it was all destroyed under the gunfire.

Vincent knows what he needs to do.

He starts chest compressions right away, putting all his emotions on the backburner as he focuses. Clasping his right hand over his left, he pushes down hard on his chest, feeling some of his ribs breaking by how hard he is pressing down with his body weight. The crunch and snap of his bones is a revolting sound but V easily ignores it.

He counts thirty compressions in his head and he stops to give him breaths. The teen moving back over to begin pumping his chest again.

The kid does this back and forth without to catch his breath for several minutes and then he checks for a pulse again. But there isn’t a pulse. His heart is so heavy it’s stifling, but he won’t lose hope. There’s still a chance.

V goes back to doing chest compressions and blowing air into his dads’ lungs, working hard and tirelessly. His arms are starting to ache but he ignores it.

He waits several minutes without stopping again before checking for a pulse. His arms are tired and heavy but he still keeps going without to stop and only taking a break for a few seconds enough to check his pulse again.

Yet, none of it is helping. Vik stays there lifeless, his face pale. Making a small puddle just beneath him on the chair, the blood is slowly leaking out of him through the thick pieces of gauze Vincent put on his back in hopes to create a clot.

He doesn’t know what else he can do. From his knowledge, the odds are stacked against him. His mind is racing through all the knowledge he’s learned from assisting his pops all these years and all the new medical information he learned recently.

Every single one of them points that it’s too late. Especially if his heart isn’t beating anymore.

V’s body is aching. His heart is as heavy as if it were a stone in his chest. He’s shaking from pushing himself past exhaustion. Yet, he still forces himself to keep going. Checking for a pulse every single time after numerous minutes.

His father’s fate is obvious. It is blatantly in front of V’s face but he refuses to acknowledge it. He keeps pushing his clasped hands into his chest, begging for a miracle. However, no matter what he does, it isn’t working.

His teal eyes start to burn red, the tears collecting thickly in his eyes and blurring his vision as he keeps fighting. One by one, the big droplets fall from his eyes and onto his old man’s lifeless body below him.

After a torturous while, V is forced to stop, he collapses onto his knees. His body is tired beyond belief and shaking. “No…” His quiet and shaky voice manages to say through the pain he feels.

Vincent can hardly move but he forces himself to get back up and check his pulse one more time. He gets quiet, begging for his poor father to be alive.

He doesn’t feel his heartbeat. V’s world breaks into a million little pieces.

His reality is spiraling out of control. V can feel himself losing his mind, the torment of losing his father shattering him utterly.

“NO!” V screams in excruciating pain, his tears fall thickly from his face and he completely loses himself. He screams in agony, his suffering voice echoing throughout the clinic. He can’t believe it.

V continues to yell in utter anguish. He crumbles on top of his father, burying his face in his blood covered body. The torment is profoundly shrilling.

He doesn’t know what fucking lunatic did this but he’ll do everything in his power to get revenge not caring one bit what will happen to him in the process.

Vincent continues to scream, turning his throat raw and painful. He strains his voice, yelling. He is entirely overwhelmed with the sadness and pain while he cries as loud as he can.

V’s voice gives out and he’s forced to cry silently, suffocating in harrow.

His tears silently roll down his face when he looks at his dad. “Please don’t leave me…” V can barely and painfully say.

He picks up his dads’ head in his hands, looking at Vik’s pale, cold, and lifeless face in his shaking palms. “I need you!” He pleads miserably, his voice cracking with tears.

He keeps crying and V wraps his arms around his father, his young body shaking with sobs.