ID:Ā Ā //Ā Ā fallencomradeĀ·
Ā Ā Ā šššĀ šššššššššĀ ššĀ ššššššĀ šššššĀ andĀ theĀ blondeĀ plungesĀ itĀ deepĀ toĀ makeĀ aĀ veryĀ clearĀ point.Ā jamesĀ justĀ barelyĀ managesĀ toĀ holdĀ backĀ theĀ reboundingĀ flinch.Ā itĀ shuddersĀ throughĀ himĀ withĀ aĀ purpose,Ā butĀ theĀ reactionĀ itselfĀ doesĀ notĀ stirĀ fromĀ theĀ THREATĀ Ā thrown,Ā butĀ asĀ aĀ resultĀ ofĀ jamesāĀ ownĀ humiliatingĀ STUPIDITY.Ā Ā Ā priorities ā¦Ā Ā Ā theyĀ canĀ revealĀ aĀ lotĀ aboutĀ aĀ person.Ā Ā Ā Ā &&Ā jamesĀ barnesĀ isĀ worriedĀ Ā farĀ tooĀ muchĀ onĀ theĀ successĀ ofĀ Ā thisĀ missionĀ thanĀ heĀ Ā isĀ aboutĀ gettingĀ outĀ Ā ofĀ thisĀ wholeĀ ordealĀ withĀ hisĀ life.Ā thankfullyĀ Ā (Ā Ā thisĀ timeĀ Ā ),Ā Ā Ā hisĀ reactionĀ worksĀ toĀ upholdĀ hisĀ guise.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā slateĀ coloredĀ eyesĀ flickerĀ away,Ā ASHAMEDĀ Ā -Ā Ā fallingĀ toĀ restĀ onĀ someĀ randomĀ objectĀ layingĀ onĀ theĀ deskĀ beforeĀ himĀ Ā ;;Ā Ā awayĀ fromĀ theĀ eyesĀ ofĀ theĀ DEVILĀ himself.Ā Ā Ā steveĀ willĀ seeĀ itĀ asĀ aĀ signĀ ofĀ OBEDIENCE.Ā Ā Ā toĀ barnesĀ though,Ā itĀ isĀ aĀ punitiveĀ concessionĀ ofĀ hisĀ ownĀ failures.Ā Ā eyesĀ remainĀ lockedĀ down,Ā jawĀ clenched.Ā Ā heĀ nods,Ā stifflyĀ andĀ addsĀ anĀ affirmative,Ā Ā āĀ sir.Ā āĀ forĀ goodĀ measure.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā ššš .Ā Ā Ā derisionĀ dripsĀ fromĀ thatĀ sharpenedĀ tongue.Ā itĀ leavesĀ jamesĀ ruffled,Ā temperĀ flaringĀ -Ā aĀ heatedĀ sparkĀ flashingĀ likeĀ flintĀ inĀ hisĀ stormyĀ gaze.Ā Ā itĀ isĀ overwhelming,Ā thisĀ suddenĀ urgeĀ toĀ sneerĀ atĀ theĀ otherĀ manĀ andĀ spitĀ atĀ hisĀ feet.Ā Ā Ā Ā thisĀ singleĀ pettyĀ insult ā¦Ā plucksĀ atĀ certainĀ memoriesĀ heĀ doesĀ notĀ wantĀ toĀ thinkĀ about.Ā Ā Ā Ā faintly ā¦Ā Ā heĀ remembersĀ theĀ shapeĀ ofĀ hisĀ fistĀ Ā Ā ;;Ā Ā Ā remembersĀ howĀ hisĀ knucklesĀ crackedĀ whenĀ theyĀ slammedĀ againstĀ boneĀ ;;Ā remembersĀ howĀ GOODĀ itĀ felt.Ā Ā Ā Ā heādĀ likeĀ toĀ doĀ theĀ sameĀ nowĀ -Ā throwĀ aĀ punchĀ andĀ knockĀ outĀ aĀ fewĀ ofĀ steveāsĀ perfectĀ whiteĀ teeth.Ā Ā Ā instead,Ā heĀ stiffensĀ hisĀ shouldersĀ andĀ holdsĀ hisĀ breath.Ā Ā Ā thereĀ willĀ comeĀ aĀ time.Ā Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā theĀ angerĀ allĀ butĀ evaporates,Ā replacedĀ byĀ suddenĀ surpriseĀ whenĀ insteadĀ ofĀ moreĀ vitriol,Ā theĀ mafiosoĀ offers ā¦Ā aĀ drink ?Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā forĀ aĀ goodĀ fiveĀ seconds,Ā jamesĀ blinksĀ dumblyĀ atĀ theĀ amberĀ glass,Ā struckĀ silent.Ā onceĀ hisĀ mindĀ finallyĀ startsĀ turningĀ gearsĀ againĀ though,Ā hisĀ stupidityĀ soonĀ darkensĀ intoĀ suspicion.Ā heĀ isĀ leftĀ eyeingĀ theĀ glassĀ asĀ ifĀ itĀ isĀ somethingĀ DANGEROUSĀ ( itĀ is )Ā Ā -Ā aĀ liveĀ grenadeĀ setĀ toĀ explodeĀ shouldĀ heĀ touchĀ it.Ā Ā heĀ hesitatesĀ andĀ thinks.Ā Ā heĀ hasĀ alreadyĀ madeĀ enoughĀ mistakesĀ thisĀ nightĀ Ā ;;Ā Ā heĀ cannotĀ affordĀ toĀ makeĀ another.Ā Ā Ā Ā jamesĀ isĀ notĀ certainĀ whatĀ theĀ bestĀ moveĀ isĀ hereĀ andĀ hisĀ mindĀ strugglesĀ toĀ breakĀ downĀ theĀ psychologyĀ -Ā THE POLITICSĀ -Ā ofĀ itĀ all.Ā Ā thisĀ isĀ quiteĀ obviouslyĀ aĀ test.Ā Ā everythingĀ hereĀ isĀ aĀ testĀ -Ā everyĀ move,Ā everĀ decisionĀ -Ā aĀ dangerousĀ gameĀ ofĀ chess.Ā thereĀ isĀ aĀ rightĀ moveĀ andĀ wrongĀ moveĀ hereĀ -Ā andĀ dependingĀ onĀ whichĀ oneĀ heĀ makesĀ willĀ determineĀ his Ā success Ā ā¦ Ā &&Ā Ā his Ā FATE. Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā toĀ reachĀ forĀ theĀ drinkĀ mayĀ beĀ takenĀ asĀ aĀ signĀ ofĀ ARROGANCEĀ Ā Ā ;;Ā Ā Ā Ā aĀ lowlyĀ BOTTOMĀ FEEDERĀ assumingĀ heĀ evenĀ hasĀ theĀ rightĀ -Ā theĀ Ā privilege.Ā -Ā toĀ doĀ so.Ā Ā Ā āĀ butĀ toĀ notĀ drinkĀ couldĀ beĀ takenĀ asĀ aĀ sign Ā of Ā DISRESPECTĀ Ā afterĀ suchĀ aĀ graciousĀ offer.Ā Ā barnesĀ wantsĀ toĀ avoidĀ insulting Ā rogers Ā again,Ā butĀ heĀ alsoĀ doesĀ notĀ wantĀ theĀ manĀ toĀ seeĀ himĀ inĀ anĀ evenĀ uglierĀ light.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā steve Ā esteemsĀ intelligence,Ā streetĀ smartsĀ ;;Ā abhorsĀ sloppinessĀ andĀ laziness.Ā heĀ likesĀ hisĀ operationĀ andĀ hisĀ peopleĀ toĀ runĀ smoothly.Ā thereĀ isĀ aĀ seriousnessĀ toĀ himĀ thatĀ favorsĀ efficiencyĀ aboveĀ allĀ else.Ā Ā Ā Ā jamesĀ thinksĀ heĀ stumblesĀ acrossĀ theĀ rightĀ answer,Ā Ā orĀ heĀ hopesĀ heĀ does ā¦Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā at Ā this Ā moment, Ā there Ā is Ā something Ā more Ā important Ā thanĀ obedience.Ā Ā Ā ANY DOG CAN BE OBEDIENT.Ā Ā Ā rightĀ now,Ā whatĀ steveĀ wantsĀ isĀ GRATITUDE. Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā so Ā with Ā a Ā slow Ā reach, Ā jamesĀ takes Ā the Ā glass Ā fromĀ theĀ desk Ā and Ā nods Ā at Ā the Ā other Ā man.Ā Ā āĀ thankĀ you.Ā āĀ Ā he Ā holds Ā the Ā crystalĀ inĀ his Ā hand Ā for Ā a Ā brief Ā second, Ā before Ā swallowing Ā it Ā down.Ā heĀ thenĀ quietlyĀ returnsĀ theĀ emptyĀ glassĀ backĀ toĀ itsĀ originalĀ place.Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā steveĀ isĀ keenĀ toĀ TESTĀ himĀ onceĀ more.Ā thisĀ time,Ā heĀ aimsĀ toĀ questionĀ jamesāĀ intentionsĀ -Ā andĀ theĀ brunetteĀ cursesĀ silentlyĀ Ā Ā -Ā Ā becauseĀ thisĀ testĀ seemsĀ evenĀ moreĀ PERILOUSĀ thanĀ theĀ last.Ā Ā Ā Ā forĀ someĀ reason,Ā Ā Ā heĀ startsĀ thinkingĀ aboutĀ whyĀ heĀ decidedĀ toĀ joinĀ theĀ forceĀ Ā Ā -Ā Ā Ā andĀ withĀ aĀ listlessĀ Ā voiceĀ andĀ glossedĀ overĀ eyes,Ā findsĀ himselfĀ providingĀ anĀ answerĀ heĀ hasĀ notĀ takenĀ theĀ timeĀ toĀ fullyĀ analyzed ā¦Ā andĀ oneĀ whichĀ scratchesĀ closerĀ toĀ theĀ TRUTHĀ thanĀ heĀ isĀ willingĀ toĀ admit.Ā Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā āĀ neverĀ hadĀ nothinā.Ā Ā figured ā¦Ā ifĀ iāmĀ gonnaĀ dieĀ young,Ā mightĀ asĀ wellĀ findĀ somethingĀ WORTHĀ dyināĀ for.Ā Ā āĀ Ā heĀ swallowsĀ thicklyĀ andĀ attemptsĀ toĀ hideĀ theĀ glimmerĀ ofĀ VULNERABILITYĀ Ā withĀ aĀ dismissivelyĀ shrug.Ā
Ā Ā Ā IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE HIERARCHY OF STEVEāSĀ organization and compare it to the wild, he would be labeled as the alpha wolf.Ā So asserting his dominance is logical and the reaction his underling gives is the correct response.Ā Head bends, gaze shift and tail is tucked between his legs.Ā There is a smug satisfaction that his order had been met.Ā Maybe there is hope for this fresh blood, yet.
Ā Ā Ā The glass.....The glass and in of itself isnāt a test.Ā Itās honestly a kind gesture, a way to ease the tension, maybe loosen Jamesā tongue and get him to talk freely but not spill too many secrets.Ā But the seconds of deliberation are a clue to Steve the guy is smart.Ā Deadly smart.Ā That is both a blessing and a curse.Ā He could undermine Steve and try and take his throne.Ā He would also be a valuable asset in the field.Ā Rogers can practically see the wheels turning in the manās head as he weighs out the pros and cons of a simple gesture.
Ā Ā Ā He takes the drink.
Ā Ā Ā Lips curl into a slight smile, posture relaxed and attuned to listen to James.Ā The answer is vague and unhelpful.Ā Ā āIf you wanted to die for something, you would have joined the force or worked as firefighter.Ā Unless you have a deranged sense of morality.āĀ The Boss chuckles quietly to himself, glass tapping against the wood of his desk.Ā Or maybe itās because young mind isnāt developed fully that James would make a bold and dangerous move to join Steveās ranks.Ā But he doesnāt think that. No, the thoughtfulness of a man playing a game when it came to the drink is a clear enough sign that James is good.Ā Which raises a red flag.Ā But Rogers is willing to ignore it for now.Ā After all, he has a lot of street smarts, too.Ā Could be cunning and deadly.Ā People donāt assume heās an undercover agent of some sort.Ā Just a good leader.
Ā Ā Ā Glass is left on his desk, arms folding over his chest.Ā Ā āWhatās your skillset then?Ā What are you really good at?Ā Doesnāt have to be violence or gang related.āĀ If this man is going to fit in, Steve needs to find a place for him.Ā Needs to know strengths and weaknesses.Ā Heāll test the validity of Jamesā statement later by giving him a task that is out of left field and his wheelhouse to see how well he adapts.Ā Ā āBecause Iād like to send you out into the field.Ā See how well you do.āĀ A feral type grin splits his face, as if Steve has a secret.Ā Which he does.Ā Heāll be joining James, but the man doesnāt know that yet.
