7

VEX

A/N: Woo! I am so nervous about this one since it's the first OC POV. I kept it relatively short, because I'd like to hear what you guys think so far. Are you comfortable with contuining to read some chapters in Vex's POV? The way I currently have the story outlined, Vex's chapters would only appear once at the end of each part. There will be 5-6 parts, so she will only have five or six chapters total. How are we feeling about that? Yes, no, maybe? If you're up to it, please feel free to comment with your thoughts. I respond to each and every one of you beautiful souls.

Thank you so much for your support and for reading the weird shit that comes out of my brain. I'm currently working on a fluffy angst Kanej one-shot (i really wanted to write them slow dancing help), so keep your eyes peeled for that one.

I don't have a playlist for this chapter, but I did listen to a lot of The Black Keys when writing it. If you want, I can compile a quick little playlist. Idk if anyone uses them for the chappies anyway lol. 3

Debating between Wylan or Inej next chapter. I have both planned. Wy's is sitting there already partially written in my googledocs and Inej's is living in my brain RENT FREE.

Cat K: Eeee~! I'm so happy you like the story so far. Thank you so much for commenting and supporting the fic. I promise Kaz will be not sad hurt boi forever. It'll only be for like... a little bit. :D 3


Her hands shook, bathed in blood that was not her own. They were restraining each arm so she couldn't continue her attack, dragging her away from her prize. Her eyes were blown wide, stinging from an unblinking stare and glazed over with unhinged rage. Vex couldn't look away from Kaz or the crimson liquid pooling behind his back. The knife she wielded laid on the floor just out of reach amidst the gore. He had a funny, hazy expression- like he couldn't quite figure out what had happened, but his teeth were sawing at his lip to hold back the screams. At that moment, Vex didn't know how she could hate him more.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Vex struggled as Asva's men hoisted her out of the interrogation room, each trapping a respective limb so she could not kick or punch. Tears pricked her eyes, hot and fast, her body demanding that she pry herself from the control of men. I'll kill every one of them. I'll make them beg. Black spots began to crowd her eyes and she had to force herself to breathe.

Umbra's men weren't speaking to her, instead they carried her like she was nothing more than a bodybag, taking her through the observation room and into the dimly lit hall. Vex didn't give up, she kept thrashing, trying to claw at their wrists or move her hands so she could unleash the perversion of small science she'd been pumped with. But she was small compared to them, defenseless and outnumbered when it was four on one. So, Vex did what she did best when a man overpowered her. She went limp and waited for it to be over.

"I'm a Tailor, Asva, not a Heartrender! What the hell did you expect? That I'd be able to twist his heart around my finger?! He's Kaz Brekker, for Saints sake!" A hiss came from behind the closed door of Umbra's office as they drew nearer. " And what about Vex?! She just went in and lashed out at him! Why isn't she being reprimanded right now?!"

The door swung open and the black-suited men carried Vex inside, depositing her into a seat across from the boss. Two of them stayed beside her, holding her arms down as if they thought she'd lash out as soon as she was free. Vex didn't like people being able to predict her behaviors. Predictability was dangerous. She worked her jaw, mustering up the most vicious glare she could and gifted it to Umbra with the baring of her teeth. Her skin felt clammy and slick with sweat, but she knew not to squirm beneath his men's grasp in front of him.

Asva stood behind his desk, a tight-lipped grimace pulling on his rugged face. His dark eyes didn't leave Jonna's and his jaw tensed, creasing the distinct scar tissue on the left side. "Any other questions, Changeling?" His tone was the same quiet rumble as always, but Vex could see his anger in the way his nostrils flared and his eyes fixed to Jonna like a shark to its prey.

Jonna glanced up at Asva, then to Vex with a withering glare, but remained silent.

Vex felt something bubble in her gut- something ugly and vile. She felt sickened by Jonna's silence, the way she submitted to Umbra's domineering presence. Weakness was a disgusting look on anyone, but especially on the lithe blonde woman who seemed to have a mouthful of spite for anyone else who tested her.

Yet, she knew Jonna was not much different than her. They'd both fallen for the exact same lie that their life belonged to Umbra- and they both were completely aware of it as well. It was easy to follow his orders when they had nothing left to lose and everything to gain with him. Maybe that was why Vex couldn't stand the Changeling, because she reminded her too much of herself.

But while Jonna could be soft and manipulative, Vex was cruel, direct and power-hungry. When her anger came out, she became the over-achiever of death and a harbinger of pain.

Now, the boy she'd spent her entire adulthood planning to take down was in a room just down the hall and she didn't know how to control herself. She wanted Kaz to pay for what he did. She wanted to destroy him and everything he loved- to torture him until it erased the past. If that meant feeding the gnarled demon within her, then so be it. Vex would bridge the gap to lunacy and let the shadows take over. His suffering was the only thing in her life that mattered now.

When the silence in the room became deafening, Asva's eyes flicked to the other two men who were now positioned by each door, awaiting his instruction. Asva ticked his head to the left and the guards moved toward Jonna, grappling both her arms. Jonna gave an affronted scoff, sending a seething squint at Asva. "I do not need to be escorted out like her."

Vex started tapping the toe of her leather boot on the floor, her legs practically bouncing with burning energy. She needed to extract this rage from her body before she saw red again.

Umbra raised his hand, halting his men from tugging Jonna towards the door. He seemed to weigh her words in his mind.

Asva sauntered around the desk, hands clasped behind his back. He towered over Jonna, tilting his head to one side to catch her eyes and then the other when she avoided his gaze. It was like he was staring at an experiment on a dissection table, a hint of dismissive curiosity in his eyes. He pinched her chin with his forefinger and thumb, forcing her to look at him. " You failed me tonight, Jonna. And when I gave you a chance to explain yourself, you chose to be disrespectful and insubordinate. So tell me, do you not deserve to be escorted out of my office like the uncouth trash you've become? "

Asva leaned toward Jonna, muttering against her ear in a way that looked far too intimate for a gang leader and his Tailor. "One day, I will get sick of you."

Jonna took in a hiss of a breath, before her body shuddered and she tried to pull away from him.

"Now," Umbra continued, letting go of Jonna's chin and settling for placing his palm onto her cheek, "Get out of my office." The men nodded once and dragged a tearful Jonna out of the room, closing the door behind them. A few seconds after they were gone, Umbra turned to address Vex. His black pupils flickered with contempt, his expression darkening.

"Explain to me why you blatantly went against your orders."

Vex looked up and met his cold, angry glare with as much confidence as she possessed. "Revenge." she spat venomously. "I went against orders for revenge."

Umbra took a deep breath before exhaling sharply through his nose. For several seconds his stare held hers captive, honing in on her like he could take her apart and see what's inside with his eyes only. Vex was too proud to break eye contact first. "You took it too far. Again. You know what I said last time."

Of course he'd lecture her on how reckless she had been, how she deserved to rot in hell for doing something so foolish. He only ever commended her violent nature when it suited his needs as a Ravkan mob leader. Little did Umbra know, she was already rotting and life was hell enough.

"I recall, yes." she snipped tightly and immediately felt a wave of embarrassment at the unsure crack in her voice.

Umbra remained passive in his expression, a disembodied calm settling over him. "We need him alive and relatively intact, Vex."

He was inching closer to her and she didn't trust him. She couldn't count how many times he'd twist a soft gesture into deliberate violence. Umbra was unpredictable even in his languid movements.

His hand rested on the back of her head gently, scraping the knotted locks into his fingers. He watched her and Vex fought not to show him even an ounce of fear. His fist clenched. He drove her head forward, smashing the side of her face into the desk.

She released a groan, her neck pulled and twisted uncomfortably when her arms were pinned against the chair. The edge of the desk pressed painfully against her temple and Vex swore that if he made her bleed, she would return the favor tenfold one day.

"Give me a reason not to put your hands through a meat grinder." He growled, his face leveling with hers. "Beg for my mercy."

Vex had played this game before, except usually he would beat her senseless regardless of how much she begged. Asva never threatened to take body parts until now. She breathed in through her nose and out in a low whistle. " You're pretty angry, aren't you? I get it. I fucked up. But you need these hands, Umbra." Vex couldn't help the smirk climbing up her lips, although she was shivering with unadulterated fear. " I am the only piece of shit that's been able to rip apart targets and keep your headquarters hidden."

"What makes you think I can't find someone else?"

"Let me make it up to you. I know of two people who are looking for Brekker, at least one of whom is of some importance to him. I'll bring her to you." Vex winced against his harsh hand, squeezing the edges of the armrests with her fingers.

"How do you know she is important to him?"

"Dirtyhands was always shadowed by his Wraith, before she went off to sink slaver ships."

"You'd be a fool to go after Captain Ghafa." He snarled.

"We were fools to go after Kaz Brekker, but here we are. I know how to do it. It'll start with sending her what I took from him tonight. We'll use the rest of him as leverage." Vex grit her teeth against her next words. " Please, Mister Tarkov. Let me prove my worth to you."

Umbra considered her for a few long moments, before grinding her face into the desk and then pulling away with an irritated growl. This was the Umbra she knew- cruel, violent and pitiless. He'd been soft on Jonna, resorting to scathing words to tear her down. With Vex, he resorted to the only language she truly understood- brutality. He paced the office, clearly frustrated at the fact that she'd pinned him with something he couldn't refuse. Vex knew he wanted Kaz's money just about as much as he wanted The Wraith's assistance in his ambitions.

Finally, he stopped in front of her, his expression settled into a mask hewn from stone. He reached out and gripped her right forearm in his hand; holding it in place and pressing his fingertips against the underside of her wrist, up her palm and to her fingers, tracing the fine bones and veins. " You have one week. If you fail me again, I will watch as every inch of these hands are ground into nothing." he declared, before motioning for the men to release her. Vex slumped back in her seat, releasing a sigh of relief. A moment passed in silence before Vex stood on trembling legs and walked out of the room like a dog with its tail tucked.