The Love of a Crow - Wesper/Crows Fanfiction/AU

30. Wylan

A/N: Wow, uh... thirty parts? I really do know how to be verbose, don't I? Oh well, I'm way too far gone, might as well continue to the bitter end! I hope you have a good day/night, and enjoy!

He was ready. Well, as ready as he ever could be for a near-death experience.

Still, after a while Wylan had begun to get used to the idea that someone would always want him dead. That wasn't important; the important part was that hopefully they would never get their wish fulfilled, and he could live with that. He had no choice.

The hours had unfortunately gone by in seconds, and now Wylan waited by the door of the Crow Club, fiddling with the strap of his bag nervously before he realised it probably wasn't the best idea to play with the only thing holding up a bunch of bombs. Saints, why was he always early?

Someone coming down the stairs snapped Wylan out of his thoughts, and sent an annoying blush to his cheeks, which he didn't even bother covering up anymore; Jesper and him had probably crossed that line ages ago.

"Shouldn't you be wearing something more..." Wylan looked Jesper's practically-neon suit up and down. "...inconspicuous?"

"What do you mean? Someone's gotta bring a little style to this team, or we'd just be a bunch of psychos!" Jesper defended with a grin.

"So it doesn't bother you? That you have to be the one to shoot Scales?"

Jesper shrugged. "If it was anyone else; maybe, but Scales is evil, and has killed tonnes of our Dregs. He deserves this."

"But isn't Scales just another gang leader trying to make a living in the city? If you look at it like that, Scales is really no different from..." Wylan broke off, realising what he was saying. Jesper heard it too, and looked at the ground.

"If that's true, then why are you still here?"

Wylan didn't know how to answer. It was his first time truly thinking about the consequences of him being a Crow; it was expected of him to murder and plot every day, and to make a living out of it. Just like it had been expected of him to lead a financial empire back at the mansion. Only this time, it was Wylan's choice. So, why?

"Look Wy, some people make their living selling shoes, or houses, or candles. We sell lives. Everyone in the Barrel is a bad person, it doesn't matter down here. But we are different from Scales. All gangs do what we do for money and power, but the Crows? We also do it not just to survive, but to live."

"Ok, I get that, but... wait, what?!" Wylan played around with the words, but they just didn't fit right together.

Jesper rolled his eyes. "You'll get it eventually, ok? That good enough for you, Sunshine?"

"You guys ready?" Inej asked as she entered the room, Kaz right beside her.

"Where are the others?" Kaz asked. Wylan shrugged. He growled. "If Scales doesn't kill them first then I will! Helvar! Zenik! We need to go!"

Matthias's blonde head poked out from the doorway of the bar. "Uh, some help would be appreciated at this moment!"

That was when Nina appeared, clutching a plate stacked with waffles to her chest. "My precious." She hissed as Matthias tried to grab the plate.

"For Ghezen's sake, Nina, why did you even get waffles five minutes before we left?" Inej groaned.

"What? It's a pre-scrape snack, duh!" Nina said between a forkful of waffles.

"Nina, put the waffles down." Kaz said as calmly as he could muster. Nina shook her head. Kaz made a grab for them and narrowly avoided a bite to a glove. "Fine, just bring them in the carriage for all I care, but don't spill syrup on the seats!"