Russian Roulette

Chapter Four: Car Theft Does Not Equal Robbing a Business

---Isador---

Isador was thankful for Aleksei's kindness, and thankful for him not pressing into question that would be hard for him to answer. He gave a small smile when Aleksei laughed, happy to have some form of tension relief. Isador watched Aleksei quietly, setting the pastry he was handed down as he listened to him. The silence that followed felt odd, but Isador took it as a moment to examine Aleksei. He seemed very relaxed here, this seemed to be a good place for him. Everyone needed a happy place... Well, nearly everyone does.

*I wonder what's going through his mind right now...* Tilting his head a little, he shifted a bit in his seat. The notification ping practically shattered the growing void in the noise like shattering glass, causing Isador to slightly flinch. *A notification made you jump? Really?* He gave a small huff, annoyed with himself. It was Aleksei's next words that truly bit into Isador a bit.

"This place..? Rob a bakery?" He could tell that Aleksei was not okay with this task. It seemed to physically pain him. Isador slowly reached for the napkin wrapped gun and slid it into his lap. "I've never robbed a building... stolen cars, yeah.. maybe... but..." His heart was beginning to race, this place wasn't exactly empty, nor was it exactly full. "Are you... alright..?" Isador looked at Aleksei, he truly looked displeased by the Boss's choice of a first job. *And what about car theft says I can rob a business?* His hands were slightly shaking now.

—Aleksei---

Aleksei watched Isador take the gun, a sudden darkness came into his eye. It seemed like he was a different person in the same body, that's something you needed to be able to do with a job like this, dislocate yourself.

This place...of course it was this place, Aleksei knew damn well this had nothing to do with Benjamin's first assignment, this was more than likely to test Aleksei himself, he definitely wasn't like the more cold hearten members of the mafia and they constantly tried to harden him into it. To mold him into a monster. But was he already a monster? This question just brought back memories of when they forced him...

"Yeah, rob a bakery. They just want to test your guts." Aleksei suddenly answered, not allowing him to think about his former actions. "Don't worry, many of these people will book out of here as soon as they see the gun. The...employees are young, the owner is an old woman. Neither of them will put up much of a fight." Aleksei said. He knew this place, he knew these people. The owner himself would let him sleep here when his dad and mom would have their fights. This was his home away from home, the employees he all knew personally, just young people like him trying to make ends meet.

Aleksei looked directly at Benjamin when he asked the question *Am I alright...hah. No, I haven't been alright in a long time. This is just a reminder of what my life is like now*. Aleksei could feel himself getting angry at such a simple question but no, he wasn't an angry person. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "No, I don't like this any more than you do. The people here are my friends and the thought of traumatizing them hurts." Aleksei admitted. He truly talked to people easily, he wasn't the type to hide his feelings.