A Broken Crew

Chapter 19

Grey nods and Mikko helps him stand. The thrio make their way back to Grey's place, Grey limping but keeping up. Nearly there, he stops and has Dakota grab his arm as if dragging him along. Mikko takes the lead, and like this they enter the ghetto. No one dares challenge them with Mikko leading them, although some give envious looks, clearly seeing what they are intended to- a boss with his lackey and slave. They get to Grey's house and Mikko gestures for Dakota to knock on the door.

Dakota took a deep breath. "Your old man is probably worse ghetto trash than mine." He knocked on the door a few times.

Reynolds opens the door a few minutes later and recognizes Dakota. "Eyyyyy! Back with it, are yaa??" He looks like an absolute mess. He reaches for Grey but Mikko clears his throat to get his attention. Reynolds looks at him. "Yeah? What you want?" Mikko looks at Reynolds with an appraising look. "I want him." He says simply, but what he means is clear. Reynolds is taken aback. "Well uhh.. Why don't you come in, have a drink and we'll talk about it?" Mikko nods and waves for Reynolds to go first, which he does, then Mikko follows.

Dakota looks in, feeling the familiarity of the chaos. He enters, his attitude shining through, making room for himself on the couch. He settles back to watch everything play out.

Grey immediately settles at Dakota's feet, head down, seemingly playing his part perfectly- when in actuality he's not acting. He's not allowed on the furniture here. Mikko perches on the coffee table, crossing his legs, looking completely in control. He snaps his fingers as Reynolds is coming in the room and Grey, having gotten the hint, moves to sit at Mikko's feet. Mikko accepts a cup of beer, wrinkling his nose slightly as he takes a drink. Reynolds take a chair and fiddles with his cup. "So.. You said you want to buy it?" *It.. He's definitely drunk already if he's calling me it..* Grey thinks, listening carefully. Mikko nods, taking another drink. "Yes." Reynolds takes a drink as well, considering. "Yaa know, I've had an offer for it before but it wasn't worth it.." Mikko nods slightly, then motions for Dakota to make the first offer, low, maybe a quarter of what they had, expecting Reynolds to raise the price.

"10,000." Dakota's voice is blunt and cold. "And I brought you a bottle of wine." He had smuggled it out of his Dad's cabinet. For a moment, he was nearly tempted, but he refrained. I'll keep my promise.

Mikko gives Dakota a stern look, but Reynolds doesn't seem to care. "Sure kid! But yar offers just not worth it, sorry. I raised it from a welp and I think it'll take more than that to cover the cost of all the trouble it's caused." Mikko ponders this, but before he can respond, Reynolds continues. "125,000. If yar really so keen on it." Mikko leans forward slightly and gestures for Dakota to offer just below that at 100,000.

Dakota pulled out a water bottle to distract himself. "100,000." he says, taking a drink.

Mikko waves to Reynolds, signaling that this is his offer. Reynolds considers it. "110,000" He downs his beer and gets another. Mikko takes the bottle from Dakota and pours his now empty cup full, setting the bottle at his feet in a clear display of authority. Mikko takes a drink as he calculates, then nods. He gestures to Dakota, signaling the deal is done. "He belongs to me now." Mikko nods to Dakota for him to pay Reynolds, who is looking incredibly smug.

Dakota forks over a check. "Here you go." he said. He stood up. "I'm going home." he said. "To sleep everything off."

Mikko glares at him then snaps at Grey, who stands to follow him out. Mikko waves for Dakota to follow him back out, with Reynolds enthralled in his check. Mikko walks outside, leading Grey. Once all three are out, he says quietly, "Wait for any discussion or dropping of the act until we leave the ghetto."

Dakota shrugged, staggering, practically crazy, trying to push away harmful memories that were resurfacing after seeing that. "What act?" he said. "You think I'm acting. I'm a ghetto kid. I don't need to act..." He staggered again. "I wish I hadn't promised not to drink." He sighed. His phone rang. "Hold up." he said. He answered it. "I thought I was kicked out, old man... Don't tell me what to do!" He hissed loudly, his tail wildly flicking around. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. No, I'm not out partying. I'm busy. I'll come back in a few minutes. Shut up, old man. I said I wasn't and I meant it. I told you I'm coming back in a few minutes." He hung up. "Anyway..." He staggered again, nearly dropping his phone. "Let's go back so August can yell at me... and then I can forget about all this."

Mikko sighs and grabs Dakota's hand, pulling him down to sit on a bench as he pulls out his phone. He rapidly sends a text as Grey sits down as well. Soon enough, Roman is there to pick them up with his car, and Mikko puts Dakota into the back seat and gets in beside him, with Grey riding shotgun. It's not long before they're at Mikko and Roman's apartment, and Roman hops out and gets Dakota out - quite easily, as if he's had practice with someone who's wasted- and takes him inside. Once there, he takes him to the bathroom where there's two buckets of water sitting on the floor. "Time to wake up." Despite knowing Dakota will most likely hate him for this, Roman grabs his collar and dunks Dakota's head into the bucket of ice water then into the one with room temperature water. He does this twice before letting go and looking at Dakota.

Dakota is soaking wet and silent, sitting on the floor. Then quietly, he says, "Now, why'd you go and make me aware again?" He gives him a sad laugh. "I was hoping to be inside my mind for everything that's about to happen." He looked around. "Are we in your apartment? What time is it?" He glanced at the clock. "It going to take me time to walk home. Will one of you text August and tell him I had to go back home?" He got up from off the floor. "I have hurry up. Old man's always impatient when he's drunk."

Roman sighs. "I woke you up because Mikko asked me too, and I don't argue with him, and yeah sure I'll tell August, I'm driving Mikko and Grey back anyway. " He stands and offers Dakota a hand. "Want a change of clothes before you go?"

"No. They'll go to waste." He grabs the hand and stands up. "Tell August not to worry about me. He'll worry himself sick if you let him." He waved a hand and left.