Extra Side Story - The Luck of the Devil (Pt. 3)

Here's the third and last part of the story--for now. Maybe one day I'll find time to write the next part where we'll just see Jackal in action, if it's something you guys are interested in reading 😁 For now, please enjoy the story!

* * * * *

There are even more people now compared to before, but thankfully, most of them are quite far from the buffet table. You cut through the room and immediately make your way to the table. Grabbing a plate, you scan the available food. All of them seem to be appetizers, snacks, and other small bites, and you are not sure what half of them even are. You are so absorbed in your pondering over which food to grab that you don’t realize someone has slipped beside you.

“Who are you grabbing food for?” the man asks amicably.

You turn and find yourself face-to-face with Takashi Aikawa. The intimidating half oni mask he wears is jarring against his friendly expression. “Uh, Lu—I mean, Mr. Morozov, sir,” you reply, cursing inside as you almost called Luka by his first name.

“As I have expected,” Takashi sighs before chuckling, “I suppose I can’t complain since he attends my party in the end.” He then turns to look at the different food, searching for something, until he finally points to a plate filled with a mountain of golden brown buns arranged in a tasteful way. “Anyway, I think he’ll like that. I forgot what it’s called; it’s a classic comfort food in Eastern Europe or so he told me.”

Oh… You know what it is. “Pirozhki?” you supply.

He snaps his fingers. “Yes! That’s it. He talked about how he missed eating that a while back, so I ordered it specifically for him—preferably as some kind of bribe to get him to attend my party. Anyway, get him some of that; I’m sure he’ll like it!”

“Thank you, sir,” you say and he only nods as another guest approaches him again and he gets pulled into another conversation.

You’re not going to lie, you’ve missed pirozhki too, so you just load up the plate with a bunch of it before making your way back to the balcony. There’s a disgruntled guest standing in front of the balcony entrance who seems to be arguing with the guards.

As you pass by them, you hear the guest complain, “Hey, he just walks in like that?”

“He’s Mr. Morozov’s server for the night,” one of the guards answers curtly.

The guest scoffs, “So, what? A server is allowed to see him but not me? Do you know who my family is?”

“Yes, the server is allowed to see him and yes, I’m aware of who your family is. But, no, you still can’t see Mr. Morozov until he gives permission,” the other guard replies flatly. It sounds like she has dealt with this kind of thing a lot.

“I bring some pirozhki,” you say as you approach Luka, who’s still leaning on the balcony’s glass railing.

He turns around and looks at the plate you carry. “Pirozhki? That’s something I have not had in a long time.”

“Mr. Aikawa did say that. He told me that he ordered this for the party specifically for you,” you relay.

A fond smile graces his lips. “Can’t believe he remembers that…”

You wonder if there’s something more between those two and before you even realize it, you have blurted out the question, “Are you and Mr. Aikawa…?” You immediately stop yourself but the implication of the question is clear. Clearing your throat, you add, “Sorry, sir. Please, forget about that.”

“Me and Takashi?” he laughs in disbelief. “God, no. We are close friends, and that’s all. Also, he’s married and has a kid, you know?”

“Oh…” you say. “I didn’t know that. I’m still pretty new to the city.”

Luka just hums as he takes off both his mask and his right-hand glove before reaching out to grab a pirozhki and taking a bite. “Not too bad. Still not as good as the ones my mother used to make, though.” He inspects the pirozhki before gesturing at you. “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Feel free to eat some.”

You take one before realizing that you’ll have to lift up your mask a bit to eat it. Setting the plate on the nearby coffee table, you lift your mask enough to take a bite while also turning away from Luka.

“What’s wrong?” you hear Luka asks you.

“My face is not that appealing,” you admit and you’re not even completely lying. With the many scars on your face, especially the one on your lip, it’s not a particularly attractive face to look at—not like his own handsome one. “You won’t want to see it while eating.”

Luka just stays silent, but he also doesn’t push further, which you’re thankful for. With a few big bites, the pirozhki is done for. Luka’s right, it’s decent, but you prefer your mom’s as well. You haven’t been able to find one that’s as good as hers so far.

You pull your mask back down before turning back to Luka. He’s looking out at the cityscape again and you follow his gaze. There seems to be some kind of fireworks show from around the Chinatown part of the city.

“Do you know what they’re celebrating?” Luka asks, eyes still glued on the colorful blooms in the night sky.

“Lunar New Year,” you answer him.

“And you’re not celebrating it?”

“Nah,” you say. “It’s usually celebrated with family and loved ones. And I don’t really have any.” You see Luka sending you a sympathetic look, so you add, “Also, I still need to do my job. Who else is going to be brave enough to keep you company tonight?”

He chuckles quietly, “I do enjoy talking with you more than most of the guests attending the parties I’ve been to. I must admit, our talk… makes the party far more bearable, and it’s probably more stimulating than the rumor mills going on in there.”

You look at him in surprise. “I’m… glad to hear that,” you say. “I enjoy our weird conversation too.” And you find yourself actually telling the truth. Other than Mr. Tang, you don’t really have anyone you’re close enough to talk with for this long.

His eyes drift downwards and stop at the name tag pinned on your black vest. “Jason Choi, hm? I’ll make sure to let your boss know about the exceptional service you’ve given me tonight.”

Shit, he still thinks you’re actually a waiter. Maybe this is the perfect time to break the news to him and do what you’re here for. “I have something to tell you,” you start before sighing, “My name’s not Jason Choi and I’m actually not a waiter.”

Without hesitation, Luka pulls out his pistol from his overcoat in one swift movement and points it right at your head. It’s a fair response, to be honest, and you raise your hands placatingly. “Who are you then? Talk.”

“You might or might not have heard of me before. I’m Jackal,” you answer carefully.

“A fucking hitman,” Luka hisses. “I’ve heard of you, yes. And why are you here, dressed as a goddamn waiter?”

“I can assure you that I’m not here to kill or even harm you,” you say and Luka just sends you a “no shit” stare. “I’m here because I need to talk to you. I need your help, please…”

“First, tell me your real name and take off your mask,” he growls as he gestures at your face with his pistol casually. “I will not help a fucking stranger whose face I have not even seen.”

“My name is Artyom Zhang,” you mumble as you gingerly grab the mask and take it off completely, steeling yourself as you meet his gaze, getting ready for the reaction shown on his face as he sees the scars on your face. But instead of derision or disgust, you see his icy blue eyes trail over your face, stopping on the various scars for a little bit, and dare you say, you see a spark of interest in his face instead.

What a weird man…

“Artyom, huh,” Luka repeats slowly as if tasting the way your name rolls off his tongue. He does pronounce it accurately, the same way your mom did. “You Russian?”

“I guess I’m half-Russian; my mom was Russian and she was the one who named me,” you reply. “And before you ask, yes, I can read and understand Russian and speak it a bit.”

Luka hums before asking, “So, what do you need help with?”

“I… need your protection,” you start. “And in return, I can offer you all of my services.”

“And who do you need protection from exactly?”

“The Lam Family. They’re part of the oldest triads based in Hong Kong,” you reply, trying to keep the anxiousness out of your voice.

“I’ve heard of them…” Luka says quietly. “And they are still chasing you all the way here, so far from their base of power. What the hell did you do exactly to piss them off that much?”

You sigh. It’s a fair question, especially since he’s going to take some risks by bestowing his family’s protection to you. The question is how much you’re going to tell him. “I… I killed the previous head of the Lam Family… And his wife too. And for years, their kids have been trying to get my ass for that.”

You grimace a bit as you recall the story; you’ve never told anyone else about it before.

“Shit…” he curses in Russian under his breath. “Was the pay that good that you couldn’t resist fucking them over? Hell, how can I be sure you wouldn’t do the same to me to the first person promising you high pay?”

“It was not a job,” you hiss angrily. “I did it not for any financial gain. I did it for myself because they fucking deserved it. And I would’ve done it all over again if given the chance, even knowing that I’ll have become a runaway for the rest of my life,” you say stubbornly, head held high.

Luka blinks in surprise. “I see. Was it revenge then?” he asks. You don’t answer and it seems to be answer enough for him because he finally lowers his pistol slowly. “I’m familiar with that fierce flame—”

He’s cut off as the sound of what seems to be two heavy… things hit the floor rings out. The two of you fall silent instantly, looking at each other. And then come the quiet curses and your blood runs cold as you hear they are speaking in Cantonese. The noises seem to come from the left and behind you.

You turn around slowly and climb on the couch a bit to see over the hedge divider walls. You can feel Luka approaching too behind you, although he doesn’t need to get on the same couch to take a look. You catch a glimpse of two men getting up from the floor for a couple of seconds before you are suddenly grabbed from behind.

There’s a nauseating and dizzying feeling of lurching and the yelp you made is completely muffled by the hand clamped around your mouth. A blink later, you’re not where you were earlier. Your heart is racing as adrenaline pumps through your blood and in your panic, you bite down on the palm hard and you feel blood trickling onto your tongue.

“Fuck!” Luka hisses quietly, instinctively getting his hand off your face. “Calm down. I just repositioned us to a better place.”

What… You take a second to look around and indeed, you seem to be on another balcony of some kind, right above the one you were before. Looking over the edge, you see the two men lurking around, walking toward where you and Luka were standing just seconds ago.

Luka stoops slightly and you suddenly become aware of how close the two of you actually are. In fact, his left arm is still loosely wrapped around your torso as he hasn’t moved it from the moment he grabbed you and teleported you up here with him, and you can feel his chest pressing lightly against your back as he leans forward.

Even through the layers of clothes, it’s clear that he’s fit as fuck. Damnit, stop thinking about his body, Tyoma! It’s not the time and you certainly don’t need the distraction.

“Can you understand what they’re saying?” Luka whispers right beside your ear, sending goosebumps down your back. You shake it off and focus on listening to what the two intruders are saying.

“You said he is here. Well?” the taller man asks his colleague irritatedly, gesturing around the area.

“I swear! I saw a waiter going in here and I’m willing to bet it is him,” the younger man said.

“So, you weren’t even sure it was him? I flew you all the way up here based on a hunch?” the taller man growled.

“Well, the fixer did say he would be disguised as a waiter and if I were him, I’d get close to my target that way. And look! They were here,” the younger man points at the stuff the two of you left on the coffee table.

“Yes, but the important thing is that he’s not here right now. I should’ve stuck to my plan instead.”

The younger man scoffs. “Your plan is too passive. My plan would’ve let us grab the head of the Morozov family too. The price on his head might even be higher than the traitor’s.”

“Well, what are they talking about?” Luka asks again.

“They planned to ambush the two of us on the balcony and delivered us to the Lam family—well, at least I would be, I think they might just hand you over to the highest bidder,” you whisper to Luka.

“Greedy fools,” Luka derides. “I can teleport us back down there, right behind them, and we can knock them out. I want them interrogated.”

Maybe this is a good chance to kind of showcase your ability to him, to further sell on the idea of what a valuable asset you would be. It would take a lot out of you, but it would certainly impress him.

Also, you’ll be feasting in blood soon enough.

“No need, I can do it safely from up here,” you tell him.

“The two of them at the same time?” he asks incredulously.

“Yes,” you answer with some irritation in your voice. “Now, let me concentrate.”

You focus on the circulatory system of the two men below you, on the blood coursing through their veins. The heartbeat of the taller guy is faster than the other guy, probably from the physical exertion of flying and carrying the other guy all the way up here. Taking hold of their blood under your control, you begin to suppress their circulation, slowly stopping the blood from reaching their brain.

The bigger guy keels over first, groaning quietly, followed a few seconds later by his colleague. In just a couple of minutes, the two full-grown men are passed out. You let go of the control with a loud and strangled gasp. Already, you feel quite drained.

“Are you okay?” Luka asks. “Looking a little pale there.”

“I’ll be,” you groan. “Just a bit…lightheaded.”

“Alright…” he says, a bit unsure before asking, “What the hell did you just do to them?”

You’re not really keen on explaining the whole mechanics behind it, so you just answer, “Blood control.”

“So, you’re a haemokinetic, huh?” he hums. “And a very strong one too…”

“Thanks,” you reply cheekily.

Luka chuckles, “Well, I’ll bring us back down there. Get ready.”

You nod and close your eyes to hopefully mitigate the dizziness. His arm tightens around your midriff and it actually kinda works anchoring you through the lurching in your stomach as you get teleported. Opening your eyes, you find yourself standing right in front of the two unconscious men.

Luka lets go of you and walks over to the bodies, turning the shorter man on his back with the tip of his leather shoe. He scrunches his nose in distaste, before looking down to inspect his right hand,

Oh yeah, you did just bite him. You can smell the blood from where you’re standing and your mouth waters involuntarily; it doesn’t help that you just expended a lot of blood doing what you just did.

“Your hand,” you say. “Let me help.”

Luka raises an eyebrow at you before hesitantly holding out his right hand. You take it in yours and turn it over so the palm is facing you. It seems you bit him pretty deeply to the point where it’s still bleeding a bit.

You don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you lift his hand up to your face and start licking the blood off, savoring the taste while also coaxing the wound to close up. You’re so tempted to actually get more blood out of the wound, but you don’t want to piss Luka off more than he probably already is.

As you lift your head back up, you realize Luka is looking at you with wide-blown eyes and a slightly opened mouth, and… is that a faint blush on his pale cheeks? It’s hard to discern for sure under the dim lighting out here. But yes, you realize how… intimate it is to lick someone’s hand like that, and yes, in hindsight, you probably shouldn’t have done that.

You quickly let go of his hand as if it just burnt you. “It’s all good now,” you cough awkwardly.

He cradles his hand gently, rubbing the wrist. “Thank you,” he says.

“Our conversation got cut short by these two idiots last time,” you say, nudging one of them with your foot. “So, what’s your answer? Are you gonna help me?”

“I…” he trails off. “I need to think more about it.”

“How long?” you ask again before quickly adding. “I need to know so I can at least get ready to move out of the city again in case you say no.”

“A day or two at max,” Luka says.

“Alright,” you sigh. “Thank you.”

“I haven’t said yes,” he points out quizzically.

“For not dismissing me right away…” you reply. “And for the... nice talk tonight. I genuinely enjoyed it and I think I really needed it.”

“Likewise,” he replies, the cold blue eyes softening almost imperceptibly. “You’ll have your answer soon, I promise.”

You nod. “Well, in the meantime, I have some… cleaning up to do before the night ends.”

He smirks, “It does seem like you need to tie some loose ends. I wish you luck.”

“Thanks,” you grin before putting on the mask again and grabbing the tray.

As you’re about to make your way back inside, Luka calls out to you, “Oh, do you mind telling my two bodyguards to come here?”

You send him a thumbs up before continuing on your way. Tapping the shoulder of one of the guards as you pass them, you relay the message, “Mr. Morozov asks for your presence. The two of you.”

They send each other a worried glance before nodding and starting to move. You walk in the opposite direction, back towards the staff area. You can’t wait to pay your fixer “friend” a visit. And hopefully, you get to get your fill of blood too along the way.