Chapter Text
Stand up and show your skill
You know the drill
Just keep it trill until the end
That's how we deal
-All in – Stray Kids
. . .
The night started with the usual flicker of the lit sign above the casino.
It was a regal sign, standing tall and mysterious above a round building full of nightmares. It lured people in, tempting them to open their wallets and spend their savings and lose themselves to a world that very little knew how to navigate.
But once you did know how to navigate that certain alluring little world, it made you a master.
That’s who Stray Kids were.
They were young, a lot younger than any regular visitor of the casino, but their age proved no hindrance as they won game after game, walked home with money pile after money pile, earnt themselves a reputation that had even the fiercest gamblers staying away from them.
Chan smirked as he stared up at the flickering sign, it was time for another night of fun.
He was dressed for the occasion, in his signature all black; a low sleeveless shirt hanging off his shoulders with a leather jacket over the top and dark jeans littered with rips all down his legs. He had on a gold belt with a huge buckle and thick platformed boots that made him at least two inches taller. His dark hair was styled away from his face, showing off his piercings and glittered eyebrow slits.
His pockets were, as usual, loaded with cash, an empty metal case held snugly in his hand that would almost certainly be filled with even more cash at the end of the night.
He wasn’t neat or suited like the typical gambler, which meant he’d been seriously underestimated when he’d first entered the gambling scene. No one had made that mistake again, not to Chan or the six kids he’d taken under his wing, all of them as equally skilled and sly and thirsty for money.
Speaking of, Chan turned away from the sign and towards his group of boys circled behind him. There was a familiar determination twinkling in their eyes, sparkling with the excitement for another night of slicing through cut-throat competition and causing trouble.
“I hope we’re ready, team,” Chan smirked at them, “I have a good feeling about tonight.”
He received a devilishly handsome smirk back, belonging to none other than Lee Minho, the first of Chan’s boys to find his way under his wing.
“Don’t jinx it now, captain,” Minho said, shiny lips curling effortlessly around the words, “Wouldn’t want you to be our bad luck.”
Chan just shook his head, knowing that Minho was only teasing.
Minho was easily the slyest of them all. He was impossible to prank; able to see his way through any lie and use deadly precision to present his own with terrifying ease. He had harsh judgment with people; could tell exactly what type of person they were within minutes of meeting them and used that to expertly craft his way through games and competitions.
Chan usually placed Minho at card tables, utilising his poker and blackjack skills for optimal profit.
There was also another advantage to Minho… he was absolutely beautiful, and he knew it.
Distracting the competition with winks and attractive smirks was a tactic that Minho didn’t need to use, but one that served him well. It wasn’t like Chan could blame the people that fell for it; Minho was almost impossible to resist in his silk red shirt and black choker, leather trousers clinging gorgeously to his legs and high-heeled boots clacking delightfully whenever he walked.
His face was crafted by the gods, all high cheekbones and soft eyes, his dark hair curled and hanging just above the long eyelashes that even Hyunjin was jealous of.
Chan may have not realised it yet, but Minho was almost right with what he said. Chan may have jinxed that night with his words, not realising that him and the kids were set to encounter someone who could not only give Minho a (literal) run for his money, but could also stand confidently next to him in a beauty contest.
“I’m sorry, but if there’s anyone who’s bad luck here then it’s Jisung,” came a new voice, all eyes sliding to where Jeongin was standing with his arms folded and mischief glittering in his eyes.
Jisung squawked in response, pinning Jeongin with an entirely un-scary glare and an almost adorable pout on his lips.
“I don’t even do anything and you lot drag me!” Jisung whined, sounding completely opposite to the snarkiness of Minho.
When Chan had first met Jisung, he was convinced that Jisung had just walked into the wrong building and stayed because he thought the casino was fun. But then Chan had watched him play, and everything became clear.
Jisung was loud and troublesome and not intimidating at all, but he was also exploding with charisma and tingled with genius. He had a way with words that made people want to refuse to listen to him, but also hang onto his every word. He had fast hands and a fast mind and his endless chatter was an amazing distraction for how much he won, making people underestimate him and then practically fall at his feet when he destroyed them.
Jisung was also very pretty, dressed in a bright yellow crop-top and a tartan black skirt. Fishnets popped out the waistband, leading down to an expensive pair of pink trainers that contrasted harshly with the obnoxious orange of his hair. Chan kind of hated his outfit, but also couldn’t deny that Jisung looked hot.
That didn’t mean everyone stopped teasing Jisung for it though. He was the main target of the group, but they were the only ones allowed to tease him. Anyone else who tried found themselves in a whole world of pain.
“Jeongin, don’t pick on Jisung,” Chan made sure to say before anymore teasing could start, “If you make him sad then he won’t win.”
“It is extremely bold of you to assume that, Mr Bang-Chan-hyung,” Jisung turned his gaze to Chan, the childlike pout now switched to something much cockier, “I win no matter what.”
“Oh yeah?” Chan raised an eyebrow, “Prove it.”
At that, the whole group exclaimed in various states of excitement, all of them grinning like little chesire cats and reaching over to poke Jisung in the shoulder. Chan watched them with a smile, constantly caught off guard by how young and childish his team were when they weren’t sweeping through the casino.
“And with that,” Jeongin pulled all attention back to him, “I think we should get started.”
Chan joined in with the group’s fake cries of ‘yes boss!’, all of them pushing and shoving at each other as they made their way towards the grand entrance doors. The casino began to loom further over them, the golden double doors almost waiting to let them in.
That was a voice spoke out from in front of them.
They all stopped.
“Stray Kids?”
It was a deep voice, a really deep voice, belonging to a shadow that was standing just outside the casino entrance, only their figure visible in the darkness.
Chan stopped, holding out a hand to gesture at his group to stop behind him.
All their eyes bored into the person who had spoken, their back leant against the wall and arms hanging loosely by their sides. In the darkness, Chan could just about tell that the figure was staring back at them. They didn’t seem threatening, but Chan still felt chills at their pure tension that was their voice.
Chan chose to watch silently as Changbin took a step in front of them all, jutting out his chin.
“Stray Kids is us,” Changbin’s voice was raspy, not quite as deep as the stranger’s but still threatening, “Who’s asking?”
Chan had to hold himself back from nodding in approval, always in awe of Changbin’s ability to simply stand like a statue and still intimidate people that towered over him.
The strongest of the group was definitely Changbin. He had wide shoulders and broad arms and a jawline that could cut glass. His brain was smart like a whip, his fists moving as fast as his mind. His permanent snarl and dark fringe that fell over one eye making him seem deadly scary to anyone who encountered him.
His outfit didn’t help; he was wearing a white sleeveless top with no jacket despite the chill of the night, showing off the excessive number of tattoos on his arms. His waist was accentuated by the chain-belt on his black cargo pants and he had even more chains jingling from his pockets.
But, still, the figure refused to back down. They barely even moved as their gaze shifted to Changbin. If they were intimidated, they hid it well.
“You wouldn’t recognise me,” they eventually answered Changbin’s question, a hint of wistfulness in their voice that Changbin tilted his head at, “But I recognise you.”
“And what do you want?” Changbin practically demanded, his fists starting to curl, “We don’t play these types of games.”
“I think we all know that’s not true,” the figure said, making even Chan’s skin start to twist in defensiveness, “But that’s okay. I play these games too.”
Chan was about to step forward himself, about to stand next to Changbin and bark at his stranger that they didn’t care who he was, but he better leave them alone.
But the stranger beat him to it, pushing himself off the wall and stepping into the light with boots that were even more heel that Minho’s.
And that was when Chan felt his breath stop, the others all freezing behind him.
The stranger was pretty.
Heck, the stranger was beautiful.
He was young, probably the same age as some of them, and had a face that had no right to own the voice that it did. He was all thick lips and big eyes and he had sparkly make-up dusted over a scattering of freckles on his cheeks.
His long hair was practically white, styled away from his forehead but stretched into a millet reaching the back of his neck. There were gemstones under his eyes, a red bomber jacket puffing loosely over a skinny black dress that ended mid-thigh.
He stood with a hand on his hip, his legs curled in just the right way. He was hot and, like Minho, he had no issue showing it.
It infuriated Chan, but it also intrigued him.
Stray Kids didn’t usually find anyone their age in the casino, especially someone so attractive and stylish, or someone brave enough to approach them.
“My name’s Felix,” the boy smiled, winking at them, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all.”
Chan got his bearings, forcing himself to straighten up and aim a glare at Felix. He felt Changbin beside him doing the same.
“Well, that’s lovely, Felix,” Chan said sarcastically, trying to bore holes into Felix’s skull with his eyes, “And that was a great entrance and all, but you probably already know that we don’t deal with anyone outside our team.”
With that, Chan motioned everyone to step around Felix and stride towards the entrance, his footsteps thick and loud as he stormed away. The double doors got closer to him, Felix forgotten almost instantly as Chan approached what he was really interested in.
But apparently it wasn’t that simple.
Felix’s boot clinked almost satisfyingly against the floor as he slid smoothly in front of Chan, holding out his hands to stop him.
Chan felt a surge of anger in his chest.
“Listen, kid,” he seethed through gritted teeth, meeting Felix’s gaze with a snarl, “You should know better than to bother us. Now get out of my way.”
“You’ll regret not hearing me out,” Felix refused to back down, his gaze locked onto Chan’s equally as strong. Chan bristled, it wasn’t often people didn’t crumple when he glared at them, especially when they were only stood inches from his face.
“We don’t want to hear you out,” Changbin spoke before Chan could, his voice almost unbothered, “If you need money or protection or any of that stupid stuff, then we can’t help you.”
“That’s not what I want,” Felix answered quickly, his eyes sliding to Changbin before they locked back on Chan, staring him directly in the eye, “You said you won’t deal with me because I’m not on your team, well I’m looking to change that.”
Chan couldn’t hold back the small flinch of surprise, all anger filtering out his brain as he processed the words.
Felix… wanted to be on Stray Kids’ team?
Chan had certainly never heard that one before.
“You,” Chan stared him down, “You want to join Stray Kids?”
Felix nodded, his face unrelenting as Chan tried to work out what the hell he was supposed to do with that.
Chan hadn’t accepted a new member since he’d decided he was happy with his original six. Did Chan want another member on his team? How the hell was Chan supposed to know if Felix was even good enough? How could Chan even trust him anyway?
Chan didn’t take any risks when it came to his team, so he didn’t like not knowing whether Felix was going to be a threat to them or not.
Fortunately, it seemed he wasn’t the only one having these questions.
“Why the hell would you want to be on our team?” It was Minho who piped up this time, his face neutral but something unreadable simmering under his eyes.
Felix shrugged, giving Minho a smile that Chan wanted to get angry at, but made him softer than he was willing to admit.
“You guys protect each other and you earn good money,” Felix said, “What’s not to like?”
“What’s not to like?” Minho copied Felix like he was stupid, “You realise the gambling world isn’t nearly as glamourous as we make it seem?”
Felix shrugged again, but this time there was some stiffness to the movement, something flickering over his face that made Chan think that maybe there was more to Felix than met the eye.
“How do you think I got here?” Felix said, his voice almost suspiciously neutral, “Anyone with a gambling addiction usually has an unpleasant reason for getting into it. I’m sure you’re all well aware of that.”
Now that made Chan pause, all apprehension slowly filtering out his mind as he considered Felix’s words. It seemed like Felix, just like the rest of them had all been at some point, was just a kid in a tight spot. And Chan may have been a ruthless gambler, but he had an undeniable need to help kids in tight spots.
But that didn’t mean Chan could just accept Felix straight away. Chan had other kids to protect, had a reputation to uphold, had a team to keep afloat. If Felix threatened to drag them down, whether that was by being a bad gambler or something else, then he had to go.
That didn’t mean he didn’t deserve a chance.
Chan held up a hand, silencing his team behind him and causing Felix to look hopefully at him. The look almost pierced something in Chan’s heart, but he pushed it down. He had to remain focused. Felix’s sob story wouldn’t get him anywhere in the gambling world, which meant it couldn’t help him worm his way into Chan’s heart.
Chan lowered his hand, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment before he opened his mouth.
“Seungmin,” Chan said, startling everyone with the single world, “Come here.”
Confusion flashed in Felix’s eyes as Seungmin slinked his way to the front of the group, standing next to Chan.
Chan nodded at Felix, turning to look at Seungmin, “What do you think of him?”
Seungmin smirked, his eyes raking over Felix in such a meticulous, frightful way that Chan could tell Felix was actively holding back a squirm.
There was a reason Chan wanted Seungmin’s opinion.
Seungmin was the smartest of them all, his mind practically a machine. He could stare right into people’s souls, could see their intentions and tell their next moves and get to know them better than they knew themselves.
Chan didn’t know what it was, but Seungmin was also intimidating in a completely unique way.
He was wearing a black beret, his fiery red hair scattered over his forehead. He had on a white shiny shirt with baggy pirate sleeves, tucked into a pair of expensive black jeans. His nails were painted a jet black, his eyes lined and lashes extended in a way that made his gaze unrelenting.
But Felix, despite looking uncomfortable, didn’t visibly react. He let Seungmin stare him down, kept his posture straight, didn’t say anything as he was judged before their very eyes.
Seungmin finished his mental examination with a slight tilt of his head, turning to Chan with a hum.
“I think we can give him a chance,” he said, voice coy, “I reckon he’s good, but we’ll have to see if he’s good enough.”
With that, he flashed some side-eye at Felix, giving him a last once-over before returning to the back of the group.
Chan didn’t miss the way Felix’s eyes widened, the way something akin to hope started to bubble under his face. Chan couldn’t help becoming more intrigued, part of him hoping that Felix did impress them somehow so they could find out more about him.
But that didn’t mean Felix didn’t need to pass a test. Only the best were allowed on Chan’s team. If that wasn’t Felix, then no amount of sympathy could save him.
“Alright, kid,” Chan looked back at Felix, “It seems you passed the first test.”
Felix’s eyes almost bugged out his head, his gaze switching quickly from Chan to Seungmin and then back again, “The first test was… Seungmin?”
Chan closed his eyes. That was definitely the wrong thing to say.
“Yeah, do you have a problem with that?!” Changbin was marching forward and growling before anyone could think to stop him, his mouth spitting and eyes fierce as he descended upon Felix.
Everyone in the gambling world knew that Changbin was protective when it came to his dongsaengs, especially Seungmin, and Felix challenging that was evidently not a good start.
But Felix stood his ground, wrapping a noticeably tiny hand around the one Changbin fisted in his jacket.
“There’s no problem at all,” Felix’s voice got deeper as he spoke, practically face-to-face with Changbin, “Just curious, that’s all.”
“Oh yeah?” Changbin challenged, gritting his teeth as he leaned further Felix’s face, “Curiosity killed the cat, you know?”
His voice got noticeably quieter, but significantly more threatening, his tone dancing dangerously on the border of insanity. It would have given Chan chills if he hadn’t heard it so many times before.
To Felix’s credit, he didn’t look scared, but he didn’t look reassured either.
It was enough for Chan to step in.
“Alright, Bin, that’s enough,” he stepped forward, wrapping a hand in Changbin’s shirt and tugging him back, Changbin following somewhat willingly, “Felix passed the first test, it’s the hard part he has to do now.”
Changbin seemed to accept that, joining the rest of the group with a huff. Seungmin tucked him under an arm, silently thanking him for the defence.
Felix looked momentarily relieved at no longer having someone leering over him, but then the words appeared to process and he suddenly darted a look at Chan.
“The hard part?” he said, apprehension leaking into his voice.
“Yes,” Chan said, unable to hold back the grin from his lips, “You did realise you’d have to prove yourself good enough to gamble with us, right?”
Realisation flashed over Felix’s face, something sparkling in his eyes as he nodded like a bobblehead.
“Yes, of course!” Felix said, “What is it I have to do?”
At his last words, Felix stopped nodding, his shoulders squaring and posture straightening as he stared at Chan. Chan couldn’t help but raise an impressed eyebrow, noticing that Felix seemed to have a ‘business-mode’ like the rest of his team did – a headspace that would hopefully make him into the brutal champion they required him to be.
“Felix, I hope you’re aware that you have a very difficult challenge ahead,” Chan said, his own business-mode taking over as he straightened up, making a point of staring down at Felix, “You’re probably going to fail.”
That only made the determination in Felix’s eyes harder, “I understand, but I disagree,” he said, his lips quirking up, “I’m not going to fail.”
Chan had to give it to the kid, he was confident. Chan was almost tempted to believe him.
“If you say so,” Chan grinned, “Are you ready to hear what you have to do? I’m only going to say this once.”
Felix nodded so hard his head almost flew off, his posture rock-solid and eyes steeled with an intense rush of emotions. He looked as ready as he could be, so Chan supposed he shouldn’t drag it out any longer.
He felt his team standing firm behind him.
“Felix,” Chan said, every other sound of the night fading away as he spoke, “At sunrise, you need to meet us behind this casino, carrying more money than all of us put together.”
The silence was so strong Chan could have heard a penny hit the floor.
Felix’s eyes widened like lightbulbs, his meticulously well-trained façade crumbling away at the pure shock that invaded his face.
“You want me to what?!” he stuttered, mouth dropping open, “Take more money than you?! From the casino? There’s seven of you!”
“Well, I’m glad you can count,” Minho mused from behind, Chan having to hold back a snort at the way he almost sounded bored, “That should come in handy tonight.”
Felix threw him a look, glaring at Minho like he’d grown an extra head before scoffing and turning away again, levelling his festering gaze at Chan.
“How in the hell do you expect me to do this?” Felix managed through gritted teeth.
Chan simply shrugged, making Felix’s shoulders tighten even further, “Figure it out.”
The words clearly angered Felix, boiling a hot rage of molten lava in his blood, but Chan could see him pushing the anger down, could see him trapping it in his mind and strangling and twisting it until it formulated into logic, until it turned into something useful, until Felix could use it to win.
If Felix was a demon, his eyes would have been glowing with a glorious red.
Chan watched him through the process, admittedly impressed. What Felix didn’t know was that Chan didn’t actually expect him to win, Chan knew it was not at all fair or possible to ask one person to win more money than a team of seven geniuses. But Chan wanted to see how much money Felix could still manage to take, wanted to see how well Felix handled the pressure.
There was no way for Felix to actually win, but that’s because the game was rigged, and gamblers needed to be able to play rigged games.
If Felix did well, Chan would accept him regardless of if he won or not. But Felix didn’t know that, and it made him angry, which made him use his anger to fuel his ruthless competitive side, which made Chan want him.
Felix also couldn’t refuse the deal, because that really would mean admitting defeat. And gamblers never admitted defeat.
“Okay,” Felix nodded solidly, eyeballs burning holes into Chan’s skull, “What are the ground rules?”
“All money must come from inside the casino,” Chan said, “You can’t leave and grab money from somewhere else, you can’t get someone to bring you some cash. All money must come from inside the casino itself and nowhere else.”
Felix nodded again, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to mull something over in his head, “Does the money necessarily have to be… won?”
Chan grinned. He’d hoped Felix would ask that.
“Good question,” Chan said, “Not necessarily. I know we all have our petty little pick-pocketing tricks. If you want to do that alongside gambling then that’s fine, but it still all has to happen inside the casino.”
As much as Chan hated to admit it, him and his team were not above theft. Gambling often led to other greedy crimes and it was just another delightful source of income for the group. Felix seemed to feel the same way if the way his eyes lit up said anything. The team seemed impressed by that as well.
“Wow,” Jeongin spoke from behind, his arms folded as he eyed Felix up and down, “You really do know your way around this world, don’t you?”
Felix grinned at him, all his earlier emotion melted away as he turned once more into the cocky little casino-frequenter they’d all assumed he was.
“Expert gamblers like you should know to never under-estimate your opponents,” Felix drawled, giving Jeongin a wink that made them all scoff.
“I kinda hope you win tonight,” Jeongin said once he was done rolling his eyes, “I know you won’t, and I still don’t like you, but I kinda hope you win.”
“Thanks, little one,” Felix said in such a luxurious deep voice that Changbin stepped forward to growl at him again, clearly not liking the way Felix was talking to Jeongin. But Felix just waved Changbin off, Chan noticing just how un-intimidated he was at the blatant display of anger.
Intriguing.
Extremely intriguing.
Chan didn’t know what Felix’s deal was, but he was extremely anxious to find out. It had been a while since someone had piqued his curiosity so much.
“Alright,” Chan brought all attention back to him, squaring his shoulders as Felix’s eyes met his, “Do we have a deal?”
The corner of Felix’s lips quirked up.
“We have a deal,” he confirmed, holding out a hand that Chan shook, admittedly surprised by Felix’s unusually strong grip. His hands were tiny, but he seemed to know what he was doing with them.
“Alright, kid,” Chan said, taking a step back from Felix and nodding at him, “Good luck.”
Felix raked his eyes over the seven of them, seeming to take them all in before he smirked a smirk so attractive that even Changbin seemed taken aback.
“I won’t need luck,” Felix said, the words hanging in the air for a second before he was off, hair whipping behind him and his heels clacking against the floor as he swept into the casino.
Chan watched him go with a raised eyebrow.
“Decent gambler or not, the kid can put on one heck of a show,” Minho spoke up once Felix was out of sight, the entire group all turning to glance at one another.
“It makes me wonder,” Chan said, still staring at the door, “He might actually be a good fit for us.”
Changbin snorted so loud it was enough to silence all of them, “I doubt it,” he scoffed, “He’s probably all talk. He won’t even come close to beating us.”
The group responded with hums of varying agreement, Seungmin remaining silent until they all looked at him exquisitely.
“I don’t know,” Seungmin tilted his head at their questioning eyes, “I have a feeling Felix might surprise us.”
Changbin’s snort was even louder this time, almost as loud as the way Jeongin cackled in response, but Chan made sure to speak over them, wanting to actually get down to business.
“Well, if Felix is going to surprise us,” he said, feeling his group straighten around him, “Then we need to surprise him back twice as hard.”
Chan said the words gleefully, making sure to over-announce them and smile as he spoke, snatching every inch of attention the six other boys could give him.
Minho’s face twisted into something cruel, “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
Chan grinned at him, “I am.”
The response was an immediate series of whoops and cheers that blistered through them, making them punch the air and grab each other in almost violent hugs. Chan watched them fondly, allowing them to smack his shoulders and ruffle his hair and yell ‘finally!’ at permission to finally enact what they’d been planning for months.
“Minho, Jisung,” Chan caught their attention effortlessly again, “I want you two doing your usual thing on tables. Felix will get suspicious if he suddenly can’t find any of us inside. Just play blackjack, poker, anything you want. Win all the money and help secure the big amount we’ll be walking away with tonight.”
Both Minho and Jisung saluted at him, their faces sparkling with identical sadist twinkles as they linked arms and sauntered off together, throwing everyone quick waves over their shoulders.
Chan waited until they were gone, turning back to his group and only taking a second to lock eyes on the next part of his plan.
“Hyunjin,” Chan said slyly, waiting for Hyunjin’s face to ignite in its usual excitement for the night, “I’ve got a special mission for you.”
Hyunjin’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh yeah?” he said, practically brimming with excitement.
“I need you to let your hair down, stand tall, look your sexiest and follow Felix around for the night,” Chan instructed, not missing the way Hyunjin made a point of twirling his hair, “Use every trick you know. Distract him, distract the people around him, flirt your way into his circles, find out what he’s up to, block him any chance you can.”
Hyunjin giggled in a way they all knew was his slyest trick, his lips sloping into a smile and eyes curling so they projected innocence. It was a look that had never failed Hyunjin, and a look that Chan was relying on.
Hyunjin was, presumably, the pretty face of the group. He was absolutely, undeniably, positively, drop-dead gorgeous with a slim face, doll-like features and long glossy blond hair that practically shined next to all his makeup. He wore an oversized mesh see-through pink top with a pleated black skirt. It was complimented nicely by black knee-high socks and a pair of lace-up black boots with hearts up the side.
Anyone who looked at Hyunjin could never look away.
And that was where Hyunjin truly got his power. Hyunjin was much, much more than a pretty face. He had an emotional depth that most people couldn’t comprehend, making him excellent at recognising and preying on people’s emotions. Hyunjin was the perfect distraction, and the perfect winner.
Felix didn’t stand a chance.
Chan watched as Hyunjin tottered into the casino, stopping in the doorway for a moment before his eyes locked on something and he suddenly strutted off with purpose. He’d found his target. He was going to find Felix.
Chan grinned to himself. Perfect.
That left Chan, Changbin, Seungmin and Jeongin.
Chan turned to the other three with what felt like an absolutely deadly look on his face. He could practically feel his eyes glowering, his soul twisting, his skin knotting with what felt like terrifyingly morbid excitement. It had been a long time since he’d been faced with a real challenge. And this plan had been a long time coming.
He may have hated to admit it, but Chan was glad Felix had showed up. Chan and his team liked to be kept on their toes, like to be presented with the unexpected, liked to find new ways to capture, crush and destroy.
And if Felix somehow proved them all wrong, then they’d only have another teammate to play with.
Chan smiled and the rest of his team smiled back.
For the crucial part of his mission he had Changbin, Seungmin and Jeongin. Changbin was brawn. Seungmin was brain. Jeongin was exactly in the middle.
“Jeongin,” Chan turned to him, “You okay with being lookout? I promise you’ll get to play some games after.”
Jeongin’s fox-like eyes formed into crescents as he nodded, face beaming with what he was asked.
Jeongin was a little wildcard in their group. His duality was overwhelming. He could be the cute, adorable maknae that they all knew he really was, or he could be dangerous.
He knew how to play his cards, he knew how to work his way into someone’s head and then into their heart, he knew how to observe and plan and love and hate all at the same time.
His cuteness was somehow only amplified by his almost-shredded overly-baggy black mom jeans, leading down to thick navy boots. His torso was hugged by a thin sleeveless red t-shirt with chains hooked round his arms, his black jacket practically hanging off his shoulders. His hair was a deep navy blue, complimenting nicely to his dark makeup.
It was every part of Jeongin that made him the perfect lookout. He was cute enough to get away with anything but deadly enough to cause the perfect amount of distraction. He could divert guards and knock out attackers and his endless intuition meant he could spot any sort of danger from a mile away.
It meant Chan, Changbin and Seungmin could do what they needed to do without trouble.
“Jeongin, head inside,” Chan gestured his head at the casino entrance, “Play a couple of games, then go to your station. Don’t attract attention.”
“Got it, hyung,” Jeongin threw him a peace sign, “Want me to use the usual signals?”
“Yep,” Chan nodded, “Text me a green heart when you’re ready, yellow if you think it’s going to take more time, black if you need help, and red if we need to get out.”
Jeongin nodded back, meeting Chan’s gaze in a silent good luck before he slunk off, dragging his shoes across the floor like a typical teenager and attracting just the perfect amount of attention.
That left Chan and his perfect schemers.
“Gentlemen,” Chan stared Changbin and Seungmin dead in their faces, feeling the world start to shimmer like gold around them, “Are we ready?”
Changbin grinned lazily, “I was born ready.”
Seungmin just rolled his eyes, fixing Chan an almost fed-up look, “As if I wouldn’t be ready, hyung.”
Chan could only cackle at them, feeling his chest start to vibrate with excitement as he readied himself for what they were about to do. They were going to beat Felix. They were going to win the night.
They were going to get hella rich.
“Stray Kids,” Chan said, his business-mode well and truly encompassing him as Changbin and Seungmin looked at him, “Get ready. It’s time for our first gold heist.”