Chapter Text
Cody’s pov:
Cody doesn’t normally need an alarm.
His brothers have credited it to his "obsessive compulsion” to see the sun rise. Cody thinks he’s perfectly fine living off three hours of sleep twice a day. - he gives himself an extra long lunch break - thank you very much.
So when those three hours are up, and it is 4:40am on the dot, Cody gets up to go on his run. As he’s brushing his teeth he remembers that he was going to check in on Fox on the Republic Political Nightmare™ situation.
Like usual, his older brother picks up immediately. “Me’copaani ve’vutyc ad” Cody rolls his eyes at the name and moves his phone closer as he spits out his toothpaste just for Fox. The grossed out noise his brother makes brings a smile to his face.
“Have you even slept yet?” Cody talks over Fox’s complaining.
“I'll sleep when Sheev Palpatine is dead.”
“So, never.” Cody and the rest of their family love to poke fun at Fox’s bloodlust towards the corrupt Chancellor. Cody knows it's only a matter of time before the manipulations of that man affect the family more than they can excuse or work around. When that day comes, Fox will have his moment.
But until then-
“So help me Kote if you just called to rub it in my face that I can’t kill The Republic’s Chancellor, again, I am going to fillet you.”
“For once no. I just wanted to check in on the new border policies the old nut is trying to enforce.”
“Surprisingly, it seems like everyone's views align together for once. Visla and his Kyr’tsad don’t seem too keen on it as it interrupts their product distribution in Coruscant City, just like ours. There have already been some skirmishes along the border, thankfully all on our side and no Republic casualties, meaning Palps has no extra ammo to push through with this bill. And as we expected, Governor Satine is pushing back heavily as well.”
“Finally, a fucking break. Hopefully that means things will calm down in the streets.” There has been an increase in muggings and extortion lately. Death Watch pushing their drugs harder, recruiting more and more, younger and younger. It was about to be a full blown war just 3 weeks ago, when Supreme Chancellor Palpatine announced a new Coruscant/Mandalore border policy.
A policy that is basically an invasion notice.
“Seriously though, you should take this rare moment of peace to actually sleep ori’vod.” If his brothers thought his sleep habits were bad, oh boy are they all down right horrified at Fox’s.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
“Nope! Wrong answer. You know what that means, Fox!” Cody knows the man can hear the shit eating grin on his face, he doesn’t try to hide it all.
“Kote…”
“Cerashi, when did I last update you on the novel I’m reading? Have I told you about how the demon warrior was captured and had to be saved by the prince yet?”
“I’m going to hang up on you.”
“No you wont, now have I told you about that part yet or not?”
It’s silent for a moment, just long enough to picture Fox punching the air and pretending to wring his neck through the phone before finally, “no. you haven’t gotten to that part yet.” Fox sounds pained admitting it. This is why Cody likes annoying Fox over the phone, the man may act like he hates everyone, but he refuses to hang up on his family. Sap.
“Ok, I’ll tell you all about it as I get dressed for my run. I may have to cut it short, but don’t worry, I’ll just call you after my run if that’s the case.”
“Or you could perhaps, not do that.”
“I won’t have to if you let me get on with it.”
“UUUGHHHHH” Cody loves these moments with his brothers, “oh pleeease, I’m on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Spill the tea sis.”
“Where did you even learn that- no. Nevermind, just never say that to me ever again. Anyways, the prince right-”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cody is pissed. How the fuck is he supposed to call Fox back after his run if he bleeds out in a dirty alley way!?
Sure, there’s also the whole, y’know, dying thing going on. But the real tragedy is the missed opportunity to force gay romance fiction onto his siblings. Maybe these asshats will let him make a final call? They seem stupid enough to do it. Fox would know to trace his location anyways so it would be a two for one! He’ll get to finish his recap, and he gets back up! Win-win. For Cody.
Another punch to the face brings him back to the present. Right. Seven guys all with knives. Well, six and a half, Cody thinks he might have broken an arm of one of em. There were originally 10 when he was blitzed in the middle of his run - this number unfortunately won't dissuade his family from never letting live this down.
He specifically doesn’t have a set route for this reason! How the hell did these, very clearly idiotic, rookie, Death Watch members get the drop on him? Even with the surprise attack, Cody only went down when Kyr’stad guy number 5 got a lucky shot and took it, with a swift stab to the side.
“Who the fuck told you about this job?” goooods what fucking job!? Cody certainly didn’t know. The fact that Death Watch apparently had a “job” in their territory that the Fetts didn’t know about is a concern, yes, but one he’ll worry about later. When he's not actively bleeding out.
However, judging by how panicked and twitchy and just overall sloppy these guys have been… well it might not be a fully backed kinda job.
“Manda above, why do Shinies alway think they gotta do something idiotic and reckless to prove themselves?” Cody thinks disparagingly.
He’s also going to have to make up some names for these guys. He’s starting to get confused calling them all “Kyr’tsad guy number whatever” in his head. Another punch to the face, that one definitely breaking his nose in a familiar way, tells him he took too long to answer.
“I’m gonna ask you one last time. Who told you about this job?” Cody’s gonna name the punch happy guy ‘Happy’. Happy has done nothing but act like a C-rate movie villain goon; ori’buyce kih’kovid, as the old saying goes. He’s clearly not the leader, but was put in charge of Cody’s questioning anyways. Well tough shit, he’s been interrogated by his little brothers and cousins worse than this, like hell is Happy going to break him.
Cody could do this all night. Or well, as long as his blood remains in his body.
“Now gentlemen, is this anyway to conduct oneself in public?” What in shab is a high society Coruscant accent doing here?
The seven men turn their focus from him to the mouth of the alley where another man stands. Clearly a civilian based off the sweatpants and cardigan combo, and not what Cody pictured based on the accent. The sun is just on the cusp of rising above the horizon, the city still layered in shadows as the sky turns a misty gray blue, with just enough light to make out some basic features.
The man is tall, maybe a couple inches taller than himself, pale skinned with brown(?) hair tousled and unkempt like he couldn’t be bothered to fix it after rolling out of bed. He has an attractive beard and sharp nose. What he doesn’t understand is why a man like this - soft, sheltered, privileged - is butting into dangerous situations like he’s some vigilante instead of just calling the police.
You know, like any sane person would. Doesn’t matter that avoiding a police presence works in Cody’s favor, this guy is a moron for not calling help.
Fuck he’s gonna have this incompetent man’s death on his concious now too.
“Keep walkin’ pretty boy! This doesn’t have to concern you but I'd be happy to let you join if you're so eager.” Ah the leader of this little group finally reveals himself, hello Doc.
“My so forward. Unfortunately you aren’t my type, I like my men with a little more honor than you seem to possess." So he’s a sassy moron, doesn’t change a thing if the man is killed for that silver tongue.
The man has the arrogance to casually lean against the stone wall of one of the buildings, hands tucked away in pockets. What, is he planning on defeating seven thugs with the power of friendship?
“You don’t know shit about-” the newly minted ‘Grumpy’ is interrupted by the man letting out a loud and obnoxious yawn.
“Listen lads, I have not had my coffee yet today, so lets just speed up this process, yes? How about you men go on your way, and I’ll make sure our friend here gets home safe. Sound like a deal?” The man has a smirk. That's definitely a smirk. It's like Snow White here is asking to join his “losers stabbed in an alley” club.
Ok yes, he's been naming the Kyr’stad goons after the seven dwarfs. It’s not his fault okay, he watched Snow White just the other day with his little niece, what else was he supposed to do?
Grumpy approaches first. Cody tries to get up, move, distract, anything for the man to get the hint to get the fuck outta here. All he gets is a kick to his non-stabbed side for his troubles. Ow. Snow is still casually leaning against the wall, not a care in the world he’s about to get curb stomped-
… What?
“What?” one of the guys, lets call him, sleepy, exclaims what Cody was thinking when, instead of getting his lights punched out, Mr. White crouches under Grumpy’s fist faster than anyone can track, the kyr’stad’s hand going straight into the stone wall.
Grumpy, now pissed and in pain, decides the smartest move is to rush the guy. He gets tripped easily, a hard palm shove between the shoulder blade and the shiny goes face first into the opposite wall, knocked out cold. The remaining Death Watch and Cody simply stare for a good 15 seconds.
“Now, would we like to revisit that deal?” That seems to snap the remaining six Kyr’stad goons out of their stupor. Cody’s gonna need another few minutes to realign his world view, thanks.
Two asshats, Happy and another Cody has deemed Sneezy - for the fact he keeps rubbing his nose in a nervous tick - try to engage Snow next. It goes about the same. Punches fly, but nothing hits the man. Any touches made to his person glides off him like water. He is perfectly using the other’s attacks and momentum against them.
Happy and Sneezy go down at the same time when Snow trips Sneezy, bashing his head into the asphalt street, and Happy goes running over his fallen comrade and bashes his head into the dumpster.
Cody takes everything back. This man is breathtaking. And no, that has nothing to do with the ever growing blood stain in his clothes and on his hands.
Sleepy, Dopey and Doc all charge at once. Again, more side steps, light pushes, a trip here and there. Ohhhh sweet Manda Snow hasn’t thrown a single punch. He’s had to use forceful palm shoves and elbow redirects with now 3 opponents, but even then. No punches, kicks, nothing.
The only bruises the man is giving out is to the ego.
Sleepy gets knocked out by his own leader, Doc, who missed a hit on Snow when he dodged. Dock went down shortly after when Snow brought down a fire escape ladder on the guy's head. And Dopey, oh he was handled most gloriously of all. Dopey decided it would be a brilliant idea to charge at Snow full speed. While screaming.
Cody is sure if any of his family were here right now they’d be gagging at his heart eyes but, come on! Snow Judo flipped Dopey into the dumpster like it was nothing!
Cody wishes the man would throw him.
Snow turns, dusts off his hands with a mumbled “so uncivilized” before turning to the last Kyr’stad member. Who is running away. And that would be Bashful.
When all the gangsters are knocked out, the man focuses his attention on Cody. Oh gods, hot badass incoming and he is bleeding out in a dirty alleyway.
“Are you ok?”
Fuck how do words work again?
“C’mon, I may not be a doctor, but one of my best friends is. I know a thing or two, let me see.” Suddenly hands are on his face. The man's hands. Are on Cody’s face. Ow- wait that actually kinda hurts. He must flinch a little because the man hisses in sympathy and offers a quiet apology, but does not stop feeling the bones along his eye socket and nose.
“Looks like just a broken nose, unless you were injured anywhere- oh force that's a lot of blood!” The man finally looks down at Cody’s abdomen. His black tank top hides the blood well, but at this point it's pretty soaked and showing on the hand that was holding the wound. “Oh fuck hold on, ill call an ambulance- force why didn’t you mention you were stabbed-”
Cody cuts off the man's anxious rambling by grabbing the wrist holding the phone- is that a flip phone? focus. “No.” fuck wait no that his “commander” voice. Do not scare the pretty man away! “No- please no hospitals. Thank you, but I can call my family’s medic, i’ll be ok-”
“Pfft, darling if you think this is ok, I would hate to see what a bad day looks like for you.” Cody’s brain can’t focus on anything but the “darling” part of that sentence. But maybe that's just the blood loss. Who knows, Cody’s getting too tired to think properly.
He thinks that's supposed to be a bad sign.
“Hey- no! If you don’t want me to call an ambulance you have to stay awake and give me someone else to call.”
Yeah that seemed logical. Cody's hand - the non bloodied one - fumbles with the arm strap on his bicep that holds his, hopefully, non-damaged phone. The man kindly takes over and holds the phone out for Cody to put in his password once he gets the phone out.
The man takes his phone, probably to navigate to the contacts, possibly to steal all his family’s secrets off it, but most likely the contacts. Hwoo is it getting blurry?
Cody thinks the man says something, but it's like he's underwater. He feels a pressure on his wound that jolts him just enough to get an earful of angry hot man- omg he’s got blue eyes. And is that a hint of ginger in his hair!?
He is so fucked. And then Cody passes out.
Obi’s pov:
Fuck! Why does he always find himself in these kinds of situations?
Of course Obi-Wan finds a man being jumped by a bunch of gangsters in an alley at 5am. Of course said guy getting beat up is actively bleeding out and refused an ambulance. And of fucking course the attractive man passes out before he can tell him who to call. Cause why not?
Uggh Obi-Wan can’t even be that upset, if he was in the man’s position he’d refuse an ambulance as well. Though, judging by this expensive phone and nice athletic gear, it would be for entirely different reasons.
Whatever, better to follow along with the man’s wishes than be sued or something. Searching the contacts does not find a “dr. _” or a “doctor _” or even anyone with “medic” in their name, the term the unconscious man used.
Giving up on that avenue, Obi-Wan has no choice but to call the most recent contact - since the man doesn’t even have favorites set - and hope the person on the other line will be able to help. Looks like that will be someone labeled “Hod Ha’ran”. Obi-Wan clicks on the contact. The name rings oddly familiar, like he’s heard it before, but does not know where-
It only rings once before the person picks up, despite the early hour. “I swear to all the little gods Kote if you really are calling me back to cry about your latest idiotic romance novel again I am going to roast your bones over-”
“Not Kote I’m afraid” Obi-Wan decides to cut off the ranting man- presumably a brother if he had to guess based on the resigned annoyance in the man’s tone of voice. Obi-Wan can relate. Oh boy could he relate.
Obi-Wan notices the line has been silent for a while now. “Hello? Are you still there?”
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but your first mistake was using this phone to call me. I already have your location, our men will be there soon and there will be nowhere for you to hide if you have hurt him.”
… what if the ever loving force did Obi-Wan get himself into? “Look. I don’t know you, I don’t know, Kote? Whoever this phone belongs to. All I know is that I saw a man get jumped by 10 guys, I was stopped when I tried to call an ambulance after I noticed he was stabbed, and then called the most recent contact when the man passed out on me before he could tell me who I should call.”
“Although, assuming you weren’t just bluffing and do have our location, that does make you the correct person. If a medic or doctor isn’t a part of that team you sent, you should contact them now. Like I said, he was stabbed and has lost enough blood to pass out on me.”
An honest to gods growl comes from the other end, “of course I sent a medic along with them! I’m not incompetent. They’ll be on location in 2 minutes. You said 10 men jumped my brother? What happened to them?”
I knew it. Big brothers recognize big brothers. “Oh they are all knocked out now, unrestrained unfortunately. But if your men get here in time you say they won’t be a problem.”
“Im never wrong. 1 minute 27 seconds now. A man called Oddball will arrive 79 seconds after the first team. You will get in the car with him.”
“You know, I've never really been much of a rule follower, always grated against the skin wrong. Not to even mention the obviously fake name that is Oddball-”
The man mumbles something indistinguishable through the phone's speaker before continuing in a louder volume “You will get into the car; we are gonna need to verify your story. If it turns out you are telling the truth, and you really are just some Manda blessed good samaritan then great! You’ll be on your way again in no time.”
The implications that if he is lying, Obi-Wan will not be free to leave are made very clear. “Hmm. Will I at least get breakfast?”
The man hangs up on him. Rude.
Well it looks like it’s just me and Kote- aaand that didn’t last long as tires screeched to a stop at the entrance of the alley. 3 men with guns step out immediately getting to work on ziptying the attackers before a 4th and 5th man approach Obi-Wan and the past out Kote.
The man with a scar going through his right eye stares him down silently. Too bad for him, Obi-Wan has never lost a staring contest. He keeps eye contact, even as he’s pushed away from applying pressure to Kote’s wound as the other man - presumably the medic - takes over. He ignores the, unfortunately, familiar feeling of drying blood on his hands and continues the staring contest.
“Wolffe if you don’t get your ass over here and help me I swear I'll sick Ponds on you myself!” Wolffe looks away with a snarl. My winning streak remains intact.
When Obi-Wan looks back over the scene as a whole, he notices another car has just pulled up to the alley. This must be “Oddball”. Obi-Wan doesn’t say anything to anyone as he passes, barely spares a glance at their proceedings of restraining and collecting the disoriented attackers before noticing one missing.
Ah yes, right, "there's also one in the dumpster” he calls out over his shoulder. Obi-Wan gets into the car.