Work Text:
Present Day
“I wouldn’t expect it to be too high.”
Alec laughed softly but Magnus knew it to be fake. From the way Alec watched him, as though he might disappear any moment, it was clear that Alec was not in the mood for jokes.
“Whatever it is, we’ll find the money to pay it”, Magnus insisted, reaching across the table. Suddenly, he remembered what he had been warned and drew his hand back, resting his palm against the cool metal of the table.
“It’s not that easy”, Alec sighed, looking up at Magnus with eyes that could only be described as pleading.
Magnus had to look away before the sadness overwhelmed him. Remembering just hours prior, how they had remained blissfully unaware of their impending heartbreak, Magnus sighed.
“Do you ever wonder if one day we’ll actually be allowed to be happy?”
Alec laughed humourlessly. “Yeah”, he agreed sadly. “Trust me, I asked Izzy the same thing.”
After a moment of silence, Alec raised his head to watch Magnus; he was clearly stressed out, perhaps more so than Alec. Although, that was understandable considering Alec wasn’t the one in jail. The same jail of the person he had supposedly killed.
“Magnus”, Alec finally said. Magnus immediately looked up at Alec and smiled, although it was far from real. “What do you know about what Camille said? About the people after you?”
Magnus sighed, shifting in his seat to face Alec head on. “I don’t know anything about it Alec. If I did I would be squealing like a pig right now if it got me out of here.”
Alec sighed. “It’s just… she tells Raphael all this stuff about mob bosses and shit and then suddenly she dies. That, and she says there are people after you and conveniently a few hours later you’re arrested for her murder. That’s not a coincidence.”
“I know”, Magnus agreed, nodding. “But what do you want me to say, Alec? I have no idea what she was talking about. I never knew my family, how do you expect me to know what ties they have to some Italian mob boss?”
“Never said he was Italian”, Alec mumbled, something that tore a laugh from Magnus- an actual one.
After a moment or two, Magnus leaned forward a little in his chair to talk. “Look, I know you want to focus on the bail money right now but I’m asking you to please look into what Camille said. You’re right and this is probably a set up so I really need you to find out who the fuck did this.” At Alec’s immediate attempts to protest, Magnus shook his head. “Please”, he added, just for good measure.
Alec looked at Magnus for a moment and contemplated what that would mean; first a foremost it would mean virtually abandoning Magnus behind bars, which was something Alec would never ever do. That, and it also meant somehow finding out information from a dead source.
When Alec saw the look of trust in Magnus’ eyes however, it became apparent to him that Magnus was asking of Alec more than just information. He was trusting Alec to help him, to choose his long term wellbeing over his discomfort of being behind bars. He was trusting Alec with his entire future.
Slowly and albeit rather reluctantly, Alec nodded. “I’ll find out whatever I can”, he promised.
That being said, Alec wasn’t just going to abandon Magnus. Which left him with only one option to get the money he would inevitably need for his bail.
…
5 years ago
Of all of her customers, Mr Bane was arguably the one she saw least frequently, and for far more innocent reasons. If what Mr Bane did could ever be perceived as innocent.
He was a tall man, reasonably well built albeit a little on the skinny side. He had deep brown skin and thick black hair that did well to hide his Asian descent. How he managed to see through it, Camille would never know.
Although she was far from familiar with Mr Bane, she was all too familiar with the clicking of footsteps as her boss entered the room, Bevans – as always – no more than a few paces behind.
“Welcome, Mr Bane”, her boss greeted joyfully. “It has been far too long my friend.”
Mr Bane straightened up but looked somewhat frightened. “Are we still to be considered friends?”
“Why of course!” Camille’s boss cried dramatically. “It was only a little bit of fun.”
Mr Bane nodded, lips curled into a twisted smile. “It was such fun to watch my wife bleed to death, yes”, he spat sarcastically.
He blinked in surprise, obviously not having expected Mr Bane to show such courage in broaching the admittedly tender subject. “Well, it’s hardly the worst I’ve done to you”, he joked dryly.
Mr Bane scoffed, raising his head to meet the man’s eyes. There was something akin to a challenge in them. “Taking my family from me is very different to killing them, don’t you think?”
“If you’re going to be so ungrateful”, He laughed, “then perhaps I’ll make a point of killing what’s left of your family. Although how can they be family when you haven’t seen them in, oh I don’t know, 20 years?”
Camille straightened up immediately when her boss turned to her, holding her breath.
“How old are you dear? Aren’t you the same age as dear ol’ Magnus?”
Camille stiffened at his name, as she always did. She did, however, conceal it well and showed her boss the only poker face she had ever managed to perfect; one of indifference.
Mr Bane perked up at his son’s name, only to wither slightly under Camille’s warning gaze. “You said you would leave my family out of our business”, Mr Bane said powerlessly.
“Yes I did”, the boss agreed. “That being said, you went back on our deal and stopped making me money. Therefore, with a deal newly broken, I was well within my rights to take action.” There was something in his voice that sounded exceptionally mocking. “You’ll have to forgive me Asmodeus, for I get a little tetchy when people break up with me.”
Asmodeus restrained himself from saying anything more, knowing that, to some extent, the man opposite him had a point. He had broken a deal, that arguably he shouldn’t have entered into, and now he had to pay the consequences.
“What will you do to my child?” Asmodeus finally brought himself to ask.
His boss grinned from ear to ear. “Why, nothing! Not if there is a new deal in place, and you stop trying to take back what you gave me.”
“But it is mine”, Mr Bane challenged with his last ounce of hope. “Perhaps you should consider it my blackmail against you. You have my son, I have that.”
Camille winced slightly, knowing the Asmodeus’ confidence would only come back to bite him. Still she watched attentively as her boss approached Mr Bane with a coy grin.
“It would seem we are at a stalemate my friend”, he said cheerfully. “If I were you, I wouldn’t try to keep what is rightfully mine away from me, lest I take it out on poor old Magnus. Where is it that he lives now?” he asked Camille rhetorically, for he already knew the answer far too well.
Mr Bane grit his teeth. “Fine”, he mumbled. “You have a deal.”