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Pekka had taken everything from him. 'Well...almost everything', he mentally corrected as he looked down at the two kids sleeping in between Inej and himself.

They were all tucked away into Kaz's bed again. They had all fallen asleep fast, yet Kaz was still up thinking. After Kaz's declaration, the group had talked through and made a faster plan than the one they had previously had in place.

Kaz wasn't known for doing stuff fast. He was more known for being able to wait years for the right time to strike, because it was rumored that vengeance kept him warm at night.

However things had gotten too dangerous for his family to wait any longer. Not that he would tell them that they were his family. He didn't need them thinking he cared. But the utter destruction of Pekka Rollins would soon be upon them. And it was going to be insanely beautiful.

Kaz debated asking Inej to stay home for the plan but he knew that it would never go over well. She didn't need to be protected, she could do that fine herself. What she needed was to be listened to, and when she said that she wanted to go, Kaz couldn't just ignore her request. So, yes, she would be coming. But the kids were to stay with Jes and Wy, while Inej and himself carried out the plan.

"Kaz, go to sleep." He jerked his head over to see Inej watching him through half-opened eyes. Kaz being the mature person he is, stuck his tongue out at her and nestled down, pulling Damian closer to his chest. Inej smiled and wrinkled her nose at him. He sighed and closed his eyes determined to fall asleep.

"Make sure you have eyes on them at all times." Kaz directed Wylan and Jesper, as he prepared his outfit the next morning. "And that they're fed. Also Virgil gets thirsty but he's too shy to ask for juice, so have Juice on hand at all times. Damian plays really rough, so make sure that the recruits watch themselves. If either of the kids get hurt, bring them the other one. It'll immediately soothe them. And Damian gets nervous if virgil is gone too long. So no extended trips without bringing the other one."

"Kaz we know. Stop mothering them. You're going to be gone for a few hours, not forever." Jesper said, while rolling his eyes

"You never know." Kaz mumbled, as he swiftly, and fabulously threw his suit coat over his white button down. He was dressed in his most pristine suit, even though he knew it was going to get dirty/torn.

But it was all about presentation. Buttoning up his suit a few buttons, he then drew on the famous Dirtyhands gloves. Grabbing his cane, he swiftly made his way down the stairs to the main floor.

The task that Kaz was about to attempt, was monumentally stupid and highly dangerous. So it was right up his alley. And yet Kaz was a bit overwhelmed. Kaz mumbled something about going for a short walk and briskly walked out of the door. He hadn't even gotten more than a few feet from the door before everything went black.

When Kaz woke up he was in the middle of the street. Which was a very shocking and unusual for Kaz. Kaz lifted his head to see Pekka Rollins standing about 5 feet away from him, smirking down at him.

Sitting up, Kaz straightened his cuffs and said conversationally, "This isn't proper etiquette for a kidnapping. When I do it, I usually have the decency to take them into a building. But then again you wouldn't know anything about decency, would you?"

"You always were a snarky little bastard." Pekka laughed, while clapping his hands together. Doing an inventory, Kaz's cane was gone and so were all of his concealed weapons.

The thought of some stranger patting him down, made him feel slightly nauseous, but not nearly as bad as it would have wrecked him before. And it was mostly because Pekka's Dime Lions looked like they hadn't bathed in a few months. Kaz forced himself to his feet and as he did, he heard the cocking of guns that were most likely pointed at him. He was going to have to play this very carefully.

"So I heard you were taking applications for runners again. I heard the last one-" Kaz paused to raise his hands in a what-can-you-do motion and chuckle,"ran away. The irony is tremendous. You gave him new shoes, and he used them to get away from you. Better be careful or that son of yours is gonna get ideas."

"Watch it Brekker!"

"Or what? You gonna shoot me? DO IT!" Kaz shouted at Pekka. At the dime lions pointing guns at him. At a small shadow that was on the rooftop.

"Are you crazy? You want to be shot?" Pekka asked him, while smiling like he had won the jackpot.

"I'm not crazy, but whatever happens now. You're not leaving this street alive." Kaz rasped.

"Give it up Brekker, we have you surrounded." Pekka yelled at him, even though he was 5 feet away. Such a drama queen, Kaz rolled his eyes. Kaz didn't care if there were guns pointed at him, Pekka was just being stupid. Kaz raised his hands above his head and decided to be just as dramatic, if not more so than Pekka.

He grabbed at his hair and shouted with feigned anguish "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME THEN?!?!".

Pekka started to laugh like a madman, and shouted back "You dead on this floor. Right here. Right now.".

Kaz lowered his hands and chuckled. "Well you don't exactly have me surrounded." And on cue Inej was behind Pekka, holding one of her daggers to his throat. He could hear Pekka's gasp from where he was. Which was again only 5 feet away. Pekka smiled even though he looked a tad uncomfortable with the turn of events.

"I still have the advantage." Pekka said glancing at the gunmen.

Kaz raised his eyebrow and said "Oh, do you?" and he snapped his fingers. The guns were now aimed at Pekka.

"YOU INFILTRATED MY DIME LIONS!!!" Pekka shouted in outrage.

"No, I took them in after you ran for the hills." Kaz said glancing down at his fingernails. He knew they were covered by gloves, but people did that when they were trying to seem nonchalant.

"I ran because you lied about having my son Buried 6 feet under in some random field in the middle of nowhere."

Kaz laughed and looked up to meet Pekka's eyes. "Yes, I did lie about that. But you should know to never display your weaknesses so easy." He nodded at Inej and turned away, walking down the street, on the road that he knew would take him to the slat.

He knew what she would do, and that was good. But if Kaz was to heal, then feeding the part of him that wanted to see Pekka suffer, was not the best idea. Inej taught him that he needed to heal not nurture the hurt.

Kaz soon heard 3 people fall in behind him. 1 was near silent and the other two were wearing combat boots. Inej and the siblings that had defected from the Dime Lion's. The Plan had been simple when he had laid it out for them that day. Gather as many Dime Lion's as possible and have them join the Dregs.

Yesterday after everything happened they decided that they just had to deal with the mere 18 people that he had. Kaz had wanted the whole gang to eventually turn on him, for the dramatics of it, but they just hadn't had the time since the kids had become targets.

He glanced at Inej and she nodded at him. He hadn't needed the nod. She was covered in blood. That was it. Pekka Rollins was dead. Kaz could move on, and heal with the help of his family. And especially his Wraith.

Tonight they would drink and celebrate that the building that Pekka Rollins was, had finally been demolished. Tomorrow they would find Pekka's kid, a new family. He was fine for tonight. The nanny was on an all night call, with an armed guard around him. For tonight he would be okay.

Hell maybe Kaz would take the kid in. Who would know what tomorrow would bring. All he knew was that he could face it with Inej by his side.

✌🏻