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4ttack-ur-heart · 25 days ago

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The Boss’s Heart

Chapter II: Murphy’s Law

Summary: You’ve found your rhythm working for Apollo. Now, the challenge is meeting the boss of Onychinus… and running into some unexpected trouble.

This chapter does contain sensitive content so please read with caution!

Warnings: Violence, cursing, blood, reader gets mugged.

Series masterlist Ch. I

Second chapter out :) as always feedback is appreciated and I'd love to hear any ideas you guys have.

“Hey Y/n, I need those two fully automatics we just got in.”

“Very back of the second aisle, bottom shelf, silver cases.”

“What about the ammunition with the armor-piercing rounds?”

“Those are locked in the storage room. I’ll grab them for you in a few minutes.”

“One of the clients asked if we could erase the serial numbers from his firearms.”

“Tell him to find a Dremel and get to work, if they wanted us to do it- that should’ve been discussed during negotiations.”

After about 3 months of working in the warehouse, you were able to figure your way around. Apollo had taken you under his wing in showing you the way he does things. Thanks to his training, you were able to familiarize yourself with the various tasks around the warehouse. It was a lot to learn- and you still are learning, but at least now you’re able to get by.

One of your biggest concerns was working in a male-dominated environment. However, the guys didn’t pay too much attention to you in the beginning. You thought they’d resort to teasing or sexist comments- but instead, they just gave you the cold shoulder at times. Now, you’re happy to say they have started to warm up to you. Since Apollo ran the place and trusted you, it made the others understand no real malice or harm was coming from you. You were just a girl who needed a steady paycheck.

The main people you see and talk to during your shift are Tony, Freddy, Carl, Will, and of course, Apollo. There are others, but these are the guys you’ve managed to create a nice work relationship with.

Will, the first gentleman you’ve had the pleasure of encountering when you first arrived, was a very nice man. Sure, he held you at gunpoint, but that’s just because he’s had to keep his guard up his entire life. This is his first steady job since being released from prison. Like Apollo, he’s got a beautiful wife and they’re expecting their first child soon. A baby boy.

Tony was an older man with slicked-back grey hair. He didn’t have a family of his own, instead, he had various women keeping him company throughout the weeks. Tony was a bit of a player and very old-school. Sure, he’d flirt every now and then and even throw you a shitty pickup line, but he’s a sweetheart. He even claims if he was fifteen years younger, he’d be able to sweep you off your feet.

Freddy and Carl were both around your age, somewhere in their twenties. While goofballs at times, they’re very hard workers. Freddy was more the shy type; a quiet kid with a pair of glasses that he breaks at least once a week. Carl was the complete opposite, he was an active guy who loved making inappropriate jokes at the wrong times that Freddy even joined in on. Together, they add the humor and lightheartedness of the job.

It’s just past midnight when Apollo receives a call that interrupts your conversation. He doesn’t say anything, but the ominous vibrations of his phone leave him flustered. He quickly leaves without a word, scrambling into his office and shutting the door behind him. You turn to Carl, who simply shrugs his shoulders in response.

“Sylus must’ve called him.” A large thunk makes you jump. You turn around to see Will setting down a case of ammunition on the work table.

“Sylus?”

“The boss… ya know, leader of Onychinus?” Freddy butts in. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him.”

Umm, you haven’t actually. At least not his first name. Everyone here always refers to him as ‘boss’.

“Nobody makes Apollo nervous like the boss. You know how mellow he normally is, but once he gets a call from the boss, he’s a nervous wreck.” Will adds.

“Is he that scary?” You ask. The only things you’ve heard about the leader of Onychinus was that he was some mean old guy with a talking crow apparently- but those rumors were all from the streets anyways so you never gave them much thought.

“I heard he took out a group of four assassins after him with just a snap of his fingers.”

“Woah, really?” Carl takes out a cigarette and places it between his lips. “Did you know those two guys that are always with him tried killing him too?”

Will and Freddy both turn to him in shock.

“Those two guys with the crow masks? Don’t they like to worship him?” Freddy asks.

Carl shrugs his shoulders. “They do now. I heard he only hired them so he can see if they’ll succeed one day.”

You start to fade out of the ongoing conversation, your attention drifting as your gaze fixates on the heavy, closed door of Apollo’s office. Its surface, marked by time, seems to hold secrets of its own. Just then, as if he were drawn to your curious stare, the creaky metal door suddenly swings open, revealing a wide-eyed Apollo who steps out with an unmistakable urgency. Instantly, the animated chatter around you comes to a standstill, and every pair of eyes shifts toward him, the atmosphere thickening with anticipation.

“Well?” Freddy asks.

Apollo swallows hard and repeatedly clicks the ballpoint pen locked in his grip. “I guess the boss wants to pay a visit.”

All of your eyes widen at his words and there’s a pregnant pause of silence and a nervous exchange of looks.

Will clears his throat, “Did we fuck up?”

“The opposite,” Apollo lets out a shaky chuckle. “I guess the boss likes the numbers recently, and says we’ve been meeting our quotas faster than his other locations.“

Silence follows.

“He asked what we were doing differently, and I told him we hired Y/n.”

God, you can sense the weight of every gaze in the room turning towards you, and a rush of warmth floods your cheeks. You haven’t even had a chance to meet the boss yet, yet the anxiety churning inside you matches the tension in the air.

“I guess he wants to drop by tonight and check things out.”

You were pretty sure if someone dropped a pin, you’d hear it. The silence is honestly terrifying how a random trip from the big boss can result in these big brawny men becoming nervous wrecks.

“He wants to come here?” Carl asks and blows out the last bit of smoke from his cigarette before crushing the butt into an ashtray on the table.

“Uh-huh.”

“Tonight?”

“Yep.”

“Well, shit…”

———

The energy in the room has completely shifted in the last hour. Not even Carl hasn’t said a word in a while. He’s been assembling different rifles for the past twenty minutes in complete silence.

Was the boss that intimidating? It’s not like you guys didn’t do your jobs, in fact, Apollo even said the boss was impressed with the work being done.

“Y/n.” Apollo says and gently grabs your shoulder, leading you away from the others.

“Hm?”

“I need you to be sharp tonight, okay?” He tells you, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m not trying to lecture you at all cause you’re a grown-ass woman, but you haven’t met Sylus yet. He can be…”

“…scary?”

“Yeah.”

“So I’ve heard.” You answer with a tight-lipped smile.

“Now he’s interested in meeting you.”

“Wait, you’re saying he wants to talk to me?” You start to chew on your lip.

Apollo is silent for a moment. “Just be confident and respectful with your responses, okay? No sassiness either. This isn’t break time with the boys, understand?”

You nod. “I understand.”

“Good.” He pats your shoulder and walks up the metal stairs to the second level. “Boys, the boss doesn’t need to see your fucking candy wrappers on the floor! Pick it up, now!”

You’ve never seen Apollo this worked up in the three months of working with him.

———

About an hour passed after the candy wrapper fiasco. Everyone has calmed down a little bit since then. Freddy wondered if the boss had gotten caught up in another assassination attempt and wouldn’t be stopping by tonight.

That hypothesis went straight into the trash when the headlights on a fancy car pulled up to the warehouse. Will, the acting doorman, was the one who alerted everyone and now the tension has slowly increased once again.

Carl was still assembling the rifles stiffly. Freddy busied himself by tweaking the silencer on a pistol, while Tony was unloading the newest shipment onto the shelves.

Grabbing your clipboard and pen, you walked over to Tony to count the inventory. He nods at you and gives you a small smile.

“Don’t worry, kid. If you can win Will over, the boss is nothing.”

You only give him a nervous chuckle.

“Okay, we got six cases of ammo. Four scopes for the rifles...”

——

Apollo exits from his office and up the metal stairs to the mezzanine platform of the warehouse.

Will opens the door for the boss, the heavy door creaking in response. The boss’s large frame is revealed and he stands eye to eye with Will.

“Sir.” Will lowers his head as he passes, beginning to close the door.

“Don’t shut the door on Mephisto.”

Will pauses and the crow caws as a warning before flying in and landing on his owner's shoulder.

“Mr. Sylus.” Apollo nods his head, hoping his boss didn’t just see the bead of sweat drip from his forehead and fall to the floor.

“Apollo,” Sylus’s voice drawls out calmly, yet his tone leaves no room for anything other than business. “I’ve been hearing good things recently.”

Apollo clears his throat as if to shove away the last of his nerves. “Yes, sir. Our numbers have been exceptionally well and so far- the best we’ve seen.”

Sylus hums in contentment.

“Shall we discuss the numbers in my office?”

——

“Was that a bird?” You ask, looking away from the clipboard as Tony unloads the last of the shipment.

Tony wipes the back of his neck with a rag. “Yeah, the boss has this robot raven thing he built. It’s pretty cool.”

You hum, “So it’s like a pet..?”

“Pet, secret murder weapon, an annoying little thing he is.” Tony counts out on his fingers.

“Wait, it’s a murder weapon?” You lower your voice and step in closer, curious.

Tony nods. “I think so, I heard he shoots laser beams out of his eyes and he has a razor-sharp beak.”

Your mind fills with all the stories you’ve heard on the streets again. “Woah, that’s crazy.”

“Living here… it’s necessary. You should know, sweetheart. That can of pepper spray will only take you so far.”

“Lucky to say I haven’t even needed to use it.” You respond.

“Not yet.”

“Tony,” you warn and raise an eyebrow.

“I’m just saying, you’re a pretty young thing and humans are sick creatures. It wouldn’t kill you to let us teach you how to at least shoot a gun. Hell, I’ll even get you a pink one if you’d like.”

You give him a small laugh and start scrawling notes on your clipboard. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll let you guys know when I’m ready.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “Okay, okay.”

“But you were saying I could get it in pink, right?”

——

“How are Laura and the kids?” Sylus asks, picking up the small photo frame.

Apollo looks at Sylus, confused for a moment but slowly relaxes. “Uhh, Laura’s good. She just got a promotion at her firm. Nora just got into that preschool we were looking at and David won his soccer tournament.”

“Good, good.” Sylus walks around and picks up a rubber band ball on his desk. He tosses it in the air a few times. “You guys were able to pay off your debt, correct?”

“Yes, sir. As of last month. Now we’re just saving for college.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir.”

When Sylus met Apollo, he was nothing more than a drug addict in severe debt. He was hired by the previous manager on the spot when Onychinus bought out the warehouse. Laura was only his girlfriend at the time and their relationship was hanging by a thread. Apollo had a rather nasty attitude at the time, as one would when their life was falling into pieces. He said the wrong thing at the wrong time when Sylus came to visit and Apollo earned himself the beating of his life.

Though it sounds cruel, Apollo says it's the wake-up call he needed. He moved Laura out of the N109 Zone when he had saved up enough money and worked on staying clean. Throughout the next few months, they worked on their relationship, family, and stability.

Sylus paces Apollo’s office. His eyes drift to the computer sitting on his desk, the security feed open.

“That’s her?” Sylus asks as his sharp crimson eyes lock onto the young woman holding a clipboard.

“Yep, she’s picked up things relatively quickly and it leaves me more time to handle our clients. An extra pair of hands is always nice, didn’t know it would help so much.”

“So she’s reliable?”

“Oh, a hundred percent. She gets along with the guys pretty well, too. Luckily, a lot of the stuff we do here is routine so it was easy for her to learn.”

“Even with Will?”

“Even with Will.”

Sylus hums, a bit surprised.

“And her background?”

“Well, she worked at a bar before,” Apollo says and shifts from one foot to the other.

“A bar?”

“Mhm, her boss was just a piece of shit. I thought it would be better to get her out of there.”

“I’m surprised in you, Apollo.” A smirk hangs lazily on Sylus’s face. “I wasn’t aware you picked up strays.”

“I wouldn’t call her a stray,” he chuckles nervously. “Just lost in a way. It sucks seeing someone so young stuck down here.”

“Does she at least shoot well?”

“Well, she’s never actually held a gun before.”

Sylus raises a brow. “She does know she works in weaponry, correct?”

“Yes, sir. She’s aware.” Apollo gives a nervous chuckle. “I just have her handle the inventory and idle paperwork.”

“Just be careful, Apollo,” Sylus warns and stands up straight and heads for the door. “You know this business is risky and dangerous. She’s a sitting duck out there. I know you want to play the savior to help her, but if anything happens, her blood is all over your hands.”

Apollo’s eyes shift down, staring at his scuffed work boots. There have been some minor incidents over the years, but luckily nothing too fatal.

“I understand, sir.”

Sylus nods and reaches for the door handle. “I’ll be in touch. Teach her how to defend herself.”

It’s an order.

“Yes sir.”

——

Your brain wracks through the listed supplies of inventory. It’s not adding up.

“Dammit.” You shuffle through the papers one last time and mentally count the boxes you’ve received.

“What are we missing?” Tony asks and peeks over your shoulder.

You huff in frustration. “A case of bullets, the ones laced with the neurotoxins.”

Tony quickly scans the inventory and your paperwork as well, and he visibly stiffens. “That’s not a mistake. We’ve had our stuff tampered with before.”

“You think it’s shady?” You ask and start to chew your lip.

“Look where ya workin’, sweetheart.” Tony sighs heavily and hands you back the clipboard. “Best go tell Apollo.”

“Umm, isn’t he with the boss right now?”

“Best he hears it, too.”

Your eyes lock onto Tony’s deep brown ones, a pleading look on your face as he laughs, the creases in his eyes scrunching up.

“Go on up, kid. It’s about time you know who you're working for.”

You force your feet to move and follow Tony’s command. The palms of your hands are starting to sweat at this point and your mind runs over the conversation from earlier with the boys.

I heard he took out a group of assassins with just the snap of his fingers.

“Maybe I should wait to tell him,” you wonder aloud quietly as you approach the opening door.

You didn’t react quickly enough, your instincts catching you off guard. As you turned the corner, you collided with another person, a startled gasp escaping your lips. The unexpected force knocked you back, and you felt your waist connect sharply with the cold metal railing behind you. The sturdy barrier wobbled but held firm. For a moment, you were caught off balance, heart racing as you took in the stranger before you.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” By the time your eyes focus on the person, you know you’ve messed up.

The man raises a pointed eyebrow at you, a visible frown on his face. Cold eyes bore into your skull, and you feel a burning heat rush to your face as your wide eyes lock onto his.

The man towered over six feet tall, exuding a commanding presence. He wore a luxurious silk shirt that shimmered faintly in the light, and you vividly recalled the sensation of it brushing against your cheek when you accidentally bumped into him. Draped casually over his shoulders was a tailored blazer, the fabric hugging his muscular frame perfectly. His hair was meticulously styled, a striking blend of pale milk and ashen hues, with a few rebellious strands falling just above his intense crimson eyes, which seemed to glow with an intriguing mixture of fire and intensity.

In every way, he defied the rumors that swirled around him. Far from the decrepit figure one might expect, he looked only a handful of years older than you. Moreover, he carried an allure that was impossible to ignore; he wasn’t just handsome—his features were striking, with sharp cheekbones and a chiseled jawline that added to his undeniable charm.

“You must be the new girl.” The man’s husky voice is calculated as he scans over you.

You swallow hard, trying to find some moisture in your mouth to properly form words. “Uhm, yes, sir.”

Your hand stretches out to create more distance between you two and you tell him your name.

“Sylus.” He shakes your hand.

“Y/n.” Apollo’s voice calls out from behind Sylus. “Everything okay?”

Blood flows through your cheeks again as both men now lock onto you.

“Tony and I were going through the shipment and we noticed something missing. I wouldn’t normally bug you about this especially while Mr. Sylus is here, but it’s the case of bullets with neurotoxins.”

Apollo cursed and ran his hand through his hair. Sylus’s eyes shift away from you, seemingly lost in thought.

“Hm.” Sylus strokes his chin. “There was another location report missing items, too, but this might be more of an issue than I realized.”

“I’ll be in touch, Apollo.” His eyes meet yours again and you feel a swirl in your tummy. “Keep an eye out for me, Y/n. I hope to see more of you in the future.”

You nod and smile politely.

He turns around and calls something out behind him. A black blur zips out of Apollo’s office and lands on his shoulder.

So that’s the bird.

You can hear the mechanical gears whirl and shift as the bird's head turns to stare at you; its bright scarlet eyes matching its owners. The bird's head cocks to the side before cawing as Sylus walks out of the building.

——

The walk home was the same as any other night. You kick dirt up as you walk the old and empty road.

Apollo said the meeting went well with Sylus after he left. He likes the numbers, the work ethic, and the team. Aside from you bumping into him, which the guys teased you to hell and back over, Apollo told you that you did just fine.

However, you can see where the guys are coming from when they say Sylus is scary. Just one look had your palms sweaty and mouth dry.

Apollo had also informed you it was time they start training you, which you politely declined. You appreciate the guys looking after you, but you just didn’t feel comfortable.

Then your mind wanders to the missing case of ammo. Those are deadly bullets. While any bullet can be deadly, the neurotoxin-laced bullets are essentially coated in a substance that will either paralyze you or slowly poison you no matter the point of entry. Sylus said something about it possibly being something more than just a coincidence, especially with the other location missing their cases too.

The large buildings and towers now surround you as your feet step off the dirt path and onto the chipped sidewalk.

A sudden caw catches your attention. Curiously, you look up and see a bird perched on the head of a street lamp. The familiar scarlet eyes glimmer under the moon's light. What is Sylus’s bird doing out here?

Just a few more blocks.

Pieces of crumbled paper drift through the street from the chilling breeze. Cars were honking at each other a few streets over, which made you start to pick up your pace.

Continuing with your trek home, you feel something off in the energy surrounding you. With a glance over your shoulder, you miss the hand coming out of the alley and grabbing you by the back of your jacket.

On instinct, you release a scream, but the person is quick to cover your mouth. Your back is shoved against the jagged brick of the building and the person draws out a small revolver.

“Empty your pockets.” The gruff voice orders and clicks the safety off of the gun.

With shaking hands, you struggle to pull out your things.

“Faster!” He orders. “Or I’ll pull the fucking trigger.”

Your throat tightens up and tears blur your vision, making it even harder to see in the dark alley. Once your phone and wallet are visible, he snatches them quickly and opens your wallet. Cards, your ID, and even coins litter the ground as he rifles through.

“That’s it, no cash?” He shakes the gun, the metal rattling slightly. “You have to have something else.”

“I-I don’t, I swear. That’s all I have.” You choke out, forcing yourself to heave in a big breath as the tears mercilessly fall.

The man curses again and shoves you against the wall, the force knocking the wind out of you. "I can always get another form of compensation, sweetheart."

The back of his hand traces down your cheek and you whimper.

You grimace and choke out another sob as you grab the can of pepper spray hidden in the other pocket of your pants. Without another moment, you press down on the red trigger.

"Fuck!" The man hisses, his voice laced with anger and disbelief as he instinctively recoils, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the stinging spray of liquid that drips down his face like hot wax. The acrid smell fills the air, mixing with the adrenaline surging through your veins. Seizing the moment, you thrust him off you with all your strength and dart past him, heart pounding in your chest. But before you can escape, he recovers quickly, grasping your wrist with a vice-like grip that sends shockwaves of fear coursing through you.

"Little bitch!"

He raises his hand and strikes your face, your head snapping to the side as ringing echoes in your ears.

Through red tears, he reaches for the gun again, struggling to get a hold of the piece.

Before he can properly pull on the trigger, a caw rings out.

A black blur of mechanical feathers swoops down and swipes at the man.

"Ah-!" He cries out as a deep gash runs across the side of his neck, the blood leaking from the wound like a waterfall.

The bird lets out another caw before attacking the man again. Its beak continues to peck and pierce at his face, eventually bringing him down to the ground. During the scuffle, the bird briefly pauses to stare at you and caws again, as if urging you to run.

You understand the message and use the rest of your adrenaline to run the rest of the way home.

----

The next day before work, you used the best of your makeup abilities to cover the bruises on your face. Luckily, the guy didn't give you a black eye, just bruising and minor swelling on your cheek.

Your phone and wallet were still gone, too. You'd have to dip into your slowly rising savings account to afford a new one. Even after you've been so careful not to touch it.

You keep your head down as you clock in and don't greet any of the guys as you walk in. The second they see you, it's going to be countless 'I told you so's,' and you just weren't in the mood to deal with it. You couldn't even get any sleep last night, too scared to keep your eyes closed for long which only added to the fatigue on your body.

"Y/n?" A hand is placed on your shoulder, making you jump.

"Woah, sorry, kid," Apollo says. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah I'm fine, sorry." You respond, keeping your head down as you turn slightly.

"Then look me in the eye."

Shit.

"No, the floor looks pretty good right now."

"Y/n." Not the dad voice. "I already know."

Hesitantly, you turn around and meet Apollo's eyes. His expression is stoic as his eyes quickly scan over the poorly covered bruise on your cheek.

"C'mon, kid." He throws an arm around your shoulder and leads you to his office. You notice the others quickly glancing in your direction, but quickly looking away when your eyes meet theirs.

Tony was muttering some choice words, while Freddy and Carlos hushed their words as you walked by. Will remained silent, bowing his head as you passed him.

How the hell do they already all know?

Apollo shuts the door of his office behind him and gestures for you to sit.

You take a seat on the chair across from his desk while he reaches into the mini-fridge underneath the cabinets. He pulls out an ice pack and hands it to you.

You swallow hard and take the frozen block from him, carefully pressing it against your cheek.

Apollo sits across from you. "You want to tell me what happened?"

You bite your lip and beg for the tears not to come again. You've already spent so much time crying last night. Slowly, you shake your head.

"Okay." He nods. "Can you just tell me one thing?"

Your eyes meet his concerned ones.

"Did he..." Apollo trails off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

"No." You quickly tell him, already knowing the question. He lets out a sigh of relief.

There's a pregnant silence in the office, safe for your sniffling.

"H-how did you find out?"

"Mephisto."

"Who?"

"The boss's bird."

"Oh."

Why was Mephisto there last night? Was it simply the right place at the right time?

"Listen, you're more than welcome to take some time off if you need to. I'm really surprised you still came in, I tried to call you earlier-"

"My phone was stolen." You cut him off. "My wallet, too."

"Go home," Apollo tells you. "Get some rest, get yourself situated."

"But-"

"No."

"I'm not one of your kids, Apollo."

"The hell you're not." He challenges.

You stay quiet.

“Look, we just want you to take care of yourself mentally,” Apollo says before his phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and frowns. “Hang tight, kiddo. Keep the icepack on your face.”

“Mr. Sylus?” He answers, placing the phone to his ear and pointing to the runny ice pack that you had placed in your lap. You grumble and place the icepack back onto the tender skin and turn slightly in the chair as a way to give him some privacy, only picking up bits and pieces of the conversation.

“Yes, sir, she’s with me.”

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Got it, okay, I’ll let her know.”

Apollo places the phone back on his desk, the sound knocking you out of your thoughts. “Sylus has your phone and wallet. Mephisto picked them up after the guy bled out.”

Your eyes widen.

“He’s dead?”

“Would you rather him not be?”

"Well, I just thought..." Your words trail off. Did you want him to be dead?

Yes, no, maybe so?

The man was seconds away from taking your life, why would you feel bad someone else took his?

"I think you're forgetting who you work for, Y/n," Apollo tells you. "Sylus doesn't tolerate an attack on anyone who works for him. When I said we look out for each other, I meant it."

Slowly, you nod your head.

"How can I get my stuff back?" You ask and pull the icepack away from your bruised face, the cooling sensation beginning to irritate your skin.

"Sylus asked that you meet him at Onychinus's base. He wants to begin your training as soon as possible."

——

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