Chapter Text
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Chapter 1: Master
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It’s a cold and miserable night. The skies are blanketed by dark clouds heavy with the promise of chilling rain. The wind is just as unforgiving, screaming its fury as it races through the nearly empty city. It attacks anyone that dares venture out from the warmth of their homes, flaying at any bare skin it can find. This close to winter even the very air is cold and bitter enough to bite through fresh and sink into bone.
Oh yes, a cold and miserable night indeed.
It makes the dozen or so men standing behind Felix restless. They’re barely able to hide their shivers as they grumble and whine under their breaths thinking that he can’t hear them. Felix shakes his head and smiles, knowing that soon a little cold will be the least of their worries.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, the air burning his lungs but also bringing him a faint taste of rain over his tongue. He doesn’t mind the wind that whips over his tanned skin, leaving behind pretty hues of pink and red. It only serves to make him feel more awake, more alive.
Maybe, if he’s lucky, the night will bring him thunder and lightning. Now that would be exciting.
Felix wishes he had the time to fully appreciate the night but it’s getting late and he has a job to do. He’s also far too aware of the mounting tension behind him, their impatience painfully gnawing at his back like a rabid animal.
So he slowly opens his eyes and looks at the warehouse in front of him with curious blue eyes. It’s a small and unassuming building, perfectly blending in with all the other vacant warehouses all around it. Except this one is bustling with life even as it nears midnight, large men in ugly powder blue uniforms scurrying around like rats. They’re busy carrying precious cargo in forms of large wooden crates, loading them into waiting trucks.
“What time is it?” Felix asks with a tilt of his head.
The men behind him stiffen at the sound of his deep voice before a brave beta clears his throat. “11:59.” He says timidly, his voice barely louder than the wind around them.
“Perfect, I’ll meet you down there then.”
Without another word, Felix moves forward and allows himself to fall, chuckling at the shocked gasps he leaves behind. He simply allows himself to fall and for a glorious moment, he feels like he’s flying. How easy would it be, he thinks to himself, to just keep on falling? How many problems would that solve?
Except life, his life, isn’t destined to be easy.
With a sigh, Felix reaches out with a gloved hand and grabs onto a window ledge. His shoulder twinges as his fall is interrupted and he lets go only to do it again with a couple more window ledges. He makes it to the ground, gracefully landing on his feet and he looks up, smiling and waving at the pale faces looking down at him. The faces are quick to disappear and if Felix listens close enough, he can hear their frantic footsteps racing away to catch up to him.
Ah, newbies are just so cute.
Chuckling to himself, Felix begins to make his way to the warehouse with a soft hum until he nearly reaches the entrance. The workers are working hard, sweat dripping down their faces. It dampens their uniforms, the material sticking to their bodies until Felix can just barely see their concealed weapons tucked away. The air is heavy with their musky scents, letting Felix know that most, if not all of them, are alphas.
Such good workers they all are that they still didn’t notice Felix until he waves at them with a sweet little smile. “Good evening!” He chimes sweetly and everyone freezes like little children caught doing something wrong.
“Who the fuck is that?” One of the workers whispers to his colleague who shrugs, looking just as confused. “Who the fuck are you?” The worker calls out to Felix, a growl chasing his words.
Before Felix can answer, another man steps up. He’s shrouded with an air and posture of someone in charge. He clears his throat and approaches Felix with raised hands to show that he means no harm. “Ignore him, he’s just cranky our boss is making us work overnight.” The man explains with a light chuckle. “How can we help you? Are you lost?”
“Nope.” Popping his lips at the end of the word, Felix looks at the crates they are working on moving out of the warehouse. “What’re in those?”
“Nothing to worry your pretty little head about.” The abrasive worker snarls, his scent flaring in warning.
“I’m just curious.” Felix says with a pout, tilting his head and looking at them with wide blue eyes. “Pretty please?”
“Nothing important, really.” The boss says with a laugh but there’s a nervous edge to the sound. “So, what’s someone like you doing in these parts if you aren’t lost?” The man’s eyes have a natural kindness to them but they are also sharp as they look the omega over.
Felix isn’t worried, he already knows what the alpha will see as if he were looking into a mirror of himself. A small waif of an omega that’s nearly swallowed by the darkness of the night surrounding them. An innocent face staring at them with bright blue eyes that will remind them of a cloudless summer sky. Even under the dim light of the street light above him, the constellation freckles splashed over the apples of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose will be visible. All framed by his golden hair, silky strands begging to be pet or tugged on.
The giant sweater he wears will only make him look smaller and the tight black pants serve to show his slender body under the bulk of his sweater. Slowly, Felix steps closer to the man and he can see how his gentle eyes soften. Poor alpha, Felix is probably setting off every protective instinct in the man.
Never knowing that it’s him who needs the protection.
Felix smiles even sweeter, folding his small hands in front of himself. “Come on, why don’t you give me a tiny hint about what’s in those crates?” He begs playfully. “Surely you know something.”
“Just…Just some imports from another country.”
“Oh?” Felix moves even closer, his scent now flaring soothingly. It’s not a typical scent for an omega, not as sweet. No, it’s filled with warmth like the summer sun mixed with the scent of a sea that wasn’t like the one surrounding the outskirts of the city.
Still, it’s enough that nearly all the workers relax, foolishly lowering their guards.
“What kind of imports?”
“Just…Furniture and vases and-”
A loud bang cracks through the night, echoing through the empty streets. The kind alpha opens then closes his mouth before he sinks down to his knees. There’s a hole in his chest now that hadn’t been there before and blood begins to pour out, staining his blue uniform. The alpha falls to the ground, eyes lifeless as he stares at Felix who holds a still smoking gun.
“Sorry, I don’t like liars.” Felix whispers before he aims his gun at the rather rude alpha from earlier. Another bang rings out and he shoots the alpha right between the eyes. “That’s because I don’t like you.”
By the time the second alpha’s body hits the ground, the shock has mostly worn off and everyone scatters. Some run away like cowards, disappearing into the night. Others dive into the warehouse, taking cover. The rest are stupid enough to stand their ground, pulling out their own guns.
They aim at Felix but before they can pull the trigger, loud bangs erupt behind Felix. Bullets dance all around him, finding their home and bodies begin to hit the ground. “Oh,” Felix noises as he looks at the men behind him that he had quite frankly forgotten about. “Hello.”
“We were sent by Lee to help you.” One of them grits out, spotting the surprise in Felix’s eyes.
“Oh, well, good job then.” Felix says with a slow clap of his hands.
Then he drops his hands to pull off his sweater, revealing his torso which is laced with guns and knives all tightly bound against the black shirt he wears. He lets the sweater flutter to the ground and he slips his hand into his pocket, pulling out a brightly wrapped candy which he offers to the man. “Want a reward?”
“Let’s just get this job over with.” The man growls with a twitch of his eye.
Felix shrugs as he pops the piece of candy into his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue as he looks at the warehouse. Nobody is moving around inside, all waiting for him to make the first move.
“Time.”
“12:13.” The beta from earlier answers dutifully.
“Ah, no time to waste then.” Felix says with a shrug. He takes a deep breath of icy air before he sprints towards the warehouse.
“Wait-”
Felix does not in fact wait as he dives right inside of the warehouse, embracing the chaos as guns begin to fire all around him. He doesn’t hesitate, continuing to run even when a couple of bullets manage to graze him. He doesn’t feel the pain, adrenaline pumping through his veins. His feet pounds against the concrete ground before he dives behind a stack of crates, using them as a shield.
He pants as he takes out another gun, clutching them tightly as he catches his breath. A few bullets hit the crates he’s behind but soon the worker’s attention is split when Felix’s men join the fray. They attack like wild animals, shooting without much aim but Felix supposes that’s expected of rookies.
In the end, nobody cares about the little omega as all the workers chose to take care of the rookies who seem far more dangerous at the moment.
Which is why nobody notices when Felix takes out a small round device out of his pocket. Not even when he presses a button on it and tosses it into the middle of the room. Not even when it began to beep in warning as soon as it hit the ground. They did, however, notice when pitch black smoke began to bellow out of it. The smoke rapidly fills the room until nobody can see a thing, not even their own hands in front of them.
Even Felix himself is blind as he steps out from behind the crates, both of his guns raised.
“What’s-”
Bang.
“Where’s-”
Bang.
“Alex, where-”
Bang.
Felix doesn’t need his eyes. It’s one of the rare perks of being an omega - they have the sharpest hearing out of all the subgenders. Passed down from their ancestors, meant to sense danger and hear the cries of their pups. Now being used as a weapon.
The men he came with has been vaguely warned to be quiet but Felix can’t differentiate their footsteps with the enemy’s. He aims at every little sound he hears, listening to the sounds of screams of pain and the thuds of heavy bodies hitting the ground. Bullets still fly all around him, a few more grazing him but Felix doesn’t move from his spot. He simply aims at the sources of gunshots, hoping he doesn’t kill too many of the rookies he had come with.
The smoke begins to clog his throat, making him cough and cover his nose with his sleeve. His eyes burn and he closes them as he continues to blindly shoot. The other men began to cough from the smoke as well, giving away their location for his bullets.
A few shots later, only silence remains. Complete and utter silence.
“Time.”
“12….12:20.” The voice is familiar even as it shakes and trembles.
“Head out.” Felix orders, walking towards the entrance but he stops just before he reaches it.
He waits until the smoke is lighter, allowing him to open his eyes and watch the people who stumble out of the warehouse. He shoots three of them, their powder blue uniform giving them away. Felix waits a couple more minutes before he finally leaves the warehouse, joining the only two that have managed to survive.
Twelve, reduced to two in mere minutes.
“Where is everyone?” One of the two, an alpha, whispers as he looks around in horror as if hoping more people will suddenly appear. When none do, he shakes his head before he points a finger at Felix accusingly. “You got them all killed” He pushes past the beta who tries and fails to calm him. “This is your fault!”
Was it his fault? Perhaps. No…Probably.
The alpha raises his gun and points it at Felix who ignores him, choosing to look at the warehouse instead. The smoke is thinning out, just enough that he’s able to see all the bodies littering the blood painted ground. More than a dozen dead, most by his hand.
Maybe a decade ago, Felix would’ve felt something. Regret. Guilt. Sorrow. Something. Now, he feels absolutely nothing. It isn’t even a hollow numbness that fills his chest because that would be something. No, staring at the bodies on the ground now feels the same as looking up at the clouds in the sky.
Death isn’t anything new to him anymore. It’s something of a companion to him by now, by his side every single day he’s alive. If death is there for his enemies, it means Felix lives another day. When the time comes when death is there for him, well, it means Felix might be able to finally rest a little.
No, Felix isn’t scared of death anymore. He’s learned there are far scarier things in life.
“This was a test, one that you passed by surviving and proving that you’re worthy for Master.” Felix explains as he finally looks at the alpha. “Congragulations.”
“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you both! I’ll-”
There’s a final bang of the night, one last bullet fired. The alpha falls to the ground, put out of his misery by the beta whose eyes are misty with tears. Felix merely nods to him, briefly meeting the beta’s haunted eyes.
Well, one survivor then.
“Time.”
“12:30.”
Just as the answer is whispered, the sound of several cars can be heard racing towards them. Felix smiles as he turns to greet them.
His Master is here.
The cars come one by one, sleek black with tinted windows to hide the people dwelling within them. Felix doesn’t move as the cars surround him in a semi circle, not even when one comes close enough to brush his legs before slamming to a stop.
He bows his head as the driver scurries out of the car, opening the back door for his Master who immediately steps out.
Lee is undeniably an intimidating man, even above other alphas. He’s large enough to tower over the men who quickly leave their cars, all heads bowed down in respect. Lee looks around with a natural scowl over his face, made all the more menacing by the scar that rips over one of his pitch black eyes.
He walks close towards the warehouse, his smoky scent flaring out and demanding respect from those around him. It’s enough to make most feel the need to drop to their knees and bow in submission. Not Felix though who knows his Master enough to know that he’s pleased as the man stops right beside him.
A large hand claps around his uninjured shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Good job.” His Master says and Felix feels a shiver go down his spine. He preens as Lee raises the hand to cup one of his cheeks, a thumb brushing over it. Felix hungrily leans into the touch, looking up at his Master with wide blue eyes. “You did well.”
Felix sighs in relief as he leans into the touch desperately. He doesn’t feel the wounds that plague his body, bleeding sluggishly. He doesn’t feel the exhaustion that makes him sway on his feet.
None of it matters. Nothing else matters except his Master’s praise and touch. Nothing.
Then, the hand disappears and Felix has to swallow back a gasp as he opens his eyes that he didn’t even realize he had closed. He watches as his Master walks into the warehouse, looking over the crates. “Open them all.” He orders with a snap of his fingers.
Everyone does as he ordered, running into the warehouse and cracking open all the crates with loud grunts. Felix doesn’t bother moving, knowing that the order hadn’t been for him. He did wander closer though, ignoring how his presence made the men tense, their scents bittering with fear.
He peeks over their shoulders to see that all the crates are filled with hay and hidden within are all kinds of weapons. Mostly guns of different sizes but Felix spots a couple of explosives and a whole bunch of pretty knives that he hopes his Master will gift to him.
Then again, Lee doesn’t look particularly happy as he glares at the sight of them. He picks up a gun that looks tiny in his large hand, weighing it carefully before he lets it drop back into the crate as if it’s worth less than trash.
“Chan has a new supplier.” Lee snarls with displeasure in his eyes. “Get Sam on it, I want a name and I want his head.”
“Yes, sir!” Someone shouts.
Lee walks out of the warehouse before he pauses at the sight of the shaking rookie beta. He stares at him before he looks over at Felix who smiles. “He’s very good at telling time.”
His Master snorts in amusement before he looks back at the beta who quakes under his gaze. “Report to Shang tomorrow.” Lee orders. “You’ll have my mark inked onto your skin and you’ll officially work for me.”
“Thank you, sir.” The beta bows low until Lee finally moves on to watch over the crates.
Felix walks over to the beta, patting him on the head. “You did good. It’ll get harder before it gets easier.” He warns as he pulls out another piece of candy and offers it to the beta. The man looks at the candy for a long moment before he accepts it with shaking hands. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.”
Felix studies the beta for a moment. He’s young. Almost all recruits are, really. Young and dumb with innocence. Their reasons for joining varied, some didn’t even have a choice like Felix hadn’t but the ending is always the same. They are all broken down and put back together by Lee’s hands. That, or they remain broken, their pieces swallowed up by the darkness of their world.
Only the strongest survive.
Felix sighs as he walks away, heading towards his Master’s car to wait. Lee isn’t happy, openly glaring as more and more crates are popped open. His scent is bitter with utter hatred as it always is when it involves Chan.
Felix isn’t here to think or understand the politics of their world. He’s Lee’s enforcer. He’s there to kill and take down his Master’s enemies and if he isn’t doing that, he’s there to look pretty by his Master’s side.
Even so, he knows the name Chan very well. It’s always a name spat out like a curse. After all, Chan is Lee’s fiercest and most powerful enemy.
The war between them had started generations ago and Felix isn’t even sure if it will end with them. Maybe they’ll both just grow too old to continue and their future pups or heirs will continue on with the war. Maybe it’s a war that will just never end. Or perhaps it will end someday with one of them lying dead and the other victorious.
As far as Felix knows, the two are evenly matched for the most part. At a time, Lee’s family had the upper hand for the longest time but Chan is different from his now dead parents. Far more cunning, more powerful and he’s managed to fight his way to equal footing with Lee. Felix has never met the man before and secretly, he hopes he never does. Not that it’s up to him. If Lee ever gave the order, Felix will obey.
Ah, such a tiring thought.
Felix finds himself sinking onto the hood of Lee’s car, too tired to stay standing. Rain begins to finally fall, pelting him with icy drops. Too tired to escape into the car, Felix fully flops down and stares up at the sky. He dozes, knowing his Master will eventually come and retrieve him when he’s ready to leave. For now, Felix takes the precious time he has to rest.
Idly, he hears another car pull up but he pays no mind. He doesn’t open his eyes, even when he hears a new set of footsteps crunching over the gravel ground. He doesn’t care when he hears the steps quicken towards him. It’s only when he hears his name being called by a sweet voice that Felix finally fights to open his eyes.
Sam. His favorite person in the whole world.
Felix doesn’t know how his Master found Sam. He just appeared one day, nearly two years ago. He attends nearly every meeting with secrets dripping from his tongue like honey. The beta has a way of digging up even the most well hidden pieces of information, gifting them to Lee like precious treasures. It’s how Sam has climbed up the ladder until he became one of Lee’s inner circle.
That’s certainly how he wormed his way into Felix’s heart.
Felix watches Sam jog to him and he feels his heart squeeze. God, he’s so beautiful. Soft skin that feels like silk under Felix’s rough fingers. Delicate doll-like features such as his perfectly shaped eyes, slender slope of his nose and lovely rosy lips. HIs eyes are so dark and sharp, piercing even but they turn so soft when Sam looks at Felix.
It makes Felix’s heart flutter.
Sam doesn’t even seem human most of the time. Even now, with his crimson hair damp from the rain and his clothes beginning to cling to his body, he looks more like an angel visiting petty mortals.
“Felix.” Same whispers reverently. He reaches out and his fingers leave a trail of warmth where they stroke his cheeks. “Oh, Angel, you’re so cold.”
“Sam.” Felix murmurs, one of his hands grabbing onto Sam’s sleeves. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see the weapons myself for clues to who the supplier is.” Same replies before he hisses when he sees the blood staining Felix’s clothing. “You’re hurt.” He looks over his shoulder, expression dark as he looks at Lee but softening again when he looks back at Felix.
“It’s okay, I’m okay.” Felix reassures but Sam doesn’t look like he believes him. There’s so much worry in his eyes, so much care. It makes a warmth spread through Felix’s chest.
Sam tugs his sleeve out of Felix’s grasp but before the omega can be disappointed, the beta is sliding his arms under Felix’s body. The omega sighs happily as he’s cradled so easily in Sam’s arms, pressed against the warmth of his body. After a moment, he dares to bury his face into Sam’s neck, long hair tickling his cheeks as he’s carried to Sam’s car.
“Just a tiny bit more, little one.” Sam whispers into Felix’s ear. “Just a tiny bit more and I’ll take you home.”
“I did good?”
Sam’s arms tighten around him as if trying to engulf him altogether. “You did good.” The beta replies without hesitation. “You’re always so good, Angel.”
Warmth fills Felix as Sam lays him down in the back of the car, delicate fingers tucking a wet lock of hair behind his ear. Then a warm jacket is draped over him like a blanket and Felix nuzzles it, nose flaring even though he knows there’ll be no scent to be found. It confuses his omega sometimes because it feels like Sam should have a scent. It makes him feel like something is missing.
“I’ll be right back.” Sam murmurs and Felix pouts. “I won’t be long, I just need to talk to Lee quickly.” Felix doesn’t answer but his pout fades, knowing Lee comes first before all else. Sam gives him a small smile before he reaches over to the front of the car, turning on the heat to full blast.
Then he’s gone.
Felix closes his eyes as warmth sinks deep into his body, chasing away all traces of cold. The rain patters against the windows and Felix is lulled into a light doze. Then exhaustion drags him into a deep sleep and the next thing he knows he’s waking up to the car swaying into a turn as Sam drives him through the city.
He can barely catch a glimpse of his red hair as Sam guides the car swiftly but carefully, humming softly to a song quietly playing over the radio. After a couple of minutes, Sam glances back and their eyes meet, the beta giving him a gentle smile. “Sleep, Angel, I’m taking you home.”
Felix obeys.
When he next wakes up, he’s lying naked on top of a bed so soft his body nearly sinks into it completely. He’s surrounded by silky soft pillows and blankets all forming what can only be a nest, protected by a heavy curtain closed all around the bed. It makes him feel safe, protected from all the evils that lurk beyond the curtain.
It isn’t his bed. It’s not his nest. He’s not even allowed to have one, Lee not liking him to show too many omega traits. It makes him weak, his Master told him. Being pretty is one thing, that can be used, but weakness of any sort isn’t tolerated.
That means he’s probably in Sam’s room in his Master’s mansion. Sam has his own apartment somewhere in the city but he also has a room here, a perk of being a part of his Master’s inner circle. It isn’t often used and Felix doesn’t know why a beta would have a nest but honestly, Felix is too tired to question it.
Especially when the curtains open and Sam appears with worried lines creasing his face that smoothes over when he sees Felix. “Oh, you’re awake!” He coos as he sits down on the edge of the bed. “I thought you’d be out for the rest of the night.”
Long fingers run through Felix’s hair and the omega leans into the touch, his entire body going limp. He makes a pleased noise in the back of his throat, something like a purr, and Sam coos again. “I wrapped your injuries.” Felix looks over himself and sees the white bandages wrapped around his body. “They aren’t deep but Angel, you have to be more careful.”
“I am.” Felix says quickly. “This isn’t anything.”
“Even a scratch is too much.” Sam says seriously, tugging on Felix’s hair until the omega is looking at him. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
“Part of the job.” Felix says with a weak laugh and something dark flutters through Sam’s eyes before it disappears. “Master…”
“Knows you’re here.” Sam says immediately, knowing the two would be punished otherwise.
Felix is Lee’s omega. His Master has never touched him but he still sees Felix has his own, a possession, a precious treasure not to be tainted by dirty hands. Nobody else is allowed to touch him without permission.
“My precious Angel.” Sam whispers and Felix makes another pleased sound as he settles down, drowsy from the fingers playing with his hair.
The more Sam touches him, the more he feels like he’s floating. It’s a pleasant feeling that fills him, it makes him feel all nice and fuzzy. He’s almost asleep by the time Sam joins him in the nest, their bodies nearly pressed together. Felix turns onto his side so they can look into each other’s eyes, Sam studying him carefully.
“Hey, Angel, do you trust me?” Sam asks carefully, an odd weight to his words.
“Of course.” Felix replies without much thought before he pauses, frowning. “Why?”
“No reason.” Sam says as he reaches between them, Felix immediately latching onto his hand. “I just want to make sure. I want you to trust me, Felix.” Sam squeezes his hands tightly. “Trust me. I promise to always protect you.”
“I’ll protect you too.” Felix promises, his voice becoming slurred with sleep. “Imma good omega.”
“You are.” Sam quickly agrees. Felix’s heart flutters in his chest and he gives Sam a drowsy little smile. “You’re too precious, Angel. Far too precious for this world.”
Sam’s words sound sad and Felix forces his heavy body to shuffle closer to the beta who immediately curls around him protectively. Felix immediately burrows into the larger body, tucking his head under Sam’s chin.
“So good, Angel.” Sam whispers and Felix’s smile grows as he finds himself falling into a deep sleep.