Arcane male reader insert

Unwelcomed Guests

Music plays loudly in The Last Drop and chatter from guest could be louder. Vander is at the the bar counter, with one hand holding the smoke pipe and the other is rolling the small tube, that Grayson gave him awhile back, into a bottle and having it roll back to him making him repeat the same process. The six kids are hanging out downstairs in the hangout room. The three younger kids hanging out on Powders bed, Vi resting her eyes and Claggor reading a book, Mylo asleep on the couch.

The door to the bar opens. Without looking up, Vander greets them. "Welcome to the Last Drop." He said and stops rolling the small tube. He looks up and disappointment and a bit of anger shows on his face once he notices who walked through the door. Markus and a couple of enforcers walk towards the bar counter where Vander is at, getting stares by all the guests. Vander hides the tube in a shelf in the counter. 

After Markus makes it to the counter, he takes his vent mask off. "What can I get you?" Vander asked enthusiastically. "Five sump-rats will do." Markus said with a monotone voice. Vander gave him a quick glare. "Search the place." Markus demanded and two of the enforcers follow the order. Vander watches one of the enforcers walk towards the back archway that leads downstairs, then looks back at Markus. "While you're wasting your time, how about a proper drink?" Vander asked. "I'll the strongest shit you got." Markus said. 

Vander reaches down to grab a bottle from underneath the counter but on his way back up, he pushes a purple button with a drawing of a monkey. A hatch opens that drops something tied to a rope, soon turning Powder's toy monkey on and it claps it's cymbals together, notifying the group of the incoming Enforcer. 

Soon the Enforcer makes it down the stairs and opens the door to the room. The lights are off and seems like no one is in sight, he grabs a flashlight and turns it on to investigate. He walks down one more set of stairs to get to the ground floor, making the floor creak with every step. The six kids watch the Enforcer from above, holding onto some pipes and making sure not to make a sound. 

The Enforcer walks around the room, checking every hiding spot, except for above him. Back with Markus and Vander, Markus takes a sniff of the drink Vander poured for him only to react to the horrible stench. "Mm. You be careful with that." Vander said, Markus simply chuckles. "Nearly forgot. I ran into an old friend of yours." Markus chuckles again. "He had some stories." He puts the drink down and take Vander's smoke pipe out of his hand.

Vander pounds the counter in anger, the whole bar goes quiet and stands up ready to fight with Vander. The Enforcer with Markus turns around and pulls out his baton, Vander looks at some the people and slightly shakes his head, letting them know not to do it. Markus grins. "You weren't always the peacekeeper, were you?" Markus said before dropping the smoke pipe into his drink, igniting into a small fire in the glass cup. The drink hisses, making everyone in the bar flinch.

Vander looks at the cup with his smoke pipe in it. "Yeah, well, you can't escape the past. Right?" Vander said looking up at Markus from the cup. "Be a shame if I had to put them on again." He motions to the metal gauntlets he wore, hanging high above the counter to his left. "Cast iron's, well, it's hard to clean." He finished.

The group of kids could here the conversation from above them through the floor boards. The group was pretty spread out, Ekko far away, Claggor and Vi close to each other, Mylo on his own large pipe, (Y/n) squatting on a beam more than an arms length away from his twin, and Powder laid flat and the only thing that is keeping her from falling is her grip on the pipe. 

Ekko then whispers, getting Vi's attention and motions toward Powder. The group all look at her, taking notice that her grip starts to slip. She starts to shake as she struggles to hold on. The enforcer is still in the room underneath them but begins to head to the door. Powder almost slips but holds on a little longer, struggling even harder.

(Y/n) tries to think of a plan to save Powder from falling but before he could think of something, Powder's grip slips from the pipe. (Y/n) quickly stands and reaches for her, he grabs the back of her shirt with one hand and the other grabs the pipe she was holding onto. The Enforcer quickly turns around before walking out the door, flashing the light in the room again. Powder covers her mouth with both her hands while (Y/n) is now struggling to hold on to the pipe. Vi's heart races, fearing that her siblings will get caught. 

The Enforcer turns back around and walks out the door, closing it behind him. (Y/n)'s grip slips and the twins fall on to the ground, (Y/n) falling on top of Powder "Ow." The twins said at the same time. Relief rushes over Vi and sighs, The group stays up on the pipes but the twins hide behind the couch incase the Enforcer comes back.

The Enforcer meets back with Markus. Both Markus and Vander looking at the Enforcer, He simply shakes his head. With a small grin on his face, Vander makes eye contact with the disappointed Markus and shrugs.

Markus is furious and tries his hardest to hold back that anger. "You people down here are all the same, mistaking arrogance for bravery." He said now facing everyone in the bar. "You think you're standing up for something, but we all know there is a crime behind every coin that passes through this place." He pauses and then turns back to Vander. "You're just a small man in a little hole the world forgot to burry." Markus then pulls out his baton and smashes the cup, liquid flames getting on the counter. He then turns around and points his baton at everyone. "And I'm gonna bury the lot of you." Markus then stomps to the door, the two enforcers following behind.

The front door slams shut. Vander then sighs a heavy one and closes his eyes, fearing the worst.

The door opens to the hangout room and Vander stands in the door way. "Are you all okay?" He asked with a bit of concern. Vi drops down from above in front of him. "No, we're not okay. If it weren't for (Y/n), they would have seen Powder. What if they took her, took them both?" Vi said obviously distressed. Both of the twins come out of hiding and Powder turns a lamp on, letting light into the room. "No one is taking any of you." Vander said, the three other boys making their way down. "Never let that happen." "It's already happening. You heard him, they won't stop. We need to fight back."

Vi punches the wall in anger, dust coming off from the impact, scaring the rest of the group a little. "And if you won't, I will." Vi finished, bring her hand away from the wall and clenching her fist. Vander sighed. "I heard this kind of talk before." He said looking away but then looks back at Vi.

"Come with me." Vander said and Vi followed, leaving the rest in the room.

Vi has her hood up standing across from Vander who is leaning against the sidewalk railing at where the bridge begins, the very bridge where it all started. "why are we here?" Vi asked with her hand up to her head but then looks at Vander. He sighs. "You still don't understand." Vi stands up from leaning against a wall and starts walking closer to Vander. "What I don't understand is how you can work with them." 

Vander is taken aback by the comment. Vi continues. "We were here. we saw what they did. I grew up knowing I'm less than them, that my place is down there. I want Powder and (Y/n) to have more than that, and I'm willing to fight for it." There was a moment of silence before Vander breaks it. "So was I. I was angry, just like you. I led us across this bridge, thinking things could change." Vi crosses her arms and leans up against the wall again. "If I hadn't... Your parents would still be alive. I know you want to hurt the topsider for what they've done to us. But who are you willing to lose? Mylo? Claggor?" He pauses. "The twins?"

Silence echoes again until Vander walks over to lean against the wall beside Vi. "Nobody wins in war, Vi." Vander finishes and thunder could be heard in the distance. Vi slumps her shoulders and then rests her head on Vander's arm. "What are we gonna do?" She asked with no idea of how to get out of the mess they are in. "The Enforcer will come back." Vander sighs. "I... I don't know. I'll, uh, I'll figure it out." Vi looks up at Vander but he only just looks away.

Vi then lifts her head as flashes of memories run through her head and looks down at the lit up candle made to remember the lost. She closes her eyes and then sighs, only opening her eyes and looks forward, the rage shown in her gaze. The determination to protect her friends, her family.