The steady rhythm of the weapons department had started to settle around Jazzlyn, giving her a strange and uneasy sense of routine. A full week and a half had passed since her integration to Taitanzu, and though she was nowhere near being comfortable with her situation, she had stopped flinching at every sudden noise. The low hum of the machines, the clanging of metal, and Z's looming yet positive presence had all become familiar. In a place as unsettling as this, a sense of familiarity was the closest anyone could get to comfort. There was a method to the madness of it all, and though she wasn't thriving, she had succeeded in not drowning either. Not yet anyway.
As she had always done, she spent the majority of her time quietly watching, learning, and doing her best to stay out of everyone's way. Z's lightheartedness was a blessing, though the more reserved Jazzlyn often felt overpowered by the large woman's bottomless well of energy. On the slip side, Tavion was always silently observing her every move, dark eyes incessantly looking in her direction like he was just praying for her inevitable downfall. Not making things easier for her were the rumors that she had heard from gangsters in the other departments—whispers that chilled her to the bone and fed the anxiety she struggled so hard to control.
She just had to avoid drawing any attention towards herself. That was the one thing she was an expert at. It was necessary, seeing as the weight of her new reality constantly pressed down on her shoulders, making every task exceedingly harder. Every time she handled the tablet with complex schematics, a paralyzing fear of messing up steadily consumed her from the inside. She and the other two members of this department knew what was at stake. This was a lot more than any old job. A screw up here could cost her more than a simple scolding. It could very well cost her everything.
The stakes were high, and they all knew it was because of the man who enforced them—Casey.
All the executives were terrifying, but Casey was definitely one of the scariest. Unlike the more seclusive Boris or Triple A, his name was a shadow that constantly loomed over the entire compound, especially the weapons department. The stories that surrounded him were outright impossible to run from. Each tale she heard about him seemed worse than the last. It wasn't his temper that made him so feared—but its sheer volatility. She saw a hint of it back at the executive's room. One moment he'd be silent and brooding, almost calm. The next, a switch would flip, and someone or something would be gone. People who made mistakes didn't last long under his watch.
Jazzlyn had already seen the aftermath of one of his infamous outbursts, and was still in disbelief about the carnage she'd witnessed. A metal workbench smashed out of shape and a dent in the concrete wall. Nobody was willing to retell the exact details of the event, but the bloodstains near the wall told her all she needed to know. Casey ruled this place with an ion fist, and obviosuly didn't need much provocation to use it.
Z had tried reassuring her on her first dat, but even the human ray of sunshine couldn't help but be afraid, her cheery tone failing to mask the terror behind her words. "Best just stay out of his way Jazz dear. Just focus on doing the job well, keep your head low, and everything's going to be fine."
Unsurprisingly, Tavion was less comforting about the entire thing. "One wrong move and your goose is cooked. Don't think being new would save you either. There's nobody who's safe from his rage... probably not even the other executives."
As if the forces of the universe were actively working against her, Jazzlyn heard it: quick, heavy footsteps approaching the department's main door. Her breath stopped and her fingers froze around the wrench she was holding. She didn't need to look up to realize who was coming. There could be only one.
Casey Moby, "The Walking Fuse" as lower members called him behind his back.
She knew he often came by for random check ups on those under his jurisdiction, but wasn't expecting one so soon after her arrival. Her anxiety only worsened as his presence swallowed up the entire room like a storm, threatening to suffocate everyone present. Jazzlyn took long, deep breaths, forcing herself to focus on the conveyor belt in front of her. Before he arrived, she had been tightening up a loose bolt, but fear had taken over her, the wrench slipping in her grip. She swore her heart stopped when the metal clanged loudly against the floor.
No. Why now? Why now of all times? What was that thing Levi always said when things were looking bad for Purgatory?
Oh yeah.
"Walahi I'm finished"
She lowered herself to pick it up, fingers quaking as they wrapped around the tool, but by the time she was on her feet, the devil himself was already standing there. He was taller up close, casting an ominous shadow over her as his light amber eyes stared into her soul. His expression was irritated as always and his jaw was clenched with the tension of someone who hadn't known peace for many years.
Her blood ran cold, and she could feel the pulse of her anxiety rising, quick and unsteady. This was it. This was how it ended. Goodnight everybody.
"You….." His voice was low and rough, which made even the simplest of words sound like a menacing threat. "You're the girl Boris brought in. Jazzlyn, yeah?"
She nodded quickly, not wanting to piss him off by saying something wrong or answering him too slowly. The stories of workers being brutalized or straight up disappearing because of minor mistakes echoed at the back of her mind, each one worsening the feeling of panic in her chest.
Casey's eyes drifted to the machine she was working on, focusing intently on the bolt she had just tightened. His silence was unbearable, stretching on for what felt like an eternity. It was akin to a lion watching its prey, studying it until it saw a weakness it could capitalize on before launching its attack. Her heart was beating so loud and fast in her ears she was certain he might hear it and probably punch her for disturbing the peace.
"Z tells me you've been doing good work. Says you're a natural at this." His voice was quiet and almost curious, but the edge behind his words was unmistakable. It didn't sound like praise at all. It was more like an interrogation.
"Th-thank you..sir…" Jazzlyn stammered, barely managing to make the words heard. She had to remind herself not to fidget too much or show any more weakness than she already was. People like this picked up on fear like a bloodhound and ruthlessly pounced on it without second thoughts. She balled her hands into fists and kept them firmly at her side, not looking directly at him but not cowering either.
The executive's gaze came back to her, and the weight threatening to crush her practically tripled. The way he was staring felt like he was trying to measure her usefulness in that moment with his eyes alone. Her skin crawled under his scrutiny, and she had to resist every instinct telling her to run away. He somehow managed to be more unsettling than Noah.
"I wouldn't get comfy if I were you. Nobody would miss you if you screwed up, and your brother definitely won't be spared either" he leaned in close to her, his tone harder and colder than before. "None of you are irreplaceable. Keep your head on tight or lose it completely"
She was already aware of all this, but hearing it all be reaffirmed by him in that dangerous, barely restrakned voice made the words hit like a punch to the stomach. It was hard to truly explain how, but things just got real in a way they hadn't been before.
She bit down on her lip to stop it from quivering in the face of such an unpredictable threat. How she wished the ground would open up and swallow her so she could escape his gaze, but that was impossible. She just had to face it.
"I—I won't. I won't screw up Mr Casey" she managed to whisper, finally mustering the courage to look up at him and give him a straight answer.
Another moment of long silence in which he just stared at her. His jaw was still tight, his face still twisted with infinite frustration. She didn't like how powerless she felt in his gaze. What did he want from her? Was there no way to make him leave without making everything worse? Every moment in his presence felt like she was being crushed to death by a hydraulic press, and it was beginning to drive her crazy with nervousness.
And then he suddenly stepped back, his body moving with frightening speed for someone his size. It was so quick that Jazzlyn felt her heart jump out of shock. His eyes darted away from her, suddenly losing all interest it had in her just moments ago. His presence still lingered, heavy, uncomfortable and oppressive, but the worst of it had passed.
"You can talk the talk...." he muttered, his voice barely coming out as a growl through his gritted teeth. "Whatever, I know you don't want to become the next victim of the Slaughter Pit."
With those last words, he turned on his heel and walked away, his heavy footsteps fading into the distance. Jazzlyn stood frozen, her body tense, and her heart still doing gymnastics in her heart. She didn't budge till she was certain he was gone, and even at that her entire body still felt weak and shaky. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, resting her body against a nearby machine that had long since stopped working. Her hands were still trembling, and she pressed them together in a prayer position, trying to steady herself. Despite his exit, the room still felt tense and heavy, with fear lingering in the air like a bad smell.
The stories about Casey and his explosive temper were bad enough, but none of them could have prepared her for how the harrowing reality of meeting him. She looked into the raging storms that were his eyes, felt the unmistakable threat in every word he spoke, and she was shaken to the core of her soul. The anxiety that bubbled in her since her arrival now grew to such an extent that she could feel it drowning her entire being.
Z came in through the doors shortly after, a look of mild terror on her face—no doubt a result of suddenly coming face to face with her beast of a superior. The fact that someone as large and able bodied as her was terrified of him spoke volumes of his horrific nature. Z immediately noticed the petrified state Jazzlyn was in, strolling over to her and standing next to her, a small smile on her round face. "Yeah, I was like that the first time I met him too. Don't worry, I'll be sure to give Casey as many good reports on you as possible. That way he won't bother you too much"
Jazzlyn looked up at her coworker with a faint smile, appreciative of Z's helpfulness. Without the giantess' positive remarks and efforts to make her integrate easily, Jazzlyn was certain she would have broken down in less than 72 hours.
"Thanks"
As she slowly returned to her work, the encounter just wouldn't leave her mind. Despite Z's encouraging words, she simply couldn't feel any sense of peace. It was all too clear now that she couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Not here. Especially not under Casey.
Most disheartening of all, it was painfully obvious that no matter how much she tried to stay invisible, Casey's shadow, as well as those of the other executives, would always be there, watching her.