Looks like Criminal AU with SpicyHoney? Mm how interesting… I think I’ll base some of this off a little history called “Project Underworld”!
Swap knew his sanity was being questioned right now from everyone he knew in the organization, but he was positive this was the best way to address the foreign country targeting their key ports and preventing their U-boats from sinking ships providing supplies to the allied nations.
He stepped carefully, characteristic slump now very much absent as he was led by guards across the prison hall. All around him, criminals leered, glared, or stared impassively as they progressed passed them until eventually their cells were fewer and soon they were entering the private part of the prison. The cells here had closed walls, not bars, with the exception of the serving windows installed in the doors. Each cell had a single inmate who could afford to request a room away, or perhaps were in too much peril to be housed communally. He could feel his spine ache from the tension with every step, but he couldn’t afford to relax right now.
The squat red-eyed guard unlocked the very last cell, and with a dramatic flourish and a sardonic grin, gestured him inside. “after you, agent swap.”
“i wouldn’t mind if we ‘swapped’ placed right about now,” He muttered under his breath, just so the guard could hear him. The guard guffawed.
“a monster after my own ‘eart! let me know ‘ow ‘e goes, ‘e can be a bit of a handful sometimes.”
Swap could feel his smile, small and genuine, tick further into more of a defensive sneer as he stepped in to see the monster in question already awaiting him.
Papyrus “Edge” Underfell. One of the leading founders of Murder Co. and presumably still very much in charge of the mafia organization that controlled the coming and goings on the eastern coast. Even now with one of their most influential leaders locked up, fishermen and captains were subject to their protection rackets, people going missing or turning up brutalized regularly. Seeing the leader in front of him sitting directly across him, comfortably fashioned chairs and table laid out with a light colored scotch kept inside beautifully faceted bottles, very illegal cigars, and a lighter laid neatly next to them, Swap felt very much like he wasn’t meeting with someone who was defeated by the collective efforts of his organization but someone taking a vacation from his job. He regretted the proposal he fashioned for him already.
“GOOD EVENING, AGENT.” Edge Underfell greeted him smoothly. “I HEAR WE HAVE SOME BUSINESS TO DISCUSS. BEFORE THAT, PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE SOME SCOTCH? I’M AFRAID IT’LL HAVE TO BE NEAT. NO ICE READILY AVAILABLE, YOU UNDERSTAND.”
Swap controlled his urge to take it away from him like he might if he caught Chara eating chocolate before dinner at home. He needed to ingratiate himself, not piss off one of the few men who could reduce the number of casualties in the war effort and perhaps even turn the tides against their enemy. “so you already knew i was coming. do you know what i want to discuss?”
“NOT DETAILS. BUT I THINK I CAN GUESS. THE WAR NOT GOING SMOOTHLY, AGENT?” Edge’s smile grew, sharp teeth on display.
This was a blatant display of the thoroughness of the mafia’s intelligence network. He knew there was someone on the inside of their own organization, but they’ve yet to ferret them out yet. “you could help.”
“PERHAPS.” he acknowledged. “NOT FROM HERE. YOUR MEN HAVE ME WELL AND TRULY LOCKED UP.”
“that was the intent, underfell.” Swap muttered, and resisted the urge to roll his head and shoulders. His spine felt too stiff. “we may be able to work something out, but you have to agree to help us. the second you go anywhere, we’ll be back on you like fleas on a dog.”
“OF COURSE.” Edge stood up, casually. His movements looked smooth and relaxed, but with the way his fingerbones slid down the tabletop before lifting with a slight arch seemed calculated. It reminded Swap of a snake before it struck, and he looked up a little too sharply into Edge’s eyes. He looked back.
Swap stood up instinctively.
“we need control of the docks back- no more. we need our soldiers and our supplies protected. those are good young men and women dying out there and-” he broke off abruptly. Edge was getting closer. Swap was very much aware that his gun and pepper spray was left in a desk drawer up in the front of the prison.
“WHY SO TENSE, AGENT?” Edge asked, voice falling low and velvety. “YOU’RE NOT PLANNING TO DOUBLE-CROSS ME AFTER THE WAR IS OVER, ARE YOU?”
Swap snapped, “of course not! we’re men of our word, not common-”
He stopped short.
“CRIMINALS?” Edge suggested dryly, the teasing note almost lost on him. “IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT YOU COULD USE SOME CRIMINAL IMPULSES, AGENT.”
He was nearly on top of him now, and this was when Swap’s last nerve broke. He shouted for the guard awaiting outside, and widened his stance for a fight. Edge’s smile only widened as no one burst in on them, and then closed the distance with a sudden sweep across Swap’s legs. He went down with an ‘oof!’, air knocked out of him, and unable to struggle momentarily as Edge went down to seat on top of his ribcage and pinned his arms down with his knees.
As Swap struggled for air, Edge wrapped his hands across the base of his throat gently, and then gradually shifted to press his palms into the spinal column where the ache was at its most maddening on Swap.
“TOO TENSE…” he murmured, softly. “I’LL TAKE YOUR DEAL, WHATEVER IT IS AGENT. BUT I WILL DEAL ONLY WITH YOU, AND I WILL DEAL WITH THIS MY WAY. WE ARE CRIMINALS, AGENT PAPYRUS UNDERSWAP, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PLAY FAIR.”
Swap’s breath hitched embarrassingly as the vertebrae popped, invisible strain unravelling. Fell rose to his feet, and pulled the dazed agent up with him. Swap was relieved to be able to breathe again, but dismayed at the slight buzzing he felt through his bones.
“WE WILL MEET AGAIN, AGENT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.”
This was excellent! The tension between them was delicious, and I love the way you set the scene. These types of AUs are always so intriguing.
Dragon Blog 