Moonlight fell in beams and rivets through the cloud cover overhead, painting a picture in whites and pale yellows where there should by rights just be darkness. Kasey waited patiently, crouched and poised, by the absolutely fucking<span style="font-style: italic">pungent</span>dumpster. One hand pressed against the unsettlingly sticky side of the dumpster while the other curled anxiously around the cold metal piece in his jacket pocket. The safety was off, but his finger never twitched toward the trigger. He’d never had to fire the Parabellum - not at a<span style="font-style: italic">person</span>, anyway - and he didn’t intend to.<br/><br/>Eventually the heavy<span style="font-style: italic">skff</span>and popping of small gravel signalled the opening of one of the doors that dotted the intermittent buildings. “It’s your guy,” came Cass’ voice from somewhere behind him. Kasey almost jumped out of his skin and started to reflexively draw his pistol; there was no getting used to someone popping in and out of your life whenever it suited their fancy, no matter how long the two had been together. Cassius didn’t bother to crouch or lower his voice. Instead, he shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. Footsteps drew ever closer to them, making a minute splash in the occasional puddle of water. After a few seconds, a shadow stretched across the asphalt, gradually getting larger and larger until it stopped right in front of Cassius, who glared daggers at it in return. “Now.”<br/><br/>Kasey moved, pushing himself to his feet and drawing his gun in one fluid motion. He didn’t have much time to look at the employee that was hoisting an overly-full, sopping-wet trash bag into the dump before his fist tangled in conveniently long hair. Kasey threw the entirety of his bodyweight against the other man, thankful that they at least matched in height - pinning him would be so much harder if he was at a height disadvantage. He pressed the pistol into the kid’s neck, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough that the message would get across. “You scream, I shoot,” Kasey warned, tightening his fist in the employee’s hair. “Let’s not turn this robbery into a murder. Okay?”<br/><br/>Cassius stood closeby, his face just a few inches away from where the employee’s face was smashed against the side of the dumpster. He clicked his tongue after a moment of intense scrutinizing. “Fucking hipsters. Do they even carry cash?”<br/><br/>Kasey shot him a warning look before turning his attention back to the situation at hand. “Now, I want us on the same page. I’m going to reach into your pocket and get your wallet, and you’re<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>going to scream, because-” His voice trailed off and he pressed the barrel of the pistol a little bit further against the skin of the other man’s neck. “And then you’re going to take me back to the register and we’re going to put it all in a nice little bag. Then I’m on my way, and no one gets hurt. So, are we on the same page?”