Was Vaughn joking about killing Brunner or nah?

Vaughn was mostly joking. He’s never killed anyone; he’s never even been in a fistfight. He’s not the kind of psychopath who finds violence appealing for its own sake, so he’s never had a reason to risk the serious consequences.

But of course, he also wouldn’t have any moral qualms against murder if he had a strong enough motivation. If Brunner had actually assaulted Desi, for example, Vaughn would probably have killed him. Or, more likely, he would have paid somebody else to do it while establishing himself a very solid alibi, because it’s never a great idea to kill someone after a dozen witnesses saw you arguing in a public place!

Thank you for the question, and I’m really glad you’re enjoying the Assistant Verse. I’ve never written anything quite like this before; it’s always so much fun!