Chapter Text
Nico knocked on the door. Yan opened. She looked stunning. She wore a white silk, off-shoulder dress. Its bright gleam in the moody lighting made her look truly divine. The split down her knee showed off a shapely leg. Two golden serpents coiled around her ankles, ensnaring her heels onto her feet.
“Hey, handsome!” she greeted him.
Nico gave her a smile. She gestured for him to come in. He walked over to the bed and sat down.
Amira stood in front of the mirror, doing something complicated with her hair. She had clearly gone all out too. Her dark red, poofy dress rustled as she swiped her hair away from her ear.
“You both look nice!” he said.
Yan smiled and bent her knee in a curtsey.
Amira gave him a glance through the reflection of the mirror. “You too, very appropriate” she said with a clinical tone.
Yan went to open the door at the sound of a knock. Logan walked into the room. He whistled.
“Look at you two! We’re going to be too busy keeping men away from you to focus on the job”.
Yan chuckled. “Don’t worry. With two such suave men next to us they won't dare to get close”.
She took the tie from his hand and started forming a knot. Logan gave her a guilty smile. Nico hated to admit it but Logan cleaned up nice. The suit accentuated his figure a lot better than his usual baggy get up. His hair slicked back helped hide his unruly personality. The ends of just a few strands tilting upwards, giving the faintest hint of their true nature. He actually almost looked-
“Gorgeous!” Yan declared excitedly, after hanging the tie around his neck.
No! No, definitely not… That! Nico shook his head a little. The word he meant to think was dignified! And not even that! No. Almost dignified. His most glaring problem was that he was clearly absolutely miserable. Nico watched him tug at his collar, pulling the top button loose.
“Stop doing that” Yan said sternly, swatting at his hand. She buttoned him back up. Logan grumbled when she pulled the tie tight. He looked over at Nico. “I see you've nailed the whole ‘villain’ look. It suits you” he said.
Nico gave him a half smile. “And you actually look like you know how to use a fork now” he quipped.
Logan cackled. “Okay, you dastardly-”.
Yan pulled at his tie. “Be nice to each other” she warned, pointing a finger at Logan then at Nico. She looked Logan over. Her scrutinizing finger stopped at the helix of his left ear, and tapped on one of the three studs. “Those have to take a break tonight” she told him.
He scowled. “You get to wear earrings”. He emphasized his point by giving the large white pearl next to her cheek a firm tap, making it swing helplessly on its long golden chain.
Yan gave him an annoyed but pleading look. “You know that we're trying to blend in. Please don't make me defend gender norms… Nico took his out too…”.
Logan groaned, giving Nico a judging look at his betrayal of the nonconformist code. Nico frowned, silently pleading guilty. Logan finally relented, yanking them out and shoving them in his pocket one by one.
“Yes” Amira said, her hair suddenly in an intricately crafted hive. “We’re ready. Time to go”. She went on as she strode out the door, expecting them to follow her. “We don’t have invitations. I expect they will watch the front entrance closely”.
Nico shrugged. “I could just-”
Amira stuck up her hand as they made their way through the maze of hallways, apparently on their way to the stairwell? “No. It will be crowded. We don’t want to risk being seen. We’ll take the backdoor” her voice echoed against the bare walls, as did the sound of their soles against the concrete steps.
She opened a fire door, letting a breeze of fresh air flow over them from the outside and led them further and further behind the building, away from the hustle and bustle at the front. She stopped at another fire door. No light shone through the small tinted window.
Amira tried the handle. It was locked. She walked up to Nico to hand over her purse and started going through her hair. “I have hairpins in here” she stated.
Oh…!
Logan kicked in the door with a loud bang.
Amira shot around while Yan and Nico flinched. “Fool!” she stated almost more than insulted.
Logan smiled mischievously, sticking out an arm and holding the door open for her.
She paced up to him. “What do you think you're doing? We're trying not to draw attention”.
Logan smiled more genuinely. “Your hair looks nice. Would be a shame to mess it up” he offered casually.
“Flattery doesn’t work on me” Amira declared coolly. She proved it by pulling out a hairpin regardless. She had the sharp looking tip against his throat before the freed lock of hair had time to fall down.
Logan grinned wider.
Amira turned colder than Nico had ever seen her before. “You don't realize how easily I could kill you with this” she stated, words sharp like icicles.
“Oh, I do” Logan assured warmly. “But, you won't” he added with an arrogant shrug.
“Not yet…” Amira reluctantly agreed, lowering the pin just a fraction. “But, if you challenge me again I'll make sure you'll regret it... Only for a very short moment…” she threatened, quickly raising the sharp tip of the pin to the side of his neck. Undoubtedly against a very important vein, Nico realized.
“I believe you” Logan reassured, holding up his hands in defeat. His stupid grin didn't back down.
Amira didn't seem too bothered by it, taking his words at face value and sliding the pin back in her hair. She paced through the door.
Nico and Yan grimaced at each other, then followed suit. Yan grabbed firm hold of Logan’s cheek as she did, dragging him along.
Amira led them through the darkness, past the kitchen, through a crowded room, and another, and another, and another.
“Keep your eyes peeled” she ordered.
All well and good, but-
“What does she even look like?” Logan asked, before Nico mustered up the courage.
Amira and Yan turned around in unwelcome surprise. Yan’s shoulders flew up, threatening to enter her ears as she carefully glanced over to Amira.
Amira’s eyebrows turned sharp like needles. “What do you mean? We went over this yesterday. I showed you numerous pictures”.
Oops. Guess he paid even less attention than he thought he did. Nico sucked in his lips, then quickly let them go as to not give himself away.
“Sorry. Don’t remember” Logan shrugged. “Do you have a picture or not?” he asked.
Yan quickly dug in her clutch and pulled out a small picture. She held it up for Logan to see. Nico stole a quick glance and took mental notes. Elderly, giant hairdo, kind brown eyes, and an apparent flair for the dramatic based on her bright, daring make up. He caught Yan’s wink when pulled his eyes back up. He smiled guiltily.
Amira beckoned them along through various other rooms, her pace picking up faster and faster, until she stopped. They stood in a circle huddled together.
“There is no sign of her in these rooms” Amira stated hurriedly. She shook her head a little. “We should have started in the ballroom. It’s much more central. So it’s by far the most fitting place for the guest of honor. We’ll go-” she whispered on.
“Someone’s looking” Logan hissed.
A man in another circle of people stared at them with a confused look on his face.
“We’re being suspicious” Nico warned.
They stood up straight.
“Politics!” Yan yelled with a horrid phony smile.
They all let out a loud fake laugh, raising their glasses a little. The man turned back to his conversation. Another, seemingly quite drunk, man broke free from the crowd and confidently walked up to Yan.
“Hey cutie” he started loudly, leaning in a little too close.
“Hi” Yan replied cordially but unmistakenly curt.
The man bent down further, close to Yan's ear. “I have a thing for Asians" he ‘whispered’ loudly to her.
Nico felt anger and nausea fight for dominance in his stomach. He noticed Logan shift in the corner of his eye and Amira put her hand on his arm.
Yan laughed awkwardly. “Hey man, please don’t ever say that again. To anyone” she warned venomously. She ended the conversation with a feigned polite smile.
The man’s eyebrows knit. Confused. Then angry. “It's a compliment… ” he muttered as he pulled back. “ Fat bitch ”.
Amira expertly hooked her arm into Logan's elbow as his punch flew out, blocking him. The man recoiled a bit at the sudden fist near his face, almost rocking himself over backwards. He looked at them like they were crazy. Nico tripped him as he tried to wobble off. The man caught himself on a woman's dress. A ripping sound tore through the atmosphere of light conversation, causing a short silence. They casually turned away as another conflict started around the man.
“Don't cause a scene” Amira commanded.
Logan tore his arm away from her. “My bad” he growled.
She raised an eyebrow at Nico.
“Oops” he said with a shrug.
Yan grabbed their cheeks with her hands. “I had that covered” she said sternly. Then she visibly pushed down her lips trying not to grin.
“Don't encourage them” Amira said with mild disapproval.
Nico smiled through Yan's grasp. “What were you about to say, Amira?”
Her eyebrows curved back in place. “Right. Thank you. What I was about to say is that we’ll go to the ballroom. I think we should split up. To cover the area more efficiently"
The ballroom was an unpleasant reminder of Hollywood Boulevard, being chaotic, noisy and boastful. Other than their slightly fancier appearance the people were just as desperate and annoying as Spiderman, throwing their elbows around trying to rub as many others as they possibly could.
Nico had already gotten trapped in three desert dry conversations in the short while they'd been here, without even having to say a word, or react at all for that matter... People just started bleating to him about their professions, projects, and prospects as soon as he was unlucky enough to make eye contact.
Funny, being dressed the part only made him feel even more out of place somehow… Much less funny, nobody here even knew Ms. Robinson, they barely even knew about her, let alone where she was.
Ah!
For the first time since he'd entered the room, he made an effort to talk to someone. To do the exact opposite of mingling.
“Any luck, Yan?” he asked.
“Nooope~!” she chimed, raising her glass in a toast. “You?”.
“Hell no!” he replied with feigned excitement, clinking their glasses together.
Their wine swayed in equally sarcastic enthusiasm. They took a sip to celebrate a job poorly done.
Nico looked back at the crowd. Impossible not to. It was everywhere. Another familiar face caught his attention. A familiar scowl, to be precise. Nico felt a mean little smile curl up. At least he wasn't the only one suffering. Don't get him wrong, he was very happy to see Yan, but he had a hard time understanding her genuine love of parties.
He saw a pretty looking, young woman approach Logan and introduce herself. Logan looked a little surprised, then replied and jabbed her in the arm amicably. He watched Logan slightly lean in and say something to her. Something rude, probably. The young woman rubbed her arm, seemingly a little flustered.
Yeah…
Nico turned to Yan.“We shouldn't leave him there by himself. He doesn't have any idea what he's doing”.
The woman Logan was talking to leaned in and giggled.
“Ha! See that? You've got to give my boy here some credit” Yan gloated.
They watched the woman's eyes go wide as Logan casually downed an entire glass of wine. Yan walked away, leaving a sigh behind.
Great. He's going to blow our cover. Nico prepared himself mentally to go in and salvage the situation. He rolled his shoulders, then walked over.
“Quite the party huh?” he inserted himself.
“Hey, spooky! Good to see you!” Logan said, a lot more cheerfully than Nico expected.
Nico raised an eyebrow at him.
“This is Monique, her dad's behind all this”. Logan said as he gestured at her with his empty glass. “And this is Nico, my emotional support jerk” he said, gesturing at him.
Nico barely had a chance to throw in a glare before Monique smiled and reached out to him. He shook her hand. “Hi, nice to meet you” he quickly told her. He turned back to Logan and nodded at his empty glass. “How many of those have you had?” he asked, a little accusatory.
Logan shrugged. “Dunno, a few?”. He gave Nico an embarrassed smile “I got a little distracted”.
Monique giggled again. She reached in her purse and pulled out a business card. After hastily scribbling something on the back, she handed it to Logan. “See you around” she winked at him. Giving Nico a nod, she walked away with an elegant stride.
He shot Logan an unimpressed look. “I see you're being a true gentleman” he said sarcastically.
“Hey! I'm trying!”.
If Nico didn’t already know him better by now, he might have actually believed the hurt tone he put on.
Logan grinned. “Besides, I'm getting results. I asked her where to find Ms. Robinson right before you barged in. I think I just got us our next clue”.
He held up the business card triumphantically and studied the writing on the back.
“Numbers…?” he muttered, clearly puzzled.
His face fell as it seemed to hit him. Nico snorted. Logan shoved it in his pocket with a scowl.
“Wait” Nico said “What's on the other side?”.
They looked at the front.
“That's Monique's last name. Must be her dad's” Logan explained.
“So, he's an agent” Nico said.
“Seems so. If he's throwing this party I assume he's Ms. Robinson's. The office address is on here. So, guess we know where she meets up with him now” Logan concluded.
“Ha. That’s actually pretty smart” Nico let slip, accidentally a little impressed.
Logan ruined the moment with a smug grin.
“You know, the way dogs are smart” Nico quickly added.
Logan stapled the corners of his mouth back in a straight line. Nico smiled triumphantically.
“Okay, fine… You win this round” Logan relented “Now put away those evil little dimples and stop rubbing it in” he demanded mockingly, prodding him in the cheek.
All evil and smile disappeared from Nico’s face with a painful singe, hopefully taking his dimples with them.
“Sore loser…” Nico complained quietly.
A waiter with two trays stopped in front of them, staring politely. They stared back… The waiter's eyes politely flashed to their empty wineglasses, lowering his empty tray a fraction of an inch.
Oh.
They put their glasses on it. The waiter smiled politely. They smiled back… The waiter lowered his full tray a fraction of an inch.
Oh…
They took a full glass. Nico took an attentive sip of wine as the waiter finally waltzed off, drinking everything in. Still no sign of Ms. Robinson. Was she ever going to show up? This was starting to turn into a very long night. He hoped it wouldn’t get even longer…
“So, how'd you manage to trick her into liking you?” he sighed, trying to fight off his boredom. Underneath the annoyance he’d hidden some sincere interest.
“She noticed me having a shit time. She thought it was funny” Logan explained, smiling at his wine. “Funny enough to come ask me what the hell I was even doing here, I guess” he added with a quiet chuckle.
“Ah… Thought you said negging didn't work on you. Or are you cool with it as long as it's out of pity?” Nico sneered, grinning to himself.
Logan’s annoyed smirk turned devilish. He cocked his head a little, stuck up a middle finger and looked at him intently. Slowly and deliberately, he turned his hand over and stuck his finger in Nico’s wine. Nico tightly clenched his jaw before it could fall to the floor. Logan pulled his finger out and crossed his arms, giving him an expectant look.
Motherfucker!
Nico's mind split and kept splitting. What was he supposed to do? Would drinking it be a victory? Or a worse defeat? What about tossing it away? He almost had to restrain his arm to stop the urge to throw it in his face. That asshole knew he couldn't, not without completely messing up their cover.
He opened his mouth, as long as he kept his voice in check he could say whatever he wanted. His voice didn't give a damn about this mission. “You absolute fucking-!”.
Logan reached around, grabbed something off a platter carried by another polite waiter and shoved it right into Nico’s mouth, shutting him up. He leaned in closer, his smug smile dimmed. “Stop shouting. My bad, okay? I shouldn't have done that” he offered quietly.
Nico glared at him. He chewed slow and deliberate, all he tasted was anger. Fucking moron. He could’ve choked! In a cold blooded crime of passion, he poured his wine in Logan's glass, mixing the red and white together into a sickly looking pink.
Logan's smug grin instantly found its way back. He presented his glass in a silent toast and took a large, triumphant sip.
Nico pinched the bridge of his nose and bowed his head. He should have known better. Logan was completely uncivilized, probably unable to even taste the difference. Not only had he just cemented his own loss, he'd taken down all of wine culture with him. He quietly begged Italy for forgiveness.
Even all the way from the other side of the room, he could still make out the horrible pink abomination he’d just created in Logan’s glass. He took an annoyed sip of his own perfectly balanced, fresh glass of wine, watching Logan down half of his. Well, his two, technically...
Smug asshole.
How could he not mind? How could Nico stop minding? He didn’t know how yet, but he was going to find a way to get back at-!
“Nico” Amira asked, right into his ear. “Will you dance with me?”.
If her sudden disturbance wouldn’t have been enough to make him jolt, that question sure would have been. Nico coughed his wine out of his lungs and turned to look at her.
Yep, as he’d feared. Deadly serious.
“It’s too crowded. I want to see from the dancefloor. It has a clear view of the entire room” Amira explained.
Yeah, sure, that’s not the problem. He smirked, wondering if the opportunity for revenge had just presented itself. “Can’t you ask Logan?” he asked, still half a cough.
“I already have, he said-”
“He said no…” Nico finished for her.
“Yes” Amira confirmed.
Nico sucked in his lips, getting more and more desperate. “I’m a terrible dancer” he tried.
“I’ll lead” Amira reassured, already grabbing his hand.
Crap! Crap so hard! He took the biggest, angriest sip of wine he could manage and slammed his glass onto an empty tray before she dragged him to the dancefloor, all the way to the centre of it.
Why?!
Amira didn’t give him much of a chance to sulk, making her move. A lot of them.
“Do you know how to dance?” Nico asked in amazement.
“No” Amira assured him calmly.
I can tell. Amira was all knees and elbows. Clearly much more adept at fighting, as that seemed to be exactly what she was trying to do to him and everyone daring to get close enough.
“Give me your hands” Nico ordered firmly. Not taking ‘no’ for an answer, he grabbed them before she could stop him. He pulled her close.
Amira blinked at him in the mildest surprise he’d ever seen.
“Look at my feet” he ordered a little less sternly. To his surprise she did. “Just follow along, alright?”.
She nodded, then carefully mirrored his movements.
Each movement turned into a memory. Very old memories. Bittersweet ones. Wiped clean from his mind decades ago by Alecto… But, somehow through the years, fragments returned. All of the fragments showed his mother’s proud smile, looking down at him as she taught him the steps.
Looking at Amira’s feet, very good students, now that he actually took the time to notice, he felt himself smile along with his mother. She had been a great dancer, and an even better teacher. Passionate, but patient. He clearly remembered the last time she danced with him, it had been right before-! Stop, he willed himself. He shook the memories out of his head.
“Am I doing it wrong?” Amira asked sternly.
“No! No, you’re doing great! Genuinely” he praised.
Amira blinked in another expression of mild surprise. He returned a proud smile, a genuine one. She nodded firmly, quickly turning her stern gaze back to their feet. Nico huffed in amusement as he watched her eyes narrow and eyebrows lower and raise a few times. It was strangely endearing, seeing her like this. Dancing with her wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d expected, in fact, it was almost even-
“Yes, I think I’ve got it now” she declared. Her eyes darted over his shoulders, all over their surroundings. She turned her head as far as she could, taking in as much as possible. To her credit, still keeping up perfectly…
Her eyes snapped back to his. “Twirl me” she ordered.
No. No fucking way. She was almost a full foot taller than him, that would look ridiculous.
“I want to see all around” she explained.
“Uhm… What if I just turn you?” he asked, pleaded.
Her eyes narrowed again, before a firm nod. “Yes, good idea. That gives me much more time”.
He sucked in his lips as he slowly led her around him. An inaudible chuckle hid under his sigh. He probably should have known better than to think Amira was capable of appreciating anything not directly benefitting the mission.
Amira’s lips drew a long, straight line.
“This was useless. There is no sight of her” she concluded, letting go of his hands.
Yep. See?
Nico forced a smile when she looked at him. His smile turned confused when Amira stared over his shoulder again, eyes sharp and fixed on something. Or someone? Could she actually have found her…?!
He turned to look, only to be greeted by someone entirely unknown. A pretty woman in an even prettier dress smiled excitedly at him.
“Hello, would you like to dance?” she asked with a few slow, smooth blinks. Her long lashes fluttered sweetly as she did.
Nico blinked back, not nearly as smoothly.
The woman offered her hand.
Uhh…
Amira stepped in, sticking her arm between them. “Excuse me” she started. “He can’t-”
The woman turned a lot less sweet. Her smile widened, revealing her perfect white teeth. Ready to sink into Amira, apparently. “Back off, ceiling duster! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough by now?” she quietly bit at her. “You look ridiculous! Completely out of place in that colour at a place like this!”
Wait… Red? That didn't make any-?
Oh.
Gross…
The woman ran her fingers over Nico’s arm, tugging on the cuff of his sleeve. Amira narrowed her eyes as Nico widened his. Two pretty women fighting over you would probably be a dream for most young men. Nico wasn’t like most young men. In any way...
He quickly plucked the woman’s talons off of his sleeve, hissing at her in feigned disappointment. “Sorry…” he started carefully, holding up his hands. “Even if I wasn’t gay, I definitely would be now…” he shrugged, smiling the fakest apologetic smile he could manage.
The woman’s mouth fell open. She glared at him over her shoulder at least three times as she stormed off. Nico smiled wider each time.
“Very good” Amira concluded quietly.
Yan paced up to them looking worried, Logan followed much more slowly behind her looking irritated. Amira leaned in, and beckoned them closer. They huddled together.
“We just spoke to one of the waiters. Bad news. She's a no show.” Yan explained in a Hush tone.
“Who doesn't show up to their own party…?” Logan asked in annoyed disbelief.
Amira and Nico looked at each other and shrugged.
“She must have been tipped off” Yan suggested.
“Well, guess we're done here then…” Nico said. He quickly realized something. “On the bright side, Logan flirted us another opportunity earlier tonight”.
Yan turned to look at him, clearly confused. Amira barely reacted, just raising a sharp eyebrow at him. Logan huffed and dug the business card out of his pocket. He held up the front for them to read. Amira seemed to realize and nodded, swiping it from his fingers.
“Good job. Let’s go” she concluded, already on her way to the back door.
The three of them took a second to process before filing after her into the hallway.
“Gods! My feet are killing me! Who let me buy gilded heels?!” Yan asked accusingly, powering through her steps.
Logan put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. He knelt down and put an arm around her upper legs, lifting her up. Yan gave Nico and Amira a surprised look over his shoulder, suddenly finding herself practically seated on his lower arm.
“That was your own spoiled little Magpie brain” Logan complained, walking on.
Yan propped her elbows onto his shoulder, resting her chin on her hands. “You're drunk” she cawed, before lightly elbowing the back of his head.
“I won't drop you” Logan assured.
“I know…” Yan muttered, yawning quietly and closing her eyes.
“Stay professional” Amira commanded. “Nico” she ordered as soon as they made it out of sight.
“Yep…” he sighed, already drawing in the shadows.
The quiet, cold whispers whirled around them as they slowly became one with the darkness.
The automatic lights in the cramped hallway took a second to register their sudden presence, then quickly startled on. The cold white light was a harsh contrast to the warm moody glow at the party. It made everyone look exhausted. Well, paired with the obvious exhaustion.
“Good night, beautiful” Logan mused, carefully putting Yan back on her feet.
Yan immediately leapt back into his arms, sticking her arms out dramatically. He spun her around once before putting her back down again. He kissed her on top of her head and chuckled.
“I’m going for a walk” he said. “And a smoke… What a night” he added in a thinly veiled complaint.
“Have fun!” Yan replied happily. “And be safe!” she warned his back as he made his way into the stairwell.
“Not going far!” he reassured, already out of sight.
Nico took a second to process what happened just now, and right before that. “Is something happening between you? Are you two…?” he asked, without really considering if he should.
Yan burst out laughing. “Oh Gods, no! Never! Don't get me wrong we love each other and he's a great friend, but... I'm only into the soft, geeky and artsy types. And Logan… well he should probably find someone really, really strong”.
She looked down. “No, we used to be like this all the time, actually… Just, good friends”. She looked like she was about to cry.
Nico regretted his question immediately. He really needed to stop opening all these cans of worms. “You alright?” he asked carefully.
Yan gave him a big smile, even as her eyes welled up he could see she meant it. “Yeah! I'm really good, actually! I'm really glad he's… I'm happy to talk to him again”.
He patted her on the shoulder. Good for her. “That’s nice, Yan. I’m happy for you”
Yan put her hand over his. “Thanks, Nico. Good night” she wished, quickly wiping at her eyes.
“Good night!” he wished back, his hand practically already in his pocket, ready to help him escape back into his room.
Nico turned on the shower and started wrestling off his clothes. He stepped under it. What the fuck?! Why was the water still freezing cold? Why was the temperature set as cold as possible?! He quickly tinkered with the surprisingly complicated valves. He scowled as he remembered Logan had taken a shower this morning. Was this his idea of a prank or was he just a masochist? Whatever…
Nico went over the events of the night in his head over and over while the water of the shower clattered on him. When it came down to it, it had basically been a complete failure… He turned off the water and went through the motions of drying himself off. They were lucky to have gotten a second chance, but that was just it, they were lucky. He walked out of the bathroom. Now that they had that second chance, what were they even going to do? They'd have to come up with a pretty solid plan, getting to her in her own territory like that. He'd ask Amira to go check out the area with him first. He wondered who had tipped her off. He was about to drop his towel to the floor.
“Hey” he heard Logan say suddenly.
He jumped and swung himself around. Logan was sitting on the bed, looking through the documents Amira had given them earlier. Somehow Nico had completely missed him when he walked right by him.
“What are you doing?! I’m naked!” Nico yelled, grasping at his towel. He felt his face heat up.
“Woah, Spooky! This is my room too, you know!” Logan replied, shooting him a surprised but amused look. “I didn’t think you’d care”.
Nico glared at him.
Logan got up from the bed, putting his hands up. “I’m sorry. I’ve shared a bathroom with my brothers for years. I guess I didn’t think about it”.
Nico sighed. “Yeah, alright… Now get out already” he grumbled.
Nico felt Logan look him over. He tried his best not to let his nerves show. Logan cocked his head, he seemed lost in thought for a second. “You’ve really got nothing to be embarrassed about though. Seriously, I’m kind of jealous. You barely eat, and I doubt you exercise… But you still get to look like that” he said, giving Nico a light jab in his stomach with his fist.
The corner of Nico’s mouth twitched. What the… What?! He quietly muttered something half-assed about “Godly genes”, hoping it came off smart and, or sarcastic. He couldn't really make sense right now. What the hell was wrong with this guy? He knew Logan would jump at any opportunity to mess with him, but when he did his worst he didn’t even know he was doing it. It would almost be funny, if it wasn’t so freaking aggravating.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to do your dark bidding now” Logan relented, grinning widely. He tossed the documents back on the bed and turned to leave. “Later” he said, sticking up a hand without a care in the world.
Nico watched him leave. He dropped down on the bed and pulled his pillow over his face. That drunk idiot.
Nico woke up when he felt the mattress dip behind him. His eyes shot open. Pitch black. Still night. He closed his eyes again. Pretending to still be asleep seemed like his best bet. Last time they spoke had been annoying, and worse, awkward. This way it at least couldn’t get any worse, right?
He tried his best to ignore it when something grazed his arm with a warm tingle. He couldn’t manage anymore when whatever it was settled, way too close to him. The upsetting warmth drew all his attention to it, not leaving any room for thoughts. With an annoyed exhale, he pulled his arm to safety. He ran his fingers over the defiled area, trying to get the still lingering feeling to fade. Even with the cold of his own hand to contrast, it took a while to fully fight it off.
How was he supposed to sleep in these inhumane conditions?! He folded his arms and curled up, making himself small. Trying to give Logan as little chance as possible for any repeat offenses. He frowned in the darkness. Of course that moron has no respect for personal space…
Memories drifted past. Each one slowly adding to his irritation, like water dripping onto his head. Yesterday morning. Getting in his face. Tapping his earring. Sparring. His hand around his throat. That happened three times, might he add, not just then. Speaking of their first mission… Their fight. The punches. Sometimes he swore he could still feel the bruises! His hands clenched around his arms. Yesterday night. His arm over his shoulders. Ha… He hid his face in his forearms. That’s enough memories for now.
Later that same night, Nico woke up again after a kick to his leg, a surprisingly painful one. Not just a drip of irritation this time, a full splash. He almost opted to kick him back, until he heard Logan’s breath hitch. He’d heard that sound before. Last night.
Nico rolled over to his other side. It was still too dark to see properly but he could make out his shape. He felt Logan stir. Nico reached out. He felt for his shoulder, but found his back. The fabric of his shirt was hot and moist. Logan winced as Nico pressed his hand onto it. Nico slid his hand between his shoulder blades and tried to concentrate. That was hard, being half asleep still…
The barrage of fear, anger and sadness assaulted him when he broke through. He ignored all of it and focussed all his concentration on sending his message. He’d learned that lesson the first time. Relax. It's not real. You're safe. He felt the muscles under his hand release tension after a few seconds. Logan let out a deep, shaky sigh. Good. Nico exhaled, closed his eyes and dozed off again.
Nico felt movement right next to him. He cracked his eyes open. It was bright out. Must be morning already. It took him a second to realize he was staring right at Logan's face, just a few inches away. His breath caught. He almost jolted in surprise. Logan was still asleep. Nico took some time to calm down, trying to lie as still as possible. He almost didn't dare to breathe, scared it'd wake him up.
Other than his serious expression Logan seemed mostly peaceful. Mostly... Nico noticed that a tear had rolled about halfway down his cheek. Right. Last night. He hadn't heard him get up after his… intrusion…? No, his help. He wondered if Logan had slept any better than before. He hoped so.
His body reacted, before his still groggy mind could. His body was a fucking idiot… He stuck out his hand and wiped the tear away. Wait. What the hell was he doing?! Get a grip, you idiot! his mind scolded. He flung his hand back like he’d been hit with an electric shock. Logan didn't seem to have woken up, not having moved at all. Thank the Gods for that. Nico rolled onto his back and put his hands over his eyes. They still trembled a little as the left over nerves of his accidental tear heist died down. He let out a groan in both frustration and relief.
“Hangover?” Logan asked suddenly.
Another electric shock. He jolted and moved his hands up. Logan looked down at him, his elbow jutted into the pillow, the side of his head resting on his fist. His hair looked even messier than usual. Nope. Still way too close. Way too awake now too. Nico panicked and rolled out of bed to create some distance.
“Yeah… Maybe…” he managed, raking in some of his clothes.
He glanced. Logan was still looking at him, a mildly confused expression on his face.
“Has anyone ever told you you're awkward?” he asked, his amusement obvious.
“Has anyone ever told the gay guy from the nineteen thirties he's awkward?” Nico repeated sarcastically.
Logan pursed his lips, then narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Is it because I'm a guy?” he asked, seemingly with genuine interest. Maybe even worry.
No, idiot. It's because you're you. “No, it's because you're awkward!” Nico replied, getting even more annoyed.
Logan sat up. “What did I do?” he asked, mildly confused and offended.
Nico was stumped for a second. “It's because you're way too… Not awkward!” he blurted out.
Logan seemed more than just mildly confused and offended now. “That doesn't make any sense!” he almost yelled.
“It does! You're just too dense to get that!” Nico yelled back.
Logan got up and held up his hands. “Okay, whatever. Just calm down. I'll go be too not awkward in the bathroom” he laughed.
Distance! Good.
“How'd you sleep?” Nico asked casually.
“Pretty good, actually! Probably the best sleep I've had in months” Logan concluded with a spirited tone as he opened the bathroom door. “You?” he asked.
Nico smiled to himself. “Fine” he answered.
After getting dressed, he went and stood on the balcony a while, looking out over the city. He took in everything happening outside, letting his thoughts wander. Hollywood didn't suit him. He’d realized that much yesterday. But even the scenery reflected it. Buildings plastered in brands and signs. Cars and people milling around far below. Their loud colours and movement made up for the lack of noise all the way up here. The snobby palm trees looking down on all of it. He exhaled heavily.
Before he knew it Logan stood next to him, still in the middle of wrestling his shirt on. His pensive expression revealed itself as soon as he did. He stared at Nico. Nico stared back. Alright…? Right when Nico was about to ask what he wanted Logan started.
“I need to tell you something, but it's really weird…”. His tone was deathly serious.
Alright...?! Nico furrowed his brow. “Not a great opening, but…”. He gestured for him to talk.
Logan thought for a second. “I dreamt about you last night,” he finally shared.
Oh, right. Nico let out an amused huff.
Logan's hands shot up in a defensive gesture. “No, don't worry! It was a nightmare!” he said loudly.
Nico laughed. “Oh! Good!” he replied sarcastically.
Logan smiled awkwardly, opening his mouth to say something.
“But, yeah. I know” Nico quickly followed up before he could. “I did that. To calm you down. You were freaking out”.
Logan’s smile turned confused. “... You can do that?”. He cocked his head, tapping his fingers on the railing. “Hah… Making people dream about you seems more like an Aphrodite type of thing…”.
Wow…! Logan didn't struggle intellectually at all, he'd mastered stupidity. Nico was no match for him. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“It's not like that! I can enter people's dreams. Send them messages. That type of stuff. It's not what I'm good at, but it comes in handy sometimes…” he explained with a sigh. Logan cocked his head the other way, crossing his arms and looking at him in a way Nico hadn’t seen before. Was he… Impressed?
“Well, aren't you just full of surprises…”.
Nico shrugged, smiling slightly.
“Thanks, man. That's really nice of you” Logan concluded warmly.
He slapped Nico on the shoulder and walked off. Nico watched him go. Why would you even bring that up, you moron? He grinned to himself, rubbing the now slightly sore spot on his shoulder.
He turned back to the view. The palm trees in the distance below swayed a little in the pleasant breeze. The morning light gave the hills and buildings a mild, warm, yellow glow. Maybe Hollywood deserved a second chance.
Probably time to go eat something. His stomach shrugged indifferently. Too bad. It would just have to deal with it. He’d need the energy later. There’s no way he could drag the four of them all the way to the office on an empty stomach, let alone fight a Sphinx.
He opened the door and walked out, right into Logan who'd apparently had the opposite idea. He managed to turn his face slightly at the exact moment their faces collided, catching most of the hit with his cheek. Nico choked loudly. His face practically caught fire. He froze for a few seconds, panicking. Logan stepped back slightly.
“You good?” he asked with a mildly worried look.
Nico processed. He jolted as Logan touched his cheekbone with the back of his fingers. Nico swatted at his hand and pulled back. “I'm fine!”.
Logan looked more worried than before. “You sure? It's pretty red… and crazy warm”.
Nico closed his eyes. Why?! Just… Why? He took a deep breath and looked Logan in the eye. “I'm fine. Seriously” he reiterated firmly. “You?” he quickly deflected.
Logan huffed. A faint smile on his face. “That was nothing. My face has been through a lot over the years”.
Nico snorted. “Yeah, makes sense. You seem like someone who gets hit in the head a lot” he sneered.
Logan laughed warmly. It caught Nico by surprise. That wasn’t really the reaction he'd been going for. He smiled a little anyway. The difference a decent night sleep makes, he supposed?
“Yeah, okay… Guess you are fine”.
Logan stared at him for a bit, expectantly. Uh… Logan grabbed the door handle next to him, poorly suppressing a grin. Right…! Nico quickly stepped to the side. Logan lightly punched him in the shoulder as he moved past him into the room.
“Nico?” Amira asked, drawing his attention a little further down the hall. “Can I talk to you? It’s important”.
He forced a smile and nodded.
Crap. How long had she been watching? His crippling awkwardness couldn’t possibly be what this was about, right? Right?! He sighed as soon as she disappeared back through the doorway. No, he told himself. Getting fired would be a blessing! His smile felt a lot less forced as he walked up to the door.
Amira didn’t even turn to face him when he closed the door behind himself.
“I need you to drop me off at the office. Just for a moment. I want to look around, see what we need to keep in mind”. She finally turned around, almost shoving the address on the business card into his face. “Not just that” she continued before he even got the chance to read it properly.
Her other hand held up the small bronze coloured package.
“I have to make sure this reaches her before we do”.
She spoke so fast, he had trouble keeping up. He blinked at her.
She stared back at him, a little impatiently. “Please, take me there”.
Oh, like, right now?
“Uh, yeah. Sure…” he finally managed.
She reached out her hand before he did. Man, she was intense sometimes… He tried not to shake his head as he quickly wrapped the shadows around them.
Amira escaped his grasp as soon as their feet landed on solid ground. He watched her march up to the front door of the building, efficiently putting on a pair of sunglasses and wrapping a shiny blue scarf around her hair, stylishly hiding herself away.
“Wait!” Nico yelled at her, making her glance back at him. “Am I not coming with you…?”.
She looked back. “No. Wait here" she ordered. “Less suspicious”.
What the… This time he did shake his head. What was up with this woman? Couldn’t she care about anything other than the mission? Even still, if she couldn’t, couldn’t she at least pretend to try to be polite about it? She was lucky he didn’t really care about social norms… He started caring about them more and more the longer she made him wait. What was she doing in there?! Right when he started seriously considering abandoning her, she walked back out the door.
“I’m done” she greeted.
Nico found it hard to unclench his jaw enough to reply.
“Thank you” she offered before he managed. She stuck out a hand.
Oh. His anger subsided a little as he reached out. She gave him a firm shake… Then kept clinging on. Oh… Right…
“Sure…” he muttered, drawing in the shadows once again.
As soon as they reached her hotel room, he turned around and walked out. He definitely needed to go eat something now. More than that, he needed a break from Amira… Yan perked up as soon as he walked through the doorway, turning away from Logan to face him.
“Hey! There you are!”.
Her inquisitive, worried look revealed the question underneath.
“Yeah, sorry…” he started. “I helped Amira have a look at the office building and deliver the package. Should probably be delivered soon…”.
“Cool. Then let’s just go and get it over with” Logan offered.
“We will!” Yan jumped in “But, I had a chat with Amira earlier. We’ve got to get some disguises first! We can’t just waltz in there like this, there’s cameras everywhere! Our faces would be all over the news!”.
Logan slumped his shoulders, his good mood seemed to have taken a hit. “Again?! Do we really need to? We’ve wasted so much time already. All of yesterday” he huffed.
“Hey! At least we got to enjoy ourselves last night! So, it wasn’t ‘wasted’, right?” she tried reassuringly.
Nico sighed. “Honestly? I’m kinda glad it’s over… I’m really not into parties. I haven’t even celebrated my birthday since I was ten” he weighed in, without thinking…
“Since you were ten?” Yan asked, mildly horrified. “That’s so young! Everyone else was just okay with that?!” she asked, much more intensely.
Shit. Of course she’d be worried, she’s normal! How could he forget?
“Well, I mean… Everyone else was-”. Gone… No, he better not. “It’s a long story… The gist is that my childhood was pretty… Complicated” he stammered, trying to wave it away with his hand.
“Oh…!”.
Yan seemed a little rattled. Crap. He should’ve just lied. She caught herself.
“At least you turned out okay!” she said reassuringly. She threw in an awkward smile.
Ha! Yeah, right! Nico put up his most convincing fake smile. He hated it when people said things like that, but he knew she meant well. Still, it only proved how little she actually knew him. He was a train wreck on his best days. But, that probably meant he put up a pretty convincing act right? That’s what he wanted… Right?
“Eh, that’s a stretch, but you survived and you didn’t turn into a fucking serial killer” Logan snickered.
Yan smacked his arm and turned to him with an offended glare. Nico met his eyes in surprise. Was that meant as a sneer? His usual devious smile was there, but there was a hint of something else. Understanding? No way, right? Either way, it was probably one of the worst compliments, or nicest insults he’d heard.
“Thanks…”. Nico didn’t even know if he was being sarcastic or not.
“You know what?” Yan started, smiling carefully. “I’ll just go get them! It’s easy. Just a few things! You guys just take a break, yeah?”.
Logan cocked his head. “You really don’t have to. I don’t mind-”.
He got cut off by Amira closing the door behind her. “I’ll get them” she declared. “You three, just make sure to wear black” she ordered, looking at them sternly.
Nico and Logan shared a glance, then shrugged. Yeah. That wouldn’t be a problem… Well, not for them. Yan squirmed a little.
Nico put a hand on her shoulder to prevent it from rising even higher. “I’ll lend you something”.
Her shoulders lowered gratefully.
Alright. Seriously time for breakfast now. He quickly excused himself and walked off to the elevator. He caught Yan and Logan watching him when he looked up from the horrid carpet inside. Yan smiled a little too widely and waved a bit too eagerly at him as she disappeared between the doors. Nico smiled to himself. Well, at least not everyone was hard to deal with…
Nico picked at the mask. It was kinda hard to breathe through it, somehow making the hallway feel even more cramped than before. He put on the black baseball cap.
“Looking good! Even spookier than usual” Logan noted as he made his way over.
Nico wanted to insult him back, but frustratingly the getup actually kinda suited Logan. He made it look stealthy, almost like tactical gear. Dangerous in a much more subtle way than his usual demeanor. His eyes looked even more fiery contrasted with the black mask.
“Oh, definitely. Guys just throw themselves at me. It's actually getting kinda annoying” Nico said sarcastically.
Logan laughed quietly.
“What? Is this not doing it for you?” Nico added, gesturing at his face.
“Are you kidding me? I mean the hat? No. But, the mask is fun. Dark and mysterious... “ Logan said heavily, narrowing his eyes a bit, a flicker went through them. He stuck two fingers under the rim of Nico's mask, making him tense up as they ran past the underside of his chin. After giving the fabric a tug, he let go, making the mask snap back into Nico’s face.
That annoying-! Nico narrowed his eyes back at him and reached up, pulling Logan's baseball cap down over his eyes by the brim. He smirked, managing to pull his face back into a serious expression before Logan had time to fix himself back up.
Yan carefully walked up to them, mask and baseball cap on. She looked unintentionally adorable in Nico’s black t-shirt. It covered almost all of her, stopping barely above her knees. Her bare, pale legs underneath it hinted the shirt might be her entire disguise. She reached for her stack of colourful bracelets and found nothing, opting to wiggle her feet nervously instead. Nico looked at the black flats as she did. Probably the only black clothing Yan owned, he reckoned.
She giggled at them. “Well, at least I won’t have to worry about getting harassed by drunks like this, right?”.
Nico snorted. “Sorry, Yan. You’re irresistible. We’re going to have to keep an eye on you. Make sure you don’t get eaten”
Yan squealed. “Not all men are pigs…” she tried carefully. “I mean, look at you guys!” she quickly added. Not that convincingly.
Logan raised an eyebrow. “Nice try, whatever that was, it's not about either of us”.
Yan squealed louder. “Don't drag Nico down with you!”.
Nico smirked at her. “But…? Who is this nobleman hiding amongst the pork?” he pried, turning against her.
She looked up mysteriously, then popped her lips.
“Hmmokay, yes~! You caught me… Not to brag, but I might have gotten lucky last week” she bragged.
Logan grinned. “Nice”. They fist bumped. “Was it any good?” he asked.
Yan wiggled her eyebrows. “~I'm not saying~” she sang.
“Ooh. That kind of good, huh?” Logan mused.
She grinned. “I may or may not have been asked out, yes. But, it's too early to say anything. In fact, forget everything I said just now!”.
Amira strode up to them. The mask and baseball cap changed surprisingly little about her usual expression. Her long, slender frame looked even longer and more slender in her tight, black…
“Are you wearing a catsuit?!” Logan snickered at her.
“It’s a one piece suit. Very practical” Amira explained.
Right…
Nico caught their reflection in the mirror. Four dark figures, yet somehow the complete opposite of inconspicuous. He pursed his lips and nodded slowly.
“Yeah, we’ll definitely fly under the radar…”.
His sarcasm flew right under Amira’s radar, at least, as she looked them all over and nodded. She stuck out a hand, right in the middle of them. “Nico” she commanded.
“Yeah” he replied, putting his own hand on top of hers.
Logan clenched his teeth before doing the same.
Yan quickly slapped hers on top.
The shadows rolled themselves over them, sighing quietly.
After a cold draft of whispers, the shadows didn’t end. In fact, wherever they’d ended up was even darker than the dusky pathway he’d just led them down. Not only that, it was cramped too. As soon as they grounded, his back knocked into something. He felt whatever it was rock, and fall over with a series of loud clatters.
Shit.
So much for trying not to draw attention. He quickly moved into the opposite direction, right into the next invisible obstacle. The brim of his cap bumped against something as his chest pressed against whatever was underneath. Something warm and firm. Something that grumbled in annoyance. A sound he’d gotten familiar with.
Double shit…
A warm arm reached around him and pulled him away a bit by the back of his shirt.
“Sorry” Nico muttered, quickly readjusting his cap.
A long, slender arm reached between them, feeling around in the darkness. It found something. With a click the light turned on. They all blinked at the brightness.
Logan let go, pulling away his arm. Nico tried not to look at him as he did, standing as still as possible.
Amira opened the door and peered around the corner. She gestured for them to follow as she walked out the door. After looking around and taking in the surroundings, she turned around to face them. “Yan and I will go left, You two take the right. We’ll meet up at her office”.
She walked off before they got a chance to agree. Yan quickly paced after her. Nico and Logan glanced at each other and shrugged in a rare moment of annoyed solidarity.
They moved up to the hallway on the right, all the way around the corner. Nico stopped and carefully looked at what was waiting for them. He saw the shadows of multiple people move through the tinted glass in the office before them. Yan and Amira looked at them from around the other side. Logan was about to walk up to the door when Nico grabbed his shoulder.
“We can't… There's too many people in there” he hissed.
Logan nodded, seemingly only considering that just now.
He looked around and walked over to a side table covered in newspapers and magazines. Nico watched him with mild interest as Logan quickly swiped them aside into a thick, messy stack. Nico watched with growing interest as he hopped onto the freshly cleared tabletop and gathered the stack in his arms. Logan inspected the ceiling, then shoved them all on top of the tall bookcase next to him. He took out his lighter, looked at Nico and stuck up a thumb.
Nico's eyes went wide.
Logan flicked on his lighter and set the files on fire. The flames grew quickly, dark smoke spreading all over the ceiling.
Nico grabbed the top of his head with both hands, then held them out in panicked rage. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”.
The fire alarm started blaring. The sprinklers turned on, spraying water everywhere. No… Everywhere except the top of the bookshelf, missing the fire entirely. He heard screams and commotion. People burst out the door in a wave, some shielding themselves with their bags and suit jackets. They didn't even notice them as they ran past.
Nico stared at Logan in astonishment. “How are you both dumber and smarter than I thought?” he asked in awe, flicking water from his face.
Logan held him at gunpoint with both index fingers. “Don't underestimate me either way” he quipped, before hopping down with a small splash.
He walked in the direction of Ms. Robinson's office.
Nico looked at the rapidly growing fire for a second before he followed after him. He should have guessed Logan was an expert at creating chaos.
They both waited by the door, their backs to the wall. Ms. Robinson hadn't come out yet. That was suspicious… They pulled out their swords. Yan and Amira sloshed over hastily to meet with them, bow and spear at the ready.
“Not ideal, but good enough” Amira appraised quietly through her mask, wiping her drenched hair out of her face. She turned her attention to the door, carefully trying to get a view of the situation inside the office. Nico watched her eyes narrow as she took in all the details. Her eyes darted back over to them.
The fire alarm stopped, the sprinklers soon followed. Amira gestured for them to stand down, leapt through the doorway and rolled behind the soaked sofa. They watched her carefully look around the side. She slowly stood up and beckoned them in, putting her finger in front of her mask. They made their way in, right next to her.
They watched the back of the huge office chair behind the desk. Yan strained her bow, pointing an arrow right at it. Nico followed Amira's sharp gaze. The package, still neatly wrapped, stood in the corner with some others.
The chair turned, revealing Ms. Robinson's iconic hairdo, meticulously chiseled out of solid hairspray, and her very unamused expression. She held onto the armrests, her legs crossed. "Let me do the guessing, just this once" she stated. "You're the same four I was warned about at the hotel, aren't you?".
Amira stood up straight, completely unfazed. "Correct".
Ms. Robinson smiled sourly. "I figured… Lady Aphrodite sent you to kill me?".
Amira nodded. "Correct again".
Ms. Robinson clicked her tongue in frustration. “I should never have allowed myself to be manipulated by that troublemaker…”.
She ripped deep claw marks into the armrests, her nails suddenly long as daggers. Her eyes turned yellow and pupils vertical. She grew larger and larger, bursting out of her blazer. “Still, I have no intention of making this easy for you” she growled, her voice strained and raspy. Two massive, feathery wings folded out behind her.
Amira moved like lightning, sticking the back of her spear between the couch cushions and swinging herself over it. In one fluent motion she landed in front of Ms. Robbinson's desk and blocked her claw before it even had a chance to reach her. Nico grabbed the back of the sofa ready to jump over when Amira held up a hand.
“Stay back! All of you!” she commanded, stabbing at Ms. Robinson's face.
Ms. Robinson roared and threw her wings forward, making Amira back up. She spread them as far as she could, eyeing the skylight above her.
“Yan!” Amira commanded.
Yan shot the package dead centre barely half a second later. Green powder burst out everywhere with a loud bang. It covered anything it could reach within five feet in a coat of green. Ms. Robinson seemed stunned for a second, then looked around feverishly. Amira readied her spear.
“Catnip?!” Ms. Robinson screamed. She let out a hysterical laugh. “How insulting! I've been clean for years! This doesn't affect me in the slightest!”. Her eyes were wide, her pupils even wider. “In fact, to prove it…” she muttered. She bent down and snorted a long line from the bottom of her desk all the way to the top. She flopped down on top of it, rubbing her face all over it. “~See? This does nothing for me!~” she mused.
Nico almost dropped his sword. Seriously…?
“Who's the troublemaker you mentioned?” Amira demanded.
“Hm?” Ms. Robinson murmured, rolling onto her back and rubbing as much catnip on herself with her hands as she could.
“The troublemaker. The one who set you up. Spit it out” Amira demanded again.
“~Hmmm, you want a riddle? Why, of course, my dear. Here goes; The one you're looking for does none other than bring death to love itself~” she purred.
“Thank you” Amira said coldly. “Logan” she commanded.
Logan huffed, hopped over the backrest and unenthusiastically made his way over. He took a single picture and tossed the camera at Amira's feet.
She, in turn, stabbed down her spear in a fast, almost mechanical motion. It crunched right through Ms. Robinson's heart, who let out one final squeal before turning to dust.
“Nico, get ready to get us out of here” she demanded.
“Sure…” Nico offered. He resheathed his sword, an uneasy feeling taking over. That was… Unsatisfying…
Logan was a lot less subtle about it. He stabbed his sword right through the back of the large chair next to him. “For fuck’s sake! We're just props to you aren't we?! Why'd you even drag us along if you weren’t going to let us do anything?!”.
Amira turned to him, one side of her completely caked in a mixture of green and gray dust. “Don’t be stupid. All of you are the exact opposite of props. That’s exactly why I’m not going to take unnecessary risks. The assignment was to get rid of the Sphinx, and we did. That’s all any of us should care about” she stated stoically. She turned around fully. “Besides, all of you’ve done plenty the past few days” she added with just the faintest hint of warmth. “You’ve all been very useful” she assured.
Nico pursed his lips. Uhuh… Amira wasn’t much of a team player. But still… it was hard to argue with her results… He exchanged a look with Yan. Her eyes smiled apologetically above the face mask. Nico heard Logan’s sword rip all the way up through the chair with an angry tearing sound and a loud crack.
“Well, at least it’s over” he growled, sheathing his sword.
Nico drew the shadows in around them.
After a short stop at the hotel, they stepped out onto the familiar camp grounds. Their chain of hands broke.
Amira took the film out of the camera and carefully tucked it into her bag. She took something else out of it. “Here”. Amira turned to Logan and held out the business card. “That's yours. I wanted to give it back”.
Logan held it in his hand, looking at the phone number. They all looked at him as he tore it to pieces and walked over to the trash can nearby. “Her dad's rich, she's probably evil” he explained casually, dropping the pieces into it.
Yan raised an eyebrow. “You love evil” she said like he was going crazy.
“Eh” Logan shrugged. “I barely know her”.
Yan raised her other eyebrow too. “Lo, stop. You're scaring me”.
Logan laughed and tugged on her hair.
Amira went right back to business with a single nod. “Fine. It’s your choice”. She addressed the group. “I’ll write the report immediately. Lady Aphrodite should be very pleased. Good job everyone”.
Yan pulled her mask off and smiled awkwardly. She was the only one who bothered.
Nico stuck up a hand. “Alright, goodbye”.
Yan startled a bit as he moved to take a step back. “No! Wait!”. She wrapped her arms around him. “At least let me say goodbye back this time!”.
Oh. Right.
“Goodbye, Nico! Thanks a bunch!” she patted into his back.
He returned two pats and gently pulled himself free from her arms. “You too, Yan”.
Amira stuck out her hand to him. “It's been a pleasure working with you, Nico”.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake. “You too, Amira” he stated. He swore he could see a smile.
He turned to Logan with an awkward smile. Logan smiled brightly. Without a warning he swatted Nico's baseball cap off of his head by the underside of the brim.
“A real pleasure…” Nico added sarcastically. There was no venom in his bite.
Yan grabbed hold of Logan's cheek in a clear warning.
Nico didn't bother picking up his hat. He just held up his hand as he stepped backwards into the shadows. They waved at him as he did.
Just moments later he stepped out a few states away.
He ran a hand through his hair then pulled off the mask to breathe in the fresh air. Well… Fresh? He’d stepped out onto a parking lot, right next to a highway. A parking lot, next to a highway where exactly? He turned around to find out. An all night diner made itself known right behind him…
Not like he had other places to go, right?
He stayed there until early the next morning, drinking coffee to keep himself awake, watching the sunrise.
Ms. Robinson’s iconic hairstyle plastered on a television screen in the corner lured his eyes over, a large banner promising ‘breaking news’ slapped right across it. He listened to the presenter’s shouty voice.
“Sad news this morning for fans of the hit television quiz ‘Robinson’s riddles’. Ms. Wilma Robinson has been confirmed to have passed away unexpectedly last evening by the show’s official social media accounts. They have not released any further details to the public at this point, but a verified source close to the acclaimed presenter claims she had secretly struggled with substance abuse for years. What makes the news especially shocking is that only two days ago the show celebrated a major milestone. Suspicions around Ms. Robinson’s wellbeing already rose when she failed to attend the event. The police are said to be looking into a suspicious package delivered directly to her office right before her passing. It is rumoured to have contained very large amounts of various illegal substances-”
Nico turned away and blew out a deep breath. “Damn that’s cruel…”.
The waitress hummed in solemn agreement as she topped off his coffee. He smiled awkwardly at her, silently vowing to never get on Aphrodite’s bad side again. Not that he’d ever have to. He was done with the Gods for now. Done with missions.
The last few days flashed through his mind. Yan, Amira… Logan. With a sigh he realized he was probably not going to see any of them again. He felt a load of tension leave his body, his shoulders sunk in relief. Funny. Did relief always feel kinda bitter?