𝔟𝔢 𝔩𝔬v𝔢𝔡, 𝔟e𝔩𝔬v𝔢d.

Standing in the second row, he could just see around the two leads in front of him to the back of the twins' heads, which were facing the incoming sound. One reached down to pick up a chest harness, already loaded with matching Harrier 700s.

It looked…odd. It was not something that he would have associated with Sylus, but, not one to judge he put the thought at the back of his mind. Tonight was about proving himself. Tonight -

All that excitement drained away into a deep scowl as you walked through and up to the twins, smoothly taking the gun harness from them and strapping it around your torso with practiced ease.

It was then that you looked up to see his expression, grinned in a way that reminded him an awful lot of a predator ready to pounce.

"Well, damn, kid, don't look too disappointed now. First raid is a big moment."

Someone elbowed him in the ribs, and he still didn't fix his face.

You cocked your eyebrow in a way that reminded him an awful lot of the white haired man, which meant you probably spent a good amount of time around him. Even the twins moved as if you were someone worth respecting, but he just…couldn't bring himself to do it.

The words were out before another elbow could force them back down, "Who the hell are you? I was told I was doing a raid for Mr. Sylus -"

"You are." It was a statement punctuated by the slightest shift of everyone moving away from him, multiple eyes anywhere but on you.

"Mr. Sylus," you mimicked, "Wants this shipment of protocores here yesterday. That's why he's sending us in. We go, take out the Ghosts who dared to cross Sylus, with as little damage to the building as possible," you emphasized, giving a pointed look to the twins.

Your sharp eyes landed back on his auburn ones. "Then the Cleaners come while we return the goods to the correct warehouse."

"Cleaners?"

"Yeah - the Cleaners," someone next to him hissed. "Where you're going to end up if you keep mouthing off to The Captain of all people."

Fear licked up his spine. You had turned away, taking a sleek motorcycle helmet from the other twin, the three of you discussing something quickly, which allowed him time to glance at his new co-worker.

"That's the Captain?"

A firm nod had him quickly regretting his attitude.

Sure , he'd heard of the Captain. Everyone had. They were who everyone considered the unofficial second in command. If Sylus wanted something done quickly and efficiently, he sent in the Captain and their crew.

If he wanted to send a pointed message, he sent the Captain by themself.

He hissed a curse as you turned back toward the eleven men, giving quick orders.

"We'll split into two teams of six to cover both entries. No one makes it out. Intelligence says that the protocores are being kept on a basement floor, so we're going to have to sweep the uppers first to make sure we don't get gridlocked.

"Rhys and Morris, you're on truck duty. Toby'll be inside the truck just in case. Cami, Ash, and Morgan, you're on guard bikes. Six of you will set up near the back entrance in case anyone decides to run.

"Greenie, Jackson, and Eve, you're with me and the twins. We'll be going in through the front, headed to the top floor first."

It took him entirely too long to realize Greenie meant him. He went to correct you, but was silenced with a lift of your hand. "You earn your name after your first run, kid. For now, you're Greenie."

He shut his mouth again.

"Before we go, Morris, do you mind?"

The large man, Morris, gave a firm nod, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, there was a gentle press against Greenie's mind, one that nearly had him jumping back.

"Let Morris in, Greenie," you said calmly. "Just think of it like opening a door."

With a blink, he did. Or, tried to. Hesitantly, gradually, he allowed the slight pressure in, and the pain eased. With it, a voice that was not his own.

Connected?

Uh…what?

He's in, Cap. We're good.

Good? GOOD? WHAT'S GOOD?

Don't get your panties twisted, Greenie, it's just a telepathic connection. Harder to hack than a communication device. If you got Morris on the team, it's the preferred way to communicate.

…oh.

"Now get on your bike. We got a bit of a drive."

Greenie didn't talk during the drive over - through his mind or voice, although one probably could hear the squeak of his teeth from how hard his jaw clenched.

Another barrier. Another. And if he actually wanted in, he was going to have to impress you. Rumor on the street was that you had even lower of a humor threshold than Sylus.

He knew what to do though, as the vehicles parked about a quarter of a mile from the warehouse. The crickets and occasional chitters of nocturnal animals were louder than the rolling footsteps as the team slipped through careful shadows to the building.

It started fine - no resistance getting in, although Greenie noticed quickly that seemed to make you more tense than before. The six of you climbed up, and split three and three to clear the top floors, making quick work of the few Ghosts who seemed to be taking some sort of break instead of doing their job.

But it was getting to the basement that seemed to be an issue.

Luke had hacked the code box, but a secondary alarm had been triggered from it, and that is when the true fight began.

Bullets peppered the air, flashes from muzzles adding to the chaos. You and Greenie found yourself behind a concrete structural pillar, working hard to continue to push your way farther inside.

He knew, logically,he should be thinking about the very real issue of bullets and potential injuries, but his mind was splintering. First on how to still impress you - how this could be used to his advantage. The second was on how he, very much, did not want to die. And lastly, how you seemed to move one to two seconds ahead of the enemy, and would take them out with a headshot.

It was taking time -too much time - to individually snipe every one of them with a less-than-ideal gun made for it. What you needed to do was get to a better position that allowed you more sight-line.

Greenie grinned- an opportunity had finally arrived.

His evol, you see, was a very beneficial one for this particular situation. He could make energy based barriers that blocked anything. It was perfect. He could show you what he could do while protecting you. Simple, easy, foolproof.

You hissed as you ducked your head away from the edge, a bullet taking out a chuck of the concrete where your face had been moments before. The bullet embedded itself in a box, and you looked at it strangely.

"We need better sight," he said, only half taking in your confused expression. "I'll make a barrier and get us over to that nook to the left. You'll have to wait to shoot until we're over there - works both ways, unfortunately."

"Wait -"

"It'll be fast if we run. Ready?"

"Wait!"

But Greenie was already moving, a too proud smirk on his face as he raised his hand in front of him, and a shimmer of a barrier appeared.

And then he grunted as your weight slammed hard into him, knocking him off balance. You grabbed the back of his jacket, hauling him with you to the new location as a white hot pain seared through his hand.

Looking down, he saw a perfectly round hole through his palm.

And then he screamed.

Your hand shot out and covered his mouth, muffling it, but his panic only worsened with the sudden lack of oxygen going to his head.

"Shut up!" you hissed, before standing up and taking out the final group still shooting at you with three more shots.

Then you dropped back down, pulling a small amount of medical supplies from your pants' many pockets.

Gods, what was it the doctor said? Bullet wounds, pack and wrap until you get back. First aide wasn't your best skill, but you could at least do that.

You moved quick, but the new kid was still panicking before you. Without hesitation, once the gauze was secure, you reached into a different pocket for a sour candy, unwrapped it, and shoved it in his mouth.

He choked - gagged, and this his eyes were on you, properly focused.

"What…how - nothing's ever gotten through before."

"Anti-matter bullets. There've been rumors they were being sold to some of our competitors, but we had yet to see them."

"How did you know?"

You blinked at him, flashed him a weak grin. "Sixth sense, I guess. Can you stand?"

He nodded briefly, letting you pull him up by his arm. Both of you listened for any sound. It was an uneasy silence for a few moments.

Report.

Floor's clear, Cap.

Basement, too. Found the protocores.

Luke and I are loading them into the freight elevator now. Morris, bring the truck around to the docking station.

On it.

Morris or Rhys - one of you gotta switch with the newbie. He won't be able to drive back with his hand like this.

There was a mental groan, before an agreement of rock-paper-scissors to settle who'd have to ride the kid's bike back.

Rhys lost.

The group's return was no louder than it was leaving. A job was a job, as far as they were concerned.

Greenie, still in shell shock, was brought back to the medics that stayed at the base. You were pretty sure one of them on staff tonight had a healing evol. You hoped so at least.

Once confirming, again, with the warehouse everything was accounted for, and all the vehicles had returned to their proper parking locations, you headed inside to begin your own post-heist ritual.

The armory had a large countertop that came out about waist high about a foot or so. Dark cabinets supported it, filled with all sorts of things one may need when it came to handling the variety of guns on the wall, but the one you needed, that you stood comfortably in front of, was the cleaning materials.

Carefully, almost delicately, you freed your Harriers and unloaded them. And then quickly and efficiently, you took the guns apart and started to clean.

It was a task to easily lose yourself in. Habitual. Consistent. Meditative. In your mind's eye, you reviewed the new information you learned tonight, and reminded yourself that you still had the shells of those antimatter bullets in one of your pockets. You needed to pass them along to Sylus.

The guns clicked back together easily enough, and then you reached up to place them both in their designated slots on the wall. As soon as your hands moved away, the lights went out, and the dim red emergency ones popped on.

Your heartbeat pounded too loudly in your ears as you stepped forward again, reaching for your guns, but they were missing.

You blinked. How were they missing?

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Footsteps pounded heavily down the empty hallways and up the stairs to the first floor, but you were only met with silence as you popped through the door.

You shouted for Luke and Kieran. Shouted for Rhys. Ash. Jackson.

No one answered, and as you turned a corner into the main hall, you could see why.

All were dead. Every one. Blood still seeped out of their still warm bodies - this was recent. Panic now flooded your brain as you turned toward the grand staircase to the next floor.

Eyes snagged on a hand wrapped in fresh gauze.

Greenie. Hell, you hadn't even learned his name yet. Soon? This happens this soon?

Bounding up the stairs two at a time you shouted for Sylus. He wouldn't let his own people die in his home without a fight - where was he?

Skidding around another corner to where your boss' office was, you didn't see the large man that you plowed into coming from the room.

Stumbling back a few steps, shaking from adrenaline, you looked up into very familiar unnaturally blue eyes.

"You -" was all you managed, before a hand raised and a trigger was pulled with a startling BANG.

The gasp that came from you as you violently sat up startled both Luke and Kieran from where they were waiting by your side, one with headache medication and the other with some water.

"There you are, Cap. You alright?"

Taking the medication first, you nodded and then shook your head.

"How long - how long was I out this time?"

"Uh…well, we found you about ten minutes ago just…staring at your guns with those creepy milky eyes…," Luke started.

Kieran continued, "And we did what you taught us, and moved you to the floor so you didn't fall on your own trying to do something."

With a nod, you took another sip of water. Okay, think. Think Captain, think. Where is Sylus right now? Did he have a scheduled meeting with -

"You're up."

Blinking slowly, you looked up into the narrowed, carmine eyes of your boss. He leaned effortlessly against the doorframe, arms crossed as he watched you. "What did you see?"

Sylus had been the first one to believe in your visions. The first to realize it was less a gift of prophecy and an actual Evol you could control…mostly.

He, Luke, and Kieran worked tirelessly with you to hone that skill into something useful in a fire fight, and now you could consistently maintain it around thirty minutes or so, seeing two to three seconds into the future.

And as long as the person had fully decided what action they would take next, you also knew what it would be. Which made you one hell of a shot.

The problem was the other visions you had. Ones you couldn't control. They were snippets, often ones you had to quickly assess and figure out where you were and what was happening before you were launched back into your present self. Often on the floor from tripping or falling backward, which is why you had trained the twins to lay you down if they found you.

Those visions didn't happen often, but they were never wrong. There was no way to prevent them - you had tried often on your own before joining Onychinus, and failed every time.

Most were painful in some form or fashion, but none had ever been this devastating. Shakes took over your frame at the memory.

Sylus didn't ask the question again. He waited, quietly, as you worked through putting it all together. He knew that these were harder for you to navigate, usually, and took time for you to settle into reality once more.

"Giovanni. He - I dunno how, but he's going to kill everyone, Sylus. In here - in the base."

Grey brows furrowed.

"Look, I already know what you're about to say, but that's what I saw. Everyone's dead - the new kid, his hand was still bandaged, and I dunno how soon that makes this vision. And wait - look."

You dug into your pocket to pull free the blasted shells from the bullets you had taken. Kieran took them from you, and passed them to Sylus. "They have antimatter bullets, Sy. I dunno how, and we didn't find any outside of the weapons they had on them. But -"

Sylus raised a hand to silence you as he studied the fragments closely.

"You know how I feel about fate being a fixed thing."

"Okay, but -"

A sharp look had you clamping your jaw shut.

"You were alone, those other times. Now you have us. And we have you. Which means we know who and where, and we can prepare for the when."

A nod, and then another shaky drink of water. "Okay."

Sylus' buzzing phone broke the silence next, and he answered it on speaker. "What?"

"There's a Mr. Giovanni at the door? Says he got a meeting, but I don't see it on your schedule."

Darkening embers met your eyes. "Tell him I have no time for unannounced visits. If he wants a meeting, schedule it."

With a click, the call ended.

"Well…I think now we know the when."

Zayne

Xavier

Sylus

Rafayel

Valko

chuu's note: xavis one lowk something I did when I was interstate... I would bother my friend who was the floor beneath cos I didnt have enough bread lol (we usually got 1 loaf and split it bw each other cos we were saving money)

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likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3 lots of love, chuu!