you're in too deep, you know.

— TENSION. starting at the base of her spine, coiling around each individual vertebrae, pulling muscles uncomfortably taut while creeping through the entirety of her back, her shoulders, her neck– finally ending at her temple. she couldn’t help but contort her features as the irritating pain that seemed to appear out of nowhere, though erica should have been well aware that it had been lurking below the surface of her skin, permeating each and every part of her body and just waiting for the most inopportune moment to strike. bringing two fingers up to massage the area and closing her eyes, erica let out a soft sigh at the temporary relief it brought, before letting her hand fall to rest on the edge of her chair and feeling that familiar throb return with a slight hiss added to her exhalation.

“fuck,” the muttered curse left her before she could truly think about it, her mind totally and unequivocally absorbed in the next job and what’s to come with it. there’s no time for this, the frustrated thought floated through her head and she wholeheartedly agreed. there wasn’t any time, and she couldn’t falter now. not when her plans had only begun to see fruition.

heaving out a sigh as she pushed herself up off of the seat, erica reached up to card her fingers through her hair in an almost agitated motion. there was too much to worry about, too much at stake… but all she could think of to soothe the ache was drink– or sex. the latter, while there were, admittedly, many options available to her– no. erica could not do that. she refused to allow herself to get even remotely tangled in a connection that could be her downfall, and refused to allow herself to become so involved with any of the people that were supposed to be her coworkers. this was business, after all. she could give them her respect and temporary trust all she liked, but at the end of the day erica still couldn’t be sure who would stick around after (god forbid) a failure in their plans. her plans.

… the bar it was, then. always the bar.

it wasn’t uncommon to find her drinking, alone, at any hour of the day and most of the time the rest of the team seemed to just accept it without question. however, tonight felt… different. off. and perhaps that was on her. despite finishing nearly four glasses of whiskey and a couple shooters of vodka and wallowing in her discomfort for a good hour, she couldn’t manage to shake the feeling. as though it had sunk it’s claws deep into her shoulders, drawing blood and resting heavy on her admittedly small frame. it refused to let go, and she refused to stop trying, an endless struggle that she didn’t want to admit she’d already lost.

the tension was there to stay, and she hated it, along with the many other fears she had over this next job in particular. they wouldn’t come down to kentucky. would they? it– no, they… they wouldn’t…

ugh. that was not a thought she was the slightest bit prepared to be considering.

even as the liquor dulled her senses and her mind, erica wasn’t blind, deaf or dumb to the presence of someone else in the room when they entered it– thank god for that, she was in need of a distraction –but when she heard her name it certainly had a… watery air to it. tipsy, at the very least, the brunette very nearly didn’t acknowledge whomever had called for her attention, quirking an eyebrow and attempting to catch their gaze in the mirrored wall of the bar first.

… oh, for fuck’s sake. she couldn’t see a damn thing, having forgotten her contacts, and her vision blurry beyond five feet. that wasn’t going to help matters.

at the very least, it could only be one of eleven individuals that had access to this place. eleven individuals that she could be (mostly) sure weren’t about to try anything stupid. and after a long moment of frustration silence, erica hummed quietly, tilting her head just a fraction to let whoever was there know that she was listening and she was aware, before trying her hand at a half-hearted joke; “… forget something at the office?”

it was another late night at the headquarters for ivy. she had become obsessed with being as useful as humanly possible. she wanted to make them all proud, which was an unusual feeling for her recently. ever since jacob, she hadn’t really given a damn what people thought of her. after she was sure that she was never going to get the recognition she deserved, she merely became a background player, whereas before she had been desperately trying to get into the spotlight. 

and then she’d come to the team, and sure, at first, she’d felt like an outsider. but slowly, slowly she had found her place amongst them. she knew she still had work to do.

at the last heist, she had failed to crack a safe and she had been obsessing over it ever since. so she was practicing the best that she could. she was watching youtube videos, headphones in, intently focusing on her technique. she would be better than catwoman, she laughed to herself, hearing it echo around her. maybe it was time for her to head back home. 

when striker’s house became home to her, she wasn’t sure. but it was. she smiled at the thought, turning her laptop off and sliding it into her bag. 

she was going to leave, but she saw a light on in the bar. she wondered who could possibly be there that late. she walked in, seeing erica sitting a the bar. “erica?” she spoke, raising a single brow at her, confused, walking in. she sees the way she’s trying to look at her in the glass and she’s even more confused. 

“been here the whole time actually. trying my hand at cracking safes. wanting to be prepared for the next heist, you know?” she walked closer, sitting down next to her. “have you been here all night?”

mischa is known for being terrifying, a modern mafia medusa reducing men three times her size to ash and rubble, but the second someone brought up candy, the ravenette was bright pink and hiding her face in her hands, reduced to stutters and stammers over a girl with a butterfly tramp stamp who wore skirts from the little girl’s section as crop tops. “RIGHT!? and she thought she looked UGLY in that one! i – IVY. do not tell anyone i said this, but of all the money and riches we stole, i think the biggest prize was her. i would have — i’d trade it all for her, but sshshshshshhh….our secret, da?” her voice had the juvenile animation and dramatics of a girl at a 7th grade sleepover. that’s what this was. a sleepover. this was striker’s house but for ivy? she would brave it. 

you deserve to be happy. mischa took a long swig from her bottle. i deserve nothing, she wanted to say. my father is dead because of me and i’m a useless alcoholic who hurts everyone who makes the stupid mistake to care about me. but she couldn’t say that so she smiled and laughed. “more vodka!” the mafia princess mirrored comically, throwing her vodka into ivy’s wine glass with red faced gusto and such strength that it was a miracle that the glass clink hadn’t turned out like the titantic and the iceberg. with a little hiccup, mischa put her head on ivy’s shoulder, grinning radiantly stupidly, carelessly, poking ivy on the cheek with her matte black acryllic. “your turn. show me your ‘ jacob ‘.  i would like to see the cute butt you said was very smackable. go on. share with class.”

“ugly?! only pretty girls, i swear.” she laughed out, a real laugh. she was starting to let her guard down around the other woman. “you know? they’re always convinced they’re not as truly beautiful as they actually really are.” she then looked at the other. her eyes were soft and she put a hand over her heart. “that is...  the most precious thing i’ve ever heard in my life. who would’ve known you were a romantic?!” she truly is endeared by the other. a scary mafia princess was sitting here, gushing over a girl. it was... incredible. this was her life now and she didn’t know what to make of it. but she liked it. she really did.

“mischa!” she laughed out, surprised her glass didn’t break with the force of the other. “cheers, i suppose.” she took another big gulp, and then nodded. “that’s right. you’ve never seen him!” she pulled her phone out, going into her photos, and finding the album. “he really was one of the most handsome men alive, and i’m only a little bias. we’d been together since high school and we just... i remembered the first time i ever saw him.” she tapped on a picture of the two of them, and her heart ached in her chest. “this is him.” she showed the other, sighing sadly. “i miss him so much, misch...” tears prick at her eyes but she blinks them back.

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 to buy himself something physical with his post-heist money, he figures that this particular occasion deserves an experience rather than a thing. after all, until mardi gras comes back around to new orleans, it’ll be a while before he’s able to have all this debauchery easily within reach. what could be more fun than dragging a straitlaced fbi agent into the mix alongside him ? and all the better — she seems to be game. “ you have been spotted, ” he agrees jovially, looping an arm through hers as if that alone will prevent her from running off. “ i haven’t decided where i’m heading yet, ” he says, gently tugging her arm in an attempt to coax her along with him. “ but i know it’ll be fun. i’m thinking gambling — i’m not usually a big gambler, but there’s no better time to start than when you’re in vegas, right ? you’ve got the calculating mind; i bet we could clear out the house. ” he snickers, adding, “ again. ”

“i sure have.” she gives him a small smile. he’s always... a lot. but maybe she hasn’t given him a proper chance, she thinks. so she goes along with it. why the hell not? “gambling, huh? you know, back in the day, i was incredibly good at blackjack... and i suppose... i have money to burn...” this could be the biggest mistake ever. or it could turn out to be a fun night! she laces her arm with his right back, looking up at him and shrugging. “you know what, monty? i can’t tell you the last time i actually just... had fun. and if there’s one thing i know about you it’s that you know how to have fun. so. teach me how to have fun.” she laughs, gesturing forward. “lead the way, monsieur.”

“oh my god. she’s so pretty!” ivy laughed out, nudging misha’s side, a smile on her face. “you really did hit the jackpot with that one, babe.” her words slur slightly and she takes another sip from her bottle of wine. she didn’t even bother with glasses when she was with mischa. because she knew that first of all, she wouldn’t judge her, but also, she had to be able to keep up. and she never would if she used something like a glass. really, she should stick to hard alcohol, but the last time she did that she ended up making a lot of... regrettable decisions. so she stuck to wine. “i’m really happy you’re happy, you know? you deserve it. you deserve to be happy.” okay, so maybe she was a little bit more than just tipsy. she was definitely boardering on being genuinely drunk. “i wish you could’ve met jacob, you know? i think you would’ve really liked him. you, me, candy, him. a double date!” she laughed out, shaking her head, a sadness creeping up into her heart. “more wine!” she turned to grab the bottle, chugging quite a bit of it. ah, much better.

percy had the uttermost respect for ivy–he had started taking his faked death for granted. not having to report to the bureau every morning was a gift in its own, but on top of that, not having to live two lives anymore? an easy power to relinquish. even if he had lost everything with it. he didn’t envy ivy, for he had been her once before. he knew enough to appreciate her, greatly.

he chuckled. “i know i’m probably the last person qualified to say this, but you should at least let yourself relax for a day. i’ll gladly talk shop with you anytime, though, if you disagree.” percy found himself reaching for one of the apples on the counter. he grabbed a knife from the drawer and began to cut it in his hand. the snacks in the kitchen didn’t just appear out of thin air–percy truly was the team mom in all aspects. he begrudgingly spent hundreds of dollars on pink flavored vodka for mischa–how could something possibly taste pink?

“obviously, the most important part of your job is making sure the feds don’t catch on, but in the meantime, i suppose you could work on safe cracking. honestly, it’s something we all need a refresher in. but it could come in handy.”

“relax, huh?” she laughed out, shaking her head. “i really don’t think i know what that is.” she never had, honestly. she was always one of those people that was gogogo. that’s just who she was. “but thank you, i think, of everyone, you’re one of the few people here that i know i’m going to get a genuine straightforward answer from. plus, i’ve known you the longest.” she smiled at him, taking another bite of her yogurt. 

she watched him cut the apple with his knife. it was interesting, because percy truly could be so intimidating, but she didn’t find him that way in the slightest. she sucked on her spoon in thought for a moment, cocking her head to the side.

“right, well, that’s easy. they’re a bunch of imbeciles. i’ve been looking into the case and they have absolutely zero leads. it’s rather... humorous, actually.” she shook her head. “it’s insane how much i gave to them... and how the moment the wool was pulled from my eyes i realized exactly how... laughable they all are.” she shook her head, remembering exactly what she had given them. her scar ached for a moment and she touched her abdoment for a moment before pushing herself to move on.

“ah, yes. not exactly something i have training in, you know? it’s one of the more... criminal-based skills, you know?” she took another bite of her yogurt and laughed. “not exactly something i ever thought would be useful. can you help me?” she asked, curious. “or is there someone else i should go to?”

* ･ﾟ@agentwang​ !

𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐘. this is nothing new to anyone on the team — he’ll drag each and every one of them into his antics if given the opportunity, their willingness to participate be damned. currently, he’s off to enjoy one of vegas’s many entertainment venues; there’s some ridiculous casino that’s supposed to be a must-see, so of course monty’s must see it. he’s making his way down the hallway of the hotel they’re staying in, tucking his hotel key into his wallet and whistling softly to himself, when none other than AGENT WANG appears in his field of view. despite the fact that she’s regularly and openly annoyed by him, monty lifts a hand in greeting, calling out “ IVY ! ” in a cheerful tone to get her to turn around. he lengthens his strides to catch up to her, bumping his elbow against hers as they fall into stride. “ you look like you’re ready for something fun. ” she doesn’t. “ i’m heading out. you should join me. ”

ivy was enjoying her post-heist high. she had... so much money now. this was new to her. she didn’t grow up wealthy, not at all. she struggled for everything that she had and now she could just... enjoy. and she didn’t know what to do with herself, honestly. she decided she wanted to maybe go see the sights, even if it was on her own. sure, she could text, like, 90% of the crew and she was sure they’d text her back and go out with her. but she thought she would take a little bit of time to herself. she zipped up her dress and adjusted her makeup, fluffing her hair, before walking out of her hotel room. she smiled lightly to herself as she walked down the hallway before she saw none other than monty. oh, wonderful. she didn’t hate him, not in the slightest, but she always sort of... didn’t exactly get along with him. but he’s grinning at her and waving and she just can’t find it in her heart to be mean to him. “well, hi there.” she laughed out, looking at him, shaking her head a bit in disbelief. “i was just trying to sneak out and have some alone time, but. alas, i’ve been spotted.” she raises a brow at him. “where are you headed?” maybe it would be somewhere she really didn’t want to go and she could just... let him down easy.

     ── “ listen, i’m here for striker, not you. last i checked, this isn’t your house. ”  at first he does his best not to give her a reaction, keeping his sights on the windshield in front of him instead of looking to her as she approaches. absentmindedly, he taps a hand on the steering wheel, like some trigger to fire him from the situation should he need the sudden ESCAPE. it’s not an unusual feeling. often he is poised to run.

is there anything else ?  jace sets his jaw at that ; he sometimes finds ivy to be especially irritable after a heist, though that question bites into a nerve in a new way. perhaps she’s trying to start a fight for real, or scare him off, or is simply still on edge after everything in vegas, and he doesn’t care to give her the SATISFACTION of a visible response. instead, he makes his voice unbothered, flat as he speaks.  “ so it’s my whole personality. what, were you hoping for more ? ”  still does he refuse to open the car door, though he at least concedes enough to look over at her. like it’s all casual, he leans an arm out the open window, letting his expression go smug while he continues.  “ and my fast, stolen cars are the whole reason you’re not still stuck at that casino. waiting for the fucking bus with a couple million and a stolen painting as luggage. ”

jace is rarely any good with words, and right then he doesn’t much care to be, either. he’s not sure why ivy is asking THEN, of all moments, in the middle of the night while he’s still trying to ride the adrenaline high of the heist— it feels like an ambush.  “ really ?  are we talking about our feelings, now ?  don’t go saying all that shit like this is a ONE-WAY street. it’s no secret you hate me too. ”  ivy is never exactly subtle about that fact, conflicting as that is sometimes. and while it’s often fun to ignore that in favor of teasing her strange weakness for him, he cannot stand the superiority.  “ least i don’t pretend like i’m better than that. ”

“no, but i stay here. and you’re well aware of that fact.” she hates the fact that at first he’s not even looking at her. it makes her feel so... small. and she hates feeling that way. she hates the way he makes her feel 96% of the time. he brings out a side of her that’s she’s not really sure she likes in herself. and then when she does feel anything positive towards him, something more... evolved, she squashes it. because god forbid she ever genuinely actually cared about jace. because that would just lead to ruin and pain. and she’s had more of that in her lifetime than she’d care to ever deal with ever again. she’d rather die alone than be hurt like that again. especially by someone like jace. 

“maybe. maybe sometimes i convince myself that there’s more to you. but you always set me straight.” she had so much vitriol in her being and she genuinely hated it. she wished that he would just drive off, leave her alone. because she knew this was a side of herself that should just stay hidden. she had a daughter. what would rose say if she knew her mother had the capacity to be this hateful? “i’ve already told you that you have talent and that i’m sure we all appreciate what you do for the heist.” she crossed her arms over her chest again, suddenly very aware that she was in her pajamas. another reason for her to be annoyed. she remembered being safe and warm in her bed (ignoring the fact that she had been having an awful nightmare, that wasn’t the point).