it took an amazing amount of self-control not to reach back and smack the man upside the head. because some people, no matter how much the changed, still acting like the same punk asses they were growing up. Felix had absolutely no doubt that luke would continue being a punk ass until he died, and then would still somehow manage to be a punk ass from the grave. “most, if not all, caused entirely by you,” felix said flippantly, waving the comment off with a roll of his eyes. he’d dealt with luke long enough, and now ran his own base filled with cocky asshole kids, so he’d grown rather bulletproof to sass (most sass, the record would show that he still spent an inordinate amount of time riled up for no good reason). 

and honestly, for the amount of times he’d run into luke in the past, none of them good, particularly in the years that followed the shadow wars between olympus and ichor, he should have been more weary of the man. felix was a force of his own, but that was in the past. he’d been permanently wounded, battered down by years and years of fighting. he was an easy target for luke (and if he had anything to say about it, a highly unsportsmanlike one). but he wasn’t worried. One, because he knew luke. and even in the other’s time in ichor, luke had spent a great deal of his time seemingly avoiding felix. but, well….there had been more than a few times where he’d ended up on the bad side of his knives. that was something felix hadn’t forgotten, and would most likely never forget…though he had forgiven him for it. he was too fucking tired to be holding onto anger like that.

…but secondly, felix had grown a bit less naive in his older age. he had, up on the roof, one of the very best snipers in the business. and he’d chosen this open area because there wasn’t anywhere luke could really get away to. call it his insurance policy. he’d done nothing to hide his sniper either. he knew luke knew the guy was there. which was all fine. because he knew he wasn’t here by mistake, and he knew (or rather hoped) that luke didn’t think he was stupid enough to come with no defense. 

without the slightest inclination to either take a seat with or stand before the other male, luke decided to stay where he was, poised and deathly still --- a stark contrast to his previous unrest and impatience. he was much better at hiding things now; such as how tight he was currently coiled, ready to STRIKE if needed, or the hint of curiosity masked behind a meticulously dissecting look. he then concealed the rarity that were his flashing pearly whites, but behind a smirk of enjoyment instead of the default scowl. as he laced his fingers together before him, head tilting a fraction of an inch, he spotted the end of a certain old knifepoint scar luke had impulsively placed on felix’s neck years ago. there was never any doubt that this was not the same man --- the young assassin simply wanted to reminisce ... and blatantly ignore the comment regarding loneliness. belonging to nothing but the shadows was admittedly beginning to eat at him.

‘ SLOPPY ? ’ luke mused with mock offense, his tone despicably arrogant. ‘ this little rendezvous is anything but. if you want to hear the truth, well, as truthful as an espionage god can be, then here it is --- you were the one being sloppy. i’ve known you’ve been hot on my trail since fucking SIBERIA. took you longer than i’d have expected for you to catch up though, you know. getting a little lethargic in your old age, are you ? ’ eyes returned to scanning the area once again, half out of habit and half out of faked disinterest. luke hadn’t been this amused in a while. ‘ so, that begs the question of what exactly it is you want me for. ’

after straightening out to tower over the older agent --- or whatever he was now, luke ran a hand back through his raven-dark hair, looking back to him with a cocked eyebrow. given his own track record, the youth had half a mind to expect a proposal of blackmail or a guilt-tripping speech regarding a sense of duty and patriotism, but luke knew neither would be the case --- not from HIM. there wasn’t more than a mere handful of people in the entire world who truly knew luke sinclair; faults, motives, desires and all ... and the man sitting before him was one of them. they probably didn’t even need to catch up in order for it to be known that luke was more SEFLISHLY content than ever before. for once in his life he was finally free to make the choices he wanted to make without reservation --- having become an untamable and formidable force to be reckoned with. everything he’d ever wanted to be. mostly. 

he couldn’t say with complete certainty that luke would be there. even his own ops team, his highly trained ops team, had trouble tracking the ‘ghost’ down. he’d first heard wind of an ex-army hitman with the dangling ghost id tag back in the states, from a report he’d been handed down by the state of defense–some delegation bullshit that he had far less patience for nowadays. and even though there was virtually no information in that file, and no usable leads he could bounce off of, he didn’t need them. there was only one person in the world with those dog tags, and he knew exactly who that one person was. 

little sinclair, ares, loki, now GHOST. though no longer so little any longer, LUKE remained as enigmatic as ever, both in name and adaptable skillset. he was a boy --- a man now, who couldn’t ever stay in one place too long, nor be still and simply settle without a fierce yearning for excitement overtaking him like withdrawals. this particular european city, for instance was beginning to get to him. in the years that he’d been ASSASSINATING, he’d never, not once, pulled off two consecutive hits in one place. a former mentors chastizing voice echoed in his mind with how thoughtlessly STUPID that was to do, but those doubts were controlled and then stifled. luke was once well-known for a unique brand of careless recklessness, but his current mission was anything but. 

worn combat boots stayed rooted for yet another minute in a strategic spot against an alley’s wall where he could easily scan from. thoughts were beginning to race, fingers fluttering with anticipation whilst sky-bright eyes darted around in search for his next target. not the politicians daughter next on his hitlist --- but that scolding gruff-voiced older agent that had done for luke more than a few things in which to be eternally grateful for. ( not that he’d ever get to thanking the old man. ) 

                ❛ don’t mock me, luke – i was really worried. ❜