#Strangers in the Night | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

loki-hargreeves · 2 years

Text

☽ Strangers in the Night ☾ 1

Pairing: Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley x fem!Reader

Warnings/Tags: crime (be gay do crime), fluff, angst, reader has a cat, character death, mentions of blood, one mention of infant mortality, Steven uses an emoji

Word Count: 7777 [hope it brings luck!]

Chapter Summary: A certain museum tour guide catches your eye when you’re inspecting the place. Although you shouldn’t get distracted on the job, you can’t help but stay for a chat with Steven. Little do you know it’s the beginning of something beautiful. Unfortunately, the timing and circumstances couldn’t be worse - you’re there to prepare for a heist.

A/N: I’m so excited to write this story and I hope you’ll like it! Also thank you @davosmymaster for helping me with the Spanish part <3

[STORY MASTERLIST] [NEXT CHAPTER ⏩]

Chapter 1 - ‘Heist to See You’

Children were looking around wide-eyed, amazed by the things they were seeing in the museum as their parents tried to keep their curious little hands off of the priceless objects. The elderly, adults and students alike were tagging along, most people listening to the guide while taking in all the intricate details of the ancient artefacts. You saw a young person in the back of the group who was far too busy sketching so that they probably missed half of what the enthusiastic tour guide was explaining.

You didn't. Perhaps you shouldn't have listened to the passionate man so keenly but you couldn't help yourself. Something about the way his brown eyes lit up when you reached the Ancient Egypt section of the building made you forget about all else. On a day like that, it was exactly what you needed. If you focused too much on your task, you were sure you'd pass out right then and there. The tour guide wasn’t upset when children blurted out questions impatiently, no. Instead, he answered them in a way that kept them interested in the new things they were learning. Damn, he was good with kids too.

The day was coming to an end, which was made clear by the sun setting outside and the artificial lighting hanging above your heads seeming more yellow the darker it got outside. By now, your palms were sweaty which you tried to hide by squeezing your notebook a little tighter, scribbling down details of the museum you thought were important to remember. Your trained eyes recognized motion sensors that were hidden well within the nooks and crevices.

No one seemed to notice when you scanned the corners for security cameras. Whenever you saw one, you made a mental note of it, waiting a while before writing it down on paper. The less suspicious you seemed, the better. To your surprise, some of the cameras were angled in a way that left certain places vulnerable. With a blind eye, you could spot at least three routes that lacked security.

To an outsider, you just seemed like another history buff, devotedly writing down the fun facts and stories that the tour guide more than happily provided you with. Blending into the rest of a group was easy.

Little did they know you were inspecting the museum to help prepare for a heist.

Yeah, you felt justified getting lost listening to the tales of the Ennead, told by perhaps the cutest tour guide you had ever seen, as you ventured further into the museum. A handful of people had inspected the museum before you as well because the organization you worked for, as much as you despised the fact, was precise and deliberate. They called themselves the Crew of the Arcane, which was often shortened to COTA.

Members of COTA were led by the greediest man you knew, Nico Williams. You had seen him only a handful of times and each time he managed to make you feel uncomfortable. His presence could make the scariest of men shake and tremble yet surprisingly many were ready to risk it all just to please him and gain his praise and fortune.

The Crew of the Arcane were known for being attentive to every little detail and never getting caught, not even leaving crumbs behind for law enforcement to find. Therefore, people like you didn't have to do too much alone or else it would raise some eyebrows. Not only that, the less you knew, the less you could reveal about them.

You had one other task along with marking down the doors and cameras you saw around the building; planting a signal jammer in a specific spot. How you’d do that without getting caught, you had no idea. Patience was key.

"As you can see here, Ammit is depicted as part lion, part crocodile and part hippo. That's because these animals were the biggest man-eaters in Ancient Egypt. It makes sense that Ammit, the funerary deity, is associated with such feared creatures, right? The goddess was also known as the devourer of the dead..." The guide explained as he allowed people to take a closer look at the hieroglyphics, each on their own turn. The way he spoke of everything made you wonder if in a previous life he had lived to see the Ancient days. Perhaps he was just a wonderful storyteller. Either way, you found it endearing.

"This marks the end of the guided tour but feel free to roam around and have a closer look. I'll be around if anyone has any further questions," Steven addressed the twenty-or-so people who had been following him for near an hour now, "Thank you all for tagging along. I hope you learned something new and had a great time! The gift shop is right that way and it’s open for another half an hour, for those who wish to take with you something to remember this by."

Some people instantly walked away, others wanted to ask him questions. You had to stick around to plant the device so you waited, trying to come up with a plan as your eyes focused on the column the guide was standing by. Ammit would’ve scared you thousands of years ago as looking at the age-old representation of her was enough to make you feel small.

When most of the group had scurried away and run out of questions, you found yourself facing the man. Up close, you could see the gleam in his soft brown eyes much clearer. His dark locks were brushed back yet a few stray curls rested against his forehead which made the adorable man look dangerously attractive. The name tag on his silver jacket revealed his name; Steven. He had probably introduced himself to the group earlier but you had been too preoccupied with your own thoughts to realize.

"The eater of hearts, huh?" You knew of some other titles Ammit owned, distracting yourself by trying to make small talk. You'd rather have your nerves be on fire because of a cute guy than of what was actually causing you distress. Just the thought of what you were doing made you sick. No matter what you did, you simply couldn't screw up.

"That's what they called her," Steven smiled warmly, "as it was believed Ammit would devour the hearts deemed impure by the scale of Anubis."

"That's some serious stuff," You nodded and then flipped the page of your notebook, not wanting Steven to see your mysterious writings. He seemed like the type who had the brains to put two and two together if he saw anything strange.

"You could say that," Steven agreed with you, thinking about what had happened to him and Marc only a few months earlier. After experiencing death and the realm of Duat, talking about it as a tour guide was effortless. Every word seemed to just flow out of his mouth with expertise that bewildered listeners. Although much of it had felt like a fever dream, the details weren't lost to Steven. He could never forget that journey even if he tried.

"I've seen you before, haven't I?" Steven realized that your face seemed awfully familiar. He could've sworn you visited the museum a few days ago too.

"Oh yeah," You cursed in your mind when you realized he recognized you. Now you felt the need to explain yourself, "I'm working on a history project. Turns out that doing my research here makes it so much easier, actually."

"Right, of course. If you have any questions or anything, really, I'd be happy to help," Steven offered kindly, having no idea what this project of yours really was about. Seeing the innocent smile on his face made your heart ache and flutter at the same time. Steven seemed like a wonderful person and the last thing you wanted was to put him in any kind of danger.

"Thank you, Steven."

"May I ask what your name is? I mean you know mine, it’d be fair, wouldn’t it?" Steven tried to be casual about it but he was overthinking every word he just said. During the entire guided tour, Steven had stolen glances at you. Steven wasn’t blind either, he had noticed the way you looked at him too but tried not to think anything of it. Marc, on the other hand, made some comments that only Steven could hear, making it impossible to ignore the fact you were definitely eyeing him. He thought you were captivating and when he saw you scribbling down things during the tour, curiosity was beginning to get the best of him.

"I'm Y/N," You should've probably come up with a fake name but it was too late now. Perhaps it wasn't that bad if you just talked to one tour guide. Talking to him didn't incriminate you or the heist in any way, right? In your mind, it would've been more suspicious to roam around alone and avoid others like the plague.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Y/N," Steven stuck out his hand for you to shake. It was a normal and nice gesture yet when you shook his hand and felt his tight grip around your fingers, you swore time stopped for a moment. His fingertips were calloused and rough yet somehow his touch felt gentle at the same time. You wondered what had shaped his hands to be like that and why his hand fit into yours so well. When it was time to let go, you were almost disappointed.

"It's nice to meet you too," You flashed Steven a genuine smile. "I was actually wondering about something if you don't mind-"

"Not at all. What is it?"

"I just wanted to know the meaning of certain items that were left in the sarcophagi. The amulets specifically. Would you mind going over that?" You were genuinely curious about the meaning behind them but at the same time, Steven would lead you to the area where you'd have to plant the device. This way, you killed two birds with one stone.

"I'd be absolutely delighted to. Right this way," Steven seemed excited to lead you to the back of the area, right to the colourful amulets and jewels that carried with them millenniums of history. As you let him teach you about the objects, telling you stories that weren't part of the tour, you found yourself thinking that this man was the perfect person for his job. He spoke of everything as if he had firsthand knowledge of it all.

Time seemed to simply fly by as Steven explained every little detail to you, his words mesmerizing your curious mind. By the time he was done talking about the amulets, describing the symbolism of the scarab beetle and how they were believed to protect the mummies by the time of the new kingdom, it was almost closing time. Steven had even shared his knowledge of how they were crafted, moving his hands in a descriptive way as he spoke.

You were definitely mesmerized, having nearly forgotten about the reason as to why you were there, far too invested in the charming tour guide and his wisdom.

"Are you sure you didn't travel in time from Ancient Egypt just to tell me all of this?" You joked lightheartedly, prolonging your time together before the museum would close for the day.

That made Steven chuckle and he faced the floor shyly, "Pretty sure. Although that would be neat, wouldn't it?" Was he flustered?

"Yeah," You nodded, clinging to your pen as you noticed Steven checking his watch, "Thank you, Steven. That was helpful," you wanted to say nice, "I won't keep you any longer."

"Well I'm almost off my shift," Steven said almost suggestively, "and you haven't kept me here, not at all. Just doing my job, am I not?"

"I suppose you are," You could sense this continuing. The look on his face hinted as much.

Steven scratched the back of his head, trying to shake off the feeling that made him question himself. Talking to you had been smooth sailing and comfortable yet right now he felt like a fish out of water.

"Are you busy? I mean if...if you wanted to there's this coffee place down the street. No pressure or anything, but if you had any other questions or thoughts, you know..." bloody hell, Steven hated that he was rambling, almost hearing what Marc was thinking about this.

"Coffee sounds nice," You cut him off as you sensed the silence was taunting him. The fact that he asked you was a lovely surprise. Heavens knew you needed a coffee and company that didn't expect anything from you. Just a coffee. That sounded perfect.

"Great!" Steven felt a wave of relief crashing upon him, "That's great. Will you wait here for just a bit? I have to clock off and grab my things. It won't take long."

And that would give you just enough time to finish your job as well.

"I'll be here," You promised sweetly, somehow feeling excited despite everything. You watched as Steven hurried toward the employee's only area in the back and the moment he disappeared from sight, you turned around. Time to focus.

Eyes scanning the area, you spotted the cameras you knew well by now. The device had to be left in the corner of the hall, planted against the wall that had wires and electronics behind it - at least according to the blueprints and papers of the museum you had gotten your hands on in a not-so-legal way. When it would be turned on, it should disrupt the signals along with the other mini jammers other people had left in the museum throughout the day.

Pretending to study the ancient texts, you walked closer and closer to the corner until oops, you stumbled forward and dropped all your papers on the marble floor.

"Shit!" You cursed as you knelt on the marble, gathering the papers and the pen that had rolled right into the corner just as hoped. As you stood up, you supported yourself by leaning against the wall and unbeknownst to everyone else, you pressed the jammer right into the painted wall. The wall-facing side of the tiny device was sticky so it didn't budge when you removed your hand.

Even when you were looking for it, it was almost impossible to see because it was so small and it matched the dark paint. As satisfying as it was to see it there, knowing you had done your part, you felt awful. A heaviness grew in your heart and something deep inside you was trying to warn you of a storm that was coming your way, near begging you to seek shelter and leave everything else behind. This wasn't going to end here. Something horrible would happen, you just knew it.

Like a ray of sunshine peering through dark clouds, Steven Grant appeared seemingly out of the blue, "Ready to go?"

The coffee place wasn't as crowded as it would've been in the middle of the day. Therefore you didn't have to wait in line too long to get your drinks. Even better, the outdoor seating area was almost empty which meant you and Steven could sit down and hear each other talking without having to yell over dozens of other people.

The notebook you had carried with you was in your bag and you had no intentions of taking it out of there either. As it was out of sight and you were chatting with Steven, your mind was released from worries for a while. That alone felt like a gift.

“You’ve been to Egypt?” You didn’t know why that was so unforeseen to you. Of course, he had been to Egypt.

“I have. Oh you would love it,” Steven told you excitedly, holding his cup with both hands as he waited for the drink to cool down a little bit. “I didn’t really stay that long as it was a business trip, but seeing the pyramids of Giza in person was a dream come true.” Steven didn’t tell you that he had been inside the pyramid and he thought it was technically true when he mentioned it had been a business trip. Not for the museum no, that was Moon Knight business.

“I’ve heard that time flows differently around them because of their mass, wonder if that’s true,” You remembered the fun fact someone had told you long ago, “Did you notice anything that supports that statement? Any supernatural occurrences?”

Oh, if only you knew.

“At the very least, the sight of something so magnificent makes it feel like time stops. Point blank, just like that.”

“Hm, I’d have to see that for myself one day,” You definitely wanted to see such wonders of the world to yourself.

“Do you like travelling?” Steven asked you and then took a cautious sip of his drink, careful not to burn his tongue. He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of you.

The most recent trip you had taken came to mind; when you and a handful of COTA members had visited Paris for another heist. It had been a small job, no one got hurt and the person who had hired you was satisfied. Although the person who discovered all their ancient artefacts were missing the next morning must’ve been far from satisfied. Not your problem. You had done your research and found out they weren’t much of a saint either so the job didn’t keep you up at night.

“Yeah,” You nodded to yourself, “I was on a business trip recently as well. It’s not really the most romantic reason to visit Paris, is it?”

Steven couldn’t help but let out a laugh when he heard your soft giggle, amused by what you said. He was amazed by how comfortable he felt around you. It felt like he could talk about anything for hours and you wouldn’t be judgmental. The things you told him were fascinating and Steven thought you were funny.

In fact, conversation between you was so natural and easy-going that your cups were empty before you even knew it.

When it was time to go, you both felt a bit reluctant to get up and leave. By now it was pitch black outside, except for the yellows and oranges of the street lights and the neon lights from the signs of the many shops around you. The air was cooling down after a long, warm day and it seemed like rain was on its way.

“I have to deliver these before the day ends,” You patted the side of your bag, mind racing as you tried to gather the courage to give him your number or ask for his. Steven beat you to it.

“Hold on just a moment, love,” Steven meant it in a friendly way, but when he called you love you swore your knees felt weaker than usual. The way it left his lips was so smooth, you wanted to hear it a million times more.

“Alright,” You didn’t dream of saying no to him.

Steven grabbed a napkin from the tray in the middle of the table and a pen from his coat-pocket. It only took him a few moments to write down his number on the soft, white paper, making sure to add ‘Steven with a V’ underneath.

As he handed it to you, Steven mentioned, “Here’s my number. Please don’t feel pressured to contact me. Only if you want to.”

“Thank you,” You accepted the napkin, feeling a flutter in your heart as you noticed what he had written on the paper, “This was nice, Steven. I’ll be in touch,” that was a promise that you hoped would ease his mind.

And it did. His eyes lit up when you told him that.

“Lovely! That’s great. Good luck with your project,” Steven was only being nice but that was a reminder of the heist you tried so hard to forget about. There was no way he knew so you didn’t hold it against him when you felt your anxiety bubbling deep within.

“Thanks. Good night, Steven!” Before you parted ways, you leaned in for a friendly half-hug. For the brief moment you were close like that, the scent of his cologne filled your lungs, hints of something sweet and spicy intoxicating your mind.

“Good night. Get home safely, alright?”

Steven returned to the flat, hardly containing the grin on his face as he shut the door behind him and threw his things on the table. Usually, after such long days, he would be dragging himself into the shower and then to bed. Tonight, he felt energetic, far from tired.

"Did that just happen?" He thought out loud, taking off his shoes and coat, now walking to the fish tank that illuminated the place. Although he had parted ways with you twenty minutes ago, Steven couldn't shake away the blissful feeling of meeting someone new, someone who wanted to hang out with him and talk for what felt like hours although it hadn't really been that long.

The two goldfish were swimming around like they always did yet sometimes it seemed like they recognized Steven. Next to the fish, Steven saw Marc's reflection looking back at him.

"Seems real to me," Marc replied to the half-rhetorical question.

"She seemed to actually care about what I had to say, you know? And she's so smart too. Did you hear her talking about the Ennead?" Steven was convinced you were a miracle, a brilliant person who he had just been waiting to meet forever. A friend, perhaps. Steven didn't really have friends and neither did Marc. Not after everything that had happened. They had taken a lot of time for themselves to figure things out but now things seemed to change.

"A friend, right," Marc fronted now, straightening his back and making his way to the fridge. Steven had been in control all day and so Marc wanted to grab a drink and relax. The first thing he saw was a can of soda which was soon in his warm hand.

"I mean we just met, I don't want to assume anything. Maybe she's dating someone," Steven, the forever innocent one pondered.

Marc had seen the way you gazed at Steven. He recognized the little things you did around him and the excited look in your eyes when Steven handed you the napkin with his number on it. Marc knew damn well you were interested. Whatever came out of this would be intriguing.

"How would that even work?" Steven hadn't thought much of dating after Layla and Marc finalized the divorce. It had been a while since that happened and the two hadn't gotten a chance to even think about dating. There were many questions that remained unanswered for now.

"Just in general, Marc," Steven pried, "What if we're into different people? Then what?"

This was going to be a long night.

By the time you finally arrived home, you were out of breath as you had been in a rush, getting there as fast as you possibly could. You didn’t get much peace and quiet though since the moment you walked in, you noticed the lights were turned on and someone was sitting by the dining table, not bothering to look up from the papers to face and greet you. How lovely.

How Spencer had gotten inside your flat, you didn’t know but seeing your friend there didn’t come as much of a surprise.

“Did you do it?” He wondered, referring to the device you had planted in the museum. Ever since he had introduced you to the Crew of the Arcane, he had been different; distant in a way. The friendship you used to have seemed to have been buried under heaps of secrets and dirty work.

“Yes,” You admitted, throwing the notebook on the table right in front of him, “And I triple-checked the cameras. Everything looks good.”

For a job well done, you weren’t in a celebratory mood. Whatever happened next wasn’t in your hands. Hopefully, the heist would be successful, you’d get paid and then never hear from these people ever again.

The soft sound of tiny paws tapping against the floor coming toward you seemed to lift your spirits. Dorothy Meowdenhall, or shortly just Dotty, the cat you had rescued a while ago was ever so happy to see you. She pushed her head against your tired legs and meowed as if to say hello. That alone was enough to melt your heart and you bent down to pick her up, allowing the tabby companion to relax in your arms.

Spencer’s blue eyes scanned your writings, comparing them to the blueprints of the museum that were sprawled over the table along with other papers, maps and a printed picture of the artefact you were planning on stealing; the grail of decay. It was a golden grail with mysterious symbols carved into its sides. Rumor had it the ancient people believed that a sip from the grail could bring the dead back to life. It had apparently been used by mothers who wished to bring their babies back during times when infant mortality rates were much higher than what they were today. To you it was merely an old object that you assumed a rich man wanted to have in his collection of brag-worthy items.

“Nico will be happy about this,” Spencer presumed in a low voice, rubbing his temples as he was deep in thought, making sure to push his black hair behind his ear and out of sight. Spencer knew Nico better than you did as no one really filled you in with details. Most things about COTA still remained a mystery to you. It was clear they kept people out of the blue for security reasons and frankly, you didn’t care. This would all be in your past soon. All that mattered to you was that no one got hurt. As long as they stole objects, you were okay with it.

“Was that all?” You raised an eyebrow, silently telling your friend you wanted to be alone. Not only that, you wanted to text Steven back so he’d have your number too. Usually, you would’ve wasted no time telling Spencer about such things but these days, you found yourself keeping things from him. Spencer seemed way too invested with this heist to care about things such as meeting new people and talking about the what-ifs over snacks and drinks until the sun was beginning to rise.

“For now. It’s gonna take place tomorrow night. I’ll meet you there,” Spencer declared calmly as he stood up, pushing the papers into a folder ever so neatly, making sure nothing got as much as a wrinkle on it.

“What?!”

“Didn’t anyone tell you?” Spender furrowed his brows and finally faced you, “Nico was so pleased with the previous project that he wants you as the eyes and the ears of the heist. You’re gonna be in the van.”

Those words felt like blows right to your gut. It felt like you had swallowed coal and you were burning from the inside.

Nico Williams wanted you to be there during the heist.

The man terrified you and knowing he was happy with your work filled you with a sense of dread. Would this ever end?

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” You shook your head in disbelief as you made your way into the kitchen, allowing Dorothy to leap onto the counter and sit down by her food bowl. As you grabbed a can of wet food, you felt your mind racing into perilous and dark places, the clothes on your body feeling tighter and tighter. Breathing required a conscious effort at that point. Stay calm.

“Hey, you should be happy. You’ll get double the pay!” Spencer explained, seeing no issue in the matter.

You dumped the cat food in the bowl, refusing to turn around to look at Spencer. He adored Nico for some reason. It was more shocking to you that he wasn’t jealous of the praise you were getting rather than the fact he was so okay with other people making decisions on your behalf.

“You’ll be in the van and you’ll be completely safe. It’s not that big of a deal,” He was in the kitchen now, taking the empty can out of your hand and putting it in the sink under running water.

Easy for him to say.

“After that, I want out,” You had to put your foot down. This was never supposed to last this long anyway. You had accepted to aid them once before when you had reached rock bottom in your life. One time turned into two, then three...now there you were with a list of crimes behind you that would impress many.

The atmosphere in the flat quickly turned heavy, the tension between Spencer and you unlike anything before. The way he grabbed your arm and forced you to look at him scared you, which you refused to show as you clenched your jaw and looked right back at him with just as much intensity. It was hard for anyone to tell your heart was drumming against your chest so hard you felt it in your throat when you looked so feisty.

“It’s not that simple.”

“You promised it would just be a one-time thing!” You raised your voice, yanking your arm free from his touch.

“Well plans changed, Y/N! That’s what happens and you have to deal with it!”

As you stood there, it was hard to believe that was the same man you had once considered to be a best friend. Right now, all you could see was the same shell but what was on the inside had changed completely, shifted into a version of the man you didn’t believe could exist.

“I want out,” You didn’t budge. You couldn’t. This was your future you were fighting for.

“Good luck telling Nico that,” Spencer spat angrily and just like that, turned on his heel and left. The door slammed shut behind him and he left you in agonizing silence. For a moment all you could do was stare at the door, taking deep breaths as to steady your heartbeat. By the time you recovered from what had happened, you were unsure of how much time had really passed. It felt like minutes as you stood there, trying to process what the hell just happened.

Dorothy was finished with her food and now she was begging for scratches, rubbing her face against your back playfully.

“Oh Dotty...” You sighed deeply, holding back tears as you pet her chin, feeling slightly better when you heard her purring, “What are we gonna do?”

Perhaps it was a blessing that the cat couldn’t actually answer that question. You pet her a few more times and then made your way to the couch, feeling like you were weighed down by a ton of bricks as you became one with the cushions. If only they could swallow you whole.

Remembering Steven, you pulled your phone out of your pocket along with the napkin with his number on it. The memory of him nervously giving you his number made you smile. What a sweet man, you thought. And you were going to assist on a heist that took place at his workplace.

For a while, you contemplated whether you should text him or not. Steven seemed like a lovely man and you thought he deserved people in his life who weren’t so complicated. Then again a part of you that you deemed selfish wanted him in your life. Even if you’d end up just being friends, you desired someone to feel safe around and have a good time. Like normal people. You found yourself fantasizing about going to different museums with him and watching movies, as Steven had mentioned he liked Avatar quite a lot.

Yeah, a friend would be nice.

With that in mind, you saved his number in your contacts, remembering that it was Steven with a V. Once you made up your mind, you sent him a short and simple message,

11:03 PM - Guess who :)

The buzz of the phone against the coffee table was something Marc ignored at first. Then he heard Steven near begging him to see who it was. Marc paused the movie he had been watching and reached for the phone, seeing the message on the screen and the little smiley-face. The paused TV screen painted the flat in a deep shade of red.

“That didn’t take too long,” The corners of Marc’s lips curled into a small smile. It was nice knowing someone wanted to talk to Steven. Perhaps with time, she’d meet Marc too. Having friends wasn’t something Marc had thought much about but part of making a better future for them included having friends, a support system - whatever one wanted to call it.

“What should we say?”

“I don’t know, she’s talking to you,” Marc left this one for Steven. After all, it was he who started this.

A couple of moments of waiting later, you heard a familiar ding that indicated Steven had replied. Had someone been around to see, you would’ve been embarrassed by how quickly you grabbed the phone and opened the messages, not having enough time to worry he might’ve given you the wrong number. When you read what Steven replied with, you just knew it was him.

11:06 PM Steven: Well I hope it isn’t the eater of hearts

11:07 PM You: Nope, can’t say I’ve done that yet

11:07 PM Steven: Let’s hope it stays that way, Y/N. Did you get home safely? 😃

This man was unreal. You couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked you something so simple yet so meaningful - and you had only met him today.

Adrenaline was coursing through your veins and every cell in your body was yelling at you to get as far away from the museum as possible. Staying in the back of the van took all your willpower and it helped that the driver had a gun in the empty seat next to him. No one had openly threatened you yet but something told you if you tried to leave, you’d leave with a bullet in your body.

This was a nightmare, a horrible idea really. You shouldn’t be trusted with this amount of responsibilities. There were four monitors in front of you, each of them containing live footage from security cameras around and inside the museum. The digital clock on the makeshift table told you it was 3:29 AM, a minute until it was go time. There was a fifteen minute window that should give them enough time to enter the building, find the grail of decay and retreat before guards would arrive. Spencer and five other men were ready to enter the museum and you had to press the button that would activate the devices that were planted in the enormous building.

If anything went wrong, you feared they would blame you for it.

Pressing the side of your headset, you heard a beep that let you know the others could hear you, “What’s your status, four?” You asked Spencer, whose code name was four. Calling everyone by numbers made it easier to remember their positions and keep their anonymity just in case someone happened to hear you.

“In position, eyes on the entrance. Ready to go,” Spencer replied with a monotone voice you had grown used to by now. In a way, the man sounded like a robot with only one task in mind - to finish the job.

“The coast is clear. I don’t see any outsiders on the cameras,” You had checked many times but the monitors never revealed any outsiders. So far, so good. Everything was going according to plan.

Nico wasn’t there tonight but he was waiting with a crew at another location as he would personally deliver the artefact to whoever had ordered the heist. At least that offered you some sort of relief.

3:30 AM

“It’s go time,” You told them and with eyes glued to the monitors, you held your breath and watched as they broke in. The alarms had been turned off yet you had still worried they’d go off when they entered the museum. The moment you knew they were inside, you pressed the button and watched how many of the squares on the screen turned black, not sending back any feed from inside the museum. It had worked.

Now the only thing that connected you and the team was comms. Their earpieces were turned on at all times, filling the otherwise silent van with sounds of their footsteps and whispering.

Minutes felt like hours as you sat there and listened, occasionally giving them directions. Thanks to the trackers on their suits, you saw their locations on the monitor, red dots moving above a digital copy of the floor plan.

“Take a turn to the right and be mindful of the motion sensors. I’m not certain the signals are blocked so if it goes off, you have two minutes to get out of there,” You reminded them as calmly as you could. This heist was unlike any other. The museum was a risky target, much more ambitious than the private locations and small museums you had been to before. This was in the heart of London with some of the best security the world had to offer right behind the corner.

The sound of the circular glasscutter against the glass grated on your eardrums but only seconds later, one of them declared “Target acquired.”

“Good. Now get out of there. You have five more minutes.”

“Four, Five and Six are staying behind to clean up this mess,” The leader of the squad informed you, trusting the three with getting rid of all the possible evidence. If they had knocked something over, you wouldn’t know of it because you couldn’t see them.

“Alright. The getaway car is waiting for the artefact on the west side. Coast is clear.”

Was it really this easy? It was almost too good to be true, watching the three red dots exiting the building and appearing on the cameras again - now with a bag you knew contained something more valuable than everything you owned all put together. They were quick to get to the west street where the getaway car was awaiting them, getting so far out of sight that your cameras didn’t pick them up anymore. The CCTV in London would see them but since they wore masks and unidentifiable attire, it didn’t cause you too much stress. No one was even looking for them.

“What’s the situation on the inside? What’s taking you so long?” You glanced at the clock, now feeling antsy when you realized a group of guards would come for a standard round in just three minutes.

“We have company,” Spencer whispered, his words sending chills down your spine.

But it wasn’t even time for the routine check yet! You didn’t see any guards or cars on the screens and neither had you seen anyone enter the building. Had they been there the whole time?

“Get out of there now!” You ordered sternly, standing up from the chair you had sat on for a while now, too agitated to relax at all.

All of a sudden, one of the three men yelled out, “Stop right there!”

If only you could’ve seen what was going on.

Everything went downhill so quickly. It had been number one who made his presence known and whoever the mysterious company was hadn’t been scared off by it. You heard a gunshot echoing in the wide hall, it being so loud that it made you jump.

Holy shit. This couldn’t be happening.

“What the fuck is going on?!” You weren’t sure if any of them would answer. When no one did, you weren’t surprised. All you could do was listen, listening to the sounds of struggle and a thud, as if someone’s earpiece fell out and onto the floor. That was followed by two... no three more gunshots.

Then it was quiet, silence dragging out like a burden as questions bloomed in your mind. Questions regarding everyone’s safety, wondering what was going on inside when you couldn’t see or hear them.

Footsteps grew louder and louder as someone neared the fallen earpiece to pick it up. As you anticipated for someone to say something, you realized you were holding your breath.

“No debiste hacer eso,” The mystery man spoke directly into the microphone, the Spanish words coated with such venom and intensity that you couldn’t help but feel threatened. His voice was deep and raspy, somehow familiar but you couldn’t even begin to comprehend what was happening or who it possibly was as you froze on the spot, feeling like you had eyes on you despite the fact you were safely hidden in the back of the van. Icy chills were nipping at your skin, threatening to swallow you whole.

Were you supposed to say something?

By glancing at the driver once, you knew you were leaving. He seemed completely disinterested in the idea of staying there for another second, as he too had heard the man on the other end. You pressed the headset and made sure your mic was turned off before you let out a breath you had been holding, fear brewing in the pits of your stomach.

“Who was that?!” You wanted to know, looking at the driver who started the engine but kept the headlights turned off, still remaining hidden in the shadows of the night.

“Don’t know and we’re not gonna wait around to find out either,” He stated rather bluntly, having no regard for the others who were possibly still inside the building. You glanced at the monitor, seeing that Spencer had made it outside but two other dots weren’t moving. They were still inside.

Why weren’t they moving?

“Wait!” You yelled now, slamming your fist against the seat, “They’re still in there!”

“I don’t care!”

The car hadn’t moved yet which was why someone opened the back doors, giving you the scare of your life as you assumed it was the man who was spoken to you moments earlier. Luckily, you saw a familiar face as Spencer jumped into the van with a hand pressed against his side. He slumped into the van and you rushed to the back, looking if anyone had followed him before closing the doors again.

“Are you okay?” Seeing him like that with blood on his palm, crimson dripping through his fingers and onto the dirty floor of the van was alarming. You had never seen him like that before. Despite it all, he was still your friend and you wanted to help.

“Drive! Just go. I’ll be fine,” Spencer growled, rage burning all over him. For a perfectionist such as himself, this flop was disastrous. Spencer didn’t know how he’d explain everything to Nico but for you, it was the least of your concerns.

“What about the others?” You needed to know, looking at the monitor as the driver hit the gas pedal, getting out of the alleyway as quickly as possible.

Were they seriously okay with leaving them behind?

Did they matter so little to them?

“They’re dead,” Spencer declared, sitting down on the floor with his back against the seats as he pulled out a first aid from his backpack.

Dead.

The word felt like a blow to the gut and it immediately numbed all your senses. You too sat down on the floor, unable to carry yourself as shock took control of your body. Some invisible force sucked out all your strength and made you feel like an outsider, witnessing everything from that point forward through someone else’s eyes. A dizzying sensation was intensifying the longer you thought about what happened.

They were dead. No one was supposed to get hurt. Dead, as in they had been killed and no one was going to retrieve their bodies. You were driving away like cowards. Why? Because the rich fuck who hired you already had the artefact so the bodies didn’t matter.

“But it was just supposed to be a heist, no one was supposed to get hurt...”

“Your naivety astonishes me,” Spencer had been shot but he hadn’t lost his attitude. To him, this seemed like a perfectly normal event. If he was upset that two of his friends were dead, he certainly didn’t show it.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Spencer ripped his coat open, dropping his weapons and gadgets all around as he revealed the gnarly wound on his side. The sight of it made you cringe yet you couldn’t look away. The sight was instantly burnt into your mind and it would stay there for a long time.

“Did you really think that we have all these weapons for nothing? That no one has ever gotten hurt on missions? We don’t rob places like this without consequences!”

This couldn’t be happening. You failed to find any words at all as you faced the injured man, the very same man who had convinced you before that this was always supposed to be about the heists, not about hurting others. Suddenly COTA went from bad to a disaster as your brain conjured images of things they could’ve done. Knowing you were part of something that took death so lightly terrified you.

What else were they capable of?

As upset as you were with Spencer, you had to focus on something else than the mountain of overwhelming pain and anger that threatened to topple over you, so you joined his side and grabbed the med kit from him. Spencer didn’t argue with you as you pressed the cloth against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Although it was gruesome, dark blood pooling from his side and making the van smell like copper, it wasn’t life threatening. At least, that’s what he was telling you.

Who the hell was the man who had found you? Why did he interfere with the heist? Nothing made sense to you anymore as you sat on the cold, dirty floor of the van, trying to stay balanced as you tried to keep your friend from bleeding out. Words echoed in your head like a curse; No debiste hacer eso. You shouldn’t have done that.

[NEXT CHAPTER ⏩]

A/N: That’s the first chapter and I sincerely hope you liked it! I usually reblog my fics to @loki-hargreeves-masterlist but since this is a series, I’m more than happy to make a taglist. If you want to be tagged, please let me know <3

246 notes · View notes