⊹˚. ☾✦☽ .˚⊹
“Hey Joy!” Dallas approaches Joy while she is hosing her van down. Water droplets dot the windows and outerior of the van.
“What is it, chief?” Joy folds the hose; the water flow immediately comes to a stop. She turns towards Dallas respectfully with a grin. “Am I in trouble?”
“Nah, you’re not in trouble. You rarely ever misbehave,” Dallas waves his hand with a shake of his head. “I just wanted to remind you it’s your week to get groceries. The list will be in the kitchen.”
“We have a kitchen?” Joy tilted her head to the new, yet welcoming information.
“Yes, well. It’s only been here for about two weeks or so. Getting it installed took a lot of work,” Dallas chuckled with a hearty laugh, followed by a cough. He brings his hands over his waist and pushes his chest out.
“That’s great! Now we need to install a utility room so we have a place to put the washer and dryer,” Joy unfolds the hose and resumes spraying off any gunpowder, mud, and blood.
Dallas nods and begins to walk away.
“I actually wanted to ask! How did last night’s heist go?” Joy asks before he makes a step. Dallas turns back to his original spot. “When I got the van back last night it took a while to repair the bullet holes and broken side mirror.”
“It went... err. It went.” Dallas was struggling to put it to words. “Jimmy fucked around like a plastic bag grew legs and didn’t know how to work a CAR-4.” Dallas chuckles to himself once more. “It went sideways after that. Jimmy fucked up and Chains got hurt for covering Jimmy, but he’s getting patched up as we speak. We somehow pulled it off with one ECM left too. Sangres’ first said kits came handy. Thankfully he had them, otherwise the heist woulda ended up badly. Maybe even becoming lethal.”
“Oh shit, is everyone okay?” Joy aims the hose away from the van and into a big container. She lets the water fill it half way until she folds the hose while walking towards the faucet. She turns off the water to lie down the hose. Walking back to the van, she takes a bottle of car soap and she squeezes it into the container of water, mixing it up.
“Yes they’re fine.” Dallas moves closer towards Joy’s van. Joy gets a microfiber sponge and dunks it into the water. Dallas continues, “the reward was even finer: twenty-four mil for nine bags of meth. It could have been ten if Jimmy wasn’t so addicted to the damn stuff.”
“I’m glad everyone came back safely. As for Jimmy’s addiction? I wouldn’t think even rehab could help the dude...” Joy’s sarcastic hope earned a chuckle from Dallas.
“As am I.” Dallas watches the dark-headed girl begin to scrub her car down.
“I can take over washing the van while you go get the groceries, if you like, Joy,” Dallas suggested.
Joy hesitated. “Are you sure?” Joy asks with concern in her voice. “I can finish it when I get back.” Joy pulls away from her van.
“If I wasn’t sure then I wouldn’t have suggested it,” Dallas extends his arms toward the sponge, “Besides, I need a break from planning all these heists!” Dallas sings, “nothings more fun than washin’ your car with a whiskey in your hand.”
Joy sighs in defeat and drops the drenched sponge onto Dallas’ hand. She turns back to her van to give it a kiss goodbye.
“Okay Dallas, just don’t touch anything you don’t need to!” Joy says while speed walking towards the living quarters.
“Haha! Now to wash the shit out of this car,” Dallas hums to himself a sweet little tune while sashaying his hips.
︶︶︶꒷꒦ ✦ ₊ ˚︶︶₊❀˚ ɞ
Joy skips into the newly renovated kitchen. Her eyes roam around the bland colors and horrible paint job. The fridge was just an ordinary fridge. The stove had preexisting stains along with crust forming on the metal.
Joy shivers from the thought of health inspection barging in and closing the kitchen down for not meeting health expectations.
After a huff of disgust, Joy turns towards the grocery list filled with all different kinds of penmanship. She squints trying to read the scribbles, she could barely read anything from this god awful crumpled piece of paper. She could maybe read some stuff from Bonnie. Finally, she gets to Sydney’s writing and a light shade of blush spreads across her nose.
“Lighters,” Joy reads out loud, “for her joints I bet.” Joy chuckles to herself as she takes the list and places it in her pocket. “I’m going to get her the prettiest one that they have to offer.”
Joy grabs her backpack and secures it onto her back. She takes her phone out to type in the grocery store’s address into her GPS. Afterwards, she sends Sydney a kissy face emoji following an “I love you”.
Joy wanders out of the house, finally on the streets. She wasn’t too worried about it being too busy, after all, if it did she could always go the back way. She continues to text Sydney with silly emoji arrangements. A large smile is etched onto her face as she sends another text. She tries to resist the urge to squeal out loud for the public to hear her.
Sydney: I cant wait to cuddle the shit out of you when you get home ;)
Joy blushes even more and tries her best to not to giggle out loud. Cars drive by her, a couple motorcycles race past her, making her hair wave around her face and ears. Joy wanted to push Sydney a little bit. She always enjoyed the rush she got.
Joy: mayb we can do mor than that? >\\\\<
Sydney: Oh? We have a naughty one don’t we?
Sydney: Maybe be a good little girl and get my lighters and ill make you squirt ♡
Joy: I promis I will ! :3
Joy kicks her feet as she comes closer to the store. Her chest felt with fluffy full love, yet passion. Her grin turns sheepish as she tries to hide her deep red face. Only Sydney ever made her feel this way, and she knows it.
Joy looks up from her phone and realizes that she almost missed the store’s entrance.
Joy: I hav to go :( i ♡ u ! o(∩_∩)o I text u when I don at stor!
Joy turns her phone off and places it into her pocket as she comes to the store’s door.
While Joy pushes the door out, she pulls the grocery list out of her pocket. She takes a basket, scans the area, and roams around each isle until she finds what’s on the list. The basket gets halfway full until she finally makes her way towards the check out. She gets on her tiptoes to see if any lines were short. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find one with less than six people in line.
Joy rolls her cart to the self-checkout and begins to scoop as much as she can onto the side of the scanner. As Joy takes each item and crosses them against the red beam, she watches each item list onto the screen; her face scrunches as the amount gets higher than the next.
“Who knew when you didn’t steal shit it’d cost you money,” she mumbles under her breath as she gets to the last few items.
“Maybe we should start stealing food instead of using money…” Joy mumbles to herself once more with a passing thought of, “if we’re billionaires, why is our kitchen so shitty?” Joy lets her thoughts continue, “why do we use a laundromat? We have more than enough money to get our own utility room.” She hums to herself, “what do we even do with our money? Otherthangivingittobain?” She intends to rant more, but quickly realizes.
She stops scanning the items and looks around urgently for the lighters Sydney wanted.
Joy looks across to another self check out. She hurries over and grabs a silver zippo lighter with black engraved skulls and flowers around it. She shuffles her feet back to the scanner, worried that Sydney probably wouldn’t like it.
“Does Sydney even like flowers…?” Joy double guesses herself, trying to think of what’s considered “badass”.
“Agh! Whatever!” Joy shoves the lighter against the scanner and quickly bags it. “See? Simple!”
After paying, she puts the bigger, heavier things into her backpack and carries the lighter stuff.
While rushing out, she keeps the lighter in hand—totally forgetting the receipt at the checkout center. She stares down the lighter, thinking about how to give it to Sydney.
“I got it just for you! I mean… I know you told me to get it, but like- you know? I picked out the design! So…” Joy shakes her head. “No that’s not right…” She clears her throat.
“Hey Syd! I bought you your lighter! It’s as cool and gorgeous like- as- like you are?” Joy cringes at herself, pushing the lighter in her face to cover up the embarrassment she knitted herself.
“I think just giving her the lighter is fine…” Joy mumbles to herself.
︶︶︶꒷꒦ ✦ ₊ ˚︶︶₊❀˚ ɞ
A group of four men carry themselves through the same register Joy was just at. One of the men noticed the receipt that was left behind.
“What’s that?” One asked the other. The other shrugs as the paper was torn from the printer.
“Joy.” They read out in unison.
“Oi, that name sounds oddly familiar!” A light haired boy perks up and shakes his head around the corner, watching a dainty lady leave the store.
“What is it? Who is it?” They chirp over each other. The blonde hair hushes them with a huge, snarly smirk latched on his face.
“I knew I knew ’er from somewhere!” The boy brings out his phone—his fingers hungrily typing against the phone pad. “Here!” He holds up a FBI picture of Joy. “She’s part of that- that! Uhh! That one real famous group of heistas!
“You mean that Payday gang? It ain’t no way!” One of the men responded.
“She looks ways too weak to be apart of thems,” another agrees.
“Does that matta? If we kidnap one of ’em imagine how much money we could get!” The blonde rubs his hands together with evil webbed between his fingers. “They billionaires, afterall.”
“How do you suggest we get ’er then?” One asks suspiciously.
“Like this.”
︶︶︶꒷꒦ ✦ ₊ ˚︶︶₊❀˚ ɞ
“Or maybe, I could write a letter?” Joy ponders to herself—still unsure of how to give it to Sydney. Joy feels a wave of shock hit her as she was walking down the same sidewalk. A sting? No, a pinch spread in her waist.
Head heavy, vision blurry, no sense of balance as the world seemed to become swirled. Joy inhaled sharply, trying to hold onto everything, suddenly, black engulfs her.
Joy falls back against one of the guys.
The blonde tosses the syringe haphazardly into the street.
Joy’s eyes slowly open, then close. All she saw while getting dragged away—
was Sydney’s lighter.
“C’mon boys! Go fasta!” The blonde urges the other three.
“We’res tryna…”
“She’s heavier than she looks!” One grunts while dragging her.
“Asian bitches and their slitted eyes. Maybe her wits will be found useful,” the blonde boasts with his chest up high. “Let’s hope she’s as smart as the FBI rumors her to be.” His voice tsks and tuts.
“Look how flat her chest is,” one of them teases along with who seems to be the leader.
They all chuckle along with each other’s insults, picking apart each and every part of Joy.
︶︶︶꒷꒦ ✦ ₊ ˚︶︶₊❀˚ ɞ
Joy’s vision has black splotches lava lamping around her pupils, nothing made sense to her. She only heard murmurs of what seemed to be masculine voices.
“Shit! She’s waking up!” She hears someone scurry away, then footsteps draw closer to her. They seemed taunting, yet lackadaisical.
Joy groans as she tries to get up. However, she feels something surrounding her. Every part of her body was touching something cold and metallic. She tries again to balance herself and get up, yet her head falls heavy and her body goes weak.
“Awhh, are you hungry Ms. Kimchi~?” One of them sing out towards her.
“Oh sorry, maybe we should have said ni hao first,” another chims in. They all laugh at her.
“Or or, con each ee wah,” they all chuckle among themselves again.
Joy waves it off though, nothing she’s haven’t heard before. What, are they gonna ask if she wants to listen to Kpop? Eat dog? Wear cosplay?
“We have BTS waiting for you on the radio~” One coos at her. How brilliant of an insult, Joy only thought their attempts of stereotyping her showed how stupid they really were. It also shows the lack of effort of research and care. Like, c’mon. Her nationality is literally on her FBI fage.
“Does the little rice picker need her straw hat?” A feminine voice branches from the other side of the room.
“How uncreative do you have to be?” Joy says with her consciousness still wavering.
“Excuse me?” What Joy assumed to be the leader of the gang stepped up.
“You said konichiwa wrong, you don’t even know my nationality even though it’s in my FBI files, you pick the apples from the tree that are literally rotting on the ground—it’s not even on the tree anymore,” Joy explains with matter-of-fact sass. “You saying these stereotypes only show you actually know nothing about any Asian culture, in fact, I bet you don’t even know Thailand or Philippines are asian and have their own customs, their own languages. I bet you think India is on a whole different continent than China.” Joy spits with her usual sarcastic eagerness. Oddly, it fueled her. She got a weird rush for finally fighting back.
“Tch, knock her out!” Someone from the back announces.
Joy points her head up, “what? Offended because I’m right?” She started to smell something rather sweet. She sniffs a couple times to identify the substance, but then her brain goes into alert. Chloroform. Joy tries to hold her breath.
It’s too late.
She feels herself getting heavy again and panic drills into her.
“No wait,” Joy pleads. “Sydney...” She tries to call out, but black engulfs her once more.
“Ugh, of course she talks back, how typical for their kind.”
“Her files say she’s a hacker, yeah? Course she is! Slitted eyes probably aced her math class.”
The room fills with laughter and similar jokes. However, they don’t realize Bain was way ahead of them.
︶︶︶꒷꒦ ✦ ₊ ˚︶︶₊❀˚ ɞ
“Dallas, I need everyone to hear this. Joy has been kidnapped by a gang of teenaged men, and there’s probably more holding her captive. They’re asking for ninety million, however, I have a better plan.” Bain continues to explain, “I’ve sent you Joy’s location. It looks completely abandoned and no one is surrounding the outside. There’s a lot of stories, it looks like it could be a hotel. The security gets higher the deeper you go, but the people who kidnapped Joy don’t seem that powerful—it should be a breeze.”
Dallas urgently calls everyone to meet into the planning room. Once everyone gathers, Dallas starts to explain the plan.
“Wick, Jacket, Sokol, and Jiro. I believe you four will keep level headed for this mission. We’ll need stealth. We’ll-”
“FACK ya motherfacker! I’m going after Joy, ya hoon! I’m not letting these ASSHATS determine the life of my GALFRIEND!” Sydney gets uncomfortably close to Dallas’ face. Dallas stays unfazed, he’s used to emotional outbreaks like these.
“I want Joy back as much as you do. We just need-“
“Piss off old man. NONE of ya care about Joy like I do! NONE of ya give a shit. Alone in her van. She NEVER felt like she belonged here!” Sydney turns her eyes towards everyone else, obviously extremely upset.
A silence cued for a while. Sokol glances at Jiro. Clover glances at Chains. More people just looking at each other.
“Agh! Yer all fackin’ drongos.” Sydney shoves her hands onto Hoxton and Houston’s shoulder. “Ya two! Yer comin’ with me.”
“Us?!” The Ton twins already cringe at each other while being pushed out of the building.
“Sydney, get back here. Sydney!” Dallas calls out for her, but only receives a middle finger back. “SYDNEY!” The door slams shut.
Dallas rings out a hefty exhale with his fingers rubbing his temples. A headache rushes through his forehead.
“I need… something to drink,” Dallas says while scrunching his face from the annoyance. “If Sydney thinks she can do it, who am I to stop her?”
“Her van…” Sydney’s heart sank as she placed her hand on the door. “I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”
“Does shit for brains really have to come with us? He fucks everything up, Syd…” Hoxton complains.
“Me?! Three heists ago we had to bail you outta jail,” Houston defends himself to use a more aggressive attack.
“Oh fuck off you limp dick scum,” Hoxton spits back at Houston.
“Will ya two just put a sock in it!” Sydney opens the back of the van. She shoves them both in and slams the doors shut.
Sydney pushes herself into the driver’s seat. While making herself comfortable, she jams her spare key into the ignition.
“Hold on tight, ya pussies,” Sydney warns, but immediately swerve a hard left to make way towards the main road. “Ya betta be looking at that GPS! Dallas shoulda given ya the location.”
“Right…” Houston elbows Hoxton into his side.
“The fuck is wrong with you? Look up the location fuckface,” Hoxton elbow’s him back.
“You know I’m not good at this shit! All I know is pew pew and KABOOM, not fuckin! Fuckin uh… whatever. This is,” Houston swipes along his screen.
“Of course a wanker doesn’t know how to type an address into his phone, tch,” Hoxton laughs.
“Okay then you do it, ‘Momma’s boy’,” Houston shoves his phone at Hoxton.
“Just get the fackin’ address ya fackin’ galahs!” Sydney slams onto the accelerator to make them spring backwards.
“I’d be gutted,” Hoxton scoffs while attempting to locate the location.
“If Keeelliiiii would drive a bit slower! It’d be a lot easier!” Houston momentarily took sides with Hoxton.
In response, Sydney slams on her breaks, making them both hit against the seats.
“Don’t fackin call me that. That’s reserved fer Joy and Joy only.” Sydney’s demeanor grows devilish.
“Well now you just pissed her off, great job dimwit!” Hoxton pushes Houston’s head.
“Ugh, then find the location fuckface,” Houston shoves any technology towards Hoxton.
“Loverboy can’t figure out technology~” Hoxton coos as he taps a few buttons on the phone.
The phone situation wasn’t solved, even after Sydney shooting death threats and the H bros spatting cuss words at each other. Although, it was extremely hard to tell if they were about to kill each other or violently make out. Either option didn’t help Sydney get closer to Joy.
A distant location was finally established after a bunch of bickering between the trio. Was it the correct one? Sydney soon found out that it definitely was not.
The trio was absolutely somewhere abandoned, this certainly wasn’t the hotel. How to tell? Simply put, it’s a junkyard. With cranes and destroyed cars.
“Ya fackers better get us back onto the FACKING road before I gut both of ya!” Sydney screams at the ton twins. Her hands ball up into a fist, ready to bruise whatever knuckles got in the way.
“WHOA WOAH WHOA OKAYYY, hey let’s calm down!” Houston awkwardly chuckles, nevertheless he grabs Hoxton’s shirt and shakes him around.
“Let go of me!” Hoxton pushes his arms against Houston.
“I’m not gonna listen to a british fuck, which is you—by the way!” Houston continues to jolt both of them around.
Sydney’s fist tightened.
Houston immediately stops and goes to look at his phone instead of Hoxton’s.
“Okay okay, we’ll findddd it,” Houston scrolls through his apps.
“By this point you deserve to get punched,” Hoxton rolls his eyes while watching him aimlessly scroll.
“Aye! You were the one who got us lost in the first place!” Houston growls.
“Oi! That was you, not me!” Hoxton pushes his shoulder against Houston.
Sydney strikes Houston on top of his head.
“JUST FIND THE GODDAMN LOCATION YA PUSSIES!” Sydney was about to sock Hoxton as well, but Hoxton quickly grab’s Houston’s phone and pins in an address.
“Let’s try this one, yeh?” Hoxton chuckles with embarrassment.
“TRY?!” Sydney brings her fist back more.
“Nonono! It’s for sure this one!” Houston defends Hoxton, nodding in confirmation.
“Yeh, see? It’s at least a hotel!” Hoxton nods along.
Sydney scoffs and puts her hands back on the wheel.
“My galfriend is in danger, possibly even ded, and no one fackin’ cares ’cept me!” Sydney rants mostly to herself. “And of course I’m stuck with the two lousiest people evar!”
“She kinda did force us to go…” Hoxton whispers to Houston.
“Wha?? Whaddya say?” Houston tries to ask for clarification.
“I said! She’s the one who forced us to come!” Hoxton whispers a bit louder.
“I can fackin’ hear ya Hoxton.” Sydney interjects.
The hotel that they sought out was indeed abandoned, however, once more, it wasn’t the correct location.
How to tell? There wasn’t even a building there. Only a foundation and a bunch of bricks around it.
Sydney attempts to control her breathing. This wasn’t working, otherwise the twins wouldn’t be able to hear her getting red to the face.
Hoxton’s face pales as he quickly taps around on the phone.
“Dude fuckin’ hurry before she fucking decks us!” Houston also taps against the phone.
“Bloody hell, get your mayonnaise fingers off your fuckin’ phone!” Hoxton ends up getting in a finger tussle with his counterpart.
“You’re such a whore! Let me have my phone!” Houston tries to pull the phone.
Suddenly they stop arguing.
Sniffles can be heard from the front seat.
“I just want Joy to be okay…” Sydney balls her fists up in aggravation; she ends up cuffing her hands over her face and hitting her head against the drivers wheel. She soaks her hands with uncontrollable tears. The anxiety of her lover potentially being dead finally got to her.
Quite literally hours of driving, yet nothing.
Sydney ends up hugging the wheel, wanting to get as close to what left of Joy was. She holds it tight.
“Please be okay,” Sydney gulps down the breakdown that almost spilled the glass. She holds her head up and wipes her tears. Slowing her breathing, she pushes down the emotion to clear her head.
“Can ya two please, just get the address.” Sydney’s usually demanding words now became bleak.
Hoxton and Houston stood there frozen. Not only have they never seen Sydney cry, they’ve never seen her so focused on a mission.
“I’m sorry Sydney,” Hoxton speaks up first. “I had no idea Joy meant that much to you.”
“Well. She does, okay? So can we fackin’ go? Please?”
Houston nods and takes his phone back from Hoxton.
Finally, they found an area that looks a lot like the images Dallas provided with the location.
On the way there, the van was silent.
The usual bickering between the H bros became awkward when one tried to start it.
Hoxton would often glance towards the floor, at Houston, then at Sydney.
Unlike Hoxton, Houston just watches the trees fly through the window. It was obvious Hoxton wanted to say something, maybe start some conversation. But Sydney crying was burned in their memory. Sydney never cries.
Never.
Houston finally focuses his gaze on Hoxton. Hoxton meets it in return.
“We fucked up,” Hoxton mouthed towards Houston. Houston nodded in agreement.
They both look at Sydney. Her eyes were still watery, yet her focus was sharp. Not like it never is, even if she is an anarchist. Houston and Hoxton notice there’s more of a focus than usual.
Deep down though, they knew if she saw Joy in any state that wasn’t “fine”, her entire person would drastically change. They didn’t want to agree with Dallas. Unfortunately, he held some truth.
“You okay?” Hoxton finally speaks up.
Sydney glances in her rearview mirror, looking at the two. Her lips fidget at the corners, but she keeps her voice low. She puts her eyes back onto the road. Millions of things were swirling around her head.
Were they gonna do this in stealth? Is Joy okay? Is she even alive? How many people are in this gang? Are they more armed than Bain thought?
“I don’t know.” Sydney was firm as she started to turn the wheel.
Hoxton and Houston shift with the motion. They look at each other once more with a sadden expression on their face.
A promise they both made together has been broken: Don’t joke around when someone’s serious.
“I’m sorry, Sydney,” Houston peaks his head over the seat to look at Sydney and the windshield. “I shouldn’t have called you Kelli.”
“That’s what you’re focused on?!” Hoxton pushed himself next to Houston.
“Yes???” Houston furrows his brows. “What’s your damage?”
“I cannot believe you…” Hoxton sighs dramatically.
Sydney stays silent and lets the two bickering fall silent after more back and forth. She watches the road lines skip pass and then looks at the road signs about to come up.
Sydney turns the keys, making the car’s engine turn off. She opens the door and kicks her way onto the ground. She goes towards the back of the van. She grabs onto the door latches and swings them open.
“Let’s go.” Sydney grabs a KSP (light machine gun) and an Arbiter (special). She dashes towards the building, but she squats near a section of boxes. She angrily stuffs ammo into her weapons and makes sure to secure more around herself.
Hoxton casually hops out of the back of the van, only to already have the Queen Wrath (assault rifle) equipped against his side.
Houston whines as he scoots himself to the edge of the van. He lets his legs drop. He roams the van for what weapons were left, only the Akimbo Heather (submachine guns) were interesting enough to take. Houston jumps off the side and places the two weapons against his hip.
“Remember to actually reload when you start getting low on ammo this time.” Hoxton rolls his eyes towards Houston.
“I always do that! You’re the one who needs to keep track of his bullets… You always lose them!” Houston spits back while double checking if his submachine guns were actually loaded this time.
Hoxton waves Houston over, telling him to go faster. He tilted his head towards Sydney. Houston didn’t get the clue though.
“Why are you waving your head around?” Houston squints his eyes.
“Sydney is waiting for us! Go faster!” Hoxton tsks as he tries to gain speed without losing Houston.
Sydney scouts the surrounding area before standing to the side of the door’s entrance. She waves Houston and Hoxton towards her—not wanting to alert any guards if there were any.
Hoxton and Houston finally catch up, also pressing their backs against the wall. Houston elbows Hoxton to make more room for himself and to also peer into the door more easily.
Hoxton shoves him in return, wanting to stick his nose in the business too. Houston doesn’t agree with the sudden hogging of door space, but he slams his heel into the British man’s shin.
Hoxton stealthily hoots in pain, but quickly kicks back.
Sydney rolls her eyes and just steps into the little space of what was left of the doorway. Houston and Hoxton stop the tussle momentarily once they watch Sydney pass through, realizing that they were fully able to be seen in the doorway.
“These fackwits are a joke.” Sydney roams around the first floor. She scans around the area to see if maybe anyone was hiding to ambush them.
“What do you mean?” Hoxton and Houston say in unison and shoot each other a glare.
“There’s no security surrounding the fackin’ building! There’s nothing here on the first floor!” Sydney exclaims while pulling the two into a room just in case.
“So? Most of our heists are like that,” Houston replies with confusion.
“It means we’re dealing with pussy amateurs whose arrogance outmatches their wits,” Sydney goes on to explain. “I bet they’re thinkin’ they can take us all on, but just ya wait...” Sydney trails off while walking around the room.
“But how is it different from a heist...” Houston says. In response Hoxton rolls his eyes and bumps him with his hip.
“It’s a kidnapping.”
“What?! So we’re not even going to get paid for this?!” Houston gasps. He whips his head around in agony. “What the fuck, teabag! I’m not a charity!”
“SHIT FOR BRAINS, DALLAS LITERALLY TOLD US IT WAS A RESCUE MISSION,” Hoxton’s voice soared over Houston’s head, but quiet down once Sydney hushed him.
“HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT???” Houston tries to defend himself, but as usual it doesn’t work out for him.
Hoxton groans. The palm of his hand meets his own forehead and a large exhale escapes his annoyed lips. He waves Houston off, ending up facing Sydney with a “I-can’t-believe-Houston-is-so-fucking-dense,-why-did-you-bring-him-here?” look.
“Zip it,” Sydney shushes them and lays down the basic plan.
“I’m goin’ up the stairs, get to the top floor, shoot every facker in my way of getting there, get Joy, and I’ll handle it from there,” Sydney explains while drawing onto the wall. “Ya dickweeds cover me. Got it?”
“You’re gonna rush up there all alone? Then expect us to make sure you don’t get killed? Are you sure?” Hoxton more or so asks for reassurance. He knew how wicked Sydney could get, if he was the one who had to keep her in check, then he would.
“Yes I’m sure. I’m more than sure. My love is up there sufferin’, wouldn’t ya do the same fer Houston?” Sydney calls the two out.
Hoxton immediately shuffles himself backwards, shaking his head in denial.
Houston cocks his eyebrow in confusion, not knowing what the fuck Sydney meant.
“Whatever. When ya bogans get married, we all’ll say we said so,” Sydney chuckles to herself. “Fer now, just make sure I dun’t die, ’kay?” Sydney clucks her tongue before exiting the room.
Houston huffs in confusion. He slicks his hair back, trying to comprehend why he would get married to his worst enemy.
“Are you as confused as I am?” Houston turns to Hoxton with a scrunched look.
“Houston not now!” Hoxton dashes out of the door with scarlet peppering his cheeks. “Sydney is already going! Hurry loverboy!” He sprints after Sydney going through the first flight of stairs.
“I was just wondering!” Houston groans as he runs after Hoxton with not as much enthusiasm.
Sydney sprints through the stairs, trying to focus on not letting her emotions boil over, yet she couldn’t feel her body focus. All that clouded her brain was Joy. Sydney just wanted to make sure she’s okay. She already gets shit on at the safe house, and now this?
Sydney feels a bulge of emotion push through her chest. Anxiety, worry, and anger floods her nerves. She tries to hold back, wanting to focus on her surroundings instead of letting her emotion fester and marinate. Although, it seems trying to hold them back doesn’t help much either. Pressure fills her ears, in her head—her eyes flood with anger. She runs faster, going up the second flight of stairs.
Nothing on the second floor seemed to show anyone on guard, just a couple people walking around; they didn’t seem to notice. The third floor though, more people were alerted.
“Hoxton! Houston!” Sydney screams as she shoves herself on the third set of stairs.
“I got this!” Houston pushes Hoxton to the side and pushes on the two triggers next to his sides. Rounds fly into the walls, but the people in the way were definitely on the ground bleeding out.
“See?” Houston shows off his smug smile. Hoxton waves him on from the middle of the stairs.
“Come on! You needa learn how to move faster...” Hoxton shakes his head while entering the third floor.
“Excuse me?!” Houston frowns and quickly follows while trying to reload the guns. “I just saved everyone’s life!”
“We have bigger problems up here, mate!” Hoxton says while thrusting his assault rifle around, letting magazine after magazine run out. “More are coming down the stairs!”
Hoxton says while hearing gunshots in the floors above him. Sydney or the gang could be shooting.
“Okay okay teapot, I’ll come and save you,” Houston’s cocky yet sarcastic demeanor made Hoxton smile.
Sydney scrunches her face in anger. The emotions finally overflow with anger, just pure anger. Vexation that completely takes over her hands and fingers, forcing red to blind her. Splatters of blood and headless corpses paint the fifth room. People rush to tackle her, to shoot her, to stab her, to perhaps torture her. But they forgot one thing.
As Sydney started to run up to the sixth floor, a mini timer ticked down slowly before her. People chase her, some of the others surround the noise. Suddenly, a major flame combusts into their faces, making their skin become porous and begin to melt. Their tiny hairs catch on fire and the heat charcoals until it gets to the muscles.
Sydney couldn’t stop though.
“JOY!!!” Sydney frantically looks around with tasers and bullets aiming at her. With rushes of people and hands. She jogs up to the final floor: the sixth floor. Nothing Sydney couldn’t handle, but it definitely annoyed her. “JOY ARE YOU HERE???” Sydney cries out with actual tears dotting the lining of her eyes. She grabs a couple people on top of her and swings them against the wall, busting the back of their heads open.
“Awhhh, big bad Australian wants to save her ‘girlfriend’, of course you’re lesbian, what else would you be?” Sydney assumes the gang leader speaks up. She huffs roughly as she faces the taunting voice. Other members surrounded the leader, as if being a human barricade.
"Where is she.” Sydney aims her LMG right in the middle of them.
“As if we would-” one of the members began. Nonetheless, a bullet cracks through the air and whistles through a few of the members huddled against each other.
The surrounding group members backed away from the bodies; they finally realized the shit they got themselves into. Sydney cocks her LMG with her piercing gaze focused on each eye that was on her.
“So, are ya pussies gonna tell me where she is?” Sydney grimaces.
“Here!” A feminine voice with black hair calls out while pointing behind them.
"Finally.” Sydney takes out a handful of C4 and clicks them together. After, she tosses them on the ground and kicks her way towards Joy. The people bundle over, making it an easy pathway.
A small cage was behind them; It could barely fit a person. Sydney cracks an opening with her pliers and wraps her hands around Joy.
Sydney frowns though. She finds blood puddling where Joy once was, yet only small movements could be found. Her eyes darted from place to place, trying to find the wound.
Sydney gasps, finding a bullet wound—fresh too.
“Fack! Joy-” Sydney shakes her head and wraps her arms around her tightly. She tucks one arm under Joy’s legs—letting them dangle, and the other arm holds her up from her back. Holding her bridal, she places a gentle kiss on her forehead.
A huge wave of heat combusts the back of the room. Bodies hit the ceiling and fire starts to erupt just like the fourth floor.
Sydney zips to the window and kicks open an exit. She places a foot on the window sill before looking behind her one last time. She holds a middle finger up, added with her tongue hanging out. Before the chain explosions could get to Sydney, she launches herself out of the window.
She holds Joy tighter against her chest. She thought about the wound, the bleeding, how she must feel right now. Sydney was happy she was unconscious for now.
“It’s gonna be okay, Sweet, I got you,” Sydney whispers while aiming her foot at a pipe against the wall. The blast of air pushes against her face and arms, but the lack of weight made her feel free.
Letting one arm let go of Joy, she catches her fingers onto a slender pipe. Her body slings forward harshly and around for a bit until the pipe cracks forward and shifts the two downwards.
Sydney grips her fingers against Joy, wanting to secure her closer to her. If she could, she would cuddle her up there for hours. Even if her arm turned sore or burned from exhaustion. She had her gamer girl back.
Sydney looks down and lets go of the holdable pipe.
Sydney lands onto the much bigger pipe. She slips. She flows with it and slides down the semi-steep slope (y=mx+b).
Sydney hops over any of the rigging that popped out and would jump to the next set of piping. Eventually though, she got close enough to the ground to jump off without causing too much harm to her, only a couple broken bones, maybe?
“Hold on Joy, I got ya,” Sydney says to the sleeping gal prior to throwing herself towards the ground.
She wraps her other arm under Joy’s legs just like it was before. A beautiful rush satisfies the anarchist inside of her. Not often does she get to do what she wants in her own reign. Bain or Dallas always has something to say when it comes to her on missions. Despite being one of the most efficient, apparently her technique is too messy.
Sydney’s feet plant themselves on the dusty, run down terrain. The force of the landing made her go into a full squat, almost tipping herself over while keeping Joy to her chest.
Joy’s consciousness slowly surges to the surface. Her body squirms against Sydney.
Sydney frantically grasps at Joy, holding her even closer so she wouldn’t drop her, though she also wanted to convey she was safe.
“I’m here, it’s gunna be okay, ’ight love?” Sydney snuzzles her dirt covered face against Joy’s beautifully clean one. Sydney notices Joy’s lip curl into a gentle smile, yet her smile fell as she started to move more. Sydney assumed it was because of the bullet wound.
“Lets get ya to the van, cupcake,” Sydney sighs as she gives herself one last push to get onto her feet. Joy continues to wake up, her movements seem dim and weak.
Sydney jogs her and Joy against the rock and deadened earth. The black and purple van was further away than Sydney thought. She inhales deeply, trying to bring her strength back, unfortunately she felt weak, not only that, but tired as well. It isn’t everyday where she jumps off a six story building and tries to make a land from the third.
Joy starts to whine audibly. She feels herself swaying gently, yet it oddly feels urgent. Joy scoffs as she tries to reach towards a spreading of pain, just a feeling of potent burning and soreness. Almost like it was a gaping wound.
“Sydney...?” Joy squeaks. She winces as the pain crawls deeper inside of her. “It hurts...” She tries to breathe out.
“We’re almost there, sugar, just hang in there,” Sydney reassures her with peppering kisses on her face.
Sydney approaches the van. She lets go of Joy’s legs to stuff her hand into her pockets to take Joy’s van keys out. She places the key ring onto her finger and looks for the car’s remote control. She clicks the unlock button—immediately the car blinkers go off twice along with a clicking noise.
Sydney opens the back doors with her free hand and compassionately lies Joy down. She urgently pushes Joy’s jacket off to look at the wound better onto her shoulder. Sydney grabs a pair of scissors right next to the first aid kits and medic bags.
Sydney shows Joy the scissors, tilting her head towards the sleeve. Joy nods her head—her hand waves her off.
Sydney nods in return and snips the cloth off just enough to see the wound. It was a decent size, nothing that couldn’t heel, but the bullet was obviously cushioned by something. Sydney takes out a doctor bag and takes out some equipment to get deeper into the wound. In preparation, she cleans the wound as gently as possible, but Joy still winces and her face scrunches in pain. Sydney takes out the cotton filled with blood and puss. She finds a piece of distorted lead within Joy’s shoulder. She takes a pair of tweezers and clasps the two prongs against the piece of metal and pulls it out. She examines the dented metal and a sudden realization pierces Sydney’s heart with not only guilt, but deep and heart wrenching shame.
“I shot ya...” Sydney doesn’t believe the words she utters. “I shot ya.” Sydney repeats a bit louder to confirm that this was indeed reality.
Sydney shakes her head to return her focus to wrapping Joy up. She takes gauze, cotton, and rubbing alcohol. She pours the liquid onto the cotton wrap and lays it against the wound. She adds pressure and tries to ignore the whimpers and pouts that Joy exclaims.
“It’s gonna hurt for a bit, puddin’,” Sydney says with a weak grin on her face—it was obvious guilt soaks her complexion. She wraps the gauze around the wound and then makes sure it was secured.
“I’m not mad at you, dummy,” Joy smiles with pain-filled eyes. “You saved me. I should be thankful for a girlfriend like you.”
“No. Dallas was right.” Sydney protests. “He said that I would become too emotional—that the people he suggested should go and save ya. Of course me and my hot head had to go against his orders. Because I did that? I got my sweet hurt.” Sydney cuffs her hands over Joy’s cheeks, just wanting to hold her. “I hurt my sweet, my love fer forever,” Sydney bites her lip as her throat starts to well up in heat. “I shot ya.” Sydney repeats, “I shot ya.”
“You did what you had to. I would much rather my hot sexy Australian girlfriend come save me than some guys,” Joy tries to rationalize to her. “Besides, that gang’s idiocy hurts more than some bullet wound.”
“What did they say?!” Sydney’s ears perk up.
“Just some dumb racial driven shit. Stereotypes about—you know, me lol.” Joy chuckles to herself. “You would think I’d get used to it by now.”
“Maybe the world should get used to bein’ a bit kinder, yeh?” Sydney chuckles back as she caresses her thumb over her cheek.
“Yeah,” Joy sighs. She gets frustrated with herself for letting it get to her. She places her hands on the floor of the van, trying to push herself up.
“Can ya walk, lovely?” Sydney asks after helping Joy sit up.
“I think I’m still drowsy from the chloroform, but I think I can?” Joy didn’t sound too confident.
“Well, would giving ya a fat smooch give ya some motivation?” Sydney teases, but Joy knew she was serious.
“Actually? It does,” Joy warmly grasps onto Sydney’s hands and hops down from the van. She feels a heaviness rest against her knee. She tries her best to stand straight.
“Looks like ya had a rough night,” Sydney wraps an arm around Joy’s waist to pull her in.
“I bet it has been way harder for you than it was for me,” Joy winks teasingly.
“I’m so happy ye’re safe,” Sydney pulls Joy into a vacuum sealed hug.
Joy coughs from the tightness, but hugs her back.
“What about that kiss?” Joy sheepishly asks. Joy’s tough guy persona never got delivered right, now matter how hard she tried.
“Ya thought I forgot?” Sydney shakes her head in fake disappointment.
Sydney runs a hand up Joy’s hip, slithers it up her waist, and then tucks her fingers under her chin. Joy blushes and adverts her eyes. Sydney only smiles and softly presses her lips against Joy’s.
Joy allows herself to fall into the kiss while giving her lips back. She wanted a deeper kiss though. She forgot how wonderful Sydney felt towards her. Her warmth, her tough demeanor, her everything was perfect. Why did she pick Joy out of everyone? Joy wasn’t too sure, but she knew she was lucky.
Joy leans harder into Sydney, trying to show she wanted more.
Sydney smirks with her typical smug smile and slides the tip of her tongue against Joy’s lips. Joy jumps up a bit, even though this is exactly what she wanted.
Joy opens her mouth, wanting Sydney to rush in and take her. Sydney almost obliges. She continues to tease the shorter one in her arms by rolling her tongue around her lips.
Joy frowns and decides to take action herself; she pushes her tongue into Sydney’s mouth. And to Sydney’s surprise, she takes it. She tediously sucks around Joy’s tongue and feels a newly born warmth form against the two of them.
Eventually, Sydney pulls away from Joy ever so slowly. Joy brings her head back as well.
They gaze into each other’s eyes with hearts flying in the air.
“Wanna go home and cuddle?” Sydney interrupts the silence. In return, Joy nods, obviously extremely tired. “I call the driver’s seat then.” Sydney tosses the keys into the air and then catches them.
“I’m too sleepy to drive anyways...” Joy mumbles.
“I’ll close these back doors, ya go on and take a seat,” Sydney says while already closing the latched doors.
Joy nods with fingers already rubbing at her eyes. She takes it easy going to the passenger door seat. She latches her fingers onto the handle, but barely pulls on it. She yanks it one more time and it becomes ajar.
Somehow, Joy slips her slender figure through the small crack and allows herself to sit back into the chair. She turns her head to the open door and reaches for it.
Sydney comes to her side and wags her finger at her, shutting the door for her.
Sydney appears on the other side of the car. She opens the driver side door and smiles at Joy once again.
“Ya look pretty, darlin’.” Sydney slides into her seat and lies a hand on Joy’s lap.
“You’re the pretty one!” Joy argues back with no fight in her.
“Okay okay!” Sydney chuckles as she puts the keys into the car. “As long as ya know ye’re one of the prettiest.”
“Sydney’s gone!” Hoxton calls out while retreating to the second floor and hiding into a room with Houston.
“Yeah? It doesn’t take much of a brain to see that. The whole top of the building is on fucking fire!” Houston rolled his eyes as harshly as he could, which was just rolling them as high and slow as possible.
“How do we get out though?” Hoxton asks out loud for himself and not Houston.
“Why are you asking me?” Houston cocks one of his brows up.
“Why would I try to ask you for anything?” Hoxton sighs and looks out the window. “We could do what Sydney did and jump out,” Hoxton suggests.
“Really? You think we’re cool enough for that?” Houston asks—already opening the window sill to jump out.
“I don’t think being cool matters at the moment; I’d rather not die to be honest, dickweed,” Hoxton’s insult felt flat.
“Okay, well- I guess the only thing we can do now is-” Houston pauses his sentence to watch Hoxton haul himself out the window. “Jump...” Houston leans out the window, watching Hoxton fall with sparkles and shines around him. To Houston, Hoxton looked badass. Houston felt his cheeks warm up for some fucking reason. “Hoxton...” Houston felt everything in slow motion. He shook his head and leapt out of the window just like Hoxton did.
Hoxton looked up to watch Houston start spinning sporadically above him. Hoxton reaches to grab his leg to help him, but a cushioned impact punches against Hoxton’s back sides.
Hoxton looks around him, however an obviously dizzy Houston falls on top of him. Houston’s arms were on each side of Hoxton, and the smell of garbage gassed them.
“Fuck, it smells bad in here,” Houston coughs into Hoxton’s face. The romantic energy that was once there before has been diluted, yet Hoxton still had flush glowing onto his tan skin.
“Houston...” Hoxton says his name with something flicking against his tongue, he wasn’t sure what.
“What the fuck???” Houston looks at him confused. “Why’d you say my name?” Houston looks at him quizzically.
“I just...” Hoxton smirks. “Like to say it sometimes, loverboy.” Hoxton feels a checkmate in his stomach. Houston was too dense to understand any of the shit he said.
“Uhh, okay...” Houston stands up and looks out of the dumpster. “Shit, Sydney’s already gone!” Houston climbs out of the dumpster and hops onto the dry terrain.
“Oh,” Hoxton wasn’t sure how to respond, but he followed Houston. For some reason he wished that they lied in there for a little longer. Maybe even cuddle? Hoxton shakes the thoughts out of his head and joins Houston to his side.
“What do we do?” Houston asks with a defeated look on his face.
“I don’t know.” Hoxton ponders. He bites at the skin of his lip, trying to figure out what to do. “Uber?”
“We can’t Uber, we’d get reported immediately!” Houston punches Hoxton’s arm.
“Then we walk home.” Hoxton says teasingly, nudging Houston back.
“Oh.” Houston’s face huffs. “Call the Uber,” Houston stubbornly pouts.
“Anything for you, loverboy~” Hoxton pokes fun at Houston once again.
They pull out their phones and scroll through their apps to find Uber. Once one does, they look for a general location to drop off at as to not give away the Safehouse location. Houston gives Hoxton his debit card to let him put in the payment.
“How are they going to find us in the middle of nowhere?” Houston asks as Hoxton punches in the numbers.
“I guess we’ll have to see, won’t we?” Hoxton smirks as he presses the first Uber to pop up.
