Posts by Starsinhereyes

"So much for the day off," Kalyn muttered, lengthy red hair in a mess as she reached from the warmth of her comforter for her phone. She could tell without checking that she was being fed information in code, preparing she and her partner both for what was to come. Scrolling through the message, she picked out a time, a place, a target, and a mission type without a hitch. Groaning at the realization that it was the fourth retrieval in two weeks, Kalyn threw a glance at the clock on her phone and groaned once more. There were a grand total of two hours between then and the time they had to be on location.

Rolling out of her warm, glorious king-size bed, Kalyn threw on the first outfit she could find that didn't smell like she'd already worn it and padded to the kitchen. Without a doubt, it was the only clean room in the entire two-bedroom apartment. She preferred it this way. So long as her kitchen was clean, her life was perfectly in order, surprise missions be damned. She cracked a few eggs into a pan and set them to frying alongside another pan of bacon. Throwing in some of her favorite spices, she reached for the cupful of darts resting by the entrance of the living room with an amused smirk.

Kalyn and her partner had known they wouldn't be getting the security deposit back for several months, but that didn't stop them from having their fun. Sure, they had a dartboard they could use, but they also had a whole wall covered in mission notes they could have a stab at, too. It was already covered in thumbtack holes anyway, what could a few darts do that they hadn't already done?

Kalyn snorted as she picked a few random spots for her barrage, hitting each on its mark as the food sizzled behind her. She checked back every now and then to watch how it cooked and chopped a few herbs to sprinkle on top with a lazy smile, content. For a few blissful moments, it was almost like her day off hadn't been swiped out from under her. Not that she could complain, she wouldn't give up her job and all its perks for the world. And, oh, did it have a great many perks.

Tucking a dart behind her ear as she tossed the rest in the general direction of the counter, Kalyn started down the hallway to the bedroom of the greatest perk of all. Knocking lightly on Skylar's door, she called, "Hope you didn't plan on taking the day off on your day off. We've got a retrieval in two hours and food is done."

"Indeed I do," Kalyn grinned, a light in her eyes as she dished out the food, first for her blonde and then for herself. She offered up the plates and grabbed two forks, tossing one at Skylar in hope that she'd miss it but knowing all too well that she wouldn't. Digging in, she added, "I'd say mind the heat, but you're already packing."

The warning wasn't just intended for the spice Kalyn employed in every meal. She gave her partner a once-over, searching for any sign of her many knives. She didn't find a single one, but that wasn't a surprise. Even so, she knew perfectly well that Skylar had no shortage of them on her person.

But Kalyn's witty comment didn't only serve a double purpose, it served triple. She smirked through her once-over, her brown eyes catching her partner's brilliant blue. She was unabashedly checking her out. Their casual flirting easily made her day.

"Lemme grab a brush and then we'll talk business," Kalyn threw over her shoulder as she headed for her mess of a bathroom. Plucking up her hairbrush and two ponytail bands, she made her way back, already yanking it through her tangles. Speaking around the bands between her teeth, she went on, "'S on the corner of Walnut and Everlin. We're after another flashdrive, damn these offline data transfers."

"Technically all we need is the drive, but I'm really goddamn tired of searching for flash drives," Kalyn added as she started a braid along the left side of her head before pulling it and the rest of her hair into a high ponytail, "Root out where they're coming from and let's deal with it."

"I guess you could say I've done some poking around," Kalyn said, nonchalantly as she finished off her breakfast and made her way to the living room. Her eyes flitted over the darts she'd thrown earlier, her bright brown dulling slightly at the results of her definitely-illegal methods. She could tell something was off from the start when they were after flash drives and not anything more interesting. The more she looked, the more gaps she found, until she realized she was hacking into her own Organization.

Someone had written a backdoor into the code, and was using it to exploit sensitive data regarding trade agreements. They were planning on selling the data, but they needed to be secretive about it. They needed a foolproof way to get it from point A to B without it being intercepted and erased digitally. Thus, the flash drives and the people they paid to deliver them.

Little did they know, Kalyn already had them under watch from the day she'd first noticed something was amiss and they had been able to retrieve every drive since. However, their opponents were getting increasingly difficult to catch, and she and Skylar needed to end the game. Kalyn managed to source the signal back to a single building, but an issue arose when she looked into the location. The company that owned it leased out office spaces to businesses, and there were dozens of possibilities for who was behind it all. Narrowing it down was nearly impossible, they needed answers only someone on the inside could give.

"The person behind the whole thing is in that big office building across town on Parkway," Kalyn started, slipping the dart from behind her ear and aiming precisely where the building was on a map she pinned to her wall. She let it fly, frowning as it hit just short of where she intended, then went on, "The one with that stupid billboard. 'Need a Space? We got the Place!' Those people. Chances are, our guy dropped a fake name on the landlord and is gonna skip town when he gets his money from wherever he's selling the data."

"But that's beside the point. What I need, my most talented and terrifying berserker," Kalyn sang, turning gleaming eyes back onto her Princess, "Is for you to get me the flash drive and a hostage. Tell me who's behind this mess, and then do what you need to take them out. We'll have maintenance deal with the rest, because I'm tired, and I really wanted my day off. Just like I'm sure you wanted, too."

"Afterwards, we'll do something really special to work off your leftover adrenaline," Kalyn said in a way that implied both that she had an extraordinary evening planned and simultaneously that she had no idea what they'd be doing. So long as no questions were asked, proof of either were negligible at best. Handing over her hairbrush, she beamed at her partner and added, "Sound like a plan?"

"Your frustrations only fuel my desire for the reddest red on the shelf," Kalyn grinned, forcing herself to keep from flinching at some of the harsher strokes of the brush. She did condition it. Though, she supposed it was probably time to swap out her brand, from all the good it did her. Though, perhaps it was time to choose a less intense shade of red? That, however, was a question for a later date. She had more important things to worry about. "Anyway, you ready to head out? We've got some time to kill but we can keep a lookout on location for a bit, unless you needed something first?"

"I'll have to take you up on that sometime," Kalyn chirped back, snatching up her keys and tucking her wallet into the pocket of her hoodie before following the blonde out. She'd be down for a trip to the game store, anything to keep her boredom at bay without setting the place ablaze. With any luck, a new game would lead to them playing against each other, and all the competitive flirting that came with it. A spark in the back of her deep brown eyes, Kalyn mused, "What game?"

"Well, I suppose we'll find out when we get there." Kalyn grinned, twirling her keys around a finger as they made their way to their vehicles. She had a bike, too, but she was more fond of her silver mustang. Something about not going deaf, having her music, and air conditioning had its charms, after all. She watched the way her partner glanced between the bike and car, a mischievous smirk curling along her lip. "Why don't we have a little race?"

"Wow, not even giving me a head start because I'm in a car. I see how it is," Kalyn muttered, rolling her eyes as the blonde started off. She popped her keys into the ignition and twisted, revving the engine before heading out seconds in her partner's wake. Sure, Skylar had the advantage of slipping between traffic, but Kalyn had a few tricks up her own sleeve. Her teenage years had been spent out on the streets, learning every in and out the city had to offer. With it, she could confidently say she knew a fair bit about shortcuts. Swerving off the main road and down a hidden alleyway, Kalyn made her way to their location.

Their target would be passing off the flash drive in a park in the wealthier part of town. If memory served, it was landscaped to the nines with plenty of places to hide, including a hedge maze. Families would be milling around, but it was also a space with its own shady deals. Kalyn knew for reasons she wouldn't admit that their target wouldn't be easy to pick out, even if he was dressed the part. Nothing a quick text couldn't sort out, though.

Slowing her car to a halt behind a bakery across the street from the park, Kalyn sent out a request for a physical description before popping in her Bluetooth. She grabbed a guitar case from the back seat and slung it over her shoulder as she slid out from her seat and locked the car behind her. Truth be told, she had no idea how to play, but spectators were a lot less suspecious of a guitar case then a gun case, not that anyone was watching. Ascending the fire escape, Kalyn made her way to the roof, keeping low as she slid her baby free and claimed a spot to keep watch. Scrolling through the messages on her phone, she picked up the description she'd wanted and finally dialed up her partner.

"Hey babygirl, did you make it to work alright? I'm catching a bite right now. By the way, I spent some time browsing new vehicles earlier and I found a classy white SUV, with a dark leather interior and all the latest tech. Keep an eye out for it, would you? There were three more I liked, but I liked this one best." Having a thing for cars effortlessly doubled as a code, and Kalyn grinned as she peered through her scope. She wouldn't be caught dead driving an SUV, and Skylar knew it.

Are you on location? I'm set on the bakery and I've already messaged back about the target. White guy, leather jacket, pretty muscular, but not out of place in a crowd. He's loaded, so watch yourself. He's got some buddies, too, but he's the one we want.

"You know, I have been thinking about that black sudan," Kalyn murmured, eying first their target and then the gang runner through his scope. Her finger hovered over the trigger, even if she'd never had to fire it since their partnership began. She preferred to be ready, for the moment capability turned into cockiness. "Maybe I have my eye on it after all."

You've got our guy, I'm ready when you are.

"I want the car's history before I take it for a spin. I know if I drive it, I'll love it, but I don't want the wool pulled over my eyes by a flashy salesman." Kalyn brushed her bangs away with a lazy smirk, eager to see what her blonde had in store. With any luck, she'd get quite a show for allowing that much free reign. Anticipation knotted in her stomach, but her breathing stayed level. "I won't be swindled."

Make sure he's got the drive, then take your pick. Don't get caught.

"Apparently I did," Kev said, arching an eyebrow at the blonde before him. He'd built a bit of a name for himself in his crowd, no one usually approached him when he was out on business, least of all some hot chick. He arched an eyebrow, but decided she looked harmless enough. It wasn't like he had anything better to do until the trade off, anyway. Maybe he could get lucky, since she seemed so interested. Turning away from his bored cronies, he shrugged an arm to offer the empty seat beside him. "Don't think I've seen a girl as cute as you around before. You gotta name, sweet stuff, or are you gonna make me guess?"

"Only half as hot as you are, babygirl," Kev snorted, the frowned at how she turned away from him. Either she was interested, or she wasn't. He wasn't a man for playing games, and for a brief moment, he wondered if it were an act. Ah, but a girl like her, all innocent and sweet, he doubted she was anything but upfront. She was a little shy bird, was all. Maybe she just needed some convincing?

"Gotta keep up the reputation," Kev hummed, pressing a finger under her chin and turning her head back to face him. Sure, he looked gruff, with his scar and unshaven face, but clearly she had a thing for it. He could show her a real man, because clearly all she'd had were scrawny boys. Flashing her the knife he kept in the pocket inside the zipper, he added, "Can't let anyone think they've got a pair when they don't."

~

Across the street, Kalyn's eyebrow arched at her partner's method. She trusted her enough to let her handle it how she saw fit, but seeing Skylar take a seat under his arm set her on-edge, anyway. Her trust for the creep was minimal at best, and she was more than thankful she was watching it unfold from behind a scope.

Then he put his hands on her, turning Skylar to face him when she looked away. Admittedly, Kalyn had a difficult time defining exactly what their relationship was, but her blood boiled all the same. It was all she could do to keep from pressing down on the trigger. Their mission wasn't over yet, though. Skylar still had work to do, and playing coy as she so obviously was, meant she was scheming under the mask. Kalyn couldn't blow her cover yet.

All she could do was watch.

"Fuck this creep, I hope you cut him down to size. He could stand to lose the two inches he has."

"Hang around and we may just getcha one, baby," Kev said, his lip curling up into grin smug with bitter intentions. He had to admit, that she was tempting, but he still had a job to do. Part of him wondered if she'd stick around. She was interested enough to stay that long, but what about once the trade off came about? Things would get dicey, he'd heard about the last few already. Could she handle herself? There was no way he'd screw a chick who didn't know her way around a gun or a blade. It was fun while it lasted, if she really was just some girl. "So, why don't you tell me what you know about the flithy underbelly of this place?"

"Well, wouldya look at that," Kev mused, ignoring the rising heat in his core as he eyed the blonde. It seemed she wasn't half so innocent as he'd taken her for, neither with a blade, nor with sexual advances. The girl knew what she wanted, and knew he could give it to her. He'd be damned if he didn't respect that, but he'd also be damned if he didn't knock her down a rung or two for the challenge. "Looks like babygirl is a bit of a spitfire."

"You know," Kev said, tucking his arm further around her and drawing her into him. He slid one of his other blades free from his sleeve and had it pointed at her gut in a single, fluid motion before she could so much as react. With a toothy grin down at her, he added, "You shouldn't put on a show if you can't back it up."

"What the fuck are you doing, Blondie?" Kalyn hissed, pulling away from the scope to pointedly glare at her partner. Stabbing the knife in the bench had at least been a step in the right direction, even if she had missed her mark by a few inches. Now Skylar was playing up her looks, flirting as girlishly as she could-- and entirely blocking Kalyn's shot. If her partner fucked up, she'd be on her own until she managed to get out of the way. It grated on her nerves, feeling that useless, but she could still see that the blonde had the guy wrapped around her finger. Skylar had this in the bag. Breathing out long and slow, Kalyn muttered, "Goddamn it, you stress me out."

~

"What a way to go, indeed," Kev muttered, driven breathless by this little firecracker blonde who came outta nowhere. She was bold, she was sexy, and she knew her place. He didn't know where she'd been all his life, but he was hooked, work be damned. There was no question, he had to keep her around. "Hey, so I've gotta job to finish up here, but why don't we get a drink someplace after this? Be a shame not to get to know a pretty little fireball like you better."

"Good," Kev murmured, his lip curling up as she slid back down beside him. He tucked her ubder his arm, then looked out around the place for the guy he was supposed to meet. His thumb brushed over the drive in his pocket, impatient for the deal to be over. It was strange, he'd seen no sign of the rival gang he was supposed to be watching out for, and they'd gone after every drive before him. Maybe they were scared off when they saw who was at the scene? Kev did have a bigger name than anyone they'd sent before. "Say, I don't suppose you've seen anyone in a suit with a green tie around, have you?"

"You've got a good eye, don'tcha, baby girl?" Kev mused, arching an eyebrow as his gaze followed her finger. Spotting the guy he was supposed to meet, he grinned and pulled out his hand from his pocket, flipping the flashdrive between his fingers. He turned his dark gaze back on the blonde, then added, "He's the guy I'm supposed to give this little thing to. I'll be right back."

"What... Are you doing. What are you doing?" Kalyn asked, shocked, as she blinked her eyes at the exchange. Skylar let it happen? Her scope followed the man with the drive, careful to pick up the plates on his car before bringing it back to her partner. This wasn't how the mission was supposed to play out, but she could work with it. Skylar had a plan, and besides, they could have some fun chasing down the new guy. They just needed it done before they lost track of him. "I'm gonna keep trusting you, but don't forget what we're really doing here."

~

"Job done," Kev said, tucking a wad of cash in his coat pocket as he came back to the blonde with his cronies on his heel. Throwing a glance to their surroundings to make sure they weren't being approached or watched, he waved them off. They'd all come in different cars of the same make and model, with the intention of confusing a pursuer. The way things went, though, he couldn't imagine the precaution was necessary. They hadn't been caught, the deal was done, and he was going to get a drink with a sexy blonde. All in all, a pretty successful day. "You ready to go?"

"We're gonna split off from the others," Kev mused, guiding the blonde towards his vehicle. They'd have to drive around for a while, but after a good half hour at least, they could find a bar someplace. After that, things would go as they would. Either she'd be exactly the firecracker he'd been looking for, or she wasn't worth his time. Find out was half the fun, though. "Then we'll go find someplace fun."

"Excellent! I'll be down to see you soon," Kalyn sang, ending the call and pulling away from the scope once she'd seen the blonde's current location. The car was tucked away behind a hedge, perfect for them to bind and transfer their hostage while they got the tangled mess straightened out. Kalyn was decidedly going to request that Skylar beat the shit out of him, but that would come later. Now they had to focus on getting him out of there and finding a local where his screams wouldn't be heard-- or, at least, acknowledged.

Disassembling her rifle, she put it back in its case piece by piece before descending the fire escape and starting up her car. Its purring sent a thrill through her chest and she grinned, resisting the urge to rev the engine. She didn't want to be seen yet. Making her way around the back side of the park, she pulled up alongside the creep's ride and stepped out to meet her partner.

"Alright, let's get him tied and outta sight first, then I'm gonna run damage control. I can't imagine you liked his hands on you anymore than I did."

"I can handle it," Kalyn replied, popping open the driver's side door to check over their hostage. She gave a thorough look over all the places she knew Skylar hid her knives, and other places that seemed like a safe bet for one, as well as those that didn't. Finding none, she crossed back over to her car and dug out a stretch of rope to bind his hands and feet, then stuffed him in the back of her mustang. It wasn't ideal, but it worked, and she'd have matience deal with his car later. In the meantime, Kalyn just wanted the day to be over with. Hunting down flash drives should've been beneath them, especially when it was that easy. But they were, after all, moving on to the more challenging part, because whoever was behind the scheme wouldn't be so easily fooled. Sliding into her driver's seat, she rolled down the window and called out, "Safehouse on Grand, Princess."

"You know I can handle it," Kalyn called back, arching an eyebrow as she let the window slide closed. Glad to see the blonde's grin had returned, Kalyn brushed a hand over the braid she'd made. She had an awful lot of thoughts about her partner, more than she knew what to do with. More, even, than could be drowned out by blaring punk rock.

Swerving down back roads and hidden alleys, Kalyn could only imagine what she'd do to the asshole in her backseat. He'd put his nasty-ass hands all over his partner, dared to think the filth she could see through her scope. Fuck him, he'd regret ever taking this mission, if she had her way. All she could hope was that he wouldn't cooperate, though they'd rough him up even if he did. He deserved it. At least she wouldn't be dreaming up punishments for much longer.

Pulling her silver mustang into the safehouse's attached garage, Kalyn switched off the engine and threw down her passenger seat to haul out their drowsy hostage. Just as Skylar had warned, the guy needed a second dose. Flipping through the mini fridge in the garage, she found a bottle and the needle she needed before doping him up a second time. She wanted him fully awake before she dolled out her punishments, and she wasn't ready just yet. Even so, she didn't let that stop her from shoving him down the stairs to the basement, anyway. He'd be bruised, but her ego definitely wouldn't.

Strapping him into the chair kept there for such interrogations, Kalyn flipped off all the lights but a single lamp in his face and whipped out her phone. She scrolled through her recent calls, easily finding her partner with am adrenaline-fueled thrill of her heart. Dialing the number, she mused, "We're all set here. Didja get lost, Blondie?"