Hope walked with haste down the alleyways of the city. Her eyes focused on the path ahead of her but she kept her other senses alert for any sign of her being followed. The hood of her jacket kept her mildly warm against the harsh winter air and she was sure if it weren't for her gloves, her fingers would have fallen off.
"This is what you get, Hope. You could have stayed home but no, you had to have a vision at three a.m in the morning." She whispered to herself. She sighed as she rounded a corner to the worst part of town. It was completely possible that the temperature just dropped ten degrees below zero.
She could never just call in a vision, the phones weren't safe. Not with Titan up their asses twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. So she had to travel by foot to a secluded area where she was to be met by Resistance forces and only then could she relay the information she got. Normally, she would wait until later to report it, but this one. . . this one was different. She had to get her findings to Archer as soon as possible.
God, for once why can't I have a vision on oh, perhaps a nice warm summer day? Where it was pleasant to actually be outdoors?
She was only blocks away when she paused. A familiar presence began to settle around her. One that she knew all too well. Shit. . .No, no, come on, give me a break!
"Cecil... Cecil! Come out here." Her sharp green eyes glanced around her, not being able to detect the Titan agent's exact position. Oh, but she was out there. That much, Hope knew for sure.
Ugh! She couldn't intercept me back at my apartment? Fuck my life.
"Forget your manners already?"
ReplyDeleteThe hooded woman known as Hope jumped as Cecil's voice echoed off the narrow alley walls. A quiet curse reverberated through the air as Hope stomped on the ground in frustration. It was enough to bring a wry smile to Cecil's lips. In one graceful move, Cecil leapt from the building's rooftop and landed soundlessly behind Hope.
"Where are you heading, Kouri?" Cecil asked, not even fighting back a sneer as the girl jumped once more and retaliated perfectly. Although, admittedly, she still had to work on that back-handed strike and really, it would've been endlessly amusing to watch Hope struggle in Cecil's grasp for an hour or so. The sour and exhausted look in Hope's eyes, however, was cue enough to go against that decision. Hope retracted her hand forcefully, sporting the most hilarious glare ever.
"None of your business, WINTERS," Hope spat.
"AGENT Winters," Cecil corrected and grinned when Hope rolled her eyes.
"Right. Look, I don't have to report to you whenever I leave my house-"
"Don't you?" Cecil challenged, raising her eyebrow incredulously. "You're MY informant; therefore, you're MY responsibility. Which means that your business is my business."
With the way Hope was covering herself as much as possible from the vicious, chilling winter air, it was astounding that her heated glare wasn't shielding her from the elements from the inside. "You entitled prick; you do realize I have a LIFE outside of YOUR work-"
"I'm not on duty so this technically isn't work," Cecil cut in. Honestly it was a miracle she wasn't outright smiling from the dirty looks Hope was throwing her. "Just tell me where you're heading and I'll be on my way."
"No," Hope replied, already beginning to turn away.
"I order you to tell me!" Cecil bellowed, her own heart starting to race and her hands clenching ever so tightly. God, this girl could be so infuriating.
"Can't order me if you're 'not on duty'," snapped back Hope over her shoulder. Oh ho, clever and frustrating. World's best combo ever.
With a profuse sigh, Cecil trotted up to meet Hope's pace beside her, something that obviously didn't please her. Hope's eyes darted furiously for some opening of escape, which made Cecil snicker under her breath. Good luck trying, chick.
Abandoning any notions (or at least visually obvious notions) of ditching Cecil, Hope finally spoke through chattering teeth, "Aren't you cold?"
"No," Cecil answered blankly. After several seconds of extended silence, she added, "I'm used to cold. I guess you could say... I don't know a world without it."
Hope huffed. "Yea, and then summer hits."
Cecil glanced over at Hope, noting how her eyes and the small grin on her lips indicated a blissful association with something in her reply. Although it was hardly a difficult guessing game what that "something" was. Hope couldn't be more right, however, and she would never know the gravity of that statement where it concerned Cecil. At least, she hoped she wouldn't.
Cecil, THATS who she needed walking beside her right now. How was it possible that the woman could wear near to nothing and still act as if she were walking on a warm night. Hope walked straight on, her plans on meeting with the Resistance were completely shot. She sure as hell wasn't about to spill her guts to the Titan agent either, no. . . this was information solely for Archer's ears only. She couldn't go to the rendezvous, not with Ms. Winters beside her... And she couldn't go back home, that would just be suspicious, wouldn't it? So, here she was, walking through the empty streets of the downtown area and oh, it was freaking snowing now.
ReplyDelete"Don't you have a life? A special man in your life waiting naked in your bed?" Hope asked sarcastically as she turned another corner, away from the rendezvous spot.
"Why, no. I would ask if you do, but we all know the answer to that."
Hope stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes snapping up to Cecil's red ones, her mouth agape. "Well, that's fucking good to know. Is the entire Titan organization aware of my sex life, or did you not send out the memo yet?"
Cecil's gaze flashed with amusement as the corner of her lips twitched in a smile she was obviously trying to hide. "No, that was sent a long time ago with the fact that you are still a little virgin. I'm still working on the report of your porn fetish. Should be out by next week."
Hope stared incredulously at Cecil for a good full minute. She blinked, trying to let all of her _wonderful_ night sink in. . . before she lunged at her. She screamed in frustration when Cecil easily side stepped her attack, tisking at her for not 'attacking correctly'. It only infuriated her further and the stupid smirk on the woman's face. . .ugh!
"You're going to hurt yourself, Hope. Stop it."
"I'll stop when you disappear from my-" Hope's sentence ended in a yelp as she lost her footing on the damned ice floor. She fumbled with her balance, somewhere in the background she heard Cecil say something before she felt soft fabric in her hand as she tried to grasp for something to keep her upright.
"Shit!" In a tangle of limbs, Hope dragged Cecil down with her as they both fell onto the iced ground.
"Fucking shit. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. . . " Hope whispered as she clutched her head in her hands. And top it all off? Cecil's laughter rang out through the empty streets. Why. . .
"You're such a graceful butterfly, Hope. Nice job there."
"Fuck. . . you." Hope lay splayed on the ground staring up at the starless sky. Nope. . . not getting up. She was just going to lay there, maybe Cecil would get bored. . .. yea, and maybe Cecil will also decide sprout wings and fly away!
Yep, best. Night. Ever.