Last Chance House (Shadez & Bored)

Late evening the next day, just as the sun was getting ready to set, Roland dragged Ivy into the training studio. He of course had a shield up so as to not actually touch the girl, but it was beginning to take a strain under her onslaught of fire power. She wasn't throwing much of the fire at him, but she was radiating it. A sure sign that he had pissed her off. But this was really the only way he was going to help train Cal. He didn't want to be touched for his own personal reasons and Ivy just so happened to need to be punished.

Last night the girl had been caught coming back into the house later than she should've been. It was perfect timing, actually, since Charles had just returned from the trip he had been on. No one actually knew where these trips took place, or cared to ever ask him, but he went on them at least one week out of every month. He trusted the people in the house to take after themselves, and Last Chance House was tied in with a lot of money so that was never an issue, so he didn't mind leaving. The people in charge of the larger organization that ran the Last Chance Houses for Aces in need of somewhere else to go knew that Charles was one of the best and so he watched this group in particular.

They never really wanted to train, especially this bunch, but today was a rare day. As part of Ivy's punishment she would be training until she showed signs of semi-control over her fires and helping Cal out was just a bonus for Roland. He stepped into the studio, letting for of Ivy who moved to stand in a corner, and waited for Cal to show up. While he began setting up the room Charles walked in, always up for watching the training in case anyone needed his help, and greeted them. Ivy sent him a particularly nasty look but he just grinned back at her. If anyone could handle Ivy and her meltdowns it was Roland or Charles. The man had just been given with the power to nullify any other Ace he came into contact with. Made him bad for training in certain situations, but fantastic in others.
 
Cal shuffled her way into the training room, dragging Dez along behind her, grumbles of protest emitting from him while he strummed his uke in agitation.
She shot him an irritated glance, having already explained to him that she needed some extra support.
He returned her look with a grimace.
"I'm here, but I don't have to like it," he said with a grimace, taking a seat in one of the corners as she began to stretch. It was then that Roland and Ivy caught her eye. Cal's resolve flickered, a small knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Turning away, Charles caught her attention next. She was far less surprised to see him, but still just as dispirited, warning bells sounding in her subconscious.

Dez took one look at Ivy and let out a long sigh. He hadn't thought a punishment was necessary after making the poor girl sleep in a barrier all night, but he wasn't about to dispute the decision either. Strumming his instrument lightly, he watched the training. He'd told Cal he'd join if he found it interesting enough. Just being there was more than he wanted at that moment.
"Rorooooooo is getting his kicks by beating up little girls?! Say it aint so~" he cried dramatically, only partially paying attention.
 
"Alright." Charles clapped his hands together as he stepped into the middle of the room. "Let's get this practice started. Cal, I know Roland said he'd be training you, but little Ivy just couldn't wait to join in on the fun." He shot Ivy a playful wink and she rolled her eyes, arms crossing over her chest. "So while Roland is here for emotional support, Ivy will be your sparring partner."

"We have to fight?" Ivy asked, clearly not having been filled in on the details herself. She walked over to stand beside Charles in the center of the room and eyed Cal suspiciously. Ivy wasn't much of a fighter, proven by the black eye which was just a whisper now on her fair complexion, so she didn't look forward to what might happen in this training. "You didn't say that."

"Cal doesn't need help with fighting right now." Roland said, deciding to speak up for Cal since she looked so uncomfortable. He had already told Charles this but assumed the guy was having fun at their expense. "You're just going to let her practice her ability. Whatever she needs, just do it." Ivy gave him a look that said what he was suggesting was easier said than done, but didn't argue. So he moved to sit beside Dez, ignoring the boy's singing. "Don't want to train? Why not just leave?"

"Fine, fine." Charles said, clapping a hand on Ivy's shoulder and waving Cal closer. "So the plan is simple. Cal, just do your thing. No need to worry about harming Ivy or making her do anything she'll regret. I'm here to keep you both safe, but I have complete faith in your abilities. You just need to have some faith yourself, okay?" He clapped his free hand on Cal's shoulder when she got closer and then he moved away from both girls.

"Okay..." Ivy looked to Cal, clearly a little worried. "Don't make me do anything stupid because I can't promise it won't end up in flames." She would try her best to not burn the place down, but she really did have little control over her own powers.
 
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Dez gave Roland a sardonic look, chuckling to himself darkly.
"I'm here because some idiot thought this was a good idea and SOMEone," he gestured to himself, maintaining his strumming pattern, "is going to have to play damage control when it falls apart," he responded, watching his sister carefully.

Cal was paralyzed with fear now that she was facing Ivy, mind racing. Taking a look at Charles, she relaxed a little, but only faintly.
"I'm… not touching her…" she said flatly, giving Ivy a once over. The idea that she would be responsible for 'punishing' Ivy was something that nagged at her mind, appealing strongly against her moral compass.

"She doesn't trust Ivy," Dez sneered, speaking just loud enough for Ivy to hear, but low enough that it appeared he was trying to be discreet, fanning himself with one hand as the temperature began to climb. He knew Cal would refuse to practice unless there was a need and for that to happen, Ivy needed to be pushed. Shooting Roland a look of sheer annoyance, he mouthed 'you're welcome' and went along playing. He would help his sister be successful, sure, but he still didn't want to be here, and that was clear by his lack of interest in the outcome.
 
Charles looked around, mostly between Cal and Dez, and picked up on what was going on. He nodded ever so slightly to himself and said, "If Ivy isn't good enough then I'll go see if I can wrestle up another volunteer." He shot Roland, the only one he really trusted to keep things in check, a look before leaving the training studio.

Roland wanted to sigh, but didn't. He didn't like playing with emotions or just teasing other people in general. So he ignored Dex's look and crossed his arms over his chest. If the idiot twin wanted to push Ivy to the point of her burning up this place then so be it, he would just stay to throw up a shield if things didn't go the way they wanted it. Ivy could make flames that didn't burn, but she hadn't really mastered it.

"I'm not good enough?" Ivy asked, turning a glare on Cal. She hated the girl's motherly attitude and her inability to actually trust in herself enough to use her abilities. What was the point of an Ace who didn't use their powers? All that was left was the fast healing and immunity to most sicknesses, which while great didn't really seem fun. "Weird. Here I thought I was one of the best in this house, save for Roland but he's a social retard, isn't he." She flashed Roland a smile over her shoulder and he returned it with a cool glare. The girl had called him worse and he knew she didn't mean it, or at least he hoped.

Ivy looked back at Cal, raising her hands up a bit and feeling the gentle heat of her flames as they engulfed them. She cracked her neck a bit in a fluid motion and then stepped into a fighting stance, stance wide and body lowered. "Stop me, or get burned. And trust me, I will burn you." While this display was very impressive, little fires had started in other spots of the studio and were spreading. They didn't tend to linger when she was knocked out and they were all aware of this. If they wanted taunting, then Ivy could do taunting. "Dez can feel safe though," She gave him a wink, but it was clear she wasn't being flirty.
 
Cal's gaze shifted from Ivy to Dez and back again, taking a step back from the girl, hands raised defensively.
"I didn't say that. I just don't think it's appropriate that we fight…" she stated, frowning when she realized how weak her argument must sound to the rest of the group. Her brows furrowed at Ivy's comment about Roland, hands balling into fists at her side, opening her mouth to speak, only to close it as Ivy flashed him a smile, a hint of jealousy nagging her.
The flames was what pulled her out of the minor daze, eyes flickering with each stray patch.
Cal's look hardened, body shifting to a more defensive stance.
"You're out of control," she stated, eyes narrowing.

Dez rolled his eyes, ignoring Ivy's comment, working on some more intricate strumming patterns.
"Quit stalling, Callé," he called, patting a patch of flames out that were getting precariously close to his pants. He was still irritable from before, not allowing himself to look up at Ivy. It was easier to keep her out of his head if he didn't look at her, he found.
'Avoidance doesn't work…. You know this watching Callé attempt to avoid her problems until they blow up in her face,' he thought, glancing up at the situation and shaking his head.
'literally,' he thought, rolling his eyes again.
"It was nice knowing you," he quipped to his sister. She shot him a glare, taking another step back.
 
"Come on, Cal, defend your boyfriend." Ivy began a slow circle around the other girl, a trail of flames following her until she made soft spiral. As she moved closer to Cal she tried to look uninterested just up until the point that she lashed out with a fist covered in flames. While Ivy wasn't much of a fighter she did still know enough to beat up a person she was fairly certain didn't know jack about combat at all. Charles had made sure to teach her how to hit with her flames, but she'd then grown so bored of learning that she'd stopped the training. It wasn't until she got in trouble that she was forced to learn something new from him.

"Watch your mouth, Ivy." Roland spoke up, his face a mask of stone as he watched the two. When Ivy went in for such a cheap shot he was surprised that he didn't flinch. His hands did tighten ever so slightly on his lap as he resisted the urge to pull up a shield to block the punch, figuring that Cal might indeed need a little pushing in this matter. He hated the idea of tricking her into using her abilities, but if she was going to be stubborn then he didn't know what to do.

"Watch it for me, Roro." Ivy dipped low and away from Cal after the first hit, whether it landed or not, and got ready to dash back in for another strike. As she did she flashed Roland another smirk, knowing that he wasn't interested but finding it fun either way. "At least you can touch me." This last part was directed at Cal once more as she tried to land another fiery hit.
 
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Cal felt her body tense, fists tightening at Ivy's comment, but she didn't add to it, able to control her mouth after growing up with Dez.
Dodging Ivy's attack, the flames singed her skin faintly, heat running down her arm. She'd only narrowly evaded the attack. Putting her hands up, Cal crouched lower, making sure her footing was solid, but light if she needed to dodge again.

Dez laughed obnoxiously, his body shifting with the act.
"I don't think you get to brag about being able to touch people," he called out. She hadn't burned him recently, but he'd been around her long enough that he'd been burned his fair share.

Cal lost focus for a moment at Dez's sudden jubilation, arms lowering slightly.
'Stop. Just stop,' she thought, daring to look over at Roland. She couldn't read him in that moment, which didn't help. Charles was gone. Dez was no help, in fact, he was fanning the flames, if anything, and Ivy was pushing Cal's buttons. She was quickly realizing this wasn't the safest scenario. She'd originally come here under the impression her and Roland would be training, bringing Dez for some moral support. She hadn't expected Charlie or Ivy, nor was she prepared to take hold of the situation.

Before she could prepare herself, Ivy was rearing back for another attack. Cal moved a hand up to block it, fire engulfing her hand, but that was all the contact she needed.
"STOP," Cal commanded, fear in her eyes, her voice quivering with the command. She could feel her hold on Ivy almost instantly, hints of her intentions heavy in her mind.
Ivy's body froze, toppling to the ground with a thud. Cal blinked, relaxing for a moment as the immediate threat was neutralized, that is, until her small frame started convulsing. Cal screamed, grabbing the girl's body again, panic in her eyes.
"No no no no no!" she cried, trying to take back control.
Dez was by her side instantly, grabbing her arm. Pain ran down the burn she'd received in the fight, sobering her enough to focus.
"Breathe Callé. What'd you do?"
Cal shook her head, moving her hands back to Ivy's body.
"Breathe! Live! Work!" she cried, adrenaline starting to kick in as she yelled different commands in an attempt to reanimate the girl's body. All her organs were had temporarily stopped.
Ivy's body stopped convulsing and she sucked in a breath. Cal released the one she'd been holding, moving away from the girl.
Dez asked again, moving closer to Ivy and checking her pulse.
"What'd you do?"
"I just wanted… it all to stop…" she whispered, shame starting to wash over her. She grabbed her arm, her front covered, helping her feel more secure.
"You didn't…"
"That's not what I meant! You KNOW that, Dez!"
"But look what HAPPENED CALLÉ! Look what you DID! You need to learn to fucking control yourself."
Cal flinched, retreating several steps backward.
Dez moved a hand to Ivy's chin, looking over her, desperately trying to make sure she was okay. He knew his sister needed to be pushed, but he'd been under the impression she had better control over her will with age. She'd refused to show him her powers since they were younger when things like this had occurred far more often. He'd wrongly assumed she'd been working on it. Or maybe it was that there really wasn't much to work on. Maybe her touch would always be this deadly to other people. Glaring over at Roland, he let out an annoyed grunt, lifting Ivy into his arms.
"I'm taking her to the infirmary. You need to end these 'practices' with Cal. They're a waste of time."

Cal heard enough, jaw locked as she turned away from her brother.
 
Ivy wasn't sure what had happened, one moment she was moving in to strike Cal and the next everything was on fire. It felt like a rush of ice filled her veins only to find out it was gasoline and it had been ignited. She'd never felt so much pain and she wondered if she was going to die. Her first thought was, where the fuck is Charles, before she finally just seemed to pass out. When she stirred again she was in a familiar place. The room in the house dedicated to all the medical needs an Ace might need. Just because they could heal at an alarming rate didn't mean that they didn't need to be treated every now and again.

Ivy had been in this place the most of the group, since she had a tendency to burn herself at times with her fire. As she blinked open her eyes she tried to focus on the rest of the room, finding Dez. A normal person would have asked what had happened to land her in this bed, but she had more important questions banging around her head. "Did I win?"

~X~

Roland stood up during the craziness, but didn't actually move any closer. His shields were no help in this situation and he honestly felt ashamed. He should've been the one to be training with Cal, but with his inability to actually be touched he knew it wasn't possible. Roland wasn't aware if Cal know about his aversion to being touched and he didn't want to find out. Because if she didn't then they could still be close. He just knew that given half the chance she would ask him about why he needed the constant shield, and that wasn't a story he could tell.

As Dez left with Ivy, a little more cruelly than Roland thought necessary, Charles entered the room again. "Cal..." His eyes watched the door from which the injured girl had gone, but quickly found Cal. "So now you know what's going to happen if you don't train seriously." His voice was edged with a harsh tone and he couldn't help but give a teacherly glare at the girl. "Cal, you had the chance to just touch Ivy and practice. Why didn't you? Why did you feel the need to be provoked to the point of almost killing her."

He began to close the distance between them and Roland tensed at how close they were. He wanted to get between the two, but this was a serious matter. The was a war waging inside him between two desperate needs and it looked like one side was winning over the other as Charles continued his lecture. "Imagine if she hadn't been an Ace. She would be dead. You need to start simple." He lifted up his arm, offering it to her. "Touch me and tell me to cluck like a chicken. Have an idea of what you want to do before you go and do it."
 
Dez gave Ivy a wary look and sighed.
"Nobody won," he stated glumly, regret weighing heavily on him. He'd been too harsh with Cal, fear and anger clouding his own judgement.
"How are you feeling?"

~x~

Cal felt numb. She couldn't hear, couldn't feel, couldn't see, completely engulfed by her own fears. It wasn't until Charles started moving closer to her that she was able to make sense of her surroundings.
"STAY BACK!" she screamed, retreating as far as the room would allow, moving so her hands were behind her back, body ready to run.
 
"Fantastic." Ivy said as she sat up and the world seemed to swim around her. "I didn't think I'd push her that far. Geez, I'm worry." She may have not been a fan of Cal and her motherly ways, but she didn't actually have anything against the girl. Roland, of course, she had issues with. "So I guess me being here means it didn't work?"

~X~

"What's wrong?" Charles asked, still looking more upset with Cal's attitude than what might be happening with her. As Roland tried to come over to them the man held up his hand ti stop him. "Roland. Leave and shut the door behind you." It took Roland a good minute before his legs finally moved and he walked out of the training studio, shutting the door firmly behind him. He waited for a few minutes, wondering if he should go back in for Cal, but then he just walked away.
 
Dez scratched the back of his head, thinking about how he wanted to phrase his response, frowning in the process.
"It wasn't your fault... She should have been practicing on her own," he qualified, knuckles rapping lightly on the wall in rhythm. He didn't want to explain that this had been a recurring issue since they'd both been little or the fact that his sister's hypocrisy was the most irritating to him. She was always on him about practicing his abilities to better hone them and keep others safe. It was ironic to him that she couldn't be bothered to do the same, especially with her history.
"Could have been worse, honestly.... You could have died," he said, looking up at Ivy seriously, expression hard.
 
A month had passed by and there was nothing to really mark the change in time. Cal was still ignoring everyone, which didn't matter since Roland had not bothered to check up on her. Ivy spent her days either reading or being forced to train with Charles. It was uneventful and for a moment they both began to wonder if anything would ever change.

Roland wasn't ignoring Cal in the way that she was ignoring everyone else, no in his mind he was giving her space. But the truth of the matter was that he was actually upset with her. What she had almost done to Ivy had scared him. He hadn't realized how little control the girl had had over her ability and it made him feel like a horrible friend. The only really reprieve from the guilt was blaming it on her. How could she not master control over her ability if it meant keeping some unlucky fool alive? What if she came into contact with a non-Ace and killed them just because she was too much of a child to face her fears?

He couldn't fathom what might have been so horrible in her past that led her to not wanting to learn control. All she had to do was start small. A single touch on Ivy with the intention to have her cluck like a chicken. Or even just to make the girl smile without a hint of sarcasm for once would've been nice and simple. But who was he to think this way? Maybe her ability was really difficult to control? Maybe she didn't even know how to turn it off or on. But he couldn't help being mad.

His angry didn't make ignoring her any worse. If he saw her at the house, during those rare moment she seemed to be home, he would have to put up a shield between them to keep himself from getting close to her. The fool inside of him wanted to ask if she was okay. To be the comforting person she needed. But deep down he knew that babying her would do nothing but worsen the problem. If she saw that people would always be there to clean up the mess then she'd never learn. And in that respect she was a lot like Ivy.

Roland was only worried about one thing when it came to Cal and it was the fact that she was spending so much time in outside world. Considering how hated their kind was he couldn't help but stay awake a little bit longer every night waiting for her to come home. Just because he was childishly upset with her didn't mean he wanted her dead.

~X~

Except Ivy had been training every day for the last month. She got the occasional weekend off, but even then she found herself in the training studio with Charles. Charles had said he'd been given a month vacation and that she'd have to train with him for the whole thing. And it wasn't just ability training either, he seemed to want her to be a better fighter. It took a few tries asking him why, but eventually he caved. Apparently seeing that a non-Ace had bruised her eye had sent him into a panic. He didn't want her to be unable to defend herself if she did happen to sneak out again. Charles made her promise to take one of the guys with her the next time she felt the need for a midnight stroll. It was as close to permission as she was going to get.

She had thought that training was going to be a huge waste of time, both of theirs, but she found herself to be quite enjoying it. She actually land a few hits on Charles before he put her back into place and when she added fire into the equation things got better. The flames seemed to only enhance her natural ability to defend and attack, making her a deadly foe. Ivy was pretty confident that she could handle herself against some bullies, but Charles was constantly reminding her of one fact:

Things were different in an actual fight. And she believed him on that front. She knew she had a tendency to romanticize actual real life events and fighting was one of those things. In her books the hero always one the fight, unless he was meant to learn a lesson and even then he still survived. Charles was quick to remind Ivy that if it was a serious fight that it was life or death. And everything becomes different when your life is on the line. But she still figured she could handle it.

~X~

"Ven." The head of Multis sat at their desk, watching the young boy and his companion. He used the term companion in the loosest way, not really liking being tied to anyone, but he guess she counted. "I think it's time we started up our plans." Ven drummed his fingers along the spine of the book he held in his lap, but it was clear he was paying some attention. "Send out the letter. But make sure you only give it to one of them and no one in charge. I want the kids involved, not the adults."

"How am I supposed to get my hands on those kinds of explosives?" Ven asked, finally looking up at the person talking and instantly regretting it. "Right. Stupid question. Leave it to me." He turned to the girl sitting beside him with an expression that seemed cold and indifferent. "Will you be joining me on this one?"
 
Cal could barely keep the days straight as time passed. Any excuse she could find to be out of the house was a good one as far as she was concerned, especially when she knew the others were likely to be home. Her and Dez had not spoken in weeks, she no longer even made eye contact with Ivy or Roland, and Charles she flat out avoided altogether, keeping to herself most days. She went as far as to intentionally leave early in the day and not return until curfew, only going as far as to respect it now that Charles had been home more often to actively enforce it. Every once in a while, she wouldn't return at all, instead spending the nights walking the streets until the early morning and slinking back to her room around midday.
Most days she spent running or sketching, though lately she'd spent a few at a local animal shelter, donating a bit of her time when she could.

~x~

Dez, on the other hand, had been banking in as much time with Charles as he could, though to his dismay, most days were spent meditating. Dez loathed meditation. The act of sitting still and focussing on nothing in particular had his brain buzzing with ideas, thoughts, and feelings, none of which were helpful when trying to focus his attention on his ability. Charles had worked him up to the point that he could now stand when casting, and the extent of the portals now far exceeded the mere size of a basketball, but they were still only lasted for a few brief minutes, and he found it particularly troubling that he still was very ill-equipped to deal with a combat situation should the issue arise. There were days where he found himself watching Ivy and Charles train with envy.

His sister, on the other hand, he made a point to actively ignore. Soon after Cal's spar with Ivy, he'd attempted to apologize and talk, but she had only brushed it aside, making an excuse to leave the house soon thereafter. The subject hadn't arisen again, not that he'd been surprised. His sister had a tendency to run away from her problems rather than address them directly. It was exasperating, and thus, he'd given up on talking to her for the time being. No use forcing something she didn't want. He didn't even have the patience to try.

~x~

Rowan smiled up at Ven, giggling to herself.
"Not directly," she said, brushing her hand lightly over his arm, licking her lips as they began to tingle. She knew now that she couldn't risk revealing her involvement. Not yet. In due time she would, of course, but there was no need to rush it. She intended to take full advantage of their current anonymity while it lasted.
 
A few days later Ivy entered the study and looked around at all the books. Charles had finally taken off to do another one of his business trips and she was off the hook. It sucked because after a month of straight training her body seemed to crave the movements but all she wanted to do was go back to reading all day. Her tummy was starting to show signs of some serious abs and what little chest she had was dwindling before her eyes. This definitely called for a Junior Mints and smut kind of day. And this was what Ivy had in mind as she moved to one of the book shelves, her attention being snagged by the desk she had to pass. No one but her ever really used it and she left it spotless, not wanting anyone to find her fanfiction. But right there was a letter with a wax M sealing it.

She picked it up gently, slipped a finger beneath to break the seal, and pulled out the contents. Brow furrowing, she almost thought it was a joke, but then something nagged at her. "Dez!" Ivy called, unsure if the guy was even in the house. She would go to Roland if she had to, but they never got along so there was no reason to start now. "Dez! Come here!" Even though she'd spent the last month barely talking to Dez she still preferred him over the alternatives.
 
Dez's eyes shot open as he heard Ivy call his name, dazed and stiff from falling asleep while trying to mediate once again. Stretching lightly, he yawned and popped his back, letting out a contented sigh after he was finished. Taking his time, he made his way downstairs to Ivy, running a hand through his hair lightly, only to find her with letter in hand. Dez quirked an eyebrow, eyes moving from her, to the letter in her hand, and back again.
"I don't get mail," he said after a moment, yawning again.


Cal fished into her pockets, her keys jingling in her hand as she emptied their contents onto the table, fishing out a dog treat or two, a few stray receipts from work, and a lone sugar packet. Eyes lingering for a moment, she let out a long sigh before tossing all the contents into the nearby waste bin, and pocketing her keys again. She'd only come home to swap her work clothes for running attire. Making her way upstairs, she passed Dez, his arm nearly grazing hers as she passed. Neither said a word to each other as they did, but Cal felt his eyes on her, making a point to move further away from him as she ascended the stairs.
 
"You do now, idiot." Ivy said as she walked over to Dez, pulled him into the study, and shut the door. Then she gave him a conspiratory shift gaze as she flipped the letter to face him, not at all bothered by how close she was standing to him. "Look what this says."

Congratulations, Ivy, you've been chosen to receive this letter. I'll keep this brief. The local mall is being targeted. Explosives, dead citizens, the whole nine yards. By who, you're probably wondering? Me. Be there or be square. :) Also, I wouldn't tell the authorities if I were you. You know the drill.

Countdown starts: 3 days.

Your secret admirer.

Ivy reread the letters contents with Dez and then shook it in front of his face. "Is this a joke? Did you do this?" She slammed the paper into his chest, the letter beginning to smoke with her barely contained irritation. If this was a joke that Dez was putting on then she wasn't amused.
 
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Dez stared at the letter, eyes narrowing as he reread the text.
"What does that even mean?" he whined, rolling his eyes as he let it sink in.

Putting up his hands defensively, he took a slight step back, not too far, but just far enough that his shirt wouldn't catch on fire with the note.
"I didn't do this. I would have made it far more embarrassing," he chuckled, smirking at the girl.
"You aren't seriously worried about this right? It has to be some kind of joke."

~x~

It only took Cal a few minutes to change and lace up her shoes, making sure the majority of her skin was covered. A hoodie, her sweats, and her gloves left little exposed, but also had a tendency to make her look like a gang member.
Going once through her mental checklist, she headed to the kitchen to fill her water bottle and was out the door again.
'Five miles to the shelter, three to the park, two more to the edge of town… and ten back again,' she thought, running at a steady pace, trying to force her body to relax as she focussed on her breathing, adrenaline starting to kick in.
 
"You didn't do this?" Ivy asked and she let the note flutter to the ground between them. For once she looked genuinely worried as she moved back to the desk, tearing it apart as she searched for anything else. "Would Cal do this? No." She responded almost instantly to her own question as she began opening and slamming closed desk drawers. "Roland doesn't have a funny bone in his body." When it seemed like there was absolutely no other trace of the culprit on the desk she looked back at Dez, tears threatening in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away, not liking to appear weak, and leaned onto the desk. "I don't think this is a joke." She said, but her mind screamed, Who could've gotten in here? Are we not safe?

This study was like a safe haven to her and the very idea that it could be broken into at any point, especially with the security system held in place. In this city they had to have top notch security or be at risk against the people on the outside. Even when they did leave the house they were careful to make sure no one saw them. Who could've gotten in. "Dez, I'm going out." She didn't even wait for him to respond before she was pushing past him, opening the door, and going to her room. Ivy quickly pulled on some sneakers and began looking for her cellphone. Should I call in a bomb threat? Does that count?
 
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Dez quickly trained after Ivy, grabbing the note in his haste and stuffing it clumsily into his pocket, the paper crumpling in his grasp as he did so.
"It's probably a prank," he complained. Not only was there a security system in place to stop intruders, but even if someone HAD meant for the message to seriously reach them, it was more likely that someone picked it up at the door and left it in the study for her to find. Grabbing her shoulder lightly, he tried to slow her down in hopes that he could calm some of her nerves.
"I'll go with you to check things out, but if you're really that concerned, then we need to think of a plan before running into whatever is happening," he said flatly, his skepticism still clear on his features as he quirked a brow at her.
"We have 'three days' to prepare," he stated, not wanting to prolong the process, but hoping it would convince her to stop and think more rationally than she currently was.
 
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