𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 ✔

𝟕𝟎. 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃

Later that day, Cara turning the pages of a novel she had picked up idly, sinking into the soft cushions of the library sofa. This mission had taken a serious toll on her mental health, but it had also stripped her away from her normal hobbies - the things she loved doing most. Before, it was all writing, reading, homework, and YouTube. Now, it was nothing but researching, preparing, and fighting.

And since things had settled down a little, at least for the moment, she wanted to take some time away for herself...before they went back into action yet again.

That was until her phone vibrated, destroying her moment of piece.

aiden ♥
tiger, we need to go back to the hotel.

Cara frowned before replying:

tiger 🌬
what's wrong? where are you?

aiden ♥
the hotel, it's at unrest. someone or multiple people broke in, i think. i had no idea but taelyn just called me, she said to get over there. i'm at the shop across the street from your library.

tiger 🌬
whose rooms were targeted? is it itch? what's happened?

aiden ♥
i don't know, taelyn will explain when we get there. can you meet me in this coffee shop in five?

tiger 🌬
will do. shit im so worried.

aiden ♥
so am i. come on, we better hurry.

Cara rushed out of her seat, putting the book away hastily. She raced to the exit of the library and crossed the street, not even bothering to fix her hair or look out for traffic.

"Who could've...Mint and Jynni....workers...Itch.." she was muttering lowly to herself as she pushed the door to the coffee shop open. She scanned the interior quickly before spotting Aiden. "Let's go."

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so quick. We need to work calmly in order to do this right," he pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes, "but it could have been Mint or Jynni's room that was broken into. We need to find answers quickly and make sure they're okay."

He nodded, and they hurried out of the shop, walking briskly down the sidewalk to the hotel. Taelyn was waiting outside, a feverish look on her face. Cara barely had a chance to look at what happened before she rushed past them.

"I'm glad you came. Let's go, they're asking us to enter through the back door because of what happened in the lobby."

Aiden, Cara, and Taelyn raced into the hotel, making their way through the back door to all the way to the front lobby.

Cara's jaw dropped as she soon as she saw the scene.

The lobby, once clean and warm, was now in a disastrous state. The windows were covered with yellow caution tape, but she saw that they were shattered, utterly destroyed. The marble floor was littered with pieces of jagged glass. Paper, mud, and ash were also present. The paintings that hung on the walls had fallen, the frames fractured. Some of the canvases were still hanging on, like a little piece of life prepared to fall to its fateful death. The walls and furniture were penetrated, splattered with little holes that represented bullets.

"Sir, what happened?" Taelyn asked one of the workers that were clearing the area.

"Get out of the crime scene, miss," the worker said gruffly as he got out a broomstick.

"I need to know," she deepened her voice, and despite her being a head shorter than him, her presence was demanding.

The worker sighed before putting down the broomstick. "Ben! You'd better come here."

Another male, looking to be in his forties, made his way to them. He was short and mousy, with his hair graying. In his hand was a lit cigar.

"Whass goin' on, Milman?" the man's voice was drawled and lazy.

"These youngsters-" Milman began.

"I'm twenty-" Tae interrupted.

"-want to know what happened, and I suggest you tell 'em."

"Alrighty," the man named Ben said, "Uh...a grou' of men attacked the hotel in grou's. One of the grou's went for some rooms, and the othas raided the lobby."

"Do you know who they are?" Cara asked, wide eyes fearful.

"Nah, but security is takin' care of that," he puffed, smoke filling the air.

She grimaced. "Who was attacked? Which room?"

"Why y'all folks askin' so many questions? Iss not like you gon' get anythin' from this."

"If you don't want to tell us, we'll get going," Aiden stepped forward, looking straight down into the man's eyes.

Ben was on the skinnier side, and he definitely didn't match Aiden's height. He giggled nervously, avoiding the taller's gaze.

"Ahahaha yeah, anyways so. Gimme a sec and I'll pull up the data for ya." Ben waddled to the computer, typing hastily for a few moments before speaking. "Yah, so workers say it was rooms 417 and 418 that were fully attacked, but ya know, could be more that were unrecorded around that area. Anyways, the peeps in those rooms were transfad to the hospital."

Immediately, Aiden gasped. "No...." His face was drained of any color, and he shook his head, repeatedly.

Cara frowned. "What's...what's wrong?"

"417 and 418. Mint and Jynni." He didn't even give them a chance to say anything before he dashed off, heading for the back door.