𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱'𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 (𝗠𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗮!𝗡𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘂)

17

minx walked slowly up the alley, giving a suspicious glance at the shiny trashcan. she jiggled the door to the warehouse and narrowed her eyes at the ease it opened with. she looked back at the armed people behind her.

she nodded and entered silently, holding a gun in one hand and a flashlight below it to look around the darkened rooms. niki was close behind, a small camera on the top of her bulletproof vest streaming a video back to puffy in real time.

"nothing?" puffy asked incredulously.

"seems like it," minx said, her frown deepening as the warehouse turned into more of a dump as they opened more doors.

"keep going. everyone, look for loose papers or drawers that could hold things," niki said, her expression set in stone as she searched every cranny.

"are you sure, niki? we're just putting a target on our backs the longer we're here. maybe they moved when magnolia found them," minx sighed, letting her arms fall to her side.

"there has to be something here," she insisted, opening drawers to dusty desks and slamming one shut when she found nothing for the third time in a row.
"she has to be counting on us to find her. she's gotta be so lonely... and, and helpless feeling."

"c'mon nik. it was a red herring and a trap from the beginning for her. we just have to start back over at the site of the accident or something. maybe there's more there-" puffy tried to soothe her but cringed back when she upended a desk out of fury.

"who the hell does this damian person even think they are?!" niki shouted, stomping around through the room and into the next. "what a fucking prick! i bet they're, they're having a real big laugh at us and magnolia for letting her get caught!"

minx followed slowly, waving at the armored guards to return searching away from them.

"hey now, mags is a big girl. i'm sure she's holding up great," minx reassured. "probably annoying the shit out of that person, too." niki turned around, tears on the brink of falling as she stared back at the purple-ette.

"thats what i'm worried about," she whispered. "she barely has any self preservation, not after that other girl she liked. i can tell, i had friends like her who got hurt just to protect 'a cause' that wasn't even worth dying for." she paused to breathe deeply, trying her best to not sob.

minx and puffy were quiet, letting her get it out.

"she'll be half dead by now and from what i've heard, damian is a self obsessed dickhead who runs on impulse and anger. tell me that they'll let her wise ass go off on them for even five more days," she said, pointing her finger at minx accusingly.

"i..." neither of them could and niki nodded with a bitter look.

"exactly. we- i need to help her. she's told me so much and trusted me and i violated that trust just a few days ago and i need to make it up to her," niki pleaded to the walls, the furniture as she paced hopelessly.

"we'll get her back, honey. don't worry," minx said softly, patting her on the shoulder awkwardly and leaving the room to let her have space. and chat privately with puffy about niki's mental health.

"come on nihachu, where would some cliche evil person hide shit?" niki mumbled to herself, patting herself on the face to do something with her hands.

"well, obvious places have been checked so... go for unobvious spaces," she determined, looking at the bookcase and getting an idea.
"they wouldn't..."

they apparently would because multiple shelves of books thrown onto the ground later and one single book was standing on its own, apparently glued to the wall in front of it.

she tugged on it and something in front of her clicked.

"you're fucking kidding me," she muttered, a small but angry smile on her face.

once the flimsy wooden frame was pulled on, it slid forward like a door to reveal a hole in the wall. a dingy but well lit stone staircase was oddly familiar to her and her smile grew larger.

"just me or is damian a little copycat of magnolia?" she said to herself, amused. it was like when she was 'kidnapped' herself.

without another thought, she descended into the unknown with her gun drawn.

"puffy, did you hear that shit?" minx asked quietly, finding an empty room to speak privately.

"uh yeah. always thought something was up with her," the brunette said, awkwardly scratching her neck.

"shit. has she ever gone to therapy?" minx whisper shouted. puffy was quiet.

"she's a secret agent thing, dude. she can't go talking about her mission stuffs to random people with college degrees!"

"fuck, dude. when this is over we need to hook her up with someone," minx cursed.

"yeah, you're right," she sighed. "in the meantime, make sure she doesn't do anything dumb. i think her comms just turned off."

"got it boss. oh, and tabitha did go to dream's, right? that's what magnolia said to do in emergencies," minx checked.

"yep. he picked her up just after you left."

"you're an angel, miss puffy," minx sighed, walking back to the room she'd left niki in.
"oh shit."

"she's disappeared, hasn't she."

"yep. and it looks like this bookcase is a secret door because all of the books are cleared off it except for one and it's standing all on it's own in the middle of a shelf," minx reported, staring at the book.

"gather the team and please don't let niki get killed," puffy instructed, typing furiously to force a signal to niki's video feed and earpiece. unfortunately, being under the ground is bad for cell signal and she was having trouble.

"good luck."

"thanks, puff."

just a bit less than a thousand words so its shorter than usual :( i did start school though so i have an actual reason! hope you're all well, i had a busy but fun weekend, and yeah!!

-Cat ^•w•^