Hey Sunshine

Act Like Wild Hooligans

"MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A GODDAMNED BIT-" Jesper hissed a breath in as he sucked his thumb. "Jesus Christ on a goddamn bike what the hell? Why does this even exist? Why is this even a thing that can happen to human beings?"

Kaz gave him an unimpressed look. "Jes, you have a paper cut."

"Exactly," Jesper said, narrowing his eyes at Kaz. "Are you telling me the almighty power of the papercut doesn't hurt worse than... something that hurts a lot?"

Kaz considered this for a beat before accepting it in silence. "Now be quiet. We need to be let in through the front door itself, and for that we need to act like dumb teenagers abusing his shrubbery."

Jesper scowled. "For the record, I think your plan of getting in is stupid. What are the chances that Van Eck won't answer his own door?"

"He's a billionaire," Nina piped up from the driver's seat. "Now hush - be like Matthias."

Jesper snorted. "Matthias is asleep."

There was a beat, a loud indignant squawk from Matthias that sounded largely like a "Kaz!", and a harsh bang from the man in question losing his godforsaken cane to the massive blond.

"Matthias is no longer asleep," amended Jesper. "It appears he was beat to consciousness by Kaz."

"Most do it the other way around, Brekker," Matthias grumbled, "for gods sake let me sleep."

Dammit, Jesper could feel Kaz's grin. He briefly imagined Wylan's reaction to that - probably a witty comment about how Inej was better at hiding her unconsciousness than Matthias - before he realized that Inej was also asleep in the seat next to Nina.

"Hey Inej," he called. "Wake up. We're only a few minutes away from Ice Court."

Kaz snorted. "The fuck's Ice Court?"

"Van Eck's kingdom," Jesper said indignantly. "I thought it was a perfectly accurate name for it. Ice, for Van Eck's cold heart. Court, because he does his business there. You know? Like a king's court?"

"As somebody who had an Ice Court in his own hometown," Matthias interrupted, "I can object to the name, because my Ice Court was fun and amused many children and adults with dances and the such."

Nina snorted. "I have seen your Ice Court Matthias, and it looks like a damn jail."

"Lies," Matthias said primly. "All lies."

"Shut up all of you," Inej finally said, sounding more awake than all of them (how did this girl do it?). "I think we're here. Remember the plan?"

A chorus of grim assent returned and the van they were in (how did they even get a van in the first place? Who knew?) parked behind a rather large bush. "Now we walk," Kaz said quietly, his voice barely audible. "Duck behind shrubbery as soon as you see his house. Inej, Matthias, you two know what to do. Nina, Jesper - you two are with me."

Quietly, they left the van and shivered from the chill in the air. "Dear god it's cold," Jesper muttered. "Crap."

Was Wylan alright? Would he even be in his room? Was this all a bust?

They walked silently through the grounds, eyes focused on the shrubbery. Soon enough, a fucking massive mansion appeared atop of all the greenery (at this point, he was surprised Wylan was as comfortable as he was in the city) and Jesper whistled under his breath. "Rich people," he muttered.

"I see the gang," Inej said softly, and they all turned their heads to see figures posted throughout the trees. "I think they're waiting for our signal that we're here."