A calm, masculine voice sounded behind her. She slowly raised her hands above her head. She didn't have a chance to answer or turn towards the assailant when Grom's amused voice echoed in the distance.
"Hey, Ace, don't kill the new recruit as a greeting!"
Kelly quickly spun around, coming face to face with Ace Busterrix, or more precisely, his gun, which was almost touching her forehead. She didn't lower her hands, and he didn't lower the barrel. They stood like that for several moments, observing each other like two different specimens.
She had to admit that Busterrix had a terrible photo in the Bureau's file; he looked much better in person. His chocolate-colored hair was swept to one side, and his nose, though broken several times, wasn't that conspicuous. Only his gray eyes remained the same — cunning, fox-like.
"Oh, really?" he spoke up only when Grom and Bucket approached them. "Why don't I know anything about it?" he turned to Grom, twirling the gun on his finger and tucking it back into the holster hidden under his gray jacket.
"They arrived two days ago with Urs. He was supposed to pass on the message, but he thought he wouldn't bother you while doing business" Grom explained, completely ignoring the two recruits they were talking about.
"Oh." Once again, just that brief statement, to which Ace shrugged his shoulders. He picked up his travel bag from the ground and, prompted by Grom about the outcome of the trip, went inside, where they could soon hear Urs's booming shout.
Only then Kelly lowered her hands and looked at the closed door in disbelief. She pointed at it with her finger, looking at Bucket, but before she could say anything, he snickered.
"What did you do to him that he greeted you with a gun?" he chuckled, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Nothing!" she almost squeaked. "I was just being myself!"
Bucket laughed even louder.
"And I think that's the problem: you attract trouble like a magnet. Maybe we should change your nickname to 'Black Cat,' what do you think?"
“The only thing I can do is change the position of your teeth!" she threatened, but Cole disappeared behind the door, oblivious to her warnings.
She hissed under her breath, taking off the hood and immediately feeling the cold wind tangle her hair, playfully smacking her in the face.
"Ugh, go away!" she snapped, tucking the strands behind her ears, but the wind, just like Cole, paid no attention to her threats.
She groaned, placing her hand on her forehead.
First impressions are crucial for future employers, right?
***
During an early dinner, Ace got acquainted with the new recruits, and they with him. Urs recounted how each of them had performed, and when Grom described Ace's and Kelly's first encounter, Daymour nearly spat out the cola he was drinking.
"I still can't believe you aimed a gun at Thifer to say hello" he burst into laughter, again and again.
"What do you do when you see a stranger in a hood on your property?"
"Definitely not pull out a gun; this isn't Texas!" Urs roared with laughter.
"It would have been nice if you had informed me when the recruitment was over." Although a smile played on his lips, there was a reprimand hidden in his eyes.
"Oh, come on, we agreed not to bother you."
— You agreed — Mantis added.
Urs hissed and threw a crushed can, but he missed by half a meter.
"As I said, I didn't want to bother you and wanted to surprise you with how smoothly everything went."
"Well, you certainly surprised me, almost to death." Busterrix laughed, taking a solid sip of tonic from his glass. He winked at Kelly, who forced a smile.
The Troubles had mixed feelings about Busterrix. Just as the descriptions in their files matched the rest of the gang, Busterrix seemed to be the opposite of his act.
Dressed in a black turtleneck and a gray jacket, he looked like a businessman. Sitting at the long table, he was a man who joked, laughed, and genuinely took an interest in the new recruits. Only his gray eyes betrayed a wild spark.
Trouble Temat couldn't let the deceptive fog cloud their perception of a man who planned to kidnap the Prime Minister's son.
Indeed, he had planned it, but in reality, it was only a speculation of the Bureau. Strong speculations, though. According to the informants' findings, Busterrix had been in contact with people connected to young Garmadon, loitered around the school in various disguises, attended Lloyd's basketball games... Either the guy didn't know how to hide or he underestimated the Bureau's competence.
However, all of it remained mere hypotheses, which didn't allow the Bureau to keep Busterrix in custody for more than 48 hours. Thus, the Trouble Team was formed, tasked with uncovering Busterrix's true intentions and intervening if they proved to be legitimate.
Everything would have been much simpler if they weren't a bunch of amateurs.
"So, how did the deals go?" Toxita quickly brought the conversation back to the main track when it derailed.
Ace immediately caught and confidently rose from the table. He leaned over the girl and kissed her forehead, leaving Kelly regretting that she hadn't bet with the guys on the progression of their relationship.
"Good thing the smartest and most beautiful woman in my life takes care of everything." He smiled genuinely and then left for the hallway.
He returned to the dining room after less than a minute, holding a small black suitcase. He placed it on the kitchen counter, and everyone turned towards him. Daymour and Mantis stood up and approached closer. All their eyes fell upon a bottle containing blue liquid. Several syringes were also included in the set. The troubles exchanged quick, imperceptible glances.
"Some new kind of bimberor..." Jay timidly started, to which Ace burst into laughter.
"Something better, kid. The Professor has been working on it for me for a few months." He drew a small amount of the liquid into one of the syringes and held it up towards the lamp, squinting his eyes. Then he turned to Mantis, who stood beside him. "Nothing personal, Yan." Without warning, he plunged the syringe into his neck. Young recoiled in surprise, grabbing his throat and preparing to say something, but he didn't have time; he collapsed to the ground, speechless, and everyone looked at their boss in astonishment.
"Relax, he just fell asleep." Ace wiped the syringe and placing it back in its case." He'll wake up in about five minutes; he didn't receive a large dose.
Grom approached his friend and sat him down on a chair. Mantis banged his head on the table and started snoring softly. Ace closed the box with a combination lock and leaned against the counter, facing the gathered group.
"To answer your question, Toxi, the deals went splendidly, as you can see."
"So, it's not bimber, but it wields the power of bimber" Jay summed up briefly, and Busterrix nodded.
"You could say that. My friend working in the lab has a knack not only for distilling good spirits but also for creating exceptional concoctions." He patted the suitcase.
"I didn't expect him to handle it so quickly." Urs admitted.
"With the right amount of money, anything is possible. Thanks to that, we'll be able to test the new invention tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Urs straightened up and frowned." I have no idea what you're planning.
"A quick assimilation of the new recruits" he announced cheerfully, scanning them with his gaze. "Nothing builds relationships and trust like a shared leap, right?"
The Troubles didn't reply, too surprised by the sudden turn of events. They waited in suspense for Ace's further words.
"But are you sure? Isn't it a bit too soon?" Urs continued to worry, surprising Kelly. Why was he so concerned about them?
"The sooner, the better. And stop worrying, or I'll think you're getting old." He patted Urs on the shoulder, returning to his seat.
"What's it this time?" Toxi asked, like it means like going to the movies
Ace filled his glass to the brim once again. mantisshifted, finding a more comfortable position to sleep.
"I guess I forgot that in combination with alcohol, it has a stronger effect..." he muttered to himself, looking at Young. But he waved it off, downing the contents of his glass. He turned to everyone, and the troible temat felt like they were at their first briefing before a heist.
"Tomorrow, at 9 pm, a jeep loaded with fresh equipment for the outpost on the outskirts of the 3rd district, in Yalapeno, will depart from the 2nd precinct in Frox Tof, the center of the 3rd district. New bulletproof vests, some cool pistols, grenades... I thought we could freshen up our "wardrobe," and it's also a good opportunity to present our recruits with some top-notch gear, right?"
For the first time, that wild glimmer appeared in Ace's eyes, the same one that was present in the pictures in his file. They had just met the real Ace Busterrix and his crazy plan for robbing a convoy.
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