content warning for some mean language my characters are not very mature.
Enjoye
THE TIME TO HESITATE IS THROUGH /
NO TIME TO WALLOW IN THE MIRE /
TRY NOW, WE CAN ONLY LOSE /
AND OUR LOVE BECOME A FUNERAL PYRE /
COME ON BABY, LIGHT MY FIRE
Jaewon heard the door chime before she noticed the woman walk in. To be honest, the store was in a basement, a particularly cramped one to boot, and she usually only has a glimpse of the shoes of her customers stomping down the metal stairs, before their faces burst through the door. And, with all the crap cluttering the register, she can barely peek at them as they zoom past, looking at all the imported knick-knacks on the shelves.
To be honest, she hadn't been looking. It was about twenty minutes until her relief came, and it was close enough to close that many people weren't running around her store. For the past few hours, she'd been stuck on this one particular Cookie Run level, and it looked like she was gonna finally, finally get past this-
"Jaaaaaaaaaaaaae-woooooon!" She heard someone shout, then a pair of lithe, tan hands landed on the counter in front of her. In shock, Jaewon dropped her phone to the ground.
"Dara, you bitch," Jaewon whined, picking up her phone. Her cookie character has fallen off the map, with 'GAME OVER' in large red text across her screen. "You just lost me a level, man."
Dara's brown face looked back at her, a cat-like grin showing off the slight gap between her front teeth. Her red hair (god the night they dyed her hair that color was a mess) was tied in a ponytail, usually a sign that she was or would be up to something, and she was dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans.
"Sorry, don't care," Dara replied, drumming her fingers on the counter. "Anywhooooo~ when do you get off of work Jaewon?"
Jaewon glanced back at the clock behind her head.
"In like, twenty," she replied, her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"
Dara moved closer, a smirk growing on her face.
"Don't you know what day it is…?" She cooed, grinning. "Come on, Jae-Jae…"
Jaewon stared back at her, eyebrows furrowed. For a moment, her mind reeled, thinking of all the possible things that could be happening today, until finally…
"Oh, yeah, that," Jaewon said, blinking.
"Did you seriously forget?!" Dara shouted, slamming her hands on the counter. "You… I can't believe you! We've been planning-"
"Not so loud, there's still customers."
"-Planning this for months, Jaewon? And you forgot the day of?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Jaewon replied, her hands raised, palms facing the woman. "A lot of shit's been on my plate. I had to pay rent this week, and the utilities were due today…"
"Imagine if I hadn't shown…" Dara said, holding her hand to her chest, and pouting. "You would've left me and Ryan high and dry… All alone to fend for ourselves…"
"Well, thanks for reminding me," she replied, rubbing her mouth. "I'll be there."
"You better!" Dara shouted, as she quickly dashed out of the store, running up the metal steps with loud clunking steps.
Jaewon watched her climb up the stairs for a moment, before glancing down at her phone. How had she forgotten their plans today? Normally, something like that would've been at the forefront of her mind, like the gap in your mouth when a tooth was knocked out. Or when a display sat empty at work, no plushie or toy able to take its place… Empty, alone, wrong, itching in the back of her mind.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. Twenty minutes… She'd probably be able to grab a cup ramen and change into something more comfortable before her walk over. Her pants were way too tight…
Thankfully, her relief, a young high-schooler named Jane, made it on time today. She probably would've been totally and completely fucked if she'd been late, even though it wouldn't have been the girl's fault. The streets around Chinatown are notoriously congested with both cars and people (even more so if that fucking arena gets built…) and besides, she has no way of knowing why Jaewon needed to fly out of there today.
In record time, Jaewon raced to her apartment, and as soon as the door was locked she stripped off her clothes. She quickly got into a black t-shirt and tan slacks, with a blue baseball cap covering most of her face. After a few moments of shoving spicy buldak noodles down her gullet, the woman quickly made her way out of her apartment.
Just for safety, she took the back way through the city. Through alleyways, past dumpsters reeking of that sickly almost sweet stench of festering garbage, in the corners of the city. Jaewon knew it wasn't safe, but she can't afford the chance of anyone seeing her.
Finally, as the sun set, she slunk to her destination. Dara had asked her to meet them behind a large luxury department store in Rittenhouse, on one floor of a gigantic, fancy office building. The richy-rich part of the city, where many a time Jaewon had overheard discussions of summers in Europe, cleaning staff, and such rich banalities. She could see Dara's muscular body, and the reedy body of their compatriot, Ryan, who squinted at her as she approached. Dara has pulled her hair back into a similar yellow baseball cap, giving the illusion of short hair, and Ryan is dressed similarly, with a black facemask and sunglasses obscuring his face.
"Were you followed?" Ryan asked, tilting his head slightly.
This was a typical greeting between the three.
"No-pe," Jaewon said, enunciating the last half of the word. "Just lil ol' me."
"Okay~ you all know the rules by now!" Dara said, bouncing on her heels. "Everyone gets a fair cut, no showing off… and no using our 'things' unless necessary! Got it?"
"Question," Jaewon asked, crossing her arms. "Why are we taking this job today?"
"My girl," Dara started, putting on the most melancholic look possible. "She wants to go to Milan, y'know? Needs to go… She has artists block, Jae-Jae, and I wanna help her out of her rut…"
Ryan scoffed, shaking his head. His blonde bangs fall against his sunglasses.
"She's gonna find you out, one of these days," he said, mouth curled into a smirk. "You can only cover as a secret Macy heiress for so long… Then what will you do?"
"Shut the fuck up," Dara sneered, her eye twitching. "Like you'd understand anything about relationships, fuckin' virgin loser. How long has it been since you've been-"
"Enough," Jaewon said, stomping her foot once. "Any more bitching from you two, and we blow our chance. Let's get in."
The lock to the back door has already been melted and twisted by Dara, part of it still dripping onto the pavement. The alarm has been dealt a similar fate, when Jaewon slides the door open, a flood of liquid metal seeped down, pooling on the concrete floor. It wasn't hot enough to singe her skin, but Jaewon still stepped around it as she walked into the back hallways.
"Any cameras?" She whispered to Dara.
"Nope," she whispered back.
There was silence as the three made their way around the building. Of course, all three had visited part of the building in their free time, mapping out routes in and out, discussing any possible methods they'd get caught, and finding solutions until it was perfect. Perfect.
"So," Jaewon said softly. "Humor me for a moment here. What floor's our prize on?"
"Third," Ryan responded, adjusting his mask. "It's a Lichtenstein. Our client cannot get it through… conventional means."
"Isn't this great, Jaewon?" Dara whispered, a grin on her face. "We're going to be just like Lupin the Third! Stealing priceless art…"
Jaewon whistles softly, as they reach the lobby of the building. It's decorated extravagantly, and clearly well maintained in the Art Deco style that seemed to be the norm for many of the older buildings in this area. Even with no lights on, she could make out the dark green diamond patterns on the floor, and the engraved, ornate stonework on the walls, of furling Greek columns. Too bad she couldn't bask in the beauty, quickly hustling up the stairs onto the third floor.
After the group finally reached the third floor, they quickly stop, turning to face one another.
"Awfully quiet," Jaewon said, crossing her arms. "Dara, you sure there wasn't any like camera systems?"
"Positive," Dara said, nodding her head. "I can't feel their humming like I usually can. Probably just some dumbfuck kid on security off getting high or just watching TikToks somewhere…"
"If you're wrong," Ryan hissed to Dara. "We're fucked. I don't know if I could save us here…"
"I'm not wrong," Dara hissed back.
Slowly, the three pace around the hallway, peeking through doors, looking around corners, searching for this panting. She's seen Lichensteins before in museums and such. She knew what this one looked like. But the owner has hidden it good… Why?
Dara finally sighed, crossing her arms.
"Did you guys even find out where it was?" Jaewon whispered, her eyebrows raised.
"I-It's not my fault, okay?" Ryan exclaims softly. "They must've moved it. It was on the third door to the left the last time I was here…"
"And when was that, five fucking months ago?" Dara growled, her hands in tight fists.
The two began to squabble as quietly as they could, pointing and jeering at each other. Jaewon sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her index finger. There was no other option…
Silently, she moved her hands into position, clasping and folding them until they resemble the head of an open-mouthed wolf. Then, she spoke.
"Divine Dog."
Jaewon's shadow began to shift and warp for a moment, before it billows away like smoke, revealing a single, white wolf with three black dots on its forehead. It sat in front of its owner, looking at her with big, black eyes, panting softly.
Dara and Ryan looked back at it, before looking up at Jaewon, stepping away silently from each other.
"Smart," Ryan replied, nodding his head silently.
"Thank you," she said, before watching as the wolf took off, silently dashing through the halls.
Jaewon followed, trying her best to stick a balance between moving quickly and moving as quietly as possible. The wolf darted off into one of the rooms, which looked like any old office with cubicles and computers. When Jaewon finally reached it, she noticed it sitting in front of a closet. It looked up at its owner, it's panting almost resembling an open mouth smile.
"Good job," she smiled down at it, ruffling its fur. She doesn't recall it yet, something in her gut telling her not to.
"Dara?"
Dara quickly shuffled into the room, looking very rigid, eyes wide. For a moment, she closed her eyes, focused.
"Nope," she said, shrugging. "Nothing."
Jaewon bit at the corner of her mouth. This seemed way too easy, even for experienced thieves like the three of them. Even with their 'things' helping them. No one would just leave a painting this expensive unattended.
Still, she opened the closet door, which creaked slightly. Instead of sirens, or some person pointing a gun at them, Jaewon found a canvas off to the side, and reached into her pocket, putting her disposable gloves on. She grabbed it, flipping it around to examine the painting, squinting at it. The artwork is familiar, depicting a woman drowning in a cartoony style, with a speech bubble talking about someone named Brad.
"Jackpot! Woo-hoo!" Dara cheered, before turning to the Divine Dog, rubbing its cheeks. "Good boy, good boy, good boy!~"
"Let's get going," Ryan said, grabbing the painting with gloved hands. "Any longer, and we risk security deciding to do their jobs tonight."
The three make their way down the hall silently, the Divine Dog walking in front of Jaewon, ears forward. Ryan was holding the painting against his hip, making sure not to rub it against his clothes.
"Simple job, simple job~," Dara said in a sing-song voice, her eyes closed. "How I love simple jobs! Milan, here I come!"
"Yeah, well, doesn't it feel weird?" Ryan said, looking over at Jaewon. "Like the other shoe's about to drop."
"Shuddup, Ryan!" Dara sneered, pointing her finger at his chest. "You're just mad that you didn't get to use your skills today!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
The argument was interrupted by the low growl of the Divine Dog, who had stopped in its tracks. Its hackles were raised, fur fluffing out as it stared down the hallway, at the staircase. Jaewon stepped back, holding her arm in front of Dara's chest. There was silence for a few moments, as Jaewon waited, fingers itching.
Slowly, a withered, veiny arm slithered up the steps, pulling a strange, green, bloated body up. It stared at the three with a beady, single eye, heaving and huffing. It didn't seem to have any legs, just large, muscular arms it crawled on.
"My HOUUUSE…" It whispered between heaves. "THEY… THEY're TAKING my hOUUUSE… THEY'RE gonna FLATTEN IT…"
Jaewon stepped back again, her eyes widening. Quickly, she recalled the Divine Dog, who sunk back into her shadow. She'd dealt with a few of these strange creatures before, especially when she was younger, as they seemed to infest the city at times. However, this one felt different, much stronger than the others, and she didn't feel like risking anything with such an expensive piece of artwork in their hands. The thought made her blood run cold.
"Bail," she hissed, as she quickly turned on her heels.
The two others nodded quickly and ran after her. Jaewon could hear the skittering of nails against the floor behind them mixed with huffing and heaving, man, that thing was fast for having such a fucked up body structure.
Jaewon quickly pulled the three into one of the offices, barricading the door with a nearby chair. She can hear the creature slamming its hands against the wood, calling out to them.
"Ryan, you're gonna have to use it," she said, turning to him. The wood door was beginning to warp and fray from the repeated hits. "We can't take the fire escape."
"Already on it," Ryan said, as the air in front of him begins to warp and tear.
It split open, revealing a large gap in reality itself. Looking through it, Jaewon could see the alleyway leading to the back of the building. Quickly, she jumped through, bracing her arms in front of her for the inevitable fall. Dara and Ryan followed, and the three landed in a heap, the painting being held up to the sky, unharmed. The gap quickly disappeared, and Jaewon shut her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Sweat dripped down her palms.
"Jeezus," Jaewon growled, brushing herself off. "That was fucked up. Thanks, Ryan, for saving our ass again."
"Anytime," he said, voice strained. "At least the painting's still okay."
Dara stood up, hands on her hips.
"Damn right! The job's not a bust yet! C'mon, put it in the fuckin' suitcase, Ryan, I can hear the streets of Milan already!"
Ryan pulled out a large black suitcase from behind a dumpster, unzipping it. After wrapping the canvas in a trash bag, he quickly shoved it in the suitcase, zipping it shut.
"Let's move," he said, quickly running forward.
The three quickly ran across the backstreets of the city, the distant sound of police sirens in the air. For a moment, Jaewon wondered if someone alerted them, but there was just no way, just no possible fucking way they'd know about them. They never do. For now, she focused on what was next. Ryan's apartment was closest, right on the barrier street between Old and Center City. They'd put the painting there, get a few drinks going after a long heist as per usual, then contact the client about their success and start talking about dropoffs. Then, probably no jobs for a bit because of Dara fucking off to Milan, so she'd just have to live as a normal civilian until-
For a moment, Jaewon was blinded by an overwhelming white light. She held her arm in front of her face, trying to regain some sight as sirens blared in her ears. She blinked quickly, but could only make out a series of small black blobs in front of two big ones, and red and blue flashing lights. Before she could call out to her comrades, she was interrupted by the crackle of a loudspeaker.
"On the ground, now! Hands behind your back!"
Fuck! Jaewon wanted to shout in frustration, but she obliged. She fell to her knees, barely hearing Dara arguing and the sound of the suitcase falling over the blood in her ears. She heard the scuffling of footsteps and the click of handcuffs as her wrists are restrained.
What the fuck am I going to tell my parents? Jaewon's face screwed up at the thought as she was led into the police car. There was no way she'd be able to lie out of this, to convince them that she wasn't a thief. Her life was fucking over…
Jaewon went through the motions when she arrived at the jail, getting fingerprinted, and taking her mugshots before she was led into an interrogation room. She was only pulled out of her misery when she saw the familiar faces of Dara and Ryan looking back at her, their eyebrows raised.
The three were silent until Jaewon finally spoke.
"So," she turned to Dara. "You still hear Milan? Or did you actually hear the fucking police pulling up on us?"
"If I wasn't cuffed," she hissed, eyes wide. "I'd knock the shit out of you for that."
"This was a setup from the start," Ryan said, mouth tight. "Should've known, why would a painting of that value be in a building like that?"
"Yeah, I know," Dara grumbled. "Hindsight's 20/20, you asshole. I don't wanna think about it. What am I gonna tell Jessica now?"
"Another thing," Ryan noted, his eyes looking at the door. "We're being interrogated together. Either the cops are stupider than we thought, or…"
He was interrupted by the door opening, and two men walked into the room. The first man was tall, dressed in a suit covered by a dark trenchcoat, his face covered by aviator sunglasses, hair slicked back. The man tailing him is muscular, dressed more simply in a black t-shirt and dark jeans. He was also wearing sunglasses and a large dark hand reached up to adjust them.
The three sat in silence as the men walked in. The first one pulled the metal chair out, letting it screech against the floor. Jaewon cringed at the sound, shutting her eyes.
"Good evening, you three," he spoke, folding his hands on the table.
"I want my lawyer, fuckhead," Ryan exclaimed. "I'm not talking."
"Wait, wait wait," the man said, almost pleasantly, as if he wasn't in a jail in one of America's largest cities. "This isn't about that. Hear me out first."
Ryan grumbled under his breath but doesn't contest further. The second man pulled out a large manila folder, looking something over. He began to read from the files within.
"Sandara Chaoren, age twenty-five, Ryan Zhang, age twenty-six, Jaewon Lee, age twenty-four. Native residents of Philadelphia, specifically the Chinatown area. All of them have no prior convictions, and work either white-collar jobs or in retail."
The sitting man nodded his head, his expression neutral. To be honest, it was hard for Jaewon to tell what he was thinking. Was that the reason for the sunglasses?
"I see," he said softly. "Why don't I introduce us, next?"
He pulled out something resembling a wallet from his jacket pocket and opened it, showing it to the group. Jaewon could barely make out the words printed on it, but could distinctly note a certain blue-and-gold design off to the side, and her blood went cold.
"My name is Yi Haoyu, and my partner here is James Coleman. We're both from the FBI."
"The feds?" Dara asked, cocking her head. "Are you serious?"
"Very serious," Haoyu said with a nod, putting away his badge. "We are specialists, the kind that are usually sent in when criminals of your… persuasion are caught."
"What?" Ryan snarked, his mouth curled into a smirk. "Gay criminals?"
"No," James said, his voice stern. "Criminals who are sorcerers, or used Cursed Techniques in their crimes."
"Huh?" Jaewon replied, cocking her head. "What's a 'cursed technique'?"
The two federal agents were silent, looking at each other for a moment. Jaewon swore that when Haoyu turned to face her again, he was smiling.
"You don't know what a Cursed Technique is?" He asked, eyebrows raised.
"Nope," Dara said. "No idea what you're talking about."
"Alright," Haoyu said, hands tapping the table once more. "Let's make a deal."
The idea of a 'deal' between two federal agents frankly made Jaewon's skin crawl. There was always a catch with these things, and the thought of being under the government's thumb irked her.
"You three will walk out of here free, with all charges dropped. In return…"
Haoyu moved in closer, sunglasses glinting in the overhead light.
"You will join me on a… project."
song in the chapter title: Light My Fire - The Doors
song in story title: Go Ask Alice - Jefferson Starship
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