Revamped!

[When I first planned this arc, it didn't hit me until writing it that Jacin ran away in season one. It'll draw some parallels within the group and I love it.]

A Study in Scarlet: Part Five

Commonwealth, The Earthen Union

On his way to conquer the last part of his plan before leaving, Wolf gets frustrated due to the traffic jam he's stuck in. Like the other cars around him, he slams on the horn in frustration although that won't help the situation whatsoever. He figures that he'll go on his phone and tell the guys what he wants them to do. That way, he could skip the explanations and head to his next location. He doesn't have a lot of time to work with.

Lucky for him, there are no cops nearby to give him a distracted while driving ticket, based on how congested traffic is now, he won't be moving for a while. If anything, the cops are caught in the same traffic jam.

Wolf takes out his phone and goes straight to his group chat with the boys, cringing at the atrocity that is the group name.

Group Chat - Tasty Bois
Members: Captain Thorne, Jacin, Kai

[Kai has changed the name of the chat to - Tasty Bois]

Jacin: Kai, why did you rename our group chat?

Captain Thorne: Because we're snaccs ;)

Jacin: I just barfed in my mouth.

Kai: Nah, Cinder just changed the name of our group chat.

Captain Thorne: SHE WAS IN OUR GROUP CHAT?!

Jacin: … I hate her even more now.

Captain Thorne: Don't we all? Although I like this group chat name.

Kai: Not me.

Jacin: Majority rules.

Kai: Wolf, help!

Wolf: Actually, I need your guys' help with something more important than us being snaccs.

Kai: Does it involve Scarlet's location that Cress somehow found?

Usually, Wolf wouldn't like being predictable but now he's glad that he doesn't have to explain himself because now is quite the story. Still, he's in traffic so if he needed to, he would've explained himself. He looks up to check the road again before going back to his phone.

Wolf: … yeah.

Jacin: Oh … I know where this is going.

Jacin: And also where you're going.

Captain Thorne: You get our Scarlet! *crying emojis*

Captain Thorne: How else am I going to get my free food from The Rampion?

Wolf: I'm SO glad Scarlet is that important to you.

Kai: What can we do to help?

Wolf: Call in my absences.

Kai: I'll take care of that since Thorne doesn't know the school's phone number.

Captain Thorne: I don't even know Cress's OR MY OWN by heart so why would I know the school's?

Wolf laughs to himself for a bit. Thorne has a point there because he, as well, doesn't know Scarlet's number off the top of his head. There was no reason to have it memorized nowadays with the marvellous contact list on his phone. He looks up to check the roads and traffic moves a little.

Kai: Keep us updated in France.

Captain Thorne: I hope you find Scarlet even if you can't bring her back. That way the trip wouldn't be that much of a waste.

Wolf: It's better to regret something you did than regret something you didn't do.

Captain Thorne: *preaching emojis*

Kai: *preaching emojis*

Jacin: Bon voyage!

Wolf: … what?

Jacin: Have a nice trip.

Wolf grins to himself as he throws his phone back in his cup holder. He looks up ahead and sn' happy for the now-moving traffic but is glad that everything went well with the guys. Now he can save time and take the next exit to his next location.

-o-

Once Wolf pulls up the driveway, he gets out of his car and makes his way up the driveway. He calls them to let them know that he's here and needs to see them urgently, and so he wouldn't have to knock and risk an awkward conversation with their house staff. Wolf looks up and is a bit intimidated by the mansion although this area of Commonwealth was full of them (Thorne and Kai lived nearby, maybe a ten-minute drive in opposite directions from here). It was like a castle made of off-white creamy pink stone with black panelling and roofing to contrast. Its garden was maintained often with blooming flowers. The more Wolf walks on the faint grey pathway up to the door, the poorer he feels (especially because of what he'll do here).

The moment he reaches the door, it opens wide and Winter and Cinder are on the other side. For a second, he regrets coming here to ask for what he's about to, but he has no other options on such short notice.

But to all their surprises, Levana opens the door wider so he knows that she's there. Wolf is dumbstruck by looking directly at her, The Queen of the Mansion, someone else he didn't want to run into. She matched the house she lived in: strikingly beautiful and prestigious. She resembles the stories Winter and Cinder told them. Her presence changes the dynamic of his plan but he hopes it can still work in his favour.

Just the three Blackburns standing there and staring at him would make anyone's knees shake. Those women are the definition of intimidating even if they weren't trying to be.

"Winter told me about Scarlet's whereabouts because the same thing happened to Jacin and she needed a fresh face to share this," Levana says. Wolf glances at Winter who smiles innocently. "So tell me, Wolf, what are you doing here?"

Wolf swallows his fear which created a lump in his throat. "I have to get her back."

"Why?" Levana questions. "She ran away. Your first love doesn't have to be your last."

"You're telling me that I deserve better, Ms. Blackburn, but you're wrong because all I want is her. With Jacin and Winter, Cress and Thorne, and Kai and Cinder, it was fate. With me and Scarlet, it was dumb luck. I was raised to be better than this but I'm truly desperate. I'm in love with Scarlet Benoit and I feel empty and scared without her, especially with the possibility of never seeing her again. I just need to borrow some money to figure all this out. I promise to pay back every univ."

Levana steps closer to him. In her heels, she is just a bit taller than him. "Be warned that showing up in a foreign country that doesn't and will probably not speak your language is a bad idea. Leaving without a solid plan is impulsive, reckless, risky - but I'm told those are the trademarks of your Scarlet Benoit."

Wolf can't believe what she's saying. He can't also believe Levana's pulling out her chequebook from her back pocket and clicks a pen open to fill out the details. She hands him the cheque and he thanks her a million times. Levana smiles a little as she and her girls wish him luck finding Scarlet before she closes the front door. Cinder and Winter are surprised at what happened.

"I think I believe in fairytales…" Cinder mutters, still awestruck by Levana's actions.

"Why the sudden heartbeat, Levana?" Winter asks.

"Loving people is traumatizing," Levana tells them. "You'll never know what would happen to them out there in the world. Everything that's precious is also vulnerable. You girls already know we've been through that before."

The two teenagers are quiet. They know that Levana is talking about Winter's father who unexpectedly died while serving overseas. Then, there's Winter who had to deal with Jacin running away, and Cinder who was there with Kai when her Selene secret came out and his father died.

"Besides," Levana continues, "wolves love a good hunt."

Levana excuses herself from the girls, leaving them alone. Of course, Levana had her signature sass behind her reasoning.

"She doesn't have a heart," Cinder jokes, smiling a little. "It's a bank account."

"But like a heart, it bleeds immensely," Winter finishes.

-o-

Wolf tries his best not to look nervous at customs while the border security guard checks through his bag. He didn't think he looked sketchy. He checked everything off on his declaration card and he wasn't bringing anything questionable. Maybe it's because he's a minor with an empty passport suddenly going to France with a cheque he cashed twenty minutes ago. Or it was just a random inspection. He won't ask because he doesn't want to raise suspicion.

"What's your reason for travel?" The customs officer asks him.

"Surprise visit to my girlfriend," Wolf responds. At least he isn't lying…

"Is she a French citizen?"

He isn't sure how to answer this one but can't waste time hesitating because that looks bad. "She's dual."

Wolf exhales out of relief when the guard neatly presses his clothes back in his bag and zips it up before passing it to him. Wolf thanks him as she puts it back on the ground beside him to take his passport again.

"Well, I wish you luck on finding her," the guard says, "or as the French say, bonne chance."

Wolf smiles a little. "Bonne chance indeed."

[Don't text and drive.]