The low buzz of the overhead fluorescent lights filled the office, a constant, droning hum that seemed to amplify Dove's inability to focus. Outside the wide windows, the wind whispered against the glass, carrying the occasional rattle of leaves from the street below. A fan oscillated near the corner of the room, its rhythmic creak marking each pass.
Dove sat slumped at her desk, her head leaning heavily on her hand, her eyelids drooping with the weight of exhaustion. Another sleepless night had left her brain feeling sluggish, her thoughts tangled and frayed. Her subconscious had once again dragged her through a gauntlet of taunting images—her loved ones hanging lifelessly from twisted vines, their faces frozen in eerie calm. Even people she didn't particularly care for, like Billy and, inexplicably, Robin, had appeared in the nightmare, their presence compounding her unease.
She rubbed her temple, trying to chase away the lingering tension, but her focus kept slipping. Across the room, Danny sat at his desk, pretending to work but stealing glances at her every few minutes. His expression was a strange mix of worry and suspicion, and the weight of his gaze only added to the pressure building in her chest.
Dove's thoughts drifted to the man she had seen in the office last night. Her boss had called him Grigori. Was that a Russian name? The memory of his imposing figure, the way he had moved so deliberately, sent a chill down her spine. The way her boss had spoken to him, as if Grigori was someone to be handled carefully, only added to her unease.
Her eyes flicked to the filing cabinets in the back corner of the office, where they kept all the client files. It was quiet back there, and no one was around. She glanced at Danny again, but he seemed focused on the papers in front of him, his pen tapping idly against the desk. Steeling herself, Dove glanced around the room one more time, ensuring no one else was paying attention, and before she could overthink it, she stood up.
Her pulse quickened as she crossed the office, each step feeling heavier than the last. The sound of the fan's rhythmic creak seemed deafening in the otherwise silent room. Reaching the filing cabinets, Dove hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the handle. She stole one last glance over her shoulder—Danny's back was turned. Sucking in a breath, she opened the drawer labeled Clients A-M and began flipping through the files, her hands trembling slightly.
She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but her instincts told her to start with Grigori.
Dove flipped quickly through the files, her fingers brushing past names she didn't recognize. Her hand stopped suddenly on one—Larry Kline.
The mayor's face flashed in her mind, his smug expression and the way his voice had dripped with condescension when he asked if she was the secretary. Her brow furrowed as the realization hit her—she'd been so focused on not panicking last night that she hadn't fully processed the insult. What a dick.
She glanced over her shoulder again, ensuring the coast was still clear, before sliding the file out of the drawer. Her eyes scanned the contents, flipping through papers detailing routine legal services—zoning permits, real estate transactions, standard mayoral paperwork. Nothing suspicious, nothing out of the ordinary. It was decidedly normal.
Yet, the image of Kline standing in that office with Grigori burned in her mind. A secret meeting with a Russian muscleman and her boss didn't scream normal. Something didn't add up. Her stomach twisted as the pieces refused to fit together, leaving her with only more questions.
Sliding the file back into its place, Dove lingered for a moment, her fingers gripping the edge of the drawer. She wanted to pull out every file, comb through every document, but she knew she couldn't risk it—not now. With a quiet exhale, she closed the drawer, her hand trembling slightly as she stepped away.
She spun around and stepped right into Danny, her shoulder brushing against his chest. The sudden contact startled her, and she jerked backward as if his touch had burned her skin.
Danny raised an eyebrow, concern flickering across his face. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, his voice low and careful.
"Yeah," Dove replied quickly, her tone clipped as she straightened her posture. She avoided his eyes, brushing past him as her heart hammered in her chest. "I'm fine."
Danny didn't move immediately, his gaze following her as she walked back to her desk. "You sure?" he pressed, his tone softer now. Before Dove could respond, Danny grabbed the chair from his desk and rolled it over, plopping down beside her. He leaned in slightly, his voice low enough so no one else in the office could overhear. "You rushed out of here yesterday like the place was on fire, and you've been off all day. What's going on?"
Dove glanced at him, her expression neutral, but her mind raced. She studied his face, searching for any cracks in his concern. Was it genuine? Or was it an act, part of whatever it was he was hiding? Her thoughts flickered to the gun she'd seen in his bag, and her stomach twisted.
Forcing a smile, she straightened up in her chair. "I was up late with my brother," she said casually, her tone light. "He gets on a roll about something, and suddenly it's midnight, and I'm too invested to tell him to shut up." She shrugged, hoping her excuse sounded convincing. "So yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."
For a moment, it seemed like he might let it go. But then Danny sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. His jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped for a split second before snapping back to hers. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—sharp and deliberate. "I saw you yesterday—sneaking around after that guy. And I know you were just looking at Kline's file."
Dove froze, her breath catching. Her mind raced for an explanation, but nothing came. The room seemed to shrink, the low hum of the fluorescent lights suddenly deafening. "I don't know what you think you saw," she said carefully, glancing up at him, his eyes filled with quiet intensity.
"I know exactly what I saw," he paused, studying her face for a reaction, but she refused to give him one. "Look, do you think you're the only one who notices things around here?" Danny exhaled, his jaw tightening again as he pushed himself upright. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"And you do?" Dove countered, her voice a touch too loud. She lowered it quickly, glancing over her shoulder. "What are you not telling me, Danny?"
Danny swallowed, his eyes flicking around the room once more as his muscles tensed, the tendons in his neck becoming more pronounced. He leaned in closer, his voice barely audible but carrying a heavy weight. "Not here," he murmured, his gaze shifting toward the front door of the office. The subtle tilt of his head was a silent question, asking if she was willing to follow.
For a moment, Dove studied him, her eyes narrowing as she considered the implication of his words. After a long pause, she nodded.
As Danny and Dove walked out of the office and into the bustling food court, the change in atmosphere was immediate. The hum of conversation, the clattering of trays, and the smell of greasy mall food filled the air, a stark contrast to the quiet tension of the law office. The overhead lights reflected off the glossy tile floors, casting a clinical glow over the space, while families and groups of teenagers meandered between the brightly colored storefronts.
Danny walked slightly ahead, his usual easygoing stride replaced by a purposeful caution. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, his eyes scanning the food court like he was searching for someone—or making sure no one was watching. The unease in his posture sent a chill down Dove's spine, her earlier apprehension only deepening.
As they exited the mall, the crisp evening air hit Dove, but it did little to calm the growing panic in her chest. She realized Danny was heading straight for the parking lot, his steps precise, almost rehearsed. Her fingers curled instinctively around the pepper spray tucked inside her bag, her pulse quickening as she followed at a safe distance.
Danny stopped beside his car, glancing around one last time before pulling out his keys. He unlocked the trunk, the click of the mechanism startlingly loud in the quiet lot. Dove stopped a few feet away, her muscles tense and ready to act if necessary. But when Danny opened the trunk, her jaw dropped.
The trunk was filled with a chaotic sprawl of papers, photos, and what looked like surveillance notes. The mess was centered around a series of blurry photographs, the largest of which caught her eye immediately. She stepped closer, her hand instinctively leaving her bag as she reached out to pick it up.
The photo was grainy, clearly taken from a great distance, but the subjects were unmistakable. The towering figure of the man she'd seen last night—Grigori—was standing on a porch with another man, much smaller in stature. The smaller man was turned slightly, his face shadowed, but it was clear from their stances that the conversation was tense.
"Danny," Dove said, her voice low and tight, "what the hell is this?"
Danny braced himself against the edge of the open trunk. He didn't meet her eyes, instead focusing on the chaotic mess inside. "It's the reason you need to stop digging," he said finally, his tone grim.
Dove's frustration boiled over. "Tell me what you know, Danny."
Danny looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and turned to fully face her, leaning against the trunk. His jaw clenched as he considered his words. "Alright," he said slowly. "I'll tell you, but only so you understand why you need to stop. This isn't a game, Dove."
She crossed her arms tightly, waiting.
Danny's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment before he looked back at her. "A couple of weeks ago, I was tailing Abernathy—"
Dove's eyes narrowed, and she immediately interrupted. "Why were you following our boss?"
Danny hesitated, his composure faltering as he stammered, "That's not important right now. Just—listen, okay? The point is, I overheard him on the phone talking about a land deal. Something shady."
Her skepticism deepened. "And that made you decide to follow him?"
"It doesn't matter why I was following him!" Danny snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. He pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing, calmer this time. "What matters is that later that night, Abernathy met up with Grigori and the mayor at an old farm on the edge of town. There was another guy there and Grigori.. kept him quiet."
Dove's stomach churned. Danny didn't need to elaborate—the weight of his words and the haunted look in his eyes were enough. She took a breath, trying to steady herself, but her voice came out shakier than she intended. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"Because I didn't want to drag you into it," Danny said quietly, his eyes searching hers. "But now that you're looking into Kline, you're putting yourself on Grigori's radar. Something's going on, Dove, and it's big. Bigger than just shady business deals. Starcourt, Kline—everything. It's connected."
Dove's mind raced as she leaned closer to Danny, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What do you know about Starcourt?"
Danny turned back to the trunk without a word, rifling through the mess of papers before pulling out a thin file. He handed it to her, his expression grim. Dove opened the file, her eyes scanning over the documents inside as Danny began to explain.
"Starcourt's owned by a Russian shell company," he said quietly. "It's buried under so many layers of fake businesses and false names that most people wouldn't think twice about it. But if you dig deep enough—" he tapped the edge of the file "—this is what you find."
Dove's stomach churned as she studied the documents. "This is huge," she murmured, glancing up at him. "If this is real, it could take down Kline, Abernathy—hell, half the town's leadership. Alot of people would go to prison for a long time."
Danny nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah, but it's not just about politics or money. There's more going on here, Dove. I don't have all the pieces yet, but whatever Starcourt is hiding? It's big."
Dove leaned against the car, her attention momentarily shifting as Robin walked past, wheeling her bike with one hand. She didn't seem to notice either of them, her head down and a distracted expression on her face. Dove squinted, something about Robin's posture catching her attention.
"Robin?" Dove called, her tone cautious but loud enough to carry.
Robin startled at the sound of her name, dropping her bike with a clatter. She fumbled with something in her hands, shoving a fistful of cash into her pocket as she turned to face Dove. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. "Hey, Dove! Uh, didn't see you there. I thought you were working today."
Dove narrowed her eyes, her gaze flicking to the bike and then back to Robin. She took a slow step toward her. "What are you doing?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Robin straightened, brushing nonexistent dust off her shorts. "Me? Oh, nothing. Just, uh, on my lunch break."
Dove's brow shot up, her skepticism evident. She glanced pointedly at her watch. "At 4 p.m.?"
Robin faltered, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for a believable excuse. "Yeah, well, you know—Steve and Dustin are being annoying, and I figured I deserved an extended lunch today. Self-care, you know?"
"Dustin's here?" Dove asked, her tone shifting from suspicion to concern.
Robin let out a high-pitched laugh that did little to convince anyone. "What? No! Did I say Dustin? I meant, uh, Dustine. Yeah, she's my cousin.. visiting from, uh.. Canada." Robin's voice trailed off, her gaze darting everywhere except toward Dove.
Dove narrowed her eyes, taking another step closer. "Robin, where is my brother?"
Robin hesitated, glancing over her shoulder toward the mall entrance as if considering bolting. "Look, it's not a big deal. He's just.. having some icecream. You know, totally not stupid or dangerous."
Dove narrowed her eyes at Robin, her tone sharp. "Stay here. Don't move."
Robin opened her mouth to reply but quickly shut it, giving Dove a tight-lipped smile instead. Dove turned on her heel and strode toward the mall entrance, her pace quickening with every step. She didn't look back.
As soon as Dove disappeared into the building, Robin sighed heavily, glancing at Danny. "Well, this has been fun," she said, grabbing the handlebars of her bike and hopping onto the seat.
Danny blinked, his brows furrowing. "Where are you going?"
Robin looked over her shoulder, her face a mix of nervous energy and mischief. "As far away as I can get before this place explodes." She kicked off, her bike wobbling slightly before she pedaled furiously out of the parking lot.
Dove stormed through the door into Scoops Ahoy, the bell above it jingling violently. Steve, who had been spinning his ice cream scoop like a baton, jumped, his eyes widening as he saw her. The scoop clattered to the floor, and he stumbled back a step, fumbling to open the small window between the front counter and the back room.
"Code white, dude!" Steve yelled into the back room, his voice tense.
Dove shot him a glare so sharp it could've sliced through steel, and Steve visibly shrank under her gaze, raising his hands in surrender. She burst through the back door of Scoops Ahoy, her chest tight with frustration and her voice ready to deliver the lecture of a lifetime. "Dustin Walter Henderson, what the hell are you doing here?"
Dustin flinched, freezing halfway through shoving his binoculars into his bag. He glanced up at Dove, his wide eyes full of guilt and panic. "Uh, hi, Dove," he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "I thought you were working."
Dove crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she repeated, more forcefully this time, "What the hell are you doing here, Dustin?"
Dustin straightened up, his expression morphing into an attempt at nonchalance. "Okay, okay, before you freak out.." He pointed toward the window between the front counter and the back room. "It was Steve's idea."
Dove's eyes darted to the window, catching a fleeting glimpse of Steve before he ducked out of sight. The window clicked shut with a loud, guilty-sounding finality.
Her jaw clenched, and she turned back to Dustin, who now looked more sheepish than panicked. "Steve Harrington, get in here right now!" she yelled.
A muffled groan came from the front of the store, followed by the sound of slow, reluctant footsteps. Moments later, Steve appeared in the doorway, trying—and failing—to look innocent as he leaned against the frame. "Hey, Dove," he said, flashing her his best attempt at a disarming smile. "What's up?"
"What's up?" she echoed, incredulous. She gestured toward Dustin, who was still frozen in place like a deer in headlights. "You tell me, Steve. Why is my brother sneaking around here with binoculars?"
Steve scratched the back of his neck, his smile faltering. "Okay, listen, it's not as bad as it looks—"
"Oh, it better not be," Dove cut him off, her voice sharp. "Do I need to explain again why this is a bad idea? Should I use smaller words?"
Steve opened his mouth to defend himself, but his tone was noticeably soft, careful. "Dove, come on, it's not like—"
"It's not like what?" she snapped, cutting him off.
Dustin jumped in before Steve could dig himself deeper. "I was just watching the loading dock!" he blurted, his voice high-pitched and defensive. "No one saw me, and it's no big deal."
"No big deal?" Dove repeated, her voice dropping to a low, warning tone. "Listen, Dustin, this is a lot worse than we thought. It is not something we can handle alone."
Steve and Dustin both froze, their eyes widening. Steve's brows furrowed in concern, but Dustin's expression shifted to something closer to curiosity—and amusement. "Wait," Dustin said, perking up. "What do you mean, 'a lot worse'? Did you find something?" He squinted at her, a small smirk growing on his face. "After you told us to stop investigating?"
His tone implied he had caught her in something, and Dove's jaw clenched. For a moment, she looked like she was debating how much to tell them, her eyes darting between Dustin's accusatory smirk and Steve's worried frown.
"No, of course not," she said quickly, too quickly, her tone defensive. "I just.." She paused, her jaw tightening as she groaned under her breath, realizing she was out of options. They weren't going to drop it, and she couldn't risk them doing something even stupider if she didn't give them at least part of the truth. "I found out that the Russians own Starcourt," she said finally, her voice low and steady. She held up a hand to stop Dustin's inevitable outburst. "And I have information that could put my boss, the mayor, and probably a few other important people in prison."
Dustin's jaw dropped, and his expression shifted into something close to awe. He looked at her like they had just won the lottery. "Are you kidding me?" he breathed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's amazing! Like, spy-level amazing! Like—"
"Dustin," Dove interrupted sharply, her glare silencing him. "This isn't a game. This isn't some fun mystery for you to solve. It's dangerous. Maybe even more dangerous than what happened last year. Do you get that?" Dustin blinked, still looking like he wanted to bounce off the walls with excitement, but he nodded. "Good, 'cause I'm going to Hopper," she said. "He's the only one I trust to do something about it."
Dustin frowned, clearly unsatisfied. "You're just gonna to hand it over to Hopper? That's it?"
"Yes, that's it," Dove said firmly. "Because Hopper is a cop, and this is his job. Not mine. Not yours. And definitely not Steve's."
"Hey," Steve muttered, clearly offended.
Before Dove could continue, Robin walked into the back, clutching a large rolled up paper to her chest. Her usual wide grin faltered when she spotted Dove standing there. "Oh, Dove, you're still here," Robin said, her tone more cautious than usual.
Dove crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Robin. "Yeah, I am."
Robin hesitated, then gestured over her shoulder toward the door. "Uh, well.. the guy you were with is still waiting for you. By his car."
Dove's expression immediately hardened, but Steve straightened up, his attention snapping to Robin. "Wait—what guy?" he demanded.
Dove stared at him incredulously, while Robin's face broke into a sly, amused grin. "You know," Robin teased, leaning casually against the counter and speaking as if she were explaining something to a particularly dim child. "The guy Dove was talking to in the parking lot. The one with the dark hair and the muscles. You know, the one who isn't dressed like he's about to swab the poop deck."
Steve's jaw tightened, his face contorting into a mix of confusion and annoyance as Dove raised her hand to stop him. "His name is Danny. He's my coworker."
"Coworker," Steve repeated, his tone skeptical, as though the word didn't quite make sense in his brain. "And he's waiting for you? By his car? Why?"
Dove sighed, her patience visibly fraying. "We're working on a.. project together," she said simply, adjusting her bag over her shoulder.
"In his car?" Steve asked, his eyebrows raising, his tone dripping with disbelief.
Dove threw her hands up, exhaling sharply. "Steve, seriously, I cannot handle your weird jealousy thing right now." She pinched the bridge of her nose, calming herself. "I have to go talk to him. Just.. don't do anything stupid until I get back."
She strode out the door without another word, leaving Steve standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
Robin, still grinning, leaned closer to him. "So, what's your game plan here? Follow her? Stake out the parking lot? Challenge Danny to an arm-wrestle?"
Steve opened his mouth to protest Robin's teasing, but his eyes darted to the door, betraying him as if he were actually considering it. Robin caught the movement and smirked, but before she could say anything, Dustin's jaw dropped, and he let out an incredulous, "Oh my God."
Steve and Robin both turned to look at him, confused.
"What?" Steve asked, frowning.
Dustin pointed at him dramatically. "You and Dove broke up."
Steve's face went blank, his eyes widening slightly as he stammered. "I.. I don't—what do you—how—"
"No no no, everything makes sense now," Dustin interrupted, pacing in a circle like he was connecting the dots. "Before I left for camp, I practically had to beg you two to get off of each other. It was disgusting, by the way. But then I got back, and things were all.. weird. Like, super tense and awkward. And she was totally avoiding you."
Robin's eyebrows shot up, and her grin widened as she leaned toward Steve. "Oh, this just got so much better."
"Shut up, Robin," Steve muttered, his face turning red. He turned to Dustin, who was pointing at him like he'd cracked the biggest mystery of the year. "It's.. complicated," he mumbled finally.
"Oh my God, you totally did!" Dustin exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "This explains everything. The awkward tension, the weird jealous vibes, and now this Danny guy." His smile dropped, and his face morphed into a look of horror. "Oh my God, this Danny guy. What if he's trying to date my sister?"
Steve stiffened, his expression hardening as he crossed his arms. "You don't think he'd actually do that, right?"
Robin groaned, smacking her forehead. "Oh, for the love of—would you two calm down?"
Dustin whipped around to face her, his voice rising in panic. "Calm down? Dove is vulnerable right now! You know, because of the breakup. What if he's swooping in, taking advantage of her fragile emotional state?"
Steve pointed at Dustin, nodding emphatically. "That's what I'm saying! He's probably all smooth and confident, with his muscles and his.. car."
Robin threw her hands in the air. "Oh my—First of all, fragile is the last word I would use to describe Dove. And secondly, we don't even know this guy. Maybe he's—"
"Exactly!" Dustin shouted, turning to her. "We don't know him! And that's the problem. He could be anyone—a creep, a liar, a Russian spy."
Steve snapped his fingers, looking vindicated. "Yes! Russian spy! That's exactly what I was thinking!"
Dustin nodded fervently, pacing as his brain worked overtime. "Okay, no big deal. We can fix this. We just need to figure out how to get you and Dove back together before she makes a huge mistake."
Steve clapped his hands together, his face lighting up with determination. "Okay, where do we start?"
Dustin stopped pacing and started ticking off on his fingers. "Well, for starters, Danny's probably smarter than you. I mean, Dove's smart, so they probably talk about, like, books and the law and stuff."
Steve's confident expression faltered, but he nodded, trying to play it cool. "Okay, yeah. What else?"
"Uh.. he's got bigger muscles," Dustin continued, squinting as if this was a scientific fact. "Robin said so."
Steve's face fell a little more. "Robin doesn't know anything about muscles," he muttered defensively.
"And they probably have a lot in common," Dustin added, still lost in thought. "Like, they work together, so they probably talk about stuff you wouldn't even understand."
Steve's shoulders slumped slightly, but he shook it off and straightened up. "Okay, fine. But what about me? How am I better?"
Dustin froze, blinking at him.
"Come on, man!" Steve said, his voice tinged with desperation.
"I'm thinking!" Dustin yelled back, throwing his hands in the air.
Robin groaned loudly and jumped off the counter, where she had perched herself to watch the interaction. "Okay, this just went from really entertaining to really sad in a matter of seconds," she said, rolling her eyes. "If you're so worried about Dove and this Danny guy, maybe instead of spiraling about it, you should talk to her. Maybe ask her about it."
Dustin and Steve both turned to stare at her, their expressions blank, as if she'd just started speaking a foreign language.
Robin stared back at them, her eyebrows slowly lifting in disbelief. Finally, she threw her head back with an exaggerated sigh. "Seriously? The fact that I used to think you were cool is baffling."
Steve frowned, his arms crossing defensively. "Hey, I am cool."
"No, you're not," Robin said flatly, waving him off.
"Well, how bad was the breakup?" Dustin asked suddenly, his tone sharp with curiosity. "Did you do something stupid? Wait, was it her idea or yours? Oh my God, did you cheat? Because if you cheated, Steve, I'm not—"
"I didn't cheat!" Steve snapped, his voice rising enough to make Dustin freeze mid-rant. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as his shoulders sagged. "It wasn't like that, alright? It just.. didn't work out."
Robin, perched casually on the edge of the counter, leaned her chin on her hand, her grin sly and mischievous. "Go ahead, Harrington," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Tell the kid how the breakup went."
Steve groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I regret ever telling you that story, Robin," he muttered.
Robin waved a hand dismissively, her grin widening. "Yeah, yeah. Just tell it, or I will."
Steve sighed heavily, leaning back against the counter as he reluctantly turned to Dustin. "I went to your place with flowers," Steve began, his voice tinged with resignation. "I was going to apologize for being a total douchebag. Promise her I wouldn't be a douchebag anymore. Get down on my knees and grovel if necessary."
Dustin nodded slowly. "Okay.. so far, so good. Then what?"
Steve exhaled, his gaze dropping to the floor. "She didn't know why I was there. Before I could say anything, she.. broke up with me. And instead of telling her the real reason I was there, I just.. went along with it. Pretended like that was the reason I showed up in the first place."
Dustin blinked at him, stunned. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I'm a douchebag," Steve said, throwing his hands in the air. "She was being all.. calm and mature about it, and I didn't want to make it worse by dumping my stupid apology speech on her."
Dustin shook his head in disbelief. "So, wait—you were there to fix things, and instead you just let her dump you?"
"Pretty much," Steve admitted, shrugging helplessly.
Dustin groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "God, you are a douchebag."
"I know!" Steve said, his voice breaking slightly. "Can we just.. Can we talk about something else?"
Robin clapped her hands together, smirking. "I thought you'd never ask." She grabbed the rolled up papers she'd brought earlier and laid them out on the counter, smoothing them out for everyone to see. "Behold," she said with a flourish, "the fruits of my trip to the city zoning office: a blueprint of Starcourt Mall, complete with the air ventilation system."
Steve frowned, leaning over the papers. "What's the plan? Crawl through the air ducts and hope no one notices?"
Robin smirked. "Pretty much, yeah. Preferably before Dove comes back with another lecture about how you idiots risked your lives last year. Which, by the way, you still refuse to explain to me."