"That was...tense." Flynn said, watching Foxy flash him a sharp-toothed smile as she exited the room. He caught a glimpse of Sonora's dark, fearful gaze while she trudged out of the room after her.

Raven snorted. "You've met Foxy before. 'Tense' is practically her entire personality."

Flynn let out a low whistle. "Still, that was unexpected. Big Bad Raven getting bossed around by her little sis."

Raven shot him a glare that should've melted him into a puddle of tears and snot in less than a second. Fortunately, it didn't. He guessed that was the one good thing about spending every night in The Menagerie: the constant exposure to Raven's shittiness had built up some sort of immunity in him.

"Watch your tongue, Turner. Just because you've survived a few weeks here doesn't mean you can start making stupid comments."

He chuckled, undeterred by her words. "Mate, if I had a sibling who gave orders like that, I'd probably reconsider my career choices."

"Foxy might be a handful, but she's good at what she does. Plus, she has a way of making people...compliant." Raven sighed.

Kester frowned, his forehead creasing with worry as she looked back at the doorway. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Raven leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "You think I know? Foxy has a habit of leaving everyone but herself in the dark."

"So, we are still doing this heist, correct?" Tuan chimed in. His voice came out like a quiet rumble that sent shivers up Flynn's spine. How did bouncy, feisty Arabella like this guy who acted more rock than person?

Raven shook her head. "You heard Foxy, we need to get you guys geared up for the heist as soon as Sonora gets back. We don't have time to go through the whole practice run. I just hope you children don't screw anything up."

"Beautiful pep talk, really brought tears to my eyes, you know?" Flynn muttered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arabella try to hide a snicker and he grinned.

Kester's gaze remained fixed on the doorway, his worry apparent. "I hope Sonora is okay."

"Sonora's tough," Arabella reassured him, her tone holding a hint of optimism. "She can handle herself."

Flynn shot Arabella a curious look. He respected Sonora just fine - she had kicked his butt in everything in the past few days, from fighting to deciphering code, but talking didn't seem to be her strong suit. Not like Tuan, who seemed to think he was above everyone. And not like Kester, who was a sputtering mess if someone even said 'hi' to him. Sonora was just quiet because she didn't need to talk to make the whole room stare. She was quiet because only glare from her could shut someone like Flynn up. He thought she had probably picked that one up from Raven.

But one person Sonora was especially bad at talking to was Foxy. Granted, all of them sort of held a grudge against Foxy. He did too, although he hid it well. Foxy rarely made an appearance, and when she did, it was usually for something significant. Whatever was going on, it had to be more than just a simple conversation.

Jeez, what was he doing? Worrying about a girl he barely knew? He was here to get the reward. NONE of these people mattered to him. Not Kester, not Tuan, not Sonora, and not-

"Ya'll, I think Turner fell asleep with his eyes open." He felt something tickle the end of his nose and swatted at one of Arabella's blue curls. While he was lost in thought, he hadn't noticed how close she'd gotten as she leaned over him.

"Get away from me!" He hissed.

She jumped back in surprise, although a smile still played on her lips. "What, scared of me getting too close?"

"As if." He scoffed, feeling more than a little defensive. He was supposed to be the one flirting, not her. Arabella opened her mouth to reply but paused when she heard footsteps from outside.

The group swiveled their attention to the doorway when Sonora re-entered the room. She looked different — her shoulders were slumped, her eyes guarded.

Raven nodded in the direction of the girl as a sign of greeting. "Did Foxy happen to mention anything about our heist? Location perhaps?"

"It's the Crimson Court of The Blood Lilies." She mumbled and she hung her head. Sonora looked like she was about to cry now, eyes streaked with veins of red. What in the world had Foxy done to her?

Not your problem Flynn, his mind reprimanded him. He bit his tongue before he could ask her what was wrong.

Raven bobbed her head again, swiftly making her way to the exit. "Alright, I have the floor plan somewhere in my office. I'll go get it, but it's up to you children to cook up a strategy, ok? Remember, we have one shot at this, and we can't afford any mistakes. Tuan, you're in charge for now."

She held Tuan's gaze for a moment, a silent understanding passing between them before she walked out, cloak swishing as she went.

The room was left in an uneasy silence, tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. Tuan cleared his throat, breaking the quiet atmosphere. "We have our work cut out for us. Let's get to it."

Arabella plopped down on the soft dirt, her fingers tapping rhythmically on her knee. "Okay, so, We're talkin' 'bout the Crimson Court of The Blood Lilies here, so it's Sonora who's gotta fill us in on most of them details."

Sonora finally lifted her head, her gaze meeting the other's expectant stares for a brief moment. Flynn had to work to keep looking at her sad, sleepy eyes. "I have an idea of where the pieces of the crown could be. There are two rooms in The Court that my mother won't let me in. She keeps the keys in her bedroom."

"Maybe we can send two of us out as field agents while the rest of us work on cover and overwatch."

Tuan nodded. "Sonora's an obvious choice and maybe Arabella can go along with her."

"I think I can come up with a diversion using soundwaves. If I can manipulate the acoustics in the right way, I might be able to create a commotion on the far end of the building so that they can get in." Kester piped up.

Arabella turned to Sonora again. "There any guards inside?"

"A few."

"Flynn and I will deal with them." Tuan said.

Flynn startled at the sound of his name. He'd been leaning against the wall, folding his arms as he observed the group and decidedly not taking in the rest of the conversation. He cleared his throat and pushed himself off the wall, slipping a casual smirk onto his face.

"Sure, I'm fine with anything."

They spent the rest of the night preparing, going over the details of the heist, and getting their equipment in order. Flynn vaguely remembered Raven coming back and screaming at them about something, but everything felt like a blur to him. He could barely remember what the plan was supposed to be (which he knew would come to bite him in the backside eventually). He was used to risks and uncertainty - god, risks and uncertainty were basically his entire personality - but this time, there was something different in the air. The tension between the crew was palpable, and he couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Flynn felt another twinge of worry for Sonora, a feeling he just couldn't shake off, however much he wanted to. He had seen how her confidence had wavered after her conversation with Foxy. There was something more going on there, something that he couldn't ignore.

Finally, Raven seemed to have grown tired and dismissed them for the night. The group dispersed immediately, each lost in their own thoughts as they walked out of the room and crawled down the dark tunnels to the exit of The Menagerie. Flynn watched as Sonora walked away, her steps heavy and her posture tense. He needed to know what she'd talked about with Foxy. His curiosity was-

"Turner, where the hell are you goin'?" Arabella snapped.

He sighed and turned around to face her frown. "What is it now?"

"Raven told ya to stay behind with me to work on your combat skills, remember? I'd hate to burst your bubble, but ya happen to be kinda the worst outta all of us."

He glared at her as she smirked. He had a feeling she loved breaking it to him. Flynn rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips twitched upward. "Oh, so you're the self-appointed tutor now?"

"Someone's gotta do it. Wouldn't want ya embarrassin' yourself out there."

"Right, right," he sighed again. "Lead the way, oh wise one."

Grabbing his wrist, she dragged him away from the exit and hauled him around tunnels until his feet hurt from walking. Finally, she stopped him in a tunnel identical to all the others, excluding the fact that the sewer opening above them was slightly ajar, as if someone had just climbed out. Moonlight shone through, streaking Arabella's face with light.

She stepped into a loose fighting stance, her feet shoulder-width apart and her fists raised. She motioned for Flynn to do the same. He attempted something similar, fumbling around his brain for any knowledge of Raven teaching him this. He came up blank.

"Alright, Turner. Show me whatchya got." She said with a glint in her eyes.

He puffed out his chest, feigning confidence."Fine, but I'm warning you, I've gotten alot better at this stuff."

"We'll see about that."

They began circling each other. Flynn moved with a casual swagger, occasionally stumbling over a stray rock. Arabella's steps were more controlled and focused, silently stalking him like a tiger ready to pounce. She struck first, her fist aiming for Flynn's shoulder. He clumsily sidestepped, letting her punch sail past harmlessly. He responded with a feigned swipe of his own, and she deftly ducked under it.

He threw another punch. Arabella easily sidestepped, her movements fluid and graceful. She seemed different now that she was fighting, her usual outbursts of anger were now carefully measured and poured into each of her strikes. She aimed a swift kick to his side, but Flynn blocked her with his forearm.

Hours ticked by as they fought, with Flynn wondering more than once about the black and blue bruises he'd see in the mirror once he'd gotten home. Nonetheless, they continued their playful back-and-forth, their movements becoming less about training and more about having fun. Flynn found himself surprisingly engaged, a competitive fire he hadn't known racing through his bones as he tried to land a hit on Arabella while simultaneously avoiding her counters.

"Come on, Turner! Is that all you've got? I've seen puppies with more fight in them!" she teased.

Flynn's grin widened, and he feigned a lunge, and just when Arabella anticipated his move, he pivoted and delivered a quick jab to her side. It wasn't a hard hit, just a playful tap, but it was enough to make her stumble. He snaked an arm around her waist before she fell and pulled her closer to him. His breath was close enough to move a loose strand of her hair. To his amusement, he watched as her already cocoa-colored skin turned darker with a blush.

"You were saying, Bluebell?"

Arabella straightened and spun away from him, a scowl on her face. "Bluebell? Really?"

Flynn shrugged. "Seemed appropriate. You're always so grumpy, so blue."

Arabella laughed, and for a moment, Flynn felt a genuine warmth in his chest. He pushed it down quickly.

Only here for the reward, he recited the phrase like a mantra.

Without a warning, he felt the ground go out from underneath him, and he staggered, steadying himself against the dirt wall. It wasn't long before he felt Arabella's hands on his chest, pinning him against the wall, their faces inches apart again. Flynn's breath caught as he looked into her eyes. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and his surroundings faded away.

"What, ya thought you were the only one who could flirt?" she whispered, her voice still teasing. She paused, staring at him for a moment as he felt a strange heat rushing through his body and up to his face. She smirked, running a finger against his cheek. "Aw, look, you're blushing!"

He blinked. Wait, what? She had to be kidding, he'd never blushed in his life. Not once. "You wish, Bluebell." He cringed at the hoarseness of his voice.

Arabella's laughter tinkled through the air, a sound that was more electrifying than lightning. She leaned in even closer, her lips dangerously close to his ear. "Sure thing, Turner. Just remember, I can play this game too."

Drip.

Immediately, they moved away from each other, any sparks that had been between them extinguished. They both turned their faces skywards, at the sewer opening. It was stained red.

Drip.

"What..." Arabella muttered, leaning down to look at the tiny puddle of liquid that was forming on the ground. She stuck her finger in and her eyes widened when it came away bloody. "Flynn-"

BANG!

A huge shape fell into the tunnel. Arabella yelped, stumbling back into Flynn before it could hit her. A dark mass of flies buzzed around it. He swatted at them for a few minutes before they relented and dispersed into the night sky. The moon illuminated the figure and its features. No, not 'it's' he realized in horror. 'His'.

The carcass of a man lay before them, blood soaked and unmoving. Arabella let out a strangled scream as she pressed her hands, still red with blood, against her eyes.

"Shit!" It was a woman's voice, faint against Arabella's wails. It hadn't come from her though. It was deep and melodious, a voice he recognized...

Flynn looked up and saw flashes that, to this day, wished he'd never seen. Brown hair, cinnamon eyes, dark lashes, honey skin, a wet, red knife...

Sonora?