Handler XX: Stock Maestro

"What's the problem, Cap?"

He rushed to check what was going on. Montclair and Rosa were leaving.

Good— They just be going back to think about it.

Not now.

There's too many people.

"There's going to be a bloodbath" he muttered, turning around.

"A bloodbath?" Marie asked, moving closer.

Theo gasped, raising his brow,

"What's going on?"

"Sca– Serta..."

"The secretary?"

How would a secretary know that?

Wait— wasn't it---

"I knew she wasn't ordinary— physique don't lie" Theo exhaled, watching him as he walked towards the door.

"I can't explain it right now..." He turned to them dialing his phone.

"Twerp? How's---" Anton's voice cut through.

"There's no time— there's going to be an invasion of this place soon"

"W–What?" Anton gasped,

"How do you know that?"

"I–I just do. I've got friends. How do you not know?"

Somebody seemed to have stepped into the same room with Anton.

"...what's happening?"

"What?"

"They..."

"What's going on" Trent asked, confused, turning the speaker on.

"Your correct— There's going to be a hostage situation. I just got the call"

"What are we going to do?" Marie yelled, walking closer.

"It's going to be too much for us to handle"

"Wait. Handle?" Theo looked at her,

"What's happening, Mr. Anton?"

"Theo?" Anton asked,

"Yeah— He's here. What's the plan" Trent answered walking towards the curtains.

"We didn't expect a full-on assault, but we made preparations" Anton exhaled,

"What preparations?" Marie asked, staring at Trent as he peeped through the curtains.

"X is going to have enough firepower— You'll go support her. Marie and Theo will take the intruders out until we arrive"

"What? Me too? And how will---"

Theo gasped as Marie pulled out her guns.

"N–Nevermind"

I knew they were dangerous.

Damnit.

"Felix Umber is in the room besides mine— I'll go support and wait"

"He can't support without the mask— there are tons of people here" Marie corked her gun, stretching one to Theo.

"No need..." He pulled his out.

Didn't think I'd be needing this.

Fuck.

"This is..." Trent stood very close to Theo, eyes trailing his height.

"W–What---" Theo shifted backwards

"Hold on— Your pants... They're my size"

"I'm not going to let you---"

"You'll get new ones" Marie chuckled,

"But---"

"It's just the pants. We'll have the work the CCTV in the passage" Trent glanced at the door,

"You still there?" He raised the phone,

"Yeah— I can see y'all are having a meeting"

"Tell X that I'll be with her shortly. And be fast with the support— I've got a lot left to milk out of life"

"Life's a cow now, huh? Hold on tight guys" Anton chuckled, hanging up.

Trent swapped pants with Theo and wrapped his face with his black inner cloth.

"Take care" Marie muttered, as their eyes met.

"I will— You too, my Queen..."

"This is seriously not the time to be flirting" Theo huffed, wearing the pant.

"We'll be fine"

He glanced at them before opening the door.

You better be.

He smiled at her and walked out.

_______

"Who?" She opened the door slightly as he knocked,

She immediately pointed her gun seeing the mask on his face

"Anton" he whispered sharply,

Her eyes scanned behind him as she lowered the gun,

"I'm 87, and---"

"I know" she opened the door wider,

"Just got the message— you'll stay here while I grab my bag"

Well... She's cold.

He looked around as he walked in.

"Who's he?" Umber asked.

His guards were alert with their guns drawn.

"Support— we've got a situation... Sir" she glanced at him, shutting the door

"What's going on?" Umber asked, signalling his men to drop their weapons.

"There's going to be a hostage situation"

He rushed to the curtains as he heard a loud shriek and gunshots.

"It's begun"

Umber sprang up towards X,

"A–Are they here for me?"

What sort of bullshit is that?

Trent turned, looking at him,

Does he think he's some incredible hotshot?

He looked at her— she tried to hide the disgust as she looked at Umber but he caught it.

"Not at all" she sighed,

"He'll protect you while I get the supplies I have stashed"

"W–What?" Umber glanced at him,

One of his securities walked towards Trent and stood at his front.

"I wouldn't do that, bud" Trent tilted his head towards them.

"This is for your safety, Sir. They'll be here soon"

"Alright"

"I've got to go" she turned to Trent.

Damn.

This already felt like a decrease in health points.

He peeped through the curtains— the people were being dragged and rounded up.

1... 2... 13?

Fuck.

Some were already heading up.

"They're coming" he turned back.

"S–So... Go get them!" Umber yelled, pointing towards the door,

What?

This bastard...

"I'm here to protect you" He corked his gun...

Barely enough bullets to take 5 down.

Marie and Theo should be getting ready

I hope they're alright.

"And that's what you'll do!!— protect me" Umber glared at him,

"You're a Handler— Handle this" he growled,

The guards stepped forward,

Oh?

So that's why he needed an agent.

Disposables, huh?

Great thing he'd started recording what was happening when X left.

"You'll hear from the agency" he scoffed, walking off.

"Just do your job right and I'll make my donations" Umber chuckled watching him leave.

There was no need to be here with such a bastard.

X pushed the door in as he opened it to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To protect me" Umber cut in, standing up.

She glanced at him and Trent.

What a cunt.

"We'll make sure to protect you" she turned away, pulling out a rifle and smoke bombs from the bag.

"I already knocked one out— the others will find out soon"

"Let's go, then" Trent glanced at her, tucking his gun away to take what she handed.

"Yeah" Umber scoffed, glancing at his guards,

"They'll take care of me here— you go protect me"

Trent shook his head and corked the rifle.

What a scum.

_______

Marie glanced at Theo as he paced around the room,

"You've gotta chill, dude"

"Chill?" He snapped,

"You want me to chill under these conditions?"

She sighed, leaning back on the chair,

"If the agent---"

"Agent?" He cut in, moving towards her,

"Are you guys some kind of spies? NIA?"

"...you don't have to know"

"Right..." he scoffed, sitting down.

"Hear that?" She turned towards the curtains, "It's started"

He sprang up and moved towards the door.

Goddammit.

So much for saying it wasn't a dangerous job.

I'm definitely getting an earful after this.

I'd turned my phone on airplane mode to avoid calls just in case.

"Wait— the reporters..." He turned to her,

"They've all been rounded up— I think they shut the cameras down"

"Let's go help..."

"We're the last room on this section"

Wait— Doesn't that mean Trent.

"Let's prepare to head out" she stood up,

"I've got a question"

He turned to her.

Now?

"How do you know Anton?"

What sort of question?

Was she suspicious?

He exhaled, running his hand through his hair.

"I met him during my military service— really tough time for me. He helped me with my withdrawal from the service"

She stared at him quietly for a while.

"He must've taken a liking to you..."

"I guess..." He scoffed, turning to the door,

"said I reminded him of his son"

"Huh?" she blinked, turning to him.

Anton had a Son?

Why haven't I heard of this?

Wait—

They jumped back as they heard a knock on the door.

Theo opened it slowly, pointing his gun.

"It's me" Trent pushed it slowly,

"I might need your help right now"

Fuck.

He gulped, glancing at Marie.

"Just you— not her"

Trent turned back.

Of course, the Queen gets special treatment.

"What's going on?" Marie asked,

"You can't be outside right now, you're not with your mask— protect yourself"

"Uh... Can I stay too?"

"No— not with how much I pay you"

Fuck.

All these over a million dollars.

Well... It's a million.

Damnit.

_______

"Who's he?" X asked as they reached her

"Support" he replied, shooting one of the Men as he turned into their corner.

She took care of the other one as he rushed up and turned to him,

"I wasn't told anything like this— does he know about us?" She asked, glaring at Theo.

"He's not an enemy" he focused on the stairs,

Let's just get this over with for fuck's sakes.

She stared at Theo for a while and tossed him a cannister of smoke bomb.

"It's not my problem" she pulled the man into the other corner.

"I'll---"

She shushed him, pointing towards the stairs.

Footsteps— more than one person.

3?... No, 4.

She pointed 4 fingers at the direction, pointed at them and signaled a throw and shooting.

"Wait for them to approach, throw the bombs and fire..." Theo muttered.

"What if they've got a formation?"

"They certainly don't..." Trent chuckled,

She hushed them again.

Weird.

Why did their footsteps stop?

His eyes trailed as something flew past him.

A metallic clink.

A... grenade?

Shit.