To the Smelly Boy Apartment It Is! (Story 2 of Sev & M)

Chapter 31

Marcus stood on the balcony watching Nora and Zandra walk to the Cafe, he waited until he saw them both get inside before he turned and walked back into the apartment. It was the first time he had been completely alone since Severine had left, it felt odd. He made his way to Severine's room, even though Nora had been staying in it, it still smelled like him, and being around his things was comforting. He sat on the floor replaying his dream with Cas.

He tried to come up with a plan for fighting Issac but his thoughts kept straying back to his sister. He still didn't know why she was willing to help him or if she wasn't doing it willingly at all and had some hidden motive. Cas's words kept coming back to him: "There's a lot you don't know about her and how she has been treated."

Treated by who? Their parents had always bragged about her, she was a natural, followed all their orders without complaining, graduated training early, such the perfect little villain. Other agency members used to stop and brag about her to him too about a fight they had witnessed or a new move she had created in training. He rolled his eyes and sighed, he couldn't remember a time when she had ever been mistreated.

An old memory started nagging at the back of his mind, bits and pieces flashing before his eyes: coming down stairs late one night, his sister and parents having an argument over something. What they had said was lost, all he remembered was his parents yelling and his sister standing there letting them yell at her. Once they had left the kitchen she sank to the floor crying silently. It has been the first and only time he had ever seen her cry.

A crash came from the living room pulling him out of the memory. He almost felt relieved that Issac was finally here, getting stuck in the past did no one any good. Scrambling to his feet, he thought about staying in Severine's room and letting Issac come to him, but he didn't want any of Severine's precious books to get ruined. He slowly made his way down the hallway, sticking close to the wall. It seemed like Issac hadn't noticed anyone was here yet, which could work in his favor.

He made it to the end of the hallway without being detected and smiled to himself. Stealth had never been his strongest skill. Issac was facing the balcony so he stepped into the living room and quickly severed the power cord to the lamp on the end table closest to Issac. He was just about to wrap the cord around Issac's neck when he spoke.

"Did you really think you could sneak up on me?" Issac asked, chuckling.

"Well I did until you just said that," he huffed in annoyance.

"Give it about ten more years of experience and maybe you could have," Issac turned towards him, "unfortunately I'm not going to let you live long enough to gain it."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm not going anywhere, except to get Severine after I deal with you."

Issac started laughing maniacally, he wiped at his eyes like he had tears.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"The two of you really are a pair. So willing to throw your life away for the other," Issac responded, still laughing, "When you go to get him you won't find him at home."

His blood ran cold. "What do you mean?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Nothing much. He's just not at home," he replied. He was examining his nails now like they were the most interesting thing in the room.

"Where is he?" he said slowly.

"He's in the Agency's infirmary. Turns out his father was more upset about his little call to you then he let on," Issac said, looking up and smiling.

He started shaking. Severine had to be okay, or there was no reason for him to survive this fight. He wanted to rush to his room and call Jana, demand her to go check on him. But he knew if he tried he wouldn't make it a single step before Issac got to him.