The Resistance || Money Heist

Better than You .034

* Flashback *

Palermo was a smart man. He was close to be just as smart as the Professor was, but he was a bit less strategic, and he could be too impulsive at times. He knew the numbers, he knew how to plan, but he also acted in the heat of the moment a lot of the time. He knew something was going on. From the moment he saw Sergio and Ava interact, he saw something between them. He didn't witness anything. He didn't know if anything happened, but he could see something in their eyes when they talked to each other. He could read desire easily. He knew what it was like to want someone that you couldn't have. The last thing he wanted, was for Berlin to be heartbroken again. Ever since coming there, Berlin had been talking about Ava every day again. It was clear, he was still madly in love with her. Palermo didn't want him to go through all of this just to be heartbroken.

It was the morning of the heist and Palermo had just witnessed Ava and the Professor leave the same room together. Berlin was talking to him about the heist, and Palermo was responding, but his mind was on the two that he saw just moments before. Tokyo hadn't been the only one to witness that. Palermo excused himself from Berlin, leaving him hanging, and walked out of the living area that they were all in. He was on a mission. Ava had walked back to the room that everyone else was in, and Sergio was probably going to wait a few minutes before going in. He noticed that was something they did, not wanting people to notice they were walking in together. But Palermo did notice, and it just made him even more suspicious. He looked around the area, making sure nobody was near before he went into the room Ava was staying in. Some of her things were packed up, but she wasn't all the way packed yet. He shut the door behind him and then started looking. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he was looking for something to incriminate her. Bingo. He stopped in his tracks when he saw a belt laying on the side of the bed, almost wedged between the nightstand. He stepped over to it, grabbing it and inspecting it. It was Sergio's belt. He knew there was something going on, and now they were caught, red handed by a short tempered man. He walked out with the belt. He was taking it with him.

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Berlin was down in the basement, trying to encourage the Governor to get inside the tank, but he wasn't listening. Berlin remembered planning this and that was the burning question. Would he go into that tank? The Professor disagreed. He didn't think they'd get him to go against his morals and what he stood for, even if it cost him his life, but Berlin and Palermo were certain. People had morals, but most people would choose life over them. If he was really facing death, he'd do what they needed.

Ava was determined, pacing back and forth among the hostages. They were all about to go onto the balcony. The Professor called them through the radio. Ava's eyes snapped straight to it and went to walk over, but Palermo held his hand up to her, grabbing the radio. It wasn't his call, but he was trying to limit the communication between Ava and the Professor. His best friend's heart would be shattered if he knew what happened, and he didn't want to make it any worse than it already was.

"They're about to attack." The Professor spoke. Ava walked over to the window, glancing out of it. The military trucks were edging forward slowly.

"How long do we have?" Palermo questioned.

"It's going to take awhile to get the fucker in the tank." Ava said, referring to the Governor. Palermo eyed her but he didn't respond.

"Fourteen minutes." The Professor said. Ava could hear fear in his voice. Everyone that heard the time, froze. They were all scared, worried that they would enter and the heist would be over on day one.