Redemption || applyfic

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕛𝕠𝕓

A/N I realized as I was writing this that I was unclear as to when this story was taking place. It is set in the early 2000s. Maybe 2004 or 2006. something along those lines 

Aaron stood in an unfinished office. There were long sheaths of plastic hanging from the floor and a projector setup displaying the layout of the building across the street. Aaron stared out the window, binoculars held up to his eyes as he stared at the rooftop of the building.

"Alright, clear comms," Aaron said.

Across the street, two people stood on the top of the skyscraper.

"Are you shitting me? These are from the '80s," Blake Manson said, putting away the communications device that Aaron had given them. She pulled one out of the bag she had lying on the rooftop beside her. These were small, almost smaller than her pinky fingernail. "It's a bone-conduction earpiece mic that works off the vibrations in your jaw."

Blake threw the small case of earbuds to Kath Creeze, who stood next to her. He caught them and placed one in their ear.

Blake whispered into the earpiece, "It's like you can hear everything."

"You know, it's almost like you're not as useless as you look," Kath said, with a sharp laugh.

"I don't even know what you're doing here," Blake blurted out.

Kath gained a faraway look in his eye like he was thinking of something that could have happened long before he had ever heard of the brilliant hacker Blake Manson, who had hacked into the Pentagon at the ripe age of 12.

The scaffolding above them shuddered as Symona hung off it by her feet, her body positioned right in the middle of the two on the rooftop. Her hair was pulled up in a bun so as not to get in her way.

"Can I have one?" She asked, before taking one without waiting for a response.

Blake stares at the empty box, "Well, I guess I bought the exact amount we needed. It pays to be prepared."

"You keep telling yourself that." Kath turned away from the edge of the rooftop and towards Symona, who had climbed off the complex scaffolding and was adjusting the climbing harness around her waist.

"The last time I used this rig was the MET, 2002," she said, her eyes gaining a mesmerized look as she stroked the rope she was attached to.

Back in the office, Aaron thought back to which pieces of famous art were stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2002. "You stole that Monet?"

Symona grinned, knowing that Aaron couldn't see her and would never really know.

"Alright, guys. Get ready. We go on my signal, not a moment before not a moment after," Aaron began. "Symona, no freelancing. Stick to the plan."

"Relax, we know what we're doing," Kath said, his voice sounding more and more annoyed by the second.

Aaron sighed, "Okay, we're a go on the count of five. Five, four, three..."

Kath huffed in annoyance, "She's gone."

And he was right, the second Aaron had said 'three' Symona took a running leap off the roof. The air rushed past her and she breathed a sigh of relief as the cinch on the rope began to tighten. It's tough being a thief when you're afraid of heights.

She could hear Aaron cussing her out in her ear but she could also hear how minorly upset he was. That it was all a show that he needed to put on to feel in control.