𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 /𝑗𝑗 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘

𝟎𝟎𝟒.

___________________
𝑯𝑰𝑴 & 𝑰
𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑜，𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜．
𝟑:𝟑𝟏 — 𝟏𝟒:𝟓𝟎
___________________

AS WE HUDDLE together, peering over the flimsy wooden fence at the construction area across the street, the drizzle of rain intensifies, casting a misty veil over the scene before us.

I curl my chilled knuckles around the sleeves of my hoodie, and the soft fabric provides a comforting barrier against the cold. My hood shields my eyes from the stinging raindrops, but I'm acutely aware of the water seeping through the threads of my jacket.

JJ's gentle offer to share his jumper had been a kind gesture, but I'd declined, not wanting to risk him catching hypothermia in his enthusiasm to help.

Now, as we crouch together in the downpour, Pope rummages through his bag and produces an ancient-looking camera, which he carefully sets up on top of the fence.

JJ snorts beside me, his voice tinged with amusement. "Nice camera. Where'd you dig up that relic? Why don't you just use your phone?"

Pope's gaze slowly swivels to meet JJ's, his expression calm and matter-of-fact. "Well, first of all, I like my antique electronics." He pauses, his eyes glinting with a quiet passion. "And second of all, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away."

Kiara shakes her head, her voice laced with affectionate teasing. "Lord of the dorks." she murmurs, and I can't help but smile at the way Pope's face remains serene, unperturbed by JJ and Kiara's jabs. As we stand there, rain-soaked and shivering, Pope's camera poised precariously on the fence.

As I let out a snort, Pope's eyes roll heavenward, and he turns to Kiara, who's standing on the other side of him.

His voice takes on a slightly pedantic tone, as if explaining something obvious, and I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "For definitive proof of witness payoff, we're gonna need quality glass." he explains, holding up his ancient camera as if it's a sacred relic. The way he cradles it in his hands, his fingers gently wrapping around the lens, I was almost frightened he was gonna break it.

As I notice Ward sprinting across the puddled road towards the construction site, I elbow Pope in the side, my gesture urgent and low. "Look," I hiss, my voice barely audible above the patter of the rain. "There he is." Pope's eyes follow mine, his expression turning serious as he takes in the scene before us.

I can't help but feel a thrill of excitement as I peer over the fence once more, my heart racing with anticipation. But before I can react, JJ grabs the top of my head and pushes me down behind the fence, his hand gentle but firm. "Yo, yo. Get down." he whispers urgently.

We all duck below the level of the fence, watching as Ward disappears into the darkness of the construction site. A few moments later, another figure appears, sprinting across the road towards him. Gavin. The scene before us is like a living, breathing entity, full of movement and sound and chaos.