Venice; Money Heist [2]

We Are Back!

LA PAMPA ARGENTINIA

68 DAYS UNTIL D-DAY

Venice

"Urgh, I'm so exhausted, I could fall asleep right here," I mutter wearily, dragging myself up the last steps to our apartment. "Remind me to wear flats next time, Robi."

"I will, but if you don't stop me next time, I'll hit you with these heels," she replies, holding up her shoes in her hands. "But it was fun, right?" she asks tentatively, and I can hear the caution in her voice, almost feel the concerned gaze of the two of them on me.

"Yeah, yeah, it was. Although I feel like that guy stepped on my toes one too many times. I bet they'll fall off soon," I try to lighten the mood. Since Berlin died, the two of them have become extra careful around me. Who can blame them? I was in a terrible state. For six months, they had to force me to eat, get out of the house, and stop drowning my sorrows in alcohol. But can they blame me in turn? You finally find someone after years who did you good, or at least as good as it gets, and then he sacrifices himself to save you. For two years now, I've felt like a part of me is missing. A part I can't describe. I know Berlin filled a small part of it, but looking back, I don't think Berlin would have filled that huge gap. It may sound cold or stupid and naive... but after many nights talking and processing with Nairobi and often with Helsinki about what happened, I realized that while Berlin was exactly what I needed at that moment, he wasn't what would fulfill me for the rest of my life. Of course, that doesn't make the experience any less traumatic. I loved him, and not a little... but apparently, everything I love dies in front of my eyes or leaves me. The loss of Rio's closeness didn't help my mental state either.

"Yeah, as often as you flinched," Helsinki laughs, patting me on the shoulder before heading into the apartment. I look to Nairobi, who watches him with a hopeful but also sad look.

"Hey... shall we meet on the rooftop again?"

"Yeah..." she nods gratefully. The rooftop of our building has become synonymous with us, a place where we can speak freely, have girl talk, or just unwind. Smiling, I walk past her into the apartment but stop when Helsinki holds his arm in front of me and signals us to be quiet.

"Someone's here," he whispers. Slowly, we continue into the apartment, passing our small open kitchen, from which I quickly grab a knife, just in case.

We see a silhouette sitting on the couch, and I turn on the light. Sitting before us is a middle-aged man with a bald head and an outfit that looks like he's playing Safari Sam.

"Who are you?" Helsinki asks suspiciously.

"I'm your transporter. The Professor wants you to come to him. Here." With that, he hands Helsinki a note with the phone number we had to remember.

PORTUGAL'S MARITIME BORDER THREE YEARS UNTIL D-DAY

Under the cover of night, all the remaining robbers sit on the deck of a boat, waiting to finally leave Spanish territory. The mood is tense, as everyone knows it's not over until they reach international waters and travel to their positions from there. The Professor stands facing the water, checking his watch before turning to the group.

"Everyone. Two hundred nautical miles. We just entered international waters."

Upon hearing this, Venice and Nairobi lean forward in relief before standing up and starting to scream with joy and pump their fists in the air. The others immediately join in, hugging each other and popping open a bottle of champagne that someone had organized beforehand.

"We did it!" The Professor watches the group with a sad smile before his eyes meet Venice's. They smile at each other before Venice runs to him and hugs him. "Thank you," she whispers in his ear and kisses his cheek before joining the others. Rio and Venice embrace, and the younger one lifts his sister up and spins around. "We did it! Yes!" They let go, and Tokyo pulls Venice into a bear hug before both grab a bottle of champagne and spray the others with it, like Formula 1 winners do. The captain of the ship looks down from his balcony, grinning at the group and the Professor, clearly taken with the exuberant mood and joy. He salutes the Professor and then returns to the helm. The Professor takes in the scene for a brief moment longer before becoming serious again and returning to his role as leader. He claps his hands to get the group's attention before speaking.