Not You Again

She hates balls.

There full of pretentious people who think they're better than everyone else. Their heads so high up in the clouds they think what color suit they wear matters. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at their overly fake faces.

She changed her face to match the ones that spark her anger. She made her way through the packed dance floor, making sure she came off just as enthusiastic as the snobs beside her.

"Angelena, you need to meet this guy. He's so nice, I just know you'll love him!" Her new friend, Scarlet, screamed as she started pulling on her expensive sleeve. 'Angelena' knew she really needed to do good on this job, so she excitedly followed the other girl.

They were approaching a large group of people when she saw him. She almost groaned on the spot but kept herself in check, she didn't need this going wrong. She was almost tempted to fake a stomach bug just to not hear his stupid voice. 

Besides, it was useless, he had already seen her. She saw his eyes widen before squinting in irritation. She discreetly glared at him from the corner of her eye.

"Angelena, this is Robert. Robert, this is the girl I was telling you of. I just know you two are gonna have a nice time, you act so much alike." Scarlet, the traitor, introduced them. She could see where the man's mind was wandering, and she didn't appreciate it.

"Angelena? You look like a Raven to me." The man said, testing the boundaries between them. She clenched her jaw and bared her teeth in a wicked smile.

"Really, Because I was just thinking how little you look like a Robert. Maybe more of an Erik if I'm being honest." She replied back, with a hint of anger in the back of her throat. He smiled, a little too much, and clenched his fist close to his side.

"Well, it seems we both don't appear to be who we look like." He slipped, forgetting everyone else in the room but them. 

"Well that was way tenser then it should have been. Do you two know each other?" Scarlet said, from her side, with squared shoulders. She seemed ready to fight the man in front of them, and she couldn't stop the warmth that crept into her chest.

"No, we don't know each other. I've never seen this woman in my life." Erik said, looking around every which way to not meet the women's eyes. 

Raven had to stop herself from smacking him. What spy doesn't know how to lie?

Scarlet didn't look convinced and turned to her with one slited-eyebrow raised. She wasn't impressed. Raven just shrugged and made the "crazy" sign above her head before pointing to the fool in front of her.

After that, she got as far away from Erik as she could, she didn't need him screwing with her mission.

They met three years ago. They're from different organizations, so they've become natural rivals, and were both sent on the same mission. She had won when she took out the politician that was their mission and left prideful about winning their little game.

Almost every mission she had after that one, she was competing with him to bring victory to their respective sides. They were, somehow, assigned almost every mission together. After years of fighting, slowly, she started to see less and less of the man and buried the loneliness his absence brought her with all her other emotions.

This was one of the first times in months he's tried to hijack her mission, and she wasn't going to allow him to win. She was currently winning the game, but he could easily catch up.

She was searching for a wealthy little lord. A big shot's son that has started creating conflict with opinions, not anything new.

Once found, she started trying to gain his trust. It wasn't that hard, he was a naive little thing.

"I've been enjoying our talk, maybe I could get your number? Or we could hang out some more of you'de like?" She asked after a few minutes of talking with Aarish, her target. He smiled and started waving his hands around excitedly, which he did a lot.

"I would love to get to know you more! But, I hope this isn't a date thing, I don't swing for your side- if you know what I mean!" He spoke fast, trying to keep her occupied. Raven felt a little bad, how many women had left him when they figured out he didn't want a relationship?

"Of, course honey! To tell you the truth, I don't like to swing at all! I just love your enthusiasm." Fell from her mouth, she needed to stop getting attached so easily. First Erik, then Rachel, and now Aarish; Raven was off her game.

Her organization hated failed missions, everything was to be done with precision and grace and without feelings. Erik's specialized in the extravagant, getting the job done in 'cool' ways. 

She blends in, he stands out.

Like he was doing, dragging in crowds and making them think he's just splendid. He's currently having a dance with Scarlet, why was he spending so much time with her?

Shouldn't he be after Aarish? He never beat around the bush before, why would he start to know? When victory was almost in his grasp?

Before she could get lost in her head a friendly pat on the shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Oh thank Brahma! So many people have ditched me- who are you looking at?" Aarish asked, cutting himself off. He looked over to Erik and a blush slowly crept up his face.

"Do you know him? I met him before the party, he was nice, but I didn't get the chance to ask him out. Will you be my wing-woman? Will you please introduce me?" He looked like a little puppy with all his dreams coming true. Raven couldn't say no and it wasn't bothering her as much as she thought it would to have friends.

As she leads the lord to her enemy, she realizes she doesn't want her new friends to die, she quite likes everyone she's met at the ball. 

Before they can get to him, Scarlet is talking to Aarish and they've agreed to get punch together while she and 'Robert' talk a bit. She turned to the man in question and he gave her a little glare before leading her to a small part of the party.

"What's your game?" Erik asked when they had reached a secure enough location. Her face scrunched up confusion, wasn't she supposed to be questioning him?

"Could you go a little more into detail on that? I don't have any ulterior motives." She replied calmly. Know his face was all scrunched up, he regarded her for a second before replying.

"You play nice with the target and go to the guy I wanted to ask out? You disregarded the mission just to spite me, right?" Now they were both confused, faces all scrunched up as they stared at each other in an empty hallway in the middle of a fancy ball when they should be killing people.

She would have laughed if realization didn't make her want to dry heave.

They must have different targets. They weren't put on the same mission, just in the vicinity. She felt herself go pale at the prospect of killing Scarlet, she couldn't let this happen.

From the look of Erik, he came to the same conclusion. 

"Do you know anything about starting a coup? I don't get paid enough anyway, I've heard rumors of one starting in my agency." She said with an evil little smirk on her face, she did enjoy tearing things down.

"You pen pushers are breaking the rules? I can't believe it, scandalize all of you!" Erik's smirk grew as he pretended to be offended before it dropped as he grew sober, "Maybe we could bring them both down. I haven't many friends but I feel like I could gain a few more without my work involved."

They shared a smile as they made their way to their targets. Who was oblivious to the demise they just dodged. 

"So your brother and sister, right? There's no way around it. Did you come from a terrible family that didn't let you do anything fun so you both sneak out at night and you've just snuck out to the same place? Is this a Cinderella story, who's Prince Charming?" Scarlet bombarded when they came into the eyeshot. Aarish, who she had been talking to, had nodded along to the entire rant with growing excitement.

"Let me be Prince Charming, I can do it!" He jumped excitedly, people were beginning to stare but she couldn't find it in herself to care if she was in the spotlight.

"You can be Prince Charming if I'm Cinderella," Erik smirked, and Aarish's face went up in flames and he started gaping like a fish.

"I want to be the fat rat. Gusy Gus or something." She commented and felt Scarlet lighting up beside her.

"Then I can be the skinny rat, partners in crime ready to serve out Cindy into finding a man." She laughed, voice turning to tease as she said 'Cindy.' Erik smirked before playing along.

"I would be honored for your help, majestic little mice. I-?" As Erik and the conversation continued, Raven felt great warmth fill in her chest again. She could get used to not being alone.