Keysmith [NOT FANFICTION] ✓completed

Classified

LEX sighed. His day had started off so well. Levi had left to school without any unexpected hitches, he'd had a halfway decent cup of coffee (he'd drowned out the true flavour with a bucketload of milk just so he could get his dose of caffeine) and as a bonus, he even had a payed day off.

What could possibly go wrong, right?

I guess I jinxed it.

Lex sighed again, pacing up and down in annoyance.

I should never have decided that the weather looked nice enough for a walk. The weather might've been nice enough, but fate certainly wasn't.

Because of course he had to leave those bobby pins that he'd used to lockpick his apartment in the back pocket of his jeans. And of course he had to decide to wear different jeans today. And of course he had to have a door that locked automatically when you closed it.

Of course he had to get locked out of his own apartment.

Lex crouched down, prodding the catflap. It was open, and he could juuuuust peer through the small rectangular gap.

"Isabel!" he hissed, not really expecting to get an answer. Isabel was probably snoring soundly on his laptop or something, oblivious to Lex's problems. He growled softly in frustration, reaching through the catflap in search of anything that could help him get inside.

No such luck.

He retracted his arm, standing up with a sigh.

Now what?

He leaned against the locked door, scanning the passage. He could only linger around in front of the door for so long before people started to become suspicious. But where else could he go? He couldn't really show up at Bliss or Jordan's house — he'd met them the day before, that would be awkward.

Who else did he know? Lex furrowed his eyebrows in thought, listing off the people he knew.

Raynold — in prison. Dani — nope, she's insane. Marshall? Hah, forget it. Director Silvers... not unless I have a deathwish. Why does everyone I know hate my guts anyway? I mean, what's up with that?

Lex scanned the passage as he thought, simultaneously trying to come up with a realistic excuse in case someone asked why he was standing around in the hallway for no good reason.

As his eyes roamed the empty halls, his gaze landed on the door across from him.

Number 177.

"If you ever need anything, let me know," Madame's words echoed in his memory, "I'm sure that any problem of yours will be a welcome distraction in my routine life."

When was the last time he'd seen Madame? Before Levi came, surely, so that had to be at least five days ago, and probably closer on a week.

Plus, it's already almost lunchtime, and I don't have any food OR money with me...

Lex chuckled to himself, walking up to the door.

I can't believe I'm actually about to do this.

He raised his hand, and knocked twice — neat, polite knocks, the sound of which reverberated through the passage behind it, carrying to the occupants of the apartment. Sharp, clear knocks, that in itself were proof of how excellent the quality of the door was.

The sound of footsteps didn't carry through the door, so Lex was caught slightly off-guard when said door swung open to reveal Madame.

"Oh, um... good morning," Lex conjured up a smile, "how are you?"