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After who I can only assume was Bane that texted me, I began to set everything in place.
I needed to know exactly where I was going into, I needed to know who would be there but most importantly I needed to know the man I was about to speak to.
Levi drops more files onto our already packed table before taking a seat on the other end digging into more research as if she didn't go through enough already. I know this is her way of making up for the whole Bane situation because she's been like this for at least 2 whole days now.
"All I have is his name and birthday but besides that he's a ghost" she rubs her head in annoyance.
"We also know the kind of man he is"
"Yeah but that doesn't give us an upper hand it just gives us nothing" she looks up at me.
"I don't need an upper hand Lev, I just need to know what he's like and i do"
"And that's all you need to take him down?"
I chuckle looking at her "who said anything about taking him down"
"Isn't this what we're doing, why you're risking your life"
"No...." now I'm confused "I'm doing this because my friends are in trouble because of us" I stare longer at her and the more I do the more I realise she's not necessarily scared for me, this whole taking him down thing is because of the twins "there's no point in taking him out if he's not harmful, we've met countless wannabes so most likely he's just one more idiot out on the streets doing absolutely nothing"
She nods, completely zoned out.
"You know, you should go home" I say getting back at reading some old reports about Vikram.
"I am home" she chuckles confused.
"No I mean home Levi, where Scar and Aiden are"
"Mia-"
"I don't need you here, I've got all of this sorted and basically dealt with plus you're on edge and that's the last thing anyone needs, especial with Vikram around"
"But you said he's probably just some idiot"
"He is, but we can't ignore the fact he's got quite the number of people on his side" her face changes as if my words have slowly started to hurt more than I ever wanted to, she sets some papers down looking up at me.
"Are you still mad at me, is that why you're telling me to leave"
I stay quiet because she's right, I am still mad, well less mad and a bit more hurt but I would never tell her to leave if I didn't think it would benefit her.
"I think you should leave because you miss them, it would be good for you and for them to see their sister" I say looking at her with a small smile trying to warm her up "they're in lockdown aren't they? this whole thing will last no longer than give or take 3 weeks tops"
"3 weeks is a long time"
"3 weeks is how much they'll get to be with you, you know I'm right Lev and I know you want to go"
"But what about helping you"
"Lev I have done so much on my own way before you came along, way before Bane and way before Donte even, so trust me when I say I'm good"
She thinks for a moment, her eyes focusing somewhere away from mine as she gets sucked into what I have just said. I know she knows deep down that I'll be fine but I also know it's hard to just up and leave like this. In her mind it's selfish, it's because she's selfless that I adore her so much, but in this case she needs to stomp that side of her out. I look down at her hands to see them already fiddling with her rings again.
"If I go will you text me?"
"You know I can't, it's too risky"
"Then how will I know you're okay"
"You'll know when you come back" I smile but it barely makes her blink.
"I don't want to leave you Mia" her eyes softly begin to tear and I don't know what to do, after all these years emotions are still something I struggle with "but if you really want me to, if you really think it's for the best-"
"I do"
She nods wiping the one tear that has slipped down her cheek "okay then"
"You better take pictures of them for when you get back" I smile for real this time which makes her laugh and the happiness pours back into her as I mention them.
"I will"
"Okay now help me dress and when I get back I want you gone"
"Let's get you dressed then"
As we both finally stood up from the table we were glued to for what felt like days with no end, things just felt a lot lighter. Levi pulled out a bunch of her dresses including my own and made me try on at least a hundred of them before finding the one she loved. It's safe to say I nearly ripped all of them into pieces.
Levi has always been an amazing person, always will be and it sort of makes me jealous with how she handles certain situations. I cannot tell you how many times people have told her she was a bad person for leaving Scar and Aiden like she had to do, but then again those same people have no idea what she's been through to keep them safe, I have and I still wonder how she hangs on.
Her family have always been known to be powerful, but shortly after Aiden and Scar were born things went to complete shit. Levs whole family was slaughtered, when she told me the things she remembered, how she was tripping over her families bodies carrying the twins out of the slaughter house she once called home, it made me feel sick. She once told me she could still smell the stench of blood from that day, the gun powder, the concreate that took over the whole house from the walls coming undone, how do you comfort someone that has gone through something like that? I held her all night once because she wouldn't stop shaking, I promised her I wouldn't sleep, that I would watch over her to calm her and it worked, but the nightmares never disappeared.
Now after all these years the people that murdered her whole family are still after her, which is funny seeing as she's looking for them too, and she's not alone.
"What are you thinking about"
"Huh" I blink away the blurry vision as I look at her from the mirror.
"You drifted off to somewhere" she lets the final piece of my hair fall loose, smoothing it over with her hand to make it straighter than it is.
"Just thinking, that's all" I smile.
"Well less thinking and more grounding, I don't want you slipping up when you're in there" she gives me that motherly glare she's known for and it takes everything in me not to turn around and laugh.
"First of all MUM I'm good, secondly when have I ever slipped up"
"The time you didn't bring your knives-"
"Oh for the lords above that was a one time mistake"
"Hey hey you asked" her hands fly up in defense "okay you're ready"
I stand up taking myself in, Lev just smiles.
"I should've been a designer or a hair stylist or even both actually"
I shake my head at her, but I will give her credit she did a wonderful job.
"Okay 2 knives" she hands me my knives and I slip them into the bands on either side of my thighs "rings" I slip on the two silver rings, one on my ring finger on my right hand and the other on my middle finger on the right. They might look pretty and small but with just one click they both outsert these double sharp shards, and boy do they hurt. Levi once pulled out a whole eye accidentally from this one guy she punched which we found hilarious by the way because we didn't know they were this good, safe to say we kept them.
"And now it's your turn to get ready"
"Seems so"
We both pause for a second, unsure of how to say goodbye but as I look at her I know exactly how so I hug her, it takes a second for her arms to tie around me but when they do it's strong and warm, safe and loving. Just like a friend should feel like.
"Okay we both need to go" I pull away still keeping my hand on both her shoulders making her look at me "we will see each other again"
"I know" she smiles that smile I've come to know as home and I know that whatever happens I will always find her, no matter where she is.
I leave my room taking a long needed breath, I need my head in the game and luckily that has never been an issue for me.