CH-29: Made A Promise, Got To Deliver

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The mansion was eerily quiet as I made my way down its lengthy corridor, a cup of coffee clasped firmly in my hand. With each stride, I took a sip, relishing the rich warmth while my gaze wandered over the snow-covered expanse of the lawn.

The door to the study creaked open as I stepped inside, my footsteps echoing through the room. Fox sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on a stack of papers. He looked up as I entered, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Morning Fox." I greeted, taking a seat across from him.

"Morning Ed." He nodded, focusing back on his documents.

"Ah… whatcha working on?" I leaned against the edge of the desk, crossing my arms.

"I'm.. uh, I'm just putting things in order." He sighed, his gaze drifting towards the window. "I have to leave for a couple of days."

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? What's the matter?"

Fox hesitated for a moment before responding. "It's an old friend's funeral, somebody I owe a debt to, got to pay my final respects."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt. Fox rarely revealed personal matters, and the timing seemed too convenient. But I trusted him, or at least I wanted to.

"Sorry to hear that, Fox." I said sincerely and stepped closer. "Need any help?"

"No, I'm done." He shook his head and immediately stacked the papers. "Just make sure to keep things cordinal while I'm away."

As he spoke, I noticed a flicker of unease in his eyes. It was subtle, but enough to raise my suspicion further. Deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this trip than a simple funeral.

"Are you sure about that?" I raised an eyebrow, casting a skeptical gaze. "I would have believed your story if I didn't know you so well. So, what's really going on?"

Fox played his part, feigning confusion as he looked at me. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I held his gaze, unyielding. "Well, for starters, you give us gifts exactly two weeks before Christmas. And there's your absence from dinner the past two nights. I initially thought Felicia took the upgraded decoder from my room this morning, but now it seems there's another culprit. So, tell me, Fox, what's the truth?"

A conflicted expression washed over his face as he smiled with a hint of pride. "As observant as ever."

"Thanks." I nodded, maintaining my resolve.

"Well, you're not entirely wrong." He admitted, his voice softer. "But I didn't exactly lie either. The funeral is part of the plan, but there's also a heist I've been planning for the past six months. It's a custom job, you know how it goes. Made a promise, and now I have to deliver. I'm sorry for not informing you earlier."

"There is no need to be sorry." I shrugged, I wasn't even bothered that he was going on a heist alone, I just felt weird that he didn't inform us about it. "It's just odd that you didn't say anything."

"I knew you wouldn't have been bothered by it." He smiled. "Just keep it between us."

"Why not tell Felicia?" I asked.

"Not tell me what?" Felicia blurted out as she brust into the study, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and admiration. "You are going on a heist."

"Yes." Fox shoulder's slumped as he admitted.

"Why?" She asked uncertainty.

"Because you would want to join." He replied, folding his arms against his chest, taking a stiff stance already giving a vibe of rejection.

"Obviously!" She cried out, giving him a pleading eye. "This is exactly what you have been training us for."

Fox shook his head, his gaze unyiledling. "You are not ready, neither of you."

Felicia turned to me, her eyes searching for support, but I couldn't bring myself to go against Fox.

Felicia wanted to join Fox on his heist, believing it was our chance to prove ourselves. Her determination was admirable, but I couldn't help but side with Fox.

As I've said before, I didn't really care whether or not I was involved in this theft. I didn't have anything to prove to him. But that didn't mean I wasn't confident in my abilities.

In the beginning, Fox trained me in Savate and fencing, but later he switched to judo and Muay Thai. Even now, I couldn't defeat him in hand-to-hand combat without Venom. Fox's experience in this field was unquestionable. If he believed we weren't ready, I wasn't going to go against him.

"Maybe he's right." I interjected, my voice calm but firm. "As much as I understand your eagerness, Fox knows what he's doing. We should trust his judgment."

"What?!" Felicia yelled in disbelief.

Fox sighed and walked ahead, gently reaching out to pat Felicia's head.

"One day, I would kiddo." He smiled. "But not now."

"Hmph!" Felicia swatted his hand away and rushed out of the study, her footsteps heavy with anger.

Fox shook his head, standing still, conflicted on how to react. But he slowly turned and gave me a smile. I shrugged in response.

"Take care of her till I come back."

"Sure." I gave him a respectful nod.

"And make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." Fox patted my shoulder in a elderly gesture with a knowing smirk.

"Absolutely." I smiled.

—--

An hour had passed since Fox's departure, and I found Felicia seated alone on the balcony, her face illuminated by the gentle rays of sun, Her thoughts were palpable, swirling with determination and a desire to prove Fox wrong.

I approached Felicia cautiously, my footsteps echoing against the balcony tiles. She didn't turn to acknowledge my presence, but I could sense the storm of emotions brewing within her. The determination in her eyes was undeniable, even as tears threatened to spill.

"Hey." I said softly, leaning against the railing beside her. "You okay?"

Felicia sighed, her voice strained. "No, Eddy. I'm not okay. I can't just sit here while Fox goes off on some dangerous mission. I need to prove to him that I'm capable."

"You got nothing to prove to anyone, Felicia." I said calmly.

"I know but aren't you frustrated." She growled. "We have been training for a half a year now, you more than me, we got to show that we are better than he thinks."

I furrowed my brow, concern creeping into my voice. "How?"

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Felicia's lips. "By stealing something that even Fox can't."

I scoffed as my eyes widened in disbelief. "Felicia, that's absolutely crazy, the Pharaoh's Star?"

Felicia's gaze hardened, her determination unwavering. "Yeah, the Pharaoh's star! That would work!"

"Ah.. what?" I blinked at her reaction, before I began to realise my mistake. "You bitch."

"Sorry." She cheekily smiled with tongue out.

"You can't be fucking serious." I said, absolutely outright. "It's a national treasure, the moment you touch it, you will be listed as a international terrorist by MI6 and you will be sent to blacksite in England."

I shook my head, trying to reason with her. "Felicia, you don't understand the dangers involved. The security measures surrounding the Pharaoh's Star are unparalleled. Even if you managed to bypass them, the consequences could be disastrous."

Felicia turned to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of defiance and desperation.

"That's exactly why it will prove my point. If we can steal it, it will show Fox that we are capable of anything."

"Felicia, this is not a fucking game." I grumbled. "You can't do this."

"Then help me, Edward. Help me steal it. Or I'll do it on my own."

"You know I could I just knock you out for a couple days until Fox comes back right?" I threatened but she didn't seemed to bother.

"You can try." She sang the words in a hum.

I understood where she was coming from, both of us has been cooped up in this old villa for a long time and we both felt the need for a release, even I was beginning to feel it but Felicia's childishness took Fox's rejection and her frustration together and gave birth to this complex mix.

The problem was I can't just knock her out either without atleast breaking a bone, things like one tap knockout doesn't work in real life unless you are an absolute expert, which I was not and that meant I had to make a compromise.

"Fine, I'll help you." I finally said, my voice firm. "But on one condition. We won't touch the Pharaoh's Star. We'll steal anything else you want, but that artifact is off-limits."

Felicia hesitated for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, she nodded, her determination tempered with a hint of relief.

"Deal. Anything else is fair game. But remember, Eddy, I won't back down from this."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of my decision.

I promised Fox I wouldn't let her do anything stupid and as Fox said.

'Made a promise, got to deliver.'