#( cm : michael chavez the breather )

[vendettavalor]

// forgot to post this here before- recently got an iPad and decided to try out CSP on it for the first time featuring Mike! I’d say this is pretty good for a first attempt-

[vendettavalor]

Were he a touch less accustomed to the tension of work like this, Mike was liable to have jumped the second the door rattled from the first blow. Luckily, it seemed to do little more than bring a drip of sweat to his temple and make his steady hands move quicker to unscrew the vent from its frame. Just as the man's footsteps began to pound away into the distance, it swung open with a small squeal. He was thankful for the quietness of it. No need to raise any more alarms.

He stepped down quickly to offer Faye a leg up, nodding with his hand towards their best chance of escape while interlacing his fingers together, palms upward as they rested on his knee. "Come on, quick," he whispered, watching the door with wide, wary eyes. "Hope you got everything you needed from here, because we're not coming back to this shithole."

Lurks like this weren't his scene. Too many tough guys, too many meatheads. The city was cramped and loud and noisy, but for a guy like him, it was easy enough to blend into a crowd - or into the shadows. The sense of safety created by crowds allowed for a sense of ease that made navigating the streets for his nefarious purposes much easier. A false sense of security blinded those to the likes of him slipping in and out of streams of people, going about illicit work as easily as they did their 9 to 5s and office jobs.

"I think I can hear him coming back," he warned, urgency in his voice and on knee starting to bounce with building anxiety.

Faye didn't bother checking behind her, aware that Mike was already securing the only way in. If things got dicey she was certain he already knew their next way out and if it came down to it the pair were deadly in a fight. But, she wasn't going to trouble her mind with that thought. They were in the clear and before long her fingers were flying across the keyboard, using the information that had received to easily bypass all security and passwords to get into the video system. It was then she placed a thumb drive into the tower and used the date on it to glitch the system.

She glanced up at the monitors, watching them carefully. Without any patrols, it'd be difficult to know if they were actually working or if they had successfully caused the video to loop. It also didn't help there wasn't a clock on the footage, just the date. Seemed odd but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Removing the data drive, she wiped the keyboard off her prints and stood up.

"What're-" she paused, turning to see Mike was already screwing the vent free. Thinking ahead, just as she figured. Her mouth opened to speak again when the door knob started jiggling. There was a muffled speech on the other side and then the door rattled in the frame as a heavy weight was slammed up against it.

"Shit...glad you're the smart one," she said in a hushed voice. Her eyes went up to the vent he was attempting to work on. The voices outside were louder. Sweat began to bead on her brow as she realized it was security guards trying to get in.

"That asshole locked the door again," she heard one of the men curse before there was another thud. "go get the spare key and hurry up." Faye was unable to hear what the other man said but heard the waning falls of his footsteps as he ran down the hall. Her hand gripped Mike's hoodie and tugged slightly, urging him to quicken his pace. It seemed they'd have to either use the vent to get to an empty room or use it all the way to their destination.

[vendettavalor]

// Some WTTG muses and the live action FCs I've given them

The Breather (Anthony Harrigan) // The Executioner (Trevor Donovan) // The Kidnapper (David Gandy)

The Other Kidnapper (Fyodor Bondarchuk) // Ms. Noir (WTTG2) (Angelina Jolie) // Mr. Noir (WTTG2) (David Beckham)

[vendettavalor]

// LOOK AT HIM GOOOO!

[vendettavalor]

// throwback to that one time I made an animatic over the course of 3 days and this is still my favorite frame of it

[vendettavalor]

// GOD i love your art, and i especially love seeing these two goobers clowning around together ❤️❤️❤️

Faye: It counts because I'm short. Mike: Not like we're even playing the game right anyway.

Quick, silly little art thing for @vendettavalor because they're amazing and Mike and Faye definitely do silly things whenever they're not committing crimes.

[vendettavalor]

// CRYING THANK YOU FOR DOODLING THEM MADS THEY LOOK DO FUCKIN LOVELY IN YOUR ART STYLE 😭😭😭❤️

Heart eyes at all of @vendettavalor's muses but definitely these three. Thanks for letting me use them for practice.

[vendettavalor]

"Perfect. The less time I have to wait to stuff my face the better."

While he hardly considered himself a glutton, Mike admitted that he had a hefty appetite. And when it came to him and food, he didn't tolerate obstacles. His hunger could drive him to the lengths of a wild dog. Thankfully, he was just a little peckished right about now. The hanger had yet to settle in. With any luck, they'd be done long before he got to the point of irritably low blood sugar cravings.

Bass and treble muted their footsteps down to nothing, but the nature of the operation still had the two of them as quiet as church mice aside from the rhythmic fall of their footsteps between blasting notes. He was her shadow, keeping her back guarded as his gaze darted about, only stopping in his faithful trailing when she did to point out the camera. For a moment, he considered chucking his knife at the thin base of it and sending it clattering to the ground. After just a moment, it swiveled away and the thought flew from his mind.

Back on the move then. To the door of their destination just outside of the field of view of prying eyes. Locked, of course- because no mission of theirs could ever go so simply. "Don't worry about it. Go on, I'll keep an eye out." Wide eyes swept the area, letting her work in peace while his itching fingers settled on the hilt of the knife in his pocket, practically daring anyone to approach them. Strangely enough, this section of their task passed without incident.

Almost suspiciously so.

Following her inside to glance over the monitors, he made sure the door was locked behind them and scanned for any more entry points. Vent on the ceiling above them and a door on the other side of the room. He eyed the latter suspiciously and moved to ensure it was locked as well before returning to her.

"I have my doubts," he snorted. "Maybe everyone's just wasted. You saw those guys earlier."

Just in case, he slipped away to pull up another chair and began fiddling with the vent, unlocking two screws so it would swing open and inspecting the inside. They'd fit in it easily enough push come to shove... and he had a feeling that there was going to be a lot of pushing and shoving.

"But it never hurts to have a plan B."

⚔️ @ruinouss

Faye awaited his response, always eager to hear his take. What made them such an effective team was their ability to listen to one another and adjust accordingly to any thoughts or suggestions the other had. She listened as he spoke, moved her hands, opened the door wider, and peered up and down the hall. Whoever had entered the hall had now completely disappeared. She wasn't sure how long they'd have but they could be swift.

"Not to mention, no havin' to change clothes before we get somethin' to eat," she added. Then again, fighting always fired up her appetite. Her mind fluttered back and forth as she weighed out the pros and cons before deciding he was right and avoiding any additional conflict wasn't worth it. Nodding to herself she moved as he nudged her forward. Slipping past the thrumming she could hear the men's laughter grow even louder, almost drowning out the music.

Even if they were running at full speed she doubted they'd even hear them. Or if they did they most likely wouldn't check. Despite this comforting thought, she kept quiet as she led Mike down the hall, only pausing when she noticed another security camera scanning the hall. Once it turned to face the other way she darted across the last hall and found the door they needed to enter. However, it was locked.

"Fuck...Was hopin' this door would be unlocked as well," she muttered under her breath but was already pulling out her lockpicking kit. Faye crouched and thanked any god or goddess she could that the camera closest to them was positioned so they'd remain in a blind spot as long as they didn't move to the other side of the hall. "Sorry babe," she offered him an apologetic look as she unlocked the security office. Seemed weird it was locked and after a quick glance inside she could see the monitors were on but there wasn't a soul in sight. The guards had switched but there should have still been one monitoring. Right?

"You don't think this is a trap do ya?" She inquired, taking a seat in the empty chair to begin the next phase of their plan. "Seems a bit too easy."

[vendettavalor]

He listened intently, eyes focused on her as she explained. That was one thing he'd always been good at. Giving someone his undivided attention and picking apart the details of their plan to adapt it to their needs was something of a skill of his. Time and practice, he supposed.

It sounded easy enough- hack, grab, go. Maybe stab a few people on the way out if they needed to. He couldn't deny the itch beneath his skin that prickled up in the form of goosebumps at the thought of sinking a cold knife into hot, soft flesh. Carnal cravings died hard. But all the same, these people weren't his usual prey. Not hitchhikers, not web crawlers- not his usual variety anyway. His MO had no weight in this and the idea of betraying his personal code of honor more than he already did turned his stomach somewhat.

"Would prefer to spare the carnage if we can. Besides, if we leave them alive, then they definitely won't be able to trace it back. It'll just look like negligence. Or internal sabotage." His inner demon seemed disappointed at his rationale. Though he knew it was the most logical approach his bloodlust was ultimately displeased. No matter. It would be satiated eventually.

Watching their prey sidle on by in a drunken haze, unaware of the eyes fixated upon them as they passed, Mike waited a moment before nudging her with a quiet think it's clear. They'd have to move quickly. Quietly? That seemed optional giving the roaring and pounding of the bass-heavy music shaking the walls around them. But if they could just get to that security room down the hall without being spotted, the rest would fall into place.

Well, as much as could be hoped for with them on the job.

⚔️ @ruinouss

Faye was all too aware that Mike was out of his element but this job would set them up for a while and allow them to go on one of their road trips. They were long overdue for one and she'd been itching to get out on the road and away from the cities for a little bit. It was within their grasp and a little party wasn't going to keep her from getting it. Their client was gracious and didn't care if there were casualties as long as they got the information and it couldn't be tracked back to his organization. Easy enough, she just wanted to get the data before they started busting heads open.

His hand encompassed hers and before she knew it he had her in the other room. Sometimes she forgot just how quick he could move and now she wanted nothing more than to bury herself against him. She wanted to hear the beat of his heart and feel the rise and fall of his chest. There would be time for that later. Peeking out the crack of their room she watched the inebriated man slowly stumble his way down the hall, possibly heading to a restroom.

"After we hack the cameras we should have an easy trek to the boss' office. We need to download some files from his computer. Encrypted files that'll give our client information on any rival activity." She explained. "Once we get that...well there's a whole room of people we could take out unless you just wanna get it and go?" Faye looked over her shoulder to see what he may prefer.

Her hand found his again and gave it a squeeze. They were a team and it'd be easier if they were both on the same track. Of course, how often did things go as planned when she was involved? Not very often as the universe had a funny sense of humor but Mike was here and she knew he'd have her back.

[vendettavalor]

Infiltration wasn’t Mike’s forte. He would be the first to admit that. Home invasion was his specialty. Breaking down doors, chasing people around their houses, and ending the game swiftly with a few well-placed stabs to the neck and chest. In recent years, his employer had trained him up on outside pursuits before returning him to his specialty of breaking and entering— albeit in new and unfamiliar environments. Despite the change in scenery, one thing remained the same through all that: Mike was loud, he was bold, and he was brash.

The Breather was a noisy killer. He stalked openly, filling his prey with a sense of dread fueled by knowing that he was there. That he was watching. And when the moment was right, he would strike viciously and without mercy. Part of his fear factor hinged on the fact that he was loud, and despite other people surely hearing him in the act of killing, no one would come to help. That was the edge that gave him his power. He could trip every alarm, make every sound, and still his victim would be helpless. And they knew that. No one would try to intervene, and those who did would never arrive in time to stop him.

This business of skulking about, lingering in shadows, soundless and unseen, was not a tactic he was familiar with or well trained it. But he trusted Faye implicitly, and that was enough to convince him to follow her. He would follow her anywhere, to the ends of the earth if she so asked. And he would guard her the whole way, damned be his specialties or limitations. It was why the sudden flood of light spilling into the darkness where they lingered put him on high alert, drawing him to find her hand and squeezed in silent question of what to do. She answered, quickly and wordlessly. And he followed.

Quickly, he pushed her into the room, shielding her from view with his broad body cloaked in the darkness of his hoodie. Quiet as a mouse, he closed the door behind them just enough to leave a slit for them to peek through. “They’ll pass,” he whispered, finally able to hear himself think thanks to the somewhat insulated nature of the room muting some of the roaring music outside. “What’s the plan after the cameras are down?”

⚔️ @ruinouss

She enjoyed reflecting on how they could go from a playful and bantering couple to well-oiled killing machines after a job. A switch went off in both their minds to turn carefree mice into apex predators that sometimes seemed to share one mind. There was never a doubt in her mind that he'd do anything to betray her and she hoped he felt the same. It's what made her believe their quick or simple glances exchanged what was going on within both their minds.

Faye nodded, "I know you will." She moved ahead, checking any cracked doorways for signs of additional security before stopping at a fork in the hallway. Risking being caught, she peeked around, spotting a swiveling security camera, and quickly ducked back as it turned its red eye toward her. With the thunderous music echoing in the halls, she struggled to hear its grinding retreat as it looked away. Again, she risked looking down the hall to see it was beginning to turn to the other end. The redhead quickly gestured for them to quickly cross the fork and keep heading straight.

As soon as she did, a door up ahead began to open, its light filling the dim hallway. A cacophony of laughs and jeers resonated from within. Shit. They needed to take a right down the next hall, after the now-opened door, to get to the security room. Once in there they could hack the cameras and put on repeat footage while they went about their business. Frantic, Faye looked around and linked her arm with Mike's, hoping to drag him into another room as she tried the knob and found it unlocked.

"Best to avoid any altercations until the cameras are dealt with," she whispered, thankful whoever had opened the door was still sending retorts back to his friends. It gave them a small chance to remain unnoticed.

[vendettavalor]

"Look at you always being so prepared! Am I finally rubbing off on you?" He teased, waggling his hairless brows with a coy look glimmering in his big brown eyes. His attention was quick to swivel and settle on the buzz of the phone. And there's the bell, he thought, moving to stretch his limbs out and shake them off a bit before rising up and cracking open the door of his van.

"Showtime, baby!" He patted his pockets one last time to verify that there was nothing in them - well, minus the giant knife he carried. He traveled light, only carrying the essentials. A spare mask in its packaging, a butcher's knife, and some extra gloves in case of anything. Check completed, he shut the door to his van and followed Faye over to the fire escape as quiet as a mouse. Enough time in combat boots had taught him how to be silent when walking in them. Even the steel toes made nary a sound as they padded up the rusting iron steps. Of course, it was pretty muffled under the rattling of the frame itself and the obnoxiously loud music pounding from inside.

Slipping inside proved easy enough. Scanning the surroundings, Mike noted that there was no traffic. Not yet anyways. Seems this party had yet to get started. Looking back, he nodded to Faye and motioned for her to slip inside behind him. Quickly, he flattened himself against the nearby wall as he continued looking around, ever alert for any sudden appearance of danger or enemies approaching. Still clear, for now.

"Take the lead," he whispered. "I'll watch your back."

⚔️ @ruinouss

His touch was like a warm patch of sunlight filtering in through the canopy of a shaded forest. She could feel the heat of his hand through her shirt and all she wanted was to remain there, basking in his subtle affection for a moment longer. It wasn't that he didn't show affection often, he was very loving toward her. But she had been touch starved for so many years and he accepted everything about her. She was perfectly imperfect and he seemed to love her unconditionally. It was all she could ever want and there was little he could do now that would send her packing. He was stuck with her now.

"Well, if ya get a lil dirty I have a duffle bag hidden near the place so we can do an outfit swap," she smiled and gave him another gentle kiss. She would have liked to remain there a bit longer but she felt the buzz of her phone in her pocket. They needed to get ready to move as the work shifts were about to change. Her gaze hardened as she turned her attention to the back entrance of the building. A few minutes before ten the first two guards took their leave, ready to get home. Now was their chance.

"Time to rock n' roll babe," she looked at him before making her way to the fire escape, descending as quickly as she could. The racket as it trembled might have been alarming but the busy city sounds of blasting music and heavy traffic drowned it out. They'd be able to slip in and once inside they'd need to worry. She pulled the cowl around her neck up to cover the bottom half of her face and drew her hood over her head. As soon as her feet hit the grimy concrete ground she raced to the door, finding it unlocked, just as she thought. Smooth sailing so far. Opening it, she allowed Mike to enter first, scanning the alleyways for any early arrivals.

[vendettavalor]

"Ooooh, that's cold, mami," Mike chuckled, lightly nudging her shoulder. It was all in good fun of course, he knew she meant him no real malice or harm. Truthfully, he preferred it stay unconcerning for her. His health issues were his own and the last thing he wanted to do was worry her with them. Not when they had work to do and dinner plans to decide on.

And besides, it was hard to be mad with her so close and kissing on him like this. He practically purred at how gentle she was planting a kiss on his hairless brow and nuzzling their foreheads together like this. He felt himself melt a little, leaning back into her and raising his hands to rest on her waist. God, she made him giddy enough to giggle. And had he just a fraction less self-restraint he just might've.

"50s style diner, eh?" His eyes lit up at the suggestion! "You know I can't resist a good retro burger joint. Damn, now I have an actual reason to keep my clothes clean this run." He groaned. Despite being a neat freak to the point where OCD was a real and genuine concern, Mike had few qualms about getting blood on him when it came to hunts. Something about the feeling of a good splatter, when he plunged his knife deep into those soft guts, exhilarated him. It was almost worth complaining about the stains they left later.

"Sounds like a plan then. We make quick work of the meatbags here and then break for dinner. I like it!"

⚔️ @ruinouss

"Tryin' to make me feel bad? Ain't gonna work because I've seen you in action. If ya want my pity you're gonna have to look like them animals on the SPCA commercials and have that In the Arms of an Angel song playin' too. And then maybe just MAYBE I'll feel a lil somethin'." Faye winked at him and only smiled brighter at what he said next. He looked like many things, especially his mask obscuring his nose and mouth, but a decisive man? Well, that could be debated depending on who you asked.

Walking to him, she placed her hands on the middle of his thighs and leaned forward to kiss his brow softly. Her head then tilted downward a bit to place her forehead against his and closed her eyes. A rare peace stilled her mind and heart when they were together even on high-stakes jobs like this. She could be her — all of her. The good, the bad, and the ugly and he'd loved all of her.

"I know just like you know I feel the same," her voice was hushed as she opened her eyes and stood back up. "Actually, there's this new 24-hour diner that just opened up. It's supposed to have a 50's diner style and I've seen the reviews are pretty good. We could go there after as long as we're not bloodied and if we are we go home and get a food delivery!"

[vendettavalor]

Watching clocks was something that Mike had long learned not to do. That was what alarms were for after all. Instead, he opted to sit and wait for the digital numbers set squarely at the top of his very dated smartphone to switch of their own accord while he fiddled around on a level of Candy Crush he had spent that last three days struggling to beat while pumping gas or waiting for water to boil. (The latter occurence had been a very serious test of willpower not to toss his phone in with the cup of instant ramen he'd been preparing for himself.)

"Well for starters, you have a lot more endurance than I do and all your organs work the way they should. That's a luxury I obviously can't afford." It was spoking with jest despite the fact he was only half joking. God forbid she ever see the crippling amount of debt he was saddled with. He shook his head a bit, lowering his phone screen from his face as she poked him before fixing her with an unconvinced look. Beneath his mask, she could tell he was grinning. But somehow, it was funnier when she could only see his eyes.

"Do I look like a decisive man? Actually, don't answer that-" He narrowed his eyes, tucking his phone into the pocket of his hoodie with his hands in a small attempt to keep them warm. Even with the gloves, his fingers tended to feel frozen from time to time. "You know me, Faye. I'm not picky. As long as it's edible, you could take me anywhere. And I'll enjoy it, because I'll be with you."

How sweet. It was almost as if they weren't about to commit several major crimes.

⚔️ @ruinouss

@vendettavalor said:

“Eyes on victory, tummy on dinner.”

There was time to spare before the pandemonium of the day and night shifts changed, creating a sliver of an opening for them to enter the building. It'd be easy to strike now that the day shift was running on fumes, staring pleadingly at the clock to finally hit 7 PM. But that was too easy. The fun would be slipping in right under their noses to steal data from their employer's computer and relieve the rich bastard of some of his assets. A few thousand dollars would be pocket change to him.

"You're truly a man after my own heart. How I've survived this long without ya I'll never know, " the tips of her left fingers pressed against her sternum while the back of her right hand touched her upturned forehead. She remained in the overly dramatic pose, cracking one of her closed eyes to peer at him through long lashes. There was a high probability they'd be required to kill guards stationed to protect the documents they were hired to retrieve

"What're ya thinkin'? Tacos? Chinese take-out?" She asked, her hands dropping down to rest on her wide hips. Slowly, Faye began to rock, pushing her hips forward until she stood on the balls of her feet before swinging her hips back until her toes lifted and she balanced on her heels. Remaining still for long had never been a strong suit of hers and now that Mike had mentioned food she found herself eager to complete their task so they could get to their true prize.