lucaxcortez

[lucaxcortez]

Luca let out a strangled laugh, "I was thinking more along the lines of inviting you to my bed. I don't do the holiday family crap." She never really had anyone to celebrate anything with these days. It was a day to herself where she could plot her revenge and world domination. You know, typical Luca things. "That was new Year? Explains a lot." She knew it was but she was just playing into the girl's words. "No. Every second I spent there my itch to hurt someone increased so I eventually left before I acted on my impulses."

"Well it's a big city, what are the chances we bump into each other twice in a week? If we keep going at this rate, I'll have to invite you to family Christmas." Stella smiles behind the lip of her takeaway cup as she sips, humouring herself even if the frankly intimidating brunette in the booth doesn't share in the joke. "Well that's a shame, although something tells me you're not the kind of person that needs an excuse like New Years to find what you need. Did you have a good time anyway?"

[lucaxcortez]

Freddies touch made Luca's skin crawl. She hated physical contact, but she had been playing the blonde boy so it was something she had to suck up for the role. "Stood you up? No. Never." She flashed him a light and charming smile as she leaned into him. "Vodka, my favorite." She mused as she waved over a bartender. "Bring us another round, make it a double."

“ there she is! ” freddie exclaims with a bright smile, wrapping an arm around Luca’s shoulder “ I was worried you stood me up for a second. ” he says, a feigned look of hurt across his features. “ oh… a drink. ” a says slowly, pushing a glass towards her “ I already did, vodka of course. ”

[lucaxcortez]

Luca was annoyed that Donovan insisted on sending Henry with her. She was more than capable of doing this on her own. But she knew he still wasn't to sure about her, still trying to get through to her. But Devran's presence pissed her off more. She didn't like people hovering and standing over her shoulder, especially uneducated ones who asked her dumb questions like the ones he was asking. "No, not stock footage." She rolled her eyes. "Once everyone is inside, we will still record the rooms that they aren't seen in and save those for the splicing, so that way there isn't a skip in those things." She said as if that was obvious. "You know, I am so worried about the sun. It's not like its pitch black outside in the dead of night." She rolled her eyes again. "So stop insulting me with your silly questions, I am very good at what I do and the babysitter over there is a close second if he really tried." She said gesturing over to Henry.

This was his specialty. He knew what he was doing, so he supposed that was why he was part of this heist. He had the talents necessary to doctor the footage in question. He nodded at Luca's words, listening carefully to everything she had to say. He'd come fully prepared to offer whatever assistance he could. "We'll get it done," he stated confidently. "It's just a waiting game right now." Once the explosion was set off, they could finish what they'd set out to do.

[lucaxcortez]

Luca gave him a lazy shrug, "Sounds boring." She said bluntly. "And grossly cute. Ew." She didn't do all that emotional crap. There was people who claimed they loved you, but those were the ones to stab you in the back or leave you behind. "Well, you better do something better than just trucking through unless you want to be shackled to a serpent for the rest of your life. I seriously doubt those off-the-boat Italians believe in divorce." Luca grimaced at the thought of having to be married one day. She would rather not. She didn't like people and she didn't need anyone anyway. Luca narrowed her eyes at the man, sure, she probably looked like nothing standing at 5 foot and being maybe 120 pounds soaking wet. "If you were important enough to know who I am you wouldn't have to ask." She said bluntly, she really wasn't a people person. Not anymore at least. She used to be such a light, kind, joyful teen. She had so much hope and ambition. "I'm vegan, I don't want to catch flies and I certainly don't use honey either." She snapped back as she stood up a bit more. She reached out and took the money from him, she plastered an innocent smile on her face, "Now was that so hard?" she said before turning on her heel, her face dropping to its usual scowl and shoving the money at Donovan. "I'm a hacker, not a corner boy bosses bitch."

“My goals are simple: keeping the Syndicate and my family safe through this war. Kind of a cop-out answer, but it’s the truth,” Donovan said with a small smile. He didn’t mind putting it out there. He’d never seen himself as a complicated man. His life? That was a different story—messy, chaotic even. But him? He kept things straightforward. “And yeah, it’s tough,” he added with a shrug. “But I keep trucking through it. That’s all we can do sometimes.” He smirked as he watched Luca approach the elderly man sitting near the back. Tim—a Vietnam vet and former POW—wasn’t someone who took kindly to direct or blunt approaches. If you wanted him to play ball, you had to put in the work, start with small talk, and ease him into it. “Who are you?” Tim asked gruffly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he looked Luca up and down. From his spot, Donovan saw the glance Tim shot his way and the elder man shook his head, muttering under his breath, “Catch more flies with honey.” He could already tell this was going to lead to a longer talk the next time he had to deal with Tim himself.Despite his wariness, Tim eventually handed over the payment with a begrudging huff. Donovan leaned back, observing Luca like a coach assessing a rookie’s performance, noting where she hit her stride—and where she still had room to improve.

[lucaxcortez]

Luca had spent the past several hours with her face stuck to her screen and her fingers flying away on the keyboard. After a while, it started to cram your fingers, and when she realized it was daylight outside she decided to go for a coffee. Luca noticed the girl before she even stepped in the door but she played it as she didn't see. She was highly trained, beyond just a hacker, so she knows how to play it. As the girl comes over to her Luca raises her brows, "In public you mean?" She asked curiously. "I did not. Sad but oh well."

closed for: @lucaxcortez

location: any neutral coffee shop

Stella thanks the barista that she has come to know by name, collecting her afternoon pick-me-up. Another long night shut in her office lays ahead of her; a case that just won't budge. It's like a scratch at the back of your throat that you can't reach, and Stella won't be able to sleep unless she's made headway. As she turns to leave, she notices a semi-familiar face, slightly different now in the afternoon light. She risks a potential knife to throat by walking over. "We've gotta stop meeting like this," Stella greets dryly, taking a sip of her coffee. "Did you end up finding what you were looking for the other night?"

[lucaxcortez]

Location: The tech van Status: Closed @morningsmisty and @thesocietyprince

The heist was going down and the van was parked a good amount away to not be noticed. Taping away at her keyboard she looked up at the young leader, "Are you ready for this?" She asked as she hacked into the building's security system and brought all the camera angles up on the screen. "We are gonna have to loop in some static footage, move Bellamy leaving down in the time frame to match up with the explosion, so we have to wait for that to go down first."

[lucaxcortez]

Location: A bar Status: Closed @gcldenhecrts

"Freddie!" Luca said with a big smile on her face and a chipper attitude, both fake of course. "How is my favorite blondie?" She asked as she approached the taller man. Luca rested against the bar top with her bright smile, "So you gonna get your bestie a drink or what?"

[lucaxcortez]

[lucaxcortez]

"Whatever you say, Hayesy-poo" She threw the pet name in there to annoy him. Hayes was maybe one of the only people in this city she cared about. She had known him for a while now and he had done a lot to help her get her where she is today. "Something big?" She raised a brow. "Sign me up. I'm down to do anything."

"I'm not grumpy, it's just more rewarding knowing you did the whole thing alone." Hayes shrugged. That of course wasn't how it worked in the Syndicate, if he wanted to be solo he never should have joined. "I don't have anything for you to be working on at the moment, but I think there's going to be something big coming your way very soon."

[lucaxcortez]

Luca's smile widened as she watched Elias's reaction. It was worth every dreadful moment she had to spend with that annoyance. "Hey, E. Go fuck yourself." She loved this game, it was so fun to watch him itch, lose control, and get mad. Especially over someone she saw as worthless as Freddie. "Anyway, hurting him would be too predictable, besides, then I'd have to listen to him whine the whole time and his voice is really fucking irritating. I really have no idea how you put up with him." She said in a bored tone. "Okay and? Am I supposed to be impressed?" She questioned, not that she believed him anyway. Even if she did, would that change anything? Would it cure all the hate she had for him in her body? "Yawn Elias, I really thought you would have done something by now to excite me. It's almost pitiful. I should just put you out of your misery." She said as she brought the drink to her lips, she hesitated before taking a sip. "Wow. A cookie. Don't patronize me, Elias, I'm not a child. Not since the day you left me behind. She thought about his words for a second, "I'm not really sure. I'm enjoying our sibling bonding time though. This was fun, don't you agree? Oh and E, I always have a gun pointed at you. But anyway, In the end, I learned that I didn't need you. So I don't. Once I'm finished with you, Dad will join you in the grave real soon. I've got big plans for him."

IT WAS A PERK in the line of work they grew up in, to be small and agile. while elias himself had improved upon such tactics over the years, he was taller. had the kind of build that put him over most people in terms of strength. " fair enough. " he mutters. considering the times they were in -- it made sense, wanting something strong. he quickly slides a vodka soda across the counter, strong, as requested. while his face makes it appear that he's doing nothing more than conversing with a patron, his words tell differently. there may be cameras, but they don't have audio. not something luca needs to know. " oh, is that how we want to play it? because we may be flesh and blood -- but if you touch a hair on freddie's head, i will create so many problems for you, you won't even have the time to tell me to go fuck myself. " his eyes narrow. she may think she has the upper hand, but elias has cards of his own to play. removing his phone from his pocket, he quickly pulls up a file folder, phone turned so she can see it. " every receipt of proof that i have been trying to find my way back to you since the second i arrived in new york. including photographed threats from daddy dearest telling me to leave you alone. trace them, do whatever the hell you and your little friends do. and when they come back, as i expect -- not forgeries, come back and talk to me again. " he had wanted to embrace her when he had first seen her, that is, until she tried to threaten the people he had found it within himself to let in. he had been conditioned to not let anybody else matter. his face softens when he realizes he's being a tad harsh -- considering the brainwashing. which he too is sincerely familiar with. he hadn't even learned what happened to his mother until he arrived in new york city. " no, i didn't. are you expecting a cookie of some kind? because this isn't exactly the etablishment for that. " he questions, eyebrow raising ever so slightly before he continues to speak. " what do i have to do, luca? just tell me what it is, and i'll do it. i have wanted you back her with me for as long as i can remember. i'd say that if you had a gun pointed at me, or even if you didn't. "

[lucaxcortez]

"You should know better than to just snatch things." She said as she lowered her gun and put it away. "Especially from me." If she accidentally killed him she really wouldn't be phased. She could get rid of him fast too, no one would know a thing. "Call me that again and I will pull the trigger next time." Luca was always stone-cold and serious unless she was playing a role. Her father made sure to drain the personality right out of her. "Yeah, that is pretty much all I do really." She shrugged, burning down the world had a nice ring to it. She could have fun doing that. "As fun as that sounds, hard pass. Get someone else to do your bitch work. I may be 'fresh blood' but I don't answer to you."

Rafe didn't flinch - it wasn't the first weapon held to his temple, and it damn well wouldn't be the last. "I did, so if you wanna' talk about which of us just crossed the fucking line be my guest, pipsqueak." His eyes never left hers and the longer her oh so serious look persisted, the quicker his rose to amusement. "I know, but it's still worth you taking a look, give you something to do other than scowl and think about burning the world or whatever the fuck it is you do." Rafe knew she'd been taken on by one of the hackers, and he'd never claimed any sense of responsibility over any of the recruits - he didn't babysit, but he also liked to know the kind of people that were given the keys to the proverbial front door. "Real shame, but since you're still considered fresh blood, that's what you've gotta suffer through for a little bit longer."

[lucaxcortez]

Luca gave him a shrug, "Find the next goal and keep on moving." She hadn't put much thought into it, "Or well, this one is really the one stopping me from living my life so maybe do some of that." But that would not be easy, she didn't even know how to begin to do something like that. "What's next for you? What's your goal? Because no offense, your current situation seems to me as much of a dumpster fire as mine." She threw the question right back at him, unsure if he would answer or if anyone else would ever have the balls to say it to him. Luca's eyes trailed over to the old man, "Easy. And I won't." She said confidently as she tipped her chin up and walked over to the counter. She rested against it and gave the children a death state that sent them scattering. "Boss man says you need to pay up, so pay up."

Donovan cast a sideways glance at her, skepticism clear in his expression. He didn’t buy Luca’s act for a second. Ambitious and driven—those qualities defined her work for the Syndicate. But outside of that? He couldn’t see much else. He understood the appeal of having a goal and pursuing it relentlessly, but goals were temporary by nature. “So, what’s your plan?” he asked, his tone sharp but not unkind. “It’s obvious you’ve got a goal, and you don’t have to share it with me, but what happens after you achieve it? What’s next?” He crossed his arms, looking for all the world like a father grilling his kid about their future plans. The last thing Donovan wanted was for her to lose herself once she got what she wanted. He’d seen it too many times—people chasing a dream only to be left hollow when the chase ended. “We collect our payment,” he said suddenly, shifting the subject to let his words linger in her mind. He gestured toward an elderly man behind the counter, handing out prizes to a group of children. “He’s the owner. I want you to handle it. I’ll be right here if you need me.” Donovan smiled, leaning back slightly, genuinely curious to see how the young hacker would handle the task.

[lucaxcortez]

The phone was snatched from her hand and she had her gun pressed to his temple in seconds. "Use your fucking words next time." She said as she pressed it into his head giving it a little bump. Slowly, hesitantly, she lowered it. She was trained to react first and ask questions later. The sound of his voice as the warning was the only reason she didn't pull the trigger. "You don't miss shit." She said as her eyes turned down to the screen. She did often play down her hacking skills just a tad, Hayes knew the full extent of her abilities. She wasn't trying to become their shining star. She was here for her mission and then she could leave. But she never expected to like the group. "I don't like playing these stupid games or tests."

@lucaxcortez location: arcade

"Give me that," he doesn't wait, snatching her phone from her fingertips without too much hesitation at all. Rafe knows that if there's anything on the device that she doesn't want him to see - it'd take him far too long to get into it anyway. "I'm running a new trace route through the NYPD surveillance system - don't worry, I've already run it for gremlins, but I want you to take a look at it. See if you can spot any of the blank spots I missed." He hadn't missed - Rafe never did, but it was worth trying to make sure the rest of the team could spot the same issues he had should they ever been needed to run point on any of the surveillance. "

[lucaxcortez]

Luca smiled as she took her brother by surprise, she was small and light, she could move in silence, she had tons of practice. "I don't care as long as its strong and had vodka in it." She said as she gave him a bitch please expression. "I don't know about that. The Syndicates and Crimsons may be, but we are not. Just wanted to make sure you knew that." She said as she settled into the bar stool. "You have some nice friends, not sure wat they like about you, especially that blondie, he sur eis something." She said with an exhale, "It's Luca now, call me Lucia and I'll stab your hand in a way you'll never shoot a gun again and trust me, you wouldn't be the first." She said as she rested against the back of the stool. "Cute little friends. What a shame." she faked a yawn, "Did you know I've been here nearly nine months, about ten now, tracking you?"

DID HE DO HIS own research following their last encounter -- still mystified by her sudden arrival in new york city? yes, yes he did. it appeared she had fallen in line with the syndicate -- something his own deductive reasoning quickly pieced together considering her skill set. elias had always been gifted physically in terms of their father's favor, while she had always been the academic. his mind soon wanders to how the fuck she escaped their father's clutches -- considering his attempts to breach the walls of his former home left him with blood on his hands and threats elias wasn't even sure their father would follow through on. considering his lack of commitment had given him luca, he tended to believe his father wasn't exactly the patron saint of keeping his promises. especially when the target held such value to him. " fucking christ. " he mutters to himself, initially surprised, but not shocked that out of all people, she could sneak up on him. ordinarily, he had the ears of a cat. " what are we thinkin'? cocktail? on the rocks? " he questions, eyebrows raising as his arms cross over his chest. somehow he forgot how much time has passed and that yes, she is indeed old enough to consume alcohol. " i suppose we're allies now. "

[lucaxcortez]

Luca flicked her eyes up to Hayes, "Don't be grumpy. You taught me everything I know." She said attempting to stroke his ego a bit as she tapped away. Hayes might be the only one that knows her full talent, she held back at times for the syndicate, she knew being the best at something meant you became owned and she didn't want that. "Okay then." She said as she stood up from his seat. "I finished all my work, so if you have any other projects, I can do it. Right now I'm just working on my personal project, my brother."

Hayes had only worked on the code for a short amount of time, at least by his standards "Okay well it wasn't finished." Hayes muttered, rolling his eyes. He was the lead hacker for a reason he couldn't have people thinking his code wasn't up to scratch even if he was proud she noticed it. "I got it don't worry, I'm sure there's a lot of other work you're in the middle of. You don't need to be doing mine as well."

[lucaxcortez]

"Let me sit." She said exchanging places with him. Her eyes scanned over the code. She had been talented with computers long before her fathers training. "Not missing something..." She trailed off, "But your code could be better." She started typing away, putting in code that would improve his program. "this should give it a little.... there." She looked up at him. "That's the location the last text was sent." The address plotted to be across the street from the gala. "The program will continue to run, grab locations from other texts. I'll need to work on it some more for it to grab text locations as soon as they are sent... but it may take some time."

Hayes was constantly running a million programs trying to figure out who was behind the mysterious texts. Not only did he want to protect people he cared about but he also knew his own biggest secret could be deadly. "I think I'm slowly getting somewhere with this, and by somewhere I mean one percent further than yesterday but hey it's better than nothing. I just wanted a second pair of eyes really, see if there's anything I'm missing."

[lucaxcortez]

Luca shrugged, "I do other things." Not really, there was only work and the hunt, which was also a form of work. She didn't have anything else, no friends, no purpose. She became the weapon her father wanted her to be. "I am not just surviving." There was an edge to her voice, defensive. She had a mission. She had a job to do. However his words made her reflect, she flashed back to her life beforehand, so much happiness, hanging with friends, and then her father happened. It didn't take long for him to break her. She struggled to find words for a few moments. "So now what?" She asked.

Donovan raised an eyebrow at Luca's response, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He could tell she wasn’t the type to be easily swayed, and he respected that. "Alright, no games then," he said, the words almost an agreement to her stance. "But, if you’re not playing, you’re just working, huh?" His tone was neutral but there was a hint of curiosity underneath it. He leaned back, giving her some space, though his eyes never really left her face. "I get it. Staying ahead, keeping your edge, that’s smart. Can’t argue with that. But there’s a difference between surviving and living, and it’s clear which one you’re focused on." Donovan shrugged casually, letting the words hang for a moment before continuing. "I wasn’t looking to peel back your layers or anything. Just thought a little distraction might help. Trust me, I know how it feels when everything’s about survival. But sometimes—" He paused, his expression softening a bit, "Sometimes you’ve gotta let something else in. Doesn’t have to be games. Could be anything. I’m just here to offer a little break from the constant grind."