Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Thirteen's POV

Three hours.

Three freaking hours of listening to the same song over and over and over again.

If she was actually playing it off the phone instead of humming, singing and whistling it, I would've broken her phone by now.

Even Devin wants her to shut up at this point.

At first it was like a contest between them as we drove up here before having to trek through the surrounding forest to get to this hidden base.

I thought Jason had been bad with the subtly. I had forgotten that Lily is ten times worse.

We're sneaking through the forest with our weapons drawn, trying our best not to draw any attention to ourselves and simultaneously keep an eye out for any enemies and what is she doing?

Humming the Mission Impossible theme song as loud as she possibly can.

It was worse when her and Devin were having a contest to see who could be louder. She was using the Mission Impossible theme song, and he was using the Pink Panther one.

I feel like I'm babysitting children rather than working with agents.

And never mind trying to shut her up. You'd have better luck proving that the Earth is flat. I'm not even joking. Shutting her up is literally never going to happen.

"Lily!" I hiss loudly and for a split second she's quiet as she turns towards me.

"Yeah?"

"Be quiet. We don't need to draw attention to ourselves."

She scoffs at me. "We're out here in the middle of nowhere with no one else but each other. The only attention we stand a chance at catching, is that from a tree."

I roll my eyes and turn away from her as she starts humming that stupid song again.

"And besides," she adds, taking a moment to pause her song. "last I checked, trees don't carry guns and shoot back at you for catching their attention. You need to relax, no one's going to die."

There's a gunshot followed closely by a shout of pain from Zack. I dive behind the trunk of large tree with Lily, Chase and Cody duck behind a fallen tree log, and Devin reluctantly helps Zack behind some rocks.

"I stand corrected." Lily mutters. "Hey, is Zack dead yet?"

"He'll live." Is Devin's dry response through the ear buds.

"Don't sound so happy about it." Zack mutters.

"I'm sorry, was that not enough enthusiasm for you? You're right, I'm completely jubilant. Totally ecstatic." Devin retorts sarcastically.

"Shut up!" I growl as I try to make out exactly where the shots are coming from as more gun fire sprays up our surrounding hiding places.

"The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout..."

I turn towards Lily just as she lifts the rocket launcher up onto her shoulder and takes a step out from behind the tree.

"Down came the rain and washed the spider out..."

She fires the rocket launcher and there's deafening explosion as debris flies everywhere.

"Bye, bye itsy-bitsy spider," She finishes in the same tune of the song.

"That is a children's nursery rhyme," Devin says. "and there is a definitely a happy ending to that."

Lily grins back at him mischievously. "Not in this version."

"You scare me sometimes." Devin replies and Lily cackles like a witch.

"You alright?" I question Zack when he comes into view.

He nods and winces slightly when Devin "accidently" bumps into his arm. "I'll be fine." He says as he presses against the graze in his upper arm.

"Then let's keep moving." Lily says with a shrug and then proceeds to go back to her insistent humming. I shoot her a look and she waves at the cloud of smoke and the flat area that was once covered in trees.

"Oh please, as if my humming is going to tell them anything they'd don't know. Clearly they already know we're here."

"I don't want them to know our exact location just because you have to pretend to be Ethan Hunt."

"I don't pretend to be anything. Besides, I am on a higher level than Ethan Hunt. He's got nothing on me."

"I beg to differ. He wasn't an insane trigger happy coma patient."

"And that is why he is beneath me. I am superior in my vast experience and shooting expertise." She skips ahead of the rest of us. "And I am so much more fun." She calls over her shoulder.

I roll my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Keep low and have your weapons ready." I tell everyone else. "With any luck they'll start shooting at her first." I mutter.

"I can hear you." Lily grumbles before switching her song to something else. At first I don't recognize it, and then it starts to become increasingly familiar.

"Really?" I question when I'm finally able to identify the song. With her switching between whistling and humming I couldn't make it out at all at first.

"Are you Harry Potter now?"

"Hermione Granger." She corrects me.

"I think she means Looney Lovegood." Devin mutters.

"Right. That nerdy girl." I reply in a flat tone. Lily picks up on it right away.

I notice Lily stop in her tracks in front of us. She's a pretty good distance away, but not far enough that she's out of sight.

"Don't tell me you still haven't seen the movies." She says in an accusing tone.

I shrug even though her back is still to me. "Never got around to it."

Lily lets out a sound that's a mix between a yelp, a scream and a growl. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Oh forgive me that I've been too busy running missions-keeping people safe-to get around to watching a movie."

"Those are not just any movies!"

"There's more than one?" I question innocently. I'm screwing with her now.

I have actually seen all the movies. It was one of things that me and Lily made a bet on. If she could actually stay focused, and mostly quiet during a mission, I would sit and watch all the Harry Potter movies with her.

She did actually complete the bet...but she was shot three times doing so and was in a coma shortly after that. So during the first month of me visiting her in the hospital, I brought my laptop and all the Harry Potter movies with me. I sat by her bedside watching them whenever I got the chance.

But of course she is unaware of that at present. And I have no intentions of telling her or anyone anytime soon.

"I disown you!" Lily wails dramatically. "You're no longer my best friend. I'm going to go find another one."

Dirt sprays up around Lily and wood chips fly off the trees as gunfire rains down on her. She falls down backwards. I open my mouth to call out to her, but shut it quickly when I hear her cursing.

"I'm going to murder whoever decided to invent these damned bullet proof vests. What freaking good are that going to do when it still feels like you're get hit by a damn freight train every time a bullet hits it? I'll answer that, it doesn't do shit! I'm going to freaking murder whoever it was and then I'll forever torment him in hell when I see the blasted idiot when my eight lives are finally up. That son of a-"

There's an explosion right next to where Lily is ducked down. Cody and Devin fire back drawing the attention of some of the shooters towards them and off of Lily.

Lily jumps up from her hiding places as the dust settles and holds her arms out in a come-and-get-me gesture.

"Is that the best you got?! I'm still standing you shitty asshats. Come and get me, come on! Give it your best damn shot cause I can guarantee you're going to miss! You shoot worse than a drunken blind pig!"

All gunfire returns to Lily's spot. Cody lets out a sigh. "She really doesn't know when to shut up does she?"

I shrug and pull a couple grenades from my belt. "She'll claim it's because she hasn't killed anyone since she went to that club." Cody grimaces at the memory.

"She got very..."

"Creative? Imaginative? Resourceful?" Lily suggests from her ducked down position.

"Those are definitely some words but I was thinking more along the lines of-"

"Violent, psychotic, brutal?" I interject.

"Yep." Cody agrees and Lily calls him a few choice names under her breath. Devin starts busting out laughing at something Lily says.

Finally after what seems like an eternity the gunshots stop and we all begin moving again.

"I'd say the fact that we're getting shot at more frequently means we're close." Chase says.

"No shit Sherlock. I thought we were getting further away." Lily mutters.

Chase turns towards me with a frown on his face. "How did you ever put up with her?"

"I think the better question is, how did little miss sunshine, rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and explosions become friends with miss heartless ice queen." Zack chimes in. I shoot him a glare and ignore him.

"It wasn't easy." I reply to Chase with a shrug. "You'll get use to her eventually."

Chase pales. "That is a terrifying thought."

Lily walks up behind him and tries to smack him in the back of his head, when she can't reach she settles for swatting at his arm instead.

"Now I understand why you always wear those sky-high high heels all the time." Devin says to her. "You're so short."

She scowls at him and takes a threatening step forwards. He jumps back away from her like three feet. Lily grins victoriously.

"Lily," I start with a sigh. "don't terrorize your teammates."

"Teammates?" Devin questions.

"That's right suckers." Lily says with a wide smile. "You're stuck with me for the unforeseeable future. Zero had me officially assigned to your team as of yesterday."

"And you?" Devin questions me.

I turn away from his expectant gaze. "Let's keep moving."

"Really?" Devin presses. "After everything we've been through together you're not going to join the team?"

"I'm not a team player." I respond curtly.

"And what about Cody?"

I whirl around so fast he nearly rams into me. I shove my finger into his chest. "You don't get to try and guilt trip me into staying. It's not happening. Clear?"

Devin glares at me. "Crystal." He shoves past me and continues on with Lily and Chase. Zack stands by for a second before following.

Cody stays standing right in front of me but I don't look up at him. He takes a step closer to me but I still don't look up. He takes my chin in his hands and gently brings my gaze up to meet his.

I expect to see hurt, to see anger or confusion. What I don't expect is the understanding shining in his eyes and the small reassuring smile playing on his lips.

"Come on." He says simply. "We're going to fall behind." He holds his hand out to me and I take after a moment's hesitation.

"You're not mad?' I question quietly as we start to follow. For a second I almost think he didn't hear me.

"No." He says with a light laugh. "If I'm being honest," He pauses and shakes his head slightly. "I always knew you wouldn't. Not after what happened last time." He looks me in the eyes as he says this. "There's just some part of you that doesn't, and never will, fully trust a team again. And I don't blame you for that Thirteen."

I cock my head to the side and stop in my tracks, studying him. "Thirteen?" I finally question when I can't think of anything else to say.

He smiles at me. "It suits you."

"But you know my name know."

"Yeah I do." He says as goes to continue on walking. He notices I stay put and turns back towards me. "But you don't want me to call you that."

"Thank you Cody." I give him a smile back of my own and walk up beside him. Contrary to what Lily may say and think. I'm beginning to think Cody understands me a lot better than he lets on.