A Surprise For Sis

-- This is a collab with Chase and Myself via Email. Permission was granted by both parties for it to be posted here.--

After having met up with Ivy, Chase Devineaux made his way towards his office, a small stop before heading out to meet Eugene Grovington and the 777 bound for Luxembourg. There were things to navigate around today, everything from minor bumps to big bends on the road. He strategized how he might get answers from Missy Wayward without damaging her career--which was still bright as far as he could see--but every wave of thought was clouded by the image of a woman and her caramel skirt in his leather chair. She had somehow managed to taint his office, and while walking down the halls of ACME, he began to ponder why that doesn't bother him.

A familiar sound echoed into Zack’s ears as he sped down a nearby hill outside of ACME Headquaters in San Francisco. The sound of his turning red Spitfire wheels on the pavement plastered a smile of joy on his face as he travelled down the hill. He weaved through the crowd “expertly”: he spilled peoples’ coffee and had their papers gain altitude. Zack got yelled as a response to his trick.

After making a sudden sharp turn in an open space, his hands pushed the glass and he went through ACME’s revolving doors. He slowed down his speed. When he looked into the building he hadn’t been in for the past couple of years, his eyes locked onto something that your average late teenage male would see: the short skirts of ACME’s receptionist. A softer faint smile formed on Zack’s lips as he eyed the receptionist’s new attire.

Unfortunately, he did not realize that he had not come to a standstill. While he was staring at one of the receptionist on break talking to the one on duty when his vision was suddenly blurred by the collision of him and another person. Zack fell to the floor and his skateboard silently continued on and gently hit the desk right beside the woman on break.

All it took was a step on the skateboard that sent the off duty employee flying forward and she collapsed on top of the receptionist on duty. While she was flying, she hit the computer monitor and it crashed to the floor as well and caught on fire- so did the desk. The fire sprinklers began automatically at the first sign of smoke, and anyone on the main floor within a fifty food radius got a cold, cold shower.

Zack was not even in the building 30 seconds and he already caused enough damage that would cost him his tuition for the next year. He caught the flying skateboard as he got up so it wouldn’t hit the person he collided with. When he finally got a view of the other’s face, his eyes widened.

He had collided with Chase.

“Great…”

Devineaux had seen the disturbance and braced himself. The impact moved him a few steps back, but left him numb, an affect that magnified with the downpour. In seconds, the sprinklers turned off after dousing the small fire, and the receptionists regained their footing. Chase studied the area's damage, and then turned his attention to the skateboarding catalyst. Recognition came eventually.

It was Zack, Ivy's younger sibling. Devineaux met the young detective in Moscow, while returning the Tsar Bell--a recent Sarah Nade case. Realizing that this person wasn't his problem somehow made things better.

"Your sister knows you're here?" He asked calmly.

"No. Sis doesn't know I'm here," came the reply. Zack shook his short blond hair and released more water on Chase. He gave an apologetic face before continuing,

"I'm on a three week "reading week" because of my honours in all my classes, and because we actually have a reading week...."

"I was going to come to see if anyone needed my help with any cases along with surprising my sister..."

Devineaux took another breath before continuing. "She's still in the gym the last time I saw her."

"I'm heading there now," Chase hinted towards his water-soaked clothes. "Let's walk."

He took a few steps in the direction of the gym then spoke again, "How's Russia?"

Zack nodded followed along with the skateboard tucked beneath his arm.

"Russia was great. I got some good air at Adrenalin on the half pipe and Tatyana and I hung out a lot. The Russian Office though is too cold- they have their AC on way too much!"

He laughed at his own comment.

"Believe it or not, things are generally quiet," Chase said plainly, taking the elevator. "Your sister came back from Hong Kong only weeks ago, and so far, she's been keeping herself busy.

"Really? Things have been quiet here?" he said in a surprised tone. Normally ACME was known for being a hectic mess with Carmen and her goons.

"There could be an international case coming up," he continued, "I'll let you know as soon as we need a linguist in the field."

"An international case? Sounds interesting."

On the floor of the gym, he held the door for Zack. "Ivy should be finishing up in Room C -- Good luck surprising her."

"Keep me updated- I could also just be put in the field, I'm a lot stronger now." He exited and waved thanks to Chase Devineaux before heading towards Room C to surprise Ivy.