Normally, Cory doesn’t worry about going home but something isn’t right in this moment. It feels like he is being watched but everywhere he looks, he sees nobody. Since the Underground actually isn’t too far from his home, he has been walking home at night with a taser in his hand and pepper spray close by. He knows how it might be, but he can’t bring himself to want to call a taxi every night and waste that kind of money.

Now, he thinks that maybe he should have. He didn’t want to bother Taylor or even Frankie because they have been doing so much for him and they weren’t even trying to do anything with it. It’s kind of odd after everything that has been going on, but he is more upset about being roped into all of this. He has this feeling that Lynx has something to do with what has happened with his brother, but he has no choice but to do this.

If he doesn’t, then he is afraid of what would end up happening to Judas.

The fear of what is to come is more prominent over his own safety and he keeps telling himself that this is what he needs to do to make sure that nothing is going to be the same. Maybe he is doing this the wrong way, but he doesn’t know what else to do.

He can’t put Judas in danger, it doesn’t matter what else he has to do with it. If it ends up happening, he knows there’s only so much that he is going to be able to do about it. There is absolutely no way that he is going to take that chance, he doesn’t care what Frankie has to say on the fact that Judas would be safe.

Cory couldn’t take the chance.

He knows how ridiculous it might sound but everything that he has done so far is to make sure that nothing is going to happen to the ones that he cares about. If it ends up going a completely different direction, Cory knows it is possible, but he believes Lynx in the sense that no harm would come to Judas so long as Cory does as he is told.

This much Cory can handle because although he is being strung along by Lynx, he does enjoy the pleasure, but he would never admit it aloud. It scares Cory in the sense that he isn’t sure what is going to come from it, but he does know what he needs. He wouldn’t dare let anything else happen and hopefully with time, maybe everything will go the way that it needs to.

Deciding it might be best to hurry up and get home, Cory just quickens his pace, trying to not think about the feeling of being watched. It could honestly just be his imagination, that much is true, and Cory isn’t trying to worry about something that isn’t true. After everything that has happened so far, it scares Cory in the sense that he could end up looking for the wrong things and falling for the wrong person.

He knows what kind of person Lynx is but for whatever reason, he feels the pull towards him like he has never felt before. This feeling is enough to drive Cory crazy along the way because he is just trying to do the right thing and he knows that he is getting swayed. Who knows what might come from it, but he is eager to find out if what he is feeling is the right thing. 

Maybe he will be able to know soon enough if it happens the way that it needs to. 

As he is arriving home, something doesn’t feel right. It feels… Off. That is the only way he can describe it, pulling out his keys and something is telling him that he is going to be learning a lot more than he wants. He hesitates at the door, wondering if he should go inside but since it is very late, he knows that this could end up going the wrong direction if he holds back any longer.

Maybe he just needs to head inside and not let anything come from it. The way that things are going right now, Cory is just wondering if maybe this is the point where he is going to end up dead and nobody is going to come to save him. It wouldn’t surprise him at this point if he is being completely honest, but he just keeps thinking about what is waiting for him inside.

Drawing in a deep breath, he is telling himself that he can do it, how he is not going to let anything scare him off. 

Turning the key, he opens the door, flicking on the light and his blood runs cold.

The house is a complete mess, like it had been ransacked, someone obviously either trying to hide something or destroy it. Walking through, he has to avoid stepping on the glass even though he knows his shoes will help but it is clearly out of habit. Everything is a mess, but it doesn’t seem like anything had been taken which is confusing in itself. This doesn’t look like a normal robbery.

Heading into the living room, he sees something on the coffee table that immediately catches his attention. He isn’t so sure what he is seeing, not wanting to get closer but he also needs to know what he is seeing. It feels like nothing is going the way that it needs to, and when he sees what it is, the fear strikes through him, and he knows for sure that something is terribly wrong. 

With shaky hands, he is quick to take out his phone and call the one person that he would hope would answer. It takes a few rings, but they do, their voice coming out a little breathless which makes Cory think that he might have interrupted something.

“Cory, what’s going on?” Taylor sounds a little worried on the other end, “I didn’t expect you to call me.”

“Can you please come and get me and let me sleep on the couch?” Cory is pleading with him, scared about what is going to end up happening soon enough, “something has happened. I don’t… I think someone broke into my house.”

“We will be there shortly.” Taylor assures him as it sounds like he is quickly getting dressed on the other end, “just wait for us and make sure that you are aware of your surroundings in case they are still there.”

Cory has no plans on searching the rest of the house, just frozen in fear as he keeps Taylor on the phone. It did take Taylor a little bit but before long, Taylor and Frankie were coming through the front door and much to Cory’s surprise, Frankie had his gun out as he went to scope the rest of the house. Taylor saw what had scared Cory and it made his jaw clench, wishing that he could do something to make Cory feel better but there was no way that it was going to be able to happen. If anything, it was going to be an even bigger mess that Cory was going to have to clean up.

Taylor rests his hand on Cory’s shoulder, smiling softly, “you can come and stay with us while we get your house cleaned up. We also are going to have to make sure that everything of yours is still here and we will need to probably get security cameras we well.”

It makes Cory sick to his stomach because he knew that whoever has been watching him has done this.

And something is telling him that it has everything to do with the Underground.