Greta calls for help.
__________//__________
The group turned around slowly as the creaking and the chirping of metal intensified, Martin grabbed Greta's arm and pulled her towards him as he stepped back towards the hallway; Jax's eyes darting around the darkened room before they landed over the figure crawling over the ceiling.
"Oh god" he whispered, Greta glanced at him, her lips gaped before she turned to look at the spot he was staring at.
And there she was in all her horrific glory, Kendra, whose skin was now almost completely covered with the black substance, her fingers were digging into the metal of the ceiling, her shoes were gone and her legs seemed stronger than they usually were. Martin looked shocked, the tar like substance that had taken over Kendra shinned against the red lights that Gideon had turned on before shutting down.
Kendra hissed, as she crawled further towards them and Greta had the sensation they were part of a horror movie as the burned wings came out, almost completely featherless but looking just as creepy as the rest of the woman. Martin pushed back Jax and Greta, trying to get all the possible distance between themselves and Kendra, his chest was rising and falling rapidly but his eyes were trained on the woman.
In a quick move, Kendra dropped herself over the floor, turning mid fall like cats did and landing on all fours; Martin heard Greta suck in air and he pushed the girl further behind, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what to do next. Kendra cocked her head to the left before pushing herself up to her feet, Jax noticing that her toes had the same razor sharp nails as her hands did.
"Jefferson" spoke Martin, and despite the very dangerous position they were in, he sounded everything but scared.
Kendra hissed and threw a slash towards them, Martin jumping out of the way just to miss her nails by a few inches; her teeth were showing and the tar like substance that was covering her body seemed to shift as she took a step towards the group.
"Jefferson" said Martin, stretching his hand towards the young man, Jax looked at him and glanced over his shoulder at Greta before reaching for Grey's hand.
Greta squinted painfully and stumbled back, crashing over the floor as FireStorm appeared in all it's splendor in front of her; Kendra took a step back, clearly remembering it had been them the ones to injure her wings, she snarled but FireStorm was already sparking flames from his fingers, Jax glanced over his shoulder and looked at Greta.
"Get Sara!" and then he turned around just as Kendra roared and slashed at them.
Greta grunted but pushed herself up to her feet, she stumbled and crashed against the wall but without stopping she started to run down the hallway, she heard Kendra cry out and even if she wanted to go back, she couldn't, she had to get the others, she had to call for help.
She skidded into Jax's room and scooped up the intercom from the desk, pushing it inside her ear, she panted as she tapped it and heard a buzzing sound before Rip's voice came through.
"Mr. Jackson, what is it?"
"Rip!" she cried, the ship shook and she had to grab the edge of the desk to avoid stumbling to the floor.
"Greta" he said, worry in his voice "Did something happen?"
"She's out!" she gasped "She's out of the holding room, she's attacking FireStorm!"
"Shit" barked Sara, Greta heard a howl followed by a violent shake of the ship.
Her chest was rising and falling but she pulled her hand away from the desk and started to walk towards the door of the room, suddenly she couldn't hear anything and her mind was running with all the possible scenarios that could be unraveling at the moment.
"Greta!" barked Rip, but Greta couldn't hear him, her heart was drumming in her ears as she walked down the hallway, her hand pressed against the wall and her chest painfully rising and falling.
"Jax?" she called out.
"What's happening?" asked Ray "We are on our way back?"
There was no answered from FireStorm.
"Martin?" she said as loud as she could, her legs felt like rubber and the red lights in the ship were only making her skin crawl and her anxiety rise.
Faster than she thought, she reached the place where the fight had been taking place, the lightbulbs had been shattered and there was just one remaining but even in the darkness she could tell that there was no one there. She pressed her lips into a thin line but forced herself to go towards the room where they had locked Kendra in, even if she already knew the answer.
She was alone in the Waverider.
"They are gone" she finally spoke.
"What do you mean they are gone?" asked Ray.
"Kendra, I don't know where she is" Greta answered and Mick could recognize the fear in her voice "Jax and Martin aren't here either"
"Listen to me... started Rip.
"Blondie" his voice boomed over Rip's. Greta glanced around the hallway, not wanting to give her back to it. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes" she answered.
"Remember what I showed you?" she nodded even if he couldn't see it "Hide there"
"But what about...
"Now" Mick's voice said "Go, I'll look for you when we get there"
"Ok" she turned on her heels and dashed down the hallway, pumping her legs as hard as she could, the last thing she wanted was for Kendra to come out of hiding and start chasing her.
___________//____________
Mick slammed his heat gun against Ray's chest as soon as they entered the Waverider, his pace was quick and his eyebrows were furrowed together as he stormed towards the hallway; the group had made their return to the ship as soon as they had gotten the call from Greta and apparently things hadn't gotten better because the lights were still red and Gideon wasn't responding. Leonard hesitated for a few seconds before he snatched the gun from Ray's hands and followed after his partner.
"Gideon" called Rip as he watched Mick disappear into the hallway.
"Is it damaged?" asked Sara.
"No" Rip shook his head, "I think I can start her again," Sara nodded.
"Good, because we need all the help we can get to find Kendra"
"I'll put the samples away, I'll see you at the studio in a few minutes" said Ray.
"Ok" nodded Rip, his brain rushing with all the things that he could do to get Gideon started again.
"Blondie!" Mick called as he entered the workshop, a few things were scattered around the floor, he stopped and focused his eyes over the far corner to the left of the room, he walked towards it and kicked away a few pieces of metal that were lying over the floor; Leonard entering the room just as Mick knelt on the floor.
His rough fingers slid over the surface of the floor until they dipped into a small opening and he pulled; Mick grunted but the piece of metal shifter and he grabbed it with his other hand, pulling it up and dropping it aside, he peered down, Leonard's interest spiked when he heard a small yelp coming from inside the hole; he walked forward and placed the heat gun over a desk.
"Blondie" said Mick, he reached in, his arm disappearing to his forearm.
Greta looked up at Mick, she was crouching inside the hole in the ground that Mick had told her he used to stash a few of the items she stole from the trips to different areas. Their eyes met, hers still frightened and his hard as steal as he offered her his hand to pull her out; she reached for his hand, and his fingers wrapped around her wrist before he pulled her out easily.
Leonard approached the pair as Mick pulled Greta out of the hole on the floor and she sat there, her legs still dangling inside the hole and their hands slowly tearing away from each other.
"You ok?" asked Mick, he looked at the young woman.
"Yes" she nodded, she scratched her neck, a mannerism Mick had started to identify with being anxious.
"Sure?"
"Yeah" she smiled weakly "Did you see them?" she asked, her eyes glancing at Leonard "On your way back?" she turned to Mick.
Mick glanced over his shoulder at Leonard but turned rapidly to the young woman, he placed his hands over his knees and pushed himself up to his feet as he shook his head "No, Blondie"
Greta scrambled to her feet and scratched her neck again, but at least part of her fear was dissipating now that she wasn't alone in the Waverider "Ok"
"We'll find them" nodded Mick, he looked down at her feet "Get some shoes on, we need a plan"
And with that he turned on his heels and made a beeline towards the door, the last thing he wanted was to be in the middle of yet another staring contest between Greta and Leonard and to be honest, they needed to get Gideon fixed because the red lights were bothering him and their chances of finding Kendra and FireStorm without Gideon were slim; and then there was that part of him that knew that unless he passed the ball to Leonard, the criminal mastermind, who wasn't really a mastermind when it came to Blondie, wouldn't really even talk to her.
Greta scratched her neck once more, her skin tuning a dark shade of pink.
"Stop" said Leonard, his hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist.
"Sorry" she cleared her throat, curling her fingers into a fist while Leonard held her wrist.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, of course, I just... she shrugged and the rambling tone she had had when the ship had been attacked and she had finished stitching Mick's head, was back "I just, she was... her eyes and that thing, you know? But yeah, ok"
"Greta" he said firmly, he let go of her hand but placed his hands rapidly over her shoulders, her rambling stopping instantly and her eyes shooting up to meet his. "Are you ok?"
"She looked like a monster" she answered instead, "What if they are hurt?"
"They'll be fine" answered Leonard.
"How do you know that?"
"I just do" he shrugged, his fingers squeezed her shoulder softly and he pulled her up closer to him "You, are you ok? Are you hurt?"
"No" she shook her head "I mean, I'm not hurt"
"Ok" he nodded, she nodded too and stepped away from his hands.
"I'm gonna get my shoes"
"Of course" he nodded.
Greta nodded again and took a step to the side, her hand shooting up to scratch her neck again; Leonard's quick movements grabbed Greta's hand by the wrist once more, she jolted softly and turned to look at him, he looked down at her but without a word he tugged her towards him and she closed her eyes as she crashed against him and he wrapped his arms around her body; the side of his face pressed against her head as her fingers curled around his shirt and she pressed her body closer to his, taking in the scent of his shirt, the warmth of his skin and the way his body felt against hers.
One of his arms snaked around her waist as his other hand settled between her shoulder blades, her hair tickled the side of his face but he still held her against him, the way her hands clenched to his shirt and the way she buried her face against his shoulder; and the red light was giving him a headache but the way her body felt against his and the way his skin carved more of her skin, made his body relax against hers and he held her here in the middle of the workshop for a few seconds because she felt right, she felt nice, she felt good to have in his arms.
He closed his eyes softly as he felt her head move and her lips were pressed to the side of the exposed skin of his neck; her lips soft and smooth and his skin crawling with the ghost sensation of them when she pulled away from his neck.
"It'll be ok" he whispered.
But it was a lie.