Work Text:
The rough sound of nail scratching against marble rings out through the washroom.
Eliza stares herself down in the mirror, lip trembling and arms shaking from the post-match adrenaline that's coursing through her body right now.
There’s a fire in her eyes and rage on her skin that's tangible in the air, mixing with a rusted tang of blood that’s congealed against her ear as she just stands there, rooted and willing herself to calm down.
The reflected image twists and contorts with each unsteady breath that she takes, the splash of each droplet of water that drips from the tap matching the pace of her lungs.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Like a ticking clock. The prelude to the explosion.
She can’t let it slide this time, let her get away with this. Her mind has cashed its last rain check on Kali’s bullshit. It’s time the woman faces the wrath that's due, before she gets someone killed, gets her own team killed.
No biting her tongue anymore, brawling across the briefing room table or petitioning Six to see sense and dispose of the threat that is Nighthaven.
She’s done playing nice.
And sure enough, outside the door comes the muffled bragging of the soon to be victim of Eliza’s snapped tether.
Ash pushes off from the sink with aching fists held closed and nails biting into her palm, giving herself one last chance to just back off, to simply walk away from what she’s about to do.
But if there is any sign to stop she doesn't see it. Her reflection in the mirror steadies but offers up no rejection. The fight or flight wheel stops with the arrow pointing on the former.
This has been too long coming now to just stop.
Consequences from Six be damned, Eliza leaves the washroom and lets the heavy firedoor swing shut behind her with a loud thud. Eyes lock to hers in an instant from the sound, but she pays them no mind, her gaze settles on her target and tunnels her vision.
“This won’t be good, Cohen looks ready to kill.”
Dokkabei mutters under her breath to Thatcher, the elder operator nodding thickly in agreement and making no move to stop what's about to happen.
“Don’t worry kid, it won’t go that far.”
Dokkabei just holds her arms together to stop them trembling, the pain from being lit up with non-lethal fire is still raging throughout her body otherwise she would be falling into line with Ash right now to give Kali a piece of her mind too. She deserves it after that shitshow of a win.
The two simply watch on in tense silence as Eliza thunders across the changing room and shoves past Mozzie, the man distracted from helping Mira out of her BDU at the time. He swears loudly from the rough contact, barely able to stop himself from careening into Elena who is more focused on trying to get past him to stop Eliza rather than help steady him.
She’s seen that look in Cohen’s eyes before, it’s never good.
“Kali!” Ash spits, enough venom in just that one word to slay a man where he stood.
Kali has her back to her and mutters something to Aruni which makes the woman laugh.
“You will turn and face me when I address you, Mercenary scum!”
A tense silence settles over the room, marred only by the sounds of Ash’s heavy breathing.
But Kali just continues to chuckle, shaking her head a little at the crass words, rolling her eyes at Aruni. It’s only when she can physically feel the presence of Ash in her personal space that she turns around, quite lazilly too, and looks down to the smaller woman who is seething up at her.
“What could possibly be upsetting you now Red?”
“I don’t know how you do things in the private sector-” her voice trembles a little, rage barely even contained, “-but we do NOT use people as bait here!”
“Why the sour face Princess? This is a game, and I just won it for you.” Kali smirks, brow quirked in clear amusement. “Rather easily I might add to.”
“This, this is not a game you ignorant, reckless piece of-”
“Oh relax will you!”
“Relax?!” Ash scoffs, fists shaking violently against her sides. “I warned Six that you’ll get someone killed. And today you just proved me right. Game or no fucking game, I won’t stand by and let you send anyone here to an early grave because you only care about yourself.”
“So dramatic! Like it or not, Nighthaven is here to stay. I am here to stay. And there is nothing, not one little thing, that you can do about it. So finish your little temper tantrum and stop embarrassing yourself.”
Kali quips, one finger pushing against the crest of Ash’s chest plate.
And that's all it takes.
A finger, mistakenly brushing against the trigger, and Ash explodes.
No one can stop her, it happens too fast for anyone to register, least of all Kali.
One moment she’s staring down at Ash, the next she’s looking up at her from the floor, haphazardly strewn against one of the benches. Arms are on her in an instant trying to help her up, but the punch from the fiery field team leader has sent her head to the stars, she can’t hear a thing past the ringing in her ear.
And Eliza doesn’t stop there, she lunges at her with all the ferocity of a wild animal and the strength of an ox. Ready and willing to unleash the last year of pent up anger and frustration and pummel it into her face.
The two crash backwards and roll about, punching and lashing at each other like it's a fight for their lives. And by all odds Kali should have the upperhand against the woman with a smaller frame, but Ash brings a fight like no other she’s ever faced, and for the first time since she was shot in the field, Kali experiences fear.
She cries out in anguish, managing to land a shot that busts Eliza’s nose open and unleashes a fountain of blood. But it doesn’t slow the woman, she keeps going for her, scoring hit after hit until the wind is taken from Kali’s lungs and she’s choking on the air and her own blood.
“ELIZA, THAT’S ENOUGH!”
Rough arms yank her from Kali’s barely conscious form and she fights hard to get back to her before she feels herself be lifted up from the ground, legs swinging and kicking violently to try and break free.
There’s yelling all around and people rushing to block her view from Kali, but she can still make out her face and somehow Kali is still managing a smug grin up at her, it’s marred by all the blood and bruising but still going strong.
Ash screams bloody murder, wriggling and throwing herself about, but whoever holds her is strong and they don’t let go.
“Get her out of here!” Thatcher calls back over his shoulder as he gets between Dokkaebi and Aruni, the two seemingly squaring up to fight.
It would seem in the chaos of Ash and Kali’s brawl the rest of the Nighthaven members had initiated a fight, with some of Rainbow all too eager to oblige.
“Follow me!” Mira gestures to Finka who is the one struggling to hold Ash whilst looking for the quickest exit.
The rest is just a blur for Ash though, she’s so blinded and entombed by her own rage that she doesn’t even notice she’s being taken from the room, half carried/half dragged out of the changing room and somehow making it to the medical wing in the blink of an eye.
Her gaze is wide, adrenaline still begging her to fight even though the threat is no longer in sight, she doesn’t even hear what Mira is saying to Finka right now.
“Where do you want her?” The woman chuckles, keeping her head back to avoid a blow from Eliza’s.
“Put her in the examination room, I’ll take it from there. I suspect Mike is going to need your help stopping them all from tearing each other to pieces.” Mira commands, her own voice shaky from what she’s just witnessed.
She curses Six under her breath and pinches the bridge of her nose.
Eliza continues to fight to get out of Finka’s grasp, only succeeding once Finka has struggled to get her past the threshold of the room door. But when she goes to charge back out in search of Kali again, Mira stands in her way, hands on her hips and concern very much evident in her expression.
Ash comes to a halt immediately, eyes wide in a mix of rage and fear, hands still held tightly wound by her side and the shaking somehow more violent than when it first started. She’s a complete mess, blood dripping from her likely broke nose down her chest, hair disheveled and gear shifted out of place, ripped straps hanging awkwardly off her body from where Kali got a hold of them.
Neither her or Mira say anything until Finka closes the door behind her and leaves them to deathly silence.
Mira lowers her hands to her side and just waits, quietly watching her wife struggle to take in breaths as her brain catches up to what she’s done.
And after a tense minute or so of glaring at her, the fire goes out of Cohen, Eliza whimpering from the pain and turning in on herself as her body comes out of it.
“What have I done …” She breathes out, cradling her own stomach and willing it to settle so she doesn’t hurl. Already she can feel the bruises forming on her ribs and abdomen.
“What you had to, querida.” Elena affirms, breathing a sigh of relief now she knows it's safe to approach the woman she loves.
Sure, she’s seen Eliza angry before, but that was something completely different that she had with Kali, a power born from something deep rooted and likely traumatic, something they’ll definitely have to talk about soon. It terrified her to see that, almost making her flee from the woman herself until she remembered just who Eliza was, how sweet and gentle the woman she married actually was behind her guarded walls.
Oh they’ll talk alright about this, just not now. Right now Eliza needs gentle care.
Elena lets out a soft sigh and very slowly encircles Eliza with her arms, giving the woman time to accept the embrace or reject it if that's what she needs, being careful not to aggravate any injury also.
And sure it takes a moment, Eliza stiffening from the contact and starting to pull away, but Elena stands firm, drawing her in and acting as an anchor for the taller woman. She has no choice really but to give in, all but collapsing against Elena now who falls back a little and slides down the door and onto the floor, somehow managing to keep hold of Eliza the entire time.
“It’s ok, you’re ok.” Elena murmurs, running her hand through the length of her hair, deft fingers working through the knots and loosening the braid.
Eliza shudders in relief, quietly sobbing and heaving her way through every breath as she clings to Elena with battered hands, seemingly terrified that the woman will let her go if she doesn’t keep such a tight grip.
“I shouldn’t have- I could- could have killed her!”
“But you didn’t.”
There's a further moment of silence, Eliza shuddering as Elena works wonders on her aching head. Each stroke is soft and gentle, applying just enough pressure to relieve the budding headache that's rising up to join the chorus of pain wracking through her.
“I wanted to, Elena. I couldn’t stop myself.” She whispers after a few more minutes pass.
“But you didn’t kill her querida. Kali will be fine. This will all blow over.” Mira tries to affirm, voice gentle as ever despite the uncertainty.
“It won’t though, it can’t … not after this. Six will-”
“Don’t you worry about him. I will deal with Six.”
Again, more silence. They stay like that for a long while, just quietly breathing and taking in the comfort of the embrace, Elena discreetly counting each breath her wife takes and placing gentle kisses against her forehead when they finally slow down enough after what feels like half an hour or so.
“It felt good though, right?” Elena murmurs, failing to keep the amusement from her tone as she breaks the silence.
“Are you asking me if it felt good to punch Kali?”
“Well, yeah …”
Eliza pulls away and looks up at her in confusion, the two quietly studying each other before Eliza’s face finally cracks, both dissolving into mad laughter that's fueled by the residual adrenaline fueling.
“God, that fear in her eyes when you toppled her with one hit. It was glorious.” Elena grins.
But Eliza groans, burying her head into Elenas chest and trying/failing to suppress the smile.
“It was satisfying to wipe that smirk from her face, if only for a moment.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Shouldn’t you be mad at me? I expected a lecture?”
“I thought about it, but I’d be a hypocrite since on more than one occasion i’ve threatened the bitch with the same thing myself.”
“Quite a few occasions actually, last week was twice at least.”
The laughter returns, softer this time and fleeting.
“You think she’ll try to press charges or something?” Eliza sighs.
“Hmmm,” Elena deliberates for a moment, “I doubt it, Six wouldn’t let it come to that. Though, I would love to be a fly on the wall when he calls you both to his office.”
Eliza groans, it’s not going to be fun dealing with the consequence of this shit, but at least she can pull the ‘told you so’ card on Six. So maybe it was worth it after all?
“That’s not going to be fun.”
“Nope.”
Eliza lets out a long suffering sigh, groaning when her ribs protest that but strangely not the laughter.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You’re a bloodied mess.” Elena scoffs, nose wrinkling in feigned disgust.
“What? Don’t find me pretty anymore?” Eliza pouts, the effect lost by how gnarly she is looking in that moment covered in blood.
“Hmph! Pretty annoying more like.” Elena quips back, devilish smile on her lips.
“Rude.”
Despite how rough she feels, Eliza can’t help herself, she pushes their mouths together, wincing when her ailing nose brushes Elena’s. They kiss, soft at first, getting a little more heated when Eliza’s hands start to wonder, lowering to her chest and lifting up under her-
“Ouch!”
Elena just sighs gently, pulling away and rolling her eyes at Eliza who is looking at the bruises on her hands with a frown.
“Right, up! Let’s see if we can save something of that face of yours.” Elena cups her chin, smearing a little of the blood with a gentle sigh.
“Yes, the pain is outweighing the satisfaction at the moment.”
“I’m sure it is," Elena smiles warmly, taking a moment to look into her eyes, "I love you, even if you are an idiot.”
“Love you too.”