AN: Here's the sequel to Better Than I Used to Be. Just a one shot. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Leverage.
Avery sighs and sits back in the front seat of the Challenger. She raises her phone so she can see it better and continues to scroll through her news feed. She was waiting for her dad to get done in the corner store and she was starting to get bored. He only had to pick up a few things so it shouldn't be taking too much longer.
Avery sighs again and sets her phone on her lap. They had been laying low due to the David Gleeson job, but that was a couple weeks ago. Nate had a plan but they had lost track of Gleeson so couldn't do anything just yet. Avery glances outside the car and sees a group of guys walk into the store. Avery narrows her eyes at them, thinking they seemed severely out of place. Considering everything that had been happening, Avery picks up her phone to call her dad. They couldn't be too careful nowadays.
Gunshots ring through the air and Avery's head whips up and her eyes dart to the store window. She doesn't see anything but more gunshots sound. Avery shoves her phone into her pocket and grabs the door handle to exit the car. The group of men rush out the store backwards, firing their guns inside. Avery ducks down so as not to be seen.
Avery listens as a few more gunshots are heard and then moments later a squeal of tires. She warily pops her head up and glances around but there is no movement outside or inside the store. Avery's eyes widen and she looks around the parking lot but doesn't see anyone.
Avery slowly gets out of the car and quietly shuts the door behind her. She jogs over to the store and walks inside, looking around. There are shelves knocked over and various items strewn about the store. Avery looks throughout the store but doesn't see her dad anywhere. Deciding to take a look at the camera, Avery moves to behind the counter. She halts in her movement as she takes in the cashier's lifeless body lying on the floor behind the counter in a pool of his own blood. Knowing she won't be able to get to the security camera without stepping in the blood, Avery heads out of the store and back to the Challenger. If her dad wasn't in the store then the thugs must've taken him with them.
Avery climbs into the driver's seat and realizes she doesn't have the key; her dad had taken it with him. Sighing, Avery thanks whomever that Parker had taught her how to hot wire a car. Avery struggles a little but eventually gets the car started. She peels out of the parking lot and heads straight for Nate's house.
LEVERAGE
"Did you see who they were?" Nate asks Avery. She had just finished explaining to the team what had happened. Avery shakes her head.
"I mean I saw their faces but I have no clue who they were," Avery explains with worry in her tone.
"Do you think it was Gleeson's guys?" Sophie asks Nate with her eyes wide with worry.
"Most likely," Nate replies with a nod of his head.
"How're we going to get Eliot back?" parker asks from her spot on the counter.
"Yeah, I mean he was our Hitter," Hardison adds as he looks over at Nate.
"I can do it," Avery says, standing up straight.
"No," the team says with a shake of their heads.
"I've done it before," Avery argues with a scowl on her face.
"With Eliot. Never by yourself," Nate counters as he fixes Avery with a look. Avery's scowl deepens knowing Nate has a point. A thought occurs to her and her eyes shine with mischief.
"What if I got a Hitter to go with me?" she asks with a smirk.
"Do you know more Hitters?" Hardison asks with raised eyebrows.
"Uh…Quinn," Avery replies with her own eyebrows raised.
"That's all good but we don't know how to get a hold of him," Hardison replies and the rest of the team nods in agreement.
"Yeah, but I do," Avery counters and pulls out her phone with another smirk. She finds Quinn's number and presses the call button. She puts the phone to her ear and walks a few feet away, waiting for Quinn to answer on the other end of the line.
"Yeah?" Quinn answers with an almost threatening voice.
"It's Avery. You remember how you said if I ever needed your help to call?" Avery says into the phone. The Leverage team shares a look with each other, their eyebrows raised. "Well, dad's in trouble.
LEVERAGE
"If they were able to kidnap Spencer he must be hurt. It couldn't have happened any other way," Quinn says after hearing Avery's story. He had arrived about an hour ago after taking the first flight to Boston.
"Which is why we need someone who can get in there and get Eliot back out," Nate says with a nod. His thoughts had been on the same track as Quinn's.
"You needed someone?" Quinn asks with raised eyebrows.
"Avery needed someone," Sophie puts in. Quinn was helping and had never asked what he was getting in turn. Sophie had an idea that this was because Avery had been the one to ask for his help. She didn't know why but it seemed like the ruthless Hitter had developed a soft spot for Avery. Needless to say, Sophie wasn't going to jeopardize the free help.
"So, how are we doing this?" Avery asks as she looks at Nate.
"I have a plan that'll put Gleeson away for good. While us four are putting it into action, you two will do what you do best," Nate explains as he looks between Avery and Quinn.
"Bashing heads in!" Parker exclaims with a grin. She wanted these guys to pay for hurting her team mate, and family. Avery scrunches her face as well as Quinn while Nate and Sophie shake their head and Hardison rolls his eyes.
LEVERAGE
Eliot groans as he comes to. He listens to his surroundings but doesn't hear anything. He, then, takes stock of his situation. His left shoulder is on fire where he got shot and the way his arms are raised above him and shackles to a chain is agony. His right leg is also sending waves of pain through it and Eliot remembers he got shot there as well. He has a pounding headache due to being hit with a large fist. He's sure he has a giant bruise and when he opens his eyes his right one is swollen shut.
He looks around the room and finds that he's in some sort of barn. Eliot tries to pull on the chains but white, hot pain shoots into his shoulder and he stops. One thing for certain, he wasn't getting out of this himself.
LEVERAGE
"Did you find him yet?" Avery asks as she walks over to where Hardison is working on his computer.
"Not yet," Hardison says as he continues to stare at his screen and type into his computer.
"I thought you were supposed to be good," Quinn accuses. Hardison stops and looks over at him with narrowed eyes. Quinn is lying on the couch playing with a knife. Quinn's eyes are glued to the knife but he can sense Hardison's glare.
"No, I'm the best. But they aren't anywhere they should be so I'm looking under aliases and family members, friends, even acquaintances. It's going to take some time," Hardison bites out with a scowl appearing on his face.
"We understand Hardison. It's just if dad's hurt we don't know how much time he has," Avery says in a worried tone.
"I get it. I'm worried too. I'm going as fast as I can," Hardison says with a grimace. He gives Avery a sympathetic look before looking back at his computer screen. He begins typing on the keyboard and Avery sighs. She walks over to the couch drops down onto it, barely missing crushing Quinn's feet as he quickly retreats them back towards his self. Quinn scowls and gives Avery a look which she ignores as she crosses her arms and studies the ceiling.
"Got him!" Hardison shouts triumphantly with a grin on his face. Avery sits up and looks over at Hardison while everyone else looks over as well.
"Where?" Avery asks and Hardison puts the address on the big screen. Nate and Sophie walk over to the couch and look at the screen. Quinn sits up to get a better look.
"All right, let's go," Avery says as she instantly walks towards the door. Quinn reaches out when she passes him and grabs the back of her sweatshirt and pulling her back.
"Hold up," Quinn says and pulls Avery down onto the couch. Avery scowls at him and crosses her arms.
"Everyone know their jobs?" Nate asks as he meets everyone's gaze. The rest of the team nod their heads. "All right, let's go steal us an Eliot."
LEVERAGE
Eliot growls in pain and anger as he clenches his teeth, refusing to yell. The guy in front of him, Lucas, was the same guy who had kidnapped Avery. The same guy Eliot had knocked out. So, needless to say, Lucas was making this torture personal.
Pain electrifies throughout him and Eliot growls again. The pain disappears and Eliot forces his breathing to slow down. He looks over at Lucas and sees him pull the electric rod away. Eliot glares at Lucas and Lucas returns it with a smirk. Pretty cocky when I'm tied up aren't you? Eliot thinks as a dangerous look comes over his face. Lucas' smirk falters but then plasters on his face. That's what I thought, Eliot thinks as he stares at Lucas.
LEVERAGE
Avery blocks a punch and hits her attacker in the gut. He let's out a whoosh of air and shoves the guy behind her. She turns her head to watch him as he stumbles towards Quinn. Quinn sees this and throws a punch, his fist meeting the guys face and knocking him out. The two of them look around at the five guys lying motionless on the ground.
They hadn't even made it to the building yet; they were in the woods surrounding it. Avery looks towards the building and the door they will evidently go in. She glances around and, when she doesn't see anyone, darts towards it. Someone grabs her jacket and yanks her back causing her to stumble slightly. Avery whirls around in attack mode but sees it's Quinn.
"Wait," he says with his eyes trained ahead. Avery huffs but waits nonetheless. She turns to looks towards the building again and sees two guards walk past the door.
"All right. Come on," Quinn says after the guards disappear around the corner. The two of them hurry to the door where Avery announces their arrival into the coms. They wait a moment and the door suddenly unlocks and Avery silently opens it with Quinn checking inside.
"Thanks Hardison," Avery says into the com before following Quinn inside.
"Anytime Avery," Hardison replies as Avery hears him typing into his computer again.
Avery and Quinn slink down the hall, keeping their eyes peeled for any of the muscle. Quinn moves ahead and as they near the corner, two of the muscle round it. Quinn springs forward and takes the two of them out swiftly. He peers around the corner and sees two men standing on either side of the door. He moves back and looks at Avery. Quinn nods towards the corner and Avery peers out as well, seeing what Quinn saw. She moves back and looks at Quinn with a smirk. Quinn's brow furrowed and he eyes the girl in front of him suspiciously. Avery's smirk grows before she suddenly turns around and walks out into the hallway. Quinn reaches for her but she's too far away.
"Hey, have you guys seen my dad?" Avery asks as she stands in the middle of the hallway, staring at the two men. The guys turn and look and upon seeing her and recognizing her, scowl. They lunge forward and rush at Avery who turns and runs down the hall, stopping next to Quinn. "Look alive."
The men run around the corner and Quinn and Avery attack them. Avery throws a punch at her opponents face which jolts back. Avery pounces on the opportunity and throws another punch before kneeing her opponent in the thigh and then, stomping on his foot. The guy's upper body shoots forward and Avery slams her elbows into his nose. The guy falls to the floor and Avery looks over to see Quinn's opponent lying on the ground as well.
Avery doesn't waste any time and runs over to the door the men were guarding. Avery whips the door open but stops abruptly at the sight before her. Quinn walks up next to her and sees why she has suddenly stopped. Eliot is hanging from the ceiling by his arms. He's unconscious and his body is covered in cuts and burn marks. Not to mention the blood.
"Keep watch," Quinn orders before squeezing by her and walking over to Eliot.
Avery forces herself to look away and focuses her gaze at the hallway. She hears chains rattle as Quinn unhooks her dad as well as the growls of frustration from the blond Hitter. There is a cheer and then a groan of pain and Avery jerks her head around. Quinn had gotten Eliot down and now Eliot was hanging over his shoulder. Quinn shifts and the dark-haired Hitter groans again. Avery grimaces as she watches her dad worriedly.
"We need to go," Quinn says as he approaches Avery. Avery stares at her dad wide-eyed.
"Hey," Quinn says and Avery shifts her eyes to him with abruptness. "I need you to focus. I can't carry Spencer and take out anyone that gets in our way."
Avery nods her head and turns back to the hallway. She swiftly leads the way in silence, hoping they wouldn't run into trouble. Her and Quinn took out many of the hired muscle but who knew what had happened while they were getting her dad. Hopefully, everyone was in their places.
LEVERAGE
Avery is slumped down in the armchair with her feet resting on the bed next to her. They had, thankfully, made it out of the building and to Lucille with no mishaps. After reaching Eliot's house, Nate had called a doctor friend of theirs. They had helped her a while back so secrecy wasn't worried about.
Eliot had been tortured pretty bad and it took Dr. Sancroft a while to patch him up. Fortunately, afterwords, Sancroft said Eliot would be fine. He'd need lots of rest and he'd be in pain for some time but he'd live. Nate and Sophie had also worked their magic and Gleeson would be going to jail for at least ten years. This whole ordeal was finally over.
Avery sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She'd been sitting in this chair since the doctor left; and that was yesterday afternoon. Eliot hadn't woken up yet and Avery was getting worried. She rubs her eyes and rests her head in her hand.
"I take it you're not mad at me anymore?" a gruff and gravelly voice says. Avery jumps a little at the sudden break in silence. She looks over at her dad lying in the bed and sees him looking at her. Avery sighs in relief and then remembers her dad had asked a question. She sits up and leans onto the bed.
"I'm still disappointed with what you did when you were with Moreau, but I get it. Besides, you're still my dad," Avery replies sincerely as she holds Eliot's gaze. Eliot nods his head and accepts the answer.
"So… Quinn huh?" Eliot asks, changing the subject. Avery shrugs in answer. "What d'you have to pay him?"
"Nothing," Avery answers with a shake of her head. Eliot furrows his brow, not expecting this answer. Quinn never did anything for free. Avery smirks. "Guess he just like me more than you."
"More like I'll be owing him," Eliot says after a snort.
"You never know," Avery says with a shrug. She stands up and heads towards the door. "I'll get you something to eat."
Eliot sighs and closes his eyes. He didn't know why but he was glad Quinn had helped Avery and the team. He didn't understand it, but other than the team and the couple close friends, Quinn was one of the only people he'd trust with Avery. Maybe it's because this was the second time he had Avery in his care and he kept her safe. Either way, he hoped this was all over.
AN: Please review! Love hearing from you guys! There will be a continuation of this story shortly. Thanks for reading!