The team watched in stunned horror as their hitter tried to beat off the twenty armed guards. It was a con gone wrong. It should have been a simple drop and retrieve in the warehouse. But their mark had figured it out and brought back up. Elliot was up to his eyeballs in trouble, dodging punches and kicks. Desperately keeping his body between the guards and his team Elliot tried to get the upper hand.
Nate wisely kept everyone in the group together so Elliot didn't have to worry about them getting separated.
Elliot was getting tired and injured as the moments wore on. Even Parker could tell he was weakening. Nate began looking for some way to help him when from the shadows appeared a young woman. She wore tight jeans and a tank top.
Not even pausing to say hello she kicked the goon off Elliot's back, flashed Elliot a smile and punched him. The team watched Elliot fall to the ground. He didn't get back up. The woman grinned ferally at the goons and took over where Elliot had left off. When one of the goons went down, he stayed down and wouldn't be getting up again. She slowly backed them away from Elliot's downed body.
She snapped the last mans neck with practiced ease and walked over to where Nate and the team stood. Not even bothering to look behind her she said calmly.
"I know for a fact I didn't hit you that hard you can stop pretending."
For a moment none of them knew who she was talking to until Elliot stirred and rose to his feet heavily. He limped over to the team putting himself between the stranger and his team. The team glanced around and saw the unconscious and dead lying around them. This new comer hadn't pulled her punches like Elliot had.
Elliot looked her up and down before growling.
"Who are you?"
Nate stepped up to be peacemaker.
"What he means is thank you for helping, what is your name?"
She looked between Nate and Elliot and chuckled.
"No he meant who am I. there was no "thank you" anywhere in that sentence. That's ok though, I don't expect anything less from the great Elliot Spencer."
In the blink of an eye Elliot had her by the throat and had thrown her to the ground pinning her by the hand on her neck. She simply grinned while Elliot growled above her. Hardison was sure she had a death wish to antagonize the injured hitter. Even he wasn't that stupid.
Nate took action and put his hand on Elliot's arm lightly.
"If you choke her to death you won't get an answer, why don't you let her up?" Nate had carefully phrased it as a question but Elliot saw it for what it was an order.
Judging by the smirk on the woman's face so did she. Elliot let go of her, she casually flipped to her feet while Elliot's breath hitched getting back to his feet. She had told him that he only had her down because she let him.
Turning to Nate she smiled lightly.
"You're the leader of this band of well thieves. No offense."
"Of what?" Parker wanted to know. She hadn't said anything offensive. At least not to her.
Nate nodded.
"I'm Nathan Ford, but you can call me Nate. This is Sophie, Parker, Hardison and you already know Elliot apparently." Nate introduced.
"I am Tyler, I heard the commotion and came to watch. Then I realized Elliot here was in over his head and decided I could help." She said keeping eye contact with Nate.
Elliot on the other hand had fallen to his knees looking at Tyler as if she were a ghost.
"your supposed to be dead…I watched you die." Elliot mumbled
Tyler smiled softly and knelt in front of Elliot wrapping her arms around him, he buried his head in her shoulder.
"I'm here."
Nate exchanged a glance with Sophie. Who was this Tyler to Elliot that he didn't recognize her from the start? And how did Elliot know her? The questions would have to wait as Elliot held his friend and a tear slipped down his cheek. It became obvious that she meant something to him. But who was she?