Eliot leaned over the blueprints of the building as his team lead barked out instructions. The room they were in was actually a small storage shed that was too cramped to hold the five bulky men currently sandwiched inside. Outside there was a blizzard level snowstorm making visibility a joke. Which was the point of course.
"Wood will take point, Jacobs, White and Spencer will follow. You will enter through an unsecured window on the third floor. Move fast move quiet. Our intel tells us the package is being held here." The commander gestured to the map "In the far east corner of the sub-basement in a locked cell. Once in Spencer will be in charge of getting the package up to the roof. The rest will clear the way. Anyone you see you leave unconscious or dead, it's best to take them out before they go for a weapon. We'll be waiting with a Helicopter on the roof to take the package. You will have to find your own way out and scatter, payment will be into your account within twenty four hours of the retrieval. Any questions?"
There weren't any, Eliot was the youngest member on the crew and this was his first covert ops mission since he'd finished his training but he knew what he needed to do. No one had bothered to tell him what the package was but he knew enough to know it had to be a person. Still when they'd finally fought their way down and managed to blow the lock he stood in shock for a full three seconds before his mind kicked into gear.
The kid, for that's what 'the package' was a little kid, was unconscious. He was tiny and when Eliot lifted him he found him to be light as a feather. His face was a bloody mess with streaks of white shining through the red smeared everywhere else. He was nude, his body covered in bruises and cuts, his hair was dark and caked together from lack of washing. He was breathing, though Eliot could only tell by the slight movement against his hand when he had the kid pulled tightly into his chest.
The run to the roof was harder. The cell must have some sort of alarm on it because men seemed to just bleed out of the woodwork, all wearing strange black robes. Eliot let the others do what they were there to do, clearing a path and taking out guard after guard. More than once Eliot had to physically jump over a body to keep moving. Glancing down at his cargo he was startled by wide green eyes staring blurrily up at him.
"It's gonna be okay kid," Eliot assured him even has he had to use one had to punch back an attacker who'd made it past the others and was barreling toward Eliot. Another hard kick and the attacker was down. Eliot looked back down to see the kid smiling faintly, he tried not to wince at the blood on his teeth. The kid whispered something but between the noise of the fight and the boy's trauma Eliot didn't hear.
"Sorry kid didn't catch that," Eliot told him lifting the kid up almost like he was a baby so his face was resting on his shoulder next to his ear.
"Harry, my name is Harry." the boy rasped softly before releasing a soft sigh and falling limp.
Eliot tightened his grip on his once more unconscious cargo and ran faster. He let out a minute breath of relief as he threw open the door to the roof and saw the Copter waiting. He jogged up and handed the boy off to a waiting paramedic. The second they had him the helicopter began to rise. Eliot watched for only a minute.
"Good Luck Harry." He said softly before turning and heading back into the building. He needed to find an exit.
Eight Years Later
"Parker!" Nate snapped causing the blond's head to snap up in surprise. "I realize this is our headquarters but I also sleep upstairs. Can you please refrain from carving things into the tables."
Parker moved across the room to where Nate was sitting. They'd been back at headquarters for a little over an hour after finishing their last job. Across the room Eliot was watching sports on Nate's big screen with Hardison perched next to him simultaneously doing something on his computer as he watched the game.
"I didn't do that." Parker told Nate flatly "Why do you just assume it was me?"
Nate let out a frustrated sigh.
"Because Parker, I hardly think Hardison or Eliot would carve a lighting bolt into our table." Beside him Eliot felt Hardison stiffen and his head jerked up.
"Did you say a lighting bolt?" the hacker asked jumping to his feet and rushing across the room. Hardison looked down at the mark which had been carved into the table before shaking his head suddenly looking worried. He quickly began looking around as if expecting someone to pop up from behind a counter.
"Hardison!" Nate snapped getting his attention. "Is something wrong?"
"My little brother is here." Hardison responded before turning to open the closet behind him and look inside. "He likes to hide, he's probably somewhere dark and closed in."
"How would he get in? The doors were locked and your security system is supposed to be the best." Eliot demanded even as he moved to begin searching for Hardison's hidden sibling.
"My security is the best, but Harry's special. Locks can't keep him out if he really wants in." Hardison sounded proud.
"So what? He's a hacker like you?" Eliot asked but Hardison shook his head.
"Nah, Harry and computers don't mix. He's just. . .complicated. Oh and if you find him first don't look him in the eye." Eliot turned to question this strange order but Parker's voice interrupted.
"There's a false panel in the back wall, if he's small enough he could get in there. I like to squeeze in sometimes, you can move around the inside of the walls." Eliot gave her a disbelieving look but moved toward the area she'd been pointing toward. Lifting out the false panel he was only mildly surprised to find a young man asleep behind it.
"I thought you said he was your brother?" Eliot asked as Hardison hurried forward. Hardison rolled his eyes.
"Foster brother." The young man was a ghostly white with pitch black hair that stuck up at odd angles. Down the right side of his face, starting at the corner of his eye and descending down his cheek was a jagged lightning bolt shaped scar. His face was angular and handsome but he was rail thin.
"Harry-" Hardison spoke softly as he reached out to shake his brother awake "Wake up little bro, I'm back."
The whole team watched curiously as green eyes blinked open in lazy slow movements. The strangers face shifted into a half grin when his eyes focussed on Hardison.
"Hey Alec." Harry greeted as he yawned and moved out of the wall, closer to Hardison. To everyone's surprise Hardison quickly moved forward to embrace the stranger who was about a foot shorter. For a moment the man visibly stiffened before he seemed to relax and return the hug.
"Harry man, do you know how worried I've been? You're supposed to flag the system every three months! Every three months! I've not seen anything from you in a year." Hardison chided as he stepped back. Harry awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. His skin flushing a faint pink.
"A year? That's a long time, I guess I just. . .lost track." He offered with a far away gaze and for the first time Eliot caught the hint of an accent. Hardison looked unsurprised by this response.
"You look terrible, have you been eating?" Hardison asked eyeing Harry up and down. Harry frowned wrapping long thin arms around his emaciated torso.
"I eat." He replied.
"When was the last time you had something other than coffee?" Hardison asked skeptically. Harry seemed to consider.
"Umm. . .Wednesday." Hardison cursed.
"Harry today is Tuesday. Come on." Hardison tugged an unresisting Harry toward the kitchen table where Sophie still sat watching along with Nate. Parker, Eliot noted was standing slightly away watching the whole exchange intensely. Hardison ordered Harry to sit at the table and immediately went about frying him eggs and bacon along with a heavy serving of butter from the fridge. Eliot kept his eyes on the stranger. There was something strangely familiar about the young man that was nagging at him.
Nate refrained from asking questions until Hardison had placed the food on a plate in front of his brother and stood over him to ensure he had a bite before sitting down. Once Harry began to eat Nate pulled Hardison and the rest of the group aside. Eliot kept half an ear on the conversation but his eyes stayed on Harry, slowly working his way through the food Hardison had given him.
"So. . . your foster brother?" Nate asked. Hardison nodded.
"Yeah, Harry came to stay with us when we were fifteen. He'd been through some stuff and he's still. . .different. Before Nana died she made me promise to look after him."
"I thought you said he was your little brother?" Sophie asked and Hardison nodded.
"He's only six months younger than me, but sometimes he still needs looking after." Hardison explained.
"Is he disabled?" Nate asked looking confused but Hardison quickly shook his head.
"No-no not like you're thinking. Harry loses track of time, and he's never hungry so he'll forget to eat. But he's crazy smart. There's other stuff too but it's harder to explain." Hardison hesitated again and Eliot couldn't take the nagging anymore. He moved back to the table and sat down across from Harry.
"Hey, have we met before?" Eliot asked, causing Harry's head to snap up and their eyes to meet.
Eliot is six years old the first time he notices the bruises on Sara Jane a little girl in his class at school. He doesn't understand them but he wants to protect her.
Eliot is eight years old at Sara Jane's funeral. He's never hated anyone as much as he hates her daddy.
Eliot is ten years old when he steps into the storage shed and locks the door behind him. The first day he thinks he will die. The second day he wishes he had and on the third day he steps out to find his dad there to clap him on the back and offer him a beer.
Eliot is fourteen the first time he see's Aimee Martin and she's the prettiest girl in school.
Eliot is seventeen and he brings Aimee flowers everyday for a week before she agrees to be his girl.
Eliot is 20 years old. He loves his country and he wants to serve. Still when the man charges him and Eliot pulls the trigger he feels sick as the light drains from his eyes.
Eliot is- "Harry! Harry stop!"
Eliot jolted back to himself breathing heavily. Harry sat across from him now looking up at Hardison who had a hand clutched tightly on his shoulder.
"What's the rule Harry? Only on marks or with permission!"
"I-He asked a question, I wanted to know the answer." Harry responded looking slightly abashed but with a firm set to his jaw.
"That doesn't make it okay." Hardison told him scowling but Harry shrugged.
"What the hell just happened?" Eliot demanded Harry looked over at him meeting his eyes again but this time nothing happened.
"I know what's in your soul now." Harry told him, his lips quirking into a little smirk.
Author's note: So somebody asked me to write this pairing and it set me off on an epic Leverage binge. This is what resulted. I've got another chapter almost finished but I thought I'd throw this up and see if there's really much interest. TA
As Always
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