Misunderstandings and Mayhem
Sphinx glowered as he looked over to Atley, still more than a little pissed at the mess the kid had churned up with her little temper tantrum. Because there was no way he was possibly to blame for any of this. He just did with her what he did with everyone else . . . if there was another culprit, it was Atley. Who just had to push . . .
Atley drove on silently, shaking his head as they rounded the turn back into the lot at Otto's. They were the first ones done . . . and he had all but insisted that he was driving back after the way Sphinx had handled the dark drop car before. So what if he'd been going twenty over the limit. He was pissed at the shit that little brat had caused. And to think that when he first saw her he'd thought she was going to be okay.
He snorted, glaring out the window as the car pulled into the spot beside his Malibu. He should've known that the petite little blonde with her shy little smile and quirky little ways was going to cause trouble. She was a woman after all . . . But he would've never guessed that she would cause problems between him and Atley. Who had refused to speak to him other than the occasional comment and when he'd requisitioned the keys. Something that was highly unusual for their-dare he say it- friendship.
Sphinx rolled his eyes as he got out of the car, going to open the door into the garage as he waited fro Atley to get out. When he saw that he was behind him, he pulled the massive door to the side, letting the shorter boost in before he shut it again. When he went to move, however, Atley stopped him. He raised a brow before looking to the darkened bay Atley was staring into intently. He almost turned when something caught his eye. The barest hint of movement.
He looked down to Atley as he glanced up at him, nodding that he wasn't just hallucinating. When they saw it move again, they started to quietly make their way to it. The girl was upstairs in the office, seeing as in her car was still in the lot and the light barely illuminating the smallest portion of the stairs. And while he might not particularly care for her he knew that Otto and Atley did . . . so they needed to intercept whoever was stupid enough to try and break into a boost nest.
And he would personally make them bleed for the aggravation they were causing . . . and reap some that the girl had brought on them as well.
Ripley came down the steps, singing in time with the radio that was still playing in the business office. She was almost done with all of the back work, meaning she could leave this weekend and not worry about the state of the office . . . Actually, she just needed one more invoice and then she could go home and pack . . . And she was sure it was somewhere down here in Bobby's workstation. The man was horrible about remembering to give her his completed projects. And she usually stopped to collect them before she went home. But with her bailing early to go calm down Sway she'd forgotten.
She shook her head, navigating through the almost pitch garage as she nosed around the workbench. Finally, she spotted what she was looking for . . . And had to roll her eyes. Seriously? The absentminded mechanic had left a piece of crucial paperwork under a tire iron? God what was she going to do with these men?
She reached for the paper when she heard something move behind her and stopped. It sounded like someone had just messed with the door. She glanced down at her watch, the glowing numbers showing her that it was far too early for any of the boosts to be back yet . . . and far too late for one of the regular workers to still be here. She shrugged, acting like nothing was wrong as she reached out and slowly closed her hand around the tire iron as she pulled the paper free with the other.
As she heard movement again, she felt her blood run cold. She was definitely not alone . . . and whoever or whatever was here was being far too quiet to be friendly. She stilled, trying to slow her breathing and her racing heart until the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She pulled the tire iron closer, waiting until she heard a rustle of fabric almost directly behind her and turned. She reached out, bringing the iron hard into something solid and warm. And when she heard the loud 'oof' she knew she'd hit a person.
She moved, going to run when a large hand grabbed her shoulder and the only thing she thought of was getting away. She turned, brandishing the iron like a weapon as she gripped it and swung with all of her might, connecting with what she could guess was her attackers ribs hard enough for her to hear a crunch. The grip on her loosened and brought the iron up, catching the person squarely in the chin as hard as she could before running to the steps.
She was almost to them when something grabbed her from behind, snatching her back and into an almost brick hard body. She yelped, throwing her head back and catching whoever in the face. Hard. She felt their grip slacken just enough for her to thrust her elbow into what she hoped was either their stomach or ribs. And when they doubled, wheezing at the air being knocked from their lungs, she used the momentum and adrenaline coursing through her veins (and everything her father had taught her about fighting) to take the arm still around her chest and flip the person over her shoulders. As soon as the body hit the concrete with a thud, she kicked their side and jumped over the crumpled form; tearing up the stairs as fast as she could.
She was almost to the door when she heard the oddest, grossest sound. A loud groan mixed with a gurgling sound. She stopped, debating on whether or not to go check on the bastard she'd just beat half to death before groaning and going into the office. The last thing any of them needed was a damn homicide. Way too many questions . . .
She went to the breakers, flipping all of the lights on with a few simple flicks and made her way back to the door; peering down the steps. And felt her heart jump into her throat. Because there, at the bottom of the steps and crumpled, groaning in pain and bleeding was Atley. She scrambled down the steps, going to check him as he turned. And she winced when she saw his busted nose and blackening eye. Oh God, what the hell had she done?
"At? Are you okay? Please be okay . . ."
He groaned, looking up at her through the unswollen eye and smiled at her, clearly dazed. But his teeth were stained bright red and there was blood oozing from his lip. He moved to sit up, clutching his side before smiling weakly at her again.
"Hey, Buttercup. Better be careful . . . there's this crazy little shit snooping around down here. Fucker knocked Sphinx with a tire iron and beat the shit outta me. Just go back upstairs and wait, okay?"
She blushed, trying to bite back the bile and guilt eating away at her as she tried to smile reassuringly at him. He needed to be looked at. Now. She opened her mouth to speak before movement caught her eye and she tensed, ready to fight again if she had to. Only to pale and swallow loudly as the Sphinx staggered over to them. The man looked about as good as Atley did . . . and he was holding a nastly looking gash over his left eye. He stopped in front of them, looking them over before shaking his head-wincing darkly before growling- and sunk onto the bottom step.
Ripley looked from Atley to him before making an executive decision. She needed to at least get them somewhere to sit and rest . . .
"Sphinx?"
He glanced up at her and she felt her heart jump again. She hadn't noticed before but his eyes were actually this pretty greenish gray . . . and even though he was glaring at her again, it didn't make the color any less startling. She shook herself, nodding down to Atley.
"Can you help me get Atley up to the offices? If whoever is still here then we can hold up in there while we wait for the others . . ."
Sphinx shrugged, standing- and only slightly staggering on his feet- before bending to help her maneuver Atley up the steps. As soon as they were through the door into the main office, she pushed Atley into one of the chairs, checking him over quickly before shooting out and into the boost office. A few seconds later she was back; armed with clean shop towels, two relatively new first aid kits and what looked like a large bottle of ibuprofen. God he hoped she would give him half the bottle . . . because his head and jaw were killing him . . . not to mention his damn side.
She handed him a towel, pulling the kits open and fishing both ice packs out to fill them from the cooler. She turned to him, handing him the larger one as she motioned to his still gushing head.
"Hold pressure to that or its just going to continue to bleed. Here . . . this should help that bruise."
He raised a brow, taking the bag and nodding to her, cracking his neck loudly as she moved to grab three bottles of water from the small cooler, shaking her head and grumbling to herself as she moved quickly. She handed him one- and the bottle of pills- before going to kneel in front of Atley. Who was leaned back in the chair and closing his eyes. Not a good thing. He moved, flicking Atley hard on the side of his bloody nose, truly sorry to hear the pain filled yelp.
He turned; intent to go back to propping on the desk and glared down at the girl as she glared up at him. She shook her head, looking back to Atley as she reached out and held a shop towel to his nose. He opened his eyes and groaned as he spotted the first aid kits beside her on the floor. Sphinx shook his head. Atley always was a handful when he was hurt.
"C'mon, At. I need you to sit up. Tilt your head some . . . There. Can you breathe a bit better now?"
Atley waved his hand, half shrugging before wincing. She took his hand, showing him how to hold the towel as she pulled the alcohol prep pads from the first kit. Slowly and deliberately, she moved the cloth over the oozing cut on Atley's lip before cleaning as much of the small cut in his eyebrow as she could. Finally, she soaked a gauze in peroxide, wincing herself as she disinfected both wounds and smeared the antibiotic ointment over them. She used cloth butterfly sutures to close the cut on his eye before handing him the ice pack, and Sphinx was shocked to see that she'd pulled in tight enough to actually knit.
She sat back, looking his friend over carefully before she spoke.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Atley shook his head, chuckling as he looked at her through his good eye. And Sphinx knew from the way he moved that his side was hurting him . . . . but Atley apparently wasn't going to say anything major to the kid about it.
"Nah, Buttercup. Just a bit stiff in my back and side . . . I'm good. If you don't count wounded pride, that is."
She grinned, shoulders sagging as she reached out and patted his leg before gathering her trash to toss it. She smiled at Atley again before turning to him, almost all of the warmth leaving her eyes and voice as she motioned to his head.
"Okay. Let me see it."
He glared at her darker than he'd ever glared at anyone else in his life . . . but she just rolled her eyes and growled at him, crossing the room to the desk he'd resituated himself on. She stretched up, trying to touch the rag he was holding to his head and ground his teeth. His hand was in his pocket and his knife was out, level with her cheek before she could succeed in her endeavor. Atley groaned as they continued to glare at one another . . . And Sphinx found his eyes trying to determine where the pale blue ended in her eyes and the faded green began. He'd never seen a person with eyes so light and odd before . . . or with pupils ringed in an almost silvery gray. Atley's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he knew that he'd hit his head harder than he'd assumed for his mind to be wandering so badly. Or for Jackson's words to make his gut clench.
"Quit being such a jackass, Sphinx. She just was trying to help. Ripley, if he wants to bleed to death then let him."
Ripley however was not fazed in the least. She stepped closer, coming to stand between his legs and bring them dangerously close to touching one another. Which also brought the blade to rest solidly on her cheek as she continued to glare up at him. And he was hard pressed to decided which was colder . . . The look in her eyes or the frost literally falling from her words as she goaded him.
"Either cut me or put it away, Jabberjaw."
He glared at her, pulling the tip of the knife down her cheek slowly-just hard enough to trace her skin without cutting it- as he moved to close it. He pocketed it as her hands moved to peal the towel from his wound, and he could feel her having to gently pull the fabric from the meat as she removed it. She moved slowly, thoroughly cleaning it with another prep pad before she was satisfied it could be disinfected . . . and began soaking another gauze with peroxide.
But the second she pressed the gauze to the wound, the bubbling liquid leaked into the raw and gaping cut, burning worse than anything he'd felt in years. His hand caught her wrist hard, keeping her from applying pressure as she looked at up him. Even propped like this he still towered over her . . . and he was actually surprised to see honest remorse in her eyes as she moved against his hold; pressing hard onto the cut.
"Sorry. I know it burns like hell but its killing anything that could cause infection."
She stretched to her tip toes, looking at him hesitantly before blowing lightly across the bubbling cut. His hand stayed on her wrist but the grip loosened, letting him see the angry red marks he'd left on her pale flesh. And for some reason, it made his stomach turn. She smiled at him, taking the ointment and slathering it across the cut; making sure to cover it completely before closing it the same way she had Atley's. And as she gently rested the ice pack against his skin, his eyes kept glancing back to the darkening spots he'd left in his anger.
The sounds of cars pulling in the lot made both of them turn to the garage, and a truly brilliant smile spill across her lips. She turned, grinning even wider at Atley as Sphinx just watched her, dazed. God his head was still stuffy . . .
"Looks like the cavalry's here, huh?"
Atley nodded slowly, still holding the ice pack to his own head as he turned his eyes from Ripley to Sphinx. The man rolled his eyes, snorting at the statement and then glared down at Ripley again as she giggled. He groaned, moving to sit up as Ripley just started laughing harder. And Sphinx's glare kept getting darker.
As her laughter increased, he wondered if she'd finally gone crazy before he called out to her.
"You okay, Buttercup?"
She just nodded, laughing even harder as Sphinx shifted on his perch. She turned to the stoic giant, shaking her head as she wiped her eyes. And Atley saw the flash of something there as the man watched her wipe away the tears.
"Sorry, Jabberjaw. But even you have to admit that this is sort of funny. Or did the cat get your sense of humor when it got your tongue?"
Atley jumped as Sphinx moved quickly, catching the girl and pulling her almost flush against him; her hands splayed across his chest as she tried to keep from falling into him. Her laughter stopped and her eyes went wide as they looked to one another. Her in shock and him glaring down at her angrily at being pestered. And that is how Sway found them when she and Donnie pushed through the door. Atley looked to Memphis as he and Frank stepped in behind Wayland and Astricky, Santoro following closely . . . all of them in different stages of shock or disbelief as they processed the scene before them.
Otto's arrival, however, is what finally set off the volatile situation. He saw Ripley and Sphinx and stopped before turning to Memphis and glaring at him dark enough that all of them wanted to step back. Atley however just tried not to wince as the older runner screeched.
"What in the seventh rung of Hell is going on in here? Raines!"
Ripley however just started chuckling again. And when Sphinx's face darkened and he popped the blade-bringing it back to her cheek as his eyes bored down into hers- she finally lost whatever had been holding her back. The girl broke down into hysterical laughter, tears running down her face as the newly arrived crew watched her lean into the stoic man in awe. She was practically draped over Sphinx-who was still holding the blade against her flesh though he seemed hesitant to actually use it- crying as she laughed her ass of at him.
Finally, she sobered enough to slip away from him, choking back her laughter as she tried to explain. She turned from him completely, reaching out and grabbing Otto as she fought to keep from laughing again.
"Sorry. I'm sorry. But, uh Uncle Otto . . . I need to talk to you in your office. Like right now."
Otto nodded, allowing himself to be drug away and into the boost office before the door separating the two slammed shut. Atley turned to look at Sphinx as he slumped against the desk, this sort of dazed look plastered on his face while the others just looked from him to each other in the heavy silence that had fallen over the room. Finally Frankie snapped to life, glaring between Memphis and Sphinx.
"Oh! So I'm not even supposed to talk to her but chatterbox here can practically manhandle her? That's fucked up, Raines. Real fucked up."
Sphinx turned, glaring to Frankie as he straightened and stepped towards the other boost as Donnie stepped between them. Atley grumbled, dropping the ice pack from his aching head as he stood and tossed it to the ground. All of the others turned and looked to him. But he didn't care. He was tired of this! It was the same horse shit that had happened when Sway had come on board and he wasn't dealing with it again!
"Jesus Christ, Frankie! She's isn't interested so back the fuck off!"
Frankie snorted, looking from Sphinx to him before rolling his eyes.
"Or what? Your pedophile here gonna try to skin me and cart me through his morgue?"
Atley glared, going to step forward as Sphinx went to lunge. But Donnie and Memphis kept both from happening. Atley however wasn't playing anymore. Raines wanted a message sent. Well by God he would send one. He glared at him harder than he'd glared at anyone else before speaking. And he saw, from the shudder both Frankie and San gave that he was successful.
"No I will. That girl is too damn good for you . . . And if I so much as think that you've thought of with her without her consent and I will make sure they never find the pieces of you that I leave. You'll pray for me to give you to Sphinx before I'm done with you . . . You got me, Fish boy?"
Frankie paled, nodding as Donnie let go of the Sphinx's shirt, letting the man sink back onto the desktop as the door to the other office opened. He turned, watching Otto emerge and focus his attention solely on a spot on the wall. Maybe now they could get some answers . . .
Otto refused to look at either Atley or the Sphinx . . . because he knew the second he did he was gone. What had happened while they'd been gone was too damn funny . . . but he needed to at least tell the others before he succumbed to the laughter he was fighting back. Like his goddaughter finally had. Ripley was seated at his desk, head down and tears running down her face as she tried to stop herself . . . but he knew that it would be a while. She was enough like her father that this would tickle her pink for a good while.
He focused on the clock over the huge windows, trying to keep it together as he began.
"Apparently the boys here were attacked by someone snooping around one of the bays. They came in, saw 'em moving around down there and went to intercept . . . and Ripley fought off two people who tried to grab her while she was tracking down one of Bobby's slips . . ."
Otto glanced at Atley as his shoulders started shaking and-until the man's loud, gut wrenching laughter filled the office- he was worried the man was actually crying. As soon as Atley cracked the others went, each shaking their heads as they absorbed the shock of what they'd been told. Donnie covered his face trying to keep it together as the Sphinx turned to glare at him darkly.
"Well . . . she did tell me that her old man taught her how to fight . . ."
Finally, Atley sank back into the chair and held his sides as he laughed so hard tears were running down his face while Sway and Memphis leaned on one another to keep themselves standing. San looked to Otto, grinning.
"You mean to tell me that she did this?"
Otto nodded, trying to keep a straight face. San chuckled, pulling a cigarette from his pocket before lighting it and turning to Memphis.
"Raines, I don't care what you say . . . We gotta keep her now."
that had to hurt
