So I recently watched a movie called Ava, and the entire time I kept thinking how she would fit into the Expendable team, especially around Gunner. I always focus more on Lee, Barney, or Toll in my stories when it comes to romance, so this time, I wanted to focus on Gunner. I really enjoyed Ava despite reviews saying it wasn't the best. I especially loved the soundtrack, which I avidly listen to these days.
I hope you guys enjoy this story.
I'll move this story to the crossover section when it's done.
Count no man happy until the end is known.
The words went through Ava's mind as she shrunk down in her bus seat. She'd been trying to avoid the stares of others, the cuts on her face screaming to the world that she'd been in a fight recently. It was a fight she'd almost lost before her attacker decided to let her off with a warning, but her attacker made the mistake of thinking she wouldn't take him out for killing the next best thing to a father she'd ever had.
Duke.
Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about her mentor. What had his last thoughts been? Had he been afraid? Of all the ways to go, Ava feared drowning the most. She'd take a bullet to the head any day.
She went over Duke's letter to her in her mind. He basically told her he had no regrets. She wished she could say the same. Near the end, though, he added something else.
There is a man whose life I once saved in the field. He owes me a life debt, which I'm now transferring to you. You can trust him. He's crusty on the outside, but he'll care enough to get you set up until you figure out your next move. His name is Barney Ross. He lives in New Orleans. He runs The Expendables.
Ava watched the darkness fall as the bus drove further away from Boston and towards her new chapter. She had managed to dodge the woman following her. She had a suspicion this woman was linked to the man Ava had killed earlier: Simon.
She thought about Simon now. Duke had trained him too, and yet he'd turned and killed Duke like the man meant nothing. Ava still couldn't understand it, and so what if she talked to the targets? Why did that mean she had to die? Oh, right. Her breakdown. The last time she'd asked targets why they were supposed to die had triggered a break down. The agency didn't want that again.
Such was the life of an assassin. If you don't fit into their lines, you're out.
Ava thought of this Barney Ross. She wondered if he really would help her. Right now, she could use all the help she could get.
New Orleans
Barney Ross sat on a barstool and sipped his beer while watching his team in the background through the mirror on the wall. The younger team, Luna, John, Thorn, and Mars, were doing their damn karaoke routine, their voices off kilter and making Barney wince a little. Galgo was trying to talk the ear off of the bartender. Gunner was doodling some complicated chemistry formula on a napkin that he was no doubt going to blow his nose into later. Caesar and Toll were trying to out drink each other. Lee and Doc were having yet another knife throwing contest. It was a typical night off for the Expendable team, and yet Barney couldn't enjoy it. He kept having a feeling that something was coming, something big. Since the death of Conrad Stonebanks, things had been relatively easy for them. It was only a matter of time before the peace got blown up.
He lifted his head to look at the newcomer to the bar in the mirror. She stood there with her hands in her coat pockets, hood drawn. She had cuts on her face that looked fresh. When her eyes met his in the mirror, he felt like this was where things started to go downhill. He watched her approach the bar. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her hesitation before she ordered a ginger ale. This was a clue to him that she was probably an alcoholic.
"Tough day?" he asked her, looking at her now as she leaned her back against the bar top. She turned her head to look at him.
"You could say that," she replied.
"Never seen you around here before," he went on. "You new?"
"Sort of."
"Did you win?" he asked next, gesturing to his face to mimic where her wounds were. She scoffed.
"Oh yea," she answered, reaching for her drink and pulling it to her lips. She swallowed and gave a slight exhale before nursing the glass in her hand. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a Barney Ross, would you?" She looked at him, and he almost laughed out loud. His gut instinct had been right.
"Who's asking?" he questioned.
"Do you know him or not?" she countered. There was no use hiding it. She'd find out eventually.
"I know him very well," Barney replied.
"Where is he?"
"You're looking at him."
The woman stuck her tongue into her cheek, a smirk growing on her lips. She laughed softly.
"No shit," she commented.
"This is where you tell me who you are," he encouraged.
"Ava," she said.
"Ava...?" he trailed off.
"Just Ava," she clarified. He chuckled. She was mistrusting. He pegged her for some kind of agent, probably one who just got burned recently.
"So what does Just Ava want with me?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"I need help, and my mentor told me I could come to you."
"Who is your mentor?"
"Was," she corrected. Barney picked up on the fresh, raw grief. It was in her eyes, the way her jaw was clenched...not to mention her expression.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"He said he saved your life once and that you owe him for that. He said I could collect on that debt in order to get my feet back on the ground," she went on. Barney went through the list of people he owed a debt to. It wasn't very many. He and Trench took turns swapping debts with each other, and he was the one who saved his ass the most.
"I've been in this game too long to remember everyone I've met," Barney said after thinking for a moment. "Who was he?"
"Duke," she answered softly. Barney sucked in a breath, the memory hitting him hard and fast.
"That was a long time ago," he said slowly. "I'm surprised he remembered."
"So, can you help me or not?" she asked. Barney surveyed her. For Duke to pass on Barney's debt to her, she must have been very important to him. His daughter maybe? He thought hard. What would helping her entail? What kind of trouble was she in?
His hesitation made her scoff and push off the bar.
"Sorry for wasting your time," she said, starting to walk away. Barney thought about Duke, and he knew he couldn't let him down, even if they barely knew each other. They'd been in a tough spot, and Duke didn't have to save him but chose to. That spoke volumes about someone's character.
"Stop," Barney said loudly, making her slow her steps and turn to look back at him. "What do you need?"
"A place to crash," she answered, coming back to him. "Time to heal. Time to plan my next move."
"Done," Barney said with a nod. He slid off the stool. "Come with me." She followed him to the door. Barney saw his team members notice and exchange looks with each other. Lee tried to catch Barney's gaze, but he kept his head low. He'd deal with them all later.
...
"This is Tool," Barney said to her, and Ava looked at the man standing in front of her. "He owns the joint. There's a spare room upstairs near the back. Shower's up there too."
"Thank you," Ava said appreciatively. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but it was better than being out there and trying to figure it out.
"Hang on," Barney said, stopping her before she went to go up the stairs. He disappeared, and she looked at Tool with a wary expression. What was he doing? Then he returned with a t-shirt and sweats, tossing them to her. She caught them and looked at them.
"Thanks," she said. She did have blood all over her own shirt underneath, and her pants didn't look any better. Barney gave her a nod, and she left to go up the stairs finally. She located her room and the shower. Once she was cleaned up better, she looked at herself in the mirror. She had no idea if her sister would heed her advice and leave Boston. She hoped Michael would talk her into it.
Michael.
That was another cut to the heart. Her ex-fiance was now her sister's fiance and, more recently, baby daddy. To think that she'd gone and asked him to run away with her. She had never felt like such a horrible human being in her whole life until that point right there, and she had done a lot of shitty things. It was time to move on from him, to let that go. She was the one who had walked away eight years earlier after all. She couldn't blame him for finding solace in her sister. They had something in common: her abandoning them.
She fell back onto her new bed and sighed. Her mind was calculating what all she needed to do, but she was so tired. Before she fell into the blackness of sleep, she reminded herself that this was temporary. This was not her new permanent home.
She couldn't get attached to anybody.
...
Barney counted down from five when Lee came into the tattoo parlor later, once Ava had been settled and hidden herself away in the room upstairs. Tool had asked some questions, but he didn't pry any further when Barney didn't offer anything else up.
Two...one...
"Who was that?" Lee asked, standing in front of Barney. His arms were crossed. He looked a bit pissed off, but then again, he always looked a little pissed off if he wasn't smiling.
"Nobody," Barney answered, knowing full well it would cause more anger for the Brit.
"You just waltzed out of there like you two were old pals or somethin'," Lee went on, sounding angrier. "Who is she? Your daughter?" Barney snorted in laughter. His daughter! Oh, the imagination on Christmas was hysterical sometimes.
"She's an associate of someone I met once," Barney told him.
"That wasn't vague as shit at all," Lee said sarcastically.
"Look, I'm doing a favor for someone, all right? She needs a place to rest her head for a bit and then will be on her way. No sweat."
"No sweat? How do you know that's all she's here for? She could be plotting your murder up there," Lee insisted.
"Bring it," Barney retorted. "Are you done yet? I'm tired and want to call it a night."
Lee looked like he wanted to rant some more, but he closed his mouth and made a disgruntled noise in his throat instead. Barney gave him a quick, sarcastic-type smile before heading for his room. He groaned as he sat on the mattress and removed his watch. His pistol was under his pillow as always. If Ava tried anything, she'd be sorry. He was pretty confident that wasn't why she was there, though.
He thought about her as he slid under the covers and tried to get comfortable. She was shrouded in mystery, and he had a feeling she wasn't about to open up to him or anyone anytime soon.
He decided that might just be a good thing.
...
Tool looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look different. He didn't feel different. Yet, things were different. He surveyed himself carefully. Would anyone notice? He knew he couldn't hide it forever. He shifted on his feet, wiping at his nose with his arm. He looked at himself one last time before going over to his bed and climbing in. Tomorrow, he had to tell Barney. Tomorrow, he had to let someone in on his secret. He drew in a shaky breath and exhaled. He didn't feel ready, but he had to be.
Tomorrow, he would no longer be alone with this burden, and as much as it terrified him to tell someone, the fact that he wouldn't be alone anymore was a great comfort.
He just hoped Barney was up for the challenge.