(208 words. Death of the Outsider trailer-related.)
Daud stumbles on his way through the safe house door, and Billie's eyebrows shoot up.
"They rough you up that much before tying you to that chair?" she asks, reaching out to try and steady him.
He steps away before she can touch him. "I'm fine," he says, waving her off, but the motion pulls at something, and he grimaces and presses his hand to his side halfway through.
Billie frowns and crosses her arms. "All right, take the coat off and let me see the damage."
He stares at her and makes no move to do so.
Billie holds out her right hand, concentrating until the blade forms itself in her grip. She gestures with it pointedly. "I'm not afraid to cut it off of you, old man."
He holds her gaze steadily for a few moments longer, then relents with a shake of his head. He mutters something under his breath as he unbuttons his coat, mostly too low for her to hear, though she's fairly sure she hears the words 'stubborn witch' come out near the end.
Billie lets herself smile. "Had to be to keep up with you." She gestures again with the knife. "Shirt, too. I can already see you're bleeding through that."