Reyna hummed to herself as she placed her hands in her pocket. It felt like a slow night at the bar, and she was getting bored. Clarisse was inside on her break, and they kept talking about Reyna training to be a bartender for the rest of the night. She would just have to make do.
She moved a hand to rub the wound on her face. While the newest cut was the slowest to heal, it was almost completely closed. It was also a new addition to her scar. The worst part was that the damn thing hurt whenever it was cold outside. Reyna glanced down at her watch. She still had half of her shift left, but her break was coming up. She just wanted to eat some food and-
Reyna's ear twitched, and she turned her head. A hand grabbed her by her jacket, and she was picked up off of the ground. Reyna made eye contact with Ma Gasket, and the cyclops slammed her against the door, rattling it.
"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Reyna hissed. She grabbed the hand on her jacket and tried to pry it off. Ma Gasket only tightened her grip, keeping Reyna in the air with one of her meaty hands.
"Where is he?" Ma Gasket demanded. Her one eye was full of rage, and that fury had twisted her face. Reyna dug her nails into Ma Gasket's hands, which seemed to have no effect.
"Who are you talking about?" Reyna demanded back. It hadn't been long enough since she saw Ma Gasket last. Why couldn't things just stay that way? Any attempt to squirm was futile, and Reyna felt her own anger growing.
"Where is he?!" Ma Gasket repeated. She balled up her fist and brought it back. "Tell me!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Reyna snapped. The fist slammed into her stomach, tearing the air out of her. Reyna gasped like a dead fish and felt Ma Gasket drop her. She crumpled forward, only for Ma Gasket to grab her by her jacket again. The beast probably thought she had the advantage, but Reyna was done being pushed around.
Reyna punched Ma Gasket across the face. Ma Gasket's head snapped to the side, as did one of Reyna's fingers. The cyclops stumbled back, with a look of surprise on her face. Along with blood trickling from her broken nose.
Before Ma Gasket could catch her footing, Reyna launched herself into the cyclops, slamming her full body weight into her attacker. Off balance and caught by surprise, Ma Gasket hit the ground hard. Reyna stood and lifted her foot to slam it down. Two hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.
"What the fuck is your problem?!" Clarisse yelled at the top of her lungs. Reyna tensed, trying to twist in the grasp that held her, ready to argue that she was the one being attacked. Then, she realized that Clarisse was screaming at Ma Gasket. The person holding onto her was someone else.
Ma Gasket stood and stepped forward. Her one eye focused solely on Reyna. Clarisse stepped in between the two and got right in Ma Gasket's face. Even with the height difference, Clarisse was not intimidated.
"You took him from me!" Ma Gasket accused.
"We didn't take shit from you!" Clarisse snapped.
"You took that boy from me," Ma Gasket seethed with venom dripping from every word. "I want him back!"
"Tyson? We didn't take him because he isn't property," Clarisse growled. She put her finger right in Ma Gasket's face. "You have gotten away with too much bullshit already. Trying to attack Chiron. Injuring someone who works in my bar. Now, you think you can come to my bar and throw your weight around?"
"I don't want to see you at my fucking bar ever again," Clarisse continued, shoving Ma Gasket back.
"If I don't find that boy, I am coming back here. You're next," Ma Gasket promised. Her eyes moved to Reyna. "And you, I'm going to break you, girl. I'll bend you over my table and let my boys-"
"You're not going to do shit," Clarisse snapped as she got between Ma Gasket and Reyna again. "If you come by here again, I'm going to kick your ass. The police are on the way already, so get the fuck out of here!
"I'm going to break you," Ma Gasket promised. Her gaze was on Clarisse, but Reyna knew the words were meant for her. Ma Gasket backed away. "This is going to end with me showing you what happens to those who don't show me the respect I have earned."
Ma Gasket turned and walked away. Clarisse didn't move an inch until Ma Gasket had turned the corner. Then, she turned towards Reyna, "You okay?"
Reyna felt the restrictive arms fall from her waist. Her gaze moved back to Frank, and he gave her an awkward smile, "Sorry. I didn't want you to lunge at her."
"It's fine," Reyna dismissed. She looked at Clarisse. Her breathing was almost back to normal, but her finger hurt like a bitch. She lifted the broken appendage. "I'm fine. Except that."
"Frank, watch the door," Clarisse ordered. Frank nodded. Clarisse gently grabbed Reyna's hand and examined her finger.
"I really don't want to go to another doctor," Reyna began as she looked at Clarisse. "Chiron made me go to a dentist two days ago, and I- fuck! Warn me next time!"
"Sorry," Clarisse said. "If I warned you, you wouldn't have let me do it or just tensed up."
Reyna remained silent and she examined her now straight finger. Clarisse gently grabbed her shoulder and led her towards the door, "We need to get some ice on it. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Just a little winded. Really pissed off," Reyna admitted. Clarisse nodded and led her inside. Reyna shifted as she realized everyone in the bar had stopped what they were doing to look at the commotion outside.
Reyna closed her eyes for a moment. She was going to tear Ma Gasket's world apart. She just needed a few more days. Reyna opened her eyes and looked at her broken finger. The cyclops and her entire family would pay.
"You don't have to pay me back," Chiron insisted. He was helping them clean up the bar before leaving. There was a look of concern in his eyes as he studied Reyna. She was holding enough money to pay him back in her hand, but it was the same hand that had two fingers taped together.
"I do," Reyna insisted. "And, you are going to accept it. Especially since you made me go to the doctor."
Chiron sighed and took the money, "I would still have made you go back no matter what. Are you sure you're okay after what Ma Gasket did?"
"I'm fine," Reyna insisted for the umpteenth time. She tried to grab a rag, only for Chiron to give her a look. "I have two hands. I can at least wipe something down."
Chiron finally handed her the rag. Reyna turned and started to clean a table. When she had finished with the table, she turned to clean the rag. Reyna jumped as she saw Jason standing right in front of her. She must have been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear him coming.
"Sorry to scare you," Jason began. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to apologize for the other day. I was kind of a dick to you, and you were just trying to help."
"It's fine, Jason. Water under the bridge," Reyna dismissed with a shrug. She placed the rag into the water and examined her taped fingers. Chiron had insisted that she go to the doctor to get her hand checked out, and when she tried to argue, he said they would call Will to come to the bar.
So once again, Reyna was forced to be a patient. Part of her missed the days when she would just wrap up her wound and hope for the best. No doctors and no hospitals. Just her, alcohol, and bandages.
"I still feel bad," Jason admitted. He looked at Reyna. "Um, I have another question for you. After we're done here, a couple of us are going to go out to eat. Leo is coming, and we convinced Nico to come along. Hazel will be there too, and I was just wondering if you would like to come with."
Reyna hesitated. This would be the first time she interacted with her coworkers outside of the bar. Jason spoke quickly, "If you don't want to, I totally get it. Today was a little crazy."
"No. I'll... I'll come," Reyna answered after a moment. Jason grinned at her.
"It will be fun. I promise," Jason swore. "Hazel and I were going to drive, so you can ride with whoever. Just know that Leo will be in the passenger's seat and will be screaming an awful racket that he calls singing."
"It doesn't matter to me," Reyna replied with a shrug. Jason nodded and grabbed the rag and bucket of water.
"We'll meet by the cars once we're done cleaning," Jason informed as he turned and walked away. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw that Piper was watching them. She promptly ignored the woman and made her way over to help Hazel with her cleaning.
Reyna's thoughts were still preoccupied by Ma Gasket. That damn monster was playing with fire. She just didn't realize it. Reyna glanced out the window and looked up at the sky. The moon was getting close to where it needed to be. Soon, Reyna would set Ma Gasket's world ablaze.