ha ha ha. Oh gosh it's been a while hasn't it? After a much deserved kick in the butt, I finally have another chapter! Also I don't really like this one but it is definitely longer than usual (or at least feels longer XD) but also this chapter is mostly me trying to look at the team through a strangers eyes. Also I would like you guys to give me opinions on my oc. I need to know if I should write her out soon or if you actually like my convenient source of information for the viewer XD but in all seriousness I myself hate ocs but found Layla's role necessary for the endgame and plot. So give feedback on oc if you can? Quick thumbs down thumbs up will do;) anyways enjoy!

Just wanted to fit in

"I do hope you're not a grifter because that cover story was rubbish."

Layla looked over at Sophie in surprise, her brows furrowed for a second before one raised in amusement. A chuckle escaped her and she felt a small weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"No. Of course not. I was never the grifter, though I guess I'm a type of grifter. I work in distractions, any and all. I never needed to have a good story and don't bother to make it convincing. I only needed to distract him long enough for Spencer to attack. I'd heard his breathing change, which signaled he'd woke up. It would only take a few seconds for him to hear and realize the situation, so I thought I'd buy him that. Although I have to admit, it was a gamble as I wasn't sure he'd make a move."

Sophie stared at the younger woman, amazed at how she had survived this long in the criminal world, but witnessed first hand the lucky success she had with her almost tactic-less tactics.

"I guess I can't argue with that."

Then another thought hit the grifter.

"Wait. You said woke up? What happened? Did Eliot pass out? Why did no one help him?" Sophie bombarded the brunette in anger.

"Well I'm sorry, but I don't know you guys very well yet and even though you seem nice, that man has a reputation that scares me. That and to make you feel better he actually wasn't out for that long. Five minutes tops." It sounded a bit rude but was the truth, not that the werewolf even thought she could breathe much less claim to help when around the blond with the taser.

Nate finished tying up the fourth man to the last chair, sighing as he stepped away and approached the two women. Parker was mysteriously gone again, though she had disappeared several times in the past five minutes, returning with something new each time. Standing back and assessing his work, Nate carefully observed the unconscious men before him, lined up one by one, two of them not enemies by choice. Nate had moved his dining table, making space to line the bound men up and have them in clear sight. Now it was time to wait for which one would wake up first. A part of the mastermind was hoping for one of the snipers to wake first but was disappointed when it was Eliot's head that started to bob first. Tensing and feeling the women beside him do the same, the room was silent except for the harsh breathing coming from the hitter. The breathing was labored and hitched ever so often, a groan finally escaping his lips as the last breath forced its way out. Sophie took an unintentional step forward at the sound, her sympathetic eyes taking in his battered appearance and only saw the man she relied on for safety. However, Nate threw out his arm, not wanting the grifter near any of the four bound men, no matter the history she shared with two of them. His caution wasn't in vain as the hitched breathing suddenly turned into a low chuckle, the sound sending a wave of uneasiness in the room. Eliot raised his head, his eyes flashing with bright specks of purple, not completely covering his eyes like Hardison, though enough to be noticed from a distance.

"I almost had you." The predatory grin that appeared on his face sent chills down the grifter's spine and she felt a shiver escape Nate. The only one who didn't look affected was Layla, and that was due to her focus being somewhere else, her eyes vacant as she murmured something about legends and curses. The young woman then turned on her heel and left the room, on a mission that only she knew. Nate would have pursued her but found his priorities not lying with chasing the werewolf down. His main concern was how to deal with his hypnotized members of his team, one of which was injured, drugged, capable of many forms of violence, and now had the supernatural strength to take down a city if he chose to do so. Bare handed. Not that it would be any feat, as Nate heard of how Eliot freed Croatia, and that was when he was human. Now he was a force to be reckoned with and Nate only hoped they could convince their Eliot to fight against this evil force pulsing underneath his skin. It was astounding that he was even affected at all, though that could be explained by his failing strength due to his injuries. Nate was brought out of his thoughts by Eliot's voice, the sound a low and rough growl.

"I see you got the silverware out."

There was much stress on the word silver, and the mastermind thought of his decision to put the actually silver, silverware taped on the hitter. Nate gave Eliot his attention, noticing the exhaustion in those blue and purple eyes. It was a miracle that the man was even conscious, much less initiating a conversation. It made sense though why Eliot was having a hard time fighting this. The man had to be running on fumes at this point.

"It seemed a necessary precaution." The mastermind heard himself say, Sophie giving a barely noticeable twitch of her hand beside him. This motion brought on the attention of the hitter, his eyes lazily making their way from him to her. An arrogant smirk lit up Eliot's face as he realized the weaker link in the room. He went to open his mouth but was cut off by the return of Layla, her nose buried in a book as she burst into the room, talking a mile a minute.

"He is a siren. Mythological creatures that are said to be half bird and woman or look like mermaids. They enchanted sailors with their voices, luring them to their deaths. I know that doesn't sound right because this guy isn't a woman, but there is a loophole. It is assumed that there is no such thing as male sirens, but that's not true. In fact, females have always been the ones depicted because sirens where a lot like the Amazons as the women are the leaders and only have the men for when they want to replenish their ranks." The young werewolf inhaled quickly to start some more on her information babble, but stopped when she realized what was going on. Her demeanor changed as she came out of her information giving mode and switched to awkward houseguest once again. It was hard to believe she just let herself get wrapped up in her work yet again, her passion for research distracting her from realizing she was with strangers. That and one of those strangers earned himself the title of 'Angel of Death' in Romania.

"Oh. Uh... I'm sorry. Uh... I'll just go back and um... Not interrupt this." She turned on her heel to give the criminals some privacy, but was stopped by a hand in her shoulder. She jumped a bit, taken off guard, but relaxed once she met the warm brown eyes of Sophie. Who would have thought that the woman she first met at the outside of that bar, with only a name given to her by the man she wanted to destroy, would turn out to be supportive and caring? Actually, now that Layla thought about it, all of this could be an act, as grifters are supposed to make their marks feel what they need them to feel so they can manipulate them later. All the hustle and bustle about these criminals, that they are the 'nastiest crew this side of the Atlantic' we're starting to unravel. On one hand, they haven't killed her yet, are nice so far, and have shown interest in helping her get her sister back. On the other, they haven't killed her yet, were referenced by the man who has her sister, and are criminals with a combined rap sheet the size of the constitution. So many options, and yet somehow, Layla couldn't help but feel safe, uncomfortable, humored, and threatened all at the same time when around them. It was like their whole existence as a team was a giant paradox and she was just there to observe their rise and fall.

"...and I think you should help Parker with that too."

It took a moment for Layla to process that the grifter even spoke, much less figure out that she had been speaking the whole time the brunette was lost in her thoughts. The background noise of Eliot and Nate arguing civilly also dusted the cobwebs in Layla's brain. She opened her mouth once, but then closed it just as quickly, afraid she would just burst out in gibberish once again. However, her mouth betrayed her when she burst out her curiosity.

"Um can you repeat that?"

The grifter rolled her eyes at that and went to answer when a new voice cut into the room like a knife through melted butter.

"Ugggggh. If someone told me it would hurt this much to be conscious, I would've happily stayed in a coma."

Sophie suddenly turned away and faced the direction of the noise. The hope in her eyes made Layla's heart ache, thinking of the same hope in her sister's eyes years ago when they had helped a young girl being bullied. That was the first time her sister said she wanted to help people for a living. Oh if only their younger selves knew how things would go, knew of the corruption of the world, knew that they would help in ways they never thought.

"Hardison?" Sophie's voice practically dripped with concern for the youngest member of the crew.

"Yeah?" The hacker raised his head, the purple starting to fade from his eyes as he glanced about the room, surprise on his face as he took in what was happening. The room had become silent, even the battle between Eliot and Nate put on hold as everyone was in shocked silence.

"How?" Nate managed to question, his mind racing as his eyes switched back and forth between one evilly influenced member of his team to one suddenly not evilly influenced member of his team. From purple to quickly fading purple. From Eliot to Hardison. And there was no idea that could muster its way into his mind, nothing that could explain all the supernatural mumbo jumbo that has suddenly taken control of his life. So he did the only thing he could do. Turning away from the bound men, he made eye contact with Layla.

"Sirens you say? Tell me more."