" don't touch her .. " theo will come in clutch for both ellie AND aisling
Send “Don’t touch her/him” to see my muse’s reaction to your muse defending them against a physical threat ( ACCEPTING! )
fear is a strange thing. though, perhaps it isn't fear that threatens to consume her. survival instincts, adrenaline, the knowledge that ellie is a casualty that nobody can survive. all of the above... either way. when she realizes that they've been separated in the blackout, and the armed unit that just tore through the diner with ruthless efficiency is somehow separating her from ellie, it's a natural conclusion. find her. save her. bring her out to safety.
she signals for kate to lead everyone else back to the alleyway. javier has the tattoo parlour open late tonight. they can go there, to safety. she'll catch up, maybe. ellie definitely will. she moves quickly down the hallway, darting nimbly over the squeaky boards, wraps her fingers around the taped handle of a baseball bat, and drops down to a crouch behind the door. when the first of them arrives, it's a swift strike. one to the arm, dropping his gun with a clatter, and a second to his opposite leg. he sinks down like a stone, and she swings the bat once, twice, thrice against the railings, a clanging echo filling the block. by the time back-up surges out and up the stairs, she's already scaled the lattice outside, ducking into the staff room while the remnants of the group try to establish control once more. ellie's on the other side of them, restrained in one of the booths.
she can't let them do whatever happens next. kidnapping ellie is out of the question. and knowing theo... all she needs to do is buy ellie some time. she turns around, spots the matches and magazines, the potted plants, and gets to work. it takes just under a minute. four potted plants, surrounded with damp magazine pages, ablaze and spewing smoke into the diner like there's no tomorrow. the men fumble to find and extinguish the makeshift smoke traps, but she's quicker. years of working here... she's zipped through the group in seconds, steak knife in hand, and manages to sever the ties on ellie's wrists before they have their bearings again. she's two seconds from just bolting out through the door with her, when one of the men lunges.
only... he never makes contact.
because theo has taken full advantage of the smoke to slip in through the kitchen, take down two of the men, and leave just four to take down between them.
she keeps an arm out, side-stepping until herself and ellie are aligned with the door. her gaze never leaves the remaining assailants, unless it's to make sure theo understands what's happening. that ellie needs to get out while the coast is clear. behind her, wyll and joel await ellie, armed and prepared to fight any idiot foolish enough to get in the way.