Chapter Text
She's freezing is the first thing she realizes once the silence settles around her. Ava had killed the men that had seperated the Legends and had been set on following her and Zari. But not before she had taken several hits to her torso and gone unconsious as soon as the final shots sounded.
Now that she was awake, she could see the bodies lying not too far away and a wave of nausea overtook her. But she couldn't move at the moment so she looked away and swallowed roughly.
Ava knew she wouldn't survive. They had gotten her in non vital parts, sure but no one lived through an unattended gut wound for long. Let alone several shots all over their body. But she'd be damned if she died right here, she wanted to at least be out of the rain that was coming. Fitting that today and right now it would decide to pour. Now she was really hoping that Zari had made it back to the Waverider, alive and well. She could die in peace if she knew but maybe... maybe she'd go peacefully if she was just able to be warm.
Ava wondered if this is how agonized Sara felt that first time. She hoped she wasn't cold. The director knew she hadn't been alone, Laurel had been there when her sister died. Unfortunate but at least Sara hadn't been alone.
She gritted her teeth before attempting to roll over so she could crawl. In the movies, the hero would just roll over immediately and start moving. They'd get to safety and wait a bit before a dramatic rescue happened by their companions and they'd live. Then they would heal far too quickly and rush into a final epic battle against the big bad with a renewed vigor for the fight they started.
This wasn't the movies. Ava couldn't move, she was in so much pain that she couldn't even see straight. She'd have to muster up her strength if she wanted to move away from the acrid smell of gunpowder.
So she took a deep breath.
That turned into a coughing fit where she was hacking up blood in consequence. Now she really had to roll over or she'd choke to death. 'Cmon Sharpe.' She'd cry later or maybe now while she moved.
She managed and she was able to continue breathing now that the blood was dripping off her face and not down her throat. Ava groaned in pain but she had to move, she couldn't stay here and risk being found by a potential predator or enemy. She be damned if she were eaten and even more damned if kept alive to be used. Afraid of either of those options, she started to drag herself away. The incoming rain would cover her scent and maybe she could collapse in the bushes to hide.
Just earlier that day, she had been laughing at and teasing Sara about being so short that her pants dwarfed the assassin. Sara had pouted and stomped her foot petulantly as she whined to get Ava to stop but it only served as fuel to her laughter. Eventually, Sara had given in and started laughing too, delighting in her girlfriend's lightness.
After found Sara wrapped in Ava's arms, ready to chase down these highly dangerous magical fugitives that the seismograph had picked up while they were goofing off. "You'll come back to me alive, right?" Ava asked, knowing her girlfriend could be a little reckless and self sacrifing at times.
"I will. Will you?" Ava would follow them as Time Bureau support today, observing the mission and being trained/prepared enough to handle whatever could come their way.
"Pinky swear." She held out her smallest digit towards Sara, the swear had become their thing after summer camp. A reminder of promises and secrets kept between them.
Sara's smile lit up her entire face, the worry and fear taking a backseat to their love. "Pinky swear." She laced her pinky around Ava's and they shook on it.
But they hadn't counted on the fugitives having half a brain and seperating the Legends. Seperating them so Ava and Sara were seperate less dangerous halves instead of a deadly whole. Targeted Zari when everyone's backs were turned so that Ava would chase them down. They fired round after round at Ava, the agent holding her own from where she had hid behind a tree.
She dropped one long enough for Zari to start running. The totem bearer had stopped to see if she could help but a ricocheted shot sent her scampering, leaving amidst Ava's pleasto get out of there.
Ava finally made it to the bushes as rain started pouring. She promised Sara she'd make it back, she wasn't about to break a promise. At least. She'd have died trying if nothing else. Ava closed her eyes, feeling the rain patter on her body, washing away blood that was still oozing from her wounds.
The director was unsure of how long she had lain there, barely concious and fighting to keep alive when the sound of footsteps made themselves known. She couldn't do anything, she was weak and hypothermic by now. If it were an enemy, she'd have no choice but to let them discover that she'd been killed in the standoff. Well, close enough.
"Dammit Zari! I thought this is where you said she was last!" That was Sara! Ava let out a weak gasp as she realized the Legends had found her.
"It was! Maybe she got out? Cmon, Let's search the surrounding areas." The totem bearer worried out loud.
Ava didn't have it in her to yell or give any sort of signal that she was still there. "I'll start by the bodies." Why was Nora Darhk there? Did Ray freak out and ask for her help? She didn't care anyways, Nora wasn't all bad especially since she was free of Mallus now.
Not even a minute, "Guys! There's a trail here! It looks like someone got dragged away." Nora sound worried too which was... novel to Ava.
She knew the instant the saw her. "Ava!" Sara screamed and the heavy slick thud of boots on mud came her way.
She'd kept her promise of making it back to Sara alive. Maybe now she could relax and let them take care of her. And so amidst the yelling and trying to figure out how to move her without hurting her further, Ava did one thing to stop the pain.
She let go.