Work Text:
Working in a team with total strangers was a stupid idea Eliot mused to herself as she and two others stood on a roof. Why she had allowed Dubenich to talk her into this job? Oh right, $20,000 dollars for a simple retrieval. As she placed the ear piece into her own ear the only other reason Eliot had taken the job could be heard finalising the plans in the abandoned building across the street. Nathan Ford, ex insurance investigator for IYS who had one point chased Eliot across Europe. But now it seems he’d taken a turn for the darker side of life. But honestly if Eliot had to work with a team she’d rather it be head by one such as Nate Ford, someone she could Trust. When she heard the comm in her ear connect to the man stood in the opposite building she remarked “Not as useless as you look then”
“I don’t even know what you do” The man, She wracked her brain to come up with his name, sniped back.
“Can I have one of those” The only other woman on the job said hanging upside down, Parker. The woman renowned for her insanity and death defying stunts she could pull with ease.
“You can have the whole box” Harry? Replied to her lifting the box up to her
“What you gonna do when she finds out you still live with your mom” She sniped back at the guy who simply chuckled and replied “Age of the geek baby” she snarled and turned to him
“Don’t call me baby” when he opened his mouth again to reply when Nate barked over their comms “Eliot Hardison tone it down” So that was his name, Hardison.
Parker stood away from them fiddling with the rig saying in a nostalgic tone “last time I used this rig Paris 2003”
Ignoring the other woman Eliot turned to Hardinson and asked “These things safe” Indicating the ear piece which gave a soft crackle noise
“Mostly…I mean there could be some side effects” The man rolled off the list and Eliot felt herself grow more annoyed with him “You’re precisely why I work alone”
“On my count guys” Nate said and Eliot prepared herself “One, two” before Parker gave a yell and took a running jump off the building
“Nate she took off” Eliot said and Nate barked back
“Son of a-“
“That’s an unhealthy amount of crazy right there” She said to the guy next to her who nodded a little “We need to move lets go”
***
The job went off okay, easier than most of her own jobs had been. She had enjoyed showing Hardinson exactly what she does for a living, getting a kick out of his shocked face. All in all it went off without a hitch, up until she didn’t get paid.
Don’t get her wrong, she didn’t exactly need the money but it was the principle of the thing. She did a job and she got paid, that was how it worked, no exceptions.
That was why she found herself in a warehouse with the idiotic hacker who thought that pointing a gun in her face was a way of intimidating her. She briefly toyed with the idea of breaking his jaw, but when she looked at the side she saw the safety still clicked on plus from the way he handled it, it was plain to see he’d never actually shot a gun in his life. It was of little to no threat to her at the moment.
Then Nate Ford showed up in his white knight like glory and asked “You’re a little calm for a woman with a gun at her face”
“Safety’s on” She replied easily folding her arms over her chest, besides if he was gonna shoot her he would have done it before “Like I’m gonna fall for that” The hacker said in disbelief
“No, she’s right” Nate replied and when he tilted to see Nate snatched it from his grip before looking at her “You armed”
“No sir” She replied “Ain’t a fan of guns” and she wasn’t, she hadn’t been since Moreau. Then the one person who Eliot thought truly would fire a gun showed up, Parker came also brandishing a gun. Eliot didn’t relax until Nate took it from her hand.
“What the hell happened man” Hardison said
“This was supposed to be a walk away job” Eliot added before Nate began to speak slowly
“The only reason you guys are even here is because you didn’t get paid” He said before he began to laugh and for a moment Eliot questioned his mental health, trading a concerned look with the other man “I mean the only way to get us all in the same place at the same time would be tell us that we’re no. getting. Paid” Eliot’s eyes widened as she realised what Nate was saying
She ran with the others through the body of the warehouse, partially dragging the hacker when he fell down, she could not and would not leave a man behind. Since the money had not been paid she considered this job on going. She slowed when she felt the breeze on her face looking back she saw a wall of flame emerge from the door they had escaped through. Feeling the push on her back she stumbled to the floor feeling something hit her temple.
***
Being handcuffed was hardly a new experience for her; she couldn’t count the amount of times she had been cuffed to something. But being handcuffed in a hospital was a new one. She had initially pulled against the cuffs, but as strong as she was she couldn’t break metal. Yet.
She was being held in the same room as Nathan Ford who was still at the moment out of action. She looked down at her fingertips and found the same trace of fingerprint ink she had encountered before and cursed under her breath. Just what she needed, more ways for Moreau to find her. She heard clanking the vent above Nates head and heard Parker and Hardison talking, when Nate suddenly gasped and jerked awake. Pulling against his own bond, he looked up and stared at Eliot who stared back “Not a fan of hospitals?” She asked when he groaned when he saw the bed
“Not much” he muttered back when the noise at the vent got a little louder and Parkers voice was clearly heard “It’s about time” She said and Eliot knew she had already worked her way out of her cuffs, again Eliot cursed her lack of patience when it came to lock picking usually she just preferred to go in fists punching. “Cops and Firemen were getting there just as we were waking up” She said
“Where are we” Nate asked his voice scratchy
“County hospital, local cops responded to the call” the hacker replied
“We been processed yet” he asked and Eliot raised her fingers showing the black smudges on her fingertips.
“Already faxed to the state police” Eliot said
“Yo, if the state police run our prints we are screwed” Hardison exclaimed rather obviously in Eliot’s opinion
“How long we got” Parker asked the hacker who replied
“About 30-35 minutes depending on the software they use”
“We were printed around twenty minutes ago” Eliot said “We don’t get out of her in the next ten minutes we’re going to jail, honest men included”
Nate shook his head saying “Alright, okay”
“You know I could probably take these guys” She said contemplatively
“Don’t you dare!” Parker ordered “You kill anyone you screw my escape” Whatever thought about the job being open still and the ‘team’ still being formed was gone the moment she was printed. For all she cared they could all be carted off to jail as long as she got out of here.
“No, what we’re going to do is get out. Together” Nate said “parker get me a phone” he ordered the thief
“It was a onetime thing
“No, here’s the problem” Nate said swinging his legs to sit on the edge of the bed “You all know what you can do, but I know what all of Yo can do which gives me the advantage”
“I don’t trust these guys” Parker said and Eliot privately agreed with her
“Do you trust me” Nate asked them all
“Course we do, you’re an honest man” Eliot replied
Nate nodded before ordering in a softer tone “Parker phone”
“How exactly does she pan on getting-” Eliot started to ask before loud retching was heard “Never mind”
“Let’s give them what they want” Nate said reaching up and taking the phone
“What do you mean” Eliot asked him as he twisted to look at her
“They’re expecting a phone call right?” He asked “Well let’s give them a phone call”
Eliot watched Nate take the role of the FBI Deputy Head and she felt herself grow impressed, for an honest man Nate sure could be devious.
Eliot didn’t relax until she was pushed, rather forcefully, into the back of a borrowed police cruiser by Hardison. She rolled her eyes at the hacker’s eccentrics as he finally addressed the two local cops.
***
Eliot wanted to hurt Dubenich, hurt him so bad that he begged for her to kill him. She didn’t care that he knew her face and would probably be looking for her. All she needed was one day to know his schedule and that was it, no more Victor Dubenich. It wasn’t until Nate insisted they take them all down together, she agreed if only to help Nate get revenge on the use of his son from Dubenich. She hated people who used kids.
But when Nate had dragged them all to see some Shakespeare play to get whoever Sophie was, she was confused. More so when she saw the woman prancing on the stage butchering the English play writes work. When Nate stood in the Alley waiting for her to appear, even with insistence from Nate that it wasn’t her stage whatever the hell that meant, she protested “No I vote no”
“Err Parker’s right Eliot, Dubenich knows our faces now, we need a fresh face” he said with an air of finality he walked forward clapping loudly. ‘Sophie’ looked up and smiled a little when Nate said “I thought you were great”
“My only fan” She replied with a British lilt to her words walking towards him, she looked at him “I’m a citizen now. Honest” She said looking at him with a teasing smile, in her mind Eliot made a bet with herself about how long it would take for them to start doing it.
“I’m not” Nate said to her and she raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow in surprise
“You’re playing my side now” She asked before looking at the three of them stood behind Nate “Always knew you had it in you” She said smiling at him again
She watched Nate stumble over his words and Eliot rolled her eyes when he finally asked her to join them She replied in a soft tone “I wouldn’t miss this” Before walking towards the car and slipping into the front seat with grace that Eliot could only dream of having.
***
Eliot sat with her bowl of popcorn on the couch in Hardison’s loft apartment and listened to him drone on about Dubenich.
“Victor, when was the last time you heard of a Victor?” Nate asked
“Vietnam, town called Banho Zay” Eliot replied taking a gulp of beer, Hardison may be annoying as hell but damn if he didn’t have good beer. “On the Chinese Border” Sophie asked and Eliot frowned at the woman
“That’s an odd thing for you to know” She said, it wasn’t exactly well known or an attractive tourist destination
“That’s an odd place for you to be” She replied easily back and Eliot cast her mind back to that mission, the last on she ever did working for the Government in fact.
Hardison summed up the rest of Dubenich plan, to steal the designs from his rival to steal the business from under them.
***
Normally Eliot didn’t complain much while on a job, doing wet work she didn’t always get the chance to refuse anyway. But as she watched Sophie walk to Dubenich she almost spoke against it.
Until the woman begin to act perfectly in front of the guy, she was a little confused until Nate said “Sophie Deveroux is the world greatest actress” he said “When she’s breaking the law”
Her own hand in this job involved some heavy flirting with the guy Dubenich had hired as his sectary. She knew she had to make the right impression so she wore the tightest pair of jeans she owned and a fake pair of thick glasses that were in style right now. She knew it worked when the guy gave her a double glance. “Someone call IT” She asked
The guy seemed to be doing all he could to be close to her while she ‘worked’ on his computer while Hardison did most of the work and Parker did her thing in the office. She didn’t need to turn up the flirting until Parker knocked on something and he looked up, thinking quickly she grabbed his arm and laughed “Wow you’re pretty strong for a sectary” The guy looked at her and laughed while inside Eliot could feel bile building up her stomach.
When parker gave thumbs up with the pen drive Eliot knew that Hardison would return the computer back to normal “You have really blue eyes” The guy said and she laughed and pretended to be coy
“Thank you”
“Like really breath taking blue”
***
Eliot was playing pool with Nate when he refused to take the beer she offered him, “You know you look better than when we started” She couldn’t help but comment, he did. The first time she’d seen him he looked a wreck but at least now he looked a little better. “And that bothers you doesn’t it” She said and he floundered a little. “It wasn’t supposed to feel…” he trailed
“Good? It’s not hard to figure out you know” She said leaning against her pool cue as he took his shot sipping at her beer glass “He cheated by stealing from that other company and your good guy brain sees him as the bad guy. Your conscience is clear”
“You gonna take your shot” He asked her and she knew he was nearing the end of his patience a little, she nodded before saying “I’m sorry about your kid” and she was, when she heard she was a little shocked herself.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about” Eliot laughed a little
“Come one Nate” She said looking at him “Guy like you goes on the streets and everybody knows. It was a bad story too, how’d they justify that” She asked him and for a brief moment she saw him slip into the past, only for a brief moment.
“They claimed it was experimental” Nate replied and Eliot shook her head
“Shame you didn’t keep one of your Monet’s, you fence that-“She began before Nate cut her off and said “Eliot, you and I are not friends”
“Right, right” She said smiling a little at Nate who stared blankly back at her “Cos you got so many of those…incoming” She said tipping her bottle towards Sophie who came to Nate. Eliot slipped away and walked to what would be her room for the foreseeable future and laid her head down wondering how everything was going to work out, she hadn’t been part of team in a long time.
***
Eliot thanked her stars when the only two jobs she had left where to put up signs for Dubenich and the Nigerians. Though she couldn’t help her jab at Hardison’s inability to put them in the building directory.
She couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Dubenich realise when everything was falling apart, especially when the FBI crashed the shareholders party. She stood with the rest of the ream in the park where Nate called Dubenich’s phone.
“Yeah, you should have just paid us” Nate said putting the call on speakerphone. They could hear Dubenich floundering before he finally said “I-I found the transmitter” he said
“Oh the one with the blinking lights? Yeah we wanted you to figure out some of it”
“I’m Victor Dubenich, I will beat this” he said
“Forgetting the bribe?” Nate asked and Eliot resisted the urge to laugh when Dubenich stuttered
“Who-Who cares I didn’t get any money” He said again his voice becoming full of false confidence that Eliot had heard before.
“Well not all of it, Sophie took some of it to buy a truly impressive amount of shoes” Nate said and Eliot frowned, she never understood the need for a horde of shoes, or clothes. She only had a few necessities that allowed her to move and if needed fight in. Parker it seemed agreed with her saying “What is it with women and shoes?” Sophie looked affronted and said plainly
“There’s something wrong with you” And Eliot nodded, though in this one case she agreed with the thief she was still twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag.
When Nate hung up the team stood in a small circle while Hardison handed out envelopes and when Eliot opened it to find a six digit figure she smiled widely. “Job well done” Nate said astounded
“Hardison: There was an overlap in the London stock market. Valuation carried over to NASDAQ and… I’m just very good at what I do” Hardison said
Eliot smiled a little bit before walking away; she could retire if she wanted to. Something that was entirely unheard of in her profession, but as she walked further and further away it somehow felt wrong doing this. She turned a corner and joined Nate and Hardison saying “You wanna know what I think?”
“Not really” Nate said and ignoring the offence she carried on walking in time with the group
“How long till you fall apart again” She asked and Nate looked her dryly
“I’m touched really”
“A guy like you needs the chase; you can’t be out of the game that’s why you’re a wreck”
“I’ll manage” Nate replied but when his phone rang and Sophie moved in, Eliot knew that it was pretty much in the bag.
***
Eliot stood behind a seated Nate and Sophie as a sobbing wife described her daughter’s death. “I want them hurt” The husband soothed her but Eliot could see the barely concealed rage behind his eyes. But he quickly covered it with concern and mistrusts “We can’t pay you” And his wife nodded.
“We work on an alternate Revenue stream” Sophie said smiling benignly
The father’s attitude shifted into disbelief, something that Eliot was oh so familiar with so similar to the reaction she received when she showed up to take a job with someone who didn’t know her work. “What can you do the judge said we couldn’t appeal, what can you do?” he asked and Nate leaned forward pressing his fingers into a steeple. Eliot smiled a little when Nate began to speak
“People like that, corporations like that, they have all the money they have all the power and they use it to make people like you go away. Right now you’re suffering under an enormous weight. We provide, Leverage”