Work Text:
Firefights were nothing new to the Guard.
Half of their missions seemed to descend into at least one shootout of some kind, whether it be Nicky being a deadshot with his sniper, Nile with a precision shot to the neck, or Joe, Andy, and Booker laying waste to their enemies. There was always blood loss, and always the annoying task of having to collect bullet casings if possible.
But dealing with a firefight while also trying to protect a hostage, that was something that didn’t always happen.
Sure, they ‘protected’ Andy a bit more nowadays, what with her disappearing immortality and all. But even that was quick and simple. She not only understood the assignment, she assigned it. They were basically shields for her, as necessary… and when she would allow it.
The hostage they were saving was a young girl, probably no more than eight. Nile had forgotten her age amidst all the planning and infiltration, choosing to focus on the major details: child, kidnapped, probably traumatized, in need of escape and return home immediately if not sooner.
The traumatized part was true, at least.
The young girl was basically non-verbal, but unharmed. She’d been in a large dog kennel in a warehouse that had very much seen better days. She was cold, hungry, and in clear need of a bath, but she was alive and moving, which is what mattered.
Rapid-fire gunfire pulled Nile from her thoughts, driving her back to the present, where she quickly pulled the girl behind a wall. Bullets riddled the metal walls, the sound echoing around them, making everything so much louder and chaotic.
None of the Guard had expected to see so many insurgents, let alone so many guns. Their plan to quickly sneak the girl out had been ruined from the moment they stepped Warehouse 241. They’d cut through waves of for-hire soldiers already, but more were coming by the minute.
Only three buildings left , Nile thought, pulling the girl along, trying to stick to the shadows. It wasn’t helping much. Luckily the girl hadn’t yet seemed to notice that Nile was taking bullets and healing within the following few minutes.
Two more to go . The thought passed through her mind while they ducked behind some crates that had been left behind, stacked haphazardly. A small part of her let herself believe in luck.
One - a bullet tore through her head.
The good thing about still being a “young” immortal, as Andy lamented time and again, was that Nile still healed fast. Headshots killed her, but she always got back to her feet within five to ten minutes.
Nile opened her eyes to see the young girl cowering between two of the large wooden crates, completely freaked out of her mind. She felt for her, as no child should have to witness such violence, let alone see someone shot dead in front of them.
Oh wait. She was scared because Nile woke up.
The youngest immortal took a moment to gather her bearings before rolling herself into a crouch in front of the girl. In the same motion, she took a second to wipe away the worst of the blood left behind.
The girl shrunk back further.
“I am so sorry I scared you. But you need to come with me if you want to live.” Nile held her hand out for just a second, before tugging it back. She spun, fired four times, and listened to the sound of two bodies hitting the ground lifeless behind her.
“Let me take you back to your father, please,” Nile whispered. She wasn’t going to just grab the girl. Not yet anyway. She wanted to give her the chance to save herself. Take back a little bit of power, of personal ownership in herself.
Nile let her hand dangle between them again. Between one breath and the next, a small hand took it.