Save Us From Their Long Run

Sky Fall

Avery sits a little upset with being bombarded by a plan she disliked, but Alex is right, and that irks her. She's barely awake for five minutes before he starts spouting 'split up' and it gives Ave a headache. But they look rough, even by subway standards, and so Avery and Tyler hop off the airport bus several stops earlier than the rest of the crew so they can avoid the attention. 

Quickly, they shuffle through the crowd, staying just out of security's line of sight, until Avery pauses. She spots her almost instantly, standing around answering questions while glancing back at the door every couple of seconds. Making eye contact with Avery, the woman's eyes widen as she sees them and suddenly she veers around a corner wall.

"I guess we...follow?" Tyler gets out before he's stumbling backward, breath knocked as hard as his shoulder was. "Jesus, did you see that? Hey—!" but Avery's sudden grip on his wrist stops him. She has her eyes on the man, but she already feels someone right behind her.

"I'd be happy to answer your questions, if you'd just follow me."

"Oh sh—iiiI mean hello!" Tyler says face to face with Lydia, but it's not the surprise that tightens his expression, it's Avery's hand gripping harder.

"Thanks! Lead the way," Avery stammers out, but let's the tone lilt off into something like a gruff. Lydia stands with her pointed heel crushing Avery's thankfully too large shoes and digs her fingernails sharply into both her and Ty's shoulder. They're practically dragged to the nondescript door just around the corner Lydia had disappeared.

Avery's eyes flick over the shoulders and bags and exits of their surroundings, and finds they stray to watch Tyler's careful expression, knowing he probably has bruises everywhere, and then she sees the tense point of his jaw clenching. She pats his arm twice, forgetting she still has a hold on him, and sighs before letting go.

"Took you long enough," comes from above her head. They're barely through the doorway before Avery yanks her arm from Lydia's grip and stands tall to meet her eyes.

Petulantly, she responds, "It took as long as I needed," before adding, "you're hurting us."

Avery's aunt looks more stressed than she remembers her. But she has the same eye roll, the flippant type, the kind that barely goes around halfway before she breathes pointedly and lies, "I'm sorry, but we need to go. Where are the rest, is this really all that's left?"

For a minute, she panics, but Tyler jerks his head up and says, "They're here, just got into range." He looks less tense than he'd been in the open space, but he's got his eyes on Lydia's nails. "I'm guessing your rude man from earlier got sent to check the other entrance?" he challenges, and Lydia is deadly still.

"Get those stupid formalities out of your head. We're in a rush, you're the late ones, and I don't care about your feelings. Get on the plane."

Aunt Lydia has never been polite, but she sounds particularly pressed today. Avery decides she'll trust her team to find their way and yanks Tyler by the duffel through the gates, finally alone. He turns on her and she winces softly as she braces herself.

"Look," he huffs, hands wildly pushing his sweater sleeves up and down and up again. "I'm really trying, but I just got here, and--and I didn't even--ugh!" There go his hands again, into the space around him, into his hair, dragging the hoodie tightly over his head and back again as he gets a better hold of himself.  

Tentatively, she reaches out slowly, testing the waters. He doesn't meet her eye, but he doesn't put a warning hand out, doesn't bat her hands away, so she waits until his breathing calms and lets her hand cover his restless ones. "I know you're trying really hard. I can see it," she urges, and finally he peeks up. "That was a bad first meeting on her part, objectively! But I promise you, Ty," she makes sure she holds his gaze with intent, "if this turns into what you're worried about, I will say something. You've got other people behind you, now."