Archive of Our Own ^beta

avery macgyver rarely called out of work, much less got sick. she had gone to bed the night before feeling fine, after having eaten questionable looking takeout from a nearby pizza place. her dog had been acting strange around that pizza box, alerting to a possible threat or tampered with item. but the blonde, having been hungry and grumpy, ignored the odd alert and ate the pizza happily.

oh how much she regretted that decision. the blonde had woken up at two in the morning due to the sudden appearance of bile in her throat. she barely made it to the toilet in time, having tripped over empty air several times. avery didn’t even get to fully lean over the toilet before green, chunky substances flew openly out of her dry lips. it got everywhere : the floor, avery’s clothes and hair, the toilet, on the side of the sink, side of the bathtub. she didn’t have a moment to catch her breath or process what happened before more came spewing up from her stomach.

angus macgyver, her twin brother, had been conveniently woken up by her dog in the moment of the emergency. mara led the drowsy boy down the hallway into the bathroom, where their roommate and best friend had already started assisting his sister. the now more awake and alert blonde dashed to help the equally blonde female. he pulled her hair back with a towel while she concerningly coughed up more and more.

once the friends had cleaned up avery and bathroom, they gently laid her back into bed with a giant bowl. mac took her temperature, a whooping and fearing 101.4. he ushered wilt bozer back to bed, taking a knee next to the resting girl’s head. the blonde man sighed and set his palm softly onto his sister’s heated foreheads. there was no way she was going to work tomorrow, he wouldn’t allow it.

now, avery sat in the longue room. beside her, on the floor, was an overflowing basket of dirty tissues and a half full bowl of vomit, on the side table. the blonde was wrapped securely in a fluffy blanket, having curled up into a ball hours ago. within reach on the central coffee table was a glass of water and the tv remote, both of which she was too lazy to grab. at the end of her curled up legs rested mar, who had refused to leave the sick girl’s side.

“alright, ave,” the macgyvers trusted friend bozer strutted into the room. the colored male took a knee at her couch side, extending a small tablet pill in her direction. “one of those advil pills should help bring your fever down. i’ve got chicken soup on the stove,” he helped her sit up into a more suitable position, gently assisting her in taking the medicine.

she had a battle trying to swallow the pill, her throat having mostly closed up from all the vomiting. the messy haired blonde flopped back onto her pillow, groaning from the intense stomach pain. “thanks, boze. you didn’t have to call off work for me,” she mumbled out, barely being able to talk.

wilt stood up and grasped the bile bowl with two hands. he glanced down at his sick friend, trying to keep his peripheral off the green substance. “of course i had too, you’re my best friend. i always have your back,” boze smiled, patting avery on the blanket covered head.

the female macgyver smiled back, rolling back onto her side and watched the old scooby doo episode with blurred vision. her crystal blue eyes blinked, but the action didn’t help her sight. she sucked in snot from her nose, swallowing the congestion and getting a small wiff of bozer’s delicious chicken soup.

mara, a medium sized golden shepherd with a ton of fur, hopped off the couch. she trotted towards the opposite side, tail wagging slightly with each step. the golden brown dog stuffed her snout through the blanket mass and made contact with avery’s cheek. her pointed ears were pinned back slightly and she accidentally knocked over the quarter full cup of water with her bum.

“alright, mar,” ave didn’t ravel herself from the blanket, shuffling towards the couch back more. the exhausted blonde clicked her tongue, opening up the blanket with her arms and encasing the dog inside. she nestled herself into the soft fur, resting her head right next to mara’s. her blue eyes began to droop closed for the first time in hours, finally being comfortable enough to get some sleep.

avery didn’t know how long she was asleep, but it must’ve been a good hour or so. the sky had turned to night and more lights were turned on. the puke bucket had been cleaned out and the spilled water was replaced. the tv was blaring an ending episode of teen titans go, another show the blonde enjoyed.

she peeled her eyes open, feeling a bit more refreshed. her dog was still cuddled into her, but some of her body had come untangled from the blanket cocoon. she unbent her lower body and extended it out, stretching to relieve some of the tight tension. her mouth opened and she let out a big yawn. avery moved her body up just a bit, aiming to disturb mara.

“why hello, sleepy head,” a smiling, over enthusiastic bozer stared down at the waking up blonde. he had a cheery smile across his lips as her sat in a neighboring arm chair. his lanky body leaned over the table and allowed him to get a better observation of his sick friend.

avery yawned again, vision still slightly blurry. she felt boze pat her on the head, the blanket having slid off it during her slumber. her blonde hair was still flat but sticking up from stray pieces, just as her clothes were wrinkled up and exposing skin. “hey, buddy,” the female macgyver yawned once more, clearly still tired.

“i’ve got a bowl of chicken soup on the bar when you’re ready, there’s a chair set up for you. mar’s food is set out and mac should be home soon with jack,” wilt patted her on the head once more, turning back to the blaring flatscreen. his favorite girl had been a joy to take care of, she was easy going and very simple to figure out.

suddenly, there was an unexpected ring of the recently repaired door bell. the action startled the three residents and set them off guard. it couldn’t be mac, he had a key and would’ve texted when he pulled in.

mar rose from the cuddled positon and jumped off the couch, shaking her coat clean from any fuzzies. bozer stood up from his chair, face reading skepticism all over. he slowly inched toward the door, brown eyes catching no movement from the knob.

his dark skinned hand rested on the knob, cautiously turning it with his palm. he pulled the door ajar slightly, only to see it was a tall male with dark hair. “can i help you?” boze’s head was tilted to the side skeptically, observing the alarmingly calm man closely.

“hey, there. i'm a friend of macgyver's, from work,” the tall, lanky man answered in an oddly high voice. it was super well crafted and extremely believable, as he knew wilt bozer hadn’t met many of mac’s work friends. his dark eyes peered inside, catching a glimpse of the tv turned on, “is he home?”

the dark skinned man shook his head, skepticism dropping just a bit. he peered over the man; he was tall, lanky but had muscle, his hair was dark and slicked back with gel while wearing a large overcoat and black underclothes. “no, but he should be soon. his sister’s home, but she’s sick,” bozer’s tone was weighed down with sadness and concern.

“that’s why she wasn’t at work today,” he snapped his fingers and drew a dawned look on his sharp features. he was growing slightly irritated, he hadn’t expected avery to be home. the dark haired man knew little about her, but had been warned that she was resourceful, slippery, and spunky. “can i come in? i’d love to check on her, as well as wait for her brother to get home,” he gave an innocent smile.

boze sighed and dropped his head for a tad second. he shrugged openly, “i don’t see why not, just be careful. she’s got a high fever and a dog that probably won’t let you get close.” the dark skinned man stepped to the side, allowing the other to step inside.

the two stepped slowly down the short hallway, moving towards the kitchen at a turtle’s pace. wilt watched curiously as the unnamed man observed every detail of the house, even sparing a glance at the tiny hole near the corner.

“it's great to finally meet you, wilt,” the slick haired man sparked a conversation, “i've heard so much about you at the office from the macgyvers.” he had a sadistic, subtle smirk playing on his lips.

“call me bozer. everyone does,” boze corrected, not really appealing towards his first name. he skidded past the tall, obviously professional man. his dark eyes scanned the kitchen, catching eye of the golden brown dog at her food bowl. he then trailed along the counter, seeing a very woozy avery swaying in the chair, “hey, you’re up!”

avery shakily shoved a spoonful of soup between her lips, liquid filled ears just now registering her friend’s words. the blonde turned to the two, blurry eyes barely making our faces. “yeah, mar insisted. still can’t see very well,” her voice was hoarse and scratchy, which was the opposite of music to the males’ ears.

the other male in the room put his full attention on the sick blonde at the breakfast bar. she looked like absolute hell; a blanket draped over her shoulders, hair somehow flat but wild in the air, lips dry, breathing heavy, pale, and eyes were red. avery macgyver was shockingly identical to angus, even sharing the same nose shape. she wasn’t his target, not at all, but rather a painfully beautiful fall in his plan. he approached her with long strides, easily reaching the swaying blonde’s side, “you don’t seem very well.”

“i’m not,” ave sucked in a big breath through her nose, swallowing more congestion, “been sick all day.” she turned back to the soup and took another spoonful, carefully chewing up the chicken and sending it down the hatch.

bozer walked over to the sink, grabbing a clean glass cup. he stuck it under the faucet and turned it on, “so, how long have you and the twins been working together?”

ah the macgyvers are twins . “for a few months now,” his dark eyes continued to scan over the house, picking up every detail once more. he noticed how bozer refused eye contact with him, but saw that the man’s attention was solely on the sick girl. he also saw a dog dish, very recently eaten out of. and sure enough, a medium sized dog wandered up to him.

“that’s mar,” boze strolled around the bar’s corner, “she’s a golden shepherd and has been ave’s partner for about four years now.” his brown eyes watched closely as the dog performed a thorough sniff on the unknown man, knowing she’d be the final decision in if his inkling feeling was right.

the man straightened his overcoat, turning his sight to the curious dog, “she’s very.. sweet.” he was feeling uneasy around mara, unsure if this was just a normal dog. from her nose’s precision sniffs, mar was going to blow his cover if she continued.

wilt propped his side up against the counter, periodically checking on avery. “so i guess you knew nikki?” his facial expression dropped and the blonde dropped her spoon.

“i did,” the man lied easily, trying to urge the invasive dog off his leg.

“i still can’t get over the accident.” “yeah.”

avery coughed suddenly, almost choking on objects trying to escape.

“it’s tragic, what happened.” “yeah.

bozer let out a deep sigh, “my boy hasn’t been the same since.” he slid the cup of water over to the blonde.

avery grasped the cup in her shaking left hand, bringing it up to her lips and taking a large gulp. that’s when she felt it, the liquid and probably everything she just ate rising back up the track. her pale hand dropped the cup, the contents spilling onto the floor and the man’s black shoes. she fumbled to grab the bucket, just barely making it into the bowl.

“oh, ave,” the dark skinned man jogged around the other and appeared at his friend’s side. he began to lightly ghost her back, rubbing small circles around it. “better out than in,” boze tried to joke, but ultimately failing.

the young macgyver finished hurling, for what felt like an untraceable number that day. never again was she ordering pizza from that place, no matter how good of an idea it sounds.

bozer’s mind hatched an idea, one that could hopefully give him some piece of mind. “i’ll be right back,” he left the blonde’s side too quickly, “i’m gonna get her some medicine.” he raced towards the direction of the bathroom, hoping his plan would work.

“so,” the tall man nudged mar away, leaning himself against the counter, “what makes someone this sick?”

avery shoved the bowls away, propping her head up on her pale hand. “food poisoning, bad case of pizza i guess,” her voice came out as a silent, hoarse whisper. she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

his dark eyes scanned over the blonde more, catching different details. she had little scars scattered across her exposed skin, light freckles across her cheeks, and a far away look in her blue eyes. she couldn’t see him, and he knew that would be a benefit in the long run. he couldn’t lie, she sparked his interest. avery macgyver was stunning and she triggered many twisted fantasies. after he’d carried out the contract, the man would very much take the pale woman away from everyone.

hushed talking interrupted any interaction between the two. their heads turned towards the living room, and there was the dark skinned male holding the landline phone. the pair watched as bozer’s face fell into fear.

the dark haired male strutted towards wilt, moving his jacket aside and pulling out an overly large gun. he pointed the barrel at bozer’s temple and had a menacing grin on his face, “put the phone down, wilt.”

boze, fearing for his and avery’s lives, slowly put the phone back onto the receiver. he ignored the pleas of the blonde on the other end, opting that complying was the better option. his hands slowly rose up from their resting spots, coming to a halt at the top of his ears.

“boze!” avery launched herself from the breakfast bar seat, fighting with her tightened muscles to reach her friend. but, the muscles won and she ended up face planting on the floor. her ears were ringing and the blurry surface was spinning like a tornado.

the now revealed assassin took his attention off bozer for a precise second, observing the sick blonde on the floor. the spunk in this woman just kept impressing him, she just wouldn’t give up. but then his dark eyes caught sight of a table off the side, a realistic mask rested there in full glory. he leaned over and grabbed it off the stand, admiring the detail, “your skills are immaculate.”

bozer’s body was shaking, eyes darting between the man and his best friend. he was officially drowned in fear, feeling completely helpless. “what is going on?” his voice was quiet and high pitched, showing clear confusion.

the psychopath paused for a slight second, formulating a response. he was deeply misguided by the man in front of him, expecting more. “you truly have no idea? i thought you were just being careful, the file said you were part of his cover. you have no idea who the twins are,” this sick, twisted game of his just turned even more fun.

suddenly the door burst open, revealing jack dalton and mac. bozer had managed to move during the chaos, leaning over his pained female friend.

angus met bozer’s eyes, fearing his little sister had been shot. he inched out closely, with jack in front to cover him. his blue eyes soaked up the scene in front of him, there was no blood or any sign of a puncture. but, mara seemed so damned interested in growling towards their balcony doors.

the pair rounded the corner, and standing in broad light was the hired murderer. a rifle was pointed directly at jack, his face concealed by the george washington mask. dalton began to cover mac, backing the unarmed group behind the kitchen counter.

while jack was watching his back, mac snuck away and drug a half conscious avery deeper into the kitchen. several gunshots flew over his crouched head, but none of them dared to hit. he knew something had to be done, jack was running out of ammo and the opposing rifle bullets had destroyed half the kitchen.

the female blonde was dizzy and disoriented, both bad conditions to try to fight in. but revealing just how much she didn’t care, avery’s hand wandered under the counter edge palm up and landed on a small handle. her hand expertly, and carefully, pulled open the hidden drawer and removed a standard size handgun from it. the blonde swiftly shut the drawer and brought the gun into the dim light.

“ave,” jack whisper-yelled at his surrogate sister, “you’ve got a secret gun?” dalton knew she was clever, a bit too much for her own good, but he’d never seen a gun in the macgyvers’ house before.

the disoriented blonde female adjusted her legs, biting back cries of pain. she faced her ex-delta friend with hazy eyes and began to explain her plan, “jack, i need you to hold my body up at the halfway point between the middle and right of the counter. it’s got a perfect line of sight to where this lunatic is. i trust you to also watch my back, as this is a very risky move. don’t let me fall and i start to lull keep me upright.” her glossy blue eyes met jack’s dark ones, it was clear as say he didn’t like this plan.

“no, no. i can’t risk you like that-” “jack, this has to be done.”

the older man growled, frustrated by how stubborn the sick girl was being. he knew she was in no condition to do this, but avery’s skills were no guarded secret. jack growled once more, before shifting his body to have one knee propped up. his hands lightly rested on ave’s hips as he hoisted her up, settling her bum on his sturdy thigh. he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her right shoulder, shielding and supporting her.

avery’s upper half was visible above the counter, throwing the lunatic off. she rose her left hand, the gun secretly between her trembling fingers. her right arm rose to help her a better grip, stabilizing her shaking limbs temporarily. she closed her right eye lid, lining up the gun’s sight line with her own. the young macgyver took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger with her left pointer, watching as the silver bullet glided through the tense air. her intent wasn’t to kill, so she smiled as the bullet sunk into the assassin’s shoulder and he cried out in pain.

jack was proud of his girl, his little sister. but there was no time to celebrate, as his eyes widened at more rapidly flying bullets. he drug her body down to the safety of behind the counter, quickly throwing himself back into a crouched position. “the psycho doesn’t know when to stop! avery shot him point blank in the shoulder, yet he’s still walking!” dalton shouted, a bit too loud.

“ave,” bozer passed the final wine bottle to mac, finishing the last drop to make a third of it gone. he was feeling a bit woozy from the alcohol, but his curiosity was only fueled more. “since when do you know how to use a gun?” his voice got louder and panicked.

avery clutched her stomach, back against the under cupboards of the counter top. her blurry eyes stared at bozer, “i learned in the army, i was more than eod. jack taught me, turns out i’m a perfect shot.” she pushed the black nine mm gun away from her body, feeling powerless and weak to use it again.

bozer peeked his head over the edge, only to see a big gun pointed directly between his eyes. his body froze, unable to move from the immense fear. but, jack pulled him back to safety and scolded him.

mac then propped himself up, holding the three wine bottles at his side. one by one he rose the green glass, shooting it off like a rocket. the first two missed, but the third one hit and knocked the psycho through the glass of the back door. the blonde flopped himself onto the floor, laughing while looking at his three cherished.

bozer then stood up, face full of anger and betrayal. he stared at the twins with disbelief, heartbreak, and tears, “who the hell are you?”

now, the twins and bozer sat in the phoenix’s war room. macgyver was pleading to his longtime friend about why he lied, which boze wanted nothing of. rightfully, wilt felt betrayed by the two he called his best friends.

avery sat slouched in a chair, mara resting to the side. her legs were extended out and head was nestled comfortable in the leather cushion. a phoenix medical tech had given her an adrenaline shot, along with a temporary medicine to subdue the symptoms. she was drowsy, her blue eyes fought to stay awake and watch the cam feed on the big screen. her pale body was wrapped in jack’s leather jacket and she had been changed into a metallica shirt and pair of leggings.

“are you gonna lie to me too?” bozer kneeled at the side of the occupied leather chair, giving a hard glare to the exhausted blonde. his movements and tone was gentle, as he understood she was in condition to be temperamental with.

avery shook her head and gave her friend an earnest look, “no, boze. i never wanted too, but if i hadn’t the consequences would’ve been dire. one of company’s biggest protocols is secrecy, not even our own family could know. but you do know me, the real me. the one who always had your back, that’s the real me. i’ve never lied about our friendship or me as a person.” her tone was sincere and eyes pleading.

boze sighed and rested his palm on the blonde’s head, “i understand, ave. you’re the most honest person i know, you wouldn’t lie unless there was a good reason.” the dark skinned male smiled down at her.

“although it does appear that,” the smooth voice of the psychopath interrupted the somber moment and put avery back on alert, “some of the members of your party isn’t present, and i just can’t seat you until everyone is here.” he chucked like a pure driven psycho would, “macgyvers? i can only assume you’re listening in.”

the twins froze, turning their head and meeting each other’s blue eyes. they were shocked and slightly terrified.

“i gotta tell you, mac. i thought this was going to be another simple job,” the lunatic paused for a split second, putting the blondes on edge, “but you two have made things so damned.. interesting. i mean electrifying the handrails, wine bottle rockets? who does that? sweet little avery, who i watched struggle to eat soup, shot me point blank in the shoulder. i mean, come on, who knew she was a perfect shot.”

the matching blondes shivered as the killer laughed, both of them now being on edge.

“it would be a huge honor, if i was the one to put you in the ground mac,” his voice was taunting yet seldom, “i’m willing to trade all my other contracts for that chance.”

the three in the field and three in the war room all paused. from the information they had, everyone was convinced the assassin was hired just to take out angus.

“what other contracts?” patricia thorton, the big boss of them all, questioned. she was a strict woman who never had room for foolery.

the murderer’s laugh rang across the speakers, “you didn’t honestly think i came all this way for just one hit? you see, i was hired to take out all four of you.”

“wait, wait, four?” riley davis’ mind clicked. there were five on the team, not four. although she was very glad that one of them wasn’t targeted, it led her to believe of bigger plans.

“and riley gets it. yes, i said four because one of you is very valuable to my employers,” they could just hear his ever growing smirk, “miss avery, you see, is one they want alive. now i’m not selfish, but when i’m done here i will be taking little miss all for myself. she’s just too pretty and intelligent for them, they’d eat her alive.”

“no!” jack’s voice interrupted, pure anger riddling his bearded face, “i won’t let that happen.”

“tut, tut jackie boy, that’s not how it works. i’m reasonable so i’ll make a deal, if the macgyvers meet me at south entrance in the next fifteen minutes i’ll spare your lives. failure to do so.. let’s just say these babies will go bang,” the psychopath smoothed out, then cut out his audio.

the macgyver twins met each other’s eyes once more, their brains syncing up onto the same wavelengths. they knew what had to done, there was no way they would let their friends die.

shortly after, the twins had piled into a car with mara and drove to the junkyard. both were on edge, preparing for the seemingly inevitable.

mac drove past their team, making sure they were seen one last time. he watched as their fearful faces passed by, a feeling of guilt passing over his eyes. he was going to find a way out of this, for his and his sister’s sake.

the car stopped just to the side of the south entrance, the two and mar climbing out. mac’s eyes darted around the perimeter as avery clung tightly onto her canine’s collar. both were on guard, but wouldn’t deny that lingering feeling of fear. angus grasped his sister’s free hand with his own, trying to ease their nerves.

“we’re here!” the macgyver’s called out, both voices shaky.

“hoo, hoo and with four minutes to spare,” the mystery man stepped out from behind a stack of cars. he was holding a large set up with controls for each of the sniper rifles. his hair was now unslicked, bangs hanging near his eyes. he looked at the twins with a smug smirk, knowing he’d won again, “you have to tell me your secret for navigating la traffic.”

the identical blonde stared at him, emotionless expressions deep within their eyes. they grasped onto each other like small children with their parents. mar stepped forward from beside avery, jerking the female’s arm forward and growling.

he gestured his hand, as if taunting them to come closer, “weapons.”

mac removed his jacket and showed he was empty handed, tossing the leather covering into the dirt. ave dug into the waistband of her leggings and pulled out a gun, tossing it aside to rest with her brother’s jacket.

“this has been a real pleasure, you two really are fun,” the dark haired male took a step towards the twins, causing the older one to push the younger one back. “hoo, i touched a nerve now didn’t i? so protective over your sweet sister,” the murderer laughed, clicking his tongue.

“we had a deal,” mac’s voice boomed, sincere and serious.

“now let them go,” avery finished off, grasping her brother’s hand again.

the psychopath clicked his tongue again and shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what the blondes had said, “you didn’t read the fine print. i let them go when you’re dead and your sister is in my possession.”

the twins glanced at each other, identical looks of idea on their face. they nod to the other subtly, then hand in hand dart off into one direction. they weave around stacks of cars and fallen junk, eager to evade the murderous man.

“you two are as advertised, oh yes. you’re both smart, resourceful, a bit too trusting.” the man began to trail the twins, taking one small step at a time. he enjoyed a good chase game of cat and mouse. the macgyvers wouldn’t outsmart him again. “i should just kill your friends now, but i’m curious what you two will do next,” there was a big mischievous grin on his face.

the twins kept running, darting across the yard. their hands never strayed away from each other, fearful of getting separated.

he watched closely as the pair quickly dashed from his eyesight, growing irritated, “but you know, what’s not fun macgyvers, is going back on your word. your friends definitely won’t appreciate that.” his hand slid lightly over the joystick control, pressing a button and shooting a bullet through thorton’s shoulder.

mac suddenly stopped, pulling avery to the same halt. their minds began to work together, hatching an idea to allow a small time hole for the team’s escape. they began to build and reconstruct, taking apart cars and other odd treasures. the two added any touches to the completed product, enabling it and a loud screeching rang through the area.

suddenly the psycho’s screen lost signal on the phoenix team, causing him to tut silently, “now that’s just cheating.” he began to follow the noise, determined to get eyes back on the targets. “i guess the deal’s off,” he called out, trying to draw the twins out, “i should just kill your friends now.”

the dark haired man spotted a small contraption on a barrel, bingo. he strode toward it quickly, knocking it onto the ground and smashing the pieces. his eyes caught a quick glimpse of a running figure, a big smirk growing on his face. he expected the macgyvers to still be together, so he began trailing them at a slow walk. “this is the most fun friday i’ve had in years,” he approached the retreating footsteps, seeing a dead end was approaching, “there’s no one quite like you macgyvers!”

in the middle of the three way dead end stood angus, and he was alone. the blonde carried a large smirk at the shock upon the murderer’s face, knowing they’d outsmarted him again. his blue eyes watched intently as the sniper’s red lasers all aimed at the same target, “you might want to check your monitors.”

his dark eyes left the blonde’s face and examined the screen, only to see the targets were on him.

“hey,” jack dalton popped out from behind a crate, standing face to face with the taller man, “still having a good day?” he rose his gun up and clocked the psycho man in the face, “surprise, surprise hatchet man.”

avery macgyver pushed her body up into the air and knocked down the man, feeling her adrenaline strength leave her. the blonde straddled his waist from behind, drawing his arms behind his back. she was the one smirking now, “you know, remote sniper rifles can easily be hacked if you’ve got a riley on your squad.”

“it’s over,” angus kicked the gun away from the restrained man’s reach.

“come on, macgyvers. all the fun we’ve had and you don’t want to me get blown away?” the dark haired man tried to taunt out, trying to remain in control. avery’s shirting across his back distracted him heavily, as she was a stubbornly attractive woman who sparked his greater interest.

“we don’t want anyone to die today,” the blondes spoke in sync.

“you know, no one has ever caught me before,” he squeezed his eyes closed and his hips bucked upward, right into avery who whimpered out in pain.

mara, who had been sitting patiently in between mac and jack, charged forward at a big sprint. she growled deeply and unhinged her jaw, clamping around the dark hair man’s upper arm causing him to cry out.

“mara!” the phoenix team called out, but nothing could unlatch this dog from the threat. it took jack lurching forward and dragging the golden shepherd off her by collar.

“hell,” he winced out as the pain in his arm subsided, “no one has ever survived me before.” the man was truly impressed with all of them, but he was suppressing his rising urges on top of that. if someone didn’t get avery macgyver off him, he’d go feral and really put on a show.

the blonde climbed off the lunatic, feeling that he was subdued enough. she stood up onto her feet, which began to wobble. her muscles began to tighten up again and she immediately began to sway towards to the ground. but an inch of her body never touched it, as trusty ol’ jack had caught her again.

patricia surged forward and restrained the murderer, before he could even contemplate running away.

dalton propped up his hyperventilating friend onto his shoulder, hand gripping her waist to stabilize her body. he began to rub small circles through the material of his jacket and shirt, “easy there, hoss.”

avery stared directly at the tall, dark haired man. she admired his dark eyes and dark hair, especially when it was naturally played. “you know, i still don’t know your name,” she winced out through the pain of her muscles.

he turned to look at avery, absorbing the pain waves coming off her frail body. the lively, spunky girl he’d just seen had faded away rather quickly. he didn’t like the feeling she caused, the heartstrings she pulled at. the blonde was a mystery, one he would slowly have to solve. “when you’ve been in the business as long as i have, you collect many names,” his tone was soft, “but i’ve always been partial to murdoc.”

avery nodded against jack’s shoulder, growing weaker by the second, “i guess this is the end for you, murdoc.”

murdoc smirked that stupid coy smile and looked directly at her, “i do hope we get to see each other again, ave.”

avery shook her head and gave a slight smile. she felt herself giving way to the drowsiness hitting her head on, and that’s when she blacked out.