Eliot grumbled as he pushed his shoulder through the swinging glass door. Hardison's constantly chirping voice followed close behind. Dying to get him to shut up or at least discuss something other than the newest upgrades on the coms, Elliot pointed to his drink. "Dude, when are you going to stop drinking that? How old are you? Be a man for crying out loud."

Hardison took a defensive sip of his hot chocolate, a charmingly innocent mustache of whipped cream remained on his lip. "Hey I don't judge your drink choices. I can't even pronounce your alien tea."

They walked as they argued. It was so routine for them now, they could practically do anything while they argued. "It's not alien. It's a traditional Turkish tea and if you knew anything in the real world you would know…." Eliot's voice trailed off as he stared.

Hardison didn't catch on right away. "Know what? That I'm awesome. That all ya all should be more grateful for me. That…" In a flash of movement, Eliot bolted down the street at full speed. Hardison mumbled in confusion and then bumbling for a minute, started to follow. "Eliot man, what the heck is wrong with you?" He glanced behind him, "Did you see an old girlfriend or something? See this is what you get for sleeping with half of Boston. It's called Karma."

But Eliot didn't have time to answer Hardison. He pumped his legs to fly even faster. If it wasn't for Eliot's trained eye to be constantly aware of his surroundings, he wouldn't have noticed the boy edging towards the street in the first place. He yelled for him to move, but even as he ran he knew it was too late. The boy was already in the middle of the street with a car coming toward him. Eliot was just too far away. His stomach clenched with sickening dread as the car barreled towards the small frame, about to crush him.

Then, unbelievably fast, a form flew from the sidewalk and reached the boy before the car. In a blur of motion it dove, caught the boy and rolled. The savior must have run at the boy at a full sprint, because the force of the save and the roll slammed them both into fire hydrant. Eliot discovered that the boy's rescuer was female by the sound of pain she made.

She clutched the shaking boy to her chest as she lay there, trying in vain to prop herself upright again. Eliot was close enough to make out some of her features. She had thick strawberry colored hair that had fallen loose from her hat. She had a sweet cherub face and wide honey gold eyes. Basically the sweet genuine type of girls he stayed far away from.

He was also close enough to see the blood matted to her hair and dripping down her forehead. Her eyes opened and shut repeatedly as if she was trying to stay conscious and focused. She must have hit her head on the fire hydrant when she rammed into it. She winced when she trying to right herself and clutched her right arm. Probably dislocated.

Eliot kept heading in her direction. He couldn't help but be impressed. She had gotten to the boy so fast. Faster than normal reaction would be, unless she started moving towards him even before he was near the street. As if she knew what would happen.

Eliot's eyes narrowed on the woman when he realized she wasn't acting typically. After a quick glance down to the boy to see if he was alright, her eyes immediately darted up, looking around frantically, as if terrified and not relieved that she had successfully saved the boy.

Even though she grimaced in pain, she stood up and deposited the boy safety on the sidewalk and then… left. She not only left, she hobbled away as quickly as possibly, despite her obvious state of pain and disarray.

Eliot was about to cross the street to follow her when two black vans screeched in front of him. The sliding doors opened and several suited men came running out, sprinting after the injured woman. Eliot squeezed between the vans to race after them, something was definitely not right.

Keely ran harder, trying to make her brain disconnect from the pain. But the shoulder injury and sore muscles were the least of her problems. The blow to her head was interfering with her ability to See. It was the only way she had been able to stay out of reach of these suited goons for so long. She could always see where and when they were coming and instinctively know how to move to get away from them. Now she could only get snippets, basically images of them chasing after her, which wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. Yet, the raging headaches and dizziness cut them short.

As she ran she jumped and weaved through the crowd. She passed by vehicles seconds before they would hit her, which helped her gain time on her pursuers, but it was not enough. Abruptly, she hit a dead end. Something that would never had happened without her head injury. She whipped around and found she instantly was surrounded. As they closed in on her she took retreating steps, but only backed into a chain link fence.

She tried to control her breathing. To not let the mind numbing fear overtake her. Keely clenched her fists to stop them from shaking. Relax Keely. This isn't the first time you've had to fight them. You've gotten away before and you'll do it again. Just be smart. Think! You will not let them take you! Never! "Never," she growled aloud. Keely let the rage at them overtake her. Rage was more productive than fear.

The first man tried to reach for her. Idiot. She was able to duck under his outstretched arms without even needing to see his intentions. She spun and kicked him in the back, sending him careening into the wall. The next two who tried to take her were avoided and taken down as well.

However her sheer determination was not enough to overcome the limits of her injuries. Every time she had some inclination of how they would move next, a gripping wave of dizziness and pain overtook her. Sensing her weakening, they charged her.

She was able to dodge a few blows, but not all. A fist to her stomach had her crumpled to the floor. She kicked him, but another managed to hit her ribs making it difficult to breathe. She ducked and rolled past some, but when one blow hit her already throbbing temple she lost all ability to fight back. It took every ounce of her will power, to not collapse and black out. Only the knowledge that where they would be taking her was far worse than anything she was enduring now, kept her conscious.

She propped herself onto the fence and grabbed hold of a pole near her feet. Practically blinded by the blood steaming down her face and the pain overriding her senses, she swung out madly and furiously with the pole, screaming in near hysteria. She would not give up, no matter what. If she was lucky, maybe they would manage to kill her before they took her.

That's how Eliot found her when he turned the corner into the alleyway. His gaze narrowed at the sight. Here was this girl who looked as wholesome and innocent as a preschool teacher, practically ripped to shreds and still fighting valiantly against overwhelming odds. They had certainly already done a number on her. She could barely stand and was covered with bleeding wounds. Yet he could still see the few men she had still impressively managed to overcome. Yet no matter how injured she was or what odds she faced, she was refusing to go down… just like him.

With a growl of pure genuine wrath, he cracked his knuckles and went to work. They weren't that easy to take down. It was obvious they had training, but in the mood Eliot was in after seeing that poor girl, it took practically no time at all.

When the final man was unconsciously groaning and dumped into the nearest trash bin, he turned to the girl. She was still leaning against that fence and still clutching that pole like a lifeline. Even though her eyes were rolling back in her head and she seemed barely unconscious.

She started to fall and Eliot ran forward to catch her, "Hey!" She was limp in his arms, with her big almond shaped eyes. There glossiness made the honey color seem almost gold as they stared up at him. For a moment those eyes narrowed and focused on him and then widened with… recognition. But that was impossible, he had never seen her before in his life and he never forgot a face. Just when he thought he was imagining it, she managed to speak in a hoarse whisper, "It's you."

She winced when his hold on her slightly tightened. "Alright there sweetheart, don't worry. I'm taking you to a hospital."

Her eyes shot open in pure panic and she gripped his shirt. The force was impressive in her conditions. "No hospitals, no! Please! No doctors! They'll find me." Her eyes started to close, "They always find me." She finally fainted, completely boneless in his arms.