A flash of bright light pours in through the basement window, blurring Tatsu's vision. She blinks it away and reaches blindly for Boomerang, moving to untangle herself from his warm embrace. He is the one who moves first though, his head snapping upright at the sound of the chopper as it circles around the farmhouse. It is so loud now, its vibrations rattling the walls, and she knows that it must be close and that they will come for him soon.

That thought alarms her and she means to do something, to sit upright, gather her things, and run. But for now she is still, stuck in a moment that feels as if it ended far too soon. So this is real? Yeah? she hears his voice again, words soft, echoing through her heavy mind. Real? Or just in my head? She almost wishes she could say that it wasn't real, that it was in his head, or in hers, so then they might have some more time here but she knows that wouldn't be the truth.

This is real and they can't run from it, can't ignore what it might be, who they might be here for. Tatsu is suddenly struck with the fear that they aren't here to help and that they are here to take him away from this place, away from her, again. She quickly turns to Boomerang and realizes that he doesn't seem to share any of her concerns.

"Aw, what?" Boomerang groans, lips pouted. "You kiddin' me? Flag's here to ruin the party?"

Then the tired Australian by her side moves to sit upright in bed, the blankets falling away from his scarred back when he sits up. Forgetting that he is hurt, his body a mess of bloody cuts and puffy bruises, He moves too quickly and regrets it. He immediately lowers himself back down against the mattress, a quiet groan slipping from his lips. Boomerang tries to muffle the sound so she doesn't hear it, so she won't be aware of his pain, but he doesn't hide it well.

Anger flares up inside of Tatsu's chest, strong but fleeting, when she lets herself think about what they did to him. It hurts her to see him like this and to remember that she couldn't protect him, but tonight she will protect him, will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Whatever this is, whatever it becomes, Tatsu will protect him no matter what the cost.

This she knows with certainty and promises herself that she will do. Not for herself or what she might feel for Boomerang, but she will do this for him. Tatsu will protect him because he deserves a chance to survive this, to start over again, and to have more than he's been given in a long time. She moves closer to him now, observing quietly as he places a hand over his tender ribs and strains forward in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the helicopter through their tiny window.

Tatsu follows, attempts to do the same, but the light is far too bright and makes it hard to see anything at all. It doesn't help that the window is narrow and high up on the wall, making it impossible to clearly look through. But they can still hear the helicopter hovering nearby, and with every second that slips by she loses more hope that Flag is here.

If this were Flag they would know by now. Porter would have told them, or Flag would have sent word. Tatsu knows this with certainty because she knows Flag, has grown familiar with him in ways she never imagined that she would, so she knows that he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't let them worry, would never show up unexpected and without sending a message through to them. If this were him they would know but no one has come to talk to them, and because of this Tatsu knows that this isn't Flag and they might be alone in this.

The Captain still doesn't seem to share her concerns, he doesn't see it this way at all. He seems completely unaware of what this could be and is still convinced that Flag is here to ruin this. Tatsu watches quietly as Boomerang collapses into the mattress with a sigh, clearly annoyed by the thought that his time away from the prison is already over and that he will have to go back now.

At the moment that is her least pressing concern. Tatsu is far too consumed with thoughts of what comes next, where she will take him if they need to run, what she will do to keep him safe, not that she even knows where they would go. Porter decided that they shouldn't know where they are, or where to go if something like this happened, because he'd been so sure it couldn't happen. He decided it would be better, somehow safer, for the two of them to know as little as possible about their location.

Tatsu thinks of him again now, only briefly. She thinks about where Porter is, if he will come for them, give them answers or a way out. She quickly makes the decision that they can't wait around for Porter to come and they need to be ready to move. They need to gather their things, get dressed, and find their own way out of here if that's what they have to do. But before Tatsu can say a word to Boomerang, he moves again.

His light eyes are clear now, filled with a new realization. He puts the pieces together quickly and soon understands what Tatsu already knows; that whoever this is it probably isn't Flag and that they might be alone in what comes next. He almost seems afraid to not know what comes next, she almost wants to tell him that she feels the same way but she doesn't.

Boomerang springs into action before she can say a word. He scoops Tatsu up in his arms and rolls, keeping her pressed firmly to his chest as they tumble off the bed together, hitting the ground beneath them with a heavy thud. He takes the brunt of the fall, his already wounded back the first thing to hit the floorboards. The Captain hisses out a groan at the impact but says nothing, keeping whatever pain he feels to himself as they settle on the ground, with him on top of her and Tatsu wedged between his chest and the floor.

He hovers above her carefully and stays close, the broad shape of his body covering hers completely. It's only when their eyes meet in the dark room that she realizes what he's doing, that he's using his body as a shield to protect her from whatever comes next. He's trying to keep her safe and she sees it clearly now that he understands this isn't Flag or Waller here for them. He knows they're here for him, just like they were that day at the prison, and still his most pressing concern isn't himself.

It's her.

He doesn't want to run, or find a way to save himself. He wants to stay here and keep her safe. Tatsu can barely think about what that means for someone like him, someone once so isolated and selfish, to want to put her first in a moment like this. But he does. She lets the thought slip away to dwell on again later and she refocuses on their situation. They need to leave now, can't risk spending too much time here in the shadows, waiting for help that might not come. So she decides to move, or she tries to move but can't.

Boomerang gets in the way. He stops her from moving and stays right where he is, determined to keep her there and shielded from whatever is outside of the farmhouse. She understands why he doesn't move, why he wants to stay here, but she knows there's no waiting this out and she needs him to understand this before they run out of time.

"Darl, listen. We gotta stay, alright? We gotta stay here." he whispers, watching her. "We wait 'till Porter comes. He'll get us outta here, yeah? We'll be right if we just stay down here. Trust me."

If she had just a little more strength in her body, if she weren't so worn down from her last battle, then Tatsu knows what she would do now. She even thinks about doing it, despite how weary her body is and how it still needs time to heal. Tatsu thinks about shoving Boomerang aside, gathering her things, and taking him far away from here.

She just can't seem to do that today, can't gather the strength, because she is already so tired. Tatsu knows that they're both still healing from Belle Reve and it only dawns on her now that if they intend on surviving this then they're going to have to rely on each other completely and stick together through whatever comes their way.

"George," she whispers. "We can't wait."

He opens his mouth to protest but quickly stops himself, deciding to stay quiet and hear what she has to say.

"We have to go. We can't wait here. Tell me you understand."

Boomerang sighs and clenches his jaw hard. His disagreement with her clear, but before he can get a word out they're both distracted by the lights again. The bright glow passes by the window, flickering deep inside the basement as if searching for something, and it quickly reminds the two of them that they aren't alone here. Slowly they move together, sinking down against the floor, his body still shielding hers.

It hurts him, she realizes now. She hears it in the sound of his shallow breaths against her ear. It hurts Boomerang to be like this, to have moved so suddenly and to have hit the floor with such force. His body is still tender, still healing, but there is no time to think about his pain. She will take care of him later, mend his wounds, give him a chance to rest, but there is no time for that now.

Her body is just like his, tender from battle and still healing. Tatsu is still wounded and she aches in places just like Boomerang does, and she isn't sure that she's ready for this battle and the chaos that will come with it. But she knows that if she has to fight her way out of this then she will. Tatsu will fight to get him out of this and to make sure that he survives, this is all she knows. It is still her clearest, most overpowering thought.

He will live through this night and many more.

"Look at us, darl. Yeah? Really take a look at the pair of us." Boomerang pleads, his voice bringing her back. "You an' me..We're wrecked, luv. We can't do this, not like last time. Our best shot, our only real shot, is the big man upstairs. We gotta wait for Porter. Tell me you get that?"

He is afraid, she sees it now, hears it in his voice. It's written in the lines on his face, too. Boomerang is never afraid, of anything or anyone. He's a fighter, was probably born one, and he knows how to survive, and yet tonight he is afraid, or at least that's what Tatsu believes she sees in his eyes. He fears what she does, that what happened at Belle Reve will happen again tonight and they won't survive it.

But there is more to it, more that flickers over his face. He isn't afraid for himself, he's afraid for her, worried for her life not his own. Tatsu opens her mouth to speak again and tell him that they can't wait for Porter to come and save them, that they have to do this together. But he is still trying to find another way out of this and Tatsu wishes that there were one.

"George," she sighs, then moves.

This time he doesn't stop her.

Boomerang lets her go and moves out of her way, giving Tatsu the chance to sit upright. He then joins her side and sits with her in the quiet, both of them still very much aware of the chopper circling over the farm, the light still there just a little less blinding now. Tatsu waits a moment, moves to kneel, and then reaches out for Boomerang's hand in the dark. She finds his hand easily and is gentle as she holds it, gives it a squeeze.

"You need to trust me, George." she insists, though it sounds far more like a plea. "Trust that I know what to do."

A soft but firm plea because she needs him here, needs him to trust that they can do this. Tatsu can only see one way out of this and it's together, fighting side by side against whatever comes. She knows that waiting and hiding in the basement won't work, that help may never come, and she can't protect Boomerang here. She needs him to understand this, to trust her, but she's not convinced that he does yet.

His expression is harder now, impossible to read, as he glances down at her hand in his. Tatsu wonders if he will pull away, and is almost surprised when she doesn't tug her hand away first. She isn't sure why she holds on, or why she finds comfort in his touch, but there isn't time for her to think of such things now. She quickly forces herself back to this moment, back to their little room and the tiny window up high on the wall.

She still can't see anything out of it and that concerns her. They are blind down here, they don't know who or what is waiting for them, and it worries her. Tatsu knows that they need to move, that they should already be gone, and yet for a moment she doesn't move. She can't. Tatsu is quiet and still when the sound of Boomerang's voice fills the air, quickly becoming the only sound she can focus on.

"Katana, luv, if you don't.." he pauses, exhales a breath. "If you think I don't trust you, of all people, then I dunno what to tell ya."

Then he squeezes her hand gently, his features soft again, or as soft as he can let himself be in a situation like this with so much danger and so much unknown. His light eyes glance her over quickly, taking in her wounds, or perhaps he is just looking though she's convinced that there's more to it than that. She can't be sure but she only knows that when he's done, he lets himself come close to her again.

Boomerang leans in, puts his forehead against hers, and stays there in a rare moment of softness that he doesn't usually allow himself. It's the same for her, so new and unfamiliar, to be like this with someone else. To be this close, this still, with him. Tatsu releases a slow breath, tempted to close her eyes, only she can't do that right now. They can't stay here, can't spend much more time in this room, but she still can't move just yet.

"I trust you, alright? More than I've trusted anyone in a bloody long time, maybe even ever." he says then pauses, as if startled by the admission. "But I think you're forgetting about that silver fox Porter. He'd never let anything happen. He likes me too much and he thinks you're alright too, most of the time. We're gonna be just fine, darl. I swear it."

But she is still not easily convinced, not at all, and Boomerang still isn't seeing this differently. Tatsu says nothing for the moment and pulls away suddenly, her gaze flicking up to the small window as she quietly works out her plan to get him out of here. She can't wait for Porter, can't trust anyone else to get them out of this. She knows that this isn't Belle Reve, that it's different here, but she can't risk letting that happen again.

Tatsu knows that Porter is different, he is a soldier, so unlike the guards at the prison. He doesn't have a grudge against Boomerang, he actually seems to almost like him sometimes, but she still can't trust that. She can't trust anyone else with his life, only herself. He can't do this alone, he is too wounded, his body tired and still carrying the pain from Belle Reve. He has no weapons, nothing to fight with. He only has his fists and he's in no condition to fight with his already injured knuckles.

It only really dawns on her now just how bad his condition is, how little he will be able to do with his tired body. Boomerang isn't ready for this fight but she will still need him there to fight by her side, to survive this together like they did that night in the city and then again in Belle Reve. She will do what she can for him though, fight where he can't, just to make sure that he gets through this.

She wishes they had more time to heal, that he had a few more days to recover. They were supposed to have more time than this. Two more days, they were promised, but that's over now. Her heart clenches at the realization that this is it and it's over now. They will have no more moments, no drinks or stories in the dark, no time to learn about each other. They only have now and whatever comes after it, though there's no guarantee that they will both make it through this.

Suddenly it hits her, a familiar feeling, that she doesn't know what comes next. She doesn't know what will happen to Boomerang if she can't get him through this. She will fight, will give everything she has to protecting him, but what if she loses? He is still there, kneeling in the dark, when Tatsu turns to him minutes later. His soft gaze is already set on her and there's a clarity in his eyes that wasn't there just moments ago.

It lets her know that he's willing to try this her way because he trusts her. He's never trusted anyone else the way he trusts her. That thought, the heavy realization, that he might trust her more than anyone else, ever—it's too much and she can't let herself think about it now, can't let herself dwell on the weight of his admission and what it means for them. So she forces it away and turns to him, gently moving a hand to his forearm and resting it there.

"Trust me." she says again.

He nods slowly, his mouth parted to answer, the words almost out, when he is distracted again. If Boomerang speaks, she doesn't hear it. Tatsu is suddenly distracted too, by the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs, the noise so familiar to her now. Three or four seconds later, the lock on the outside of their door is dragged across and unlocked, followed by the creak of the door swinging open and heavy footsteps running down the stairs toward them.

Tatsu is up on her feet in a heartbeat, jumping swiftly over the bed to reach for Soultaker. By the time that she returns with her sword, moving to stand by Boomerang's side, she discovers that he is also armed. Not with a random objected grabbed at the last minute but with something much more familiar, something that belongs to him and is somehow with him now, miles away from Belle Reve.

In each hand he grips a sleek, shiny boomerang.

She is immediately struck with a curiosity to know how this is possible, if Boomerang crafted the weapons here—but how? Tatsu quickly decides to ask her questions later and turns her gaze up to the stairs, moving to stand in front of the Captain. She waits there and listens to the sound of the footsteps as they descend further down the staircase, until finally a man dressed in a soldier's uniform appears on the very last step

He is unfamiliar to her, but not to Boomerang.

"Reggie? Oh, mate. Bloody hell!" he shrieks, dropping his weapons. "Nearly took yer bloody head off! Shit. Hey. What's with all the nonsense going on outside anyways?"

The light-haired guard, who she now knows as Reggie, smiles at Boomerang for half a second, apparently amused by his reaction despite their current situation. She almost feels surprised to see someone react to him this way, to show him such genuine kindness. She doesn't let herself dwell on it for long and lowers her sword, watching quietly as Boomerang takes a step over to his new friend.

He spares a look back at Tatsu, one that she reads easily. It's as if he's saying with his eyes; ha, told you so. Tatsu ignores the look and exhales a breath, relieved that someone is here for them. Her relief fades the moment that she realizes that Reggie is armed and doesn't look like he's just here to pass on a message.

"We're compromised." he informs them. "Porter's on his way. You two are with me. Time to go."

Tatsu lets out a breath but doesn't move, aware that they will have to go now and leave everything behind. But she can't move, can't leave behind the things she came here with. She needs her clothes, her belongings too, because they are so much more to her than that. Her things, neatly set out on the dresser, are a part of who she is now and she can't leave them behind.

If this leads to a fight, which she is certain that it will because it always does, then she will need her clothes to fight in and her smaller blades for extra protection should they need it. She's not sure how, or why, but Boomerang gets it. He understands with no looks, no words shared between them. He knows what she needs and he's off in a second, ignoring Reggie's order as he picks up his black duffel bag and leaps over the dresser to where all of Tatsu's things are gathered together.

Moving swiftly and with care, he scoops up all of her things (mask, smaller blades, her clothing) and dumps it all into his bag, while ignoring Reggie's calls and yelling back a mostly playful insult of his own. But whatever comes after is cut off by the sound of gunfire pouring into the basement. The glass windows are the first to break, shattered by the bullets fired through them.

Boomerang moves quickly through the chaos and jumps back over the bed to where Tatsu is standing. He grabs her with a tug, not intended to be harsh but protective, and pulls her down to the ground again. He flattens himself against her and uses his body as a shield to protect her, just like he did before but this time it's different.

Bullets rattle through the air around them, ricocheting off walls and broken pieces of furniture. Tatsu doesn't try to move, not this time. She stays right where she is, her body shielded by his, and she clings to him. Tatsu buries her face into Boomerang's chest and clings to him, as the bullets fly into the wall above their heads. They sink further to the ground together, holding each other tightly. When this is over she will protect him, she decides, but for now she lets Boomerang protect her.

It feels like the gunfire stretches on for hours, never coming too close to them, not like the first few shots. More glass shatters, followed by the sounds of shots being fired back from upstairs. So they aren't alone, she realizes, and wishes the thought could comfort her but it doesn't. He does. Tatsu holds him tighter, very much aware of his heavy breaths and the feeling of his arms around her. She buries herself against Boomerang and he holds her closer, shields her completely from the room.

Minutes later when the fire slows and then stops, her ears are still ringing and she can't hear a thing. She doesn't even know that Boomerang is leaning down over her, speaking to her, until she opens her eyes and finds him there. His voice is muted at first, impossible to hear, then gradually it becomes clearer. His voice starts as whisper, slowly becomes louder, and then she can finally hear him telling her that they should go now, insisting that they follow Reggie and—

Tatsu looks up at where the soldier last was and finds him on the stairs. He's been hit, badly. His body is twitching and there's blood spilling from a wound on his chest, though she can't tell where the wound is, not with all that blood. She barely gets a chance to focus on Reggie before she's pulled away, with a harsh tug, to the moment Cooper was shot down and bleeding in front of them.

She remembers the moment too clearly. His blood smeared everywhere, the fear in his voice, his final plea. Tell her. You gotta tell her. Tatsu forces it away and turns back to Boomerang, who is hovering over her and currently unaware that his friend is wounded on the stairs. He's too concerned with making sure that she's okay, that she hasn't been hit. His eyes dart over her frantically, his hands following, to check her over and make sure that she isn't hurt.

Boomerang's gaze follows hers eventually, over to the spot where Reggie is wounded on the stairs, and he freezes. She can only imagine what slips through his head in the next seconds, what pain he must be relieving. If he thinks of Belle Reve, or his life before this one, then he says nothing, doesn't let any of it through. For the first few seconds he doesn't move at all. He just stays there, his body shielding hers, and then they move together.

She makes sure that they stay low, as close to the ground as they can. Tatsu gets to Reggie first, her hands stretching out to find the wound and slow the bleeding. She finds the wound lower than she realized and presses a hand hard against the spot to stop the bleeding. Reggie winces, lets out a cry, but says nothing. His breaths are ragged, his hands shaking as he looks between the two of them.

Tatsu wants to comfort him, offer him kind words, but she can't. For the moment she can only look at Boomerang when he joins them, a knife in his hand, the silver glinting in the dark as he uses it to cut off a piece of fabric from one of his t-shirts. His hands are shaking though, just like Reggie's, and he isn't at all steady as he cuts the fabric away from the shirt and leans in to wrap it around Reggie's wound. But he can't do this, she quickly realizes.

His hands are too shaky, he can't seem to steady them, so Tatsu decides to take over. She moves in suddenly, takes the fabric from Boomerang's hands, and winds it tightly but gently around Reggie's wound. He lets out a cry again but she doesn't let herself hear it. Tatsu stays calm and focused, ignoring the gunfire rattling off the walls and the pain noises coming from the tired soldier.

Tatsu forces away all sounds and distractions and focuses on the task in front of her. The gunfire ceases just moments after she finishes wrapping up Reggie's wound, though her ears are still ringing moments later, the distant sound blurring together with his voice when he finds the strength to speak.

"Go," he insists, between heavy breaths. "Porter's st—still here. Go."

Her first instinct is to stay because he's wounded and he needs their help. But then she sees it, a clear understanding in his eyes, that he knows what they have to do now. He's exhausted and afraid, in so much pain, but he knows what has to be done and he wants them to do it. Reggie knows that they can't wait this out and they can't bring him with them.

There is no other choice, this is something they both understand. Tatsu wishes there were more that she could do and she reaches out, pressing a hand to the soldier's forearm. He won't be alone for long, he will get help, someone will come for him, but it can't be them. Tatsu knows that they have to go now, but Boomerang still sees it differently.

"No way. Not a chance, mate. We're not goin' anywhere." Boomerang's quick to answer. "Look, I'll just—I'll carry you outta here, alright? It's easy, yeah. C'mere, I got ya. Let's get outta here."

George, she thinks, might even say.

If Tatsu says his name, if he hears it, he doesn't turn to look at her. Boomerang simply reaches out for his new friend, a man she hadn't realized he'd bonded so closely with until now. But she sees it now, sees what this means to him. He can't lose someone else, not here, not again. Tatsu wishes she could reassure him, tell him he won't lose anyone else, but it would be a lie and they'd both know it.

She wishes she had time to tell him this isn't his fault, but she thinks that even if there were time he wouldn't believe it. Tatsu decides to try later anyway and she looks back to Boomerang, noticing how he now seems to understand what it is that Reggie wants, what must be done next. He stops trying to help his friend stand and sits by his side.

The two share a quiet moment while Tatsu moves away, staying low as she gathers the bag filled with their things and returns to the stairs. By the time that she joins his side again, Boomerang is ready to go. Whatever quiet words shared between the two men are over now, unheard by her. She doesn't ask, she simply gives Boomerang his duffel bag and watches as he slings it over his chest. She decides now that there is no time to get ready for this, they will have to stay as they are, with Boomerang in his briefs and t-shirt and Tatsu in her baggy black shirt from last night.

The only have each other now and the weapons they have on them. Tatsu watches Boomerang as he takes the shiny weapons from his bag, aiming himself with a boomerang in each hand. He glances back at Reggie one more time then follows Tatsu further up the narrow stairs. When they reach the door they become completely hidden from the windows and gunfire, and for the briefest of moments they are safe here.

It's not much and it won't last because it never does, but for now they are safe and Tatsu feels like she can breathe again. She lets out a sigh and turns to observe the Captain, who moves to stand close to her while he digs around inside of his duffel bag. He quickly finds what he's looking for and pulls it out, revealing a third boomerang almost identical to the others.

Tatsu still wants to know how it's possible that he's armed, how he has any weapons at all when he should have had none, but for now she doesn't ask. She doesn't search around in his bag, despite how curious she is about what else she will find in there. Now isn't the time, she decides, and quickly reaches for her sword again. There isn't much time for anything, no masks or boots, nothing she isn't already wearing. She doesn't mind so much, but there's something about the way that Boomerang looks right now that she gets stuck on.

He seems so exposed, so vulnerable, with such little protection to cover up his already wounded body. It's then that she reacts on instinct, reaching into his bag and digging around for his coat, the one he wore that night in the city. The same one that he wears in her dreams. Tatsu's jaw tightens and she keeps searching until she finds exactly what she's looking for. Her fingers brush against the soft, familiar collar of his fluffy coat and she pulls it from the bag, quickly glances it over, and then stuffs it into his hands.

Wanting, no, needing him to wear it. For him to have more protection, to keep his body safe somehow. Boomerang seems to understand what she wants, and why she wants it, and he doesn't question her. He simply takes the coat, pulls it on, and then readjusts his duffel bag across his chest. Once the jacket is on, he sighs and bends his head down to meet Tatsu's gaze a little more directly.

"Hey, we're gonna be just fine. Alright?" he says, almost smiles. "It's you, after all. Yer a bloody legend, darl. You got this."

Tatsu nods once and says nothing, despite wanting to. What can she say? She has so many fears about this, so many concerns about what is going to happen to him outside of this room. She knows how this goes, has faced this fight many times, but it has never been quite like this before. She breathes in, looks up at Boomerang, and curls her hands around the door handle, and suddenly she can't.

(can't move, can't think, can't let this be it.)

Boomerang offers her a nod, simple and focused, and it lets her know one last time that he believes in this. He believes that he's up to this and she hopes that his determination will be enough to get him through this. Maybe, she hopes, it will help them get through this together. Tatsu wants to tell him this, that if they stick together and fight side by side then they might find a way out of this.

Before she can say a word, he kisses her.

It's over before it begins, really. The smallest kiss, so light, so fleeting. But there isn't time for more, and he understands that. Boomerang takes a slow step back, nods at her once, then fixes his gaze on the door, ready for this. She feels ready now too, as ready as she will ever be to face what is waiting for them on the other side of that door.

Together.

The house is barely recognizable, once organized and now a bloody mess. Her head spins as she struggles to remember the layout of the farmhouse, not that she ever had much of a chance to look at it, to learn its exits, the safe spots to go and the places to avoid. From memory she recalls the kitchen having the most cover and the living room being far too open, too vulnerable, too many windows and not enough places to stay low.

And yet somehow that is right where they end up, taking cover behind a flipped over couch torn apart by bullets. Tatsu crouches down low and stays there, distantly aware of the sounds of gunfire coming from upstairs. Her sword is already wet, slick with the blood of the intruders who had been waiting for them outside of their door, clad in black gear and carrying weapons identical to the ones used at the attack on Belle Reve.

She files that information away for later, much later, and spares a glance over at Boomerang. He is crouched down by her side, his eyes dark and wide, scanning over every inch of the room as they prepare themselves for what will come. The fight rages on; upstairs the walls bounce with bullets, over in the kitchen two of Porter's soldiers are fighting off intruders, and she knows that outside of these walls they will find more danger.

More bullets, more soldiers, coming for them.

Tatsu doesn't have time to think about that thought, not now when she needs to focus on getting them safely through the house. She will focus on what comes next when they are outside and this is something that they both understand, as they share a look and then move together. Still crouched down low, behind the cover of the couch, they begin to make their way across the living room that she knows won't stay empty for much longer.

Too many windows. Not enough places to stay low.

The thought comes back to her as bullets whip through the room, bouncing off walls near their heads. The shots come from over by the doorway on the right side of the room, the path that leads them to the kitchen or back downstairs to the basement, and they can't go back that way so they turn and run. In perfect synchronization, they dodge the gunfire and run to take cover.

Boomerang dives behind a flipped over coffee table for cover, while Tatsu returns to the shredded couch. She's there only for a heartbeat before she springs back into action. Tatsu spots her target, a soldier in black gear, and she charges at him. He isn't expecting it, and she isn't expecting herself to move so quickly or efficiently but she does.

Tatsu runs, sword in hand, and narrowly avoids the next round of gunfire before reaching her target. She wields Soultaker swiftly, taking the soldier down just as two more intruders dressed in the same dark gear appear behind him. There's barely a moment for Tatsu to react before Boomerang is there to help her out—or more accurately, his boomerangs are there to help.

The sleek metal weapons whip past her head with a surprising accuracy and speed. The two soldiers charging at her are stopped before they can get close. Boomerang's weapons move swiftly and wound them so severely that once they fall they don't get up again. Tatsu doesn't spare them a look and turns back to Boomerang, watching as his shiny weapons return to him and he catches them in his hands with an ease that reminds her of how she wields Soultaker.

She barely has time to register what it feels like, how it feels to be fighting by his side (she feels pride, perhaps, or possibly gratitude) when they are hit again. It comes from both sides of the living room this time. Soldiers dressed in dark gear come at them, swarming Tatsu from the kitchen and coming at Boomerang from the door on the other side of the living room that leads to parts of the house they haven't ventured into yet.

The intruders come at them hard and fast, with batons, bullets, and fists. Tatsu moves quickly, dodges their fists and bullets without taking a hit. But a baton, moving faster than she is, clips the side of her head and sends her staggering back. She is dizzied, her world slowed down for the briefest moment, and then she is fighting back again. Her jaw aches, she is distantly aware of blood tricking down the side of her face, but she fights back anyway.

It's tricky though because their armor is thick and there are five of them fighting her, but the odds aren't impossible. It just requires her to work harder, to give everything she's got left, so she does. She wields Soultaker swiftly, works hard at cutting through armor and slashing through solid gear, and somewhere in the room behind her she becomes aware of Boomerang again.

She doesn't hear his voice but the muffled sounds of him fighting back. It sounds messy and painful, but there are no bullets for him. She realizes it suddenly, like a punch to her side. No bullets are being fired at him, no one is shooting at him like they shot at her, so that means they want him and they want her out of the way. It's a thought that she can barely dwell on and instead she focuses on taking down the soldiers still surrounding her.

Tatsu struggles when more come at her from the kitchen. But they die, as the others do, quickly and painfully. She kills them but it still isn't over. More will come, this she knows, has always known. They want to hurt her, kill her so they can take Boomerang away alive. Why? She doesn't know, but she is certain that she won't let him go without a fight. She feels the rage spill out of her with every strike of Soultaker and soon the soldiers around her are down, her battle over for now.

She quickly turns back to the living room, barely getting a glimpse of Boomerang before she's knocked back. The intruder charges at her suddenly, leaving behind the small group of soldiers still fighting to get the Captain. Tatsu can't even get a clear look at him before the soldier in the mask runs at her, a baton gripped tightly in his hand.

The weapon collides painfully with Tatsu's face, sending her falling back against a nearby wall. With a sharp jolt, she is reminded of Belle Reve. The men she fought, the ones they lost, the bullet that grazed her. Tatsu's eyes snap shut and pain flares up her side as she thinks about the bullet that sent her flying down to the concrete. This time she doesn't hit the ground, just the wall behind her.

With Soultaker still in her hands, Tatsu attempts to bounce forward, to jump up again. But her side is stinging, the skin there damp with blood, and she doesn't move fast enough. She doesn't swing her sword at the right moment and misses her target, who slams her back into the wall and knocks Soultaker out of her grip. She hears the sword clatter to the ground, loses sight of it, and is forced to fight without it.

Tatsu struggles to fight back with her fists. The soldier above her is much bigger than her and far stronger than she feels today, but she fights back anyway. She is trained to kill, knows how to survive, where to hit and how to kill without her sword, and most days she is good at it—but she is wounded now, her side aching, her hits not strong enough to take the soldier down, not without Soultaker and the sword is still out of her reach.

She hits the wall again, dizzied as she's slammed back into it. It hurts. She's bloody now, and aching all over, and desperate to fight back, but she's so tired now. Tatsu wills herself on, still distantly aware of the gunfire outside of the house. It tells her that they aren't alone, that Porter and his soldiers are still here, still fighting, but it doesn't comfort her. She feels alone here and her body aches, hurts where the intruder hits her with his baton, over again.

And then she isn't alone anymore.

Boomerang comes back to her and the rest happens in a blur. He puts the soldier above her into a headlock, falls back against the opposite wall with him (kicking, and writhing, and fighting in his arms) and after that Tatsu doesn't look. She falls to her knees, her side aching, ribs sore from where she was hit. Then she begins to look for Soultaker, finding the sword just steps away. She begins to crawls towards the weapon, only stopping when Boomerang drops to her side, puts an arm around her and pulls her into him.

Her first thought is that his skin is dirty now, stained with blood. Hers too. He's still gripping a boomerang in his hand, the shiny metal is darker now and coated in a thin layer of blood, just like her sword. He's wounded too, like she is. His breaths are heavy, his eyes darker, and he's holding his side like he's hurt there. There are fresh wounds on his face too, a gash here and a dark bruise there.

Tatsu's instincts kick in and she reaches for him. She struggles, feels pain shoot up her side, but she ignores it and reaches for him anyway. He seems to understand what she's doing, that she's trying to check him over because she needs to know he isn't hurt. He understands and shakes his head, almost too out of breath to answer her at first.

She quickly realizes that he's doing the same thing. His gaze is wide now, deep with concern, as he glances her over. Boomerang's eyes moves fast, linger on the side of her face where the baton hit her, and then his jaw tightens and she knows that he is angry. Not with her, or even with himself, but with the ones who did this to her. Tatsu moves to stand suddenly, and so does he, but they're both so out of breath that they need a minute to rest.

"I-I'm alright. I'm alright." he stammers, lets out a breath. "Bloody hell. That was—"

"You're bleeding." she whispers, reaches for him again.

When they stand, they stand together. Tatsu stays close to Boomerang, resting against his side, and he leans into her just enough to steady himself. It hurts to move, her body aches everywhere now, but there isn't time to wait here. She wants to stay here with him, catch her breath, take care of his wounds and then her own, but they can't and he gets that. But he stays close, an arm around her, trying to support himself and help her stand with him.

"So are you." he says, seconds later, and that's all.

It takes her back with a bang to Belle Reve, to the moments they spent wandering the corridors together. Tired, and aching, and sticky with blood everywhere. What happened to yours? she remembers him asking then, though it is so different now. Tatsu exhales a breath and focuses on being here and not lost in a memory, but she struggles, needs one more minute to catch her breath.

"You alright, darl?" Boomerang asks soon.

His voice is gentle, words soft, and something tells her that he already knows her answer. She nods anyway, a silent yes, and he doesn't seem to believe her but she didn't expect him to believe it. Boomerang says nothing, simply watches Tatsu when she leans into him, needing a moment more to steady herself. She's tired now, sore in places that didn't hurt before, and she's not quite sure how they're going to do this but she can't let him see her pain or her doubts.

So she forces herself to move on.

Tatsu staggers away from Boomerang, collects Soultaker from the ground, and grips the bloodied weapon in her hands. Then she turns over her shoulder to find Boomerang still standing there, his breaths heavy, a hand pressed to his ribs again, but he says nothing about his pain and just nods at her. He feels the same, she realizes quickly, doesn't want to show her any weakness or fear. Her gaze doesn't falter, her expression stays hard like his, and then they move together.

The gunfire isn't coming at them, not for the moment, not through the shattered living room windows. Tatsu takes this as her chance to move and Boomerang follows swiftly, into the living room and down behind the flipped over couch for cover again. She waits, checks that it's safe, and then moves again. He falls behind to gather his dropped boomerangs off the floor so Tatsu moves ahead without him, only a few steps, just to clear the path ahead of them and keep him safe.

She moves slowly through the ruined living room and over to the door up ahead. Tatsu waits, tightens her grips on Soultaker, and then steps quietly into the dark space. The hallway is empty so far, the sounds of struggle and chaos distant, mostly coming from upstairs or outside. It feels quiet here, far too quiet for a house filled with so many noises and dangers. It feels like it might be their only way out though, even if Tatsu doesn't know where it will lead. The kitchen is too risky, the front door an impossible exit, and they can't sit around in the living room or go back to the basement and wait for Porter to save then.

So this seems like their best chance at getting out of this house, even if it doesn't sit well with her that she doesn't know the layout. Tatsu can't be sure if this is the right way to go, she won't know that until later, so she decides that she needs to take this chance. With a breath she pushes on, leading the way step by step through the dimly lit hallway. The floorboards creak quietly when she moves and it's only now that she realizes her feet are bare, wet with blood that isn't hers.

Tatsu struggles to ignore the memory that comes back to her, of Boomerang standing in that tiny prison cell, his feet a bloody mess. She forces it away and comes to a halt, quietly focused on scanning the small space around her. Up on the left, and close to the back of the house, there's a room that sounds empty. The door is ajar, there's a lamp on inside, but she hesitates, aware that there could be soldiers inside who could hurt them both.

She stares cautiously at the half-opened door for a long time, listening for a noise or a sign that someone might be in there. When she hears nothing she turns her gaze up to the staircase on her right, that leads up to the second level of the house. That is where most of the gunfire seems to be coming from. It rattles off the walls, but there is less of it now. She believes it's because the bullets have run out, or because a different fight has started.

Her grip tightens on Soultaker and she turns over her shoulder to find Boomerang by the doorway. He joins her quietly, not wanting to make a sound, and he doesn't. He falls into place behind her and then follows her lead when she moves again, walking silently by her side through the hallway as she leads them. To where? She still doesn't know where they will go, because the back of the farm is another impossible exit, likely surrounded with soldiers waiting for them.

Her instinct tells her to keep going through the house, find another escape, or a window to climb out through. Tatsu barely has a chance to think through her new plan when they're attacked again. This time the bullets come at them from the stairs, fired by a soldier almost impossible to see in the dark. He fires off shot after shot, all aimed at her.

Boomerang reacts first, hurling his sleek weapon at the intruder with an impressive ease, and then he dives toward Tatsu and drags her back into the empty room on the left, their bodies crashing hard against the floor. Somehow he still manages to catch his boomerang when it flies back to him. Tatsu doesn't know why, of all things, this is what she focuses on, as she watches Boomerang drag over a flipped over wooden desk for cover, using it to shield them both from the incoming fire.

It takes Tatsu a minute to pull herself up from the ground and join his side. She moves slowly, joining him where he kneels, crouched low behind the table. Her side is aching now, the stitches ripped. She places a hand against it and isn't at all surprised by the warmth she feels pooling underneath her t-shirt. Tatsu grits her teeth together and turns to Boomerang.

"Darl, gotta try—We gotta try somethin' else, yeah?"

It goes unsaid, what he almost says, but she knows what it is anyway. Try something else or we'll die here. Tatsu knows this is what he means, even if he won't say it, and she understands. She agrees that they can't keep doing this, moving from room to room, looking for the perfect way out. She can admit it to herself, even to him, that this plan isn't working. She's usually better prepared for this, and even on the nights when it all goes wrong she's still ready. She survives, can fight her way out of almost anything, but this is different.

Tatsu lets out a breath. "You have a plan?"

He nods, sparing her a glance before his attention is drawn over to the empty doorway. Tatsu follows his gaze there, wondering what exactly his plan is when the shots return, harder this time. Tatsu's hand reaches instinctively for his as they crouch down against the floor. Why? She doesn't think it through, just grabs his hand and holds it, pulls him closer to her so she can hear his voice over the deafening sound of the gunfire.

"Yeah, sorta. I mean, I wouldn't call it a plan, but it's—more of a thought, than anything." he says, pressing his forehead to hers. "You remember that night we met out on the porch? Had that drink, talked a bit. You couldn't take yer eyes off me. You were crushin' hard, remember?"

Tatsu remembers it vividly and nods, wishing that she could let herself be amused by his attempt to make her smile. It almost does, almost makes her feel better, but right now she can't let it. So she simply nods and allows herself the briefest moment to think about that night. It feels so faraway now. She thinks of Boomerang's smile that night, his laugh as he nudged her shoulder, and the way he looked at her in that dark corner on the porch.

That smile is so clear in her memory, she thinks it always will be. But she forces it away for now, something to think of much later, and refocuses her gaze on the Captain. He's still crouched there by her side, his hand clutching hers, and there's a clear look in his eyes that lets her know that he has a plan that he believes will work and he intends to follow it through. She decides then that she will listen to him and follow this plan wherever it leads them.

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, just before that Porter let me wander around. Just to stretch my legs a bit, y'know." Boomerang says, the hint of a smile on his lip. "I might have wandered a bit too far upstairs, found myself in places I shouldn't be. Guess I was lookin' for booze, or maybe for you. Point is, I reckon this is our best way out."

Tatsu blinks twice. "Upstairs?"

He nods, confident in his plan, but Tatsu is not so easily convinced. She's not entirely sure how it will work, or how going upstairs will solve any of their problems. It would be dangerous, and too risky, and she can't see how it would ever work, but Boomerang seems so sure of this and of himself that she decides to at least hear him out.

"Listen, I know how it sounds. Yeah? I get it, I do. But I reckon we got ourselves a way out they won't be expecting." he says, and offers her a smile meant to reassure her. "We go out a window, out to the side of the house. There's cars out there, we could take cover, make a run for a truck or the tree-line. Whatever works. What d'ya think, darl? Think it could work?"

Perhaps, she thinks, and then considers it for a minute longer. It might work, could be a way out of here that isn't expected. She knows that there are soldiers at the front and the back of the house, watching the exits and obvious ways out, so perhaps they wouldn't expect them to try something this risky, and because of that it just might work.

"We'd have to move quickly." she says.

And his eyes brighten suddenly, glistening with pride. She doesn't have time to think about what it means, and neither does he. Boomerang forces it away, pulls away from Tatsu for a moment, and sticks his head just high enough over the table to get a clear shot at the soldier on the stairs. His boomerang flies through the air, fast and unseen, and seconds later the soldier falls down and the gunfire coming at them from the stairs stops.

For the moment, they are safe. Boomerang looks down at her, half-smiles, and then catches his weapon when it returns to him. Then he kneels back down on the floor with her, focused on this new plan of his that is unexpected but might actually have a chance of working.

"I'd go out the window first, clear the way, climb down to catch ya." he says, mostly serious, then he smiles. "Or you could go first, if you reckon you could catch me."

She's tempted to respond, to let herself smile, but she can't right now. Tatsu simply urges him on with a look that he understands well enough.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Boomerang sighs. "So what d'ya think, boss? You reckon it's a good plan?"

"It could work. Do you know the layout?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I mean, mostly. Just the first room, really. It's pretty small, the windows are big though." he says, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I reckon we make a run for it, first door on the right. We go in, climb out the window, and get the fuck outta here. What d'ya say?"

It's only now that it sinks in what might get in their way. Not bullets, or soldiers, but the nano bomb still implanted in his neck. Tatsu's eyes flicker to the spot, aware of just how dangerous this might be, of what he might be risking when he runs from here. She knows that they don't have much of a choice, that there is no other way out of this. But what if they run too far? What if Waller—

"It's alright, darl. It won't happen," Boomerang says, as if reading her thoughts. "Waller wouldn't do that. She still needs me, yeah? So don't be worried 'cos I'm not."

With a squeeze of her hand, the Captain lets go and moves to peer over the desk they've taken shelter behind. Tatsu follows his movements, slow and careful, to find the corridor outside of their room empty, quiet enough to move. From where they are they can move unnoticed, stay down low, and get to the stairs without being seen, so this plan of his just might work.

Tatsu doesn't give it much thought beyond that, she can't. She grips Soultaker, watches Boomerang arm himself with one of his weapons, and then she lets out a breath, nervous and filled with anticipation over what comes next. He leads the way, she lets him, follows his movements from the front room and over to the stairs. The soldier who fired at them just minutes ago is sprawled out at the end of the staircase, still and not moving.

Boomerang steps over him and leads the way, stopping only to sling a discarded gun over his shoulder and pick another one up. He arms himself with one of the guns, the bigger one, and she knows that he would prefer to use his boomerangs but it's smart to have the gun as an extra weapon, though she hopes they won't need it. Tatsu keeps Soultaker in her hands for the moment and follows Boomerang, who charges up the stairs, unafraid and ready for a fight, but also prepared to avoid one if possible.

At the very top of the stairs, they find more bodies. Intruders and soldiers, slumped over on the floor. There isn't time to look, to check who is still alive, who might need help. Boomerang keeps walking, leads the way into the first door on the right, and she follows quietly. The room he guides her into is small and messy, she doesn't look around though and just follows Boomerang over to the window on the far side of the room.

Tatsu moves quietly to his side and peers outside of the window, quickly realizing that it opens up on to a part of the roof that covers the porch. She decides that this is good now, that they won't have to jump two storeys to the ground. She's not sure they could make that jump right now. Tatsu turns back to Boomerang when he joins her side and watches as he hands her one of the two guns he found.

She arms herself with it and watches the door, while Boomerang is busy forcing open the window. Tatsu only listens as he pushes the window up, her gaze is stuck on the closed and barricaded door, ready to shoot if needed. But she doesn't need to fire at anyone because they aren't seen or heard, aren't spotted by any intruders, while Boomerang forces open the window.

Boomerang climbs through quickly, out onto the rooftop, and then he whistles for Tatsu to come over and join him. She moves quickly to his side, hands him the gun through the open space, and then climbs through to join him out there. He stays close, is right there to help her, his hands outstretched for hers. She doesn't need the help but she takes his hands anyway, and once she's through they crouch down together in the dark and take a moment to look out at the farm.

It's still too dark, impossible to see much, but she hears gunfire that lets her know the fight is still going on. Far over in the distance she hears bullets being fired over at the large barn and she knows that's where Porter must be. She hears gunfire in the fields too, and downstairs again, but nothing is being fired at them so they take this chance to slip away unnoticed.

Boomerang moves first, climbing down from the roof with a surprising swiftness for someone as tired as he is. He waits a minute once he's on the ground, searches the area to make sure it's safe, and then glances up at Tatsu, his face visible to her in this light. She climbs down to him slowly, not needing his help but accepting it again. When she is halfway down, close to the ground, he reaches out and gestures for her to jump.

So she does, and he catches her in his arms.

Then they are off running, hand in hand, to the shelter of a nearby car to take cover there. But the gunfire picks up again just as they're running for shelter. It comes from behind them, a window on the lower level of the house, and once again the bullets miss Boomerang because he isn't their target. She is. They want him alive, and they want her out of the way, and this time she can't dodge the bullets fast enough.

She's hit hard and falls, landing suddenly on the wet grass. The bullet clips her thigh, more than just a light graze, and it sends her down hard to the ground. Boomerang follows, diving to the grass with her, because he just assumes that's what she's doing. That she's staying low, trying to take cover, so he's right there with her until he's up on his feet again and firing back at the house.

He fires back shot after shot, doesn't stop until he runs out of bullets and whips out a boomerang. Rage spills from him, like it did from her not so long ago. He's angry that they've made it to here only to be stopped, and he won't be stopped tonight. Tatsu watches distantly, only half-aware of what he is doing as she struggles to pull herself up from the ground. She's hurt, her body aches, and there's pain running up her thigh so badly that she's not sure she can get up.

She sucks in a breath and forces herself to kneel, distantly aware of Boomerang somewhere behind her, hurling his sleek weapon into the dark, hitting his target, and then catching the boomerang as it returns to him. Then he returns to her, drops to his knees by her side, and calls out her name over again. Katana? What's wrong? Katana? Katana? He puts a hand around her, trying to check her over, make sure that she's okay, because he doesn't understand why she's not up on her feet and fighting with him.

Tatsu comes back to him now, as focused as she can be. She pushes his hands away, insists that she's okay, that she fell down to cover a little too harshly. She lies because they can't stop, she can't let him fall behind because of her. Tatsu lies and he believes her, takes her hand in his and tugs her toward the cover of the car just in time. When the gunfire picks up again, she wants to stand and fight with him but she can't. Boomerang doesn't hesitate though, not for a second. He peers around the side of the truck, scans the area, and then throws two boomerangs into the shadows at the same time.

As they hit their intended targets, he returns to her.

"When it's clear, we run. Yeah?" he says and nods, breathless. "We just leg it to the woods. We keep going an' we don't look back. Alright?"

She nods, wants to answer but can't. It's all that she can do right now, and he doesn't ask for more. Boomerang just looks at her, his eyes clear and certain, and then he leans away to catch his boomerangs as they fly back to him. He grabs them easily and joins her side, and in the dark they share one last look before they run. She wants to stay, wants to sit with him, get rest, maybe kiss him again. But she can't, there isn't time, and soon they're moving. Breaths heavy, his hand in hers, they run for the woods together.

Tatsu doesn't look back.

note:

hiiiiya. this update took forever so here's 10k+ of kaboom :) Thanks to everyone for sticking with this fic for so long, I appreciate it so much. also thank you to cosmicwanda on tumblr for pushing me to finish this chapter. Also extra thanks to guest, cartoongeek337 and DelightedGuest for your comments! Hope you enjoyed this one! More updates coming soon...

P.S I'm on tumblr at dannverrs now if you ever want to talk all things kaboom/dc/whatever!

Guest chapter 20, april 3: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the new update!

DelightedGuest chapter 20: hi there! Thank you so much for your comment, it was just so thoughtful and interesting to read so thank you for taking the time to share it with me. I'm really happy you recently got into fics and that you tried a lot out, that's always fun! :) Also I'm so so flattered (and so happy) that you've enjoyed my fic so far. Honestly I'm not sure how to say what that means to me, because it's just everything. So thank you for sharing that with me. And thank you for letting me know that you've enjoyed what you've read and would like to read more. I really hope that you like this new update and again thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. It means so much to me that you've enjoyed my fic. Thank you :)

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