The Resistance || Money Heist

Teddy Bear || .043

               Somehow and someway, the Professor and Raquel were in trouble. Berlin and Palermo were the minds of the heist. They had everything down to the numbers, but the Professor on the outside was out of his element. He was a control freak. He wasn't good at working with other's plans. He was the leader, the mastermind usually, and the fact that they weren't his ideas, it was putting him more at risk. He didn't know every single outcome like he did during his first heist and that's what scared him. He was up in a tree, literally, hiding from the policemen that were on the ground searching for them. Raquel had rushed off to a nearby farm to try and hide because she couldn't climb the tree. The thing was, plans were plans for a reason. Improvising was never anything more than trouble.

             Ava watched from the side as Rio and Helsinki splashed in the water. Rio was grinning from ear to ear, and for the first time since being there, she knew she made the right call by coming into the bank. She didn't come there only for Rio, but Rio part of the reason. The look in Tokyo's eyes when she knew the love of her life was being tortured showed Ava that she was doing the right thing. She'd come into that bank to rescue Tokyo's boyfriend, and she'd do it with no regret. She held no ill feelings towards the boy or Tokyo, even if he got captured because of his own mistakes. There was a set of rules in place for after the Mint, and if you followed them, you'd be fine to be in hiding for the rest of your life. But this was a group of criminals. They got bored from everyday life, even if they had millions to spend. Ava knew Tokyo felt especially guilty because she left Rio alone on that island and that's the reason that he got captured. If she'd been with him, there would've been no need for the phones, and they wouldn't have been tracked. For years, Ava never even felt the need to get on a cellphone. If it wasn't for her broken heart, her life would've been perfect. From an outsider's perspective, she had the life many sought after. She lived right on the beach, had a family of her own (even if it was very dysfunctional), and she had so much money she didn't know what to do with it. If it wasn't for her broken heart because of Andres, she'd have been so happy.

            Ava stepped out of the room, and she hurried down the hall to the group of hostages that were sitting quietly. Her eyes wandered to Manila, and they shared a look. Ava was good at reading people, and she read Manila on the first day of meeting her. The woman was completely and utterly in love with Denver, but Denver's heart was for Monica. She was sure Denver wondered about something more with her, but ultimately, he pushed past any desires and stayed loyal to his wife and to his family. He was a man that he hadn't been before. If it was three years before, back at the Mint, he would've acted on impulse, but he's matured. He didn't act the same, even if there was still that tiny part of him that would always be there.

            Ava slowly stepped away from the group and leaned back in a corner. She needed a moment by herself to let her thoughts wander. She was worried more than she'd ever been during the first heist because she was connected now more than ever. Of course, she knew Sergio before both heists. She grew up around the boy, but their relationship had never been more than a few words every now and then. Her real interest had always been on Andres, even when the two were young. They were on and off again for most of their lives, and she really believed she lost him back at the Mint. She let herself know Sergio, the real Sergio and she wasn't sure if it was because of her broken heart, but she found herself growing extraordinary close to him. He was a good man. He was there for her every day and for her son. She never felt anything more than a close, almost brotherly bond with him until she saw Berlin alive. As weird as it was, the fact that his jealousy of the two of them was what stopped him from coming back to them, was what made Ava want to act on it. So, she did. She kissed Sergio. Then she was left with more questions than answers. She wasn't sure where her mind was at, but she knew one thing for certain, she didn't want him to get captured and she sure as hell didn't want him hurt.

          "Why's there a pregnant woman walking towards the gate with a teddy bear?" Palermo practically shouted. Denver, Helsinki, Monica, and Rio all walked towards the window, squinting their eyes to get a better view of the woman from afar. Ava shot up from where she was standing. Her brows were furrowed. What was the point of a teddy bear? Ava stepped back around the corner to look with the others outside the window. Alicia Sierra was walking towards the bank's front doors, holding a teddy bear tightly in her arms. She was walking so confidently it made Ava's skin crawl. She shared a worried look with the others just as Nairobi hurried down the stairs.

          "We have to go get that bear!" Nairobi shouted.

           "What do you think we were doing? We're already on it." Palermo threw back sarcastically. He looked around the group of hostages, thinking of which would be best to send out there. They'd have be prepared just in case it was a bomb.

            "I'll go." Nairobi called out. She turned to walk towards the bank doors but Helsinki stopped her. Everyone's eyes were all on Nairobi and most were confused, but Ava had a sinking feeling that the bear represented her son somehow. Of course, the police would sink that low. Nairobi was still in so much pain with the loss of her son, and they were throwing knives at her. Nairobi was at a fragile state, and the police were expecting that.

             "Nairobi," Ava called out, her eyes stopping when the two of them looked at each other. "We'll send a hostage. They'll be expecting you." Ava tried to reason with her. Nairobi didn't respond. Instead, she stepped closer to the window to look outside of it. She was pacing back and forth, clearly on edge.

            "We'll send you!" Denver shouted to the young man who was sitting nervously beside the other hostages. Ava watched carefully as Denver helped the boy up. He was extremely nervous, shaking actually, but Denver gave him a small and quiet speech and the boy nodded his head. He was still shaking profusely, but he was agreeing to going out.

             "Ready?" Palermo shouted as Denver hurried to the button. "Open it!" He directed. Denver slapped the button, and the doors came bursting open. The group of hostages walked out of the building slowly, masks on all of them but one. Ava's eyes shot to Berlin when he came running down the stairs. He was clearly confused and now worried.

             "What are you doing?" Berlin asked, his eyes shooting to Palermo. "Are we seriously going for a teddy bear right now? How's that a good idea?" Berlin had saw the bear from the window upstairs, but he didn't expect the group to go for it. Nairobi shot Berlin a dark glare, and Ava got glimpse of it immediately. Nairobi was in a vulnerable state. She would need extra support to get through this. 

               "Berlin, leave it alone. They're already out getting the bear." Ava spoke up and walked past the group until she was standing directly beside of Berlin. Berlin glared at her but his attention went back to the front door quickly. As soon as the group came walking back in, very slowly, Denver smacked the button again and the doors came to a close. 

                "Hand the bear over slowly." Berlin directed. He grabbed the bear from the boy who brought it inside and slowly started walking to the xrays. 

                 The teddy bear ran through the xray machine and there was no bomb. Ava didn't expect a bomb to be inside the bear honestly. It'd be too obvious. The bomb wasn't physically there, but metaphorically, it was. There was a cell phone inside of the teddy bear. Helsinki cut the bear open slowly just in case but Nairobi forced herself between him, grabbing the phone right from the bear before anyone else could. The phone started ringing almost in sync. She answered it, her voice lethal. 

                  "You fucking bitch." Nairobi spat the words. Ava shared a look with Berlin but quickly turned her attention back to Nairobi. Nairobi hung the phone up and Ava tried to step closer to her, but Nairobi jerked the bear off the machine and tried to hurry away. Palermo grabbed her arm, but Nairobi pulled a gun, shoving it right in the man's face. She was one that you really didn't want to mess with when they were upset. Palermo backed off and the group watched as Nairobi hurried up the stairs. 

             "Get her back here." Palermo snapped at Denver, but Ava reach a hand out to Denver, stopping him from moving. 

            "I'll go. Let me go."