In Cold Blood

Chapter 12

They had five days to prepare. Bucky stayed in an undercover sort of position, feeding information to Eliza through what they all hoped was a secure network. Bonzo polished up their weapons for them. Everyday, they spent several hours going through the plan, fixing errors based off of new information Bucky would provide them and making sure they had multiple contingency plans.

Bucky has warned them that the longer they waited, the greater the risk. He had managed to milk his 'injury' and get out of his assignment to kill Addison (and Zed, and now Bree). But someone else had the hit and every one of them was in danger, especially since Bucky didn't have access to that information anymore.

They spent double the planning time, training. Whenever there was down time, Addison would make her way to the house basement and freshen up. She showed the Zombies the typical fighting style of a Mighty Shrimp, let them practice against her in order to learn the best ways to take them down. Of course, she was nothing in comparison to the assassins who were twice her size, length and width wise. She was afraid that they would get used to beating her, even though she was holding back (just a little) when they fought.

Oh, but she could tell that Zed knew she was holding back. She didn't know how he knew, but she knew that he knew.

Once Thursday hit, they went into crunch time. They ate while going through the blueprints, the building regulations, and the staff list. When they were letting their food settle, Bonzo taught them about some of the new weapons and attacks, Eliza would show them the basics for taking out the digital security team (for their worst case scenario plans), and Addison and Bree would again give a run down of every person on the guest list.

And of course, Thursday was the day that Zed cornered her in the hallway.

"Why aren't you fighting me?"

Addison furrowed her brows in confusion. "What?"

"You," he pointed an accusing finger in her chest, "are going easy on me. On us. All of us."

"No I'm—"

"Addy, I'm not stupid," he stated. "You've won one fight, against Eliza, on the first day. You're holding back. What good is that to us? How are we supposed to get better if you don't even give us your all?"

Addison pressed her lips into a firm line. She didn't want to fight him, to hurt him. He was still healing from being hit by Bucky's car, he didn't need to worry about her.

"I think...that you're good. I know you can win, so I'm just helping you polish your technique." Lies.

Zed frowned, catching her lie too. "Do you think I can't handle you? If I can't beat you how am I supposed to beat them!?"

Addison huffed in frustration. How could he not see what she saw? Why was he being so thick headed? "But you can, and you have!" she explained, irritated.

Zed raised an eyebrow. "You think those guys are gonna hold back the way you do? You think they'll stop and give me a chance to catch my breath?"

Addison was quiet and Zed rolled his eyes. "Exactly."

"I won't fight to kill you," she said, firm but quiet.

"Addison, I don't want to die out there," he said. "You're the best assassin they had, right?" Addison nodded. "If we can beat you—when you're not holding back, when you're actually trying to kill us—then we wouldn't have to worry."

"But—" Addison argued weakly, already knowing she would give in sooner rather than later and beat the snot out of him. "But you're hurt."

"I'm gonna be hurt at the gala too, and I won't just sit and watch you handle everything." Zed stated. He sighed, sounding and looking a little defeated. "I couldn't live with myself if you died."