I'll Take Care of You

Seattle

The rain came down rhythmically on the streets, drowning out the noise of the traffic nearby. A warm standing lamp illuminated the room. Nyssa lay on the wooden table in the corner, as Sara opened their first aid kit. With her midriff bare, Nyssa pushed herself onto her elbows again. "Sara, this is not ne—"

Her words were cut short when Sara unceremoniously pushed her back down. "Babe. You got hurt. If it was a leg wound then yes, I'd leave you alone to take care of it because I know you can. But you know that I should help you with this one." She kept her hands flat on Nyssa's ribs but leaned forward to look her in the eyes.

"If you must," Nyssa sighed. She felt Sara's fingers twitch as goosebumps appeared on her skin. It wasn't warm enough in Seattle.

<>

Everything had been going smoothly right up to the part where one of the members of the Triad threw a dagger at Nyssa.

They came to Seattle because one of their sources had told them a large shipment of weapons was coming in for the Chinese triad. Since Nyssa started choosing missions for her and Sara, she had been playing it safe. At first, she refused to take this chance. She knew the Triad quite well, and she knew that they were not hesitant to kill. But Sara had a friend in the Seattle police force, and they could work together to take down the Triad without killing.

Timing was crucial. The two of them lay on the roof of a large container for the better part of an hour before the shipment came in, their leathers offering slight protection from the cold metal that drew the heat from their skin. They exchanged a glance. Attacking now, while the Triad was busy with the shipment, would give them the upper hand, and all of Nyssa's instincts screamed at her, telling her to move, now. Then a gloved hand touched hers, and she looked over to see Sara's smile. She knew that Nyssa understood her. They would wait until the cops were close enough to help out, it was the safe choice. They remained still, a thin beam of moonlight illuminating the face of Nyssa's watch. The minutes passed slowly until finally, midnight struck. Sara squeezed Nyssa's hand once more, then released. Together, they got the jump on the Triad. Literally.

They had just handed over the last of the Triad members to the cops when another one appeared from behind a truck. The goon somersaulted toward their container, as they pulled a knife from their pocket. Sara watched in terror as they threw it straight at Nyssa, who was holding a struggling bad guy down. Her armour shifted when the man reached out with one hand and wrapped his fingers around the straps, exposing the cotton bodysuit underneath to the thin knife soaring towards them. Nyssa barely reacted when the blade sliced her skin, though dark red blood started dripping from her midriff.

She hadn't seen the blade coming. As she pushed the other Triad member down, face-first into the concrete, her mind went back to her training. Her father's voice rang loud and clear inside her head. Those who harm you must die by your hand. It had been one of the first lessons he taught her. She planted a boot on the man she was holding and rose up to her full height. Before she knew it, her bow and arrow were back in her hands, and aimed at the man who had harmed her. Her father's voice egged her on, but the pain in her stomach reminded her. She set her jaw, tucking the arrow back into her quiver. She was no longer her father's drone. No more killing.

In her classic Nyssa manners, she wouldn't go to a hospital or rest until all the Triad members were captured. According to Sara's friend, Nyssa had both scared and impressed the police with her professionalism.

When every single Triad member on site was captured, Nyssa allowed Sara to take her home. Stubbornly, she refused to go to the hospital.

A long, red line ran from under Nyssa's left breast to the last rib on her right half. The bleeding had slowed, as her body rapidly started to repair itself. Now that the adrenaline was out of their systems, Nyssa started to get cold, fast. She couldn't help but shiver as she lay on the cold table.