Chapter Text
~Ava~
The wings were proving to be a problem. Ava loved the flying, that was…well…that was fucking awesome. No, the issue was rapidly becoming putting them away. According to the Halo, Ava should be able to blink them out of existence on this plane of reality, whatever that meant, but so far, they were sticking around stubbornly.
"Um Ava? I don't think you will be able to fit into the van…" Camilla glanced at her feathery appendages awkwardly.
They were heading back to the hotel after the battle at the sinkhole. Ava was a mixture of exhausted and elated, although underpinning it all was a layer of fear. She couldn't believe she had escaped death yet again. Though Reya was on the loose, Ava was still trying to feel hopeful, the portals were shut, the war was over before it started, and she had Bea. Ava looked over at the sister warrior with a smile. Bea was talking quietly with Sister Dora, both their expressions were sombre, her smile slipped.
Probably discussing casualties.
"Ava." Camilla spoke more sharply, trying to get her to focus.
"Oh shit. Sorry I wasn't paying attention. Let me try again." Ava closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose.
"How's that?" The Halo bearer opened one eye just a sliver and let out a growl of frustration when she saw the nun shaking her head.
"Nope. You are still winged."
Can you explain again how I'm supposed to get rid of these fucking things?
"Ava, you need to calm your mind and concentrate. Just picture them gone and they will go."
"It's really quite simple."
I have been…they are still here.
"You aren't trying hard enough. You're too anxious."
Well wouldn't you be?! I just had the love of my life kidnapped and nearly killed, then I died and came back with a talking golden ring stuck in my back, and Reya is still out there, an actual divine creature, who wants me and my friends dead.
The Halo didn’t respond, which Ava was kind of glad about. The ancient relic was not helping with it’s condescending tone.
The ball of dread that she had been suppressing since Reya had disappeared started to become harder to ignore. It coiled up in her gut, making her feel nauseous. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed from the last 24 hours. Her heart rate started to accelerate; a panic attack imminent.
Through the storm of emotion, Ava felt a hand brushing hers, fingers interlacing, "Ava…take a breath, you're glowing."
The heat from the Halo was building between the Halo bearer's shoulder blades, reacting to her agitation. Ava opened her eyes to see Bea standing close in front of her, expression concerned. Vaguely she could see everyone else behind the sister warrior carefully avoiding watching Ava's breakdown, instead concentrating on loading their weapons into the van. She took a shuddering breath in, leaning into the other woman's space to bury her face into the crook of her neck. Bea free hand came up to stroke the blood and dirt matted hair at the back of Ava's head.
"You can do it, darling, I know you can. Just like we practiced. Clear your mind, relax." Bea whispered softly in her ear.
Ava pressed herself in closer, allowing Bea's presence to engulf her. She breathed in for 4 and out for 4, trying to focus on nothing but the warm embrace of the taller woman. Her body relaxed slowly, melting into the sister warrior’s. Ava let her mind wander as she tried to envision the weight of the wings just disappearing, there was a low swoop in her stomach, similar to dropping from a great height.
Bea flinched slightly in surprise before smiling against Ava’s ear, “You did it Ava. They’re gone.”
The Halo bearer sighed in relief, learning to control her new powers might be harder than she thought.
~Beatrice~
Beatrice stared up at the roof of their penthouse bedroom in the darkness. Ava was sleeping soundly, head resting on the sister warrior’s chest, and her right arm wrapped tightly around her waist. The poor woman had almost passed out in the shower they had shared on their return to the hotel. Beatrice had helped clean the blood and sweat and ash from the Halo bearer's body before tucking them both up right in the center of the huge king-sized bed.
Mother Superior had dismissed them almost immediately when they had arrived back at base, it was blatantly obvious they both needed to rest and process what had happened. The older nun was teary eyed when they walked in and had hugged them both firmly before waving them away.
She probably thought we were dead.
One of them had died. Her breath hitched at the memory of the lifeless Ava; Beatrice was struggling to reconcile what had taken place. When the Halo bearer cried out with her last gasp of air, Beatrice had felt her heart break in an irreparable way. Tears pricked at her eyes, she fought to stay quiet, not wanting to wake her exhausted bedmate. A wave of pain and despair swelled around her, threatening to swallow her.
Ava was dead. She died.
As though the younger woman could sense her anguish, Ava snuggled in closer, murmuring softly. Beatrice ran her fingers down the younger woman's neck, under her loose-fitting pajama shirt, fingertips tracing the outline of the Halo embedded near her spine. She was incredibly thankful for the powerful relic, bringing her Ava back yet again. They would need the Halo bearer at full strength if and when Reya returned.
Fucking Reya.
The thought of the deity haunted her, Ava had told her that the Halo would sense when it’s previous owner returned to their world, but Beatrice was skeptical. It felt like they were sitting ducks, just waiting for their enemy to ambush them. Reya could reappear anywhere, anytime. There were too many unknowns, Beatrice hated not knowing things.
“Mmmm Bea are you still awake?” Ava’s mumble into her skin distracted her from her thoughts.
“Yeah baby, it’s okay. Go back to sleep.” She whispered, willing the younger woman to listen and drift off again as she quickly swiped at her face with her free hand, Beatrice really didn’t want Ava to see the few tears that had escaped down her cheeks.
Ava lifted her head, hair adorably sleep tousled, “Oh Bea…” She breathed, instantly noticing her fragile state.
The Halo bearer moved the hand from Beatrice’s waist to her face, caressing the taller woman’s cheekbone, frowning gently.
“I’m not going to ask what's wrong, because I…I know…okay. But I am going to ask if there's anything I can do to help?”
Beatrice gave the younger woman a weak smile, knowing her lips were trembling slightly as she tried to keep the floodgates from opening.
"Bea, you can cry here, you can feel scared or angry or sad. You don't need to be a sister warrior here; you can just be Beatrice. This is your safe space, please let yourself feel that stuff, it's not healthy to bottle it up." Ava pleaded tenderly.
At that Beatrice hit breaking point, unable to stall the flood anymore, a choked sob escaped her. She was pulled into a comforting embrace, arms wrapping around her tightly. The sister warrior buried her face into Ava’s chest, her hands fisting in her shirt as she poured all her emotions out.
Beatrice wept for a long time, until there was nothing left. Ava held her tightly through it all, pressing soft kisses into her hair, rubbing circles across her back, murmuring soothing words in her ear, it was cathartic after everything that had transpired.
When Beatrice could speak again, her voice was rough from crying, she pulled away from Ava's now very wet shirt to meet her eyes.
"Thank you." She husked, giving the Halo bearer a small smile.
"Of course, Bea. Anytime." Ava leaned forward and brushed her lips over her forehead.
"I love you."
"I love you too Ava…so much."
This time they both managed to fall asleep, tangled up with each other.
~Ava~
Edging down the darkened hallway, Ava shivered, a horrible crawling feeling skittering over her skin.
Where the fuck am I?
She passed dark grey painted doors on either side every few meters as she walked. Small dirty windows adorned every door about head height, similar to the mental hospitals and prisons Ava had only ever seen on T.V. The walls and floor were coated in a thick layer of grime and dust, like this building had been abandoned for years. Long-tubed fluorescent lights flickered ominously above her, the click and hum of electricity providing an unsettling ambient noise.
Very horror movie-esque.
Ava tore her eyes away from the ceiling when she heard something distantly down the corridor. Creeping closer, the sounds came into focus, a loud fleshy smack followed immediately by a pained grunt. One of the grey doors was ajar near the end of the hall, light spilling out into the gloom. Careful to stay quiet, Ava tiptoed to the edge of the doorway, preparing herself to peek around it. A snap that sounded suspiciously like breaking bone echoed from inside the cell succeeded by a loud cry of pain.
That voice sounds familiar…
Ava leaned forward to peer around into the room, her mouth fell open as she took in the scene.
"Mary?" The Halo bearer’s voice came out as a strangled gasp.
The sister warrior looked up, meeting her eyes, stunned. She had been badly beaten, blood poured from the splits covering her face, her right eye was almost completely swollen shut.
"Ava?" Mary's voice was hoarse.
"How are you even here?" The other woman abruptly glanced away at the three big guys standing in the room with them, the thugs were currently looking between the two women with astonishment.
"Get the fuck out of here Ava! Quickly!" The sister warrior shouted just before the man closest to her hit her hard in the side of the head with a metal baton.
"Mary!" Fury surged her through Ava so fast, it stole her breath away, she rushed forward, no qualms in killing these bastards.
Just before she reached the nearest assailant, a flash of white burst across her vision.
~Beatrice~
Beatrice woke with a start when she hit the carpeted floor of their bedroom. Scrambling to her feet and blinking rapidly the sister warrior tried to understand what had just happened. As soon as her eyes landed on Ava, Beatrice understood. The Halo bearer was writhing in her sleep, snow white wings tipped with gold flexing with her movements, splayed out across the bed.
They must have pushed me off when they materialized.
"Mary!" Ava screamed, Beatrice’s heart stuttered, she swiftly grabbed the Halo bearer by the shoulders, trying to still the other woman.
She must be having a nightmare.
"Ava? Ava! You're dreaming, you need to wake up." The Sister warrior squeezed firmly, trying to ground the winged woman in reality.
Ava whimpered, fighting at Beatrice's hold.
"Ava please…wake up!"
The Halo bearer’s eyes flew open with a gasp, her gaze bouncing around the room before settling on Beatrice’s face. Tears flooded down her face, the sister warrior's stomach clenched.
Oh God, what had she dreamed about Mary?
Suddenly, Ava smiled, a truly joyful and relieved smile. Beatrice was very bewildered now.
"Ava, what…?" The other woman threw herself off on the bed, sweeping the sister warrior up into a tight hug.
Ava was laughing and crying, her body seemingly unable to decide what it wanted to do. Finally, Ava managed to gather herself together enough to speak, she pushed herself away from Beatrice to meet her eyes, beaming.
"Mary…Mary's alive!"