xp_logs | Angelo and Amanda, Monday afternoon

After getting Amanda's text, Angelo heads over to look after her.

Angelo still had a key to Amanda's apartment, and vice versa - it had never occurred to either of them that they shouldn't, after all these years - and it was probably a good thing he did, given that Amanda was curled up on the couch and barely moving when he let himself in.

"Hey."

"Hey." She looked up as he came in, face pinched and exhausted. "Sorry if I don't get up, 'm a bit banged up." Her left thigh was bandaged up, a slight red stain showing through the cloth. "Thanks for coming."

He looked at her leg first, the sight of blood drawing his eyes. "Are you still bleedin'?" he demanded first, hurrying over to sit beside her.

She shook her head. "Just a bit - 's not a big deal. Strained the stitches a bit trying to go to work before Angie threatened to park my car." She knew he wouldn't be fooled, so she continued. "I got shot. Nothing serious, just a flesh wound, but it hurts like hell."

"You got shot", he said quietly, wrapping an arm around her carefully. "An' somethin' happened to Remy. Guess it really did go south, huh?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder with a shudder. "It was a set up, the whole job," she replied. "We're still working out the details, but it looks like Strucker's people set a trap for us from the get-go. Remy... he made sure we could get out."

"Course he did." He tucked her closer against his side, the only thing he could do to help right now. "Like a good team leader would. Strucker's the Nazi bee guy, right?"

"Actually, he was the mad scientist we blew up back around our second job, when we found Sarah. Crazy Nazi type. Swarm was the Nazi bee guy, one of his people. Seems like when we cut off the head, the rest of the bloody group kept going."

He smiled wryly, not really amused. "They've got a way of doin' that, one way or another. It'd be much easier if they'd just give up an' fade away."

"Yeah. But we don't get easy. We get this." She shifted and winced. "And now they have Remy. And there was nothing I could bloody do about it."

"Stop movin'", Angelo admonished her gently, then asked, "He's still alive? Captured, not killed?"

"We're trying to find that out. Angie says he's alive, but whether he's been taken or managed to get out..." Amanda shook her head. "He would have checked in by now, no matter what state he's in. I think they've got him." Her voice shook as she said it.

Angelo nodded. "You've just gotta hold on to him bein' alive, then. Whoever's got him, wherever... if anyone can get back out of it, it's Remy."

"And if anyone can find him, it's us." Amanda managed a weak smile. "They were just... They knew so much about us, how to take us in. That's scary for a group that uses secrecy as our cover. Makes me wonder if they're going to track us down." Her lips thinned. "'Specially if they have Remy. He's an asset they're going to make the most of."

Angelo snorted. "Good luck to them with that. How much do you think he'd ever let them get out of him? It is scary they could set you up, though..."

"Depends on how long they have him. Enough time, anyone will crack under torture. Remy taught me that." Amanda's fists bunched up in the overlarge t-shirt she was wearing. "Fuck. You ever wish you didn't know something? This would be so much better if I didn't know exactly what they're doing."

"There's been plenty of times", was the quiet and serious response. "You'll find him, though, you know you will. An' that soon." Left unspoken was what Remy might do, if he thought it was his only way left to protect them all.

"Yeah." Her hands relaxed, one reaching for his. "Thanks, Ange, for coming."

He curled his fingers around hers, squeezing. "I wouldn't ever stay away if you needed me."

"Old Faithful," she said with a fond smile. "Always there, no matter what." She squeezed his hand. "Up for making me some tea? Tea helps."

"Ah, you'd do the same for me." He shifted slightly, in preparation to get up. "Tea I can do. What kind, or just tea?"

"Surprise me," she replied with a faint grin.