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Please don't make any sudden moves

You don't know the half of the abuse

Heathens, Twenty One Pilots


"We're screwed," Ari said, as she paced back and forth in front of Finn, who was seated on the couch in the apartment. He had a wet cloth in his hand, which he was now pressing to Phoebe's forehead as she lay on her back, unconscious. Ari didn't know how much good that would do, and it didn't seem as if it was affecting the sleeping girl in any way. She felt helpless as she watched him.

"Will you quit that?" Finn asked, giving her an irritated look.

Ari paused long enough to stick her tongue out at him and continued pacing. It didn't completely get rid of the panic within her, but it helped her think. "So, we've definitely ruled out killing her then?"

Finn glared. "Ari, we're not going to kill a pregnant girl—"

"I know!" Ari cut in. She sighed and tugged at her ponytail, sitting down on the coffee table across from him. It creaked beneath her weight, and she immediately got up again. "I know. Out of the question."

Finn turned the cloth over in his hands and pressed it to the girl's forehead again. She twitched. "We could tell Bishop we don't want the mission anymore."

She scoffed, though the thought had come to her at first. She'd dismissed it quickly, of course, knowing better. "Don't be dense, Finn. Bishop tasked us with killing her obviously knowing that she was pregnant. You think he won't take matters into his own hands once we've told him?"

He looked at her with a defeated expression. "You're right," he said, then scrunched up his nose. "Never thought I'd say that."

"Shut up," she replied with a scowl. "This is serious. What do we do?"

Finn looked down at the girl. "We have to hide her."

She let out a humorless laugh. "That's easier said than done—"

She stopped when Phoebe's eyes flew open, wide as she took in the sight before her. Finn opened his mouth to speak, but she sat up with a sudden gasp, pushing herself back against the couch and pressing a hand to her stomach protectively.

"What—who are you?" she asked, alarmed. "Why are you in my house?"

Ari shared a look with Finn as he stood up. He took a step towards the girl, stilling as she got up and backed away from him. He held out a hand, like he was talking to a frightened animal. "We're not going to hurt you," he said.

The girl's eyes shifted to Ari. Slowly, fear and recognition bloomed across her face as her gaze traveled from Ari's mask to the quiver full of arrows strapped to her back, an expression Ari had often seen on her victims' faces just before she put an arrow through their chest.

"You," Phoebe said with rising panic in her voice. "I know you. You're Artemis." Her eyes flitted back and forth between Finn and Ari as realization seemed to dawn upon her. "You're assassins." She stumbled back, eyes darting to the door.

"Wait!" Finn said, reaching her before she could get any farther, close enough that he would be able to block her path to the door.

"Get away from me," Phoebe said, moving backwards again.

Finn looked helplessly at Ari, silently communicating. She sighed. She knew what he meant by that look, knew she had to do it, no matter how vulnerable it would make her feel. Swallowing down bile, she took her mask off, then removed her quiver, slowly, hesitantly, and set them on the coffee table next to her bow. She held up her hands. "Like he said, we're not going to hurt you."

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