"Eggs!" Paloma yells as she dumps the pan of scrambled eggs onto a plate with some strips of bacon and quickly hands the plate to Mitzi. It had been a month since she began working at the Little Daisy cafe, the wages were good enough for her to pay Viktor rent, the customers and the ones who ran the place were kind, she quite liked this new life. Her English was still quite poor, but she could understand the words on the menu that Mitzi would shout or hand her scraps of paper with the order scribbled on them. She was still learning, though it seemed like she was getting better at the Slavic language she was picking up from Viktor and his tiny neighbor who seemed to be decades older than her own grandfather. Her break should be coming soon, which should happen after the breakfast rush so she could continue her English lessons with the grumpy older man, who was having coffee with his colleague, the equally grumpy one named Mordecai.

Something about that man made a lot of the patrons nervous for some reason, which she didn't understand because he seemed quite harmless. All he really did was give her an unamused stare, which seemed to be permanent. Wonder if he ever really smiled before.

She felt a tap on her shoulder to see her boss, Atlas, tapping on his wrist and pointing to the tables. That was her cue for a break. Paloma nods and quickly removed her apron to hang it and scooted under the counter to head towards the table where Viktor was sitting. Mordecai was sitting across from him, quietly sipping his coffee and reading some book whose cover she couldn't read, ignoring her as she took a seat next to him so she could face Viktor.

"Good afternoon!" She says cheerfully. Viktor nods before pushing a small notepad towards her. This was covered in several neatly written words and there were what looked like sentences, and her exercise for today would be either writing them or reading them out loud.

"Speak." Viktor instructs as he taps the pad. "I."

"I." Paloma repeats.

"Can."

"Can."

He then points at the rest of the words. She squints at the paper.

"D...unce?"

"Dance." Mordecai says loudly. "Short a."

"Like...apple." Viktor adds.

"Dance." Paloma says and the older man smiles. "I...can...dance."

A plate with a simple sandwich is placed in front of her and she looks up to give Mitzi a smile. The older woman smiles back before setting down a glass of water down next to the plate before she hurries back to the kitchen. Paolma takes her food and starts to eat as Mordecai and Viktor talk. All she understands is the words "guns" and "trouble", which she ended up tuning out to focus on her meals.

"Lesson done for today." She hears Viktor say as he gets up, pulling on his thick coat.

"Thank you." Paloma says as she gets up, allowing Mordecai to leave the table before she sits back down again. "¡Adios!"

Viktor waves before he and his companion leave the cafe, stopping to speak with Atlas before leaving.

Wonder what they were talking about? Paloma wonders as she gathers her dishes and proceeds to grab other dirty plates from empty tables to bring them to the back. Were the two in some sort of trouble? God she hoped not, but maybe she was overthinking it and there was nothing going on. I need to avoid being so nosy, especially when I learn more English!

---

"I'm heading to bed early, got a job that requires me to be up at the crack of dawn." Paloma hears her grandfather say and looks up to see him dressed for bed. "You best head straight to bed on time."

"You do realize I don't need a bedtime, I'm nineteen." She scoffs. "You don't even make mama go to bed when everyone else does back at home."

"Your mother is as stubborn as a mule, which she unfortunately inherited from me and so did you. Bed at nine."

Paloma scoffs and glances at the nearby clock that read as six in the evening. She had a few hours before she could even go to sleep, so she could stay up and read, perhaps help Mrs. Bapka with whatever she needed like untangling her yarn or something along those lines.

As she is reading, she hears the clock chime a few times before hearing a door open somewhere in the house and Viktor's heavy footsteps. Looking up from her book, she sees him enter the living room with a pile of clothes in hand, looking around.

"Viktor?" She calls out, causing him to flinch. "What wrong?"

The older man just shook his head as he approached her and held the pile of clothes out. "Need help. Change, cover hair." He says softly as he places the clothes and a cap in her hands.

Paloma could see a shirt and a pair of pants among the clothes and looked at him with a puzzled expression, but she hurried into the bathroom to change. The shirt was much too large on her, but she could easily tuck it into the pants so it wouldn't look so weird and her chest wouldn't be noticeable. There was a pair of boots that felt a bit too big among the clothes and quickly pulled her hair back into a bun before tucking it under the cap she was given.

Once dressed, she hurries back into the living room where Viktor was waiting, busy loading a bullet belt with a shotgun reclining against the couch. Paloma clears her throat to get his attention, and he stands to grab the gun and toss it to her, along with the belt.

"Can shoot?" He asks and she nods. "Good. Sit in back, hide."

As confused as she was, Paloma couldn't help but feel curious as well. What did Vikotr need her help with that required her to dress like a man and keep a gun on her person? They both slip out of the house and into a car parked outside, Paloma getting into the backseat and laying down on the floor before something heavy was tossed on top of her, like a blanket or a coat. It felt like hours as she laid there as the car moved, only stopping for a while before she hears someone else get in the front seat. The voices were a bit muffled, but it sounded like...Mordecai? What did Vikotr need him for? She feels the car move again and she stifles a yawn. Maybe she could just nap for a bit, if Viktor needed her, he could shake her awake.

After what felt like some time, Paloma's eyes snap open as she hears yelling, gunshots and the sound of the car turning on again before it jolts. She could hear Viktor and Mordecai shouting and she's too afraid to throw the thing covering her off to see what is going on. After a few moments, she feels a hand grab whatver covered her and yank it off.

"Up! Up!" She hears Viktor yell. "Shoot! Bang bang!"

Paloma sat up, earning a startled yell from Mordecai but she ignores him. She sits up a bit to look out the back window to see a car chasing after them with someone hanging out the window waving a pistol. Mordecai is yelling something at Viktor, who is yelling back at him before a bullet flies through the back window and out the front windshield, instantly shutting them up. She quickly cocked the shotgun and jammed the butt of the gun against the back window before aiming the front through the hole. The man in the car seemed to be reloading so she took the opportunity to aim her gun at the front tire. The shot rang loud in her ears, but it managed to hit the front tire she was aiming for, causing the car to swerve. She took another aim and shot at the driver, who swerved right to avoid the shot and the car went straight towards the side of the road and crashes.

Viktor then stops the car, motioning for her to get out. Mordecai is grumbling something under his breath, sending glares at her as all three of them exit the car to walk to the one that had been chasing them. The driver is passed out in the front seat of the car, and the gunman with the pistol climbed out of the wreckage while groaning in pain. Paloma looks to Viktor, unsure what they were supposed to do.

"Gun, give." He instructs.

Paloma hands the shotgun to him and motioned for her to turn away. She does as she is told, wincing when she hears the shotgun go off twice. Glancing back, she sees the man is dead and Mordecai is now knelt over him, grumbling to himself as he is taking a knife out. She felt a hand on her shoulder and let out a small yelp, turning to see Viktor near her and he motions to the car.

As she starts to walk away, she hears another gunshot and a loud yell from Viktor. Mordecai is yelling as the man from the car is stumbling out and carrying a gun, a crazed look in his eyes. Paloma dives for the shotgun on the floor and fired a round near the man, who runs and she bolts after him. She lets out a loud scream, causing him to stop and turn as she swung the butt of the gun against his head and fired. He falls to the floor, gasping as he clutched at the gaping and bleeding wound on his chest before she fired another bullet into his skull. She kneels and puts two fingers to his neck for a pulse, and finds none.

"Viktor!" She yells as shse runs back towards the bleeding man who is clutching his hsoulder. "Hurt! You hurt!"

"I...I fine..." He manages to groan as he gets up.

"Doctor?"

"No...doctor no. You...you help."

It had been so long since she dug a bullet out of someone, years ago to be exact. And that was one of her older cousins, who would not stop crying and screaming curses between sobs as he prayed while his mother held his hand while someone else held the teenager down. She'd need a knife for starters, and she didn't have one on her but she did see who had one. Paloma hurries over to Mordecai, who tries batting her hands away as she frisked his coat for the knife before finding it and rushing back to Viktor. She forces him to lay down on the ground as she tore his shirt open to find the wound.

"No hurt me." She warns and looks back at Mordecai. "¡Ayuda! Help!"

Mordecai says something she doesn't understand, but he walks over to them. Paloma nods before sticking the small blade into the wound. Viktor lets out a strained yell as he tries to keep his arms down and Mordecai tries keeping him still. Paloma struggles for a bit before she dug what she was looking for out of his chest and shoved it into her pocket before quickly removing her own shirt and proceeds to tear it to shreds, ignoring the uncomfortable look Mordecai now wore as she starts dressing Viktor's wounds.

"Th..thank...you..." He manages to say as he is helped to sit up. "Car...now."

Paloma nods as she and Mordecai help him up (or it was more like she did the lifting while Mordecai was struggling) and walk Viktor to the car to dump him in the front passgenger seat. He says something to his companion as Paloma is getting into the backseat before a coat was thrown at her.

"Put on." She hears Mordecai say. "Now."

Paloma does as she is told, slipping his coat on and quickly buttons it up. It had been a bit chilly but she felt a bit warmer now with the coat. Maybe he was nice afterall.

----

Everything had gone wrong tonight in the worst ways imagined. For one, tonight's job got botched and they got in a chase, Viktor got shot, and now they had a witness to this. Of all the people his companion had to involve, it had to involve the cook from the diner of all people. Atlas won't be happy for sure. What was that idiot even thinking?

"Viktor, you have some explaining to do before you pass out from bloodloss." Mordecai says as they are driving. "Explain to me why this woman was hiding in the backseat of the car, for starters."

"Backup." The older man responds. "In case."

"In case what? I get rendered useless? You get shot in the head or the good knee? Or in case you lose your senses?"

The older man glares at him and makes a smal growling noise but says nothing. "Atlas won't be happy, you got your neighbor involved in this."

"I handle it." Viktor responds gruffly. "She won't be trouble."

"Oh were you counting on her lack of the English language to keep her from ratting us out to the police? You forget her grandfather knows it, she tells him, he rats on us, we're done for."

"Rory won't tell...not fan of police."

"How assuring." Mordecai mutters and glances back at Paloma, who is fiddling with something in her hand. Of all the people to get involved, why her? Why had Viktor even bothered? He should have ran this by Atlas, no doubt he was going to be upset. The girl looks up from whatever she was fiddling with to see him looking at her before she pulled his coat tighter around her chest and quickly buttons it up. He just shook his head and turns his attention back to the road.

They soon arrived at the garage near the diner and parks inside. Good, it was empty. Perhaps he could get the girl out of here before anyone noticed, as soon as he got Viktor to sit down.

"You, go home." Mordecai says, grabbing Paloma by the arm and pointing to the stree. "Now."

The girl looks at him with frightened eyes and quickly pulls away to hurry back to Viktor, who is struggling to get out of the car.

"Vikotr, tell her to go home! She speaks some of your language, tell her!"

The older man glares at him and gruffly says something to the girl, who helps him walk over to one of the empty crates to sit down on. "She stay."

"Do you want her to get in trouble? Send her home!"

"She stay, no trouble."

"This lost of blood really seems to be affecting your brain!" Mordecai snaps, storming over to shove a finger in Viktor's face. "What were you thinking, now we have to talk to Atlas! We may have to kill her!"

"She save us, he no kill." The older man growls. "We would be dead."

"Yes I understand that but-"

"Boys, what's going on?" The two freeze when they see Zib, one of the speakeasy musicians poking his head out of the trap door. "The missus is asking if you got the booze and - who's that?"

Paloma let out a terrified noise and flung herself to hide behind Viktor. He says something softly to her, causing her to peek around him.

"Don't tell me we have a new recruit, Atlas has enough gangsters as it is." The musician mutters. "You guys got the stuff or not?"

"Of course we did. Unfortunately my associate decided to drag an unwanted guest along for this."

"Don't tell me he picked up some kid."

"Far from it, tell her to send Atlas up here."

Zib rolls his eyes but shuts the door behind him. After what felt like hours later, the trap door opens and Atlas emerges with Mitzi hanging onto his arm.

"Oh Viktor! What happened?" She gasps as she rushes over. "Oh honey, you're bleeding and - what is Paloma doing here?!"

"Ask the one eyed guieness." Mordecai responds dryly before turning to his boss. "I have no clue why he dragged her along and she refuses to leave."

"Because Viktor is hurt." Mitzi retorts and turns to Paloma. "Sweetie, why are you wearing such a large coat - goodness! Where's your shirt?"

"I believe on our bleeding friend." Atlas comments. "I already had someone call the doctor, seems like our little dove is more useful than she let on."

"Honey, her grandfather had told us before that she knew first aid. Someone give her a shirt, she can't be going around with...whatever that is wrapped around her chest and a coat. Actually, I'll take her downstairs and have one of the band lend her a shirt. Come Paloma."

Once the two women were gone, Atlas turns his attention to the two men. "So, what happened?"

"I don't know, she was hiding in the backseat of the car. Viktor claimed hse was back up in case and refuses to say why." Mordecai responds. "Stubborn fool."

"Viktor, if you thought you needed back up, we could have sent someone with you. Or did you ask her to come because you don't really like working with others aside from Mordecai?"

Viktor grunts in response.

"Fine, Mordecai, do explain why Viktor has a hole in his shoulder."

"We obtained that shipment like you asked, but it seems like we didn't take out all of those men so two ran after us. While driving, Paloma just popped out of th ebackseat and shot at the men giving chase, we thought the crash killed the driver after we shot his partner but he managed to shoot Viktor when his back was turned. Surprisingly, the girl gave chase after him and took the driver out in a rather brutal fashion, like something Viktor would do."

"Hmm, well her grandfather mentioned that his family participated in a war a few years back when she was small, and that included Paloma. Rory mentioned that she did more than play nurse for injured family members and neighbors during this war, hence why she's proficient at using a gun."

Mordecai raised a brow. "War?"

"A few years ago in Mexico there was a revolution going on, you were probably quite young when this happened, and our Paloma participated in it along with several other family members. Rory said she used to do this thing where she'd run towards an unsuspecting group of men who were on the enemies side screaming at the top of her lungs like some sort of banshee to distract them and shoot a few. Locals started calling her by the name of a legend in those parts, and she still goes by that."

"That's...disturbing."

"Indeed, but that helped her and her family fight. I've been thinking, perhaps we should make her an offer."

"You cannot be serious!" Mordecai exclaims.

"Come on Mordecai, she won't tell if that's what worries you. Can hardly speak a word of English." Atlas says with a shrug. "Who knows, perhaps she is on our side about what's going on. If she isn't, we'll figure something out."

"And we are back!" They hear Mitzi yell as she emerges from the trapdoor with Paloma sporting a messy looking shirt. "Is the doctor here yet?"

"No dear, say how much English does she know?"

"Hardly any." Viktor responds. "Knows Slavic better."

"Well better than nothing. Viktor, tell her what I am offering."

"She's joining?" Mitzi asks.

"This is madness." Mordecai mutters.

"It's business, but it'd be nice to have a medic on scene and we won't have to be calling that horse doctor here half the time." Mitzi sighs.

"And perhaps a replacement for Viktor just in case." Atlas adds. "Assuming she says yes."

"She says yes." Viktor says loudly.

"Am I the only sane person in this room who thinks this is a terrible idea?!" Mordecai exclaims. "This is a disaster waiting to happen!"

"Well, we know how to work our way around those." Atlas chuckles. "Take her home, will you Mordecai?"

"Why me?!"

"Because you know where Viktor lives and it is rude to make a lady walk home alone." Mitzi responds with a frown. "Now be a gentleman and escort this poor girl home."

"You heard her." Atlas laughs. "Just come back when you are done."

Mordecai rolls his eyes but walks back to the car as Paloma follows. She sat herself in the backseat as he sits back in the front, sending her an annoyed look before pulling out of the garage and driving off in the direction of Viktor's home. The drive was quiet, which he was glad for. They soon arrived outside of the home, and Paloma quickly gets out.

"My coat, if you would please." Mordecai calls out as she is going for the gate. Paloma stops and turns back to remove the coat to push it through the open window. Before he could leave, she motioned for him to wait and hurries to the other side of the car and reached in to grab his hand. "Hey stop-"

The girl manages to pull something out of her pocket and dropped it in his hands. It was the bullet Viktor had in his chest earlier and his knife. Mordecai yelps and flung the bloody bullet out the window, where it lands on the street with a clatter. Paloma looks at him in confusion before walking over to the fallen bullet to pick it up and pocket it. She waves and walks back to the house, acting like she hadn't done anything so disturbing. This woman is going to give him a stroke one of these days, he just knew it.