New story :) I hope you enjoy this one

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters

Unknown location

Napoleon Solo cried out as his back slammed against the wall with bone-shattering force. Before he could recover, his partner punched him hard in the face, grabbed him, and threw him bodily across the room. The American agent shakily got to his feet and used his sleeve to wipe the blood dripping from his nose.

I know I said that it had to look convincing but damn, Peril!

Illya rapidly closed the distance between them and threw another punch. This time, Napoleon managed to dodge the blow and countered with a kick but his move lacked power and Illya easily blocked his foot and swept his other leg from under him. Napoleon crashed to the floor and immediately tried to roll away, to no avail. The Russian was already upon him, he seized Napoleon by the throat one handed and drove him into the nearest wall. The American raised his hands to break his partner's grip, leaving his torso unprotected. A mistake he instantly regretted as Illya used his free hand to punch him viciously in the ribs. Napoleon heard something crack and felt a sharp pain in his side. He gasped and fell to his knees as Illya let go of his throat.

Definitely a nice touch of authenticity, Peril…

This time he didn't attempt to get up, the blow had winded him and he was having a hard time catching his breath, the pain in his ribs wasn't helping. Illya was putting on a good show but Napoleon was hoping that his next attack wouldn't be as vigorous as this one and that he would let him land a few punches for a change.

Suddenly, a speaker attached to the wall crackled and a taunting voice filled the room.

"So it looks like you're the one who's going to die, Solo…That's quite a punch you pack, Kuryakin, I could almost hear the sound of poor Solo's ribs breaking, truly entertaining. But I still feel that you're holding back. May I make a suggestion? Punches and kicks can do a lot of damage but it gets repetitive after a while. How about you start spilling more of your partner's blood by using the tools I provided you with?"

Napoleon could hear the cruel smile in the man's voice. He was still down on his hands and knees, recovering. Illya's legs were in his field of vision. The Russian wasn't moving.

Another crackling sound.

"I really think you should follow my advice, Kuryakin. You know what will happen if you don't. It would be a shame if someone had to suffer the consequences of your stubbornness…"

A second passed, another. Napoleon could feel his heart hammering painfully against his ribs. Then Illya started heading toward a table at the far end of the room. The American closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He knew what was on the table, and he knew that their situation was about to get worse.

His eyes shot open as he heard something metallic hit the floor in front of him. Napoleon hesitated for a second, then he picked up the knife that Illya had just tossed him.

"A noble gesture, Kuryakin. And Solo is accepting the challenge. I knew good old Solo still had some fight left in him. This is going to be interesting."

Interesting is an understatement…

Napoleon pushed himself up, wincing at the pain in his side. His gaze fell on the giant bowie knife in his partner's hand and he felt his pulse quicken. He knew how skilled the Russian was with knives. As Illya stepped closer, Napoleon looked into his eyes, trying to read his expression, he saw nothing but cold determination.

We are still only pretending, right?..

The gleeful voice filled the room once again.

"Enjoy yourselves boys, try not to make it end too soon, but don't take too much time either. Remember, the clock is ticking. One of you has to be dead before the deadline or else…Well, we've already been over this."

At these words, Napoleon saw Illya's gaze shift almost imperceptibly to the timer on the wall. When his eyes shifted back to the American, they were filled with murderous rage.

Napoleon adjusted his grip on the knife and adopted a fighting stance.

Let's see how much worse this day can get…

End of chapter 1.

Let me know what you think :)