I find the lack of Lethal Weapon fan fic to be disturbing so here is my first crack at it. I am going to keep this one short and sweet with a one shot. The Show is very new, but us eighties babies already fell in love with Riggs and Murtaugh a long time ago.
Riggs whump, Enjoy! All reviews are welcome and appreciated. All mistakes are my own.
This takes place early on in Riggs and Murtaugh's partnership while they are still learning to trust each other.
I own nothing.
Backup
Martin Riggs had never needed a plan, he walked into the fray and did what had to be done. That was the job, and the job was the only thing he had. Just him and the bad guys, easy-peasy…except when it wasn't.
Now was most definitely one of those moments. He had left his backup where it belonged, out of harms way. He understood his own luster for the spontaneous and frankly death defying daily experiences in his particular brand of police work, but that gave him no right to drag his partner into such misadventure.
So, alone, surrounded by bad guys, and without his endearing, yet worrisome, colleague he let the cold of the concrete floor beneath him radiate through the plaid button-up on his back. The dark confined parking garage concealing him from the beaming California sun.
His own weapon overwhelmingly out of reach as five hostile barrels gave him their undivided attention. The low light of the buildings sputtering florescent bulbs called the sinister outlines of one too many guns to his attention, but Riggs could never quit. Not when there were bad guys to beat on.
Riggs kicked out towards the shins of the closest gunmen, apparently too smug to keep his distance. As the assailant fell to the ground his weapon fell within reach. A swift sit up motion placed the firearm between his own palms as he twisted it free of its owner and fired. The man crumpled unceremoniously to the concrete.
His second shot found the thigh of the man to his right. One more pull of the trigger and the criminal to his left was down.
He twisted once more to face the not so gentlemen standing just off to his left taking cover during the commotion behind the wheel well of a very handsome Camero.
Unfortunately cover had not factored itself into Riggs' own plan and with the force of incoming fire his body spun off kilter as a slug ripped through his bicep. With his balance compromised it was all he could do to watch as one more well aimed bullet sliced through the air towards him. This one coming from the man with the nicest suit. Or at least it had been until bad guy number five was forced to take cover from an overzealous cop with no backup on the ground of a filthy parking structure.
The shot forced any real thought from his immediate attention as it made its way through his right side. The pain was instantaneous and on his well tested scale of such experiences he would have given it an eight.
He hit the ground harder than he would have liked; the jarring motion added another point to the pain scale forcing the gun from his fingers.
Nice Suit walked towards him followed by Wheel Well and hobbles, the other two were not going to be up anytime soon on account of being dead.
"you think you are quite clever don't you Detective?" Nice Suit possessed an arrogant gleam in his eyes as he once again leveled his gun at Riggs chest.
"Well, I don't know. I guess I'm smart enough to take out two of your men, cripple one, and ruin your suit." Riggs smiled.
Wheel Well gifted him with a swift kick to his injured side for his trouble.
After the edges of his vision began to clear he decided Wheel Well was next.
"Nice boots." Riggs wheezed through a cocky grin.
The next kick met his temple with enough force to grant him unconsciousness, but as the parking garage around him faded the smile across his lips remained.
Riggs could hear voices breaking through the fog. They mumbled incomprehensible sentences in flushed tones as he attempted to open his eyes.
During his bout with unconsciousness he had somehow made it onto his side, the wet concrete floor unrelenting beneath him.
It took him a moment to remember how he had gotten there. He filtered through the broken memories of provoked bar fights, flights from moving vehicles, and the otherwise unwise actions he found alluring.
When the puzzle pieces finally fell into place they were accompanied by a fierce bout of dizziness and a migraine the size of Everest.
He brought his hand to the slippery ground and attempted to sit up. His hand slid out from beneath him and he let out an agitated grunt as a spike of pain ran it's way through his side.
Riggs brought his hand up to his face and studied the slippery substance. Red. He knew that wasn't supposed to be good, but he couldn't remember why.
Nice Suit made an appearance as the worst of the dizziness started to subside. Riggs' shiny detective shield held loosely between his fingers.
"Nice of you to join us. Detective Martin Riggs." He tossed the badge to Riggs lap and studied the blood freely dripping towards it. "you don't look so good, Detective". He mocked.
" Oh, you should see me on a bad day. I actually brushed my hair this morning, well parted it, kind of, with my hand, once..." His clever remark was stunted by the butt of Nice suits' Glock.
"ENOUGH! Where's your backup, cop?!" Hobbles spat. He looked quite agitated at getting shot.
Riggs couldn't hide his smirk. He gestured to the man's leg and his smile deepened.
"That hurt?"
Hobbles didn't offer any amusement at his question. Instead he turned to Nice Suit.
"If he had backup they would be here by now. This guy's clearly insane, he probably came here by himself." Hobbles agitated tone lingered amongst the thick walls of the building.
"What kind of cop comes to a drug deal on his own? He must have backup!" Offered Wheel Well. His temper seemed to rise above the others. In one brisk motion he had Riggs collar in his grasp. He pushed him against the wall forcing him to sit upright. his knuckles turning white as his hateful scowl bore holes through The Detectives skull. "Who else knows you're here?!"
Riggs laughter sounded fitting in his own mind, but he was sure to everyone else he seemed crazy. It radiated around the large empty space.
The gun leveled on his forehead and the question was asked again. He felt the coolness of the metal barrel caress his skin, taunting him. So many times he had just wanted to give in. He could do it so easily, there was nothing he wanted more, and in doing nothing he could have what he wanted.
There was something there though, something behind the laughter. Something hidden deep behind the longing and pain that clouded the way. It made things more complicated than he would like.
In that moment it lingered, it moved his fingers around the barrel of the gun and twisted it faster than Wheel Well could react. Two shots pierced the air and two more bodies met the hard floor.
Riggs pointed the weapon to the last man standing, his back still firmly against the wall.
He pulled the trigger and smiled as the click of an empty clip echoed sharply around him. He dropped the empty weapon to the ground and let his arm fall limp allowing the stunned expression of Nice Suit to lift his mood.
As the adrenaline ebbed away the pain rose. The subtle throb below his ribs grew to a steady thrum in time with the rise and fall of his chest. His head unrelenting in its attempt to make its trauma known.
"Good bye, Detective." Nice Suit asserted as he regained his composure. The gun once again leveled at Riggs head.
Riggs held his eyes shut and waited. He let the knowledge that he would see his family again roll over him as he sent out a silent thank you. No matter what he got himself into he could never give up, he pushed until he could push no more. Even though he went searching for a way to leave this world in every corner, nook, and cranny, once he got there he could never just give in.
He guessed in some respect that was the plan. Keep fighting until you can't no more. And in some ways his backup came from knowing Roger was there for him. That he would never let him give in and never forgive him if he did. That was the best kind of backup and it didn't require dragging his partner into danger to receive.
The shot rang out and he smiled. He had his backup all along.
He felt the soft taps of a hand across his face and the familiar voice of a friend plead with him. That couldn't be right. He had heard the shot.
"Riggs! You freaking maniac! Come on, stay with me. You aren't going anywhere on my watch!" Rodger's voice forced the confusion away. "What we're you thinking?! Taking on five armed drug dealers on your own? Damn it Riggs! Open your eyes!" Rodgers pleading almost made him smile. The pain induced by the pressure put on his side to stop the bleeding, however, dulled his urge to grin.
"Oh hey, what took you so long?" Riggs smiled and winced in equal measure as his side protested. The relief on his partners face was worth the jest.
"I'm glad you find this funny, you are lucky we were able to track your cell. I should kill you right now, you almost gave me a heart attack."
"Not funny Rog, you shouldn't joke about your health." Riggs dead panned.
Both men sat in silence for a moment before soft laughter consumed them.
"Ah, ah don't make me laugh, don't make me laugh." Riggs complained as the movement agitated his wounds.
Sirens chimed in the distance and Riggs couldn't help but think about what Roger had done for him. Even before he had taken out the man about to kill him, he had saved his life.
"Hey Rog, thanks for erm…you know."
"You'd do the same for me." Rodger offered still keeping pressure on the bullet wound in his partners side.
Riggs just smiled. Rodger had done more than save his life when he had taken out Nice Suit, he had kept him safe every time Riggs had tried so diligently to end it all. In being the man he respected and cared for he had pushed Riggs to fight, to not give up even when it was the easy choice. Riggs refused to let the man be ashamed of him. Rodger was more than just backup; He was his partner and more importantly, his friend. A friend he would not leave behind again.
END