Hello! This is my shot at some fun with Expendables. I have a bad habit of getting shy and stopping writing but I promise that if this is well received, I will continue to write it until it is complete. Thank you and enjoy.
This story progresses through The Expendables 1 & 2
What did Gunnar do in his free time? That time between missions where a drug addicted, arguably sociopathic, giant was free to roam as he pleased. I could answer that question, at least partially. Because my name is Kayle and I have been both terrorized and saved by him on multiple occasions.
Why wouldn't I contact the authorities you say? Because I believed him when he pulled out a knife that was longer than my forearm and told me that he kills for a living, and I'd never survive the experience of ratting him out. In some ways I've come to expect, even to anticipate, his appearances after lengthy absences.
Maybe I'm the one who's messed up, to say something like that. I am often second guessing myself and my thoughts, it's a bad habit. Oh well, enough about me. We both know that I'm here to tell you my story and you're here to hear it.
It was dark out, but couldn't see that just yet. I was sitting on my usual bar stool smiling and talking to the bartender as I drummed my fingers against my empty beer bottle. This place was called The Nexus, a small night club only a few blocks from my home, and I visited it every Saturday and Sunday evening to unwind. Always alone though, and that was the way I preferred it for the most part. I kept my attire dark and simple, nothing to attract any overly large amounts of attention. My mid back length hair was light brown with a hint of red and feathery at the tips, I was sure to always let it down when I was there.
"Well Gary, it's about time I head home, you have a good night." I smiled and nodded at the older man across from me, handing him my empty beer for recycling, over my time visiting the bar I realized he was fond of it. "Alright girl, you be safe." He waved me off like he did every other night when I left, and I'd politely nod and smile to the bouncer who's name I had yet to pick up, while pushing open the heavy metal door and strolling out into the dark streets.
As I immediately took to walking, I did not take notice of the three people quietly filing out of the bar behind me. I rubbed my fingertips together, enjoying the pleasant buzz I had from my two beers, smiling to myself as I walked. It wasn't until a solid block of walking down the sparsely illuminated streets did I hear something, however it was not the men following me. "Fuck you!" howled a deep voice, followed by the sound of something smashing metal, a string of curses chasing after the echoing noise that made me leap a good foot forwards and go rigid in both surprise and fear.
My momentary stunning was quickly dispelled as my natural concern for others overrode it and all common sense, making a quick dash for the alleyway I heard the commotion from. I came to a skidding halt on the damp pavement in front of the alley and looked in, my questioning shout coming out before I absorbed what I saw "Hey! Are you okay..." My voice quickly quieting down and fading away as I saw a partially hunched man with short hair, the color I couldn't discern in the dark, but his overall pose was threatening.. As was the shredded and stomped garbage can at his feet, hinting at the temper I had heard only a moment ago.
His head jerked to look in my direction and my eyes widened, taking a slow stride backwards and raising my hands up in a meek defensive pose. Finding my voice before he could say anything, or move any more for that matter, the guy looked like a giant. I barked out "Uhh, nevermind!" and turned stiffly, my rising adrenaline dispelling all fearfully seized muscles as I bounded off without a second thought on the matter, eager to put many more yards, no, miles in between myself and that man. What I did not register was the three men who took to a run after me as well, the blood thundering in my ears obscuring their dashing feet.
A solid block away I slowed to a stumbling walk, panting and looking back over my shoulder. It was my turn to do a double take as I saw the three men crossing beneath the weak light of a street lamp not far behind me, their own sounds bombarding my ears as my adrenaline cleared. They were laughing and I was pretty sure I caught a snide remark about me running from something else I saw.
Taking a calming breath I turned to face them fully, keeping a relaxed stance. I had no formal training to defend myself, but I had the body of an honest working person who enjoyed exercise. Fat load of good that's about to do you now, I thought to myself ruefully as I finally was able to take in their facial features.
Each had to be around six feet tall, one a little shorter, one a little taller and the one in the center of the group about 6 foot. None of them particularly muscular I noted, eyes grazing their bare arms, sleeveless shirts and baggy pants. Unremarkable men, but all with a cruel look on their face, like this is a familiar scenario to them. Finally I nodded to them politely and murmured "Hello, I can't help but notice you're actually following me. Care to explain?" The man in the middle of the small pack, who I figured was their little group leader, snapped a quick laugh followed by the chuckling hyena laughter of his friends.
"Oh yeah, we've followed you for a while darling, such manners. Too bad manners have no place on the streets this late a night, right?" As he finished speaking I saw the knives being drawn from pockets, each small-sized in my opinion. Brandishing his knife towards me, I kept my hands loose at my sides and feigned a relaxed manner, it was important to not seem as panicked as I felt, I figured. "You can get on your knees now and please us all without complaint and then we'll let you go in one piece, or you can make it hard and we leave you as a jigsaw puzzle for the police to put back together, your call."
My eyes widened just a tinge before I caught myself as I happened to glance someone passing under the street light behind the thugs. Biting my lip briefly in thought, I slowly let a smile creep across my face, knitting my brows to hopefully help make my message sound more serious. "Gentlemen, there's no need for all of this. I am not inclined to violence, but so help me if you don't put your tinker toys away and leave immediately, you wont be left conscious enough to regret it." I smiled as there was a pregnant pause among the group, each looking towards the man in the middle to make their decision for them.
All the while I saw what I recognized to be the man from the alleyway creeping up silently behind them, his size was more startling now that I had the three men in front of him for scale. His grizzled face had a smile of its own, clearly he also heard what I said to them, and with any luck, agreed to the unspoken part of my message.
What felt like a small eternity passed and was probably only a few moments in reality, I saw the posture and expression change and knew the thugs answer before he said it, but waited anyways. Gesturing aggressively with his knife, he snarled "Wrong answer, bitch!" Bolstered by their leader, all three made to jump towards me, my hands raising in a defensive gesture, taking a half step back in hopes of avoiding some of the incoming damage.
It was also at that moment the giant behind the charging three made his move. A quick swoop with a booted foot yanked the legs out from under the one man on the left, who fell and by the startled gasp of pain, also managed to stab himself like an idiot. Within the same breath the man on the far right was grabbed by the back of his shirt, lifted up and tossed hard to the side of the nearby building with a sharp jerk, letting out a winded grunt.
Unaware of what just happened to his partners in crime, I was left facing the charging leader. I was emboldened by my defender however, and as the man with the knife collided with me I anchored myself in place, jamming my hands into his armpit and locking my fingers around his arm, turning sharply and bending forwards to hip toss him with mostly his own momentum. Enraged, he landed and spun around to take a wild stab at me as I backed away. I was quickly shoved aside to avoid the swipe by my defender however, at which point I drove my foot into the face of the one man who was tossed into the wall and recovering, watching him get knocked out cold.
There was a suspicious lack of sound behind me at that point. Feeling secure, I turned to see the thug leader on one knee, life sliding from his fingertips and tinking on the ground uselessly. I saw his lips moving and barely heard what he said, his complexion as pale as a ghost. "We didn't know, please, let us go. It won't happen again.. I s-s-wear it!"
Quirking a brow, I took this time to look over the back of my current hero. He had an unbuttoned, blue and white checkered shirt and some old jeans on, overall pretty nondescript. Only remarkable thing was his overall height, I surmised. Within the few moments I spent observing him, I heard what was apparently a displeased grunt from him and watched his leg kick out and by the sound of it, break the collar-bone of the man who promptly fell back and let out a choked screech.
Wincing as I listened to the pained sound quickly cut off by a kick to the head, but otherwise not feeling very sympathetic, I took stock of the other two men dispassionately before looking back towards my hero, his back still turned to me. Gathering my courage, I straightened up and called out to him softly "Hey man, thank you. And err, sorry for running off, gave me a bit of a scare..." Apparently I startled him from his own revery and he jerked slightly, turning completely to face me. His visage was frightening to me, the look on his face as though he was in a different world, but I steeled myself - he clearly helped me, what kind of pansy am I to be afraid of him when he put himself in harm's way for me?
I watched a bead of sweat slide down his cheek, visible with the dim glow of the street light some distance behind me. Finally, his voice ground out "I just don't like sharing." My stomach dropped into my feet, my insides going cold as I stayed stock still and prayed he was about to laugh and say "got you!" Blinking several times, that moment did not happen. He looked down and around at the ruined men for a moment before looking back at me, learning forwards slightly - an intimidating gesture, I felt - "Get moving, go home."
Not exactly what I was expecting at this point, I jerked into action and nearly stumbled over the man who managed to stab himself when he fell, unsure if he was dead or faking it to avoid being knocked out or not. Walking stiffly past him and the unconscious thug leader I tried to sort out a plan in my mind, numbly walking towards my home while thinking to myself "one block left" and dreading every step towards it now.
My unwanted companion was silent, but I observed that he continued to sweat despite the cool temperature of the evening and his fingers would twitch unconsciously. I kept snagging glances of him under each source of light as we went, not wanting to test his patience by trying to run. Swallowing my fears, I brought him to the steps of my small home, an old stone building wedged between two others. Pausing in front of the door, my hands limp at my sides as I looked up at him then, seeing him stare down at me. It was then I realized he had these very piercing blue-grey eyes, and I felt a little chuckle brewing inside me which I wouldn't dare voice.
Taking a quick breath I murmured "Look, I'm very thankful that you helped me out of that situation, I know it would've gone very differently if you did not intervene but, please..." trying my best to keep my voice even and keep my feelings from overwhelming me at this point, I stared at him hard - noting then that his pupils were actually as big as saucers. Drugs, of course. "I don't know what you were doing in the alley, I don't want to, and I don't know your name or anything like that... I will happily not contact the police if you just leave me be, and I will remain thankful for what you did for me."
His hand came to rest on the door beside my head as he leaned forwards over me, letting out a dark chuckle which forced a grimace from me. "Just open the door." Shakily nodding my head I dug into my pocket and retrieved my keys, turning to unlock the door as I felt his chest briefly touch my shoulder before he straightened up again.
Fingers trembling uncontrollably, it took longer than I'd care to admit before I managed to open the door and stumble in, feeling a kind of numb shock roll over me. The inside of my home was very modest, a stairway going upstairs to my right, the kitchen down the hall straight ahead, and the small living room to the left through a doorway with no door. Stepping in, I immediately leaned against the wooden railing post that lead up the stairs, resting my head against the cool wood and drawing a steadying breath. "Well, we're in. Your move."
I heard the door shut behind me and his heavy footsteps making the wooden floorboards creak angrily. Jerking slightly as I felt his fingertips curl around my neck slightly, turning my head towards him and tilting my chin up so I looked him in the eyes as he flicked the light switch beside us on. Blinking a couple of times as my eyes adjusted, I stared back at him with the same intensity he was staring at me, but for what were different reasons, I figured.
I didn't notice it until his free hand-made a move towards it, but when he reached towards the inside of his open shirt I saw the black strap across his chest, hinting at something holstered there. Going as still as stone I watched with morbid fascination was he withdrew what had to be the biggest knife I had ever seen, probably longer than my forearm and certainly thicker than it. Twitching in his grasp slightly I watched as he brought it to the base of my jaw, resting the flat of it against my jugular.
The sound of my blood pounding nearly flooded my hearing, but I heard with clarity as I watched his lips move and his drug addled stare hold me in place. "You wont be calling the police. I kill people for a living and should you decide that you want to try and rat me out, you will not live to experience it for long." My insides were constricting painfully as I digested the information and tried to not move with the knife against my neck, but it was only the span of a few moments before he leaned back, hand slipping from my neck and knife being slid back into the sheath in his shirt. Leaning forwards he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, my eyes damn near popping as I kept stock still while he chuckled "See you around, sweet cheeks."
While I watched him leave, hunching through the door frame more as a natural reaction than actually needing to duck because it was too short, it wasn't until the outside door clicked shut that I really registered him being gone. My shaking hand slowly reached up and touched where he pecked my cheek, the entire night crashing down on my mind all at once. As I slid down to the floor and let out a choked sob, it was time for me to unravel and attempt to process everything.