I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: those of you who've seen the fantastic episode will find the similarities below; anything borrowed is done so respectfully of the show and its real writers, including derivations of dialogue and some aspects of the plot.

Many thanks to all who like my little twist on things!

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

The hardest part always looked the easiest. As Danny strolled calmly down the pier, he ignored the handful of other dock workers he passed. There was no need to exchange words or even offer acknowledgement. He was just another transient face amongst a multitude of others. He heard snippets of Russian, English, Portuguese and muffled shouts or laughter as he continued towards the SS Arcturus. According to Kray, the Arcturus was the link and his temporary night shift job was lined up. He merely had to get there ... or not. So this plain, ordinary walk which kept him out in the open had become the hardest part.

As for getting there, Danny was betting on the 'not part'. As he got closer to the ship, just able to make out part of its name as he walked towards where the Arcturus was berthed, neither his team nor the CIA could guess where or when Danny might be jacked. The smart assumption was now though and before he made it to the big freighter.

He'd been undercover countless times in his career, but never like this. Never intentionally set-up to be abducted. The stakes were incredibly high as they pertained to national security and if he had to be honest with himself, he was nervous about the impact of his potential failure. Knowing that Steve and his team were all watching him somewhere along the pier definitely helped calm his nerves to some degree, nonetheless and as he covertly watched for movement within the shadows, he knew his own abduction would happen when least expected. He was exposed and completely out in the open. Vulnerable as planned. The small concealed weapon he had would be taken within seconds of whatever might go down. He'd have nothing but his wits and what Steve had literally drummed into his brain over the last few hours and none of that was particularly comforting.

It was an odd feeling and very disconcerting as he wondered about the potential violence of the pending attack. He hesitated when movement caught his eye further down the wharf and Danny tensed up, at the ready, just in case. But the heavy-set shape coming towards him merely spared him a nod and Danny returned the same, remaining on edge until the man continued on.

Not this guy; not yet.

For once though, Danny was relieved that it was him out in the open and not Steve. The role reversal was an interesting situation for them and part of Danny, a very small part, was almost smug about how it would be Steve loitering helplessly out there and not himself. Danny's lips twitched upwards into a semi-amused smirk. It might do Steve some good. This time it wouldn't be Danny with all those bad thoughts running through his head. Worrying, wondering,… upset about what condition Steve might be in when he found him. How many little pieces would be left for Danny to pin together like a patchwork quilt. Wondering if this one time, it might not even be possible.

This time it would be Steve fretting about him. His smile faltered as he heard a distant rumble - a mechanical reverberation. Uncertainty made him pause. Probably a large winch, a different ship. Danny rolled his shoulders, forcing himself to relax. Even the environment was Steve's home away from home; Danny was literally a fish out of water. He shook himself and kept walking, allowing his thoughts to return to how their perfect little apple cart had been so badly upset. Things would work out and a little taste of Steve's own medicine wouldn't be so bad for the man: IF the hastily strung-together plan went down exactly as anticipated.

WHEN it worked. When it played out, Danny wouldn't be gone for more than a few hours. He'd get a little roughed up ... pushed around … intimidated. He didn't put much stock in getting actually brainwashed… Danny didn't think he'd be around long enough for that to happen. Besides, the Williams were a stubborn bunch. He'd dump the faked Intel from the CIA at the right time and probably even include what he and Steve had found at Hennessey's apartment. The contrived list of names, the falsified codes and erroneous locations ... all of it combined would establish a web of interconnected traps. Danny would be made to say all which he'd memorized and the troops would show up at just the right moment to get him out, allowing the Chinese the opportunity to escape. It would take time after that, maybe a week or two. But that false intelligence would allow the CIA to pick apart the Chinese spy network one by one, with the ultimate goal of identifying their internal mole.

'You can still change your mind; we can still decline to assist.' Steve's voice echoed in his head and Danny wished he had a comm link as his mind briefly wandered. No, they couldn't have declined anything and Steve well knew that; it was only his desperation talking. A crash course in how to resist brainwashing wasn't something that could be learned within a matter of hours. Between terse words which neither of them truly meant and bouts of frustrated anger, they'd eventually managed to focus on the material which the CIA had sent them for Danny to memorize. Steve had added in a bit of the intel they'd gleaned from their time at Hennessey's apartment, as well. Something which the CIA knew nothing about. Steve hoped it could be an ace in their abysmally small hole. Small bits of scorched papers with a few scarcely legible names and numbers? They had to hold some value and so Steve had made Danny memorize those, too, regardless of their iffy state.

Steve had resented every minute but had been thorough and diligent. He'd gone so far as to quiz Danny in seafaring lingo, slang terms, refused to let him shave even, and then selected his clothing himself. It all would hopefully prove to be unnecessary and a lesson in over preparedness, but Danny only loved him more for every annoying, nitpicky detail.

And even though he had duly coached Danny right up until the last minute, he'd been just as adamant about scrubbing the mission, too.

Danny cursed softly under his breath. In the privacy of their home, Steve has been desperate to pull the plug. The entire situation was badly flawed. Steve knew, and he knew it. But there wasn't much either of them could do about it now and Danny should at least should be running through his material in his head as he walked along the pier. Instead, Danny was still thinking about Steve and how Danny would make all of this up to him when it happened. He had just walked beneath a shadowed catwalk when he was hit from behind. He fell prone, the wind knocked out of him hard enough so that he was hampered in rolling back to his feet. He managed though, growling under his breath as he swiped at a bloody scrape on his chin and sized up his attacker. Being face to face with one man wasn't so bad. Danny was almost insulted.

"Who the hell are you?" Danny asked as he adopted a fighter's stance. Of course, his attacker didn't reply and Danny smirked in disgust. "Figures. Not much of a talker, are you?"

Danny feinted before swinging hard and surprisingly connected fist to temple. The man went down like a brick but before Danny could move, something sharp was plunged into the side of his neck. He grunted, the bee-sting like shock taking him straight down to his knees when the pain broadened to pulse hotly into his shoulder. He pawed at his neck, not confused because some part of his brain understood what had just happened, but still adequately surprised by this counter-attack. As he half turned, his vision swimming from the strong cocktail of drugs dispensed by a hypodermic needle, Danny saw a Chinese man looming over him. Well-dressed and calm, the man smiled down at Danny as he struggled to stay at least on his knees. But as another dim shape stepped forward, Danny's mouth gaped wide. A woman ... and he knew her despite the grayish haze which was threatening far too fast to take him under.

Greer.

"W-what ... w-what the hell?" He stammered as Greer stood boldly next to the Chinese man. "You?"

"Hello Detective Williams," Agent Greer all but purred as Danny swayed dizzily to finally slump over to a hip. Even with one hand planted on the ground, he could barely stay upright and she laughed softly when hand became elbow.

Her appearance made no sense to Danny even to his drugged brain. Her duplicitous nature knew no bounds. And when he got back home, Danny filed away the fact that his partner sometimes had abysmally bad taste in women. Trying to focus on Greer now though, Danny was still baffled about her role. Greer knew that he was a plant and yet, here she was making a mockery of the entire mission. He opened his mouth, fighting for words. Wanting to say as much to her Chinese peer who'd so easily jabbed a needle into the side of his neck. Danny didn't get any farther though as his body simply gave up and he rolled drunkenly over onto his back.

"Greer ...," Danny whispered one last time as his world turned upside down and then blinked out within a nauseating swirl of light.

~ to be continued ~