We were at an airport now and Hannibal and Face were already through the ticket check. B.A. and Murdock were the next ones up but me? I was just coming back from being searched because of some perverted bastards. I stood next to Hannibal and Face who where laughing for some reason. I stood beside them not bothering to ask but I didn't have to.
"They got the raw end of the deal, didn't they?" Face said laughing as B.A. got up to the ticket station.
"Look at B.A.," I said, "He looks like a huge banana." I said. We all chuckled but paid attention when Murdock came up to the ticket station at the same time B.A. did.
"Good morning, my friend." B.A. said in an Australian accent.
"Good morning." The guard said back. Then he looked at B.A.'s passport funny. "Rabbi Binky Rabinowitz?"
"Awe shit! We didn't even make it past the airport!" I said looking around.
"What passport did I give you?" Face said. Oh God.
"Oh this is your fault?" I said turning and glaring at him.
"You're from Tanzania. My mother is from Tanzania." The guard that was checking out Murdock said as Murdock and B.A. exchanged shocked glances.
"Oh shit." Face said also glancing around.
"What the hell happened?" Hannibal said. Murdock's guard started speaking what I think was Swahili.
"…converting Africans to Judaism. Stuff like that." B.A. was saying trying to make up for Face's mistake.
"Let's get ready to move. There are three on my right." Hannibal said.
"There's two behind me and one at the northeast exit." Face said.
I looked back at Murdock to see him suddenly speaking Swahili. The guard smiled and talked back before stamping his passport and soon both B.A. and Murdock were walking towards us.
"What's he doing?" Face asked.
"It's Murdock. Telling his life story." Hannibal answered.
Murdock came walking past us.
"There is a God." Hannibal said to B.A. just as Face said, "You speak Swahili?"
"You don't?" Murdock said walking past us. I grabbed my bags and soon we were walking down a private ramp.
"You got enough to work with kid?" Hannibal asked.
"We will. You and I have some major favors moving across the mid-Atlantic right now. It's a deep-sea freighter, shipping strictly black-market merch." Face said describing the transportation. I walked right behind Murdock and B.A.
"How do we get out to here?" Hannibal said. I turned around and shushed him at the same time as Face did.
"A boat. A plain old boat. This is what I'm talking about, Murdock." B.A. was saying only able to see a little bit of it. I guess he didn't really grasp that we just went through an airport. "Traveling the open seas in style. This is the way to travel. Classy-like. The way people used to, safe. We don't need a plane."
"Yeah…..You know, Bosco, hopefully one day we'll get you over your fear of flying." Murdock said and I could hear the laughter. I walked up right behind them to see the big red plane.
"What?" B.A. said turning to look and he saw the plane. Murdock quickly gave him a shot as planed. "Hey, that ain't a boat!"
"Just not today." Murdock said. I exclaimed when B.A. fell forward and tried to hold him up but he was too large. I was pulled down with him. I rolled off of him quickly.
"Murdock, don't you remember what I said?" Face said exasperated. "I said you have to catch him…." Face said and Hannibal joined in at the last part. I got up off the ground swiping off the dirt.
"….after you inject him." We three finished while Face gestured to what he was supposed to do. Murdock looked in between our faces before looking down at B.A.
"My bad." Murdock said looking down at B.A. God B.A. was going to be pissed when he woke up. Soon we were all on the boat and Murdock was getting us up in to the air towards our new destination, LA.
We flew for a long time, at least tell it was dark out and I was on a pilfered laptop working out how much funds I had after not spending any of it for a whole six months. Once we made it to the cargo ship Murdock landed the plane and we got on to the ship secretly. I didn't bother wondering what they were doing with the plane as we got on to the ship where everyone on it knew not to mess with us. Face said this was black market stuff and since I had heard him on the phone I also had some favors on here.
We had a bunch of the cargo containers melded together to make a large room where we could work. It had a bunch of welding equipment and a bunch of other things there together that I didn't need to work. I was trying to find the number of the container that had the things I asked for in them. Hannibal and Face were looking through all the containers to see what they had to work with. I finally found the container I was looking for and grabbed a key that had been slyly slipped into my pocket by an undercover agent.
As I opened the door Face and Hannibal surrounded me in curiosity while Murdock was cooking something to keep B.A. calm when he woke up. I flicked on my flashlight and my merchandise was indeed in there.
"Jesus!" Face said staring at it. I smiled and walked in to get a better look at them.
"These are my baby's!" I said turning back to him and Hannibal who were staring in shock. On the walls were a lot and I do mean a lot, of different guns and on the floor in crates was enough ammo to start a war…figuratively. In the back were a few big crates that had multiple different things but I dug through tell I found an old-fashioned trunk. I tugged it carefully out of the container and started walking away with it rolling behind me.
"Where are you going?" Murdock asked as I passed his cooking station.
"I'm going to put this some place safe. So I can change before we get to the docks." I told him before giving him a lingering kiss. After that I found a concealed place away from the boys and I placed the trunk on a convenient table and unlocked it with a key that was on the same necklace that held my dog tags. When I opened it I sighed saddily and pulled out the slick silk and I stared at the red fabric.
"It's been a long time, my friend." I cooed at it running my hands over it. I sat it back into the trunk and picked up one of the swords. I took it out of the sheath and stared at it before running my hands along it. I hadn't used a sword since I took out all of those terrorists. I pulled my finger back when I felt the blade was dull. At the look of the blade you would think that it was to heavy to lift but it was made out of a light alloy and I had made it myself back when I was still in training.
I looked at the other weapons hanging on the sides of the opened trunk. I was guessing that they needed re-sharpening as well. I walked away from my trunk and back towards the room with the others in it. I placed the large sword on my shoulder as I walked humming the theme to jaws as I went. I was headed to my container when I realized that no one was speaking or moving I looked to the side and saw them all staring at me carrying my sword in one hand and the sheath in the other. "What?" I asked, looking between them.
"That's a uh…big sword you got there." Hannibal said doing something. I smiled at him.
"She's my baby." I said patting her with the opposite arm. I walked back into my container and looked through the crates popping them open with a crowbar. I finally made it to one in the back and opened it to find a large stone sword sharpener. It maybe old fashioned but the sword stay sharpened a lot longer. I huffed as I got behind it and started pushing; I groaned with the work and finally pushed it out the door. I rested on the crate huffing for breathe. I looked up and saw B.A. was awake and now in this room with us. He was just finishing eating the food Murdock made him and looked up at me.
"You need help?" He asked. I grinned still panting. Who knew this thing could weigh so much?
"Please, my kind sir shall you help this dear fair lady in her despairing time of absolute need?" I said in a medieval British accent.
"I won't if you keep talking like that, crazy ass fool." He said coming over and ushering me out of the way. I pointed to where I wanted it and he pushed it there with less effort then I wanted him to have to use.
"Why can't we all have strength like that?" I wondered aloud as he walked away to help the others. I set to work undoing the screws keeping the crate together and one by one the walls of the crate fell off. I found the metal lever that would start the slightly enhanced machine.
The wheel at first was slow and I had to wait for it to speed up so I looked over to see what the others were doing and when I did it was to see them all together they saw me looking and Murdock waved me over. I sat beside him and was handed a drink. I sniffed at it to smell beer and I crinkled my nose. I hated the substance, it had been engraved in me to never do anything that would impair the senses. I waited tell we were all in deep conversation before I poured it out through a hole in the floor where a pipe ran through. Murdock caught my eye and I winked as he slide an arm around my waist.
"So, Outlaw, how long have you been an ANBU?" Face asked conversationally while we waited on Hannibal who was rummaging around for something.
"Ah, I don't know I believe when I was nineteen. I met you guys when I was twenty-one right? Yea nineteen sounds right." I said pouring a Nugrape into a clean cup. I drank a good bit of it as we spoke.
"Not that I'm mad or anything, but why didn't you tell us before." B.A. asked. I looked in my dark drink trying to think.
"Well, I had thought about telling you I really did but for the first year I had to get to know you then when I did trust you it was a good bit in to the friendship and I didn't know how to tell you. I was close to telling you a lot of times but then we would get interrupted or there were others around." I wrinkled my nose as I took another gulp.
"The last time I tried to tell you was after that mission in France where Face got shot. I was about to say the words when I got a call. Do you remember?" I asked looking at them. They had thoughtful looks on their faces.
"Yeah, I remember waking up and then five or ten minutes later you were saying something that seemed important and you got a call. You looked at the screen and then just excused yourself. I didn't think much of it at the time." Face said.
"Yeah and then when we got back to base you left for like a month." Murdock said remembering now.
"That was because the call was from the President. He wanted me to take on a risky mission. I was to infiltrate Osama Bin Laden's camp and kill him." They all went ramrod straight and I chuckled.
"That's why I was so sentimental when I came back from the mission. I realized that I could have died and you would have never known why. I was ordered not to tell anyone about my rank because of that mission. The President wants to do it publicly to give us awards. I think that was only five days before the mission that landed us here wasn't it?" I said wondering off topic.
"You were the ones to kill Osama Bin Laden?" B.A. asked shocked.
"Uh…Yeah." I said like Willy Wonka.
"God I knew you had to be good to be in the ANBU but that's some crazy shit right there." Murdock said. I smiled and drank the rest of my drink sitting the empty cup down.
"I'm not just in the ANBU." I stated pulling out my dog tags and flashing them at the group.
"I'm the leader." I said. They all looked at the dog tags that stated my name, rank, age, and blood type. I was stated in rank as ANBU leader/ Ranger.
"Holy shit." Face said still staring at it. I grinned and let the dog tags fall down to swing around my neck.
"Yeps. That's what everyone always says. Crazy huh?" I said looking at the approaching Hannibal who had been leaning on a container obviously done with what he was doing. I looked at the mangled doll and decided it was best not to question it. "Anyways back on topic. What's the plan Faceman?" I said stopping them asking any more questions.
Then Hannibal came up behind us and put his hands on our shoulders listening as well.
"Lynch is a paradox." Face started taking my empty cups and placing them down backwards. "Murdock, you done with that?" Face asked as Murdock handed him the now empty cup. He placed a silver ball under one of them.
"This is a guy who needs anonymity, but he loves theatricality. He's an administrator, he's not an operator." He began moving the cups around slowly and I smiled at the old game trick already knowing what it was but not the actual plan.
"Where is it?" Face asked Murdock. Murdock pointed to the one with the silver ball in it. "Very nice." Face congratulated him. He tipped them back over and began moving them around again speaking to us.
"So he stays as far away from the point of impact as possible, and never gets his hands dirty if he can help it. But we're gonna change all that." Face said gesturing for B.A. to try now.
"You can't hustle a hustler, fool." B.A. said cockily pointing to a cup. Face lifted it to show no ball. I grinned at B.A. and he put his hand up like what the fuck? Hannibal laughed at him.
"This guy is never at the flashpoint of anything. He's safe and sound somewhere, pulling the strings. So we're going to bring this guy down to ground level. The last place he'd ever want to be. Then you put him on display for the whole world to see." Face said lifting the middle cup to show three silver balls and I quickly caught on to his plan. Get Lynch out in the open and get him to admit he was a fraud then pull the curtains up and show him for what he is.
"Any questions?" Face said grinning. When we had none he assigned us things that needed to be done. I quickly followed Face and Murdock to help melt some Kevlar plates. I took them out of the jackets and gave them to Face who took them to Murdock who had a boiler ready. After we finished that I left them to do what they were assigned and I took my sword back out to the wheel which was spinning just right. I laid it on there and began to sharpen it. There was only one thing I didn't enjoy about the plan and sadly it was the most important part.
I just finished sharpening my sword to the sharpest I could get it when my phone rang from the table I had placed it on upon entering the ship. I walked over wiping my hands off. I picked it up as it blasted 'House of Pain'.
"'ello?" I asked sniffing widely trying not to sneeze. The sensation quickly pasted.
"Is this ANBU Freedom?" Someone asked.
"It depends on who wants to know." I said cautiously.
"ANBU Order." The voice identified them selves.
"Well hello, Ms. Romanoff. It's good to hear from you, how's Tony and Anna?" I asked leaning on the table.
"Better, I guess. Don't really have that much to say, they're getting married you know, Tony and Anna." I smiled happily but inside I was hoping everything worked out so that one day I could get married.
"Who would have thought that one day Tony Stark would settle down?" I said and we both laughed gaining attention from the team who were ruffling around in other things. I just waved them off.
"So, this doesn't seem like a social call, want to tell me what's crack a lacking?" I said quoting some kids show.
"Oh, I was calling you to tell you the President and I have received Morrison, and also Director Fury wanted to speak to you about some S.H.E.I.L.D. stuff. I think he wants to know if you want to let Tony and Anna join." She said and there was a sound of the door being opened from her end.
"Uh, yea let them join and thank you for telling me now I have stuff that needs to be seen to, I'll talk to you when I'm a free woman again. Bye." We hung up and I went back to sharpening my other weapons.
"What was that about?" I jumped as Murdock spoke from behind me. I looked back at him and he was sitting on the table where I had just been. I smiled and sat the dagger I was sharpening down.
"Oh, one of my Agents was telling me about her assignment oh and they got Morrison." I said sitting down beside him. He put his arm around my shoulders.
"Really what was happening with her?" He asked. I leaned in and rested my head against his shoulder.
"Oh she guards Tony Stark and Anna. They're some really good friends of mine. Anna and Natasha are two of the last few ANBU's left. Natasha was saying that Anna and Tony were getting married." I said once again thinking of how one day I could be getting married too.
"What's wrong?" Murdock said seeming to sense there was something wrong with me.
"When we get out of this I just don't think I'll ever get married, even if we do get freed, which we will. I don't think that anyone will want to talk to us when we've obviously been fugitives." I said completely missing his thoughtful expression.
"And you really want to get married?" He asked. I blinked and looked him over; he was being a lot sanier then usual, maybe that V.A. got in his head.
"I think almost every girl wants to get married. It's just something that we looked forward to as women; you know the whole romance thing, spending the rest of your life with the one you love. I'm not going to lie it has a certain appeal about it. Settling down, not so much, but being able to come home to base and finding someone waiting for me, or even us both coming home to each other. I don't know it would just be really nice not to come home to lonely-ness..." I smiled at the idea of coming home to a caring family then I thought of something.
"Not that I'm not happy with what I have you now. I love you to death. And I love Face, B.A. and Hannibal. So I have family and everything I suppose. It's just one of those things. It's a women thing." I said unable to take back what I said back. I looked back up at his face hesitantly. Murdock had a face of deep thought and I didn't know if I could bring myself to interrupt his thought but I did remember that we do have things to do.
"Um….Murdock?" I asked waving my hand in front of his face. He blinked and I stopped. He turned his head to me and his eyes were still a bit dazed and I smiled at him curiously. He suddenly kissed me to the point of speechless-ness. I felt the air leave my lungs slowly as he guided me down to the table top. He broke it for a second and I gasped a breathe as he started kissing down my neck.
I pulled on my shirt as I yawned. I looked over to my left and saw Murdock fast asleep. I would have liked to go back to sleep in this little cubby hole but I have no idea what happened to the others. After Murdock and I had….started getting busy we had pretty much not bothered to listen to anyone else. We had found a place away from the others and well….yea.
I smiled as memories of what just happened came flooding back. I giggled like a school girl and threw the blanket over the uncovered Murdock…Jr. I stopped for a second before I leant on Murdock. I shoke him a bit to wake him.
"mmmmmmm…" He said opening his beautiful emerald eyes to peer at me. I smiled and kissed him softly.
"I'm going to go get ready for the heist, I love you." I said against his lips.
"Bring me back candy." He said sleepily closing his eyes. I giggled again before kissing his cheek one more time before I got up. I was clothed again after having a quick (freezing) shower. Trust me, a shower on a ship is horrible, but I stunk okay. I hadn't seen the others in about two or three hours and I was sure that they would ask questions. I wasn't sure what to answer with.
I had just closed the door after walking out of our little cubby hole when I saw my reflection. I stared in slight fascination at the love-bites on my neck. I smiled as I ran my fingers over them in a daze for a brief moment and that was a moment to long.
"Rach?" I heard from the other end of the hallway I was in.
"Face?" I asked standing up straight from where I had leant over to see the bits. I pulled the shirts collar over them as I did but I was to late Face was staring at my collar. He walked up close to me curiously and reached up to take it down. I smiled nervously as his eyes stared at them. I laughed slightly and took a step back.
"What is this?" Face said blankly probably in to much shock to understand.
"Uh…a bruise?" I said trying to justify them. It completely failed because just then Murdock opened the door to the cubby in nothing but a blanket around his waist.
"Rachel-" he was sleepy and obviously not paying attention until he saw Face. His eyes went wide. "Um…..uh…..I'll take it you couldn't get the candy?" He squeaked before closing the door again quickly. I stared at it in annoyance. Oh yeah just leave me out here to face it why don't you? Oh wait you just did.
"Uh….." Face said and we looked back at each other.
"Well…..It's uh a beautiful day…" I said turning and walking away swiftly. I turned the corner and I bolted back to the wide room only to see Hannibal and B.A. there. They turned to look at where I was leant up against the wall breathing heavily.
"Oh where have you been for so long? Where's Murdock? Did Face find you?" I laughed weirdly.
"Yeah uh…He found us all right. It's all good. Um..I'm going to finish uh…something I was doing." I said laughing again. They stared at me but I just walked over to the 'kitchen' department and started searching and I heard a loud set up footsteps and I panicked trying to make my self look as busy as possible while still searching for the candy that Murdock wanted.
"Hey, Murdock, where have you two been?" Hannibal said again to I'm guessing Murdock. I took a breath and grasped a bag of jumbled candy. I stood up and placed it on the countertop. I glanced around and saw Murdock standing by the opening with only his jeans on. Murdock's hair was in disarray, though that was a usual, and you could see nail marks going down his back….what can I say I'm an animal. He quickly put on the shirt but the damage was done. Hannibal and B.A. were staring at him like he had lost his mind….now that I think about that statement.
"Uh….Is that the candy? I'll have a piece." He said scurrying over to take a handful of the candy. I smirked at him while I stuck a lollipop in my mouth. I left the bag there for him and went away swiftly humming trying to get away before Face showed up and spilt the beans. But alas, no rest for the wicked as they say. I groaned as Face stepped around the corner and looked as if he had just thrown his guts up. I laughed as Hannibal and B.A. looked extremely confused by what was happening to us.
"I just saw the most disgusting thing in the world." Face said looking like he's puppy was just kicked by a ninja cat. Hey, that shit happens okay?
"What?" I asked innocently taking the lollipop out of my mouth for a moment. When his eyes caught sight of me he went even paler.
"Don't act like you don't know! You two could have done that somewhere else other then where we could find you!" Face said and B.A. and Hannibal finally understood what was wrong and followed Face into denial. I glared at Murdock and he held his hands up in surrender.
"This is your fault! I was having a sentimental moment and instead of reassuring me you just had to be a man! You took advantage of me!" I said pointing at him ignoring the others. I grabbed up a few guns from inside of the container.
"I thought I was being reassuring! I could have pulled a Face and walked away." I stopped cleaning the MC-33 for a moment to think about that.
"Hey!" Faceman called out, offended, from where the guys were laying around watching us, now much calmer, I swear they are bi polar.
"You speak the truth. Of course I would have probably followed you, after the shock wore off, and killed you like the sadist I am." I said laying the gun down and walking up to him. I immersed myself in his loving arms forgetting for just a moment that we were in front of the team.
"Ugh. Their in public and they still won't stop. Please tell me this isn't how you feel when I do this." Face said pretending to puke. I snorted and turned my head from where it was smashed into Murdock's chest to stare at Face, to content to glare.
"Nah, it's probably less disturbing because we don't know the girl. Of course I wouldn't like it either way. I hate when you bring your girls around. I end up forgetting their names." I said to him and Murdock giggled into my hair.
"You breathe smells like chocolate!" Murdock half whispered as one of his hands sled smoothly down my spine. I arched into him to get away from the tickling sensation and smacked his chest.
"Easy there. That's what got us into this problem in the first place." I said diving out from under his arms. He whined like a child and tried to follow me with his arms open. Soon I was just running away from him in the large room while the others watched in amusement. I squealed as I tried to go over a bin and Murdock tackled me. We rolled once which left me on the ground with Murdock's weight on top of me. I smiled up at him as he raised his head. Our eyes met and he smiled down at me.
I raised my head just the centimeter it took to close the distance between our heads. It was a languid kiss and I guess the others couldn't see because I heard no complaints from Face. I enjoyed the kiss for but a moment before I forced Murdock's weight off of me and sprung up. After I helped him up we sat down beside the others. Face gave Murdock a beer while I just took a soda.
"Well, it's almost time." Face said nervously. I understood his problem.
"Don't worry about it Faceman, your plan will work fine up until the coppers get us." I assured happily. I looked around at all of the containers and smiled happily. No matter that we were all fugitives I did love my job.
"That really makes me feel better." Face said sarcastically.
"Sarcasm is un-needed." I said back. "You'll do fine, Face. I trust you and your plan."
"Yeah, but, your crazy." Face said humorously.
"…true. But I haven't got myself killed yet, have I?" I thought about it for a second. "Of course there is always a first time for everything." Everyone laughed.
"Thanks, Outlaw, really." Face said still laughing.
"It's what I live for." I said. We got to work on the rest of it. We only had a few more hours tell show time.
Hey guys! I'm so tired right now! I couldn't think of a snazzy way to end it so it just kind of stopped. Oh well. I hope you like it!