Just like to give a big shoutout to-
Bit,Sunheart of Rushclan,Quirky Revelations, and Rotten Panda
and everyone else who submitted a review, your support with this story means a lot to me, and you have no idea how happy I am my story has such lovely followers, I hope you like this chapter, plenty of action, enjoy! (-;
Skipper nodded to Rico, who had a determined look on his face. The sounds of the city hummed in the background, noises of angry shouts and beeping cabs, and the drone of traffic. It was ironic that this was the first time the team had been home in years, and it was under less than pleasant circumstances.
Rico launched the wires, a whistling sound slicing through the air, and Skipper and Rico deployed the pulleys. The ropes tightened and they began to ascend the building.
Eva leaned against the RV, and clicked her earpiece on, adjusting her gun. Private settled himself inside the back of the vehicle, tapping away on his computer.
Hans straightened the lapels of his trenchcoat and swaggered into the building. It was all go.
X
X
X
X
"Rico, you take the rooftop door, I'll hide around the back" Skipper positioned himself around the corner of the fire escape, grasping his gun.
Skippers shoulders slumped, and he breathed a shaky breath, staring out at the night sky. There were no stars visible, simply aircraft lights blinking, and a beautiful view of New York, the city that never sleeps.
"Hey Rico"
Skipper called softly from round the corner. There was a beat where nobody spoke.
"Yeah Kipper"
Replied the demolitions expert. There was no noise but the hum of traffic from far below, and the whistle of cold wind in the night air. Skipper shivered.
"It's gonna be alright"
Said Skipper, but his voice sounded hollow even to his own ears.
"I know" Rico replied, with such conviction Skipper was shocked. The leader smiled a proud smile, mouth widening slowly ,and his face hardened. Skipper gazed out at New York, eyes Honing in on an unseen target.
X
X
X
Privates chipper voice guided Hans past the lobby and onto the left staircase of the first floor.
Hans eyed the pair of suit clad men stood on either side of the elevator in the lobby.
" Eva, do you have eyes on the two overgrown lackeys?"
Questioned Hans.
"Yes" Replied Eva.
" you see movement and you shoot them, I'm certain they are that bastards men"
"Da"
Agreed Eva.
Hans ascended the stairs without incident, that is until he reached the fourth floor. Two men were blocking his way, arms folded and gazes firm.
"Hans, they're Korsakov's men, whatever you do, don't blow your-"
"Gentlemen, could I please pass?" Hans questioned. The men looked down at him, faces hard and frowning. The smaller of the two spoke.
"Why do you need to pass?"
Hans chuckled softly.
"Well my grandmother is very sick, I was heading up to take care of her"
The men shared a look, and the smaller of the two started to say something into his ear piece.
Before he uttered one word however Hans foot connected with his head, dislodging the device. The larger of the two tried to do the same as his friend, but got no further than the other, head smacking painfully against the wall and tumbling down the rail. Hans then jumped onto his shoulders, wrapping his legs around the mans thick neck and squeezing, until the man choked and spluttered, sinking to the hard floor.
The smaller man had taken off running down the steps at this point, but Hans was one step ahead, lithely vaulting over the railing onto the stairwell just below the man. It was child's play to stab him in the jugular, revolts of blood pooling at the assassins ankles and rolling down the steps.
Hans feet took efficient measured steps to where the larger man was beginning to show movement, the scuff of feet echoing off the walls. Hans face held no expression as he stabbed him through the heart. Blood oozed out of the limp mans mouth, and his body twitched and jerked. Hans shot the security camera and continued his journey up.
In the RV private shivered, he couldn't see Hans or what had happened, the camera had lost signal with all the movement, but he wasn't sure he wanted to, there had been a slicing sound, followed by a gurgling one, but hardly any noise at all besides. For the first time ever Private feared Hans. He was glad Hans was on their side to say the least.
"Han-" stuttered the teen. He cleared his throat.
"Hans, is ev- is everything alright?"
"everything is fine darling, this will be over in no time" replied the German.
Private believed him.
X
X
X
Kowalski listened from where he lay, pretending to be fast asleep. Korsakov was sat at the desk in Kowalski's room, nothing illuminating him but the soft blue light of his computer screen.
He was talking into his walky talky, tapping away viciously at the keyboard of his computer. Kowalski saw the screen was split into many different camera views. The only screens that weren't blank where those showing the stairwells closer to the top of the building… it didn't take much for Kowalski to fit the pieces together. Despite himself he grinned, eyes closing in ecstasy. His team was coming for him, and they were almost here.
"What do you mean nobody passed you!"
Shouted an irate Korsakov, slamming the walky talky down on the desk, and spinning around in his desk chair.
Kowalski only just managed to school his features into a serene mask, before he was slapped aggressively across the face. No doubt had he been asleep that would definitely have woken him up.
Kowalski gasped in pain, clutching his stinging cheek.
"Wake up princess, looks like your team has come to get you" Kowalski couldn't help it, he grinned. Staring into Korsakov's eyes triumphantly.
Korsakov's eyes bugged out of his head, face reddening, and he pulled back a meaty fist ready to strike-
Just as Jack burst through the doorway.
"Korsakov, my friend, he's coming for us, he's nearly at the last stairwell!"
Korsakov looked frantically between his friend, his hostage, and the computer screen, there was only one camera left, and it showed a small lithe looking man walking purposefully up the steps. Kowalski gasped- was that…Hans?
Korsakov finally lowered his fist from where it had been drawn back like a bow string.
"AAAARGGGHHHH!"
Vented the criminal, finally standing up and walking out of the room.
"Jack, carry him"
Jack smiled widely, his face in shadow, only lit from the light in the room behind him. His incredibly white teeth glinting.
Jack walked into the room, and Kowalski's heart stopped, he was frozen with fear. His skin crawled as the man gathered him up gently, kissing him on the forehead.
"Don't worry small one, I've got you"
No doubt Kowalski did appear small to the muscular man. Kowalski had not eaten in days, and he was beginning to get pains in his stomach like nothing he had ever experienced. It was still strange to be called small though. No one since childhood-even when Kowalski was a skinny teenager, had called him small, or treated him like something delicate, or perishable. Not really.
Kowalski thought back to Rico, the times he had carried him to bed, and he had woken up halfway up the stairs but was too embarrassed to admit it. He remembered the care with witch Rico tucked him in. Every time as he drifted off again, he was sure he felt the flutter of soft lips on his forehead, but dismissed it as a dream.
Jack wasn't Rico, and he did not believe his words for one second. Kowalski wouldn't be safe until he was back with his team. The scientist wouldn't let Jack scare him anymore.
Kowalski steeled himself, promising to himself he will not let this creep treat him like a flower again. But he was so very tired, and it was so very easy to imagine it was Rico who was holding him gently, careful measured footsteps lulling him to sleep.
X
X
X
"Hans, what's going on?" Asked Skipper, pulling his suit jacket closer to himself against the cold winds.
There was a crackling noise, then Hans strong accented voice cutting through.
" I'm almost on the correct floor, I have seen no sign of Kowalski yet"
Skipper sighed.
"Well we're ready, flush them out" ordered Skipper.
Hans rounded the corner, hearing voices he flattened himself against the nearest wall, peeking around the next corner.
The assassin heard the click of a lock turning, and peeking round saw two large built figures. One was undoubtedly Korsakov, and he was turning a key in the lock of the penguins old apartment. The other was unknown… and he was carrying someone, someone with long dangling limbs. The person was unconscious, or perhaps asleep.
"I have eyes on Kowalski"
Whispered Hans into his earpiece.
"Eva, take out those guards, and take the elevator to the top floor" ordered Skipper.
In the lobby two gunshots could be heard, and the two guards on either side of the elevator crumpled, falling like marionettes whose strings had been cut. Eva entered the elevator, and pressed the button, going up.
Hans plucked two throwing knives from his sheathes, and leaped into view, throwing one just an inch above Korsakov's head, he would have aimed to kill, but he had promised skipper he wouldn't kill the monster until Kowalski was safe, and as stupid as that may be a promise was a promise. Hans dived around a corner, narrowly avoiding three bullets.
Hans threw a knife around the corner, swiftly calculating where it would land, and smirked when he heard Korsakov cry out, and the gun clattering across the tile floor.
"Who is this motherfucker!"
Screeched Korsakov to his accomplice.
"I do not know, but he can't be human, a demon perhaps?"
His accomplice called back.
Hans grinned sadistically, nothing satisfied his bloodlust more than the bullies being afraid.
Hans stepped into view, knives sliding from their sheathes on his arms and into his hands, arms outstretched behind him, his face was tilted downward menacingly, and there was a grin on his lips. He made eye contact with Korsakov, who flinched.
The elevator door at the other end of the hall pinged open, and Eva walked out shooting, managing to hit Korsakov squarely in the shoulder, and his accomplice in the leg. The two cried out loudly, but managed to get away, scaling the stairs with the help of two hidden thugs, who shared the weight of an unconscious Kowalski.
"Team B, we need the transport, NOW!"
Screamed Korsakov.
Hans eyebrow quirked, Korsakov had multiple teams? He relayed this information to Private.
"Skipper! Rico!" Called Private desperately.
"What's wrong soldier?" Was Skippers frantic reply.
" Korsakov has another team! We need backup! I don't think we can-"
Skipper didn't need to hear anymore, the sound of a chopper getting louder and drowning out everything else. There was a pilot, and three more men in the back, two holding guns.
Rico was ready when the door to the roof burst open. But nothing could have prepared him for seeing his friend in person, for the first time in a hellish week, looking so frail it hit him harder than any punch to the gut.
Rico took a punch to the jaw whilst frozen in shock, but was revived by the anger which bubbled up from within him. He grappled with Korsakov, punching him in his bleeding shoulder. Korsakov dropped to his knees, and Rico kicked him in the face, causing him to tumble backwards into his accomplice.
There was the sound of gunshots from behind Korsakov and his men, and as Rico was fighting with Jack the two thugs carried Kowalski out and towards the chopper.
Skipper saw his chance, leaping out and punching one man squarely in the jaw, shooting the other in the kneecap.
Kowalski appeared to be awake now, startled blue eyes flitting around at the chaos around him. As the men went down Skipper lurched forward at lightning speed, catching Kowalski before he tumbled to the ground.
The noises around him seemed muffled, and he was unable to hear what Skipper was shouting into his face, eyes looking concerned, all the while edging away from the helicopter and gunshots he could see ricocheting off the walls,kicking up clouds of concrete.
Kowalski snapped his head round just as everything hit him like a freight train.
Noises too loud, where skipper was holding him electric, the air blowing into his face from the chopper, and the throbbing of his broken wrist.
Kowalski finally could hear what skipper was saying, seeing it more than hearing, his lips moving.
"Do you need medical attention?"
Asked Skipper.
Kowalski shook his head, it could wait.
Suddenly Eva was at their side, taking out both of the gunman in the chopper, her head was bleeding, and she was swaying, but otherwise seemed unharmed.
"moya umnaya zvezda" (my smart star) uttered Eva, kissing Kowalski on the head tenderly.
This was the part where it all went wrong.
Eva's eyes widened as she saw too late a masked figure climbing onto the roof, the woman pressed a gun to Skippers head.
"Stop or I'll shoot" sang the woman. Pressing the gun into Skippers head harshly and making him wince. Everything stood still...no one moved, quiet save the present noise of the chopper, and cold winds whistling through them.
"Take me, Kowalski can't help you anymore, he's to weak, surely I would be of more use to you?"
Bargained Skipper.
The woman laughed, a sharp cutting sound which chilled Skipper more than the cold winds could.
"Well where's the fun in that? Watching your little hearts break is much more entertaining"
The woman fiddled with her gun holster,and threw Korsakov her spare gun. Korsakov raised the gun at Rico, walking backwards to a safe distance, a filthy smirk splitting his face in half. He looked right into Rico's eyes.
Korsakov knew what he was taking away from Rico, and the pain he could see as clear as day in those expressive eyes was exquisite.
Rico took a step forwards, ignoring the danger. "Rico!" Shouted three different people.
But it was the next words which made Rico stop.
"Please Rico"
Whispered Kowalski.
"Don't die for me, it's not your time"
Rico looked right into Kowalski's eyes, and advanced anyway.
A gunshot rang out, and Rico didn't know why, but his feet weren't supporting him anymore, and there was a warmth seeping through his suit jacket. He could hear someone crying, and half registered that he must have been shot. Hans caught him, how being so small Rico would never know, and strong hands where pressing down on the wound, just to the left of his heart.
Kowalski felt the tears rolling down his cheeks but couldn't hear his own sobs, he just kept staring at his love, hoping what he was seeing was a nightmare.
When he was roughly ripped out of Skippers gentle hold he didn't notice, just kept staring at the blood oozing out of Rico's chest. So much blood. And all for him.
The woman smacked Skipper with her gun and he sprawled out across the floor, a ringing noise in his ears, and Eva itched for her gun, which had been handed over to Jack seconds before.
Everything was falling apart. All their plans gone to waste. Instead of retaliating Eva helped Skipper stand. He staggered as if drunk, but managed to utter a promise, calling out into the cold night air loud enough for his second in command to hear.
"We will come for you, just you wait, don't lose hope Kowalski! Don't give in!"
And oh how Kowalski wanted to... but he wouldn't, he would stay strong. If not for himself but for Rico.
Kowalski hoped to God he would make it.
Why had Rico done it? When Kowalski had told him not to? why take a bullet in vein?
Kowalski watched his team shrink and the chopper gained altitude, hiding his angry tears by facing the floor. Korsakov chuckled, muttering something demeaning and cupping his cheek. Kowalski simply shrugged the hand away with his shoulder, refusing to utter one word in reply.
Evidently he had suffered enough in Korsakov's eyes, as he was left alone after that. Kowalski a man of science, did something he had never done before. He prayed. He prayed for Rico, that he would survive such a fatal wound, and he prayed for the strength to do what he needed to do to escape. He would make all this worth it. If it was the last thing he did.