"It's downloaded a virus from the satellite." Benji explained as Kat pulled herself and Nath further into the bedroom, keeping their lips glued as Nath grabbed at her hungrily. Her skin crawled everywhere he touched but she held it in desperately as she begged for Jane to come in.
"Hendricks is killing the server before we can kill the satellite." Ethan realized, and Kat thought frantically: 'Please, hurry up, someone!'
"Hendricks is reprogramming the satellite." Benji called. "He's gonna have launch capability in five minutes!"
In hindsight, Kat shouldn't have kissed Nath. No-one knew she was in trouble, because she was now effectively out of Jane's sight and she couldn't speak because her mouth was otherwise occupied with keeping Nath from questioning her strange reaction, while at the same time trying to keep Nath from sticking his tongue down her throat.
"Mercury? Venus?" Ethan called urgently. "Gotta move. We need that code."
"Mercury?" Jane called, clearly waiting for a signal, while Ethan ordered: "Venus, when Mercury gives the signal, you kick his ass, and get the code."
"Kat? Today, please!" Brandt added, his voice sounding strained and still echoing a little strangely over the comms. As though he was shouting over a loud wind.
'I can't give the damn signal!' Kat shouted in her head before she decided they needed a hint.
"Mmm!" Nath groaned loudly and appreciatively as Kat deepened the kiss, sticking her tongue into his mouth and trying not to hurl.
There was a pause over the comms, before Brandt asked slowly: "What was that?"
"That sounded like-" Benji began when Jane charged into the bedroom. Jane saw Kat and froze, as Kat saw Jane over Nath's shoulder and she pointed a free hand harshly at the back of Nath's head as she continued to kiss and distract him.
Jane immediately understood, and charged over as Kat pulled back from the kiss. Nath blinked, frowning slightly in confusion as Kat glared at him furiously, but before he could react Jane had grabbed his arm, throwing him over her shoulder and onto his bed as Kat moved aside.
Jane locked her arms around Nath's neck, holding him in a deadly chokehold while Kat wiped her mouth in disgust with one of the many fabrics hanging decoratively around the room.
"Move and I break your neck." Jane warned as Nath gasped for breath, clutching at her arms but to no avail. Her grip was firm as she snarled: "The override sequence for the relay station. Say it now or never speak again."
Nath grunted, struggling and Jane's grip tightened, her voice harsher as she ordered: "The codes!"
"Forty-six." He finally gasped out. "Eighty-two. Ninety-three."
"Please tell me you guys got that." Kat begged under her breath, but her hopes were dashed as Brandt yelled in alarm: "Benji, what happened?"
"The system's crashed!" Benji cried. "We're too late."
"No, I did not kiss that pervert for nothing!" Kat thundered, and Brandt asked sharply: "What?!"
"Save it, you two!" Ethan ordered. "It's not over yet."
Kat exhaled sharply as Ethan continued: "Hendrick's revealed himself. Benji, can you pinpoint Hendricks's location?"
"Uh," Benji replied as he searched quickly, "Hendricks is signaling out of a state-run TV station six-point-seven miles from here."
"Send me the coordinates." Ethan ordered. "Good work, Brandt. Now get the hell outta there."
"Back me up!" Brandt shouted, and Ethan continued: "Kat, good work. Get out of there and find Brandt. Jane, tie it off with Nath, meet me at the rally point."
"Go." Jane ordered and Kat ran from the room as Jane grabbed her tranquilizer from her thigh-holster. She stabbed Nath with it, knocking him out before following Kat's footsteps out of the bedroom.
Kat dashed as quickly as she could without actually running, slipping passed guests and servers as she headed for the kitchen. She spotted the Russian police officers in the middle of the room, including their favourite Mr. Unreasonable, just as Ethan had warned. They'd spotted Ethan and were heading upstairs, so she was safe as she ducked into the hallway leading to the kitchen, when Brandt called urgently: "Faster, Benji! Just straight through!"
She flinched as there was a thud and Brandt shouted sharply: "Wait! Stop! Take me through!"
"It's not responding!" Benji countered. "A little bit of patience would be appreciated."
"Benji, hurry!" Kat called, alarmed by Brandt's tone, as she slipped into the kitchen and down the stairs towards the lower level. The moment she was out of sight, she removed her heels and made a dash for the ventilation shaft, spotting the open area where Brandt must've jumped from.
She reached it and peered down to see-
"Will!" She screamed in horror as he floated about halfway between the fan and the opening.
"Kat?" Brandt asked and she cried: "Oh, my God! Benji!"
"I'm trying!" Benji cried back frantically, and Brandt shouted: "I can't reach the top! More fan! More fan!"
"There's nothing I can do!" Benji bit back, his anxiety and fear making his voice raw. "It's maxed out!"
Kat blanched. If the fan was maxed out, it would be only a matter of time before it or the rover crashed.
"Will, you have to move!" Kat cried, and he shouted back: "Get back!"
"What?" Kat asked blankly, and he ordered: "BACK!"
Kat watched as he suddenly curled in on himself, dropping like a stone back down towards the fan, and her eyes widened in understanding. Kat hastily moved away from the opening backing up and giving Brandt plenty of space.
Brandt unfolded himself, spread-eagling his body once more as he reached just above the fan. The momentum combined with the fan's power threw him high up the shaft, and he flew past the opening Kat had vacated at his order. Brandt grabbed a protruding metal panel, using it to keep him lifted high as he aimed for the opening, when a sharp clang made him look down.
His eyes widened as he saw the rover getting pulled up by the fan's power, before the device was sliced to pieces by the rotating fan. He quickly let go of the panel, leaping to the other side of the ventilation shaft to avoid getting killed by the broken pieces of the rover as it shot up the shaft like bullets. He bent his legs as he landed on the other side, pushing off as soon as his feet touched the side of the shaft and he launched himself across and through the opening in the vents.
"Will!" Kat cried as he landed heavily on the ground before her, and Benji called worriedly: "Brandt?"
"Will?" Kat gasped as she knelt beside the man, and he groaned, exhausted and in pain.
"Next time," he gasped out, "I get to seduce the rich guy."
"Yeah," Kat agreed shakily, "I wouldn't mind."
He glanced at her sharply, but she was already moving to examine him, checking his sweat-soaked clothes for any signs of blood or injuries. She sighed in relief as she saw he was fine, aside from the obvious exhaustion, and she turned to him as she began: "Well, it looks like you got lucky-"
She broke off as he sat up rapidly, groaning with the effort, and she fluttered her hands about him anxiously as she asked: "Will? I'm not sure you should be moving-"
"Did he kiss you?" Brandt demanded and Kat frowned.
"What?" She asked in confusion, and Brandt repeated sharply: "Did he kiss you?"
"Well, yeah," Kat replied, still confused, "although technically I kissed him, so-"
"You kissed him?" Brandt repeated incredulously and Kat's frown deepened as she replied: "Yes. Now-"
"Why did you kiss him?" Brandt demanded and Kat exhaled sharply, annoyed.
"Because I had to distract him from my reaction after you got yourself caught in a fan!" She snapped. "Now-"
"Why'd you have to kiss him?" Brandt asked, and Kat replied, exasperated: "It was all I could think of-"
"You didn't think to call Jane? Or Ethan?" Brandt demanded, and Kat snapped: "I don't know, it was a split-second decision, and it seemed like the right one at the time-"
"It was not the right decision." Brandt shouted at her and she shouted back: "I know! There, are you happy now?!"
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Benji called over the comms as the pair glared at each other, "but we really need to get moving."
"Yes, if Mr. Brandt would stop accusing me!" Kat snapped, royally ticked off by what she took to be scolding. Brandt's jaw had clenched but he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. It wasn't his place, anyway.
"Yeah, sorry, Benji, we're on our way." Brandt muttered as he got to his feet shakily. Kat eyed him, torn between worry and irritation, when he held out his hand.
"Come on." He ordered and Kat stared at his hand and then at Brandt before she slowly took it. He quickly led them back up the way they'd come, both ignoring the eyebrows the kitchen staff raised at his sweaty appearance and her mussed hair and makeup.
"Benji?" Brandt called as he ran outside with Kat, and Benji confirmed: "Waiting at the gate."
"In." Brandt ordered as he and Kat ran for their car and Kat snapped as she wrenched the car door open: "I know, thanks!"
He glanced at her, before stepping on the gas before Kat had fully closed the door. She yelped, slamming the door shut and catching the edge of her dress, causing it to rip a little.
"What is your problem?" She demanded, but Brandt didn't reply as he stomped on the brakes, almost causing Kat to fly out of her seat if his hand hadn't come up and caught her.
"Will?" She demanded, wondering why he was acting so angry with her, as Benji quickly slid into the backseat of the car.
"Go, go!" Benji ordered, and Kat gave up on getting an answer, simply strapping herself in as Brandt took off again, zooming down the streets of Mumbai.
"I'm here, Ethan." Benji called as soon as he was settled, and Ethan called over the comms sharply: "How long until Hendricks can launch a missile?"
"Less than thirty seconds!" Benji shouted, and Brandt glanced over. He shared a grim look with Kat, the two putting their differences on hold for the moment as Brandt called: "Find us the quickest route."
Kat immediately started working on it, and she ordered: "Next right."
Brandt stomped on the gas, speeding them across three lanes to get to the turn and ignoring all the honks as cars were forced to stop and people yelled insults after them.
"Ethan!" Benji shouted. "Hendricks has started the launch sequence."
"How much time until missiles are flying?" Ethan replied immediately, and Benji replied anxiously: "Three minutes!"
"How far are we?" Brandt demanded, and Kat answered tensely: "Five minutes."
"Any way to get there faster?" Brandt demanded, and Kat shook her head.
"Next left, into the alley." She whispered and Brandt's jaw locked as he did as she said. There was no hope, but maybe, just maybe, Ethan's team would be able to get there in time to stall until they arrived.
"Left again." Kat told Brandt and he swerved harshly, Kat bouncing slightly in her seat as the car made the tight turn around.
"Oh no." Benji murmured, and Kat closed her eyes.
Brandt also exhaled, an air of despair settling over them as Benji called dejectedly: "Ethan? We're too late. The missile's in the air."
Brandt glanced over at Kat, just as she opened her eyes. She stared back at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and fear, and he gripped the wheel tighter.
"It's not over until that missile hits." Brandt said determinedly, turning back to face the road.
Benji gaped at him, but Kat's eyes steeled with the determination as Brandt asked: "Which way?"
"Right, down that alley and then left." Kat told him and Brandt spun the car again.
"Two and a half minutes." Kat informed him, and Brandt nodded tightly as Benji cried: "You two are mad! There's no way-"
"Ethan wouldn't give up." Kat cut in. "So neither will we. Our chief analyst says we have a chance," Brandt glanced at her as she met his gaze, "so we do."
She held his gaze determinedly, their fight on an indefinite hold, and Brandt nodded.
"Which way?" He asked as he turned back to the road, making the left she'd told him about.
"Straight." Kat replied tensely. "One minute."
Benji opened his mouth before shutting it and instead setting his face with determination.
"There!" Kat called as they saw the TV station, Ethan's car already parked outside.
"Stay in the car!" Brandt ordered as he pulled up sharply beside Ethan's abandoned car, and Kat snapped: "Like hell I will!"
Brandt didn't bother arguing as he and Benji ran ahead, drawing their guns as Kat sprinted after them, although she made sure she kept low. She waited as the pair charged into the control room, watching as they flinched, pointing their guns at someone before lowering it.
"Kit-Kat." Benji called and she joined him as Brandt moved to check the room's perimeter while Jane reported: "Wistrom destroyed the relay."
Benji moved to check the relay as Brandt joined them once more, and Jane continued: "Ethan went after Hendricks and the case, but-"
"It doesn't matter if he has the case." Benji cut in with a sigh as he held up the broken pieces of the relay. "We can't transmit the abort codes."
"Can you fix it?" Brandt demanded, and Benji sighed, glancing over the machine before he answered: "Uh, yeah, of cour-"
He was cut off as the lights suddenly went out as the power shut down.
"Well," Benji said a little sarcastically, "it's gonna be pointless if we don't have any power."
"Winstram!" Jane snarled as she and Brandt immediately whipped out flashlights. Benji and Kat reached for theirs as well, switching it on as Jane moved to check the perimeter before doubling over slightly in pain.
"Jane." Brandt called worriedly, moving to check her as she gripped the sides of another relay machine.
"I'm OK." Jane insisted, but Brandt had already caught sight of the blood seeping out the wound on Jane's side.
"No, you are not OK." Brandt muttered before informing Benji and Kat. "She's hit."
Kat moved over worriedly as Benji hesitated by the relay, but Brandt was already formulating a plan as he ordered: "OK, you," he told Jane firmly, "stay here and cover Benji. Benji," he turned to the techie, "get this thing rewired and back online."
He turned to Kat. "Kat, you stay put and stay hidden." Kat opened her mouth in an outrage but Brandt cut over her: "I'll get the power on."
"I'm not sitting here with nothing to do." Kat interjected as Jane moved to cover Benji.
"You can help Benji." Brandt replied, and she pointed out: "With what? There's only one relay, and it won't even work until we get the power on."
"I can't take you with me!" Brandt snapped, and Kat argued: "We can't afford to lose time. Wistrom's on the loose, and Benji has to stay here while Jane can't move. Our best bet is for me to go with you and if we run into Wistrom, I can go ahead to try get the power on."
"She has a point." Benji said unhappily, but Brandt said, appalled: "We can't put a civilian in danger."
"He has a point." Benji told Kat, who gave him a look.
Benji shut his mouth while Kat turned to Brandt and she said urgently: "Will, we're wasting time. There will be no point in trying to keep a 'civilian' safe if that warhead hits the US. My safety is not more important than this mission."
"She has a point." Jane pointed out to Brandt, who exhaled sharply through his nose.
"Okay, but stick close to me and do exactly as I say." He ordered and Kat nodded.
"I promise." She answered and Brandt muttered something that sounded suspiciously like: "I'm going to regret this."
Jane glanced at him sharply, but no-one else noticed as Brandt gestured for Kat to follow him and he took off into the dark hallways, Kat right behind him.
They'd just reached the hallway with the power room, and Kat could see the open door halfway down the corridor, marked 'Danger', when Brandt held up a hand to stop her. She paused, glancing at him to see he was eyeing the door further down the corridor, leading to what appeared to be the emergency stairs. Looking at it carefully, Kat saw that it was just partially open, as though whoever had last left had done so in a hurry and hadn't had the time to make sure it closed properly behind them.
Brandt gestured for her to crouch down, and she did as he ordered, moving slowly behind him as he edged towards the power room. He gestured for her to go inside while he slowly advanced on the stairwell door, his gun trained at the door in case of a sudden attack. Kat did as he silently ordered, slipping into the power room and looking around quickly for the main switch.
She'd just caught sight of it - a large red lever on the far right of the wall - when a hand shot out from the shadows, wrapping around her mouth and muffling her shout for help. Kat clawed at the hand as it pressed tightly down on her mouth, the thick arm wrapping around her neck in a semi-headlock, before she stilled as she felt cold metal press to her side.
"Not a sound." A hoarse voice, with the faintest hint of an accent, whispered in her ear and Kat squirmed as he began to drag her back into the shadows with him while the stairwell door squeaked slightly outside.
'Will!' Kat tried to scream warningly, but Wistrom's hand was pressed harshly against her mouth and his arm squeezed her neck threateningly. They heard a small shuffle outside as Brandt probably turned back for the power room and Kat squirmed more as Wistrom started to remove his gun from her side.
Just as Brandt started to enter the room, clearly wary, Wistrom aimed his gun- and Kat stomped on Wistrom's foot. His grip on her mouth lessened just enough for her to cry: "Will!"
Brandt spun at her warning, just as Wistrom fired two shots. Kat breathed in relief as Brandt ducked, avoiding the bullets as he pointed his gun towards the sound, but he hesitated as his eyes landed on Kat in front of Wistrom, squirming a little as Wistrom's gun dug into her side once more.
"Drop the gun, or I'll shoot her." Wistrom warned and Brandt paused.
"Will!" Kat choked out, trying to shake her head although it was cut off as Wistrom tightened his grip around her neck.
"Shut up." Wistrom snarled at her. "Or you'll pay for it, and for that little trick you just pulled."
Brandt hesitated, feeling conflicted as he saw Kat's face turn slightly blue, and he could see the traces of fear in her eyes, but more than that, there was a fiery determination as she met his gaze before flicking her eyes over to a large red lever. He knew what she was trying to say, what she was silently urging him to do and his heart sank even as his jaw locked in determination.
"Now!" Wistrom ordered, and Brandt slowly began to lower his gun to Kat's horror.
"Will!" She gasped out, trying to free herself from Wistrom's grip, when Brandt suddenly fired. The bullet hit Wistrom's hand, making him yell as he dropped his gun… but not before he fired once as well.
Kat gasped as the bullet pierced her side, before she felt blinded by a searing pain. She barely noticed as Brandt fired again, but Wistrom ducked before throwing Kat's sagging body at Brandt. Brandt caught her, distracted, and giving Wistrom time to lunge for his gun, forcing Brandt to drop Kat as he jumped at Wistrom before the man could reach the weapon.
Wistrom spun as he saw Brandt's movements from the corner of his eye catching Brandt's gun before Brandt could fire, twisting it away while Brandt threw his free hand in a punch at Wistrom's head. Wistrom dodged it before landing a blow of his own to Brandt's head, causing Brandt to get knocked back into the wall. He grabbed Wistrom's hand before the man could land another punch, throwing his other fist at Wistrom and hitting him right across the jaw.
Wistrom ducked the next punch however, punching Brandt right in the stomach and making him grunt in pain before yelling as Wistrom tackled him into the wall. Kat was trying to shake the pain and get her bearings as the two men fought, her vision slowly coming back into focus as she struggled to think through the pain, when Brandt's cry cut through the fog and she could focus.
She took a deep breath, swallowing hard as she glanced at her side and she almost passed out from the sight of all the blood seeping through the bullet wound. But Kat grit her teeth, forcing herself to look and she saw that while the bullet had definitely gone right through her side, it had grazed closer to her waist than her stomach. Probably because Brandt's bullet hitting Wistrom's hand had caused the man's aim to shift slightly at the time he'd fired. Kat probably had to thank her lucky stars that it had shifted outwards and not further inwards.
'Thank your stars later.' She scolded herself as she slowly pushed herself up, fighting back a scream of pain at the movement. She heard Brandt grunt behind her, and while it meant he was probably in pain she also knew it meant Wistrom was busy. This was her chance. She struggled to her feet, staggering a little as she leant on the wall for stability, reaching one hand towards the lever even as her vision swam from the pain.
But right as her fingers touched the switch, Kat cried out in pain and her hand slipped as Wistrom smashed an elbow to the side of her head. She fell back to her knees, her head pounding as her side screamed in agony, before she was hit again in the side of the head by Brandt's knee as Wistrom shoved Brandt into the wall.
"Kat!" He gasped as she moaned, before Wistrom threw him away and aimed a kick at Kat. Brandt grabbed Wistrom's jacket, hauling him back and making him miss in his kick as Kat's head lolled before she shook it, forcing herself to think. She could pass out from blood loss or concussion later.
Kat reached up, grabbing the lever as Brandt punched Wistrom in the head. Wistrom reeled back, but before Brandt could land another punch, Wistrom grabbed Brandt's head in a headlock, choking him as he yelled at Kat: "Leave it or he dies!"
Kat glanced back, freezing when she saw the opposite situation of what had occurred just ten minutes ago. Brandt was scrambling to free himself, his hands tugging at Wistrom's arms but Wistrom simply tightened his hold on Brandt's neck. Kat hesitated, not knowing what to do.
A shot rang out and Kat flinched while Brandt blinked, before Wistrom sagged against him, dragging Brandt with him as he fell to the ground. Dead. Kat blinked once before turning and shoving the lever up. The lights turned on, and in the relay room Jane shoved the disks into place.
Far away, Ethan punched the red button in the briefcase he'd won over from Hendricks, and even further away, right above the San Francisco Bay Area, a nuclear warhead de-activated, clipping the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid, but otherwise spinning harmlessly into the ocean.
Kat collapsed, letting go of the lever as she sagged against the wall, before she gasped in pain as Brandt pulled her up, turning her to face him as he called urgently: "Kat?"
"Will…" Kat breathed, sighing happily as she saw he was alive and fine, apart from a few bruises. She then surprised them both as she leant up and pressed her lips softly against his.
Brandt blinked, frozen, as he stared into Kat's eyes. Her eyes widened suddenly as her actions caught up with her mind and she pulled her head back, alarmed.
"Um-" She began when Brandt placed a hand on the back of her head and dipped his head down to kiss her. Kat blinked, before she let go of all thought and kissed him back. She didn't care that there was no way this would work, or that she'd just been shot, or even that they'd just saved the world.
All she cared about was the feel of his lips on hers, his hot breath mixing with hers as Brandt deepened the kiss, his fingers wrapping around her hair while Kat placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingers, feel the heat coming off him as he pressed closer, and most of all she could feel the fire that his kiss caused in her blood, warming her whole body as his tongue caressed hers.
It felt like eternity but it had been less than five seconds when they broke apart at last, breathing heavily, as Benji ran up, saying worriedly: "Brandt? Kit-Kat? Oh."
He paused, looking sheepishly between them and their clearly compromising position, when Kat started laughing a little hysterically, making both Brandt and Benji stare at her in concern.
"You know," Kat breathed as she coughed a little amidst her laugh, "I don't think I've ever been this happy to hear that ridiculous nickname."
And with that, she passed out, Brandt holding her up as he called in alarm: "Kat!"