Author's Note:

I'm a little disappointed with the review turnout; you guys ask for updates, we give them, and then we get one or no reviews. It's all really sad; truly, really sad – especially since Blaid (who is not my kind of fun-crazy) was the only one to review. So, unless we get no less than ten reviews on this chapter, you're not getting an update next week. And this isn't greed talking; this is merely two authoresses who miss hearing feedback from people who enjoy their work. I'm serious about this threat; I can easily just read fanfiction all day Saturday and let you all squirm. (I do, slightly, apologize for my attitude but you try taking five college classes at once where two of them are labs and one is a language and not end up cranky.)

Chapter 25

"Well, well, well; the street rat has grown up. It's been a while since I saw you; you don't look like a skeleton anymore," Nathan Ford, the serial killer 'Mastermind', teased as he spotted the slim man and a young blonde moving towards him and his team through the busy throngs of the airport. Even Nate could appreciate why Eliot had been so taken with the man when they had first met now that he saw exactly what the little pickpocket had grown into.

A guarded look fell over the assassin's face, "Have we met?"

"Ah, you've forgotten me. Let me refresh your memory: Moscow, oh, almost twenty-four years ago now, you tried to pick my pocket and I almost stabbed you." When he continued to draw a blank expression from the Russian the killer continued, "I knocked you in the head after you bit me and turned you over to SCORPIA..."

The assassin's eyes widened in recognition before rage filled them, "You-!" He was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around his waist.

"We need his help, Dragon. You can kill him after we save the world," Alex whispered in his mate's ear, standing on his toes to speak.

Eliot watched the interaction with silent interest even as Sophie moved to Nate's side and whacked him on the arm sharply, "I don't think it's a very good idea to be taunting an assassin, Nate." Hardison piped in his own agreement with the Brit's statement as Parker stared at Yassen in curiosity.

"He's cute," Parker told the Russian, motioning to the teen beside him. "He yours?" She poked the ex-spy's forehead only to giggle childishly when Alex tried to bite her finger.

Yassen growled lowly at her and tugged Alex gently as he lead the five criminals back to the large truck he had unearthed from his garage. He made sure to time it so that Nate was still standing when he gunned the engine.

"That was rather petty, Gregorovich. When can I expect this to end?" the thief asked, picking himself off the floor.

"Afterwards, when he puts a bullet through your brain for sending him to SCORPIA. You're very lucky that he's thankful SCORPIA led to me or he'd torture you for days," the youth replied as he leaned around the passenger seat to speak. "Well, there is the possibility that I'll kill you first if you even think of harming anyone in my home or if you dare to enter my kitchen. Keep in mind that I will know what you're thinking the moment you think it."

There was silence in the truck for a few seconds before Parker launched her arms around Alex's shoulders and pulled him into a crushing hug while squealing, "You are so CUTE!"

Parker, sit down; yer pissin' off the driver," Eliot growled, yanking the blonde back into her seat. Yassen caught the hitter's eye in the rearview mirror and gave him a miniscule nod of thanks before returning his focus to the dirt road in front of him. The rest of the drive seemed to be Parker's antics on a continuous loop; if it wasn't her professing the British teen's cuteness it was some other crazy action that was driving the Russian up the wall and towards murder.

Eliot, for the most part, was able to keep her under a modicum of control for short periods of time but when the Leverage team got their first look at chateau de Gregorovich and the bizarre cast arranged on the front lawn waiting for them even the hyper blonde sat still.

"Oh wow, this place is gorgeous!" the grifter exclaimed as she clasped her hands to her chest.

When the truck pulled to a stop Yassen leaped from the driver's seat gratefully and promptly started pulling the Leverage team's bags from the back; unceremoniously letting them fall heavily to the ground. No one argued against his treatment of their luggage; Nate merely chuckled.

As Yassen finished unloading the truck his grandfather moved to greet the newly arrived 'help' as he called them. "Greetings Leverage, Inc. I have heard quite a lot about your exploits. I welcome you to my grandson's home."

"All of them?" Hardison asked warily.

"Yes, all of them; including of those before you came together as a team."

The hacker coughed and shuffled uncomfortably as he thought back on his rather...unprofessional teenage years. Sophie on the other hand took an immediate shine to the older man. "You know so much about us and yet we know nothing of you except that you have a grandson who owns this beautiful mansion."

"And it's going to remain that way, grifter. Keep your tricks to yourself," Alex paused to look at his fellow Brit. "And yes, I can read your mind." The grifter sniffed before sashaying past the teen and older man towards the group behind Dr. Peng; their glares ranged from outright hostile, to overly suspicious, to utter apathy. The elder, however, turned his attention to Nate.

"Tell me, can I trust you enough to behave, Mastermind. Or do I need to make...arrangements to keep my kith and kin safe?" the dragon queried, is tone pleasant while his eyes betrayed an iron will. Nathan held up his hands in a placating gesture. Even he could sense something was not quite right with the Asian. Silently the leader lifted his bags and asked, politely, where his room would be.

"Alexander and Wolf will show you and your team to your rooms. We will discuss plans in the morning. Dinner is at seven and breakfast is at eight; either be there or miss the meal. Alexander is quite...testy about wasting food." Kia snorted at that as did K-unit, but they dutifully carried out the tasks they had been assigned without complaint.

A few hours later the sixteen men and women gathered at the dining table over a meal of beef stew and fresh greens to learn of each other. 'To learn of each other' was an understatement: Yassen was edgy having his ex and mate in the same room, the last Rider was giving him and the hitter suspicious glances, Kia was hormonal while Iraya was morose. K-Unit, Mr. Crawley, and Mrs. Jones were either hostile or apathetic while the members of Leverage Inc. were having their own issues: Hardison was nervous being in a new environment while Parker was simply crazy; Sophie was in a snit from the ex-spy's earlier insult; Eliot was trying to find a comfortable seat after the impromptu torture/sex session with Nate while said madman was grinning in amusement at the fiasco of a dinner.

It was a full half hour before Parker's curiosity dam finally burst, allowing for an outpouring of personal questions all wrapped into one: "How do you all know each other?"

"Parker, drop it," Eliot half drawled, half growled.

But unfortunately this had left the gates free for Alex to pose his own question...directly at his mate. "I'm actually a tad curious about that as well, Yassen. You told us quite a lot about Mr. Ford here," the teen gestured at the older man who had paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, "but you never did fully explain how you and Eliot actually met. Well?"

"Sashka, if you are truly curious we will talk about this later. I dislike telling information to strangers for free," the Russian answered, sitting back and folding his arms defensively.

Alex relented but Parker did not, "But we're not going to be strangers much longer. I mean, you're the one who called us, and so far you haven't been very forward with any information at all."

"If you wish to know of my exploits as an assassin, talk to Interpol. If you want to know what I am capable of ask any of the Brits to your left. If you want to know my personal history you are out of luck; cease questioning me."

The thief shut her mouth quickly when the fearsome look the killer was giving her penetrated her impressive air of insanity and hit on a nerve of self-preservation. Nate, however, was not so charitable, he turned to Crawley with a blasé smile, "So, what has our host achieved since I dropped him on SCORPIA's doorstep?"

"Where to start? There isn't a terrorist organization SCORPIA hasn't loaned him out to and he has over two hundred confirmed kills that we are aware of. MI6 has numerous 'reports' of other activities such as theft and interrogation that are rather...sketchy for wont of a better term. Anything more detailed and I would need his file," the agent replied, stirring the stew aimlessly with his spoon.

Nate's lips twitched into a sardonic smile at the old agent, he could tell the man was nothing more than a paper pusher. Perhaps in his heyday he had been the best of the best, but now he was nothing more than an old guard dog, waiting for its master to put him down for good.

But his statement had piqued the mastermind's interest in the street rat he had doomed: What interesting new things could the brat do now? "I'm sure it's as impressive as you've hinted at, perhaps," Ford turned his gaze upon Yassen, "the one who achieved the reputation of 'number one assassin' would be so kind as to have a discussion about it with me after dinner. Hm?"

"No; Mr. Ford, if you want information on Yassen then have your hacker look up his record. I can throw you farther than I trust with my fiancé; especially since I know your record," the teen replied, not allowing his mate to speak. In his mind, if the younger lóng wasn't going to let him be in a room alone with Nathan Ford, then he wasn't going to allow the Russian alone with the murderer.

"Record?" Sophie asked, confused, "What record would a hardened killer have to worry about from Nate? He's practically harmless!"

Eliot winced at the sudden pressure the Mastermind was putting in his upper thigh at Sophie's flippant remark. Parker and Hardison, however, were just as keen to know what the hell Alex was talking about. Silently the hitter glanced plaintively at the assassin, begging him to diffuse the situation without any blood being drawn. "Perhaps," Yassen stated carefully, "this conversation would be better left for after dinner, in the library." The killer's winter gaze met Nate's, "Information for information. Does that sound reasonable, Mastermind?"

"Fine, Gregorovich. I've been meaning to tell them anyway; Eliot already knows...some - not everything such as you've managed to put together. This will be fun." His smile was reminiscent of the love child of Captain Hook's crocodile and the Cheshire Cat; and completely malicious. Eliot winced again as the serial murderer dug his nails into the hitter's thigh.

The remainder of the meal was steeped in tense, eager, silence as the men and women who were supposed to be comrades finished their respective bowls (three, in Kia's case) before proceeding towards the library. Once all parties were comfortably seated, Ford asked, "So, who wants to go first?"

Peng leaned back in his overstuffed chair comfortably and motioned to Nate imploringly, "You are the one who wishes to know of my grandson, therefore, you are the one who must give the first show of faith."

"As you wish. You've all heard of the serial killer called 'Mastermind', correct?" He paused for their nods of assent before continuing, "Well, to be blunt: I am Mastermind. I would also like to point out that Mr. Gregorovich and Interpol's data on me is inaccurate; by that, I mean they're missing majority of my kills."

Yassen shrugged nonchalantly at Nate's statement while Sophie, Hardison, and Parker stared at their leader in utter shock. "Nate... you can't be serious." The grifter shook her head and pulled a smile onto her face as if it were all a big joke.

"He's not lyin, Soph'," the previously silent Southerner drawled.

"Eliot, this isn't funny; Nate's harmless. He couldn't harm a fly!" she retorted, standing angrily. The retrieval specialist winced as the 'harmless' man next to him dug his nails into the hitter's thigh, right where a rather vicious bite mark was concealed under his pant leg.

"Eliot, strip for dear Sophie," the older brunet ordered, releasing his lover's thigh. Every muscle in the long haired man's body tensed, he had been conditioned to obey Nate's orders without question but...deep rooted instincts from long before he had ever met the murderer refused to let him do as his lover commanded. "Pet, you will not like the consequences for disobeying me; you know that after all this time." When the shorter male remained seated, he continued, as quiet and menacing as before, "I didn't leave the box in Boston, pet."

Slowly Eliot lifted his shirt revealing the bruises, lacerations, and vicious bite-marks that littered his torso. Once his shirt had been removed he made no further motions to continue undressing, consequences be damned. He clenched his eyes shut; this was just like when Nate used the paralytic on him: No control, no power...just completely helpless to do as his master ordered and pray it was enough to earn him a reprieve from the torture and humiliation. He hated this more than anything but Ford had long since instilled in the Southerner the need to submit and, at this point in his life, what choice did he have?

As Eliot's mind warred with itself, Alex and Snake could feel the rising tension in the room. Waves of tortured pain came from Eliot as sadistic bloodlust emanated from Nathan; while the ex-spy coped by turning to his mate, the emotions became too much for Snake and he rushed from the room, barely able to make it to the bathroom in time. He didn't notice his Mistress had entered the room until she brushed the soldier's hair from his neck to place a cool, wet washcloth on it before rubbing a soothing hand down his back.

"Calm yourself, child. Ease your concentration, relax, let you mind close itself off for a bit," Iraya murmured softly as Snake continued to retch in the porcelain bowl. Her words helped and his vomiting eased until a monster wave of anger rushed in from the parlor they came from. It took the soldier a moment to realize that the anger was Yassen's, which surprised him, and that if things weren't brought to a halt quickly then there would be bloodshed.

After Snake and the High Lady had made their rushed exit Evee, who had been preparing tea and coffee for the adults, arrived silently just in time for the grifter to screech. "What the hell, Eliot! What happened to you?"

Eliot lowered his head slightly and stared down at his shoes, Nate answered for him, "I told you, Sophie, I am Mastermind and sometimes playing the white hat is just a tad too tiresome. So I take it out on Eliot, who willingly submits to me, to take the edge off." The look of utter disbelief on the Brit's face told them all well enough that she didn't believe him. Her retort to what she viewed to be insanity was never to be known as the grand, sweeping gesture she began caught the edge of the tray that Evee had been quietly bringing to her mama and papa and flipped the metal platter directly into the child's face. There was a split second of silence as all eyes watched the girl fall backwards and the spurt of blood as the metal disk dropped to the floor. Next thing the brunette woman knew she was being hoisted off her feet by an enraged Russian who was growling low and furious.

"You dare touch her?" he snarled menacingly while he peripherally noted his mate caring for their daughter. "I should kill you for harming her."

A large hand suddenly closed on his shoulder in the same instant the assassin felt the familiar prick of a sharp knife being lined up with his spinal column. "Put her down, Yassen. 's not worth it," Eliot's heavy drawl was laced with a calm threat.

The Russian's chuckle was dark, "Go ahead and see how well that knife will work on me, Spencer. It should be interesting."

"Yassen!" Peng's voice was firm but not overly concerned, "Put her down and you and Alexander can take Evee to go clean her up. Now."

The killer dropped her before gathering his daughter and mate; he paused at the doorway to throw in one last sentence, "If you ever harm her again, Sophie Devereaux, I will kill you regardless of my grandfather's wishes."

The assassin turned away from the gathering and brushed past Snake who felt an almost overwhelming wave of rage before the older man was gone entirely. The grifter stood and dusted herself off before turning to the hitter, "Eliot, why would you let Nate do..." She waved her hand to indicate the state of the Southerner's body.

He shrugged slightly as he retook his seat beside the mastermind and reached for his discarded shirt, "Conditionin' mostly. Got so used to it, it's now ingrained in me to obey him...mostly," Eliot added the last part as a mumble but the slight puckering of Nathan's lips spoke of immediate disapproval.

"I've been working on that; this disobedience is rather irritating in certain situations..." the madman trailed off before turning from his lover towards the Asian. "Now, explain about what Yassen Gregorovich has been doing between the time I dropped him off with SCORPIA and now - don't leave out the explanation about why he wasn't afraid of my pet's knife."

Peng brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his knee before giving a polite, if mocking smile to the man, "Your deal is with my grandson, not me. I have no obligation to tell you anything." He rose from his chair and indicated the others do the same, "You may want to tend to your team; you seem to be having domestic troubles."

Ford's face went white with rage as an enrage gleam appeared in his eyes, "You-" he was cut off as Eliot squeezed his bicep carefully. That small action brought the leader of the Leverage team back to his mind abruptly. His mask slipped easily into place as he turned to regard the youngest of the team. "Was there anything the two of you wanted to know?"

Hardison spoke up as K-Unit, Kia, and the two agents followed the elder out, "Why'd you lie to us, Nate? Thought we all trusted each other."

"I never lied to any of you. At least…not directly. I kept that particular part of my life quiet in order to avoid certain...difficulties that may have arisen because of it. But, now we're a team who've been together for a few years now, I thought it might be time you all knew."

Parker appeared thoughtful before she bounced up and plopped into the leader's lap. "Knew there was something familiar about you!" she squealed, childishly hugging the sociopath while Eliot and Sophie looked on in horror - the male brunet for different reasons than the female brunette.

Nate patted the young woman on the top of her head, gently, before carefully pushing her off and giving the horrified pair a playful smirk. Turning to Hardison, Nathan waited patiently for the hacker to finish processing everything.

"So, you've like, killed a bunch of people for no reason at all?" he asked.

"Three hundred, twenty-six."

"Huh?"

"I've killed three hundred and twenty-six people," serial killer clarified.

Alec stared at the older man with his mouth hanging open for a few moments, "Would you ever kill me?"

"No."

"Parker?"

"Mmm, probably not, no."

"Alright. Nice to meet the actual you." The hacker held out his hand and Nathan shook it firmly.

"How can you be accepting of all this?" Sophie all but screeched. "He's killed people and enjoyed it!"

"Soph, just stop." She faced the Southerner. "He's always bin like this; if ya want, he'll probably pretend to be how ya've always known him but this is Nathan Ford, the one and only 'Mastermind'. Ya can't change the past and ya can't change Nate; just learn to live with it. 'Cause, if ya don't, he may just have to kill ya and ya don't want that kind of attention from him - trust me." Sophie sputtered for a few moments before turning huffily on her heel and marching out of the room. There was a distinct pause before Nate took a deep breath, "Well, that went well."