We made it to 100 reviews!
Thank you for all of your lovely feedback! This story would not be nearly as successful as it is without your time and your support, and I thank you for continuing to read. With that being said, we're only two chapters away from finishing this story, so please continue to read on!
Anyway, there's also a new spinoff fic for you to read and enjoy. It's called The Chaos Project (and it's also largely why this chapter was so late). It's a three part fic where we finally get a reason as to how Q ended up at the MI6 and also what his criminal years were like! Please go check it out if you have time.
And remember, check out my tumblr page for even more extras!
I wanted movement, not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice for my love.
-Leo Tolstoy
(December 19, 2013- 6:42 AM)
The world was quiet and seemingly motionless as Q lay in bed next to Alexa that morning. He could only attempt to mirror that stillness to bury the feeling of anxiety rising up inside of him, all to some avail. His eyes drifted up and down his new fiancée's slender figure, and his finger unconsciously traced a faint scar on her left arm. This one's from a reconnaissance mission in Hyderabad, she had told him. In an attempt to distract himself, he took a count of each mark and tried to recall where they had come from. Q's fingertips drifted across a white mark on her neck and watched her shift slightly beneath him. He pulled his hand away as he glanced at his phone's clock and sat up to leave.
A hand darted out unexpectedly to grab his wrist, and he looked back down at the woman next to him. "No," she mumbled stubbornly.
"No to what, Alexa?" he said, turning back to look at her.
"I'm not prepared for you to leave me yet," she said. "Just stay here a bit longer. Please?"
A soft smile crept onto his lips, and he let out a quiet hum of agreement. He pulled the blankets around them and held her against him as he smoothed her hair back. Though no words were exchanged as they lay in each others' arms, no words were needed. Both of them knew that a moment like this was a chance for them to simply enjoy each others' company. It was a peaceful, simple gesture, but underneath it lay a uncertain and uncomfortable tension that neither of them wanted to acknowledge out loud. This could very well be, if they weren't careful, the last time they could lay together peacefully. It was a thought that terrified the couple, leading them to simply leave it unsaid and unseen.
The feeling of Q's fingers in her hair was comforting and familiar, almost making her fall asleep once more. She resided comfortably in his grasp, not wanting to let a moment so sweet pass so soon. It was early still, and she figured that she could let this go on a bit longer. Yet as time passed, she willed herself for wake up and prepare for the day.
She blinked sleepily for a moment or two before giving him a small smile. "Good morning," she yawned.
"Good morning, Alexa. Or shall I say, future Mrs. Holmes?" he teased.
"Not yet," she chuckled as she kissed him on the cheek. "Just wait a bit more."
"For what?"
She paused for a moment before looking back at him with a new answer on her lips. "For it to be official, of course," she explained. "No one knows but us, and I'd hardly call that official."
"It's official enough for me," he said breezily. "Are you coming down?"
"I suppose I have to get up eventually," she replied, running a hand through her unruly hair. "Not like I really want to right away. It is quite nice up here with you."
"It is rather peaceful here," he said as he looked out at the snow falling soundlessly outside. "Much better than the strife outside, don't you think?"
"Definitely," she mumbled in agreement. "The odds are a lot more variable out there."
He hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should say what both of them were thinking. The odds were most certainly unfavorable for them, and it was a rising concern for the mission. Nevertheless, he chose not to trouble her and returned to a platonic state of mind for the time being.
"We'll be alright as long as we remember," he said as he headed towards the door with her. "what goal we're working towards."
She glanced down at the diamond ring on her finger and smiled softly. "Yeah. I'll definitely remember," Alexa said, following him down the stairs and into the kitchen. The wooden staircase creaked slightly as she stepped off the step, and she proceeded towards the kettle in the sink to boil water.
As she stirred a cup of steaming liquid at the table minutes later, she propped herself up on her elbow and examined Q as he turned on his laptop. "What are you up to?" she said, handing him a cup of steeping Earl Grey from the counter behind her.
"I'm going to check if everything's on schedule. Pavlenko was set to leave for his visit from Germany this morning, and I need to see if he's still doing that," he replied as the sound of clacking keys filled the air.
"Sounds good," she said as she took a sip of her coffee and filled her gun with bullets. Thus the couple sat in a content silence, with one cleaning and stocking the weapons and the other undoubtedly hacking into something to attain the necessary files. To outsiders, they seemed like a mad pair but to them, this was perfectly normal. Life was like this in the MI6, and neither of them seemed to mind that things were this way.
"I found something," Q piped up unexpectedly. She raised an eyebrow, but glanced up at him.
"Yes?"
"He's coming from Germany today, but his flight is leaving earlier due to a cancelled meating. His flight will land in the local airport at Mirnyy at around 3, and we can depart at around 3:30 to give him a lead. An email from his secretary confirms that he'll be there until eight before he goes back to Mirnyy to fly to St. Petersburg," he said, standing up to show her the map and the emails.
"Golden opportunity, then," Alexa muttered. "Good that you noticed, though."
"I'm the logic of this operation, aren't I?"
"Perhaps," she said, her lips quirking up in an amused smirk. "You the brains, me the brawn. Oh, how the tables have turned."
"Not to say that you don't have both, love. You're considerably stronger in the brawn department," he muttered as she felt his lips brush against her ear. "Of course, I do like my women with quick thinking and logic."
"Same goes for you, darling," she smirked as she polished her pistol casually. "You're much stronger in the logistics department, but you know what I like. I quite fancy a man who can bite back, just like you."
"It probably sounds like a mad pair to anyone but us," he chuckled as he passed her the next weapon in her case. "But it's what makes this work, isn't it?"
"Precisely. We make a beautiful symbiosis," she replied, a smile remaining on her lips as she progressed further in her work.
The remainder of the morning was spent in preparation for the big mission. It was a quiet start, but both of them were too lost in their own thoughts to notice. As Q sat on his computer to finalize their movements and performed other errands, Alexa had taken the liberty of stretching, shooting her weapons, and reviewing the layout once more. Her eyes drifted over a sheet of blue paper for nearly an hour, only stopping to heat up lunch and to glance up occasionally at the source of the sounds outside. A small smile remained on her lips as she watched Q firing at a makeshift target on a piece of plywood they had taken from an old bookcase in the basement. He's getting much better, she mused quietly as she watched him practice.
Alexa leant against the window with her eyes on him and only snapped out of her reverie when he came back inside. She flinched at the sound of the door slamming open and relaxed as he came in. "Not too shabby, Q. You're getting much better," Alexa smiled.
"You've left your mark on me, then," he said as he reloaded the gun and put it in his breastpocket. "Not like you haven't done it already."
"Of course. How else would I let everyone know that you're mine?" she laughed as she set lunch on the table.
"Public displays of affection. Not too drastic, of course," he chuckled as he stirred the tea in his cup.
"I could do it," she shrugged as she sat down. "Not like you have to, though."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Are you kidding me? I know what you Holmes boys are like," she scoffed. "You're terribly private about your feelings. On the outside, you seem completely emotionless and focused on your mission, but you feel too. It's just buried down there in the privacy of your mind."
"Quite right, too. Although it is...nice to let people know you're mine every once in a while," he said, hesitating slightly before he said the words.
"I understand. I relish each time you do it," she said, smiling lightly at him.
"As it should be," he smirked. They ate a relatively quiet lunch, before another question rose from his lips as they sat together, drinking coffee.
"How is it coming along?"
"Good, so far. You just need to agree with my final plan, and we can go," she replied.
"Alright. Hit me," he said, turning his gaze towards her.
"Like I said before, we'll leave at noon. I'll leave some of our less important things with Uncle Leo, and he'll mail them back to us. Meanwhile, we'll go wait for the truck in Yemtsa. It's supposed to leave the warehouse at 3, and we'll call up the man in charge and let him know that the order was cancelled and that we outsourced from Savinsky. Since it's the last delivery of the day, we'll take the truck in the lot and drive to the Bolshoye Base," she said.
"Seems fair enough. Pavlenko needs a lead, though, so that he doesn't see us following him," he said.
"Right. His flight arrives in Mirnyy at 3:00, so we'll leave at 3:30. Once we get there, we'll be asked to go through to the back, where we can take out the guards. I'll head up and take out Pavlenko and his guards while you keep an eye on me with the control room cameras," she said. "And don't try to stop me; we both know that one of us has to keep an eye on things."
Q was silent for a long moment before he finally nodded. "You're right, but it's not like I want you to be," he replied. "And the children?"
"I'll let them go. Keep an eye on them as they head to the back of the truck," Alexa said. "It'll be parked far enough away from harm."
"Sounds fair enough. One thing though," Q said as he took a sip of his tea. "I'll be sending a signal back to the others at the Q-Branch to be on standby as we go in, in case we get into trouble."
"Okay, that's fine. Other than that, I think that's it, then. I'm pretty much ready, save for lunch," she said, leaning back in her chair.
"Right. You can get ready. I'll take care of things here," he replied as he stood up with their plates in his hands. Her eyes lingered on his figure for a moment, and she found herself staring at him as she sat and drank her coffee. It was quiet, until his voice seemed to pull her out of her reverie.
"Alexa, what are you staring at?"
She blinked in confusion, before returning her gaze to his eyes. "You, of course," she replied with a shrug.
"Not much to look at, I'm afraid," he joked as he turned back to his work.
"Oh, there's plenty for me to look at from here," she muttered with a grin on her face as she sipped the last of her drink. Alexa stood up and placed her cup in the sink and let out a squeal as his arm darted out unexpectedly to keep her from leaving.
"Come now, don't think that I didn't hear that," he murmured in her ear.
"Oh no, you were supposed to," she smirked. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit in that department. Not every man can have an aesthetically pleasing arse like yours."
His comment caused her to laugh, as if he didn't seem to believe her. "Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around," he chuckled, setting down the cups in the cupboard to place this other arm around her.
"It wouldn't be as fun without me," she said, looking up slightly at him. "You wouldn't let me go, would you?"
Alexa was met with an unexpected silence, and she turned around to look at him with a questioning gaze. "Q?" she said. He didn't answer once more, and she nudged him gently. She felt his grip tighten slightly around her, and she felt his cheek brush against the back of her neck.
"Never," he mumbled. "No matter what they try to do, we're possible together, and I'll do my best to keep it that way. I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you."
She smiled softly and planted a quick peck upon his lips. "Good answer. And I know that's a promise you'll keep," she said, pulling him by the arm.
"I wouldn't dream of forsaking it," he said softly, peeking down at the woman in his arms. "I love you too much to do that."
His words sent a rush of euphoria through her veins, and she could not help but smile. "I love it when you say that," she said cheerily.
"When I say what?" Q teased.
"Oh, you know what I meant," Alexa laughed, punching him gently in the arm. "Now, come on. Let's get ready to go."
"As you wish," he smiled, following her upstairs. She led him back into their bedroom and took the bag that he handed her. It was full of various weapons, and she picked out the ones that she would keep on her. As he went into the bathroom, she slipped on a plain white shirt with her Kevlar undershirt underneath and a pair of light jeans. As she sat on the bed with a pair of boots in her hand, she watched Q enter the room with his hand closed into a fist.
"What's that?" she asked, lacing up her shoes.
"I believe this was your mother's," he said, pulling out a necklace with a small ruby. "You could put your ring on here, keep it out of harm's way."
Her eyes softened at the mention of her mother's keepsake, and she took the necklace gingerly into her fingers. "Good idea," she said as she placed her engagement ring on the chain. "I'll keep it close to my heart that way."
"You're so sentimental," Q chuckled, placing his clothes in his suitcase.
"Oh, shush," Alexa laughed, tossing him a pair of pants. "You have your moments too."
"I meant it in a good way, love. It's rather endearing, knowing that even a trained assassin can be cheesy at times," he replied, shutting the lid on his case.
"Same goes for you, mister," she replied, leaning slightly over the bed. "It's cute, really, knowing that sentiment like that can exist in a heart as guarded and stoic as yours."
"Don't be mistaken, though. It's a sentiment that's not for everyone," he replied as he began wiping the surfaces clean of fingerprints. "It's only for you and my family."
"And Kate Winston once, as I found out," she muttered jokingly. Alexa figured that he didn't hear her, given by the silence that followed. The only thing that caused her to stop as she wrapped the bedsheets back in the plastic wrapping was the fact that she spotted Q unmoving from his position at the desk.
"Q?" she said questioningly, her eyes drifting towards him.
"That was once. Not anymore," he said in a low voice. His tone was devoid of all emotion, and it made his demeanour even more unreadable. It took her a minute to realize that he had heard her muttering, and her face flushed pink. She didn't know what to say immediately and backed away slightly as he turned around to face her.
His eyes held a troubled look, and she bit her lip in worry. She had never incited such a response from him, and it worried her. "I loved her once, but I'll never love her again. It's just you, and it always will be," he said firmly as his fingers drifted to the necklace around her neck. "Never forget that. Please."
Despite feeling a distinct hesitance toward him, Alexa managed to tear her gaze away from the floor to look up at him. "Of course I'll remember that, Q. You've done plenty to let me know," she said softly as her fingers touched his cheek.
"Then why did you say that?" he said, looking confused.
She let out a sigh and shook her head. "It was supposed to be a joke to lighten the mood, but I screwed it up," she mumbled sheepishly. He saw her hesitate before placing a light kiss on his cheek and looked up at him.
"Sorry about that. It was a terrible joke, and I am fully aware that you love me. Why else would any man willingly follow me into the Russian wilderness to kill someone?" she said. Q was thrown off by her apology, but he felt his discomfort fading away as quickly as it had set in. This was his Alexa, and he knew that she could be as bad as him at times in terms of socially acceptable comments.
"It's alright," he sighed, smoothing her hair back to return her kiss. "I've made countless improper quips of my own, and you've dealt with them just fine. It would be senseless not to do the same."
"I was never too strong in proper social interaction, was I?" she said, with a small smile on her face.
"Oh, please. Like I'm any better," Q said, with a smirk on his lips.
"We're just two idiots in love, trying to figure it out," she said, her grey eyes meeting his. "No matter how badly we screw up, we'll get it right eventually."
"I don't doubt that," he said softly, wrapping his arms around her so that his lips were near her cheek. To his surprise, it was her who took the initiative, and she pressed his lips onto his. She found it fun to tease him and watch as he fought for dominance in this situation. Like always, he was gentle, yet there was an unexpected sense of boldness and restlessness to his kiss that she had not noticed before. Alexa's heart raced as she felt his tongue dart out against hers, and there was a surprising sensuality to him that contrasted his initial appearance.
It wasn't long until her back was pressing against the wall and her arms were wrapped around his neck. He was becoming much less controlled with his kisses, and she responded with by letting her hands wander where they decided. She felt him pull away slightly, and he rested against her.
"Overall, I consider this a suitable apology for earlier," he whispered into her ear.
"Of course," she said. "Nothing says "I'm sorry" better than a good snog."
"That's logic I won't argue with," he chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Now, come on. You've been distracted enough."
"Correction—I'm the one that distracted you," she smiled, kissing him once before pulling away. He didn't seem to argue with her as he stepped out of the room, and she continued her work of cleaning up the house. All of the items that they had used before were returned to their original resting places and wiped clean of fingerprints. As the time approached noon, she cleaned up the kitchen and turned off the electricity and water, leaving nothing but a darkened home once more.
"Ready to go?" Q said as he stood in the foyer with their luggage. For a moment, he thought that she hadn't heard him, as she was standing quietly and looking at the house. Alexa seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, and she touched the banister gingerly as she glanced into the living room and finally into the kitchen.
Her eyes rested on the spot where she had seen her parents die, and he could see her gaze hardening as she looked at it. Alexa stared at it silently and acknowledged what she was going to do at the Bolshoye Base today. Years of turmoil was finally boiling down to one mission, and with this, she could finally put the memory of her parents to rest.
"Mother, father, I'll end this for you," she thought to herself as she gazed at the spot for a little while longer. Q could tell that she was up to something and decidedly stayed silent to let her reconcile her past fears. After several moments, he heard her mutter something unintelligible in Russian before she turned back to him.
"Sorry about that. I think we're good to go," she said as she walked towards him. Alexa picked up a suitcase off the ground and looked up as Q's fingers intertwined with hers.
"We'll come back someday," he said, leading her outside.
"I'd like that," she said, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "We'll come back to always remember them."
"Their memory lives on in you too, Alexa," he said gently as he looked back at the house. "With everything that you've gone through, it's safe to say that you won't let that die out easily."
"I wouldn't dream of it," she said as she took her seat in the driver's spot. The car sparked to life beneath her, and she looked at him once before deciding that they were ready for this. They were ready to handle whatever the future held for them, whether good or bad. With that thought in mind, she drove away, leaving her home as nothing but a fading figure in the distance.
(Bolshoye Syamgozero- 5:23 PM)
A beaten white truck ambled down a forested road, the bright headlights cutting through the darkness before it. Alexa sat at the driver's seat as Q remained next to her, typing rapidly on his phone. They were only five minutes away from the base, and there was a tense silence that hung in the air.
"How's the signal?" Alexa said suddenly as she took a turn into a clearing near the lake.
"I've relayed it back to everyone at the Q-Branch. William and Ryan are on standby, as well as M and the rest of the team," he said.
"Did M have any special instructions for me?"
"No survivors are to be taken," he said gravely. "That's all."
"Aside from the children, I'll be sure to follow that," she muttered. "What about backup?"
"We have backups in Savinsky, so if anything goes badly, we've got a helicopter about fifteen minutes away," he said.
"Nice to know we're not alone," she muttered as she approached the gate. Alexa rolled down the window and nodded affirmatively at the guard.
"Evening," the guard said as she rolled up to the checkpoint. His eyes flickered with interest as he noted that it was a woman delivering goods to them, not a man.
"Hi," Alexa said, extending the clipboard towards the guard. "We brought the rations shipment from Yemtsa."
His eyes drifted over her appearance for a moment before snapping back to attention. He took the clipboard in his hand and examined the papers. "Where's Erik? He usually brings us the goods," he said.
"Erik took off early tonight. It's his niece's birthday, and I took over," she explained.
The guard merely shrugged and signed the paper with a lazy gleam in his eyes, taking what seemed to be an eternity. He handed the papers over to her and his eyes flicked over to Q. "Who's the passenger?" he said.
"He's our rookie. Old man Matveyev told me to take him along for training," she said, flashing him an unassuming smile.
"Make the rookie do the manual labour, eh?" the guard smirked. "Not a bad idea."
"Whatever gets the job done," Alexa said casually. He could only chuckle in response and waved her along without a second thought. Alexa closed the window and proceeded towards the back entrance.
"Rookie?" Q questioned, looking amused.
"Like I said: whatever gets the job done," she said nonchalantly.
"I suppose so. Doesn't surprise me, though, that you had that effect on the guard," he smirked. "He seemed to fancy you."
"You're not jealous, are you?" she teased as she parked the car.
"Of course not. I know you're mine through and through," he replied, his eyes drifting to the chain around her neck. Alexa knew what he meant and slipped him a quiet smile, before turning off the engine.
"Ready?" she said.
"I should be asking you that," he replied. "Are you ready?"
"I am," she said without hesitation. He could see a glint of confidence in her eyes, and he placed a hand on hers.
"I'll do my best to help keep you safe, but promise me you won't be reckless," he said, with a hint of worry on his face.
"Of course," she said. "You mustn't worry so much about me. Just trust me now, alright?"
He was silent for a moment, before he nodded affirmatively. "I trust you," he said softly. She watched him fall silent once again before he placed an unexpected hand on her cheek. "And I want you to remember, Alexa, that I'll love you no matter what circumstances may arise."
"No matter how terrible the things you did before were, or what Pavlenko tells me, I'll love you the same way that I do now. Understand?" he continued, his blue-green eyes meeting hers.
A smile crept onto her lips, and she nodded, unable to speak for a moment. She paused before pressing a soft kiss to his lips, and took his hand into hers. "I understand, and I'll love you too, even after what happens today," she said, intertwining his fingers into hers. Alexa was quiet before a sudden thought occurred to her that caused her to look up.
"You know, I grew up being told not to love, as it would lead to nothing but guilt and regret. Yet with you, I feel as if I regret nothing. I am lucky to love and to be loved by a man like you, and I never thought I could be happy this way, especially with all I've done," she said quietly. "So, I'll give you a promise of my own. I'll do whatever I can to make this love exist without fear of interference from others. It may not be safe, nor legal, but it'll put those fears to rest for good."
"I know that's a promise you'll keep," he said, squeezing her hand gently. Q paused for a moment, before squeezing her hand once more, for the last time that night.
"Let's go," he said, with renewed strength in his voice. She nodded and grabbed a pistol from the bag, several clips, and a silencer. Alexa tossed Q his gun and the two strode out of the vehicle.
She popped open the back doors of the truck for the children and strode across a long clearing of grass to the back entrance, where a guard ushered them inside. "Where are the papers? We need to determine what packages we're receiving," he snapped, looking displeased.
Without hesitation, Alexa pulled out her pistol and fired a muffled shot at his heart, causing him to fall into the darkened corner. Q had watched her wordlessly, and it made her somewhat nervous to know that he was watching the darkest part of her unfold, the side that she preferred to keep away from him.
She followed Q as he darted in and out of the shadowed crates. The low hum of the guards' chatter was the only sound that filled the night air and was also the sound that distracted her from her gnawing sense of fear. Alexa swallowed her hesitation and ducked behind the shadow of a box to pull aside a guard. He let out a yelp as she placed a hand over his mouth and twisted his chin to the side with a quick cracking motion. The guard's gun clattered to the floor and within minutes, more had followed to check the source of the noise.
She heard the unmistakeable sound of silenced gunshots from behind her and watched as Q eliminated three men aimed in their direction. Alexa nodded silently at him, and he motioned for her to follow him towards the hallways.
As the entered the beginning of the white hallway, Q glanced over at the woman next to him. "Chances are, they haven't noticed yet. Once we do get caught, I'll split up towards the monitor room. Got your communicator?"
"Got it," she said, pointing at the earrings attached to her earlobe. He rounded a narrow corner with her in tow, and his heart jumped as he caught a glimpse of a tall, brown haired guard before them. The man, who had not expected to find unknown visitors, labelled them as intruders and grabbed his two way radio.
"Sir, we have intruders-" he began. Q didn't let him finish his sentence and aimed for the man's head, leaving nothing but a bloodstain on the wall to define this guard. Alexa heard the sound of something akin to a siren in the distance and turned towards Q.
"I have to head off. The security room should be at the end of this hall," she said, stepping over the dead man's body.
"Go on, then. But you'd better bloody well be careful," he muttered. She nodded at his request before dashing down a corridor to the east.
Q examined the intersection of the corners before advancing down a series of turns that would lead to the monitor room. He had seen a camera on this hallway, so he advanced with caution towards the closed door. A gunshot startled him to his knees and he ducked to avoid the hail of gunfire that followed. Q used a guerrilla tactic of hide and shoot to combat the men hiding in the Monitor Room and shoved the man and woman aside into the hallway as they fell to the ground in their bloodied uniforms.
He took a seat in the darkened room and glanced up at the monitors. At the moments he saw Alexa firing the semi-automatic at a group of men in the courtyard. "I'm here," he said as he watched her advance down another narrow shortcut.
"Good. You're out of the way, so they won't think of getting to you. In the meantime, what's the status of the guards outside?" she said as she dashed towards a corner.
"Not good. Hang on," he said. She heard the distinct sounds of four scattered gunshots, labored grunts, and footsteps over the line as she reloaded her gun. He came back a moment later, sounding slightly winded.
"Done. I see you in the eastern corridor. There's a set of men coming to your left," he said. Alexa looked around and ducked against a desk in the hall, only leaping out to attack the men as they approached. She used the pipe on the low ceiling above her to plant a resounding kick to one man's face and ducked quickly as the other man attempted to fire a shot at her. Alexa swept low, knocking both men to their feet and firing a shot to eliminate the threats that remained in front of her.
"What's going on upstairs? Are there any more for me?" she said as she caught her breath and advanced towards the metal staircase.
"Pavlenko and the others are trapped upstairs with you down here. It seems that they're still scrambling to get to the east end of the base. There are two men coming from the southeast corridor, so you'll see them as you round the corner now," Q said. Alexa kept close to the wall before darting out and firing a warning shot at her newest targets. She heard the click and succession of bullets that came with the semi-automatic gun in their hands and could only wait until the noises passed to fire again. Alexa landed a hit on one man's forehead, but hissed painfully as a bullet grazed her forearm. She ducked as the bullets came flying once more and caught the man off guard with a shot to his foot. He cried out in pain, and she took this opportunity to eliminate him from her sight. With a dull thud, he fell to the floor, and she dashed back towards the staircase.
"Are you alright?" Q said, sounding worried. "I thought I saw him hit something."
"It grazed my arm, but it's nothing major. 'Tis but a flesh wound," she said absentmindedly as her footsteps pattered up the stairs. "How's the status up here?"
"Fine, so far. There are four guards on the way from the southwest hallway. For now, send the children down; I'll take care of them," he said.
Alexa let out a grunt in response as she pushed open the heavy metal door leading to the dormitories. She was met by twenty pairs of watching eyes and motioned for them to get up. "Children, it's time for you to go," she said loudly. "Go as quickly as you can down the stairs and to the end of the hallway. There'll be a man waiting for you down there to take you home, alright?"
Immediately, the room was filled with excited chatter and she ushered them down the stairs. Alexa watched a young girl trip in the din of the fray and picked her up. She saw that the child's eyes were filled with tears as she looked up at Alexa. "Go on. It'll be okay," Alexa said as she ushered the child towards the stairs. She knew that the younger ones were the most afraid and motioned for them to go. A pang of guilt struck her as soon as she heard the screams from below, as she had left a trail of bloodied corpses on the way up here. These children would never forget that sight, but there was nothing she could do to ease their pain.
"They're on their way. Lead them out to the truck," Alexa said as she ducked into the dormitories and reloaded her gun.
"I'm on it. Think you can manage for a bit?" he said, his voice crackling over her receiver.
"It's just four men right now. I think I'll be okay," she said as she stood back up. From that moment on, Q heard nothing but the sound of her breaths and distant gunshots over the receiver. As he instructed the children to hide in the back of the truck, he heard a sharp sound of feedback over the receiver and Alexa's cry of pain.
"Alexa? What's happening?" he said as he burst through the back entrance and sprinted back down to the monitor room. He heard unintelligible noises over the receiver, followed by the disheartening sound of static over the receiver.
"Oh, shit," he muttered under his breath as he threw open the door. He stared up at the blackened screens and immediately realized that they had shut down the systems from the main control room upstairs. He searched the room desperately for any other source of power, but found none. He grabbed the pistol off the table and bolted upstairs without a second thought, terrified at what could be happening to Alexa.
Q stormed up the stairs and entered the northeastern corridor of the base. He heard a succession of gunshots in the distance and rushed towards the sound of the danger, meeting various guards as he advanced towards what seemed to be the southwestern corridor.
"Shit, shit, shit," he muttered under his breath as he dove behind a desk in the hallway. He should have never agreed to let her go alone, as it gave way to problems like this. Q knocked aside a man headed towards him ruthlessly, smashing his head against a wall with a blow from his elbow. He used the man as a shield and fired at the four other men that had scattered themselves in the hallway.
The man in his hands glared at him and attempted to twist his arms back but was met with a cold glare from Q. "Move aside," he snarled, tossing the man to the ground. Q pressed down on his chest with his foot and shot the man before turning away. "You're not my priority."
A familiar cry distracted him, and he rushed toward the source of the noise. As he approached the corner near the northeastern part of the base, he caught a glimpse of Alexa wrestling on the ground with another guard. They were fighting over the gun that had skidded across the floor. Q took matters into his own hands and aimed carefully before hitting the guard on the floor with a bullet.
"Come on," he said, shoving the dead man off her chest and helping her up.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly. "But why are you here? I thought you were down there-"
"They cut off the main power for the monitor room. I had to come up to see what happened to you," he explained.
"Alright," she said, letting out a sharp cough. She advanced down the narrow hall with him next to her, turning at each sound they heard. "How many left?"
"Should be eight for the whole base," he said, kicking aside a chair that had been strewn carelessly across the floor. "Do you still have bullets?"
"I have enough," she said. "I'm getting low, but we'll be alright."
"We'll need them for this. Four, if not, five, will likely be here," he said as he stopped in front of a room marked as Administration. "Ready?"
"Let's do it," Alexa said, with a glint of determination in her eyes. Together, they stormed the room and ducked beneath a desk to fire at the remaining targets. As Q went up to fire a shot, Alexa remained behind to cover for him, leading for an efficient system of elimination. She watched him turn towards her and point a gun in her direction, causing a brief feeling of panic to arise in her chest. Alexa heard the sound of a body falling down behind her, and the feeling subsided as quickly as it had come.
"Nice to know you've got my back," she said as she stepped over a fallen cabinet.
"It's what I'm supposed to do," he said, giving the files on the counter a cursory glance. Alexa advanced forward and held the pistol in her hand, letting out a noise of frustration
"He's not here. Where could he have gone?" she said, glancing over at the barred windows on the walls.
"We're missing three others, not counting Pavlenko. Come on," he said as he grabbed her by the wrist. She followed him down the hallway and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Pavlenko step out in front of them. He had a gun pointed at them, as the guard next to him had one as well. Alexa and Q turned to dart into the adjacent hallway, but an audible and familiar click stopped them from moving. Q felt the barrel of a gun pressing against the back of his head, and he shot a glance at Alexa, who was staring at Pavlenko.
"Well, well," Pavlenko smirked as he approached them. "Long time no see, my dear."
"Hello, Pavlenko," she said, her voice sounding dreadfully impartial and controlled. "It's been far too long."
"That it has. And who is this? Why, this can't possibly be the man you've claimed. Silly of you, bringing an attachment to the scene of the crime, especially when he's not included in our little game," he smirked.
"The attachment has a name," Q said, looking nonplussed. "And for the record, you included me in this when you first threatened her life and mine. Don't think that this was her matter to handle alone."
"Oh, dear," Pavlenko chuckled. "It seems she's made a good attachment. All the better to lose, am I correct, Alexa?"
"Leave him out of it. If any blows should be dealt, it should be upon me," Alexa said sharply.
"You've wrecked the facility I worked hard to invest in, along with Grigori, Katja, and Mihael. You've lain waste to millions of dollars, and I intend to deal as many blows as I please," he hissed, picking her up by the collar. Pavlenko tossed her to the ground roughly and kicked her in the arm, causing her to flinch.
"Bring them to the boiler room," he said, placing his hands in his pockets with a smirk on his lips. Oh, how he loved to watch these lowly people suffer! It was much more entertaining when they were begging for his mercy, an emotion that he never seemed to give.
Q was jabbed with the gun roughly and he glanced over at Alexa. He motioned towards Pavlenko with his chin, and she caught the gist of what he was thinking. She could see him formulating a plan of his own and made the same motion, to let him know that she was doing the same. They were both met with a sharp hit to the ribs from Pavlenko's men, which caused Alexa to taste blood in her mouth.
"Now, now. Hurry along. We have a lot of unfinished business to take care of," Pavlenko said, walking briskly in front of them. Alexa could only glare at his retreating figure, feeling the same loathing she had felt as a child rising up again. As they stood up together and began to walk, she felt Q's fingers brush against hers.
Alexa let out a quiet sigh and squeezed his hand gently, with a gleam of renewed determination in her gaze. Years of uncertainty and fear were coming down to this single moment, and it was natural to be intimidated by it. Yet with him, she was ready to face whatever turmoil lay ahead to make their desired future a reality.
They finally meet Pavlenko! Will they kill him, or will he end them before they get the chance? That's it for now, but tune in for the next chapter to see what happens. And remember, only two chapters left until the end of this story!
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