Thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. You might notice some things are a bit vague surrounding certain things, and I'm just letting you know they're that way for a reason. Everything gets tied together eventually I promise ;)
Go on, give me the best that you've got...go on and make me the villain I'm not.
2014
Deckard knew he didn't have a lot of time. He had no idea if he was being watched (he acted like he was). He didn't know anything at all. He just knew he couldn't do this alone. It appeared that he had somehow fallen onto the radar of someone known as Mr. Nobody, and in this moment, he would take all the help he could get. They were currently standing in an abandoned warehouse. Deckard had gone to great lengths to get there undetected, but he still felt nervous.
"Let me get this straight," Nobody said, "you are being blackmailed into killing Dominic Toretto and his team because of someone named Cipher."
"Yes."
"She wanted Nightshade, and now she wants God's Eye?"
"Yes."
"Your brother led the team attempting to get Nightshade?"
"Yes."
"He's half dead in the hospital?"
"Yes."
"Cipher is going to kill him if you don't comply?"
Deckard hesitated here. He hadn't said anything about his wife and daughter being added to the mix. Mr. Nobody was surveying him now, and Deckard had a feeling that Nobody already knew about them. Nobody tapped a finger against his chin.
"Anyone else?" he asked.
"Can you help me or not?" Deckard countered, ignoring the question.
"Well, it will have to be a convincing enough of a feud to make Cipher think it's real," Nobody said. "Are you up for the challenge?"
"Yes."
"I won't say anything to Toretto to increase your odds of believability," Nobody added. "Try not to actually kill him or his team, though. I need them."
"I've got it under control."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Deckard said. "I just need your guarantee that my brother is safe from her. And my sister and my mother."
"He will be," Nobody promised. "We'll move him as soon as he is stable. As for the other two, we'll keep an agent on them." It would have to do. Deckard gave a nod and clenched his jaw. This was a journey he had to start with the knowledge that he might not survive it. He knew Toretto would have a strong reaction to what was coming, but he was ready. His story was believable. The angry, older brother was out for revenge. Who wouldn't buy that?
"We will be working on the same goal soon," Nobody went on. "I'm getting Dom to help me get the God's Eye from Jakande. I imagine that will make you have to assist Jakande?"
"Yes."
"Well, we will sort it all out in the wash when the time comes," Nobody said. "I'm sure you've got a plan of some sort."
"I'm working on it," Deckard said a little roughly.
"Good luck," Nobody said. Then Deckard was gone, and it was time to start.
...
Magdalene Shaw sensed that something was wrong with her eldest son. He had gone off the radar, and when that happened, it was never a good sign. She was worried to death about Owen. There were no updates on his condition. Hattie was currently not speaking to her, so she'd just left about ten voicemail messages telling her what was going on. Magdalene knew her daughter just wanted to distance herself from anything criminal or illegal, but Magdalene didn't consider what she did to be either of those things. Difference of opinion, really.
"Hattie," she said now, leaving another message. "I think there's something really wrong going on. Please call me. I'm beginning to fear something has happened to you." She hung up and stared at her phone. She willed her daughter to call her back. Nothing happened. She sighed and put it away. She didn't bother trying to call Deckard. When he was dark, there was no getting a hold of him. She looked over at their family portrait on the wall. She'd had it redone after Harry left. She didn't like looking at his ugly mug. She could still see him leering at her when she closed her eyes sometimes.
Those days were long gone, but the scars were still there. Magdalene knew her children had scars too. They just never talked about it. She went to sit and sip her tea. There was nothing else she could do in this moment but wait.
And wait she would.
The Next Day
Mr. Nobody walked into the military hospital undetected and dressed like a coroner. He had his partner park in the back in a vehicle that resembled the coroner's. He was going to keep his word to Deckard Shaw, but instead of waiting for Owen to wake up to move him, he was going to fake his death and hide him away somewhere else. Let Cipher believe Owen had died from his wounds. It would be one less person to hold over Deckard's head. Mr. Nobody knew about the wife and daughter. He figured Deckard knew that he knew this. Mr. Nobody was very good at his job after all.
"All right, son," he said now, approaching an unconscious Owen. "You won't feel a thing." The doctor he'd contacted earlier came in now and nodded his head.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yes," Mr. Nobody answered.
"Lights, camera, action," the doctor said. "You got less than two minutes." They didn't want to risk having him hooked up to anything should someone stop Mr. Nobody. After all, dead bodies didn't need to be hooked up to life support. It had to look real. The doctor was going to meet them outside with forms to fill out, giving him a reason to be there to re-hook Owen back up. The doctor moved to adjust a few things, and Owen's monitor flatlined. The two of them lifted Owen up onto the stretcher and zipped him into a body bag. Then Mr. Nobody began to wheel him away quickly. The doctor was writing up Owen's death as Nobody left.
Once outside, his partner, also dressed as coroner, help load Owen into the van. The doctor appeared, waving his clipboard. He hopped up into the back and stood hidden behind Mr. Nobody's partner while working to get Owen hooked up to the mobile life support unit. When he was finished, he took his clipboard and hopped out, walking back towards the hospital and making a show of flipping papers as he went. Mr. Nobody looked around before hopping up into the back and shutting the van doors. He looked down at Owen, who was still breathing.
Mission accomplished.
...
It was easy getting into the DSS headquarters. Deckard felt they really should update their security system. He hung back in the shadows while DSS Agent Luke Hobbs talked with DSS Agent Elena Neves. His plan was to slip in and slip out undetected. Cipher had contacted him an hour earlier, demanding to know what his plan was. She had seemed reassured when he'd run through his plan with her. Then she had taken great delight in telling him his brother had died from his wounds in the hospital, and Deckard had been shocked at first but then had realized what Mr. Nobody had done. He had felt grateful towards the man for keeping his word.
"No wavering," Cipher had warned at the end of their call. "I will not hesitate to kill them both. Or worse."
Deckard knew she was serious, and the rage rose to the surface again as he thought about it now. He didn't want to know what "or worse" meant. He did know that she was going to pay for this. When Hobbs and Neves were down the hall, he moved fast towards Hobbs's desk. He put his memory stick into the computer and started searching.
"Come on, come on," he muttered. He really didn't feel like getting into a fight with Hobbs.
"Oh, hell no," a voice said, making Deckard freeze. "Don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing?" Of course, Hobbs was back.
Deckard held up a finger, buying himself some time. He was almost done. He couldn't risk this Hobbs fellow figuring out what he was doing. If it got blown into the open, Deckard could be assured he'd never see his family again.
"You better put that finger down before I remove it," Hobbs warned. "And you won't like what I'll do in order to make that happen or what I'll do with it afterwards."
"Let me guess, it involves shoving it up my own ass?" Deckard said.
"For the grand finish, yea," Hobbs agreed.
"You're Agent Hobbs, right?" Deckard asked, still buying time.
"Uh huh, and you picked the wrong computer to hack into. You just earned yourself a trip to the jailhouse."
"I'm just here for the team that put my brother in the hospital," Deckard said. He finished and yanked out his memory stick, standing up and putting it into his pocket quickly. Hobbs was glaring at him, and Deckard knew there was really only one way out of this.
"Team? There was no team. You're looking at the guy that put your brother in the hospital," Hobbs snorted. While Deckard knew this already, he also couldn't reveal his true motives. It appeared that Hobbs wouldn't listen and probably wouldn't care anyway. Deckard watched as Hobbs cracked his neck. He was going to have to do this after all. He resisted sighing before clenching his fist.
The fight was on.
...
Hattie sighed loudly as she listened to her mother's message. Twelve in two days. She didn't want to call her back. She didn't want to know what was going on. It would most certainly involve things she didn't want to be involved in, so she didn't see the point in getting caught up in it. She tried not to feel concern for Owen or Deckard. They were big boys. They could look after themselves.
Still...
Hattie felt in her inner core that something was wrong, but she didn't know what. She had felt like she'd been watched a while ago, but when nothing happened, she chalked it up to paranoia and nerves. She thought about what Owen had told her, to shake up her routine. Had he known she was being watched? Why couldn't he have just said so? Or was it completely unrelated?
"Uggghhh," she said out loud. She hated her own brain sometimes. It spent too much time overthinking everything. She didn't want her mother harassing her anymore, so she fired off a text message stating she was alive and well, thank you very much. Then she picked up her rifle and continued cleaning it. She tried not to think about her brothers anymore.
...
Deckard was getting the shit kicked out of him. He was trying to pull his punches a little, but in the end, he'd had to go all out. Hobbs was brutal. Then Agent Neves had returned to help, and Deckard knew he had to get out of there before he was arrested. He knew his plan was a shitty thing to do, but he had to do it. He threw the grenade and ran for cover. He figured Hobbs would get out of the way fast enough. The crashing of glass right before the explosion indicated that. When the dust settled, Deckard coughed and got up. It was time to start phase two of this operation. He thought of the names he'd seen on Hobbs's computer. He'd start far from home, which meant going to Tokyo. He pulled out his phone to call Cipher.
"You got it?" she asked.
"I got the list," he answered.
"Excellent."
"I want to talk to her," he said. "Proof of life, you know?"
"The picture wasn't enough?"
"You could have taken that days ago."
"You're right. Fine. You get thirty seconds," Cipher said. Deckard listened hard for any clue to indicate where she was, but there was nothing. Then:
"Deckard?" Her voice was afraid.
"Hang in there, luv. I'll get you out of there. Are you okay?"
"For now. She's serious, Decks..."
"I know. I know. Please, just hang in there. Both of you. Is our daughter...?"
"She's fine. Please hurry, Decks."
"I'm coming."
"I lov-"
"Time's up," Cipher said now, making Deckard grit his teeth in anger. "Get moving, Deckard. That team isn't being taken out on its own. And don't forget if Jakande calls, you will assist him."
"If you touch her," Deckard started.
"You're really not in any position to negotiate with me or threaten me," Cipher stopped him. "Just get it done. You have a week." She hung up on him, and Deckard resisted throwing his phone against the ground. He pressed his fingers into his temple and tried to plan out his next steps.
It was time to pay Han Seoul-Oh a visit.
...
Hattie looked up when her mother walked into her apartment. At first she was shocked, and then she grew angry.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I told you I'm fine!"
"Owen's dead," Magdalene said. She'd gotten the call from the hospital earlier. She'd hit the floor on her knees and screamed. Her throat was still raw. She looked at Hattie now and saw the mix of emotions that went through her daughter's eyes.
"W-What?" Hattie asked, feeling like she'd misheard her mother.
"Owen's dead. Deckard is AWOL. I don't know what's going on, but it's not good. I'm afraid you'll be next."
"Next for what?"
"I don't bloody well know that, do I?!" Magdalene shouted. "My children are being targeted, and I don't know why! I'm failing you all once again."
Hattie's mind went to her father, Harry Shaw, but she didn't think he'd come after them now, not after all this time. She liked to believe he was dead anyway.
"So you've come to warn me," Hattie said.
"And tell you about Owen. He was still your brother," Magdalene said sharply. Hattie clenched her jaw. Yes, Owen was her brother. He'd been there for her growing up when they'd hidden from their father or spent the aftermath of a family explosion at their aunt's house. He'd always held her hand or slept beside her in his sleeping bag when she couldn't sleep. She didn't know what had happened to him when he got older, but he'd gone rogue and dark. She'd heard the things he'd been doing. She couldn't understand it. Then Deckard had been called a traitor after murdering his own team, and she decided she was done with them all. She'd parted from Magdalene years earlier when she discovered her mother was involved in crime. Hattie wanted to be free from crime and bad people. The price to pay was losing her family, though.
"It kind of sounds like he got what was coming to him," Hattie said now, referring to Owen.
"You take that back!" Magdalene cried.
"I can't, can I?" Hattie shot back. "He became a beast. Whoever he became took over the brother I knew and left me with someone I didn't recognize! If he did terrible things, then he got what he deserved." The slap came fast, and Hattie reeled from it. Her mother was glaring at her now.
"Your brother was not a beast."
"Mum, you're in denial..."
"I am not! I know my children. I know something was wrong! Just like with Decks now. There's something wrong, and I'm going to find out what. You can either help me or not."
"Not," Hattie said. Her cheek was stinging, making her glare at her mother.
"Shame on you," Magdalene threw at her. "Turning your back on family. Your brothers did everything to keep you safe, especially Decks."
"Because you wouldn't!" Hattie shouted at her. "You wouldn't, Mum! You stayed with Dad even though you knew one day he'd fly off his rocker and try to kill one of us! So shame on you! Get out of my apartment. Now. Get out!"
"Call yourself a sister," Magdalene was saying as she went. "I hope there's a time you need one of them and find out they've turned their backs on you. Then you'll know how it feels."
"OUT!" Hattie shrieked. Her mother went through the door, and Hattie slammed it hard behind her, rattling the pictures on the walls. She breathed shakily, feeling guilt and shame and now sadness. She leaned against the door, sinking to the floor and pulling her knees to her chest once she sat down. The tears came, and she let them.
"Owen," she sobbed. "Oh my God, Owen!" She pressed a hand into her face and bawled.
Tokyo-Two Days Later
It wasn't hard finding Han. Deckard surveyed him for a while before making his move. He made sure it appeared he was in his motel room before he slipped out, his hood over his head. He took the long route just to make sure he wasn't being followed. He'd left his phone and anything traceable in the motel room. He made sure Han wasn't being watched either before he slipped into the garage, finding Han alone under his car. A bag of peanuts was next to him on the ground. Deckard watched as a hand came out every so often to pat the ground, looking for the bag, finding it, and pulling out a handful of peanuts before disappearing back under the car. The sound of something crunchy being chewed occurred shortly after. Deckard cleared his throat. The crunching stopped.
"Sean?" Han asked.
"Nope," Deckard answered. Han slid out from under the car and looked up at him, confused.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A ghost," Deckard answered.
"And to what pleasure do I owe for having a ghost visit me?" Han questioned. He sat up now, reaching for more peanuts. His casual nature about this situation showed Deckard he felt very in control of it.
"I've been watching you," Deckard said.
"Have you?" Han seemed almost pleasantly surprised. "What for?"
"You've got some trouble brewing with your bosses," Deckard noted.
"Ah, it'll be fine," Han dismissed. "DK is not as smart as he thinks he is."
"But his uncle Kamata is," Deckard reasoned, and that was when Han started to look a little uneasy.
"How do you know all of this?"
"Like I said, I've been watching," Deckard answered. "I'm actually here on another matter, but I can use this situation you're in to help my cause."
"Oh, yea?"
"Yea. You'll be off free after it's over," Deckard promised.
"You wanna fill me in on what your matter with me is?"
"Ever heard of Cipher?"
"Nope," Han said, shaking his head. He went for more peanuts before pausing. "I've been rude. You want some?" He offered the bag to Deckard, who simply stared back at him. Han pulled the bag back. "I'll take that as a no, then. Go on. Who's Cipher?"
"She's someone you never want to cross paths with, but it seems you have," Deckard answered.
"Really? When? How?"
"London," Deckard answered. The word itself made a shadow cross over Han's face. Deckard knew about Gisele from the files on his memory stick. He could only imagine how Han was feeling about it. He'd spent enough time away from the love of his life to know how painful it was, but he always had the option of getting her back, and he did get her back. Han never could. Deckard didn't want to find himself in that position if this failed.
"Owen Shaw," Han said, remembering. "The whole Nightshade thing."
"My brother," Deckard told him.
"You're...you're brother?" Han asked. "Oh, boy. You're pissed about that then."
"He brought it on himself, but I suspect Cipher had him under her thumb too. She's good that way. Basically, it all boils down to this: she finds someone you really care about and holds them hostage or threatens them harm. You don't really have a say when she tells you what you're going to do for her."
"Is that why you're here? She's doing it to you right now?" Han asked.
"You're a smart man," Deckard said with a nod.
"So why are you telling me this?"
"Because I don't really want to kill anyone, but I have to make it look like I have," Deckard replied. He watched Han's face as he registered all the information.
"So, you're going to fake my death and let me escape not only Cipher but the yakuza," Han said. "Is that what I'm hearing?"
"That's what you're hearing."
"Wow. All right. And the rest of my team?"
"They have to believe you're dead," Deckard explained. "You can't be in contact with them, not until it's safe."
"How long will that be?"
"I don't know. You got somewhere safe to go?"
"Yea."
"After this, you go there. You stay there until it's safe to resurface."
"How will I know?"
"I'll call you," Deckard answered, handing him a burner phone.
"All right," Han agreed, taking it and pocketing it. "When are we doing this?"
"Soon. I imagine your DK is going to figure out you've been cheating him and will come after you. Call me when that happens. Make sure you're in your car." He handed Han a phone number of one of his own burn phones he'd purchased. He'd dispose of that phone once this was over. He wanted no trace to be made back to Han ever. He had Han's burn phone number memorized. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he died. He hoped Han would eventually reach out to someone after a while. Deckard chose to be optimistic. He'd survive this. It would be fine.
"What are you doing to do, cause an accident?" Han asked with a laugh.
"That's right. And you better move fast or else you might really die," Deckard answered. Han swallowed.
"All right. I'll call you."
"Good. This conversation never happened," Deckard warned, pointing a finger at Han.
"Um, thank you, I guess? I'm sorry for whatever is making you do this," Han said.
"Don't be sorry. Just focus, and it will all end well for you," Deckard told him. Then he walked out, pulling his hood back up over his head as he went, and he did his best to hope that nobody saw him.
...
"Make it look like it's from Tokyo," Cipher said into the phone. "I want that house totaled." She paced as she listened to the person on the other end. "Time it so that they don't get killed. I want the message sent across." More pacing, more listening. "Yes, I know Deckard is supposed to kill Toretto, but it will look like he sent the bomb. He's in Tokyo killing Toretto's friend, so of course Toretto is going to think Deckard planted the bomb too. Get with the program, eh?" Cipher paused, listening again as she looked over at Deckard's wife, who was staring back at her. "With any luck, the two of them will kill each other, and my problem will be solved. I don't want this to be easy for Deckard. I want it to be a challenge." She laughed softly. "I know. I really am evil, aren't I? Yes. See you soon." She hung up and tilted her head at Deckard's wife. She had no intention of letting her live; she had other plans for the child. She just wanted to play with Deckard, like a cat played with a mouse before killing it. He was getting her work done for her, and she'd clean up the mess. Owen was dead, as was his team. Jakande would be next once he was done getting God's Eye with Deckard's help, if needed. Then Deckard would be killed after he killed Toretto. Bing, bang, boom, pow. Toretto was the extra "pow" at the end because he'd gotten involved and disrupted her plans in London. Some things you didn't foresee, but you could certainly deal with them afterwards. Cipher smiled.
All she had to do was wait.