UNEXPECTED TROUBLE

One year later…

"Hey, Hans!" Karl enveloped Hans in a bear hug that just about knocked the air out of the latter's lungs.

"Good to see you, my friend," Hans returned the hug. "Now, what was this extraordinary news that you wished to convey?"

The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop. Karl, Fritz and Heinrich were smirking like the cat that swallowed the canary, while several of the men who worked for the Volksfrei looked merely bored. The majority of the room, however, looked vaguely interested in the discussion. It was apparent they already knew of the news that Hans was only just about to be told about, but they were curious as to what his reaction would be.

"Herr Fuchs is no longer with us," Karl said.

"What?" They had just finished a mission that Fuchs was leading, and Hans had definitely seen him fleeing the building with Fritz.

"Yeah," Fritz confirmed. "Someone killed him in his own home."

Hans stared at them, unsure of what to say.

"Not a great loss, if we're honest," Heinrich cut in bluntly. "He could be pretty mean to us. I'm just glad he didn't bring too many of us down with him."

Hans had to admit that was true. Fuchs often led them into extremely dangerous missions for his own amusement, to the point where they were practically a suicide squad. Several of their men had died trying to satisfy the whims of Fuchs.

"Yeah, he was a right prick at times," Karl agreed.

"Still… someone would have to be pretty brave to execute a murder like that," Hans mused. A man as paranoid as Fuchs had to have had multiple security measures in place in the event of an intruder trespassing on his home. "And why was I the last person to find out about this?"

"Well…" Karl snuck a sideways glance at Fritz, who got the message. "We want you to take over as leader of the Volksfrei Movement," Fritz said.

Hans blinked, sure he had heard that wrong. "I'm sorry, what?"

Karl stared at him as if he had suddenly acquired the intellect of a troll. "We want you to take over as leader of the Volksfrei," Karl repeated.

"B-but-"

"Come on, Hans. It's obvious you know how to lead a team."

"Not this team," he protested, despite a part of him wondering what it would be like to step into the role of leader of the Volksfrei. "So far I've only had to manage between three and six of you at once, but the entire group? We must have no less than fifty people here!"

"In other words, you're being a chickenshit," Karl said.

"I am not! This is a serious responsibility -"

"And one that we know you are ready for," Heinrich cut in. "You've never failed a single mission that you led, for one thing. We've spoken to all the boys, and the majority of us have agreed that you are the best candidate for the position."

Hans fell silent, his dark eyes roving over the sea of people looking up at him. Waiting for him to say something, to hopefully accept the position. An uncomfortable silence fell upon them, save for the sound of Karl fiddling with the zip on his jacket. Hans fidgeted on the spot.

"Very well," he said. "I will take the position. However, I want Karl Vreski to be my second-in-command." This caused some mutterings, and Karl was so surprised he abandoned the zip on his jacket. "This man is the reason I am doing this job in the first place, and I trust he will have my back no matter what."

Karl's eyebrows shot up so high it was a wonder they didn't disappear inside his hairline. "Me?" was all he managed to say.

"I don't know anyone else called Karl Vreski," Hans snarked, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile.

"Wow," the blond man gasped, tightly pinching the skin of his forearm.

Hans walked over to him and clapped him on the back, the same way Karl had done it to him when they had successfully completed Hans' first mission. "I believe this calls for a celebration?"

As if on cue, Fritz brought the champagne out and engaged everyone in a celebration over his friend's appointment as the new leader of the Volksfrei.

"To the Volksfrei," Hans said, raising his glass. Everybody filled their own glasses and copied his gesture.

"To Hans Gruber," Karl added. Hans raised his glass again and drained the lot.

As everyone was preoccupied with the party, nobody noticed Hans was drinking a liberal amount tonight. He'd had three glasses of champagne already. Not being an experienced drinker (save for half a glass of beer he had at an office Christmas party a few days back), plus being on the skinny side, this meant he was already slightly tipsy, and it wasn't even the end of the party.