I do not own John Wick or any of its characters.

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James hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the news report. A shootout had taken place between a black man and a white man for about ten seconds. That'd be Cassian. James considered John's options in a city filled with assassins with a seven million dollar contract on his head. Only one option was viable. The Bowery King. James smiled just as his phone chimed. He opened it, heading to his messages.

"I got yelled at," Ares had messaged. "Worth it." Then she'd included a photo of herself in the shower, leaning back against the wall of the shower with a dildo inside of her, with the words, "See you soon," attached to the photo.

James shook his head, smiling. She was perfect. Truly. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed for the nearest subway station. Almost as soon as he arrived, he spotted a homeless man watching him. He walked over to him and tossed him a coin.

"Let the big man know I'll be dropping by," James said. "Friendly business."

The man nodded, and James walked over to wait for the train. After a few seconds, it rolled to a stop and John stepped out, only to freeze, knife in-hand, and Cassius seated behind him, his own knife embedded in his aorta.

"Rough night Cassian?" James asked. "Guess we'll settle next time."

Cassian smiled, in spite of the hate in his eyes and his own situation, as the door slid closed.

"John," James nodded to him.

"James," John said, glancing down at the bullet wound in his gut, his face also marred by cuts from shattered glass. "No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings," James said. "Just business."

"Right," John nodded.

James nodded, then held his hand out. "Pass me whatever gun you want to keep. We'll be needing you topped off."

"We?" John asked.

"We," James nodded. "I've decided to...assist someone in a change of careers. When we go, please leave Ares to me."

John nodded, handing him the H&K P30L he'd given him in Rome. "I'll try."

They walked over to the homeless man James had payed before and John gave him a coin of his own before the man hid him under a tarp. As he did, James began to reload John's gun for him, along with its extra magazines.

"Take him," James said. "Tell him it's John Wick." He tossed the man a third coin. "For safe travels."

The man stared at him before nodding. James turned, heading up to the street and getting a cab to the Bowery, walking up to the front door. As it opened, he held out his guns and knife, then allowed them to search him. Then, he was quickly led through the building to the king. As he walked into the room with the man who'd taken his weapons, John was just loading a Kimber 1911 with the one and only seven-round magazine he'd been given.

"James!" the Bowery King smiled. "James Allen! It's so good to see you again! Please, give our risen child his weapons back. There's no need to be rude."

James accepted his weapons, as John raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's been a long time," James said. "You look good."

"And so do you," the king said. "Big change from being one of my eyes."

"I got lucky," James shrugged. "That job was more lucrative than it should have been thanks to a personal grudge. No hard feelings about skipping out on the Bowery, though."

"None at all," the king said. "It worked out in the end. You made enough to make your own living, pay me to keep the target off your back, and get the second best training you can buy in this wonderful world of ours. I believe that was where you met a certain silent woman you're rather interested in, wasn't it?"

"It was," James nodded. "I assume you know why I'm here."

"You want to...what was it you said, assist someone in a change of careers," the king said as they reached an elevator, James and John stepping into it with the same homeless man who'd taken John to the Bowery. "That's downright noble of you. Since the two of you are after the same mark, it'll make things easy. Santino is at the museum. Earl will guide you. Oh, and, remember," he fixed John with a knowing stare, "you owe me."

John stared at him as Earl pulled the grate door of the elevator down. "You don't want me owing you."

Then, the full metal door slid closed and the elevator began to move.

"You used to be a part of the Bowery?" John asked as James handed his P30L back to him, along with its magazines.

"Used to," James said. "I was hired to kill someone and was payed a small fortune in coins to do it, then payed the Bowery King to stay away from me. I then found someone willing to train me to be an active assassin, met Ares there where she was training under the same person, and when the person turned on us, we killed him. Then we've been honing our skills ever since."

John nodded. "The one that trained you, who was it?"

"He called himself Alpha," James said. "Never found out anything beyond that."

"I see," John nodded. "I heard he died, I didn't hear how."

James nodded as the elevator finally stopped and they began to quickly follow Earl through the city.

James wound his way through the crowd silently, glancing to the side at John, who was making his way along the opposite side of the room, then turned his eyes back to Santino. He hadn't seen Ares yet, but he was sure he'd see her before he could reach Santino, assuming she didn't see him first. Then, the crowd parting between John and Santino.

"Show time," James breathed.

Then, the shooting began, John quickly killing three of Santino's men instantly as the party guests fled, Ares disappearing into the crowd instantly. James spun, drawing his P99 and shot the two guards that ran into the room from behind them. Then, as he turned to John, he watched as John borrowed a guard's pistol just long enough to kill him, then tossed it aside, putting away the Colt he'd been using so far, drawing his P30L instead. They started after Santino together, quickly reaching a four-way intersection in the hallway, John shooting a troop that stepped out ahead of them before turning left after Santino. He killed a bodyguard ahead of him as James turned back the way they'd come in time to shoot a bodyguard as he stepped out, then back to the front in time to shoot another that had meant to get behind them. He turned the corner just as John ducked into cover as several shots hit the pillar set into the corner, behind which John was taking cover, and shot the bodyguard before he could realize the second target was in view. John stepped out as another bodyguard began up the set of stairs they were at the top of, only for John to kill him, then start down the stairs, James just behind him. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they ducked behind a sculpture of some kind in the center of the small room as a pair of bodyguards stepped out and opened fire in hopes of catching them off guard, only for John and James to lean out on opposite sides, killing both of them. Two more entered from the right and John dropped them before reloading as John dropped a fifth that entered ahead of them. Both stood from cover and continued instantly.

They passed through several rooms, killing several guards as they went, then reached a room with statues of the Olympian Gods. They opened fire quickly, killing several each before their guns both ran dry. Both grabbed a Glock off the ground, quickly killing a dozen more guards before tossing the borrowed guns aside and reloading their own guns, continuing again.

"I'm down to two," John reported. "I have rounds for our Colts."

John nodded, putting his P30L away and John passed him two of the extended magazines for his Colt, John reloading it instantly before putting it away and drawing his P30L again as they continued out of the room. At the doorway one stepped out, only for John to kill him. Then another stepped out directly in front of him, only for John to grab his gun hand and yank it to the side as James stepped past John to his right, drawing his knife and slashing another guard's wrist, making him drop his gun before stabbing him in the side of the head, ripping the knife back out before putting it away, switching his pistol back to his right hand in time to shoot a pair of guards just as John finished the one he'd caught. They entered a gallery for paintings and a guard charged from the right, only for John to catch his gun arm and twist it around behind him, then shoot a guard the stepped out ahead of them in the room. James turned as John flipped the guard he was holding to the ground, shooting a pair of guards that entered from behind them. John finished his, then shot another from where he'd come. Then, just as he did, a foot stepped out from the wall beside John and he shot it, then shot the guard through the wall before they started again, James taking the lead. As they neared the doorway, a guard stepped out, only to instantly die from a pair of shots to the face, one from each of them, before James stopped over him, checking the door before kneeling and taking a pair of magazines from the guard's bulletproof vest, then picked up his Colt. He passed one of the magazines to John before they continued, James storing his P99 in favor of the Colt.

Just down the next hallway, they reached a sign for an area called Reflections of the Soul, and quickly headed inside. As they waited for the automatic double doors, which both held a mirror, to open, a recording welcomed them then explained that something about the use of light and space would altar their perception of space and their place within it. James rolled his eyes as the door finally opened and they stepped into the biggest mirror maze James had ever seen. They headed through it for a second before reaching what seemed to be an enclosed, square room with square, mirrored pillars filling it.

"My God, John," Santino said in Italian. "My God. You just don't get it." He switched back to English. "The Marker is complete, John. You should have just run away. And you, James. It was just business, what happened to my sister. But even so, at least with you, I can respect your loyalty in coming after me for revenge."

"Keep talking, D'Antonio," James said as he and John carefully advanced. "Every word you speak is a step closer to your death."

"You both know what the Camorra will do you to," Santino said. "You think you're Old Testament, John? No, John. No. Killing me won't stop the contract. Killing me will make it so much worse!"

James looked around as they reached a small square room with a set of stone steps leading to an upper level, wrapping along the wall as it did.

"John, you know what I think?" Santino asked. "I think you're addicted to it. To the vengeance."

James nudged John's shoulder as he spotted a doorway into a rounded hallway-like room with the mirrors on the opposite wall slanted in a sort of splinted pattern. Just as John looked, he caught a glimpse of two guards' white suit jackets passing in front of the mirrors. Then, the two of them stepped through the door. John caught the first's gun, pulling it out and up, spinning him into the path of the other's bullet, which hit him in the chest, then exited his back into John's suit jacket before James stepped out, putting a bullet through the unrestrained guard's head, John finishing the one he was holding.

"No wife," Santino was saying. "No life. No home. Vengeance...it's all you have."

"You wanted me back!" John called out. "I'm back."

Then, John stepped out ahead of James, opening fire, only for Santino to sprint down a short hallway, then leap through a mirror to escape from John's sights. John glanced at his empty P30L, which had ran dry at exactly the wrong moment, and sighed, swapping it for his Colt, rather than reloading it, he and James following after Santino. After a moment, they entered a long hallway of rotating mirrors and both quickly ducked behind one as they caught a glimpse of a riffle barrel in one of the mirrors. After a moment, one of the elite guards that Ares seemed to have brought with her walked into the hallway, carefully making his way along it. After a moment, John stepped out, grabbing the rifle and taking a couple of shots before the man charged, shoving John backward into a mirror, which spun, both vanishing from the hallway just before two more stepped into it. James waited until they were facing away to push through the mirror and shoot both of them, then turned as John and the other guard re-emerged in the hallway, a little further along, still fighting, only for John to finally shoot the man in the knee, then the face. They headed along the hallway the way the guards had come, only to stop in front of a two-way mirror, seeing a guard standing on the other side, looking around. James raised his Colt, firing two shots into the guard's back and head respectively, then kicked the mirror, shattering it, and he and John stepped through, looking around carefully. They were back in the room with the stairs, which meant they were almost back to the entrance, where Santino would be headed, undoubtedly escorted by Ares.

"Ares is mine," James signed quickly.

John nodded and they headed for the exit. They stopped just shy of it, James putting his pistol away and motioning for John to stay back. He nodded and James approached the mirrored double-doors. Then, just as they hissed open, Ares lunged, punching with a push knife extended between her right hand's fingers. He backed away, seeing her hesitate for a second before she went on the offensive, swiping and stabbing rapidly. Finally, he managed to knock her arm across her body and instantly caught her wrist with his right hand, trapping it there before grabbing her right shoulder and slammed her to the wall, pinning her. John sprinted past instantly and Ares through a knee aimed at James' groin, only for him to deflect it into his though with his knee, grimacing before using his feet to pin her own down. Then, he kissed her hard. Pressed hard to a wall as she was, she couldn't pull away when she jerked her head back in surprise. Instead, she bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood, but whatever feelings she had for him stopped her from doing any actual damage. He pulled away, running his tongue over the cut, seeing the fight in her eyes had diminished, in spite of her actions. He stripped the knife from her hand and hurled it away, then pinned her hands to the wall, kissing her again. This time, she kissed him back in kind, the kiss rough and both of them fighting for dominance. Finally, she slipped a foot out from under his and pushed off the wall, knocking him to the floor and quickly pinned his arms.

"Why?" she signed.

"Because Santino was going to do anyway," James said. "And I couldn't let John kill you on his way to Santino, so I joined him to save you. Because I love you, Ares. I can't let you die."

Ares stared at him for a long moment, conflicting emotions warring in her eyes before she released his arms, kissing him hard. He returned it in kind, but after a moment, it began to settle, actually managing to grow gentle before she pulled away, tears rolling down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him in silence for a long while before she sat up

"The Camorra and High Table will still hunt you, even if you don't pull the trigger," Ares signed. "And they might hunt me for letting John go."

"Then I'll fight them," John said. "I won't let anyone hurt you. I don't care if I'm hunted. But I will protect you."

Ares smiled, kissing him again, once again gently, before standing, pulling him to his feet before signing, "We need to go. Santino will flee with the Continental."

James nodded. "I know. He's a coward. He's also selfish."

"That's true, but he doesn't have everything," Ares signed. "Because you're so annoyingly loyal to me and are willing to risk being hunted by the High Table in order to protect me, I'm yours now. Not Santino's."

James smiled. "Good. Now, let's go find a bed for me to handcuff you to."

Ares smiled, rolling her eyes, and they quickly left the museum together. James haled a cab, and they climbed in, riding it to the Continental. A few minutes later, they reached the Lounge, where John was standing in front of Santino, who was wearing a smug, gloating smile as he sat at a table with a plate of delicious-looking roast duck.

"Lot of options," Santino was said.

"Jonathan, listen to me," Winston was urging John, moving to try and stop him from shooting Santino right then and there.

"A man can stay here a long time and never eat the same meal twice," Santino said.

"Jonathan, just walk away," Winston urged.

"Yeah, Jonathan," Santino said. "Walk aw-"

John placed a round through his head, and James sighed.

"I was kind of hoping he'd listen to reason," James sighed.

"What have you done?" Winston asked.

"Finished it," John said, setting the Colt on the table and walking away.

He paused long enough to hand James all of his magazines back before continuing out of the room.

James sighed, putting the magazines away, before Ares slipped her hand into his, tugging lightly. He couldn't help but smile. "I believe I said something about handcuffs."

Ares nodded, grinning knowingly, and they walked away, James checking them in at the front desk before they headed into the elevator. Even before the doors had shut fully, Ares had pinned him to the wall, fusing her lips to his.

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