Warnings: M/m, soulmstes, soulparents, ptsd, child soldiers, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt
Delta's POV
He put the firing pin back in the glock that he favored. Delta had disassembled and reassembled the gun twice. It was in good condition and would do for the job.
Looking up his eyes swept over the men he had assembled. Seven members of Medusa. Each he had served with at one point or another.
Echo had his rifle cleaned and ready for use. His brown eyes were cold as Delta's own grey ones. It had taken a bit of pulling of strings that got him this man.
Next to him looking at the explosives was Alpha. He had greying black hair with green grey eyes. He wasn't part of the original team but he was as good as any.
Bravo was another commando that specialized in communications. Charlie and Foxtrot were his commandos without specialization. Gamma had the best hand to hand combat.
This made up his team. Preferably he would have double the amount but it wasn't possible. Not if he wanted to find his brother alive.
The compound they were watching was heavily guarded. If it was the Jackel then this was expected. They would have to get in and get out quickly. They would storm the compound after nightfall.
Echo asked looking at him," What's the plan Delta?"
Delta answered coldly," Echo you will cover us as a sniper. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. You take the the North. Foxtrot, Gamma and I will take the South."
Fox looked up acceptance. Gamma didn't even look at him. Just like old times. They would follow his orders knowing he was the only one who could get them out of here. His thoughts turned to how they got there.
Flashback
He growled. Delta coming forward pushing Izuku Midoriya back. There could be no room for error here. Error meant the death of every one he cared about.
Delta asked, "What's the situation? Have there been any demands? Is this Carlos or someone else?"
More questions would have come but David Abbot held up a hand. Then he replied," Calm, Delta."
Instinctively he calmed his eyes though stayed on the older man. Abbot knew how to calm him easier than anyone else. They had come to an understanding when Alex took him in. Then an even better one during his Medusa training.
The Monk had been his mentor. The Medusan he made sure he was up to par. That he could kill and follow orders. While Izuku Midoriya who became Delta struggled with following orders he could do everything else. Kill with precision. Lead a group of killers like no one else because he scared them.
This was Delta and for once he would listen to the man in front of him. His brother's life might depend on it.
Abbot noting his stiff posture began," Almanac has continued his duties after Medusa. As an analyst he didn't see much action and what he did see you saved him from. We sent him into Venezuela to gather information with a squad of twelve men. Don't give me that look Delta. They were the best we had."
Delta gave him a cold look. That wasn't true. The best they had was century teams 9-12. The alpha dogs. When others failed they didn't.
Ignoring the look Abbott continued," When your brother disappeared they were found dead. Each body bullet ridden but identifiable. The only body not found was your brothers. I believe he was taken alive. Though I can't convince the director to set up a rescue operation."
That's where he came in. If anyone could get in and get out it was him. He needed a team. A full squad of Medusan's that he trusted. Already a list of names he needed to contract was forming in his mind. See who was up for a repeat of Tam Quan.
He said with a determined look," I need weapons, passports, and the contact information of my last members of century team 12."
It was all Abbot could do to nod at that point. Any issues he had with Izuku Midoriya fading. This was no longer the easy going 14 year old but it was someone. Someone violent and who could kill. It was Delta.
End of flashback
Night had fallen quickly after that. The team took their positions using signals known to them and them alone. The first part of the plan worked. They killed the armed patrolling the perimeter.
The next part didn't go as smoothly. Bravo had been found out just before they reached the door. All hell broke loose at that point. Men came out the back and Delta and Foxtrot killed two. While Gamma killed the third that came out.
The battle began. Delta rammed his shoulder into on of the men before firing into the man's head. It took his head off.
Where these men really the Jackal's men? He honestly thought they would have been better trained.
Those thoughts were interrupted by a searing pain in his shoulder. Instinctively he dropped looking for where the shot had come from. A man stood in the doorway a rifle in his hands. Cold blue eyes watching him. A challenge went through both of them.
If Delta wanted to get brother he would have to go through this man. The man with the cold blue eyes. So be it.
He barked out," Take the house!"
Without hesitation his men went to do as they were told. Being that there were only seven of them they knew they couldn't afford to lose even one. Losing one man could send their plan into a spiral. A spiral that could very well be the death of the entire team.
Delta had to roll to the side as the man fired at him again. This time it blew apart the ground where he had been standing just moments before.
Delta knew realistically he didn't stand a chance at this range. Not with the other having a rifle. His own weapons consisted of a knife, his glock, and a spool of wire.
It was too dark for him to accurately throw his knife. If he wanted the kill shot he would have to get close. Same with the spool of wire. That was a close range weapon.
His first order of business was to find cover. There was a tree nearby that would provide some cover but would take away some of the distance he had covered. Other wise it was to do the very stupid very Midoriya thing to do. Rush the bastard and catch him off guard.
Two instincts warred within himself. Finally the Delta in him winning out and he took cover behind a tree. A bullet grazing his leg as he did so. Delta didn't even wince as blood trickled down his right leg.
Pain could be pushed away. Focus in the moment and worry about injuries later. A flash behind him from Echo's position caught his attention. The sniper had seen his plight and decided to help.
The bullet hit his opponent in the shoulder. While the man was well trained it still caused him to drop the rifle in pain. That gave Delta the moment he needed. He fired two shots. One to the chest and one to the head. Both hit their marks and the man was dead before he hit the ground.
Without missing a beat Delta crossed the grounds to the doorway. It was open from where the man had come out. Stepping over the dead body he entered. Sounds of gunfire could be heard on the upper floors. No doubt his men finishing the last of the men inside. That left the basement for him to check.
The basement door had a lock on it. One bullet to the lock was enough for him to pass. A single light bulb illuminated the basement. A figure stood at the bottom of a set of dank steps. Knowing that the person was too tall to be his brother he fired. This time the shot was aimed for the knee. To incapacitate but not to kill. Maybe Alex could get information out of him later.
Quickly Delta reached the bottom of the steps. A quick kick to the side of the man's head sent him into unconsciousness. Better to be safe than sorry later on.
The basement itself was a single room. On the farthest wall from him was a single figure. His hands were chained above him. Sweat listened across his face. Even having not seen the man in the last yead Delta recognized him as Almanac.
Almanac's head was against his chest his eyes closed. He was chained to a the behind him. There was a faint rise and fall of his chest. If it had not been for that fact Delta would have thought the other was dead. The older Webb didn't have a shirt and his pants were torn and stained with blood. All across his chest were different burns and cuts.
Delta tapped his hand against the other's face. The man jerked back startled awake. His blue eyes snapped up to meet Delta's grey ones. They widened in surprise then in disbelief.
Almanac growled," What more drugs? I don't care what you give me! I will never betray my country. You might as well kill me!"
Delta began to unlock the chains that held the other to the wall. Once unlocked the other fell forward. Delta caught him in his arms.
Asking as he checked the other over for any broken bones," Can you stand? I have a team outside. So you better not die on me Almanac."
Hard blue eyes softened slightly at his words. Those words were only known between them. Then he squared his shoulders wincing in pain as he did so. To Delta's surprise he pulled himself to his feet. With a nod Delta rose to his feet as well.
Almanac took a step forward and almost fell. If it wasn't for his hand on the other's shoulder he would have.
A short," Thanks," was what he received in return.
As they began their ascent up the stairs Delta called out," Almanac and Delta coming out. Report in!"
Through their communication lines he heard," Alpha and Bravo top floor is clear. Five dead bodies, Delta."
"Echo outside is clear for the moment. But hurry we don't know when reinforcements will arrive. Hurry Delta."
"Charlie, Foxtrot, and Gamma we have secured the bottom floor. Seven dead up here, Delta."
There was a pause then he said coldly," Confirmed. Everyone pull out. Charlie come down and get the unconscious man at the bottom of the stairs. We will be taking him with us."
Charlie returned," Yes, Delta."
Then they all went silent. With the adrenaline fading away he was able to take stock on his injuries. His left shoulder ached from the graze he received earlier. It was not major nor did it require immediate attention. He could deal with it when they were out of the area.
The was a second more dangerous gunshot wound. It was in his right side. Feeling around the other side of it he didn't find an exit wound. That would complicate things. It's placement was bad enough without a bullet to infect the wound. With a bullet there he risked infection and serious complications should it shift while they ran.
However there was no time to dig out the bullet and patch him up. Somehow he doubted this was the work of the Jackel. It was too easily infiltrated and taken apart. If it had been he would have faced off with the killer himself. No this was someone else's show. Whoever it was Delta would find and kill them later. His priority was getting his men and Almanac out alive.
Luckily his black shirt would hide the bleeding. Given the time of night they wouldn't be able to see the bullet hole either. So he would not worry them. When they made it home he would see a doctor.
Upon making it outside he noticed his men were waiting. Each of them had taken defensive position. Ready to kill anyone that was a threat. Once Charlie had joined them they slowly made their way out.
Alpha and Bravo took the front. Echo and Gamma took the sides. While he took up the rear. In the middle was Almanac and Charlie. It was slow going. Especially with two injured. One of which had a bullet in his knee.
His own wounds were acting up but he didn't pay attention to them. They needed him on his game if they were to get out alive.
It wasn't until morning that they finally came out of the forest. Echo said when the sun was fully up," We need to rest, Delta. If we keep going we won't be able to do anything if Carlos catches up."
Rest is a weapon. The words had been spoken a back then. It had been true then. It was true now.
He nodded and said," Form a circle. Two on watch at all times."
His men dropped to the ground and formed a circle. Almanac and the prisoner were in the middle. Delta sat so that he was watching the way they had come from. Echo took a seat next to him.
Without looking at him the older man said," Sleep, Delta. I'll wake you when I need my own."
He bit back a retort. Exhaustion filled him. No doubt part of it came from the two bullet wounds. He closed his eyes and soon fell into an uneasy sleep.
Echo's POV
A faint smile crossed his lips as Delta's breathing evened out. It was just like their time in Medusa. Rest was just as much of a weapon as a gun or knife. Most of the time he had to force Delta to sleep. As much he acted like a hard ass. He was afraid to sleep. To dream.
Part of the old Medusan was worried. Delta had never gone to sleep that easy. Almost too easy.
Shaking his head Echo put it as the doctor's calming effect. Morris Panov had been assigned to the entire team. All of whom had a hard time trusting anyone.
The doctor had given them someone to confide in. At one point Echo himself had tried to commit suicide. The terrible things he had done finally caught up with him and he had enough. It had been the doctor's carefully chosen words. In his soothing tones that had calmed him. Many doctors would not have had the guts to go into a room with a trained killer. A killer who had been armed and ready to shoot himself and anyone who walked through the door. Something had stopped him that day however.
Flashback
In the safe house set up by Monk he sat in the far back bedroom. It had one exit and no windows. In his hands were a glock. The same weapon he used during Medusa. The same weapon that had taken so many lives. It would take one more by the days end.
His hands were shaking. Not from drink or lack of it. Instead from the fear that he would hurt someone. In all honest he was tired. So very tired of hurting people. A knock on the door made him stiffen.
He called out snarling," If you walk through that door I'll shoot you."
A voice he recognized said softly," That would be a waste. Wouldn't it, d'Anjou?"
The Frenchman flinched at the use of his name. He was no longer d'Anjou. Had not been for many years. Not since before Medusa.
It was the doctor. The one that the Monk assigned to him. Not that he trusted the man. All doctors were just paid to fix them. Not really help them. When he couldn't be fixed they would toss him away. Just like everyone else.
He called back to the man," You can't help me doctor. I'm not someone who wants to be saved."
There was a slight thump on the door. As if the man on the other side had hit it with frustration. For a moment D'Anjou thought he hit the door and left. It would serve him right. A killer like him didn't deserve to have someone care about him.
Then a soft voice said," You are not beyond saving. If you were you would be locked in the clinic not given free reign."
D'Anjou flinched. It took him several long moments to find a reply.
When he did he sounded as broken as he felt," I am broken, doctor. There is nothing that can fix me. I should end it now and save everyone from suffering."
To his surprise there a snarled response," You will not commit suicide! Damn it. All of you have a right to live. If you want to make up for the horrors of your past then live. Live and make up for what you have done. Other wise you are taking the cowards way out."
For a moment he considered just ending it anyways. Then he lowered the weapon. He couldn't do it. The doctor was right. Killing himself would be the cowards way out. Delta for his part would bring him back just to kill him again. That was just how the other was.
End of flashback
He was glad to have met Panov. The man had saved him from himself that day. Since then the doctor had worked on his self esteem. He now had a job at a local fashion store. There he made enough to live comfortably off of.
When he received Delta's call however that put him back as Echo. No longer was he the soft spoken help at the fashion store. Now he was the hard eyed killer that was created in Medusa.
A soft voice said startling him," Bravo to snake lady. Come in Snake Lady."
He had forgotten about the orders to make contact. So he turned head to listen. If he had to he would wake Delta. A hand on his arm though told him the younger man was awake.
A voice came over the communications," This is Snake Lady. Damn it Bravo where is Delta?"
They could all hear the worry and anger in the voice. It was the voice of one Alex Conklin. One that they obeyed without question.
Delta sat up then moved towards Bravo. Echo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. They way he held himself it was if he was in pain.
Delta said," I'm here snake lady."
A sigh of relief came over the communications. Part of Echo wondered if the worry was for the squad. Or if was for Delta. The older CIA agent had always had a soft spot for Delta.
The reply wasn't surprising," Get to a safe evac point. Preferably at an airfield. We will get you out from there."
Alpha brought over a current map of the area. There was an airfield twenty miles due north west of their positions. At best it would take them three days to reach it. This barred no more confrontations.
Something smelled about how easy it was to take the house. He knew it as did the rest of the team. Their priority was not information however. Instead it was the retrieval of Almanac.
Delta's POV
The trek through the forest was long and difficult. The wound in his side made it painful. Keeping his face masked was becoming more difficult as they went on. By the way Echo was watching him he knew the other suspected something.
He cleaned and rebandaged his wound at every rest point. The bullet in his side was not removable under the circumstances. The longer he left it the higher the risk for an infection went. Even with basic medical knowledge they all had he knew it wasn't enough.
If they had gone with a full team he would have a medic. Given the time frame he had been unable to pull a full team together. Seven was minimum for Medusa. Fourteen was max. In the short time he had to prepare he had barely been able to gather the seven.
When they made it to the airfield it was unsurprising that they weren't the only ones there. Delta could see Alex's team waiting on them. Alex had sent people that Delta had known as David Webb. Probably to keep him from shooting them.
A small plane was waiting on the tarmac. It was big enough to house his team and those that were providing support. Not much more than that though. Cautiously they made their way to the field. Alpha and Bravo took point while the rest of them fanned out. Delta's eyes searched everything they could for signs of an enemy.
To his surprise and relief they made it to the plane. Either the Jackal had underestimated them. Or he had let them go. Either way they all had survived the encounter with Europe's most wanted killer for hire.