The yacht slowly sailed the dark, lukewarm waters of the Atlantic. Though a vessel for pleasure, this time it's main usage and appearance were used to cover up its more sinister intent by its crew. There were guards all over the ship, keeping watch over its most valuable cargo. Walker inquired about this ship's cargo, but his mysterious employers refused to answer his questions. But Walker was always a stubborn man, he did some snooping around, and listened to a few loose lips, and found out the truth of his mission. Well, maybe not necessarily the whole truth. The cargo he was supposed to secure were canisters filled with experimental gas, some sort of biological weapon.
Walker may have dug deep enough to answer his original questions, but he always took it one step further. He dug even deeper. And deeper. And deeper. Turns out, the whole mission was a trap. But it was too obvious. Few people in the world know of his existence, so to plot a trap for him that was this easy to figure out must mean that they're thinking several more steps ahead of Walker. Because they know him well enough, they knew he can't be tricked that easily. They knew he'd try to learn more about the mission, so they planted clues just for him for whatever hidden purpose they have in mind. It was so that he could easily figure out what they were trying to do. But why? Now Walker was thinking harder. Was this really a trap to kill him? Otherwise they would have kept it more secret. No, perhaps its deeper than that. Walker had to uncover the multiple layers of this enigmatic mission.
Perhaps... Well... Maybe these clues were red herrings. Maybe everything he's dug up were just to distract him. But that just makes the questioning come back full circle. Back to the why. Why? Why is it that the deeper he goes into the rabbit hole, the more it starts to make sense? But at the same time, the more it becomes confusing? He could think of six people in the world that know him as he truly is. But he imagined only two of them would try to kill him. Then he thought only one of them could do it, and she'd do it in this exact, confusing way. Then again, it may be anyone, he has no evidence to fully support or prove who it is that's trying to off him. It could be that one guy he met in Turkey, that'd be a surprise to be sure, unlikely, but possible. Especially in the wet work business. The least likely can be the most probable. Deception is everything.
Whoever this is, they're good. However, Walker was always a paranoid one, so maybe this mission really is just a simple, lousy trap set up for him by amateurs. Hell, it looked like if he were to dig any deeper, he may have evidence pointing back to the beginning. That it was just a routine stealth mission. No trap, no nothing. Just paranoia at its finest. Just the epitome of overthinking.
Or maybe...
They really think they can kill him.
None of this makes sense when you really think about it, but that's the point. It's supposed to be nonsense. It's supposed to hide something behind the ridiculous confusion.
And that is why Walker infiltrated the yacht anyway. The mystery, the confusion. He wanted to unravel it, to solve it. It's just how he is.
The guard turned the corner tiredly, gun in hand loosely.
He yawned, "Fuckin... ah... guard duty, man."
He noticed the hallway in front of him was pitch black. He took a couple steps forward and felt glass shards under his boots crunch.
From the shadows above, Walker dropped behind him and kicked his knee out and grabbed his neck, blade near his throat.
"Don't make a sound, friend. I'd like to make this very easy for you, I've got other things to worry about, and wiping your blood from this blade won't be another. Now, where are the canisters?"
"Bruh, goddamn I'll tell! They're in the basement!"
"See, that wasn't too hard, now was it? Hey, you seem tired, let me help."
Walker quickly transitioned to a rear naked choke and immediately strangled the guard unconscious. He dragged the body back around the corner and opened a closet and carefully placed his body in there. Before he regained consciousness, Walker pulled out a tranquilizer gun and shot his neck, putting him into a deep, well deserved sleep.
"Ronald! Leon's got the poker table set up, come play!" A man walked into the hallway, stopping abruptly in his tracks at the man in black.
They both stared at each other until the guard raised his hands and walked away, "Didn't see shit bro. Basement's to your left too, if that's why you're here, near the bathrooms, you'll see the elevator."
Walker turned and followed his directions until he made it to the elevator. He called for it and swiveled his head several times, making sure no one was around him. The elevator opened up revealing two men laughing at a picture on one of their phones. They looked up and froze when they saw the eerie smile of Walker's mask.
Walker entered the elevator and stood in between them and pressed the button for the basement nonchalantly. He crossed his arms and tapped his right foot.
One of the men slowly went for the gun near his waist, then Walker said, without looking at either of them, "If you want to play with Ronald and the other mongoloid, stop playing pocket pool with your gun."
The man stopped reaching for his handgun.
Walker turned and stared at him. "You think your friend here will be as smart as you?"
"Fuck it!" the one behind yelled as he pulled out his own revolver.
Walker spun and slammed his elbow into the man's jaw, smashing his head into the mirror behind them. The other finally pulled out his handgun but was jabbed in the face. He recovered and went to shoot Walker. He fired the shot, but a moment before the trigger was pulled, Walker sidestepped and smacked the gun to point at his poker buddy. The bullet went straight into his gut and he leaned forward in pain. Walker spun back around and kicked his knee out, dropping him to the ground. The other was about to fire another shot, but Walker grabbed the handgun's slide with both hands and pinned it against the wall. He threw a few knees to the man's thighs and stomach. The gun started firing into the ceiling above. Walker put the man's arm in an americana lock and bent the man's wrist so as to point the barrel at his face.
"Oi! No, no, n-" he was interrupted by the bullet from his own gun pierce through his skull and splatter his brain stem all over the wall behind him. He dropped dead immediately.
Walker quickly snatched the gun from his dead hands and shot the last bullet into the other laying on the ground. Finally, the elevator door opened and Walker pulled out his own pistol and immediately shot two people outside the elevator door. Some door was kicked open down the hall to the right of the opened elevator and three men armed with AK-47s started blasting. Walker rolled out of the elevator and into cover, bullets flying overhead.
"Stop fucking shooting asshats!" He's hiding right behind the fucking canisters you twats!"
Walker realized the cover he was hiding behind had a black tarp over it, he quickly lifted it up and saw the biohazard symbol at the bottom of a metal barrel.
The whole yacht had alarms going off everywhere, and more and more people poured into the room, they started to surround and flank Walker. Walker ripped off his smile mask and put on a gas mask instead.
"One less canister of gas won't ruin my paycheck too much, right?" he said as he aimed at the barrel next to him.
Bam, bam, bam!
The barrel exploded into a large cloud of green gas that immediately filled the basement at a remarkable speed.
"Fuck, run!"
Everyone started heading for the exits when Walker got out of cover and started shooting the running men.
One by one, Walker killed almost all of them with one or two shots for each. Most of them were either shot, or ran off. All was quiet when suddenly a familiar voice was heard echoing through the large, empty room. In a sort of sing song, provocative tone.
"You've gotten sloooopppy!"
Walker grabbed his smile mask and wrapped the velcro around his thigh. He looked left and right, nothing but dark, green gas.
"And here I thought I was gonna meet the man I loved once more. The man I admired. The Reaper. Guess he's long gone now, huh?"
In the wet work business, deception is everything. Walker thought he wouldn't have to deal with her again, especially after he thought he killed her.
Before Walker even realized, a shotgun cocked right behind his head.
"Hello, old man."
Walker raised his hands in the air and slowly turned his head. There was a woman outfitted with all black gear and a gas mask.
"Been a while, hasn't it. You still single?"
"You'd be surprised."
"Really?" she said, loosening her grip on the shotgun.
Walker grabbed the shotgun and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back, and ripping the gun out of her hands.
"No. Not really." Walker said as he walked over to the woman. He held the shotgun like a bat and hit her legs and ribs when she tried to get back up, sending her crashing down. He wanted to keep her alive from the gas, so he avoided the face.
He put his knee on her stomach as she was laying on her back and put immense pressure on it. He put the shotgun on her throat, "If you survived, that may be proof of a God, and if so. Why would you waste it by coming after me?"
She started laughing, "Oh, I missed being manhandled by you- gagh." she gagged as he pressed the barrel of the shotgun into her throat harder.
"What are you doing still alive, Viper?"
"Jeez, at least say my real name. We used to be friends you know." she chuckled.
"Maybe the least I could do is blow your head off."
"Heh, maybe it really is you."
He pressed the gun harder into her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe, and smashed her stomach with his knee, "Who. Sent. You? An amoeba like you couldn't have tried to come after me by your own will. No... too stupid."
"Do you think so?"
Viper pulled a knife from her side and plunged it into his thigh. Viper used that moment of pain to smack the shotgun away from her neck and head butt Walker's gas mask as well as grab ahold of the gun. She went for a second knife attack when Walker let go of the gun and pinned her hand against the floor. She managed to crawl out from under him and kicked him away. She reached for the shotgun and fired. But Walker rolled away from the shot, but a few pellets hit his leg.
When Walker was kicked, he accidentally breathed in some of the gas. Strangely enough, there wasn't any immediate effects. So, he got up and ran as well as he could for the one of exits, entering into the deeper, thicker parts of the gas.
"Come back! I'm not done playing with you!" she yelled in the background while firing the shotgun.
Walker's stabbed and shot up legs slowed him down, but he managed to find a flight of stairs leading to the deck of the yacht. He left a noticeable trail of blood in his escape, but had bigger things to worry about.
"Where'd you go!" the woman yelled from down the stairs once he got to the top where he opened a door leading to the deck.
He couldn't see anything in the darkness outside, all the lights had somehow been turned off, which he had guessed was related to Viper. He managed to reach the tip of the ship when dozens of flashlights turned on and illuminated his position.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Reaper himself. Been a while hasn't it?" a voice arose behind the armed men.
Walker stopped in his tracks and didn't look back.
"Thankfully, you've been a good guest. You only destroyed a single barrel of our... experiment. I appreciate that." he continued
Viper managed to catch up to Walker and stopped next to the man and the several soldiers aiming their guns at him.
Still, without looking back, Walker asked, "How many of you are there?"
"The plan our mentor had set up for us has been revived. So, all of us. Minus the ones you definitely killed of course." he answered while Viper chuckled.
"So, you still believe in her old ramblings, Dionysus?"
The bearded ginger with a scar over his nose chuckled, "Always will."
Walker clenched his fists and turned his head, ripping off his broken gas mask, "You could have killed me several times by now. You had multiple opportunities to do so. But you didn't. And that's because you're trying to recruit me back, aren't you?"
"We are willing to forgive and forget everything you have done to us. It's a done good deal I'd say."
Walker looked down with a grim face, and put on his smile mask.
"Don't misunderstand, just because we are giving you a second chance doesn't mean I will forgive you for what you did. I loathe you. And my blood boils when I see you wearing Venus's mask as if it were your own. You desecrated it with that ridiculous smile, and I know you don't regret what you did to her, ripping that mask off her cold, dead body.
Walke looked up and said in a cold, emotionless tone, "Do you understand what will happen if you do this?"
"Yes, we're not as stupid as you think we are. We will go to war with the world. And the reason you're still alive to hear that, is because we're going to give you a chance to come back to us. Help us defeat the governments of the world."
There was a moment of silence before Walker made one final remark, "You are as stupid as I think you are. You aren't going to war with the world. And I sure as hell am not going to help you in that war. In fact." He pulled out a detonator, "You're going to war with me."
Earlier, he had placed several explosives all around the ship in areas that will cause the vessel to sink. In case things went south, at least the cargo wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. And whoever was sent to kill him, would soon be the ones killed.
"Shoot him!" Dionysus yelled, but before anyone could respond, several explosions shook the yacht, one of them was large enough to send everyone flying back, including Walker, who fell into the ocean below.
"Walker? What a wonderful name monsieur!" Charlotte's eyes glistened innocently.
Walker snapped back to reality after his flashback, "Yours is better, Charlotte?"
"Pichon."
"Right, Ms. Pichon. Thanks for the orange juice too, it'll help get rid of the salty ocean taste."
"Please, just call me Charlotte. And no need to be so formal, you already came into this church without any formalities anyway, so why start now? Wait, ocean?"
"Would it be okay if I asked you to retrieve my mask?" Walker changed the subject.
"Oh... Of course,... I will return with your hat, ehhh, mask? And please finish those eggs monsieur, I think its getting cold. But why do you need it that bad? Is someone after you?"
"No, I'm after them. But the mask... I just think it's neat."
"Then who am I to say no? I'll be back." the nun said as she went through the door, "Close?" she asked holding the doorknob.
"Please." Walker replied.
She closed the door and left Walker alone with his thoughts... and maybe something else.
Walker grunted and sat on his bed, gripping his sore thigh's wound. He looked to his scrambled eggs and thought they were rather well done. He went for his cutlery when-
"My, you've gotten weak, haven't you? Miss Pichon, Miss Pichon, ridiculous, you were never a gentleman, just a weapon. You never said a word, ever. You were a man of action, and your actions changed the world. Now look at you, you're changing, and that will be the end of you."
Walker looked around for the source of the voice, but found that the room was still empty. He got up and looked left and right in the hallway, and still saw no one. He turned and closed the door and saw Venus standing right there in the middle of the room staring at him with the same mask he dons now, just without the smile. She wore a cloak over her body, hood hanging behind her neck. Under the loose garment was her military gear. Black body armor with magazines attached onto it.
"I told you, you can't kill me."
Walker stood there without saying a word.
"What's wrong? Surprised to see me? What do you go by now? Walker? Wasn't it just Trevor before?"
"I did kill you. And I did it damn good."
"You can't say that when I'm standing right here, can you?"
"You're a hallucination, and a really shitty one too. The real Venus would have killed me by now. It's the gas isn't it?"
"Still as perceptive as ever. Heard our old team is giving you another chance, and I bet they're regretting not killing you earlier either."
Walker moved past her and sat back down on the bed, ignoring what he knew was a hallucination. Knowing that if he would reply to anything she said, he would just be talking to himself.
"It's more than a shame to see such a skilled killer like you sitting in a place like this, all fucked up. My advice kid, get out of here while you still can, repay this nun for saving your life by leaving now. You know what they'll do to her. Hell, it may be too late already."
There was a knock at the door just then, and Charlotte asked if she could come in.
"Speak of the devil."
"Come in." Walker answered.
Charlotte came in and walked past where Venus was standing, who had also just disappeared. Proving Walker right.
"Here, I don't want to hold this demonic thing any longer! It stares and smiles at me incessantly!" she threw it at Walker who caught it with one hand while still eating and looking at his eggs.
Walker looked at the mask's condition and noticed it had just been cleaned.
"You washed this?"
"Oui, it was filthy, covered in blood and sand and dirt and whatever was in the trash."
"Hmph, thanks."
"Anyways, is whoever you called going to come pick you up?"
Walker stopped eating and looked at Charlotte, "Excuse me?"
"I was by no means eaves dropping, but these walls aren't as soundproof as you may think they are. Who was it you were talking to?"
"Well, would you believe me if I said God?"
"I'm not that gullible."
"Worth a shot. You understand what I was saying?"
"No, but I could tell that it was some sort of conversation."
"It was just me saying my thoughts out loud, helps me to think." he quickly responded
"Ahh." Charlotte nodded her head, but Walker could still tell she wasn't convinced.
"Are you GIGN?" Charlotte suddenly changed the subject, looking rather curious.
Walker stared at her blankly.
"Well, I just assumed with your outfit that you were military. But forgive me, I'm not the brightest, I just remembered you're not from here, nor do you speak much French. I guess I wasn't thinking straight." she looked away from Walker's gaze, embarrassed.
"You seem stressed. I'm not a people's person, but you looked genuinely curious. Maybe not curious as to whether I'm GIGN or not, but more so if I said yes, it would lead you to ask another, but more important question. Am I wrong? Why did you really want to know if I was Gendarmerie?"
"I don't feel comfortable knowing that I am such an open book, but..."
Walker raised his brow.
"Sorry, my mother's sister, ehh, what is it in English? Oh, my aunt, she is in the GIGN. She usually writes to me, but recently she hasn't been. I just wanted to know if you were GIGN, then maybe you would know who she was and if she is okay. It upsets me so. She is the only one that would talk to me like I am not a massive failure."
"Are you a failure, Charlotte?"
She took some time to absorb that question, but she finally answered, "In my family's eyes, yes. My family is one of academics and perfection. Everyone is smart, highly successful, monsieur. Even my own mother is a physicist, her sister, like I mentioned before, joined the GIGN, and is a genius with machines."
"I can already see the problem."
"What? You can?"
"It's because you became a nun, wasn't it? Rather than excelling in the sciences, or becoming knowledgeable in academics, you became a religious woman of God. Everyone else doesn't believe in that, do they? In God? They're too scientific, right? Too critical?"
Charlotte's face went to a sad, little frown, and she kept her head down, "Yes..." she whispered.
Walker got up from his seat and put his hand on Charlotte's shoulder.
Charlotte looked up at the taller person in the room and their eyes locked.
"Quit being a weak bitch, Charlotte. I didn't get stabbed, shot, and blown up to wake up in a room and breathe the same air as a baby like you."
Charlotte expected him to be a gentleman and to lift her up from her sorrow, but she was taken aback by his comment, "What?" she mumbled confusingly.
Walker grabbed her arm and quickly swept her feet, she would have hit the floor hard had he not held on to her.
She landed on the floor and screeched, "What are you doing!"
"What do you do when you fall, Charlotte?"
"What?!"
"When you slip on ice, when you trip down the stairs, do you just lay there on the floor? Do you crawl for the rest of your life?"
"What?!"
"You were right, you're not bright. When you fall, you get back up, genius." he said lifting her up.
"That was unneccesary!"
Walker tripped her backwards
"What are you doing!?" she repeated
"People will put you down, Charlotte. You can make it happen a lot less if you have the proper mindset, but it will happen no matter what. But even when it does happen, even when you fall into an abyss of despair, you must always get back up. And don't worry what people say about you, its just words. As long as it's not a knife or bullet they're throwin' at you, ignore them." Walker said when he let go of her hand, "Now prove me right and get back up. Show everyone that though you're a religious maniac and that you're a complete disappointment in their eyes, you won't let that keep you to the ground."
Charlotte remained on the floor staring angrily at Walker.
"Maybe that's why Aunt GIGN hasn't spoken to you in a while. She's realized she shouldn't waste time on a quitter like you."
Charlotte bounced back up and slapped Walker in the face, "Enough! I will not be disrespected by a man whose life I just saved! How ungrateful! You vile piece of... You... scoundrel!"
Walker rubbed his face and grinned, "Keep bouncing back after getting put down like that, and you won't be a little baby anymore."
"You are such a brutish man! Emmanuelle would never treat me so harshly!"
"That's the GIGN?"
"Yes! And I'm proud to say she is my aunt!"
"And I know she'd be proud to hear her niece isn't a weakling anymore."
"I should have left you in the hands of God!" she yelled as she kicked her boot into Walker's shin.
"Then I wouldn't be here, would I?" he said, ignoring the fact that she kicked his shot-up leg.
"Oh, Emmanuelle, where are you? Teach this man some manners." she said pinching the bridge of her nose.
"TWITCH!" Mozzie yelled when she came out of Harry's office.
"What did you do this time Goose?" she smiled.
"Listen here Frenchie, don't pretend you didn't take all of my pests! I know you've had it out for me since that one training session we had where I stole that RC car of yours."
"C'mon Goose, I know you're jealous of my masterpiece. But you don't have to falsely accuse me of messing with your little thieves."
"Then who else could have it out for me? Huh?"
"Maybe you just forgot where you put them, Goose. Besides, when could I have stolen anything from you? I was talking with Six just now, and I was always in the presence of at least two people. They'll vouch for me."
"Then you got some other bastard to do the dirty work for you!"
"Oh, brother. If that's all you wanted to say to me, I'll be on my way now." She said walking in the opposite direction of Mozzie.
"I'll catch you red handed Twitch, red handed!" he shook her fist at her.
Twitch ignored him and just waved her hand goodbye.
Twitch, along with some other people who decided to tag along, came to Six's home to report to him personally about what's been going on. Ash arrived there a few days earlier to discuss with Six some more confidential topics. Twitch was the only one with a reason to come, but Ela, Jager, Bandit, and of course, Mozzie, thought it would be nice to keep her company. Though, it's strange that Mozzie offered to come with, since he doesn't like Twitch.
Or maybe...
Mozzie was sitting in a bench in a lush green garden looking at the flowers and sky. He sighed and whispered, "Why'd I have to fall for a fuckin' Frenchie? And seriously, who took my fuckin' pests?"
Ela's head peeked through the bushes behind Mozzie and said, "Really? Twitch?"
Mozzie jumped out of his seat and yelled, "You cunt! Where'd you come from? Why were you listenin' in on me? Huh?!"
"Well, I was hoping I could find Twitch and ask her something, but now! Now I'm going to tell her something!"
"Don't you fuckin' dare you toxic, green haired whore!"
"I've only heard you have such a foul mouth when people make fun of your height! And I know you are really self-conscious about that! So, to hear you yelling at poor little me about your denied love of Twitch only supports my suspicions."
"If you want me to beg you not to lie to Twitch, you aren't getting it!"
"Lie to Twitch? I heard you just now admit it! You always act so tough, but when it comes to women, you really have no clue, do you?"
"I swear I'm going to vote to ki-"
"Jager! Look! Mozzie is yelling at Ela again!" Bandit yelled, hiding behind a bush.
Jager peeked out from behind a fence and went, "Dummkopf! You revealed our position!"
"How long were you bastards there for!?"
"Long enough to know you're scared of confessing to Twitch! Hah!" Bandit laughed alongside Jager.
"Why were all three of you fuckin' around in these bushes? You following me?"
"Nah, it would be too hard to follow a midget ant like you!" Bandit laughed again.
"YOU FUCKING PIECES OF LIQUID DOGSHIT! I'M GOING TO-"
"What's with all this yelling?" Twitch came from around a corner.
Everyone froze, staring dead at Twitch, then they all turned their heads toward Mozzie, who was frantically looking back and forth at everyone.
"Twitch! Mozzie lik-" Ela was abruptly interrupted by Mozzie tackling her into the bush.
Twitch looked at Jager and Bandit, who looked at each other and nodded their heads. Bandit said to Twitch, "Turns out Mozzie really likes French dramas."
Twitch looked back at Mozzie, who pinned Ela and had his hand over her mouth, "Is that true, Goose?"
"I- uh, yes! They're the only good things to come from France!"
"Huh, that's surprising. Well I'm glad you like something French, we're not as bad you think Aussie. Anyways, the chopper's ready to head out."
"But we're not supposed to leave until five right?" Jager asked.
"Change of plans. Tachanka, as usual, is screwing up Thermite's mission. We're going to go help with the cleanup."
"Cleanup of what? What did he do?" Ela asked as she ripped Mozzie's hand off her face.
"The real question Ela, is what he got his Russian minions to do."
Everybody looked at each other and all was quiet. Well, I mean...
"Mozzie lik-" Ela blurted out before she was getting smacked around by Mozzie, angrily mumbling to her to shut up.