Author's note: this chapter was co-written with the lovely C Ball
Disbelief filled Shockwave's mind. The Headman...here?! That bastard was in jail. How was he here?! He started to rise, but the cold touch of steel to the back of his neck changed his mind.
"Please, have a seat. Wouldn't want the party to end early." Headman said. Shockwave guessed the between the hair change and facial hair, Headman hadn't recognized him. Good, that bought him some time.
"Now, my dear Baroness. Who are your little friends here? CIA? NSA maybe? MI-6? Who were you planning to sell me to?"
"Anyone who'd burn slime like you." the Baroness snarled.
"Temper, temper. That behavior doesn't suit a lady. And what fine ladies we have gathered her..." the Headman motioned to Jaye and Cat.
"Would you please get to the point or are you going to ramble all night?" Cat asked looking over at Shockwave.
"Ah, direct and to the point. I love that." Headman sat down and put his feet up on the table. "The point is I've caught a nest of serpents that were going to bite me. Philippe, what do we do with animals that bite?"
"Kill them." the goon behind Jaye replied.
"Exactly." Headman replied with a sinister grin. "Of course, not the lovely ladies. I have plans for them..." he leaned forward and caressed Jaye's cheek. In a blink of an eye, Jaye turned and chomped down on the hand. Shrieking in pain, Headman ripped his hand free and wrapped it in a napkin. "I like 'em feisty. Boys, take the five gentleman down stairs and shoot them."
As ordered, 6 of the goons seized Shockwave and the Baroness' four bodyguards and hauled them to their feet.
"Move." one ordered, digging his gun into Shockwave's back.
Nodding, Shockwave walked towards the elevator, flanked by two of Headman's goons. The four bodyguards followed, followed by the other four of Headman's goons.
"In." The goon Headman referred to as Philippe shoved shockwave onto the elevator then stepped in after him, followed by two of the Baroness's bodyguards.
"Follow us in the next elevator." Philippe told the remaining goons as the door slid shut. With a downward jerk, the elevator began to descend.
Meeting the gaze of Baroness' two men, Shockwave nodded to indicate he was ready.
"Hey, Philippe." Shockwave spoke.
"What?"
"We could make you a rich man."
"You actually think I would be stupid enough to double cross the Headman?"
"Worth a try." Shockwave replied, pulling his leg back and slamming his boot into the second goon's knee. The knee gave way with a sickening snap as Shockwave shoved the man forward as Philippe fired. The bullet struck the goon in the chest as the third goon drew his weapon. One of the bodyguards tackled the man as Shockwave moved forward, slamming an elbow into the wounded goon's neck.
Philippe kicked the man he'd shot away, slamming the man into Shockwave. Firing of a hail of bullets, Philippe cut down the second bodyguard and missed Shockwave by bare millimeters.
As the remaining bodyguard held the man he was fighting in a chokehold, Shockwave dove for a Glock that had fallen to the floor of the elevator. Using the momentum of his dive, he rolled onto his back, slamming his boot into Philippe's gut as he fired three rounds into the man's chest.
"You okay?" the bodyguard asked, lifting Shock to his feet.
"Okay enough. Let's get this thing headed back upstairs." he replied, slamming a fresh clip into the Glock.
"Elevator's on its way back up." one of Headman's goons called out.
"Now that's efficiency, people. Just take the man down and wack 'em all!" Headman called out, leaning back in his chair.
A glimpse of anger entered Jaye's eyes as she wondered if her new partner was dead in a dumpster or gutter...
"Holy shit!"
"What!?" the Headman demanded, rising form his seat. From where he stood, he saw where Philippe's dead body had fallen out of the elevator and onto the floor, blood splattering as the body impacted.
Cat looked over at Jaye; the two women made eye contact and moved at the same time.
Shockwave and the bodyguard swung out from the sides of the elevator, firing into the group of Headman's goon who instantly returned fire.
Headman drew a nickel-plated Beretta and took aim at the Baroness.
"Nothing personal." he sneered before pulling the trigger.
She was thrown to the ground by one of her guards the instant before the bullet struck him.
"Can no one die!?" Headman swore as he fired three more bullets into the guard, ensuring his death.
From the elevator door, Shockwave was running tactical plans through his head. The bodyguard with his was dead, having taken a round through the right temple. Most of the Headman's goons were dead or down... Jaye and Cat both jumped at two of Headman's goons surprising them.
"Fuck!" Shock cursed as a bullet grazed his hip, dropping him to the metal floor hard.
One of the goons was stupid enough to step out to see if they'd gotten Shockwave and jerked back as a bullet took him in the throat. The Baroness stood, a smoking Luger in her hand.
: Sensing this round was over; Headman shoved Jaye out of the way as he ran for the roof access.
Cat looked up in surprise when she heard Shockwave's voice. The goon took advantage of Cat's distraction and fired at her. The rounds hit Cat in the stomach.
"No!!!" Shockwave bellowed, pulling himself to his feet and firing, the clip emptying into the goon. Luckily Cat was wearing her Kevlar, but the force of the bullets was enough to knock her to the ground.
"Where'd her go!? Shockwave demanded.
"Roof. I'll go with you." Jaye replied.
"No. Get them out of here. He's mine.' a feral glint in his eyes told her there was no point arguing. Jaye turned to the Baroness and they helped the surviving bodyguard to the elevator.
"Cat?' Shockwave knelt by her and furiously undid her shirt, sighing when he found that she'd worn a Kevlar vest.
"Cat? You okay?"
"Bloody hell...that hurt." Cat said quietly.
"You okay?"
"Aye.... I'm going to be sore in the morning...but I'll be ok."
"Okay." he helped her to her feet. "Get out of here."
"Ye can't take on Headman by yourself. Ye need someone to back ye up!"
"He's mine." Shockwave snarled, running for the access ladder and quickly ascending it onto the roof.
"Ye bloody daft fool!" Cat yelled after him as she followed him.
Stepping onto the roof, the world went bright a metal bar slammed into Shockwave's head, then again into his rib cage.
"I don't know who you are, but you'll die here!" Headman shouted, pressing his foot down on Shock's chest.
Cat had reached the top of the roof when she saw Headman standing over Shockwave. "Hey ye bloody bastard!" Cat yelled at the Headman.
A down blast of wind nearly pushed her to the ground as a Kiowa Warrior attack chopper rose, weapons aimed at her.
"Ah, my chariot arrives. Do forgive me if I main and run..." Headman called out, leaping onto the runner of the chopper.
"Gill..." Shockwave mumbled, staggering to his feet.
"Jas, what did he do to ye?" Cat asked as she ran over to him and steadied him.
"Go.... he's coming back..." he managed. The Kiowa chopper was on an arc that would bring it back at the restaurant. Cat help Shockwave try to get off the roof and head back down to ground level.
The Kiowa stopped and rotated until the restaurant at the top of the tower was under its gun. With a glimmer of hate, the Headman gave the order to fire. Twin miniguns tore through the building as pod rockets slammed into it, tearing away supports and ripping the framework apart.
"Holy..." Lady Jaye watched the restaurant exploded. Metal began to rain down on the streets sending her for cover. Shielding her eyes, she looked back up and saw there was no way anyone up there survived the explosion. Shockwave and Cat were dead and there no way she could have saved them.
"Mlle, nous devons vous obtenir à la sûreté!" a firefighter shouted to her, trying to pull her back from the are where debris was falling. "Mlle, nous devons aller maintenant !" the firefighter exclaimed, pulled her away form the wreckage.
"Holy Shit..." Dial tone spoke as he saw the coverage on CNN. The Eiffel Tower was smoking, the upper part of the tower reduced to twisted spires. "Hey, Flint, wasn't that where Jaye..." Dial tone was cut off as Flint snarled orders.
"Get a transport ready NOW! Dial Tone, I need a team, the best you can assemble, and I fucking need them now! Have their asses on the tarmac in 30. I'm leaving with or without them."
Disbelief filled Shockwave's mind. The Headman...here?! That bastard was in jail. How was he here?! He started to rise, but the cold touch of steel to the back of his neck changed his mind.
"Please, have a seat. Wouldn't want the party to end early." Headman said. Shockwave guessed the between the hair change and facial hair, Headman hadn't recognized him. Good, that bought him some time.
"Now, my dear Baroness. Who are your little friends here? CIA? NSA maybe? MI-6? Who were you planning to sell me to?"
"Anyone who'd burn slime like you." the Baroness snarled.
"Temper, temper. That behavior doesn't suit a lady. And what fine ladies we have gathered her..." the Headman motioned to Jaye and Cat.
"Would you please get to the point or are you going to ramble all night?" Cat asked looking over at Shockwave.
"Ah, direct and to the point. I love that." Headman sat down and put his feet up on the table. "The point is I've caught a nest of serpents that were going to bite me. Philippe, what do we do with animals that bite?"
"Kill them." the goon behind Jaye replied.
"Exactly." Headman replied with a sinister grin. "Of course, not the lovely ladies. I have plans for them..." he leaned forward and caressed Jaye's cheek. In a blink of an eye, Jaye turned and chomped down on the hand. Shrieking in pain, Headman ripped his hand free and wrapped it in a napkin. "I like 'em feisty. Boys, take the five gentleman down stairs and shoot them."
As ordered, 6 of the goons seized Shockwave and the Baroness' four bodyguards and hauled them to their feet.
"Move." one ordered, digging his gun into Shockwave's back.
Nodding, Shockwave walked towards the elevator, flanked by two of Headman's goons. The four bodyguards followed, followed by the other four of Headman's goons.
"In." The goon Headman referred to as Philippe shoved shockwave onto the elevator then stepped in after him, followed by two of the Baroness's bodyguards.
"Follow us in the next elevator." Philippe told the remaining goons as the door slid shut. With a downward jerk, the elevator began to descend.
Meeting the gaze of Baroness' two men, Shockwave nodded to indicate he was ready.
"Hey, Philippe." Shockwave spoke.
"What?"
"We could make you a rich man."
"You actually think I would be stupid enough to double cross the Headman?"
"Worth a try." Shockwave replied, pulling his leg back and slamming his boot into the second goon's knee. The knee gave way with a sickening snap as Shockwave shoved the man forward as Philippe fired. The bullet struck the goon in the chest as the third goon drew his weapon. One of the bodyguards tackled the man as Shockwave moved forward, slamming an elbow into the wounded goon's neck.
Philippe kicked the man he'd shot away, slamming the man into Shockwave. Firing of a hail of bullets, Philippe cut down the second bodyguard and missed Shockwave by bare millimeters.
As the remaining bodyguard held the man he was fighting in a chokehold, Shockwave dove for a Glock that had fallen to the floor of the elevator. Using the momentum of his dive, he rolled onto his back, slamming his boot into Philippe's gut as he fired three rounds into the man's chest.
"You okay?" the bodyguard asked, lifting Shock to his feet.
"Okay enough. Let's get this thing headed back upstairs." he replied, slamming a fresh clip into the Glock.
"Elevator's on its way back up." one of Headman's goons called out.
"Now that's efficiency, people. Just take the man down and wack 'em all!" Headman called out, leaning back in his chair.
A glimpse of anger entered Jaye's eyes as she wondered if her new partner was dead in a dumpster or gutter...
"Holy shit!"
"What!?" the Headman demanded, rising form his seat. From where he stood, he saw where Philippe's dead body had fallen out of the elevator and onto the floor, blood splattering as the body impacted.
Cat looked over at Jaye; the two women made eye contact and moved at the same time.
Shockwave and the bodyguard swung out from the sides of the elevator, firing into the group of Headman's goon who instantly returned fire.
Headman drew a nickel-plated Beretta and took aim at the Baroness.
"Nothing personal." he sneered before pulling the trigger.
She was thrown to the ground by one of her guards the instant before the bullet struck him.
"Can no one die!?" Headman swore as he fired three more bullets into the guard, ensuring his death.
From the elevator door, Shockwave was running tactical plans through his head. The bodyguard with his was dead, having taken a round through the right temple. Most of the Headman's goons were dead or down... Jaye and Cat both jumped at two of Headman's goons surprising them.
"Fuck!" Shock cursed as a bullet grazed his hip, dropping him to the metal floor hard.
One of the goons was stupid enough to step out to see if they'd gotten Shockwave and jerked back as a bullet took him in the throat. The Baroness stood, a smoking Luger in her hand.
: Sensing this round was over; Headman shoved Jaye out of the way as he ran for the roof access.
Cat looked up in surprise when she heard Shockwave's voice. The goon took advantage of Cat's distraction and fired at her. The rounds hit Cat in the stomach.
"No!!!" Shockwave bellowed, pulling himself to his feet and firing, the clip emptying into the goon. Luckily Cat was wearing her Kevlar, but the force of the bullets was enough to knock her to the ground.
"Where'd her go!? Shockwave demanded.
"Roof. I'll go with you." Jaye replied.
"No. Get them out of here. He's mine.' a feral glint in his eyes told her there was no point arguing. Jaye turned to the Baroness and they helped the surviving bodyguard to the elevator.
"Cat?' Shockwave knelt by her and furiously undid her shirt, sighing when he found that she'd worn a Kevlar vest.
"Cat? You okay?"
"Bloody hell...that hurt." Cat said quietly.
"You okay?"
"Aye.... I'm going to be sore in the morning...but I'll be ok."
"Okay." he helped her to her feet. "Get out of here."
"Ye can't take on Headman by yourself. Ye need someone to back ye up!"
"He's mine." Shockwave snarled, running for the access ladder and quickly ascending it onto the roof.
"Ye bloody daft fool!" Cat yelled after him as she followed him.
Stepping onto the roof, the world went bright a metal bar slammed into Shockwave's head, then again into his rib cage.
"I don't know who you are, but you'll die here!" Headman shouted, pressing his foot down on Shock's chest.
Cat had reached the top of the roof when she saw Headman standing over Shockwave. "Hey ye bloody bastard!" Cat yelled at the Headman.
A down blast of wind nearly pushed her to the ground as a Kiowa Warrior attack chopper rose, weapons aimed at her.
"Ah, my chariot arrives. Do forgive me if I main and run..." Headman called out, leaping onto the runner of the chopper.
"Gill..." Shockwave mumbled, staggering to his feet.
"Jas, what did he do to ye?" Cat asked as she ran over to him and steadied him.
"Go.... he's coming back..." he managed. The Kiowa chopper was on an arc that would bring it back at the restaurant. Cat help Shockwave try to get off the roof and head back down to ground level.
The Kiowa stopped and rotated until the restaurant at the top of the tower was under its gun. With a glimmer of hate, the Headman gave the order to fire. Twin miniguns tore through the building as pod rockets slammed into it, tearing away supports and ripping the framework apart.
"Holy..." Lady Jaye watched the restaurant exploded. Metal began to rain down on the streets sending her for cover. Shielding her eyes, she looked back up and saw there was no way anyone up there survived the explosion. Shockwave and Cat were dead and there no way she could have saved them.
"Mlle, nous devons vous obtenir à la sûreté!" a firefighter shouted to her, trying to pull her back from the are where debris was falling. "Mlle, nous devons aller maintenant !" the firefighter exclaimed, pulled her away form the wreckage.
"Holy Shit..." Dial tone spoke as he saw the coverage on CNN. The Eiffel Tower was smoking, the upper part of the tower reduced to twisted spires. "Hey, Flint, wasn't that where Jaye..." Dial tone was cut off as Flint snarled orders.
"Get a transport ready NOW! Dial Tone, I need a team, the best you can assemble, and I fucking need them now! Have their asses on the tarmac in 30. I'm leaving with or without them."
