Have a Heart

Alexnandru Van Gordon

Wow…I really feel bad now for what I did to Muriel…But besides that, thanks for all the reviews. I do realize I'm going a little too slow with the kind-o-meter of Slade, so I'll have to do something about that. But don't worry. I have a lot of things planned out for you to see. Slade's going to have one hell of a time trying to complete this mission…

Important: And just as a head's up, this chapter starts from someone else's POV. So don't worry about trying to guess why they are—just imagine a new character. Oh—and don't worry about Eric either. You'll find out what's so important about him sooner or later.

CHAPTER FOUR: Back on trrack

The man was an easy kill. His security system wasn't worth putting up and the disk was hidden dead center in the middle of the safe. It was almost as though he was begging for it to be stolen…

"Open sesame…"

The small bomb went off in a blast and the safe door fell from its hinges to the office floor. Not waiting for the smoke to settle, the brother's stepped inside.

'Mark, you got it?'

Reaching into the safe, Mark tapped the communicator attached to his ear. "Yep. Matthew's going to throw the old man in the back of the truck and then we'll be on our way to Magdeburg."

'No one else saw?'

"Not a soul."

'Good, then get to the airport.'

Mark's brother, Matthew, who was currently lifting the dead body over his shoulder, freed one hand for a moment to touch his own ear communicator. "Excuse me? You said once we delivered the disk we could collect our money and drive down from Berlin to Magdeburg. I'm not flying to France or wherever for another job. I promised my aunt we'd come and see her."

'Then what? Tell her all her about your wonderful Hitman life?'

Matthew muttered a series of insults, but Mark answered first. "What's so important that we have to cut our vacation short? This is the first time we've been to Germany."

'Trust me. You don't want to miss this job.'

"And why wouldn't we?" Matthew grumbled.

'Skylark is paying seven and a half million dollars to anyone who can get the Church boy back to America alive before his father's team. It seems as though one of my connections found him in Berlin, no doubt headed for the airport.'

"Are you serious?" Matthew stared across the room at his brother. "Whoa…I thought he died…"

'Faked it, obviously.'

"Alright then…who're we up against?"

'So far only one other guy, but you might not like this…'

"Why not?"

'It's the guy off the news. Deathstroke…'

-W (Wintergreen)-

He was ready with the jet, just about to take off actually, when he got the call. Lifting up his cell phone, he sighed.

"Hello?"

"I need you to do two things for me."

It was Slade.

Standing up from the pilot's seat, he switched with one of Slade's commando robots and buckled up in the back. "And what exactly do you need done?"

"First of all, I want you to do a search on Mr. Church and his sons, Klaus and Eric."

Wintergreen reached with his free hand for the suitcase under his seat. Setting it on his lap, he lifted the lid and opened the lap-top inside. "Done. And what's the second thing?"

"I need you to fool around with the airport system in Berlin."

"Hmmm…" Turning on the screen, Wintergreen signed in his passwords. "That might take a while. How long do I have?"

"Half an hour."

Wintergreen smiled. "Alright then. I'll see you in a while. Same spot outside the city, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Have fun then." He said and hung up.

Things always turned interesting when you left the country…

-E-

He was now glad airports had computers to pre-order tickets, but what got to him were the long line ups. Klaus had given up standing with him as they waited and decided to sit with Muriel instead who, by the look of things, was a little worse for weather. She hadn't said anything since they left for the airport and the pale complexion was starting to attract people and their annoying questions.

Poor girl.

'Muriel doesn't want to go home.' Klaus had returned to him, tugging on his sleeve so he would watch his sign language. 'She says doesn't want her family to think of her as a murderer.'

"Not to worry. She just has to tell them…a lie…like…she missed them." Eric shrugged. Then he stared rudely back at the woman who was eyeing his bruised arm until she looked away. "I mean, it's not like we can take her to Brazil with us. If she didn't like the episode we just had with the dead guy, she shouldn't stick around."

'That's mean.'

"No, dragging her into our life would be even worse. Besides, she's about to have a baby. I'm surprised she can still run…"

'Talk to her then.'

Eric rolled his eyes. "Fine, but stay in line. If you let anyone pass you, I'll kill you."

Klaus mocked laughing. 'See you soon.'

"Yeah, whatever…" Passing through the people in line toward the sitting area, he made his way around the seats until he found Muriel. He wasn't even sure she saw him. Her eyes were pinned on her feet.

Crouching down in front of her, Eric stole her gaze. "How you feeling?"

"I-I can't go back." She sobbed. "N-not after what I-I've done."

This was going to kill her conscience. He could tell. The other thing he could tell was that the minute they were back in America, she would turn herself into the police like the good-natured woman she was.

He really didn't want to go back to that country.

Rubbing his thighs nervously, he tried to think of what to say. "Then…where do you want to go?"

"Away from everyone…"

He knew he was going to regret this sooner or later.

"Do you want to come with me and Klaus to Brazil? You could paint there."

Muriel hesitated in thought, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "I-I don't want to be a burden."

"I've dealt with worse." He chuckled and she laughed slightly at the small joke. "But seriously, the last thing you need to worry about is that man. You saved me and I owe it to you now."

"But why was he after you?"

"Because…Because…" He bit his lower lip. How was he supposed to tell the truth? "Because…I'm a freak. Luck just doesn't run well for me."

"You seem pretty amazing to me." She whispered, patting the empty seat next to her. He took the offer and sat next to her. "Well then…are you going to tell me everything now that I'm drawn into your plot, or do I have to continue guessing?"

"Hmmm…how about I tell you somewhere a little more private than this…" He gazed around the airport. "Maybe when we get into Brazil…"

Muriel gasped.

"Muriel?" He turned to look at her and froze up instantly. Pressed against the back of her head was the barrel of a gun, and the man standing behind her had it hidden well. Looking up at the man's face, Eric scowled.

"Married—and waiting for a kid no less. Looks like you've been pretty busy lately, Church."

"Hey Matthew…" Eric muttered, staring at the man coldly. He was tall and slim, stronger than Eric but about the same age. The real only advantage Eric had against him were his brains. "Where's your twin?"

"With your brother." Matthew replied, lively green eyes staring across the people for his black-haired twins. "You look Scottish today, Eric. Is your hair really that red or did you dye it for hiding purposes?"

"Natural."

"Good to hear…" Matthew squinted. "Oh—and there we go. Mark has Klaus. This was rather simple…"

"Nothing comes easy, Matthew."

"And I suppose you would be the expert on that subject, wouldn't you?" Matthew grabbed Muriel's arm and pulled her to her feet, pressing the gun against her side instead. "Stand up, Eric. We're going to take you and your family home."

Eric wanted to hit the man, but a look at Muriel's face made him rethink that action. She was still getting over shock and now another situation presented itself…

He was glad he picked up Muriel's gun…

Just then the lights flickered…once…then twice…until finally the entire place was bathed in darkness. The only light came from the faint glow outside the window but it was already sunset and the light wouldn't last long…

Maybe this was a stroke of luck?

-S-

In a small fit of panic, people began to wonder about, keeping hold of their things in fear of having them stolen. So far, so good. Wintergreen pulled through for him by shutting of the electricity and not too soon either. Decked momentarily in a long coat, hat, and scarf, he caught sight of Klaus in the line-up just before the lights went out.

Slipping into the center of the dispersing crowd, he came up behind a young black-haired man and tapped him on the shoulder. With a curious, "huh?" the young man turned around—and received a quick blow to the head before he fell to the ground. Klaus, whose arm was once held by the man's, almost stumbled and backed away from the fallen figure. Then he looked up and squinted at Slade.

"Give me your hand." Slade ordered, the boy recognizing his voice. But the boy obeyed anyway, allowing Slade to take his hand into his own.

Then he stepped over the fallen body, leading Klaus through the dim light toward the startled crowd of people in the sitting area. He had seen Muriel and Eric sitting there earlier, standing when a man identical to the one with Klaus came to speak with them. Slade noticed the gun. It was another team of bounty-hunters.

And what exactly was so important about Eric Church? So far it seemed people only wanted him alive.

As he neared, none of the three people noticing him, he caught sight of Eric knocking out the new man with a straight punch to the face. It wasn't a bad hit either…

"Sit here." He said to Klaus, releasing his hand and pointing to an empty seat. He shrugged off his small disguise and threw it onto the seat next to him, striding off to finish his job.

The boy didn't hesitate to listen…he just sat down quietly as he watched a smooth ending fall into play.

-M-

"Nice hit…" She breathed, stepping aside just as the young man passed out on the floor. "…I didn't know you could hit so hard."

"Well, I'm not as strong as I need to be." He murmured, cracking the sore knuckles on his hand by making a fist. "If I take a hit to the head I'll be out for a day or two."

"Really?" She allowed herself to smile and squinted to see him better in the dark. It was then that she noticed the man now standing behind him—and nearly fainted when she did.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked. At the sight of her face, he spun around to see the dead man face to face…He didn't say anything.

"You're…you're supposed to be dead…." Muriel breathed, not sure whether to run or die on the spot from a heart attack. "I…I shot you…"

"That, you did." Slade, moving his arm, showed the two holes in his chest where she shot him, the material still bloody. "I admit, your aim was unexpected."

The world seemed to spin again, everything going numb. He father was a cop before he retired, and she used to follow him on hunting trips when she was younger. That was where she learned to shoot…

"Sorry…" She murmured. And then she passed out.

-E-

Luckily, he caught her before her head hit one of the seats. Usually he would be more worried about putting as much distance as he most possibly could between him and Slade, but he had no idea where the hell Klaus was and he couldn't carry Muriel gently in the condition she was in.

Today was just full of surprises.

"What are you?" He asked, staring up at Slade. The other man was making no move to hurt him. "Unless that's fake blood, I doubt you're human."

"I can assure you, the blood is real. And as for the matter of humanity…Not quite."

"Where's my brother?"

"Safe…" Slade reached to his belt, taking out yet another pair of cuffs. "You can see him soon."

"Jeez, you have a lot of those…"

This really wasn't his day.

This "really" wasn't his day…

-A-

Well, I have to get going. I'll be gone for a while so please don't be upset if you don't see an update from my other stories in while. I'll get back to them as soon as I can, but both Victor and I will have our hands full. Oh yeah—he started his first story. "Hurt to Save" under the account name of The Brothers of SilverCross52. Read it if you want (Slade vs. Robin), and if you know him then you might understand what I'm talking about. Please have a wonderful day/night and pray for everyone who needs help and good health.

Signed,

Cancer