John stood up from where he was kneeling after having stabbed the butter knife he'd been holding into an assailant's eye. Looking around he saw that the formerly pleasant cafe was now covered in blood, bodies and bullet holes after the fight that had just occurred. He quickly checked on his dog, who had remained hidden under the table as the violence played out and just gotten a bit scared, much to his relief, before looking over at the only other person standing in the room.
Harry's hair was turning black again, the markings on his skin disappearing, leaving him looking normal but for the dark energy shrouding his hand. The teen looked over at John, checking up on him, before nodding in satisfaction and letting the power he held dissipate. "You alright?"
John nodded as he gently pulled his dog out from under the table and moved him towards an untouched area of the cafe. He was about to respond before he whirled around as he heard movement behind the counter. Harry heard it too, making his way towards the area.
"Please don't hurt me!" The waitress that had been serving them whimpered as she hid in the corner, coffee grounds having rained down on her from where a bullet had hit their container.
John relaxed as Harry slowly approached, smiling reassuringly. "It's alright, miss. Nobody is going to hurt you. We were just defending ourselves." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a large amount of hundreds, quickly putting them into the till as the girl blinked up at him. "For the trouble." Then he reached toward the girl, who cringed, and rested his glowing hand on her forehead. She immediately went unconscious.
"What did you do?" John asked as he grabbed a pistol from one of the assailants, quickly loading a fresh clip into it.
"I knocked her out and adjusted her memories slightly so that she thinks she got knocked out when she fell over at the beginning of the fight and didn't see what happened." The teen said as he cracked his neck. "Less nightmares that way."
John looked at the teen cautiously at that, upping his threat rating even further than what it already was considering what he'd done to the assassins. He could only imagine that someone who could modify memories could do a lot more damage than a simple fighter could.
"We should get going." Harry said as he looked around the cafe. "That'll have drawn attention, and the sooner we can get you somewhere nobody can find you, the better."
"How will we be leaving?" John asked, looking out the window. "There are probably more people waiting outside for us to leave to gun us down."
Harry motioned for John to follow into the back of the cafe, the assassin leading his dog through the mess and then through the various boxes of supplies. Looking around he began making his way to the back door before Harry held out an arm to stop him. "We're not leaving out the back." Then, before John could respond, he motioned to the door. John almost leapt back when a black hole in space appeared in front of the back door, hanging there ominously. When John looked back at Harry the teen motioned towards the portal. "That'll take us to where my team is based out of. Nobody will know where we went or be able to follow us. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."
John looked from portal to Harry and back before sighing lightly. Even if he hadn't said it out loud, he'd already basically accepted Harry's deal, and he had a feeling the young man knew that. There was no point in hesitating now. With that thought he picked his dog up and made his way to the portal, stopping briefly in front of it before taking a quick breath and forcing himself to walk through.
Blinking after the odd experience of walking through the portal John looked around at his new surroundings. He seemed to be in a large penthouse apartment in the middle of a large city, and if the sight of the John Hancock Tower out the large windows could be trusted, he was in Chicago. John was stunned when he realized how far he'd traveled in just a few steps.
Harry appeared at his side, stretching as he let the portal dissipate behind him, and John realized they were in a mostly bare room, most likely meant for portal use, if he had to guess.
"Come on." Harry said with a smile. "We should introduce you to the team and get something to eat, assuming the horde of piranhas didn't finish all the food off." With that he led the way out of the room, John setting his dog down before following along.
The apartment was obviously very large, the kind that cost thousands of dollars per month, at least in John's estimation. The view was amazing, and all the decorations were tasteful. It made John wonder what kind of resources his new employer had that allowed for this level of luxury, considering his story about being a universe hopper.
Eventually they reached what appeared to be the living room, and John was able to see his new teammates for the first time.
He was surprised to see that most of them were closer to Harry age wise than to him. Ten teens and a corgi sat around a large fifty inch television that was playing the original Ghostbusters movie, laughing along as the characters chased Slimer around the hotel, bowls of popcorn and glasses of soda scattered around for anyone to grab.
Off to the side were what appeared to be the older members of the group sitting around a large dining table laden with boxes of Chicago Deep Dish pizzas from what John knew to be one of the best places in the city. One, who seemed to be the oldest member of the team John had seen so far, was obviously a military man. He was very pale, with his hair cut pretty short, and large and muscular, more than nearly anybody John had met, though it was the musculature of a fighter instead of a body builder.
The next oldest appeared to only be in her mid twenties at most, a pretty brunette with her hair tied back. She was currently working on a laptop, a plate with a half eaten slice of pizza on it forgotten next to her.
The last of the three sitting at the table seemed to be about twenty and was taking a bite out of her slice, a book laying open next to her. She had long black hair and was wearing a somewhat old fashioned dress that seemed to suit her.
The corgi was the first one to notice the new arrivals, perking up and jumping out of the arms of the girl that was cuddling him to hurry over to sniff at John's dog with a bark, receiving a chuff and sniff back in response. Everybody else turned to look once their attention was drawn, the teens pausing the movie and getting up.
John looked around as the gathered people approached, tensing slightly. Despite all their ages Harry had already demonstrated how dangerous he was, so he didn't have any reason to doubt that these people could be equally dangerous. Hell, one of them was green, indicating that there was something especially off about him.
"Hello, Mr. Wick." The youngest girl there said with a smile as she approached. "It's nice to meet you. I'm glad Harry was able to convince you to join us."
John was surprised by her apparent cheerfulness. "I didn't really have any better options, especially after what he showed me he could do."
"That would do it." The mid-twenties brunette said with a smile and a nod. "I believe introductions are in order."
Each person proceeded to introduce themselves to him, and John did his best to remember all the names. Most of them, the teens especially, seemed very peppy and energetic.
He was caught by surprise once again when the laptop proceeded to display a woman's face and Cortana introduced herself. The fact that she was an honest to god AI like something out of a sci-fi movie reminded John once again that he was far outside of any comfort zone he was used to.
"And what's your dog's name, Mr. Wick?" Ruby asked as she kneeled to pet the pit bull, who seemed to enjoy her attention.
"I've just been calling him Dog." John said honestly, having had too many other things on his mind during the last week since he got Dog to consider a proper name.
Ruby's cheeks puffed up adorably at the answer, and Yang didn't look too convinced either. "You can't just call a dog that. He needs an actual name." The blonde pointed out.
"I've had other priorities lately." John said, somewhat surprised by their vehemence in this point.
At that the teens all began to chime in with ideas for what to name Dog, with some ideas being rather good while others seemed outlandish. Finally Lara was the one who put the argument to rest. "Pax." She said firmly, looking at John with an earnest smile. "Because peace isn't just what Mr. Wick seeks, but what we all do."
There was a moment of consideration before everybody turned to look at John to see what his reaction would be to the idea. John considered it before a small smile appeared on his face, one of the only ones that had graced it since his wife's death and he nodded. At that the teens cheered lightly at Pax's naming.
"Alright everyone, back to what you were doing." Alice said as she proceeded to lead John to the table, serving him a couple of slices of pizza and a drink. "We don't want to overwhelm Mr. Wick, and we need to discuss our next steps."
Deciding to not worry about whether these people planned to kill him anymore he quickly picked up a slice of pepperoni and meatball pizza and took a large bite as the teens went back to their movie, only just realizing how hungry he was. The newly named Pax was also served some dog food that he ate eagerly.
The man who had introduced himself with his military rank rather than a proper name was the first to speak once John had begun to eat and the sounds of proton packs were resounding from the TV. "Your capabilities are impressive, Wick. Your skills will be useful both for any clandestine work we need done and any assistance you can give in training the rest of the team. I know extremely skilled marine trainers that could learn a thing or two from you."
John looked at the Master Chief curiously as he swallowed. "How do you all even know of me if you're really from another universe, much less know about my skills level?"
Cortana was the one who answered. "We know because of a quirk of reality that affects everybody in the team in one way or another." The laptop screen changed to what appeared to be a Netflix-like menu before a movie was selected, the title popping up along with a screenshot that had him blinking at the similar but just slightly different face that appeared on it.
"...I'm a movie?" John asked incredulously as he saw the title 'John Wick' as a small trailer began to play.
"Yes. A very popular action movie, to be exact, at least in the universe we got this from, that being Lara's." Cortana said.
"Indeed." Lara said. "I have a few mates that really liked both of your movies. Harry was quick to grab them among others before we left."
John stared at the Netflix-like screen a bit longer before glancing back down at his pizza, wondering if he'd been drugged.
"It isn't just you that's affected by this phenomenon, Mr. Wick." Harry said with an understanding smile. "For example, I should tell you that my full name is Harry James Potter."
John slowly turned to stare at Harry, who obligingly lifted up the fringe of his hair to let the assassin see the faded lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
"And I'm Alice Liddel." Alice said with a smile of her own. "You might have at least heard of the books I feature in. 'Alice in Wonderland'?"
John's gaze shifted to Alice, blinking as an image of a large, emaciated looking, grinning cat briefly appeared behind her before vanishing. "...So… Everybody here is from a fictional world?" He asked incredulously.
"What's fiction in one world appears to be fact in another." Lara explained. "I'm apparently a popular video game character, myself."
John stared at his food a moment longer before sighing and resuming eating. "Considering everything else I've seen this isn't too insane." He took another bite of pizza.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"No." John deadpanned before curiosity crept in. "Who plays me?"
"Keanu Reeves." Cortana said promptly.
John blinked. "As in the guy from The Matrix?"
"Yes. I assure you, he does you justice. You can watch the movies later to see for yourself, if you want." Lara said. "We'll also be making everybody else's media available so you can familiarize yourself with it at all."
John nodded dubiously before deciding to set that aside. "So, what's next?"
"We got lucky in that our method to jump to the next universe had a short cooldown this time and will finish charging around tomorrow evening." Harry said, becoming serious. "I think it's best if we jumped as quickly as possible to avoid your hunters. So anything you want to take with you or want to do before leaving needs to be done tomorrow."
John considered that as he finished his meal. He glanced down at Pax, who looked up at him innocently, before letting out a sigh. "I want to visit my wife's grave, since I probably won't ever see it again." He said firmly. "Other than that, there's absolutely nothing else left for me here."
Those gathered around the table nodded soberly in understanding. After a few moments Chief spoke. "In that case, I believe it would be best if we awakened your aura to improve your survivability. I don't doubt that there will be people keeping an eye on the cemetery in case you show up there. Once we've done that you and I will spar so I can teach you the basics of using it."
Setting his plate aside John nodded. "What do I need to do?"
Lara motioned for him to follow him to where the teens were sitting. "Guys, we need to unlock Mr. Wick's Aura. Are you ready, Blake?"
Blake, who had volunteered beforehand to be the one to unlock the man's aura, got up as the movie was paused again and made her way to John, who stood stock still, not sure what was going to happen.
"Relax, Mr. Wick." Blake said calmly. "This won't hurt."
"Considering we're going to be working together from now on, you all might as well just call me John." He said in response.
Blake smiled. "Alright John. Just relax." She rested her palm against his chest and began to chant. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
John looked down at his hands as he began to glow, his eyes a bit wide as he took in the dark grey, almost black color of the light that covered him. He didn't really notice Blake step back, breathing slightly heavily after her work was done. "Whoa…" He said as he felt better than he had in weeks.
They all then blinked when a series of barks, growls and yips came from their feet, only to find Zwei with a paw on Pax's head, the other dog soon beginning to glow with a warm orange light like a candle flame. The dogs didn't seem to notice the gathered humans' stares as Zwei led Pax away to the water bowl.
After a moment of incredulity passed Chief rested a hand on John's shoulder. "Alright, let's get to work."
John nodded seriously, ready to learn.
The sun was shining brightly, the sky cloudless and blue as John stared at Helen's headstone. The rest of the team had scattered throughout the cemetery to deal with any assassins that might be scoping out the place, and he was taking his lessons to heart by having his aura always at the ready in case of a sniper.
John opened his mouth, trying to think of what to say to his wife, but before he could Harry stepped beside him. After a brief moment of respectful silence the younger man spoke. "I'm going to give you a gift, John. I can only do it this once, so take full advantage of it." Then he lifted his hand, which John now saw had a ring on it with a dark stone set in it. The teen turned it three times, and John's breath left his body like he'd been punched in the gut.
Helen stood in front of him, on the still bare dirt of her grave, smiling lovingly at him. John barely noticed as Harry stepped away to give them privacy, too focused on his wife's ghost. "Helen?" He breathed, mouth desert dry.
Her smile widened. "Hi John."
John fell to his knees in front of her, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh my god, Helen, it's really you?"
Helen sat down in front of him, looking healthier and more radiant than he could remember, dispelling the last memories he had of her, wasting away in the hospital. "Your new employer is a lot more powerful than even he knows." She said lightly. "I'm glad he found you. Maybe now you can find the peace I've been wishing for you."
"I'm sorry, Helen." He said slowly. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep Daisy alive. I'm sorry I let myself be pulled back in. I…"
"Shhh…" Helen shushed him gently. "Believe it or not, John, I have been watching. Daisy is with me, now, and I'm taking good care of her. She's sad she didn't get to spend more time with you, but she understands. We know you did your best." Her smile turned sad. "I've always known you had a darkness in you, John. But you also have a beautiful light, and I hope that now that you're getting away from this world you've been forced to live in that will begin to show through."
"...They still want me to fight." John said, admitting to a misgiving he had over his current employers.
"Yes and no." Helen said gently. "The difference is in why they want you to fight. Harry and his group aim to protect, to basically be the heroes you see in movies and comics. They'll fight, and they'll kill, but so others can live and be safe. The better the people they have at their side, the more lives can be saved. That is something I can get behind you using your skills for."
John sat back, bringing his hands up to wipe his face. "How do you know so much about them?"
"You'd be amazed at how being dead broadens your view." Helen said wryly. "But if you need some reassurance I'm not just a trick they're using to make you feel better about working with them, I could mention that time when we went upstate and stayed at that nice little bed and breakfast by that lake who's name I can never remember, and you got food poisoning from a hole in the wall diner we stopped at."
John snorted, a small smile on his face at the memory. "That did sour the experience, didn't it."
Helen chuckled happily, the two sharing a moment of happiness together. "John, I want to ask you to do something before you leave this world with your new friends." She said after a bit.
"Anything." He said immediately.
"Call Harry over first, as you'll need his help." She told him, making him blink but stand up and wave to Harry, who was watching from a distance. The teen made his way over as Helen stood up with a smile.
"Hello Mrs. Wick. It's nice to meet you." Harry said with a smile.
"Pleasure's all mine." She said in return, smiling as well. "I wanted to see if you could do something for me before you left."
"If it's within my power and won't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it." Harry said agreeably.
"I want you to take me with you." Helen said.
John blinked as Harry cocked a head to the side. "Excuse me?" The younger man asked.
"I figure you have some way with your magic to have my remains come with you without taking up any actual space." She explained. "I want some part of me to physically stay with John, though I have no intention of not watching over him while you travel. Besides, there's no point in just leaving me behind if you don't intend on ever coming back."
Harry considered it before nodding after a glance at John. He turned to Helen's grave and motioned with his hand. The dirt covering the coffin all promptly lifted out of the grave and set itself aside in a pile. Then, with another gesture, he lifted the top-of-the-line coffin containing Helen's body out of the grave. Bringing his index and middle fingers together like he was squeezing something Harry made the coffin shrink till it was about the size of a quarter. Then he pulled a string out of his pocket and waved it, making it turn into a steel chain of thin links. Picking a pebble up it became what appeared to be a nice locket that he attached to the chain. Opening the locket he took the miniature coffin and put it into the locket before closing it securely and waving his fingers over it. Then he handed the finished product to John. "There. This won't be able to be opened by anybody but you and me, and I made sure she won't decay and the entire thing could survive a nuke. When we find a place you want to live out your life in, I'll put the coffin back to normal so you can bury her someplace nice again."
Helen smiled gratefully as John took the locket, slipping it over his neck, feeling a sudden certainty that it wouldn't slip off on its own. "Thank you, Harry." His wife said.
"Yeah." John said with a nod. "Thanks a lot."
"My pleasure." Harry said as he refilled the now empty grave with dirt.
Helen turned back to John. "I think my time is up, John. Don't forget, I'll always be watching over you. Take care of yourself, and find some peace."
John nodded slowly, a deep ache in his chest. "I'll try."
Helen smiled wryly. "I guess that's the best I'm going to get." She stepped closer to him, eyes brimming with love. "I love you, John."
"I love you too, Helen." He said almost breathlessly.
And then, she was gone.
The two men stood before the headstone in silence for a few moments before John spoke. "Thank you." He said sincerely.
"My pleasure, John." Harry smiled before turning and beginning to walk away. "Come on, we should prepare to leave tonight."
John glanced one last time at the headstone, a hand reaching up to grasp the locket, before he turned and left as well.
"Alright, everybody ready?" Lara asked the team as they all prepared themselves to leave John's homeworld.
Everybody double checked their things, the two dogs standing front and center, ready to go as well. Once everyone was satisfied Harry drew the lance from where it was kept, aiming it at an empty wall of the apartment. John watched with fascination as a portal that was similar yet different than Harry's own, appeared. Master Chief, clad in his Mjolnir armor for the first time John had seen, was the first to go through to scout things out. A moment later they all received a confirmation in the earpieces they were listening to that it was safe, and promptly began to walk though as well.
Among the last to leave John paused, hesitating, before taking hold of the locket around his neck, drawing a deep breath, and leaping through, never to be seen in the world of his birth again.
It's kinda sad that I partly wish I was working back in the office rather than from home so I could write more easily. My productivity is completely shot, and it annoys the hell outta me.
In any case, yes, that's it for John Wick's world. I know, no awesome fights, no politicking, no sabotage. Probably disappointing to many of you, but honestly, what would be the point of just shoehorning that all in?
John just wanted to leave. There was no reason to pick unnecessary fights. We got the things that needed to get done completed and sent them on to the next world.
I promise the next chapter will have some action. It's going to be the introduction of a universe that we're going to be spending quite a bit of time in. Honestly, going through my outline for it, it's probably the world with the second most amount of stuff going on. And as I've stated before it's very important to Harry's growth.
I would have left a small teaser for what it is at the end of this chapter like I usually do, but I couldn't figure out a good way to fit it in. And I don't always do it anyway. Didn't do it for Hellsing, after all.
Next chapter is also when I'll finally introduce the team's name. I'll give you all a hint. It was mentioned in this chapter, though in an odd context. It'll probably make sense when the next chapter comes out.
Can't think of anything else that needs to be said, so I'll go ahead and end this AN with the customary reminder that you can have a say in what I write through my Pat A Ron. Every dollar donated equals a vote in my monthly poll for what to update next, and the current poll ends tomorrow night. That's at Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis.
Thanks for reading everyone, stay safe out there, and please review!