I do not own John Wick or any of its characters.
Party Crashers
"Good morning, Mr. Allen," the Sommelier greeted. "How may I assist you today?"
"Do you have the party favors I requested?" he asked. "Oh, and I've told you before, I'm a regular here. Stop calling me Mr. Allen. James works just fine."
"As I've said before, I can't do that," the Sommelier said. "And, to answer your question, I do. They just arrived this morning."
He walked over to a small table and returned with three pistols. As he lay them out, James picked them up, inspecting them. The first was a Walther P99 with a custom compensator styled after the P22 compensator, the gun customized to fire smoother and with three extended mags along with the standard one in it, the second was a Heckler & Kotch P30L with a custom compensator, along with three extended mags, the third was a Colt Combat Unit Rail Gun 1911 with a compensator, an under-barrel laser, and the usual three extended mags, and the fourth and final one was an FN 5.7 with three extended mags, each of which held thirty rounds, the normal magazine holding twenty.
"Very nice," James nodded. "I'd like to impress my guests. Do you have any fancy corkscrews."
"I have just the thing," the Sommelier said, pulling a knife out of a display off to the side and handing it to him. "Benchmade Infidel."
"Perfect," James said. "As always."
The Sommelier nodded and James payed him his fee, including to have them delivered to the Continental for him, then left. After a few minutes, he'd returned to the hotel. He headed to his room and pulled his new suit on. It was an Italian suit with a charcoal jacket, vest, and tie, and a dark grey-blue shirt. It was custom tailored to include a bulletproof lining that would stop most pistol rounds for around twenty shots and extra pockets for his party favors. Just as he finished putting it on, there was a knock on his door and he walked over, opening it and finding Cassian, a black man working alongside him as a body guard to their employer, Gianna D'Antonio, standing outside, holding a box addressed to him.
"Your new toys just arrived," Cassian said.
"Merci," James said, taking the package.
"That's French," Cassian said.
"I know," James said, beginning to store his pistols in his concealed holsters and inside pockets.
"Are you almost ready?" Cassian asked. "We're going to be late."
"She'll wait for you," James said. "She always does."
"She only has to because of you," Cassian said.
James waved his hand dismissively and slipped his knife into his pocket before nodding to Cassian. They walked down to the lounge together, finding Gianna waiting, only for James to branch off.
"Oh for..." Cassian growled.
"It's alright, Cassian," Gianna said. "Let him say hello."
Cassian shook his head as James leaned on the bar beside the one person he genuinely considered a friend.
"Hello Ares," James smiled.
"Hey, Handsome," Ares signed.
James smiled as Ares brushed the longer hair on the right side of her head back behind her ear, smiling at him. "How've you been?"
Ares shrugged and signed, "Working. Same shit, different day. You?"
"Same," James said. "Busy doing nothing."
Ares smiled and signed, "Aren't you supposed to be protecting someone?"
"Yeah," James nodded. "We're heading to the coronation party now."
Ares's smile slipped slightly before she slipped her hand into his, squeezing it before taking it back to sign. "Stay here with me. Let's just skip out on our jobs and fuck."
James smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "Wish I could. But I need the money and the positive reputation."
Ares sighed, nodding, then signed, "Be careful, alright? A packed coronation party is a popular hit."
"Yeah, for John Wick," James snorted. "No one besides him would be able to even get in."
He drained Ares' drink, making her scowl at him, then hugged her before heading back to Cassian and Gianna. Together, the three of them left, taking a private limousine to the party. When they arrived they found the concert that had been arranged was already in full swing, and the crowd had left the red carpet free for them. Cassian took Gianna's right side, and James her left. Once they'd reached the main area, Gianna began to greet the more important people at the party, thanking them for coming while ordering James to take a man named Akoni, whose family she had threatened into forfeiting everything they had to her, to a room off to a side to wait for her, and to check him for concealed weapons, which he didn't have. A few minutes later, she finally walked in with Cassian.
"Mr. Akoni," Gianna said, walking over to him. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"
"Thank you for seeing me," Akoni said in Italian.
"Please, sit," Gianna invited, Akoni complying.
"Miss D'Antonio, you can't just take what is rightfu-"
"Nothing was taken," Gianna interrupted. "Those among your own came to us with these territories."
"A knife was held to their throats!" Akoni said.
"Semantics," Gianna dismissed. "Besides, that blade you speak of was meant for their children. They were only meant to watch. What is yours is now ours, Mr. Akoni. Now go. Enjoy the party." She watched as he began to walk out of the room angrily. "Have some fun."
Once he was gone, James sighed.
"Why don't you go entertain our guests while I freshen up my makeup," Gianna said to him and Cassian.
"Si, signora," Cassian nodded.
"What would I do without you, Cassian?" Gianna asked as the two of them left the room.
After a few moments, they reached the main room, only to find Ares waiting.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" James smiled, walking over to her and taking the hand she held out, tugging her into his arms, spinning her so her back was to him as he did. "And more importantly, how'd you get in?"
Ares smiled, leaning her head against his for a moment before raising a hand and beckoning for him to come with her. James looked to Cassian, who sighed, nodding.
"Be back soon," James promised.
He allowed Ares to lead him away from Cassian and the rest of the guests. After a while, they entered a catacomb under the Colosseum the party was in and Ares stopped, turning back toward him.
"John Wick is here," Ares signed. "He's been hired to kill Gianna."
"Oh shit!" James swore, turning to sprint back to Cassian, only for Ares to catch his arm.
"It's too late by now," Ares signed. "Santino sent me and our troops to kill John Wick." Just then, gun fire began to echo from the way they'd come. "We're going to ambush him. We could use your help."
James glanced the way he'd come before nodding. "Okay. Let's go."
Ares nodded and turned, walking quickly through the catacombs before reaching an area where dozens of troops were standing.
"Not enough," James said. "You're all going to be killed."
"Have some faith," one of them said. "We're not useless."
"You're cannon fodder," James said. "Have fun."
"You're not helping?" Ares signed.
"I'm wondering who could have payed John Wick enough to come out of retirement in order to do an impossible task and kill someone being coordinated a member of the High Table," James said, turning to her and folding his arms. "Anything you want me to know, Ares?"
Ares curled her lips in guiltily, then sighed and signed, "Santino used a Marker he had with Wick to force Wick to kill Gianna so Santino could have her seat. We're under orders to kill him to ensure his silence."
"Which means that I'll have to die now, too, correct?" James asked, several of the soldiers glancing at him as his hand drifted back to his pistol.
Ares shook her head, signing, "When they die, you're clear. No one will know you know anything."
A few of Santino's troops glanced around at each other nervously and James sighed, drawing his P99, checking the chamber.
"You sure you're okay with lying to him?" James asked.
Ares nodded and signed, "Just this once."
James nodded just as John stepped around the corner and stopped.
"Loose ends?" John asked knowingly.
Ares nodded and signed, "Just one." She used her middle finger in place of her index finger to sign "one," however.
"Yeah," John said, tensing.
"Good to see you again, John," James said.
"James," John nodded. "I wondered where you were. You moonlighting for Santino?"
"No," James said. "I was lured away by an attractive girl."
"You do seem to have a habit of being distracted by them," John said.
James shrugged. "Gotta say, I'm kind of glad I wasn't upstairs tonight. Did you let anyone live?"
"Four, plus Cassian," John said.
"He'll be back," James said. "I have something for you, before you kill us all. I was originally going to use it myself, but I heard about your house. I figure it'll be better off with you than with me." He tossed the H&K P30L to John.
"Thanks," John said, slipping it into the back of his belt before catching the three extended mags for it. "I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," James smiled. "And, I'd just like to say, what has to come next isn't personal."
"No," John agreed. "Just business."
James nodded and snapped his hand up, firing at John as Santino's troops flooded into the hallway, all opening fire with their assault rifles and submachine guns. john fired back, managing to hit one of the grunts in the leg and tagging James in the chest twice. However, as he did, he was holding his suit jacket up in front of his face, the bullets hitting it and stopping, the same way James' own suit blocked the two that hit him.
"He has a good taste in suits," James said as he and Ares walked after Santino's grunts.
"So do you," Ares signed.
James smiled. "I had the Tailor pick it for me."
Ares nodded and signed, "That makes sense."
As they continued to follow John, he killed more and more of Santino's grunts before taking cover behind a low wall. James assumed it was to reload, but after a moment, he stepped out with an AR-15 and began to kill the grunts again, continuing to retreat. Ares began to send men around to get ahead of him, but no matter where they attack him from, he slaughtered them. Finally, just as James reached a corner a few steps behind a group of grunts, a shotgun began to fire rapidly, the grunts dying in seconds. Then, as James heard John begin to push a new shell into the shotgun he stepped out and kicked the shotgun aside. John punched at him instantly, and James knocked it aside, firing three quick shots into John's side, the jacket blocking them before John spun, slamming an elbow into his head and knocking hi aside, drawing a Glock 36. James yelped in surprise and fear, yanking the front of his jacket up over his head, then shouted in pain with each of the four shots John put in his chest, his vest's armor blocking the bullets, then screeched as John fired a bullet into his pelvis, the armor in his pants blocking it but failing to stop the agony.
"Nice suit," John said as he reloaded the Glock.
"Thanks," James wheezed. "You too."
He raised a hand, beginning to empty his pistol at John, who dove aside, managing to avoid the shots, after the first two his his jacket, and then grabbed his shotgun before getting into cover. Before he could kill James, Santino's grunts flooded past him, several dying in a hale of shotgun blasts before they could even fire, and the rest spraying, only to die quickly as they chased John. Ares knelt beside James, raising an eyebrow.
"He shot me in the groin," James groaned.
"Better than the head," Ares signed.
"It almost was the head," James said.
Ares laughed and offered him her hand, pulling him to his feet. Then, they continued after John. After a couple more minutes, however, the shooting stopped and they reached a three-way split a moment later. James sighed, leaning on the wall as the last two surviving Grunts looked to Ares for orders. Ares sighed, shaking her head. She motioned for them to check the side passages, then once their backs were turned, she nodded toward one and turned on the other, raising her pistol. James stepped out and shot the other in the head as Ares killed the one she'd chosen, and they headed for the exit together.
"He'll be heading for the Continental," James said, Ares nodding. "Thank you, by the way. For choosing to save me, and for sending the grunts to be slaughtered before John could kill me."
Ares smiled and nodded, slipping her hand into his just long enough to squeeze it. Then, they got into Ares' car and she drove to the Continental, heading directly toward the bar.
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