Hi everyone, Knight Rider Alpha here.
My Prompt: 4x23 'Always' AU - What if Castle was with Beckett & Esposito on the Cole Maddox chase? What if Castle chased Beckett up the stairs after Esposito had been knocked out? What if Castle gave Maddox the beating he deserved before Kate was thrown towards the ledge? (Of course, this is an AU that ignores the Caskett argument in her apartment, the events of '47 Seconds', Mr Smith's collusion with Castle and Alexis' graduation.)
AN: I think I've watched too many Scott Adkins movies lately. (wink)
Disclaimer: All respective characters and themes belong to their respective owners, Andrew Marlowe and ABC Studios.
His lungs were burning as he gave chase in hot pursuit of the fleeing Cole Maddox, he could see Beckett round the corner after discharging her weapon in the assailant's direction. It seemed like his legs wouldn't move fast enough as he thundered up the stairs, Beckett was still in front as she breached the door to the roof of the Rosslyn Hotel. He made it into daylight as Beckett moved out of sight ahead of him, as he come around the corner of the rooftop maintenance shed he saw Maddox throw Beckett to the floor as her gun skittered away.
Maddox looked impassively at the female Detective in front of him, she was being fueled by the raw emotion which made her an easy opponent, he wasn't impressed and his employer seemed over-cautious in his assessment of her, but a job is a job and he never falters.
But then came something he wasn't expecting. As he grabbed two handfuls of Beckett's leather jacket hauling her to her feet, he felt something hard impact his lower back sensing a bolt of pain rocketing through one of his kidneys, the pain causing him to drop the Detective. Maddox turned and caught sight of Beckett's writer companion, the same man who had removed his target from his line of sight that day in the cemetery.
Castle had finally caught up with them as he glimpsed Maddox hauling Beckett to her feet, he knew he had to do something, so he increased his speed and flew at Maddox striking the contract killer in the lower back with a flying knee. He set himself and removed his leather jacket revealing his black t-shirt and kevlar vest-covered torso, his overwhelming need to protect Beckett tamping down his need for self-preservation.
Maddox looked confused for a split second before he smirked knowing the writer was way out of his league against him, in this dangerous environment it would cost the him dearly.
Oh, how wrong he would turn out to be, time for a fight.
Maddox wasted little time thinking this would be easy considering he dealt with both detectives in very quick order, the paid assassin aimed a palm strike towards Castle's chest only for the writer to block it before he leaned to the side and buried his left knee into Maddox's solar plexus. Maddox was forced back once surprised at this turn of events and the strength of the hit, it seemed the writer had some skill unlike the other two.
Castle raced forward and nailed Maddox in the left cheek with a closed fiat snapping the man's head to the side, Maddox responded by throwing own his punch which again Castle blocked, the author then spun and delivered a spinning back kick straight to the chest knocking Maddox to the ground.
The contractor hurried to his feet and raced towards Castle. Maddox sped through punch after punch, and Castle responded blocking and avoiding each strike as he ducked under a spinning back fist. He rocked Maddox's jaw with a brutal uppercut that sent the killer reeling. The police consultant grabbed two handfuls of Maddox's jacket and struck him with a brutal headbutt followed by a high kick, then a solid punch to the chest, Maddox was on the defensive and stunned when the writer nailed him with a final devastating spinning roundhouse kick again impacting his jaw.
From her position on the rooftop Detective Kate Beckett was astonished at what she was witnessing, Maddox was taking a beating from none other than renowned mystery writer Richard Castle. She had seen Maddox quickly incapacitate Esposito knocking out the former special forces soldier, and her attacks seemed to have little effect on the contract killer, but Castle was not only dealing with Maddox but he was dealing damage.
Castle stood at his full height as Maddox slammed his closes fists into the ground and stood to his feet, he raced towards the writer his long leg striking Castle in the chest and knocking him back. Castle blocked Maddox's low kick by hitting the killer's shin with his foot, Castle tried to push Maddox back but the contractor would not be moved as he aimed a heavy punch towards the writer's face. Castle ducked then grabbed his opponent's wrist and forced his vertical forearm into the back of Maddox's elbow joint, Castle then kicked away the assassin's standing leg sensing him tumbling to the ground.
Castle aimed a series of brutal punt kicks at a downed Maddox, his foot making contact with his midsection forcing the air from his lungs. Maddox rolled to his feet putting some distance between himself and the writer, who was staring at him with cold blue eyes.
"You have surprised me, Mr Castle," said Maddox rolling his shoulder as reached into his jacket and pulled out a K-Bar combat knife.
Castle said nothing as he reached beneath his kevlar vest and extended with a flick of his wrist a collapsible steel baton, as Maddox advanced aiming a stab towards Castle who again blocked the strike with the baton impacting Maddox's left wrist. The hard steel struck soft skin and bone as Castle smirked at the satisfying sound of bones breaking, a scream ripped through Maddox's throat as pain radiated from his wrist as he dropped the knife to the floor.
"I hope you feel that you son of a bitch" growled Castle knowing this was the man who put a bullet in Beckett's heart that day.
Maddox advanced now with only one arm and aimed a haymaker towards the author's head, Castle blocked the strike and then slammed his baton into Maddox's chest, as Castle ended his attack by striking the man in the chest with a spinning back kick sending him sprawling to the ground.
Maddox picked himself up to his knee before climbing to his feet, he felt the pain in his fractured wrist creep up his arm but it only spurred him on. He advanced aiming a low kick towards Castle's right leg and he dodged by lifting the targeted limb, only for Maddox to throw a punch with his good right fist catching Castle in his left cheek and splitting the skin beneath his left eye. Blood streamed down from the wound as Castle stepped back only for Maddox to advance again, throwing mid-level and high-side kicks which the writer blocked. Maddox kicked out at the hand holding the baton as the metal cylinder slipped from his grip, the writer was kicked again in the chest sending him back as Maddox kicked the baton away.
Castle looked unconcerned and he darted towards Maddox and closed the distance as he jumped and nailed the contractor in the face with a 'Superman' punch, he quickly advanced on the stumbling Maddox as he ducked under a wild punch and nailed Maddox in the face again. Maddox retaliated with a high kick which Castle slid under and punted Maddox's standing leg, Maddox fell to the floor and almost landed on his face but instead, he did land on his damaged wrist as he screamed in pain.
Castle stepped over and flipped Maddox onto his back and took a handful of the contractor's jacket lifting his slightly off the roof, he then started raining heavy-duty punches down on Maddox's face.
Maddox responded and caught Castle with a punch in the same cheek he had opened earlier, the writer's head snapped to the side as the cut was further opened and increased the river of blood that streamed down his face. Castle then felt his left leg slip as Maddox kicked him sending the writer to a single knee he rolled to the side as a fist impacted his already damaged cheek. Maddox advanced towards a dazed Castle ready to finish him, but Castle surprised him again by catching his extended arm, spinning and hauling his body over his shoulder and sending him to the ground hard with a perfectly executed shoulder throw.
Castle grabbed Maddox by the back of his jacket and hauled him over to a rooftop air-con unit, Maddox endeavoured to stand turning to face Castle only to take a front kick to the chest, the strength of the kick sent him flying into the hard metal surface of the unit. Maddox fell forward as a pain raked his body but he still got to his feet, he had never failed a mission and he wouldn't start now.
He growled and caught a sidekick thrown by the writer but Castle reacted quicker by jumping from his standing leg, he used the same limb to catch the contractor with a kick to the back of the head. Maddox was again sent sprawling to the ground. Castle landed on his back and quickly performed a kick-up immediately getting to his feet, he advanced and once again ducked under another wild hook punch as he locked Maddox into a headlock and preceded to drive heavy knee strikes into Maddox's half-bent body.
Castle followed up by driving his elbows down into Maddox's backbone, the contractor manages to disengage from Castle's hold only to receive a spinning hook kick with the writer's booted heel catching him in the cheek. Castle threw a thunderous punch hitting Maddox's right cheek causing a distinct crack of bone to echo across the roof
Then as if in slow motion Castle hopped off his lead leg, and began to rotate his body towards his opponent. As he lowered his non-leading leg down, he drove his lead leg up in a half-crescent motion. he immediately lowered the leg until his thigh was parallel to the floor. Upon completing the other half of the crescent his foot impacted Maddox's face sending his head snapping to the side and the torque of the action sending Maddox spinning to the floor.
Maddox tries to lift his head but that was soon put to a stop by one final punch to the face from Castle, the contractor's eyes finally slipped closed as he fell into unconsciousness. Castle reached into his kevlar vest and drew a pair of ridged folding speed cuffs, he snapped them stacked onto Maddox's wrists behind his back after turning him over to his front chest to the floor. Castle then sat down on the unconscious man and sighed as he rolled his tight shoulders, the waves of pain slowly ebbed away as he heard a pair of heeled boots step towards him.
Beckett was lost for words at what she had just witnessed. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes she never would've believed it, the mere fact that Richard Castle had just fought and defeated a trained killer with a martial skill she didn't know he had.
'Rick..." she said slowly approaching him "...are you ok?"
Castle chuckled "Oh I'm fine Beckett, nothing an ice pack can't fix and maybe some stitches," he said as he wiped some of the blood from his cheek as a bruise started to form around his left eye.
Beckett smiled before she kneeled beside him and pushed her scarf to his cheek hoping to stem the tide of blood that was flowing there, she owed him so much already, but now she owed him everything. He had managed to subdue and capture the man who almost killed her without any help so he could protect her again, she would kick his ass for his antics but that can wait until he was healed.
"Beckett! Call Ryan and tell him to hold off telling Captain Gates, get him to bring some back up" asked Castle taking the scarf from her hand.
"Right..."
Beckett pulled her phone and quickly called Ryan who thankfully hadn't spoken with Gates yet, the young Irish detective was relieved to know his partners were safe. Fifteen minutes passed before Ryan burst onto the roof, he came armed with an NYPD-ESU team and a pair of FDNY Paramedics for Esposito and Castle.
"Beckett..." shouted Ryan as he hugged his team leader "...you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah we're good Ryan, but Castle needs a medic..." said Beckett once again kneeling beside her partner who was still sitting atop the prone body of Maddox who had by now woken up.
Beckett helped Castle stand to her feet as a pair of ESU members hauled Maddox to his feet and escorted him away, Beckett supported the weight of her partner as she escorted him over to a pair of waiting Paramedics. After quick a assessment, they deemed Castle needed stitches and a doctor's opinion. As Castle was led away Beckett followed him closely after watching him risk his life again, she felt the pressing need to stay close to him.
Esposito had risen with his pride smarting from the hits Maddox had given him but was pleased to see man in handcuffs, he hugged his Partner upon seeing him but he wanted to catch up on the goings-on as he caught sight of the messed-up condition Maddox was in.
Ryan just shrugged saying he needed to speak with Beckett, with that said Esposito was even more confused but let it go for time being.
In the back of a speeding ambulance, Beckett kept vigil over her partner as he was fussed over by a Paramedic, with a gauze bandage taped to his cheek she ran her thumb over his scratched and bleeding knuckles.
"Castle...are you awake?" she asked in a whisper.
"I am Beckett, can you do me a favour and call room service and have them send a bottle of Scotch and a bucket of ice" mumbled Castle his eyes closed.
"No drinking Castle...painkillers remember" replied Beckett smiling.
"Ah right..."
Beckett laughed before her head fell, she remembered the fear she felt as she faced down Maddox and didn't know what would've happened if Castle hadn't arrived when he did.
"I didn't know you had that side to you Castle..."
Castle's eyes opened as he turned his head to look at her, he grasped her hand that was linked with his, the movement causing her to look directly at him.
"When it comes to the people I love, I do..." he whispered.
Beckett smiled her declaration could wait so she replied "Thank you for saving me Rick...again"
Castle settled back onto the gurney and smiled.
"Always"
Knight Rider Alpha, signing off