Title: Hitmen

Author: vashsunglasses

Fandom: The Magnificent Seven

AU: The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

Rating: T

Summary: AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

Disclaimer: I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

Warning: The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

Note: I'm sorry this took so long to post. I was very busy these last few months both with school and with preparing to enter the Catholic Church at Easter. I promise to have much quicker updates now that summer is at hand and I will have all the writing time I could want.

Hitmen Chapter Six

Continued from the Last Chapter

Las Vegas 1:23 PM

Leaving the Nellis Super Wal-Mart

"We're not." Ezra said coldly, pulling a gun from his jacket and aiming it at Vin from where he sat in the passenger seat. "I'm not done with you yet."

Vin stiffened in his seat and Chris tightened his white knuckled grip on the arm rest. Buck gave Ezra a mildly disapproving look, though a crease deepened between his eyes.

Nathan Jackson's lips tightened into a frown and when he spoke the tone was strained, "Put the goddamned gun away Standish. They're never going to cooperate if you keep forcing them like this!"

"What was that Mr. Jackson?" Ezra hissed darkly at him as he spoke. "You seem to be forgetting who the boss is around here."

"I agree with Nathan," Josiah's rumbling voice boomed from behind Ezra in the driver's seat, "The time for animosity has passed. Put down the gun Brother, and let them make their own decision."

Ezra lowered the small gun, then turned and slumped into his seat. "Do whatever you want," he said wearily turning his face towards the window. At this, a grin quirked on Vin's brow and the air pressure in the vehicle seemed to subside from the ominous heavy weight it had been only moments before.

Nathan smiled apologetically to the three passengers of the white car while Josiah steered them toward the center of the city where the Stratosphere gleamed tall and white amidst the casinos. "I'm very sorry for my employer's behavior just now. He means well, but sometimes he is a bit heavy handed. We wish to request your help to catch the person who has been stealing our jobs. We believe that it would be in the best interests of everyone here to stop this person from disrupting our business affairs. There is every reason to assume that this person is using our agency as a stepping stone to take control of the local demand for the services we all provide."

"We'll do it," Chris answered immediately, startling everyone, "On one condition: If you ever pull a weapon on one of my men again I will see you dead."

Ezra turned in his leather seat and stared into Chris' eyes. Chris stared back, raising his eyebrows in a hidden question which Ezra replied to with a glint of defiance. Chris' expression did not change; instead each bone in his face seemed to grow more pronounced, like a relief carved in marble. 'Nothing you do will change what is already in motion' his blue glass eyes intoned.

Ezra broke the gaze first, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I submit… and I accept your condition." He turned once again to face the side window, the conversation finished.

For a while the vehicle was silent as four confused men wondered what had just happened and what exactly Ezra had submitted to so grudgingly. Then Chris interrupted the silence once more. "All right, here's what we do."

Las Vegas 1:43 PM

The parking lot in front of Fashion Q boutique

A white van weaved its way violently into the shopping center parking lot and slammed to a halt in front of a small fashion boutique. The doors flew open and six men ran from the vehicle, separating into groups of three and positioning themselves opposite each other behind the cover of some parked cars. Seconds later the front window of the boutique was shattered as the van exploded. The air was filled with shrieks and debris as bystanders fled the area of the blast. For a moment there was quiet, and then shots rang out in the dense smoke. For several minutes as the smoke cleared the gunfire was continuous, then everything grew silent once more. When the smoke cleared, the men were gone.

The Next Day

Las Vegas 7:16AM

A Nice Neighborhood on the East Side

"Guess who's on the front page this morning?" said Vin as he threw the Las Vegas Sun newspaper at Buck.

Buck winced as the paper landed on top of his cereal bowl, dumping both cereal and milk into his lap. "Damn it Vin! I'm going to kill you!" he snarled as he looked down at the mess. "Come here!" he said, pushing his wheelchair back from the table. With a spin of the wheels he thrust himself at his laughing friend who took one look at the enraged man heading his way and sprinted down the hallway to the bathroom, where he locked himself in. Buck pounded on the door and roared, "Come out here and face me like a man!"

"You two woke me up." Chris said as he stood in the doorway to his bedroom in rumpled pajamas. The muffled laughter from the bathroom went silent and Buck's mouth hung open in shock and dread.

"Vin, let me in. Quick!" Buck said as he banged on the bathroom door.

"Why should I? Vin murmured back.

"You wouldn't leave me out here alone with Chris would you Pard?"

"Shut up Buck." Chris said as he passed Buck in the hallway and went to the coffee maker on the kitchen counter. Pouring himself a mug of coffee and taking a big swallow he walked to the table and sat down, looking at the newspaper with interest. Multiple gang battles panic city! "Hey guys, we're on the front page." Chris said, and then glanced up at Buck as he cautiously rolled closer to the table. "Why do you have food in your lap, Buck?" Chris asked.

Loud cackling could be heard from the bathroom as Buck rolled his eyes in annoyance at the question. "If you need me, I'll be in my room changing my pants." Buck said as he backed away from the table and turned the wheelchair to roll it to his room. As he entered his room and slammed the door shut Vin unlocked the bathroom door and peeked cautiously into the hallway.

"Is it clear?" he asked Chris in a whisper.

"He's in his room," Chris replied. "What the hell did you do to him, anyway?"

Vin grinned viciously, "Dumped his cereal. Why do you ask?"

Chris grunted and took a deep swig of coffee, "I wanted to know what was so important that you two would jeopardize your lives like that by waking me up this early in the morning."

"I was actually an accident, I wanted to show Buck the newspaper but I spilled his cereal instead," Vin said as he sat at the table across from Chris. "Yours and Ezra's plan seems to be working pretty well so far. Anyone who reads this would think we all hate each other."

Chris' lips drew up in a smirk as he breathed in the rich steam that rose from the mug in his hands. "That job stealing bastard will never see it coming," he said coldly, with dark finality in each syllable.