Chapter 15: Through Europe With Hate, Part 5

"You're kidding, right?" Donut said into his phone once he was out of Mary's earshot. "I mean, shouldn't we be more concerned about, say, the Provos?"

"Dude, the Troubles have been over for somewhere around a decade," Grif bluntly replied. "And even if they weren't, Daddy Gabor doesn't seem to have ever made any kind of statement about them. These Thule guys, though? Considering they tried to kidnap someone as famous as Danielle Du Voisin, I'm willing to bet they'll go for our VIPs if they get the chance." He sighed. "So much for the European nightlife."

"That's really all you can think about?"

"So what if the only way some of us can handle being around Gabor is drinking ourselves blind?"

"Have you considered…oh, I don't know, talking with her? See if you can't get something resembling a rapport going? Or how about seeing her as something more than a meal ticket or a spoiled brat?"

Grif snorted. "Who said she couldn't be both those things?"

Donut's nostrils flared as he tried to keep his composure. "Look, I know that she's been a bit…difficult to work with, but if y–"

"Sorry, but I'm not sticking my neck out further for some socialite with daddy issues than I absolutely have to. Meantime, there's a pay-per-view MMA match calling my name."

"Who's in it?" came the cold response.

"That one "invincible" Canadian redhead chick. Too bad we won't ever have to do this bit with h–"

Donut abruptly hung up.

"In this corner," the TV blared, "Hollywood's true master of the martial arts– the one, the only, MacArthur Ito!"

Grif rolled his eyes as he watched a slightly shorter-than-average young Asian man step into the ring.

"And in this corner, the Invincible Girl of Ontario herself, fresh from her recent match in Rio– your favorite and mine, Pyr–"

Just then, he felt his cell phone ring, a quick glance at the caller ID revealing it to be none other than the man who'd hired him.

"Hey there, Mister Gabor," he said. "How's everything g–"

"Considering the expenses I've been seeing from that company credit card I gave you and your friend in the pink suit, I can't help but wonder if you're actually doing your job."

Grif snorted. "Micromanaging, much? Listen, your kid's safe, her friend's safe, and we're safe too, so let us handle the details here on the ground, okay?"

"Let me spell things out for you, Mister Grif," Harvey icily said. "When I hired you and your associates, I was expecting at least some basic level of professionalism. Instead, I get you giving me lip and wasting my company's money on alcohol, junk food, pornography, and…what's that punching noise?"

"An MMA fight on pay-per-view between that Nikos chick and some dude named "MacArthur" that you've been making me miss!"

"Well, in that case, excuse me for distracting you from such an important matter," came a reply as dry as the Atacama. "Now, if it's all the same to you, perhaps you can do something more worthwhile such as…oh, I don't know, ensuring my daughter's continual safety?"

"Hey, as long as you're still paying, we'll keep her al–"

The call cut off, and Grif's attention returned to the screen…only to see Ito tapping the floor of the ring like a drum major.

"So, what was all that about?" Mary asked as Donut returned.

"Well," the latter began, "I don't mean to cause a panic, but I think your friend may potentially be in the sights of a bunch of neo-Nazi terrorists."

Mary's jaw went slack. "This better be some kind of sick joke," she said after a long silence.

Donut shook his head. "Considering that Grif's source is none other than the BBC, I don't think it is." He sighed. "At least you and Phyllis can be sure that I'll have your backs, even if he can't be bothered."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For anyone who's wondering who "MacArthur Ito" is, he's a pre-enlistment Quick Kick from GI Joe. As for his opponent…yes, that is Pyrrha from RWBY. And before you ask, I've already got a plan for how RWBY fits into this particular universe, so you may want to brush up on some Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering lore– though I will probably give a layman's explanation for some of the proper nouns, so don't worry too much about that.

Also, I'd like to announce that The MECH Chronicles is now on AO3, so feel free to check it out there as well.