***Chapter Three***

December 25, 1989

Disillusioned, he made his way through the wreckage and debris as well as the surrounding area of the Nakatomi Plaza. The satchel he'd stored in his pocket was intact and full of more than enough bearer bonds to survive on for quite some time.

He wasn't going to come up with the whole six hundred million dollars' worth, but he really had hoped to come away with more than he was going to escape with.

Of course he hadn't factored in an interloper on this job. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here.

His ability to fly, slow his heartbeat to practically a stop, and to make him look like he'd just fallen from thirty stories added up to no one being the wiser that he survived.

The heartbeat spell was something he hadn't imagined he'd ever need to use. He'd created it back in his student days, in case he ever came up against Remus Lupin in his other form again.

He'd tested it on animals - none that would actually kill him - but he knew the spell would work if needed.

Dropping thirty floors and needing everyone to believe he died was necessary. No one could know he survived.

Except Monty, of course.

The rest of Hans' crew would be arrested, each charged with multiple crimes against them, so none would likely ever see the outside of a prison cell again.

Hans Gruber would be declared dead. He wouldn't have to worry for the rest of his life that venturing into the muggle world would result in him being arrested.

Or worse.

At least he hoped he wouldn't. McClane was not the typical mindless cop.

Damn John McClane.

He exercised caution, knowing that one mistake to end his disillusionment spell, or inadvertently bumping into someone else here at the scene, would result in his landing in prison. Cleaning up this mess was going to take time and with both the FBI and local police involved, it would not be swift.

He wasn't really here for more bonds. What he had would do him quite well. He was trying to figure out where it had all gone so wrong.

Had they not done thorough enough reconnaissance? He thought he'd been incredibly thorough.

Why was there no information provided to him as to a very pregnant office worker being on the premises, for example?

Why was there no mention of one of the employees having a policeman for a husband? (Of course, the policeman didn't live here and the employee went by her maiden name, so that error was possibly understandable. The information still should have been unearthed.)

Worse. He allowed himself to do something he'd never done before.

He lost control.

He deviated from the plan.

Why had he told them to fire a second time at the LAPD SWAT unit's vehicle? He had initially said only to wound them, a usual request from him. He just wanted them stopped from getting in.

He didn't like that he'd allowed his emotions to get the better of him to where he'd ordered additional fire.

The pause in carrying out his order told him that his team was aware no one was supposed to die.

Someone died.

A few someones died.

He would have to live with that.

No amount of effort by the headmaster and his silvery tongue would get Severus (he had to get back into the habit of thinking of himself as Severus Snape, especially since he knew this was his last assignment as ISA Agent aka terrorist sympathizer Hans Gruber) out of this if he was caught here. Months he'd plotted this, taken the information gleaned from his various undercover assignments.

He should have been able to ride off into the proverbial sunset, return to Hogwarts and the wizarding world for whatever task the headmaster had in mind for him going forward. This time, though, he'd be rich, and more confident from his experiences, so could tell Albus Dumbledore to go fuck himself if he felt the need to.

That pesky promise to ensure Harry Potter got through Hogwarts safely would stop him from doing that, but it was pretty to think that he could if he wanted to.

Of course, if the Dark Lord was set to return, he would remain by the headmaster' side until he was defeated. He had the Mark. He would use it to do what he could to bring the maniac down once and for all.

He'd committed to doing so, and he was a man of his word. The commitment made eight years ago or not.

He gathered what he could, enough as he regarded how many of the bonds in question he'd been able to recover today to add to what he already had. He believed he'd at least be comfortable.

Relatively speaking, of course.

He damned well would find out who put real bullets in his gun.

Mr. Takagi was not supposed to die! No one was. Takagi was supposed to remain in his office, hidden, until their job was over. He would have been safe there from the roof explosion. He'd looked at the building plans, plotted how to set the explosives to ensure Takagi would be found alive in his office.

Severus presumed the … fear from thinking that their boss was murdered would keep the hostages in check. If he had to use some of his haul to find out who was behind making him look like a cold-blooded murderer, he would gladly do so.

Ellis.

Well, he had suspected that gun was loaded with real bullets, but the man had betrayed his employer. His co-worker's spouse. For some legal secrets? It was the first time in his life he'd pulled the trigger, believing he might end a life.

The attempt on McClane's life?

That hadn't been real. He'd felt very clearly the gun was not loaded. It was too light. So, he'd known McClane was testing him.

To see what he'd do.

Well, obviously, the terrorist would try to kill him. So, he pulled the trigger. He had to!

The carnage at the Nakatomi Plaza could not have been avoided overall. Takagi should be alive, though. Takagi had been his inside man who wanted the traitor caught! (Severus felt a little bad planning on stealing from the man all along, because he had overall been cooperative and seemed like a decent human being.)

Severus would have to live with the man's death, as well as that of Harry Ellis, on his conscience for the rest of his days. He knew that.

It didn't mean he wouldn't hunt down who'd betrayed him, though.

Would he kill them? No, he would gather the intel he could and go to Monty. He trusted his handler would do something appropriate with the information.

John fucking McClane should not have butted in where he didn't belong. The chaos he added to Severus' carefully laid out plans could not have been anticipated. And certainly led to some of the end result.

He needed to leave. He needed to report to Monty, and Dumbledore. He was fairly certain he could spin this so that he didn't end up in a muggle prison.

Monty was aware that Severus suspected someone was trying to make him look bad, as if he wasn't truly on the ISA's side.

He'd believe him.

Monty always believed him.

The fact that the man's balding issue had not just stopped but reversed track because of a potion Severus supplied him with ensured that end.

He glanced one last time at the satchel. He would have to be careful. Guard the bonds with his life. And, most importantly, not cash them in for a very, very long time.

That meant, he supposed, if he was being called back by Dumbledore as he suspected he was going to be, he would have to also prepare to return to his position at Hogwarts. Everyone would assume he was nobody, with nothing to his name but the decrepit home he'd grown up in. No one would know he'd traveled the globe. No one would even suspect he had millions in bearer bonds if he was still teaching and remained owning his home on Spinner's End.

NOTE: Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a great week, and thank you for reading this odd idea of mine.