I really am happy about the scene in the end.
I don't own pitch perfect.
Theo stood behind Chicago as he fixed his suit in front of the mirror. He seemed a whole lot chipper since he woke up from the hospital a week PR team had been hard at work in rolling out info about Charles "Chicago" Walters, Jr. and his humble lifestyle and desire to grow and be a business man who cares for his employees and the people of Atlanta.
Nothing could be more wrong. The image his built was too perfect, too good to be true because it was. Btu nobody cared much about it. Instead, the words "handsome CEO" was trending, as he tried to build his pristine image up before stepping into the light an officially take over Babel.
It was a dawn of a new day today.
And Theo feared what it could mean.
Once dressed, Chicago stepped inside his walk-in closet and picked a watch from his collection to wear. Theo sa him pull out a box with the same brand of watch that his brother wore before heading out. He stopped in front of Theo with a smile, handing the box over.
Theo tentatively reached out for the box until Chicago pressed it into his hand. Upon opening it, he saw the same watch Chicago was wearing, with the watches face bearing a different color.
"Today is a new day for us, brother," Chicago said, taking the box from Theo's hands, before taking the watch out of it. He then grabbed Theo's hand and placed the watch on his wrist. "This gift is to mark our brotherhood."
"S-so, you're no longer mad about what happened?" Theo asked.
Chicago hummed. "Oh, I've forgiven you. You might be wondering why, but I don't want you worrying that pretty little head of yours. I forgave you because you're my brother," he went on to say before placing both his hands on Theo's shoulders. "And if anything were to happen, if our plans ever crumble again, that means I get to have you take the fall. You still have use for me, brother."
Theo nodded, casting his eyes on the floor as Chicago gave him a pat. "Now come on, we can't be late," he heard him say as he turned to leave and exit his bedroom.
Theo looked at the shiny new watch on his wrist, of what it could mean, before turning to look at the table that was inside Chicago's walk-in closet, the one that housed his collection of watches.
It was a dawn of a new day for their brotherhood.
And Theo resolved, this time, he would get things right.
Beca sat in her seat next to Chloe at the Korean barbecue place Kimmy Jin took them to. She listened as the seasoned prosecutor explained why she was once again reaching out to them in hopes of forming a partnership. Aubrey, who sat in front of Beca, and next to Kimmy Jin, was the one who took the lead in asking the important questions.
Kimmy Jin was dead set-in bringing Babel down. She didn't know much about Chicago but she managed to piece enough information together to realize he was the one pulling everything behind the scenes. Judging from the reactions she, Aubrey, and Chloe gave, Kimmy Jin also figured out that they already knew.
For the most part, the case she was building was coming along well. She managed to convinced the head of Babel's union leader to work with her and provide testimony, including Babel's current attempts at finding loopholes as to why they shouldn't pay their victim's from the BLSD case. From the union leader's testimony, it would seem that Babel had its own department for victim intimidation and "clean up" called the Vision Team, a separate group from Bumper's Treblemakers who worked under the E&C subsidiary as supposed contractors and regular employees. On paper, the Vision Team was supposed to be in charge of team-building activities. They were supervised by a man they simply called the Team Leader. The union leader promised her a mountain of evidence, unfortunately he was ran over by a truck the other night, after being spotted having dinner with one of the lawyers from DSM.
If Beca had to guess, she would say it was Luisa who was behind it.
Kimmy Jin was sincere in her desire to find enough evidence to put Chicago and everyone leading Babel behind bars, that much Beca was sure of. She was getting desperate, wanting this partnership with them, especially now that she knew that she approached Luke about the Guillotine File. She still didn't know about her own partnership with Luke, that much Beca can tell. If she had to guess, she was willing to bet that Kimmy Jin didn't even know they knew each other. Luke simply said that he found that the Guillotine File was destroyed, and provided fake evidence to support the claim. He still didn't know Beca had it either, and Beca believed it would be best to keep it that way for now. There were too many moving pieces to this puzzle, and she needed to hold her trump cards close to her chest if she were to succeed in this game against Babel.
Besides, while Beca could see Kimmy Jin's earnest desires in achieving her goals, there was something that bothered Beca about this partnership with her. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she trusted her gut feelings. She's used to working with her enemies to get what she wants, and she wasn't sure if Kimmy Jin was friend of foe, only time would tell what she was, but Beca knew that for now, working together was the way forward.
They were after the same thing, and working together ensures the greater percentage of success, what with Chicago gaining more power.
It was always a risk to push him to the spotlight, especially with how easily Chicago can wield greater influence now. But the higher they climb, the harder they fall, and this was the only way Beca knew he could get Chicago to pay for his crimes. For him to be the one to get punished.
"You want evidence, right?" Beca then said, interrupting Kimmy Jin's lamentations. "That might take time to get, but they won't go unpunished for their crimes, that much I can promise. Let's start with taking down the Vision Team and finding justice in the death of the union leader. People need to know what type of monsters run Babel."
"And how do you intend to do that?" Kimmy Jin then asked.
"By doing things our way," was Beca's simple response.
"I need your help, but we can't start running around town doing things the way the mafia does," Kimmy Jin replied.
"I'm not thinking of doing anything illegal per se," was Beca's reply. She donned her most charming and innocent smile. "But I think it's best you don't know what that is exactly. Just be rest-assured that no one's going to get hurt. Oh, and be ready to play your part when the time comes and we need you help."
"And what exactly is that?" Kimmy Jin asked for clarification.
"You'll know when the time comes," was all Beca granted her as a response.
"Just put your faith in us," Chloe then chimed in. "We know our work arounds."
"And we haven't exactly failed just yet," Aubrey then replied before once again taking over the conversation and reassuring Kimmy Jin that they'll handle the rest.
They finished their lunch and watched as the prosecutor left ahead of them.
"There really is no rest for the wicked, huh?" Chloe commented. "But tell me, Beca, what's going on in that head of yours?"
"I'm betting our favorite consigliere already has a plan," Aubrey noted, prompting Beca to chuckle.
Because she did indeed already have a plan.
She formed it while they finished lunch.
"Why didn't you say any sooner? Still don' trust Kimmy Jin?" Chloe asked.
"Do you?" Beca then replied.
"To be honest, I don't know," Chloe then replied thoughtfully.
"It's hard to say, especially with what you said about how she tried to get Luke to help her. It seems like she's absolutely desperate to finally get her hands on incriminating evidence against Babel," Aubrey noted. "But then again, her career's on the line here. She's already faced a setback with how she went after Walters, Sr. during his time as head of Babel."
Beca nodded. "She wants to play the hero for now, so let her. Being a hero isn't my style anyways. Besides, having her run around to chase Babel only keeps our enemies busier, and we need to keep them busy for now."
"Why? What do you have in mind?" Chloe then asked.
"Well, we have to deal with the vision team, right?" Beca replied. "Besides, we got what we want. Chicago is stepping into the light. Now that he is, congratulations are in order. I think the best time to do that is during his keynote speech at the State University. He's been invited by the engineering and business department for their special seminar. You got to hand it to his PR team, they are really working hard to establish his presence in the business world and in building up his image from the get-go. That's why I think it's time to send a message, and properly welcome the new CEO and chair of Babel."
Aubrey quirked an eyebrow at Beca. "What do you mean by that?"
Beca simply replied with a smirk.
She had been looking forward to this moment.
Aubrey never thought she would ever find herself at a bayside shipping warehouse on a late night on Thursday dressed up in all black, including a black mask and a black cap that did it's best to conceal her tied up blonde hair, while holding a metallic baseball bat, and yet, here she was.
What was she doing there in this get-up, one might ask?
Well..
It all started when prosecutor Kimmy Jin reached out for their help on a few matters regarding Babel, and as per usual, when it came to their nefarious foes, the gears in Beca Bella's mind start turning fast.
Beca had asked Kimmy Jin to keep them posted on the current ongoings with Babel, particularly about the union leader's death and the vision team. They soon found out that there was a new union leader, some crony installed by the vision team leader, to plant false evidence of how the union funds were being used, implicate the previous union leader of stealing from the funds and having a gambling problem, and how Babel believes that paying their BLSD-exposed employees along the previously discussed and agreed upon guidelines through their union was not in the best interest of either parties due to the circumstance around the falsified allegations about the now deceased former union leader.
Beca, an expert in killing two birds with one stone decided to hatch up a plan that would both get the new union leader and the vision team leader in trouble while also throwing a wrench in Chicago's plans of maintaining a pristine and squeaky-clean image. She even had a perfect time in mind of when to strike best.
Aubrey would never admit it, but it always impressed her the way Beca does it. Know what would hurt her enemies and when it would hurt the most, and all without shedding blood.
The first part of the plan was simple enough. Kidnap the new union leader, a feat accomplished by Lilly with ease earlier in the evening.
Which brought them to the second part of the plan. Get the new union leader, who Beca affectionally called Crony #1, to betray the vision team leader, Crony #2, and get him to confess to all their crimes involving the death of the former union leader, the extent of Babel's involvement and who amongst its leadership ordered for the hit, as well as any and all other nefarious deeds that they may know and be involved in.
The third part of the plan was to broadcast said confession live with the help of Stacie, but that all hitched on convincing Crony #1 to work with them. One might balk at this plan, saying it would never work, but Aubrey has seen Beca work her magic multiple times over already. She knew, firsthand, just how convincing the consigliere can be.
And thus begins their "cement-dation" tactics, as Emily called it earlier in the day.
Aubrey was playing the boss of the strike team. From the info that Kimmy Jin had shared, they found out that the goons who attacked the tower residents recently were the same goons that worked for the vision team leader. They all sported matching tattoos above their wrists, which Ashley and Jessica easily copied and used to artistically adorn their friends' wrists with before they dressed up in their matching black ensemble of hoodies, jeans, sneakers, caps, and masks.
Crony #1 was currently still passed out, tied to a chair placed on top of a few cement cinder blocks so that he's feet wouldn't touch the ground.
Cynthia Rose, Benji, Flo, and Denise were all mixing cement in a tub while Jesse was pouring its contents in it. Beca and Chloe were on guard duty in front of their captive guest while Lilly stood guard from a vantage point nearby.
"Wha-what the hell is this…?" Crony #1 asked when he finally stirred awake.
Perfect timing, the cement's almost ready, Aubrey thought to herself. Wait a minute, why am I actually getting into character here?
"What's going on? We're all friends here, aren't we?" Crony #1 then said.
"Not according to the new team leader," Beca replied, nodding towards Aubrey who gave a nod in response. "We don't know the specifics but we were told it's time take care of you and the current vision team leader," Beca added, getting into character as yet another grunt perfectly.
"And not in the fun way," Chloe then chimed in. "Trust me, we checked."
"Looks like you got yourself in the crosshairs for some reason," Beca added with a shrug.
"T-take care of me? W-wait, what? N-no… that can't be… what are you guys even doing over there?" he asked the rest of the group.
"Making cement," they pretty much nonchalantly chorused.
"W-what for?"
"Well, you know, to help anchor you down," Jesse the replied, pouring the last of the contents of the cement mix he had in the bag.
"Boy did you really messed up, sleeping with the fishes is a punishment reserved only for those who really angered the bosses," Benji then said.
Cynthia Rose and Denise then split off from the group to tilt Crony #1's chair. Jesse, Benji, and Flo then began to work on moving the plastic tub filled cement closer and closer towards where Crony #1 sat.
"W-w-w-w-w-wait, no please," Crony #1 said. "Don't do this! Please don't! I can still be useful! I know secrets! I know what the vision team leader's been up to! We've been friends since childhood, I know everything about him!"
Aubrey raised a hand to halt the action and everyone stopped on their tracks.
"Can you get him to own up to everything?" Beca then asked. "The new boss wants to do some spring cleaning, after all. Out with the old, in with the new. If we can get him to implicate all those who failed before… see, the new boss isn't really this Charles Walp guy… just someone who wants to take over Babel when it's stock drops down cheap, some kinda company take over. We'll get paid of course."
"And maybe we can put in a good word for you and get you a piece of the pie," Chloe added, placing a hand around Crony #1 and patting him on the shoulders. "What do you say?"
"ABSOLUTELY!" Crony #1 then said. "H-how much we talking about anyways?"
Chloe shrugged, and looked over to Aubrey. "Dunno, only the team leader knows, but she says we'll get handsomely rewarded and I mean, we got paid for this job already and it's a bucket load of cash."
"Yeah, even more than the cement in the tub," Flo then said.
"Long as you split with us of course," Denise added. "We always split profits evenly."
"If you don't, then it's really with the fishes to you," Cynthia Rose concluded while Crony #1 vigorously nodded his head in agreement.
"I guess that settles it, keep him in a safe house," Aubrey finally said. "'Course we're gonna have to keep you restricted."
"Oh yes, absolutely, yes," Crony #1 replied.
Well, that was easy, Aubrey thought to herself. Here's to hoping the rest of the plan goes smoothly.
The day for the seminar where Chicago was going to give a keynote address rolled in, with the days leading up to it going by relatively fast. Chloe and her friends have been hard at work in ensuring this was an afternoon to remember, and she was looking forward to how things would unfold.
She found a seat on the second level of the college auditorium where the seminar was going to be held, Aubrey right next to her. The two of them were mostly left alone on that seating level with only a scant few others scattered about in their level, and most of the audience sitting on the first level. Aubrey focused on her phone and coordinating with everyone else from the tower working with them on their "mission," leaving Chloe to her thoughts. She was a bit peeved that she didn't get the chance to see Beca earlier that day, as she claimed to be busy with a surprise, so she was looking forward to watching Chicago flail on stage when they enact their plan even more. She was, admittedly, also both curious and looking forward to the surprise Beca had promised her.
It was ridiculous. They see each other every day, but since she's moved back to her own place, she could feel the absence of Beca's presence grow intolerably more and more each day.
Chloe huffed when she saw Chicago walk in surrounded by her posse of the Kommissar, Pietro, and his bumbling brother, Theo. He was dressed in some chic business casual ensemble, a light gray coat looking suit paired with the same-colored pants, and a white shirt underneath matched with a pair of white sneakers. He was giving off a humble but wealthy aura, which was what he wanted his image to be in the first place.
Chloe sick to her stomach seeing him again in person now that the truth has become known to them. She's managed to avoid him for the last few weeks since he's been silent on his end from the moment Beca uncovered who he really was. She simply can't believe that she ever considered him a friend. Who would have thought he was someone so sinister underneath the charming and goofy persona he evoked.
It didn't help that his outfit looked so clean and pristine when she knows just how stained his hands were with the blood of the innocent people he had hurt. From RDU-90, to BLSD, and pretty much everything else Babel. It didn't sit well with her how easy he had washed his hands off of any responsibility for his actions and avoided – more like bought – his way through facing any semblance of justice as a consequence to his actions.
They were introducing Chicago when Beca arrived, dressed all suave in a blue suit and a black long-sleeved shirt underneath. She paired the suit with the pants, and shirt with her sneakers just like Chicago and Chloe couldn't help but think how they were such polar opposites of each other. Beca was a mafiosa who could rule the underworld if she wanted and Chicago a – wrongfully – celebrated CEO basking in the glory of living in the light, with a – false – reputation and image everyone would want to have. Yet here they were, the villain was fighting for the people, and the person one would think to be a white knight was the true evil master mind.
As Beca sat down, she offered Chloe some popcorn from a bucket she didn't realize Beca carried in one hand. Where she got the popcorn, Chloe wasn't so sure of. There weren't any outside.
"Is this your surprise?" Chloe asked and Beca quirked her eyebrow at her.
"This isn't even nowhere near it," Beca replied. "I'm hurt you think I'll disappoint you like this, Beale."
Aubrey cleared her throat before Chloe could even make any witty comebacks. "Am I invisible here or are you going to offer me some popcorn too?"
Beca chuckled and handed her the bucket. Aubrey grabbed a handful before passing it back to Chloe who did the same, all while Chicago started prattling on and on about leadership, innovation, and how Babel would like to save the world with its endeavors starting with their plans of developing new electric vehicles from renewable resources. He snapped his fingers at the projectionist in his own room a level above where Chloe, Beca, and Aubrey sat to start a recorded video promoting Babel Motors latest projects and showcasing their electric vehicles.
Beca smirked when the feed started rambling. Aubrey looked at a message on her phone and confirmed Chloe's suspicions on why.
It was showtime.
The feed quickly changed to the small patio near a pool from the safe house where the new union leader for Babel and the vision team leader chatted, spilling information about Babel's intimidation tactics, the falsification of criminal evidence against the union leader who died, and Babel weaseling their way out of paying their victims with the help of DSM.
Chloe was really enjoying how the vision team leader was singing like a canary. Of course, he will. Beca has had Lilly send threats to him, trying to frame it in a way that Babel was ready to get rid of him too. Both felt betrayed for one reason or another, and ready to confront each other. Crony #1 motivated by money, and Crony #2 motivated by fear for his own life, thinking Crony #1 still was on Babel's side and conspiring against him.
The cherry on top from the live feed that Stacie was broadcasting was how Crony #2 started talking about how it was the Kommissar who had the former union leader killed because that's what Chicago wanted.
Chicago was furious. He was trying to act calm and confused, apologizing to the crowd while also sneakily glaring at his brother to stop things.
Chloe highly doubted they could. She watched Theo argue with the program host to cut the feed before he scrambled on his feet to get to the projectionist who was seemingly unresponsive. Of course, Chloe knew the poor soul was currently under the supervision of Lilly, so he won't actually cave in. The feed was controlled by Stacie on her laptop in the lobby of the building with Emily keeping her company to make it look like they were just students hanging out and studying there. Benji and Jesse kept a close watch for them while Beca had Bumper and his fellow Treblemakers cause inconvenience to anyone who would try to cut the power or get into the projectionist's room.
The feed was recorded by a hidden cam in the safehouse. Cynthia Rose, Denise, and Amy kept watch of the area, with Flo, Jessica, and Ashley on a special assignment. Chloe figured it was to be on standby or some other activity that would help the Trebles keep people where Beca wanted them to be.
But then Beca said something funny.
"Jessica and Ashley should be done by now," Beca noted. "And there's the signal form Flo," she kept mumbling to herself, checking on her phone.
"Signal for what?" she asked before turning to Aubrey for an answer. But Aubrey knew nothing of it either.
Beca looked at her watch. "Tre," she said, raising three fingers in the air.
"Due," she said, dropping it to two fingers, "une."
When Beca finished counting she nodded towards the stage. Chloe and Aubrey obliged and right on cue blood came splashing down from above the stage lights directly above Chicago. The instant the gallons of the scarlet liquid hit his crown and soaked him, staining his clean beige and white ensemble, both Chloe and Aubrey dropped their jaws in surprise.
The crowed echoed the same sentiment, gasping in surprise.
But the look on Chicago's face was priceless. A mixture of shock, anger, humiliation from the baptism of blood.
Pig's blood.
And that's when Chloe remembered the conversation she had with Beca in the past.
"You said you wanted to see it, even once," she said before standing up, throwing the popcorn towards the stage and clapping. "Bravo!" she said.
"It's even better than I dreamed of," Chloe noted, more to herself, never taking her eyes off a second from the blood-drenched Chicago.
"We probably should go," Aubrey said, trying to suppress a chuckle as she stood up.
Chloe did as she was told, her eyes locked on the stage. Chicago took note of their presence after Beca's antics, fury in his eyes as the Kommissar and Pietro tried to usher him off the stage.
Beca chuckled on their way out. Aubrey was clearly amused. Heck, she was sure even Theo Walters looked happy with his brother's predicament. And Chloe? She felt satisfied.
This was a declaration.
This was war.
And Chloe's money was on the mafiosa.
A/N Pt 2: I mentioned the pig blood ritual before to foreshadow this exact event, nyehehe… I say it was deserved.
UPNEXT: Schemes! Secrets! Shenanigans!