The firehouse doors creaked open as Bobby, with Buck slung over his shoulder, tried to make a quick getaway. The air outside was cold, and for a brief moment, they all thought they might just make it out clean. But then, from behind them, they heard the unmistakable sound of shouting.
"Don't move!"
"Great," Eddie muttered, turning toward the noise, his hand hovering over his gun. "We're surrounded."
"Buck, can you do something?" Chim whispered, eyeing the distraction they'd been relying on. "You still good for a little 'emotional breakdown'?"
Buck, still mostly out of it, gave a half-hearted wave. "Emotional breakdown? Sure! I can cry on cue." He blinked slowly, his face contorting into a comically dramatic expression. "I miss my pet hamster, Ricky. He was the only one who understood me... before the incident... sniff..."
Eddie raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but still focused on the task at hand. "Maybe save the Oscar performance for later, Buck. We're trying to not get shot."
Chim started moving cautiously toward the corner of the building, peeking around to see where the threats were coming from. Meanwhile, Bobby was squatting down to lay Buck on the ground, his mind already working on the next move.
"We've got about thirty seconds before they realize we're not going to stand here and talk it out," Bobby said. "So, here's what we're going to do: Chim, you create a diversion with a fire extinguisher—make it big, loud, and impossible to ignore. Eddie, you and I will move Buck to the side entrance. We'll cover you."
Buck's half-closed eyes lit up for just a moment, and he mumbled, "Ooh, a diversion! I like those." He let out an exaggerated yawn. "Can we do one of those... super dramatic stunts where I yell 'Stay away from me, you monster!' and then kick a trashcan across the yard?"
"We'll save that for the next big heist movie, okay?" Eddie said, trying his best to keep the situation light despite the chaos. "Chim, do your thing."
Without further hesitation, Chim grabbed a fire extinguisher from the side and rushed toward the front of the building, spraying the contents everywhere in a haphazard cloud of foam. The hissing sound echoed through the air, followed by loud shouts from their would-be captors, who were clearly confused by the unexpected explosion of white fog.
As the distraction spread, Eddie motioned for Bobby to follow him, and they both began carrying Buck—who, to their surprise, wasn't completely dead weight. He was still somewhat responsive, his hands lazily batting at the air like a cat swatting at invisible flies.
"Okay, I'm ready for my big heroic moment," Buck muttered. "If anyone tries to take me again, I'll use my secret weapon."
"What secret weapon?" Eddie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The power of my love," Buck replied, his voice tinged with a dramatic flair that seemed entirely unhelpful. "I'll distract them with my charisma—you know, like a Jedi mind trick."
"I think we're gonna need more than charisma, Buck," Bobby said dryly. "We're in the middle of a rescue, not a rom-com."
But just as they neared the side door, a loud crash echoed from the front of the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps—heavy, purposeful steps. Their pursuers were on the move.
"Time's up," Eddie muttered. "We need to move now."
They reached the side door and slammed it open, but it wasn't an easy exit. The noise outside had drawn more attention, and a couple of armed figures had positioned themselves at the back of the firehouse, blocking their path.
"Stop right there!" one of the intruders barked. "We've got you surrounded!"
Buck, still in his woozy, half-conscious state, suddenly raised both hands as though preparing for battle, though he was still far from coherent. "I'm the real mastermind here," he slurred, eyes hazy. "You don't want to mess with me... I know... karate... or something."
The intruder paused, clearly confused by the sudden outburst. That was enough of a distraction for Bobby, who charged forward, using his training to disarm the closest enemy. Eddie wasn't far behind, taking down the second with precision and efficiency.
Buck, still somewhat in the conversation despite being sedated, kept flailing his arms around. "See? See, I told you! I'm dangerous!"
In the chaos, Bobby managed to grab Buck again and hoist him over his shoulder. "You're a real pain, Buck, you know that?" he said, trying to suppress a laugh.
"Yup, but I'm a pain who's still... not unconscious," Buck said, his words trailing off as he let out another exaggerated yawn. "You're welcome, by the way."
Eddie, still covering their backs, looked over at Buck with a smile. "You're always a pain, Buck, but right now? I'm starting to think you're just an idiot savant."
"Dude, that's my superpower," Buck mumbled, eyes starting to close again. "Stupid genius. That's me."
With the perimeter now breached and the bad guys scrambling to regroup, the team made their move toward the alleyway, where a truck was waiting for their getaway. Buck, despite being mostly out of it, kept mumbling his commentary.
"Tell me when we get to the escape part," he said sleepily, "I'm really good at jumping out of windows… and making dramatic entrances."
"That's exactly what we're trying to avoid, Buck," Eddie replied, shaking his head.
The firehouse was now behind them, but the team wasn't out of danger yet. They still had to get Buck fully awake and back into action, and there was a long road ahead of them before this bizarre ordeal was over. But at least they had their most unpredictable teammate with them, and when Buck was around, things were always guaranteed to take an unexpected—and frequently hilarious—turn.
For now, however, the mission wasn't over. The team was about to face off with more trouble on the horizon, but at least they had one thing working in their favor: Buck's unwavering (if slightly drugged) sense of humor.