Three
AN: One last chapter with the Expendables. I am not happy with the twins' interactions with the Expendables and their dad. It feels like I just threw them in and then rushed to kill them off, so I wanted to fix that. This story will be kind of goofy. Tool (Mickey Rourke) as Alaric Saltzman.
Tool and the crew had taken time to mourn and remember the twins and how they affected their lives. After learning their former mission assignment manager was behind the twins' death, they were determined to take him down. Especially when the neurotoxin was administered by Stonebanks. Which meant Church and Stonebanks were acquainted with each other enough to work together to eliminate the twins. Plus, Tool needed to know why? Why were Zheko and Echo targeted? What was the point?
The entire crew; Tool, Ross, Christmas, Yang, Mauser, Drummer, Galgo, Doc, Gunner, Caesar, Toll Road, Thorn, Mars, Luna, and Smilee had shut down the bar after the wake. The funeral had to be held at the cemetery with the amount of people who attended. Then the fire marshall was called to the bar for being over capacity. Soon, the bar was closed and the crew sat in silence in remembrance.
The silence was broken by Galgo, the talkative. He snorted while in thought. Before someone could ask Galgo went on to explain, "Even in the most disastrous situations they would tell jokes over the coms. I was remembering the one that made me laugh so hard I got shot. "You know you're not liked when you get handed the camera every time they take a group photo." After the bullet struck I stopped laughing when I remembered you guys always handed me the camera." Everyone couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Or how about the fact they would whistle as a distraction? It was always the same tune," Christmas commented. "Twisted Nerve by Bernard Herrmann," Everyone chorused. Toll Road shuddered, "That tune is unnerving." Caesar pointed his beer at Toll Road, "That's the point." "It's also how Nona gained the nickname Echo. Her whistle sounded like it echoed Zheko's. Beautifully unnerving, even in a firefight," Gunner expressed.
They were all lost in their memories of the twins. Tool was remembering the last time he spoke to Thea before the twins' death. She had disowned the twins due to their freakiness. He grew angry and cut all ties with her. Tool, in not so friendly terms, told Thea that Zheko and Echo are the greatest thing that could have ever happened to him and they deserve better than her. Thea hung up after that. Tool blocked her number as well so she couldn't contact him ever again.
"I remember being impressed by Zheko. He shorted out that missile timer with an uncoiled pen spring. Then proceeded to tell me he learned it from watching MacGyver," Caesar snorted. Christmas added, "They both were resourceful. Echo even taught Gunner a few things. I'm gonna miss them." The bar was silent once more.
Ross cleared his throat, "What are we going to do about Church?" "I want to go after him. Between him and Stonebanks is the reason I lost them. The reason we all lost them," Tool slammed his drink on the bar where he was standing. Ross stood from his seat, calling attention to him, "Drummer? Anything you can tell us about Church's dismissal?" Drummer leaned back in his chair and sighed, "It's confidential. So you didn't hear it from me, got it?"
Drummer waited for confirmation from everybody before continuing. "Before joining the CIA, Church had a reputation for doing whatever was necessary to defend his country while in the armed forces. He led a team very much like yours but served under the supervision of a five-star General. They went by the book…until they didn't. Church is a highly skilled strategist and marksman. His team's last mission cost most of their lives, several regulations were broken, and Church lost everything. The General gave him an option; to retire without benefits or join the CIA. Church grew bitter when he learned about the Expendables. That bitterness got worse after the twins joined your team." Drummer paused, "He wanted them for his own team."
"There's more to that. What else?" Christmas asked. Drummer ran a hand over his tired face then gained a look of disgust, "Church wanted Echo. He had an unhealthy obsession with her. I'm talking surveillance photos, video, some of which seemed to be captured outside her bedroom window. The apartment he owned in New York was practically wall-papered with her face. The oldest photo was time-stamped before the twins' 18th birthday. Majority of Church's assets have been confiscated or frozen. He has fled the CIA and probably the country."
Luna said what they were all thinking, "So, if he couldn't have her, nobody could." "Zheko would've stopped at nothing to avenge his twin, so he had to be taken out too. Not realizing Church now has a bulls-eye on his back anyways," Thorn stated. Tool poured himself another drink, "We'll find him. Then I'm putting a bullet in his skull." Drummer sighed, "CIA wants him alive. So aim for the torso." Mauser and Yang stood to leave. Mauser turned to Ross and put his hand out to be shook, "One last time." Ross grasped his hand, "One last time."
It took a year, a whole bloody year to find any trace of Church's whereabouts. He had fled to Morocco in North Africa. The Expendables rolled their eyes at that. One of the few countries with no U.S. Extradition Treaty. Total movie villain cliche. Now, the team has to get Church out of the country without alerting the Moroccan Embassy. Tool didn't care any more, he wanted justice for his kids.
The whole crew made their way to Morocco, knowing if they showed up en masse, Church would run. Over a period of two weeks, the crew entered North Africa to survey the area before venturing into Morocco, then finally the city Church resided; Ourika. The plan was for Tool, Ross, and Christmas to fly into Morocco last. Their plane was a dead giveaway. It would call Church's attention to them. And it worked.
Church had spent the year in Morocco building a team for the sole purpose of eliminating the Expendables. Church had lost his mind when he found Echo Vagen. He found her to be a stunning creature that he wanted to own. Church planned to kill Zheko and capture Echo. When that plan failed, he orchestrated the twins' death. Then fled the country. Now, with a wicked smile on his face that shows just how much he has lost his mind, Church strikes.
The familiar sound of Ross' plane engines reverberated over the Moroccan countryside. Church and his team readied for the attack. Church's team had caused an uproar with the locals but he just shrugged them off. When Ross' plane flew overhead, the locals shut themselves into their homes and hopefully out of firing range. Church laughed at the locals lack of bravery as his team moved into the town center, waiting.
Waiting impatiently. Not realizing Church had been surrounded by the entire Expendables crew. He should've known better, but the year in Morocco has clouded his judgment as much as his insanity. One of the armed men standing amongst Church asked, "You gonna let the townsfolk go?" Church snickered, "Nobody is leaving here alive." The man stepped back as CHurch gave an order, "Open fire!" The men hesitated before shooting at the homes and shops of the townspeople.
By the time Tool and the Expendables entered Ourika, the town was nothing more than rubble. The putrid smell of burning flesh wafted through the air. There, in the middle of the town, sat Church with a hostage. He held the woman at gunpoint as the crew got closer. Church stood, dragging the woman with him, "Not another step." He cocked the gun and pressed it into the woman's temple. Ross tried to reason with him, "Put the gun down, Church. Before you get hurt."
Church laughed in Ross' face. "I think not. You know, I had everything planned out. From the time I saw Nona Vagen, I wanted her. Gorgeous, young thing with abilities that couldn't be explained. I met her once, and knew she was mine! But, I had to go through her twin brother. He wouldn't let me get close enough to take her. So, I waited for the perfect opportunity. Only it never came. Because Crane failed to kill Zheko before you rescued them both. And then they were never alone. Always with their father. Now, that was a shocker. Who knew Tool would produce such beautiful children."
Church laughed at his own joke. The woman in his grasp struggled to get free. Church gripped her tighter, pulling her against his chest as a shield, "Don't even think about it, sweetheart." He looked over the crew and locked eyes with Tool and sniffed the woman's hair, "Nona was to be my wife. Well, after I got rid of my current wife. Let me tell you, the third time was not a charm. All she did was nag that I wasn't paying any attention to her. Probably because I spent most of my time spying on Nona using the CIA's resources." The woman lifted her foot and smashed it down onto Church's steel toed boot. The action irritated him so he pulled the trigger and shot her in the head.
As the woman's body fell to the ground, Church's men opened fire on the Expendables. Tool wasted no time chasing after Church. He was going to kill him or die trying. This year after losing the twins has killed Tool's will to live. The only thing keeping him from eating a bullet is vengeance. And his friends and crew knew it. Tool worked his body overtime to catch Church. They ended up inside the town's chapel. A few of the pews had the bullet riddled bodies of townspeople, some of which held Rosary beads in their clasped hands.
Church stood in front of the altar where the priest's body lay slumped. He personally put a bullet in the holy man's head. "Church in a church. Poetic isn't it," Church aimed his weapon at Tool. But Tool didn't want to just shoot the guy, he wanted to kill him with his bare hands. Tool lowered his gun, "It would be too easy, too quick to shoot you." Church laughed at Tool's absurdity, "So, what do you plan to do? Strangle me?" "Yeah, I do," Tool rushed at Church before any shots could be fired. The action caught Church off-guard.
Tool tackled Church to the ground and tore the gun out of his hand. Then proceeded to punch Church in the face a few times before Tool was thrown off. Church was not one to back down from a fight. He was going to walk away from this victorious. However, Church failed to realize Tool was more dangerous than the other members of the Expendables. He had nothing to lose.
Church landed a few punches to Tool's face and upper torso before Tool grappled his way on top. Tool had Church in a chokehold and was not going to let up until Church stopped struggling then stopped breathing. Church figured this out. He struggled against the hold for a few more minutes before "fading". Tool wasn't completely fooled; he knew he would have to grab his gun and shoot Church. Tool scrambled to get to his gun at the same time Church sat up and pulled his hidden pistol that was strapped to his ankle. Tool got to his dropped gun when a shot rang through the church. Pain radiated from his chest. Tool brought his hand up to the left side of his chest and felt the blood start to pool since Tool had foregone with his bulletproof vest.
Tool collapsed on his back, listening to Church walk up to him. Probably to finish the job. Church had an arrogant smirk on his face, "Well, you lasted longer than I thought." Tool coughed and gave Church his own smirk, "You forget. I had nothing to lose." Church's smirk dropped as Tool shot him in the center of the chest. Killing Church. Tool laid in a puddle of his own blood as Ross bursts into the church, "Tool! Hang on, brother. We'll get you out of here and patched up!" Ross knelt down at Tool's side, putting pressure on the bullet wound. Tool gave his friend a genuine smile, "Don't bother. This was a one-way trip for me. At least I get to see my kids." Tool sputtered his last breath as the rest of the Expendables came rushing into the church.
Ross was still holding his hands over Tool's heart with one hand as the other closed Tool's lifeless eyes. Christmas knelt next to Ross, "I think we knew this is how he was going to go. He died the day he lost the twins." Nobody said anything else for quite some time. Even Galgo was quiet.
It was decided that Mars would take photos of the town, the destruction, the bodies, and Church's body for something to give Drummer and the CIA. As they left the church after the photos were taken, they left back to the States. Taking Tool's body with them for a proper burial. A burial that had even more attendees than the twins. Tool was well loved by all.
What none of the Expendables realized is Tool really was going to see Zheko and Echo again. Just not in the afterlife like he thought. No, he will be joining them as his favorite character in TVD. Shh, he will never admit it.