Chapter Text
October 25th, 1:09 AM, New York
The contract had been raked up to 20 Million. He had lasted longer than expected, so of course -- of course, they doubled the price of the man hunt. If he wasn't already covered in his own blood and the blood of more than fifteen other people from today alone, he would shake his head at the sheer amount of pandemonium between everyone. Some teamed up, others went solo. More fights broke out between people who were too dumb to realize 20 million could set up a team of five for life. Not that he cared, since it was his head on the chopping block.
The Continental was forever out of bounds (if he was being honest, he really wished he thought that one through). He ached everywhere. He was bleeding even more than everywhere at this point, his ammo was low and it was already half past 1 in the morning. John honestly was running out of options -- none of them were within hobbling distance either, and it's not like he had his car, most likely Aurelio still had it. For now, he chose to bide his time in an abandoned construction lot in a vain hope that some option would come up in a short rest. His dog whined beside him, nosing his cheek whenever he seemed to fall out of consciousness.
There was a knock.
With a grunt of effort he shoved the dog behind a half-finished cement wall, shushing his whine of protest as he dove after him. John heaved quietly, pressing a hand to a reopened wound with a wince. He checked the chamber of the gun to find five bullets left, and counted the number of footsteps entering the room. Six people, two of which are dragging something. It didn't sound like anything inanimate.. It was more like they were holding a person. There was a beat of silence once they stopped.
"I see you're still working on that retirement," he knew that voice. Caerus Hexby was revered as one of the Continental's many mysteries, and wherever she went, death and complicated politics weren't far behind. Leverage and luck were something she excelled at, and with her reach it was no surprise she found John. Being a member of the High Table, her influence was immense, and her syndicate was well known in the underworld for their effectiveness. No one bothered them. Except Winston of course, he bothered everyone.
"What are you here for Hex?" he called back, left hand gripping his gun and the other holding his dog's collar. Everyone stayed to the far side of the room. Only two guards seemed to come towards the middle, but there was no plan to ambush, that was for sure. This would be a poor angle to do that, plus everything in this place echoed.
"I'm here for you, of course. You still owe me, and from what I'm seeing... you could use some help," she ordered her people back to the wall while the two guards holding the doors stayed put, "Is this a bad time? I could always come back later, let you bleed to death on a dirty floor," Caerus suggested, moving just a little closer to John's position. Her guards shuffled anxiously, but with a single look from her they stayed put.
"Hex, cut the shit please," John really didn't have time for this, if she was going to kill him she could try her luck now. He was already bleeding out from a bullet wound in his shoulder plus whatever stitches ripped on his abdomen, two bruised ribs plus one fractured, a concussion... Yeah, good times. The pit bull whined again. At least the dog was safe, if underfed.
"Cutting the shit- I have a ten mile radius blocked off, we have seven minutes before I pull them back and smuggle you out of New York. They'll expect you to try and flee the country by now, that'll happen later once you've healed up. I know it's stretch, but 2 months is the most I'm willing to attempt. We'll move you out of the country when they slip up; put less people around the airports. They're going to panic big-time," She laughed to herself, ignoring the serious air in the room as she usually did.
John still stayed put. This... this was too good to be true, she had to be playing at something. Though, Hex was always Hex, she held true to her every word. When she liked you.
"Honestly John! You can come out now, I'm here to keep you safe- not kill you. I'm not stupid. None of us could take you, bleeding out or no," he almost snorted at that, well he would snort, but he was bleeding from his nose and congested from the poor weather. Damn. Reluctantly, John stepped out from behind the cement wall, shuffling himself upright and letting his dog go to investigate. He clutched the gun against his side just in case, eyeing everyone in the room warily. No one made any move to approach.
Good.
"The catch?" he asked after a moment, to which Hex gave a pinched smiled. With a flick of her wrist two bodyguards brought the person being dragged to the forefront. Head bent, they swung lifelessly in their grip. Most likely knocked out then. The dog sniffed the air as she was brought up, but was too wary to approach when the guards were around.
"You won't be the only one hiding," Hex had them set her down carefully in the middle of the room, "She's our... middle ground, if you will. Her contract was the one topped by yours a few days ago."
"... Who issued it?" John couldn't help but ask. He may be running out of time, but it was good to know what you were going to get roped in before you jump in head-on. Well, pushed in, in his case. He was going to blame everyone else at this point, he was in sour mood.
"Someone in the government did, or a project belonging to it, not sure yet. 17 million for her capture, alive or dead," She paused for effect, watching John try to process her words.
What the hell?
"You see, I have few options left in the grand scheme of things, so with this I take care of two birds with one stone; I keep both of you alive, and topple a war before it blows out of proportion- we all get what we want."
"Why her?" What in the hell- he was too tired for this. Way too tired. Forget a sour mood, his was downright curdling.
"She stole information that they want back, and not to mention she's the government's lab rat -- one of many, actually. They wanted to replace assassins when we started to get too much leverage, and given the shit-show in charge, their solution was as fucked up as all US government solutions usually are." Caerus explained it so casually that he was honestly sure he'd heard people complain about the weather with more heat in their voice. He took a moment to breath in.
Wick eyed the girl in the middle of the room. She didn't look like much, grimy face obscured by greasy hair and a tattered jacket draped over her bowed frame. Though, he had learned over the years that appearances are just a way to communicate what you want others to see.
"Tell me."
"They created soldiers in a sense. Stole children no one would be looking for, and experimented on them -- some are put on missions once they're capable, and she was. She came to us when she figured out what they were doing. We suspected for awhile, but we would have been caught off-guard if not for her-" Suddenly she stopped, noticing the gleaming white ties on the kid's feet and hands, "-For the love of- who fucking zip-tied this kid? Get them off her already!" Caerus shouted, reaching up and slapping the nearby guard who had been carrying the teen.
"Boss-" one of the more gruff and now obviously paranoid guards attempted to interrupt. Caerus whirled on him immediately, eyes going cold.
"Not once did I fucking stutter. El burro sabe mas que tu! I said sedate her because she was exhausted, not tie her up; she's just a dirty kid, not a monster! Honestly, what do I pay you fucking fools for? Child abuse?" Everyone in the room seemed to shift uncomfortably at that. Finally, the guard made his way over and cut the girl's zip ties. She barely stirred, grumbling under her breath.
She was so young. If covered in blood and definitely a week's worth of grime, John could still tell. "So there's no choice." It was a statement.
"Not if you want to live." Hex looked at them both, then ordered the guards to pick the girl up again. "One minute left, we should get moving." John paused for a moment, but decided against it. He could debate morals and the compromises he's had to make later. Right now, he was a dead man with no choices left but to join them. His dog at least seemed decided on where to go, treading after the cluster of guards without a care once he found out no one was getting hurt.
"Come on," Caerus called out, and begrudgingly, he followed. Was he going to regret this? Obviously. Though he wouldn't get caught in it for too long, he never could. John couldn't see any obvious ploy on his life, but it doesn't mean Caerus was above that. Five years is enough time for anyone to be led astray.
Just don't get attached. He can't get attached to anyone here.
You still need someone - something, to love. A soft voice echoed in the back of his mind, his heart wrenching painfully in response.
Oh, Helen. If you only knew. He thought to himself.
Princeton, New Jersey, 2:42 AM
If you couldn't tell already from John's completely uncharacteristic silence, he was in quite the state of shock. He was also delirious and hopped up on pain meds, probably running a fever too. Surely he should be dead on the street right now, but no; he'd managed to get swept up into the back of Caerus Hexby's van. Taking part in an exploit that was much bigger than him and the price tag on his head wasn't apart of his plans, but he had run out of those really fast with every step he took from that fountain. Speaking of his current arrangement, it was nearly a heroic case; if it wasn't so insane to involve a 17-year-old so-called super soldier, Caerus herself, the High Table, oh and what was he missing? Some part of U.S. Government. It was madness. Perfect for his life that was currently spiraling out of his control. Not that he had much control over it anyways.
Right now he was sitting between a knocked-out teenager, his dog, and a couple of bodyguards. Hex was in front of him, and the rest were seated around her. They gave him a quick patch and painkillers for his wounds, so he seemed to pass between moments without a thought, mercifully numb to the pain, but unable to process the world around him aside from muffled speech and neon lights in passing.
His head felt so heavy.
I should be dead. John thought, then startled when Hex snorted from in front of him. He said that out loud? Damn.
"Yet here you are." Caerus gave him a thin-lipped smile, "You're not dead John, it would be a shame to lose you so soon," John highly doubted that, but it was best to never argue with Hex. It never ended well for anyone.
The car ride was awkwardly silent again. A few minutes later, John was jostled by the kid next to him. She had woken up with a start during the silence, trying to rub sleep from her eyes, only she ended up rubbing dirt in them instead. She didn't seem to care much, yawning before she turned to speak to Caerus, "How long was I out?"
"26 hours and 30 minutes-- I honestly thought it would be longer given you nearly collapsed mid-sentence when you got to us. The time is--"
"2:42 AM," everyone was silent, much to the kid's concern. Was it the wrong time? Caerus broke the silence by voicing her concern, her brow furrowing as she spoke.
"I don't mean to sound ignorant, but is that one of your superpowers...?" oh, that's what the look on their faces was about. Well, at least she was right about the time. To everyone in the van who had seen her file, she was just another unknown, and a big one at that.
"No, it says it on the clock on the dash over there," She shrugged, much to everyone's sheepish relief.
"Just had to be sure, you did run for how long? A week?" Caerus questioned lightheartedly, to which the kid gave a single nod, "I... I thought that was a joke. Did you even take a break?"
"Why would I stop?" She was genuinely concerned with the question.
"I don't know, exhaustion?" Caerus stated the obvious, worry showing through for the teen. Really, what the hell were they getting into?
"It was important, and I was being pursued... Though I will admit my pace was not consistent." she said it as if it was something to be ashamed of. Everyone remained quiet once again, unable to figure out how to go from there. Not that they were really willing to do so. Caerus let out a breath through her nose, and pulled out a file from the suit case at her feet.
"Read this when you get to the safehouse. You'll want a clear head for it," She pushed it into the kid's hands, who fumbled a little before taking it. She held it tightly, thumbing the folder's edge as she debated the contents.
"Is it from the files?"
"Yes, everyone's names were in it." Caerus gave her a pointed look, and the teen's eyes flashed.
"... Thank you."
"Don't thank me, you went and stole the information, we just opened up the contents. It'll be months before we can compile it for the public eye." Adrian nodded silently and held onto it. She took a breath, then realized something. Who was sitting next to her?
The teen side-eyed John briefly, but instead was drawn to the dog at his side, not wanting to stare at the man for too long. He was... hmm. She didn't have a word for it- oh, the dog was looking at her. Said companion to the mystery man had lifted his head to meet her gaze, tail wagging excitedly as he regarded her, and comically enough he was wagging it so hard it slapped the arm of the guard next to him.
She gave the dog a brief smile before looking at her feet. The only reason she wasn't giving in to pet the dog was because she didn't want to talk with the stranger who obviously owned it, let alone breach his personal bubble more than she already had by sitting squished next to him in the back of a stuffy van. He was a bit... Intimidating. That was the word she had been looking for. It was probably the same reason the guard didn't say anything about the dog hitting him with his tail.
The man next to her was probably the person Caerus was talking about before she was sedated on the ride over, Some generic first name and the surname Wick? She wasn't sure. Seemed like she wasn't the only stray to be picked up today.
Okay, that was a very bad joke on her part. She was never good at those.
Caerus gazed at them nonchalantly before checking their location on her phone. She gave an acknowledging hum before addressing them, "I'm not happy with how close it still is, but it will do. We'll drop you off a few streets away. My associate Dharma will be there to pick you up and take you to his apartment. Police will be changing shifts now, so just avoid the cameras and you should be good. Julia, turn on the Lyft light up front would you?" Up front Julia did as asked.
"It's on," She called back, slowly turning onto the next street. Everyone was suddenly in motion, Caerus scooting over as the guards re-positioned themselves and grabbed disguises from a duffel bag. John accepted the jacket and hat from one of them, sliding it on over his ripped and bloodies clothes before pulling out a leash for his dog. There was a whine of protest from the dog, but minimal pulling much to John's relief. The teen was handed a coat as well, plus a wet wipe for her face. She nodded her thanks, pulling on the coat before quickly wiping off the week's worth of grime. There was a small sigh of relief with a slightly louder thank you to the nearby guard. Hex grinned at them both.
The van slowed to a stop. She turned to the two, watching as they struggled to put on their disguises over injuries and exhaustion. "Kid? John will be going with you, he's important so try to get along-" Caerus grinned at her slight grimace, "-Plus he's an old friend who owes me, so don't rough him up too much when he starts acting like a dick," John shot her an offended look, but subsided rather quickly when Caerus raised her brow at him. Helen, and Marcus, hell, anyone who had a conversation with him, often told him he was a jackass so Hex wasn't wrong there.
"Got it." he glanced over to the girl, who looked back at him before turning away. This was... going to be something.
"John, play nice and heal fast. I'll let you both know when the time tables change," The van slowed to a stop, John adjusting his coat briefly before he looked up to Caerus.
"Thank you, Hex." She grinned and waved him off while the guard to her left slid the van door open. The kid got out first, adjusting her hood for the light rain that started to come down. John stepped out after her, the pit bull following along faithfully. In front of them was an unassuming man in a diamond-patterned sweater, a charming smile upon his face as he opened an umbrella, then pulled out a spare.
"Hello Hex -- John, Good to see you again. Five years retirement did you well." He commented lightheartedly.
Hex chuckled briefly before John nodded to him, taking the umbrella offered, "You're taller since I last saw you," He commented, more to keep himself aware than anything. He really was taller though. The kid watched the interaction with mild interest before turning to Caerus, who was all smiles at their mini reunion.
"Been going on T for the last few years since you left." Dharma gave John a proud smile. John briefly quirked his lips in response. Dharma had talked about it once or twice after he got top surgery. Caerus interrupted their short reunion with a cough, eyeing the streets warily.
"Babysit for me, will you Dharma? Oh, and John?" He looked up, brows raised expectantly. Her normally bright expression became solemn, "Stay safe. Kid, don't act brash. You have backup this time," With that, she had the guard shut the door and they drove off. The teen's brows furrowed, yet she said nothing. They were both interested in the fact Caerus had stressed the importance of their safety so much in the last hour and thirty-three minutes that it was worrisome, but they knew why. The stakes were much higher this time.
"Well, shall we take a stroll?" Dharma gestured to the street ahead of them. It was, thankfully, crowded just enough that they could blend in with little to no problem.
"Let's go," John nodded, tipping the umbrella to Adrian. The teen snapped out of her reverie, looking up at John as the umbrella covered her head. She nodded in agreement, and they were off.
Back in the van, Julia looked into the rear-view mirror in an attempt to gauge Caerus's mood, "Boss, will this work?"
There was a brief silence where no one thought she would answer, but Caerus nodded, "We'll make it work. Take us back up to the Continental. Winston is going to have a talk with me."