📦𝗬/𝗻'𝘀 𝗽.𝗼.𝘃.📦
We're having a games night over at Mac and Bozers, I've finally managed to get my place.
Jack and Riley are getting more drinks after the disaster of the charades.
We hear the doorbell goes off, it'll be the pizzas we ordered.
We make our way inside, we walk in to see a man on his knees and Jack pointing a gun at him.
"Jack!" Riley's mum exclaims confused, as am I.
"Mom, just stay behind," Riley says, on queue Mac lightly grabs my arm and pulls me behind him.
"What's happening?" I lean forward whispering in Mac's ear.
"Not sure yet," Mac says looking back at me blankly, I keep a hold of his arm.
"Wow, Murdoc was right, you do live here, you know, it's-it's not secure," the man says, I can remember being told about Murdoc, But I don't know who this man is.
"Where's Murdoc?" Mac asks looking straight at the man in question.
"You know he's probably a distraction," Jack says as he and Bozer walk around as if there looking for something, I feel Mac tense up next to me.
"I know my word doesn't mean much, but I promise Murdoc is now where near here, I came alone and unarmed," The man says looking around and then at Matty.
"Why are you here?" Matty questions him.
"We have something very important to discuss and trust me, you're gonna wanna hear what I'm gonna say," The man says smirking, I don't if I should believe him or not.
Mac and Bozer grab him and pull him into the living room, and push him onto a chair.
"Hey! You know this whole thing is so unnecessary, I just came here to show something," The man says holding his hands as Mac and Bozer come back to the group, Matty steps forward with Jack who still holds the gun.
"Then show us?" Matty suggests.
He gets a phone out of his trench coat pocket, it shows a video of Murdoc chained up.
"Murdoc sure doesn't look happy," Bozer mutters.
"Well with Murdoc, looks can be deceiving," Mac says snatching the phone from the Man and looking at the video of Murdoc screaming. "What's this about?" Mac asks handing the phone back.
"Revenge," He says putting his phone back in his pocket. "Before Murdoc required me into this collective, I had a pretty good life hiding in plain sight,"
"Murdoc outed you, boo hoo, you've come to the wrong place for sympathy," Matty says doing a lot of eye-rolling.
"You said Murdoc recruited you to a collective so there's more of you?" Mac asks I step closer so I'm next to him, and he turns and looks at me, I give him a small smile, and he returns it and then turns back around.
"Yes, and each of us has a story just like mine," he replies.
"Oh come on, you expect us to believe there's an anti-justice league who's tired of exposure that just turned on him, is that it?" Jack questions.
"Precisely, and I'm here to offer you a deal, in twelve hours we're willing to hand Murdoc over to you, all we ask in return is ten million in cash, and-"
"Oh, is that all," Jack says rolling his eyes.
"I'm not done! And the only agents allowed at the exchange is you two and the pretty E/c eyed lady, after the exchange, no one follows us, and we walk away clean...I'll give you a few minutes to discuss, but the clock is ticking, as you can imagine we have other interested parties," the man says, he looked me up and down and then back at Matty, I feel a shiver go down my back, Mac looks at me from the corner of his eyes he holds my arm lightly.
"We don't need a few minutes, this is a trap, plain and simple," Jack says bluntly, The man shakes his head.
"It might be, but it's also the best lead we've had on Murdoc in months," Matty says looking at Jack and then me, I'm guessing hoping I'll say yes.
"But what about the collective, surely helping them let every killer Murdoc helped go free," I question still not sure what I think.
"But in exchange we get Murdoc," Riley says holding her hands up.
"I can't believe you are even considering this!" Jack exclaims looking at us. "We're gonna trust a former fifth-grade teacher slash professional killer...why am I the only one feeling duped here," Jack continues moving around.
"You're not Jack, but Murdoc is big fish here," Mac says.
"So you're cool with this?" Jack questions him confused.
"Yes," Mac says slightly turning his head to me.
"If you're in then yeah okay, Y/n?" Jack asks looking at me, I nod my head at them.
"It looks like you've got yourself a deal, but I promise you this, if you double cross us you'll be the first person I hunt down," Matty says stepping right into the man's personal space.
"Lovely, I'll be in touch with the deets," He says going to get up but Jack stops him "Do you mind!" He exclaims at Jack.
"Get out of here!" Jack says through his teeth as he gets up and starts walking.
"See you tomorrow," the man says before leaving.
📦📦📦
It's the next day. Mac, Jack and I are driving to the meeting place, we're in a van. Mac and Jack are in the front and I'm behind, in front of the secure seats, there's a bunch of equipment next to me.
"Think you've brought enough stuff," I question, They both look at me and then at the equipment.
"For the doc, I don't know, this whole thing still feels suspicious to me, you know why would Flécher just hand Murdoc over to us? Huh, I'll tell you why, because he wants us dead that's why, big old bear trap," Jack explains to us.
"I know Jack that's why you're not the only one who came prepared," Mac says getting something out of a bag in the footwell next to me.
"You brought something too?" Jack questions.
"Yep," Mac replies.
"Please, tell me it's a death ray," Jack jokes.
"No, it's a portable gas chromatograph, so it takes samples from the air and scans them for explosive matter," Mac says, understanding what he means I look over at Jack who looks confused.
"It's a bomb detector," I say and Jack nods his head.
"Why didn't you say that!?" Jack questions.
"I thought I did," Mac says looking confused.
"Oh shit!" I exclaim a ringing sound starts in our ears. "The coms have gone,"
📦📦📦
We arrive at the meeting place and get out of the car, Jack gets the money.
"I ain't seeing anybody," Jack says looking around as we walk into the bridge.
"Is you're 'thingy' picking up on anything yet?" I ask, Mac shakes his head.
"No-" suddenly red dots appear on our chests. Mac puts the back of his hand on my stomach to stop me, it gives me a weird sensation in my stomach "I think they're here," Mac says, his hand staying on my stomach longer than I think it was meant to. He moves his hand and readjusts his satchel.
A car pulls up in front of us.
"Good morning gents, and you lovely lady," Flécher says as he makes his way over to us.
"I trust that you three are alone, as you can see, I am not. But if you behave yourself you get to go home with a prize," he continues as Murdoc gets dragged out the back of the car, I feel Mac and Jack tense up next to me.
"Oh, Macgyver! How I dreamed of our reunion even though my dream didn't involve these," Murdoc says excitedly as he shows us his hands in cuffs.
"Cash first," Flécher demands.
"Um...how about no, you're not seeing a single dollar until we have Cookahoop in custody," Jack demands back, I keep looking at Murdoc's creepy smile unable to look away.
"I'm afraid that's not going to work, see...I don't trust you," Flécher says slowly sending chills down my spine.
"How can you not trust us, we're the good guys!?" I say switching my vision from Murdoc to Flécher.
"How about a show of good faith and we meet in the middle?" Mac suggests
...
Flécher nods his head.
We all then slowly make our way to each other.
We do the exchange, Mac starts body searching Murdoc.
"Pleasure doing business with you, oh! And Murdoc if handing you in didn't pay so well, I'd kill you myself, remember that," Flécher says as if he's staring into Murdocs soul.
We all then get back into our cars.
Mac drives, I sit on the passenger side and Jack sits behind with his gun pointed at Murdoc who's behind him.
📦📦📦
"Do me a favour Looney Tunes?" Jack suggests.
"Anything for you Jack?" Murdoc says in a soft creepy tone.
"Wipe that creepy smile off your face or I'll hop back there and slap it off you," Jack suggests again.
"I'm sensing some anger Jack, still mad at me for killing your friend last Christmas, oh! How was Kage's funeral, by the way, I did mean to send flowers," Murdoc says rambling on.
"I hate to break it to you but she's still alive," Mac says looking at Murdoc through the rearview mirror.
"Really, that's surprising," Murdoc says in the most normal tone, it makes me feel uncomfortable.
"He just told you that you're not nearly as good as you think you are, and by night you'll be back in a ten-by-ten cell, so why are you smiling?" Jack questions.
"Just daydreaming...you remember when you're a kid, and you're playing in your backyard, and you come across a spider and you scoop it in your hand, take it inside and spend hours alone pulling its legs off, one by one, bye one...until the creature can't move anymore, and then just when it hits peak terror, you squish them into jelly with your hand," Murdoc says smiling the whole time.
"Seriously!?" Jack questions.
"What, I'm the only one who did that!?" Murdoc exclaims shocked.
"Does this creepy memory have a point?" I question Looking over at Mac, our eyes meet for a second.
"Of course, it always has a point Y/n, I'm smiling Jack because when I find those people who handed me over to you, I'm going to play with them like I'd done with my spider," Murdoc mutters, sending chills down my spine.
"Let me shoot him!" Jack exclaims.
"No," Mac whines slightly.
"Please...I know in my head it's the right thing to do, you know you have an inflated sense of your own importance Doc," Jack says.
"Mother always said I was special," Murdoc mutters smirking.
📦📦📦
We arrive at the helicopter meeting point, we get out of the van and make our way to the chopper.
"Going in a world bird, hashtag fun!-"
"Zip it!" Jack says dragging Murdoc to the helicopter, a beeping sound starts to play.
"What's that?" I question stopping Mac by grabbing his arm from next to me.
"...run...RUN!" Mac shouts grabbing me by the arm and pushing me slightly, the helicopter explodes sending us flying backwards.
📦📦📦
I hear a ringing in my ears and I feel myself being shaken.
"Y/n? Y/n are you alright?" I hear Mac ask, I try getting up but struggle, but Mac helps me.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I mutter, he nods his head in response, and he then makes his way to Jack.
"Jack!... Jack, are you alright?" Mac asks as Jack flips from his back.
"I'm a little woozy, but I'm breathing," Jack says standing and getting up.
"I'm fine too, thanks for asking-"
"Shut up, nobody cares," Jack exclaims as Mac drags Murdoc off the ground.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that wasn't an accident," I suggest looking around.
"We'll we've gotta get out of here," Mac says looking at the car that has a flaming bit of the helicopter in the windshield.
"That things' trashed we're going nowhere in that," Jack comments.
"The insurance rate is gonna skyrocket," Murdoc says.
"I thought I told you to-"
We hear bullets go off so we all duck down.
"Take cover now," Jack exclaims as me, Mac and Murdoc runoff.
We un up taking cover behind the chopper as Jack shoots at a car and drives in our direction.
Jack shoots the wheel of the car making it crash into our car.
"Who is this guy!?" Jack shouts.
"Is this one of your friends?" Mac asks.
"You lot know I don't have friends," Murdoc replies.
"We've gotta get out of here!" I exclaim as the person starts shooting again.
"Go! Go! Go!" Jack says as we all run off.
Once we get into a building Jack pushes Murdoc against the wall.
"What's so funny huh...what are you laughing at...this is all part of your plan, lay yourself out there as bait to get us all blown up, ha ha ha real funny," Jack exclaims under his breath.
"Come on Jacky boy you know me better than that, if I was in control of this you'd be chained to the helicopter and burnt mid-air, right huh, I don't know," Murdoc says.
"What the hell is wrong with you," Jack mutters.
"I'm just spitballing here, but you get the point, if this was a double cross, it's the worst double cross in the history of double crosses," Murdoc explains.
"Yeah, yeah Fletcher took the money and circled around to kill him," Jack says.
"Wait there are other possibilities, Fletcher said there were other interesting parties in Murdoc, so maybe he went to someone else before he came to us?" I suggest trying to hold Jack back.
"Yeah and that certain person tracked spencer to kill Murdoc himself, it's a lot cheaper that way," Jack says backing down a bit.
"So the real question is who wants you dead Murdoc?" Mac asks.
"Pull up a chair boys could take a white," Murdoc replies.
"I ain't pulling up a chair we're gonna work this out on a plane back to Phoenix," Jack exclaims pulling Murdoc along.
📦📦📦
"The cellphone towers are still down," I say still holding my phone up high.
"Great so we're here on our own with Murdoc and his soon-to-be-dead friend," Jack says moving Murdoc around.
"Again, not my friend," Murdoc adds
"We whoever he is, can't be far behind," Jack says stressing out.
"If we get a picture of him and somehow, send it to Phoenix to do a check," Mac suggests.
"How the hell are we meant to do that?" I ask.
"We can't get close to the terminator without being terminated," Jack half-jokes.
Cough Cough.
"What?!" Jack questions stopping Murdoc.
"Set a trap...you know photographers who take photos of wild animals do that, set a trap and trick him out and set your camera to auto so when the cell phone towers come back on you're video will be sent to Matilda...sound about right Angus?" Murdoc suggests I look at Mac, it's actually a really good idea.
"That's actually exactly what I was thinking," Mac says looking at the ground and then at me.
"Great minds Macgyver, great minds," Murdoc says smirking.
"Jack, I need your phone," Mac asks.
"No way, use your own, mine went snap crackle pop in the explosion," Jack says, the same happened to mine, and Mac sighs getting his phone out of his pocket.
"Whatever we're planning on doing can we speed it along?" Murdoc expresses nodding his head to the window, I look and see a figure walking past the window.
"This way," Mac says pushing me forward and then grabbing Murdoc.
📦📦📦
We find a library that seems to have people so we can blend in.
"Looks like cellphone service is on, we'll have to let Phoenix know we're still alive," Jack says as we walk to the end of the library as they seem to have computers.
"Why don't you kill that nice lady and get her phone?" Murdoc suggests.
"No," I say pushing him forward slightly.
"Fine, I don't know you lot, get anything completed," Murdoc mutters.
"We're in a public place, we don't need a phone," Mac says bending down to go on a computer.
"Hey, guys," Mac says as he manages to get a call with Phoenix.
"Y/n, Mac, Jack, it's so good to see you guys I'm sending you new exvil coordinates, they should be there in...four hours," Matty tells us.
"Okay cool, we'll lay low," I say leaning down next to Mac.
"Matty, hi, I just wanted to say how nice it is to see you again," Murdoc says pushing me out of the way to get in the camera frame.
"Shut up Peniwise, the adults are talking," Matty snaps back, Murdoc steps back slightly letting me stand back where I was.
"Did you get my video?" Mac questions.
"We did but, we didn't get any matches on face rec, maybe Murdoc knows him?" Matty replies.
"Send us a photo," I ask, and they send it through.
"Oh...this is gonna be fun," Murdoc says hysterically laughing.
"Matty I think we're on business, our psycho recognises your psycho," Jack says.
"Okay, who is this guy and why does he want you dead?" Mac questions standing up fully, we lock eyes for a second.
"This is Nicolas Helman," Murdoc says with a smirk.
"Is that name meant to mean something?" Jack asks.
"Mhm...it means you should start digging three graves right now, as that's the man who trained me, thought me everything I know, you think I'm bad, you haven't seen anything yet," Murdoc smirks.
📦📦📦
"Right so what's the deal with this guy hunting you? there's gotta be a reason he wants you dead so bad?" Jack asks, we borrowed a car to get where we need to.
"It's quite sad actually," Murdoc mutters.
"Is it?" I question looking back at him, Mac and I are sitting in the front with Jack behind and Murdoc behind him.
"Helman and I were on a job together, taking out a senator's kids with a car bomb, standard stuff really, Helman was under the vehicle securing the defuse when the kids came out early, it was a high paying so I didn't want to blow the paycheck, so I blew the explosives...Helman was horrifically burnt on seventy-five percent of his body, it's a miracle he survived," Murdoc explains laughing at the last part.
"You know, we'd have better luck stopping him if you told us the truth," Mac says.
"The truth is irrelevant if Helman wants us dead, were dead," Murodc says in a monotone voice, I look over at Mac to see his face scrunched up.
"But I can't say no to that face Angus, so here is the truth, fresh out of high school I wanted nothing more than to join the United States army, they wouldn't have me-"
"Imagine that-"
"Something about spectacularly falling a psych exam," Murodc says getting slightly defensive.
"What a shock," I mutter fiddling slightly.
"Right!...so I hopped on a flight out of the good US of A and went to the first Army who would take me," Murdoc explains.
"You joined a foreign Military?" I question.
"I'm pretty sure that is treason," Mac says practically taking the words out of my mouth.
"You see I have an interest in shooting people, and my new friends were willing to indulge me, what the US saw as a problem my new friends saw as a gift, so they sent me to train with Helman," Murodc explains.
"Why don't you fast forward to the part where he wants to put your ass in the ground," Jack suggests.
"I can think of two possible reasons, one...I sifted the guy for a bill of thirteen dollars and seventy cents, or two...I murdered his wife right in front of him...properly the second one," Murdoc explains again.
"Safe bet," Mac says.
"So what happened?" Jack asks.
"Well after Helman trained me and the country we swore allegiance to ceased to exist, we went to work for some very, very bad people, then Helman met a woman and fell in love and...decided he wanted to quit the business, but this isn't exactly the industry you can put in your two weeks notice," Murdoc says.
"So they sent you to kill him," Jack says.
"Sure enough...remember when I said, Helman was better than me-"
"Let me guess, you tried to kill him, missed and ended up killing her, and he's been chasing you ever since," I guess.
"Ten points to Gryffindor, Y/n, Woo hoo, you see that's why I never stay in one place for very long, Helman would clock on and keep his promise to end me, looks like today's the day!"