Washington D.C.
"Mr. Chairman," Director Hunley began as he addressed the Senate committee, "the IMF's misadventures date back to my earliest days in the CIA when the IMF broke into," he glared slightly at Brandt, who was sitting to the older man's left, "the CIA to steal a list of covert operatives."
Brandt didn't bother to acknowledge the man's spiteful tone as Hunley continued: "And now, more recently a Russian warhead-"
"Disarmed Russian warhead." Brandt corrected 'under his breath' although he made sure his words carried clearly to everyone present in the courtroom.
"A Russian nuclear warhead-" Hunley repeated, showing a diagram on the nearby monitor and trying to ignore Brandt as he piped up again: "Branded safe by the IMF."
"-Clipped the Transamerica Pyramid," Hunley went on, showing the now infamous video clip, "before plunging into the San Francisco bay."
"Saving the western atmosphere." Brandt added, again in his 'under-his-breath-not-under-his-breath' tone.
"This made possible," Hunley ploughed determinedly on, "by IMF agents who did willing provide the launch codes to a known terrorist, and, I might add, in the presence of a civilian with criminal record. Do I have that right, agent Brandt?"
He turned scathingly to glare at the IMF Field Operations Director as the rest of the Senate committee also turned their attention on Brandt. Brandt had tensed just slightly at the reference to Kat, but he otherwise showed no emotion as he replied monotonously: "I can neither confirm nor deny details of any such operation without the Secretary's approval."
Hunley stood up, moving to the monitor as he continued: "This was the same week the IMF infiltrated the Kremlin. Here is the Kremlin before."
He pulled the photo of the beautiful building as everyone knew it.
"And, the Kremlin after." He switched the image to show the smoking and destroyed building as he stared right at Brandt.
Brandt tensed slightly, his fingers curling around the pen he was fiddling with but he replied flatly: "I can neither confirm nor deny details of any operation-"
"-Without the Secretary's approval," Hunely said impatiently as he advanced on the other man in annoyance, "yes, we know. In fact, until this panel appoints a new Secretary, you really can't say much of anything, can you, agent Brandt?"
"Well, I didn't write the rules, Mr. Hunley." Brandt replied lightly, although there was the slightest edge to his tone.
The Committee Chairman frowned, but turned his attention back to Hunley as the man began: "Mr. Chairman, the so call Impossible Missions Force is not just a rogue organization, it is an outdated one. A throwback to an era without transparency and without oversight."
"Mr. Chairman." Brandt began, objecting, but Hunley continued: "The time has come to dissolve the IMF-"
"Mr. Chairman." Brandt repeated, and Hunley once again continued over him: "-And transfer the salvageable assets to the CIA."
"Mr. Chairman," Brandt interrupted at last, "the IMF has operated without oversight for 40 years."
"Mr. Chairman." Hunley began, but it was Brandt's turn to cut across him as he stated: "Now, are its methods unorthodox? Yes."
"Mr. Chairman." Hunley repeated, but Brandt continued loudly over him: "Are its results less than perfect? Absolutely. But without the IMF, to be force-"
"- There'll be order and stability!" Hunley snapped, and Brandt shouted over him: "Without the IMF-"
The Chairman banged his mallet down, effectively silencing the two arguing men. Hunley was glaring at Brandt as the latter clenched his jaw, but they both went quiet, turning back to the Chairman as he began: "This panel recognizes the IMF's contribution to global security. But the events laid out by CIA director Hunley also show a pattern of wanton brinkmanship and a total disregard for protocol."
Hunley started to smile while Brandt's face became grim as they both saw where the verdict would go.
"From where I sit," the Chairman continued, "your unorthodox methods are indistinguishable from chance. And your results, perfect or not, look suspiciously like luck."
Brandt's jaw locked, and he bowed his head slightly as the Chairman ruled: "I'm afraid today is the day when the IMF's luck runs out."
********
London
Kat groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. Her head was pounding in a way it hadn't for over a year, and as her mind cleared she remembered why. She groaned again as she remembered the stranger shooting her, and then seeing Ethan before she was- Ethan!
Kat shot upright, wincing and clutching her head as the sudden movement made the world spin around her. Or at least, she tried to clutch her head. A familiar metal clank made her look down at her hand and she sighed as she saw the handcuffs holding her right hand down, attached to a metal pipe that lined the side of the room.
A cough made her look up, and she saw Ethan standing, shirtless, against a thick metal pole. Or rather, he was being held up by his arms, as his wrists were cuffed by heavy cuffs that wrapped around the pole and sat on a metal hook at the back, holding his hands in place above his head.
"Ethan?" Kat gasped as he, too, regained consciousness, coughing slightly as he did.
"Kat?" Ethan asked incredulously as his eyes focused on her, before he glanced up, checking the cuffs on his wrists and then down as he noted a heaviness around his ankles. He grimaced slightly as he saw similar cuffs around his ankles, just above his bare feet, keeping him from spreading his legs and effectively ruling out an attempt to kick or to get someone in a chokehold.
"Ethan..." Kat said quietly as she noted the dingy cell they were in, empty except for a nondescript, metal table in the corner.
"Don't worry, Kat. I'll get you out." Ethan promised, noting the way Kat was trapped on the other side of the room. Kat sighed.
"Why must we always meet like this?" She asked a little wryly, and before Ethan could reply the heavy metal door to their cell opened.
Both Ethan and Kat glanced over at the sound, watching as a beautiful, dark-haired woman strode inside. The door clanged shut behind her, but Kat was more worried as she saw the metal dish the woman was carrying, the only item she was holding. The pair watched, Kat anxious and Ethan tense, as the woman slipped off her dark jacket, placing it on the table edge.
She then meticulously began setting up the items in her dish, setting small bottles filled with a colourless liquid on the table and removing the many injections. Kat watched with wide eyes, a dread starting to settle in her stomach, while Ethan's eyes darted around the room, pausing as he noted a small set of keys sitting on the corner of the table, hanging from a white fur keychain. He glanced back at his cuffs and then at Kat's, before glancing back at his as he started to formulate a plan.
Kat glanced over at him worriedly as he turned his eyes back on their torturer, waiting for the right moment as she turned to face him once more. She stared at him with icy blue eyes, narrowed in some unreadable thought, as she removed her black heels and set them neatly on the table as well.
Kat tensed as she watched the woman start to roll up her sleeves, ignoring Kat and keeping her eyes trained on Ethan as she took three steps forward. But before she could begin whatever she had planned, the door to their cell opened once more and Kat glanced over to see a group of four men entering, one carrying a large metal case.
"What are you doing here?" The woman demanded and Kat almost sighed. Why were they always Russian?
"Huh?" The woman demanded as she eyed the last man to enter, a tall man with a closely shaved head, in distaste. He ignored her as he shut the cell door firmly, making sure the heavy metal lock clicked on the other side.
Kat glanced at Ethan nervously as he scanned the room once more, taking in the new additions as one man placed the briefcase by the table leg before going to stand behind the table. The other two moved to the other corners of the room, situating Kat a few feet between them, before standing with their feet apart and watching Ethan although one of the men eyed Kat with a malicious smirk.
She tensed, looking away and back at Ethan as he turned back to watching the strange woman as she repeated sharply: "I said: 'What are you doing here'?"
The man, who was apparently the leader of the latest additions to the room, ignored her once more as he walked into the cell. He was staring at Ethan pensively as he stopped right in front of the agent, examining Ethan with his arms crossed and one finger on his mouth in thought.
"What does he see in you, I wonder?" The man spoke at last, and Kat could just detect the faint traces of a Russian accent in his voice.
"Who is he?" Ethan countered, and Kat flinched as the man punched Ethan hard in the stomach, making Ethan grunt in pain. Kat watched worriedly as Ethan coughed painfully while the other man walked away, moving to grab the briefcase.
"I want to see what is done." He said in Russian, clearly answering the woman's question at last. She hadn't moved from her spot in the centre of the room, standing almost casually as she watched the new man's movements like a hawk.
'She doesn't like him, or doesn't trust him.' Kat thought as she glanced between the woman and the man, who was placing his case on the table away from the woman's things. 'Maybe both.'
"Well, why don't you take off the cuffs," Ethan retorted in a controlled voice, "and I'll show you... Vinter."
The man turned, staring at Ethan in almost surprise before he lifted his middle finger, licking it as he worked off a large decorative ring.
"You know who I am?" He asked, and Kat's eyes flitted around anxiously as Ethan replied calmly: "Janik Vinter. They call you, the 'Bone Doctor'."
Kat flinched again as the man opened his case, revealing a kit of knives, tweezers, and hammers. Her heart was pounding as her face drained of colour, her wide eyes turning to look at Ethan in a mix of horror and terror.
He didn't seem deterred as he commented lightly: "The funny thing is. You're officially declared dead, 3 years ago. Nice shoes by the way." He added randomly.
Kat blinked while Vinter looked down at his shoes and the strange woman glanced to the side to do the same.
"Not his." Ethan corrected. "Yours."
He looked right at the woman, who smiled slightly. Kat frowned, wondering if this was really the time to flirt, while Vinter turned back to his case, removing a heavy hammer and setting it down on the table with an ominous clang.
Ethan met Kat's gaze, trying to reassure her that it would be okay as he saw her deathly pale complexion. Her green eyes only widened further, clearly not believing him as the woman spoke to Vinter once more: "We have instructions to talk, not to kill him."
She walked towards Vinter, stopping beside him, but he turned and walked away, replying flatly as he stood before Ethan once more: "There are men who are broken in different ways."
Kat flinched as he punched Ethan harshly in the gut once more, wincing as Ethan grunted in pain at the double punches Vinter threw at him.
"This one's a fighter." Vinter finished, watching as Ethan clenched his teeth angrily. "He'll die," Vinter nodded at the woman, "before you turn him."
"Are you worried he's going to take your place?" The woman retorted, and Kat frowned as she heard a slight British accent. She flinched again as Vinter punched Ethan once more, treating him like a human punching bag.
"Stop!" She shouted at last, unable to bear hearing Ethan's grunts any longer. Vinter paused, slowly turning to look at her and Kat tried her hardest not to shrink back as she met the man's cold, dead eyes determinedly.
"I would keep my mouth shut if I were you, my pretty." Vinter sneered and Kat gulped. "Otherwise, I would love to hear your pained screams."
"Keep her out of this." Ethan said darkly, and Vinter turned back to him in some amusement. Kat flinched as Vinter threw another punch at Ethan, turning her head away to try not to watch although she couldn't stop from hearing as Ethan groaned.
"You should go." Ethan gasped out as Vinter paused again. "Before it gets ugly."
He looked over at the strange woman, who raised a brow. As Vinter turned to the woman, Ethan glanced at Kat again, his gaze apologetic as he knew there was no way she would be able to avoid watching what happen when Vinter got his way. She was chewing on her lip, her nervous habit, and her eyes were filled with fear as she stared back at him.
"Yeah, he's right." Vinter said to the woman condescendingly. "You should go."
Vinter moved back to his case and the woman walked back to stand near the centre of the room, pausing to stand before Ethan. As Vinter pulled out a heavy meat knife, Ethan glanced at the woman, before frowning as she opened her hand to show him the keys she had swiped from the table while Vinter had been busy.
Ethan glanced at the woman, puzzled, and she just gave him a look. Kat was biting her lip so hard she'd drawn blood, unable to see the woman's actions from her position, as Vinter returned, announcing as he stood in front of Ethan once more: "Now, let's see how tough you are."
"You, Janik." The woman suddenly called, and Vinter turned to her with a frown. Her eyes flickered over to Ethan suddenly, and he turned back sharply just in time for Ethan to swing himself up and kick Vinter harshly in the chest. Kat gasped at this surprising turn of events, before moving quickly out of the way as the man came flying in her direction, curling in on herself to avoid being hit as the man came crashing down beside her, his head whacking the metal pipe and knocking him out cold.
There was a brief moment of silence before one of Vinter's men hurried over to check on him, and Kat just caught the woman tossing the keys at Ethan. He caught it, quickly trying to unlock his manacles as the woman turned and grabbed Vinter's heavy hammer. She whacked the nearest man with it before throwing it at the man kneeling by Vinter's head beside Kat.
Kat flinched as the man collapsed from the impact of the direct hit to his head, before she scrambled to grab the hammer as the woman took on the last remaining man before he could reach for his gun. Ethan was still trying to get the key in the hole to unlock his cuffs, but the pole he was being held against was too wide and he couldn't reach it.
The first man had gotten back to his feet and he doubled up with his comrade against the strange woman as she kicked at them. She managed to grab one of them in a headlock, knocking him out as she hit his pressure point, but the other kicked her in the face and forced her to let go with a grunt of pain. The man kicked her again, grabbing her by the hair and hauling her up.
She glanced over to see the third man stirring as he regained consciousness and her eyes widened, before Kat smacked the man in the head with the hammer, using the heavy weight to add power to her swing, and knocked him out once more. The woman blinked, before she was brought back to her predicament as the punched her in the face and she grunted.
Meanwhile, Ethan had decided it wasn't going to work, and he hauled himself up as he grabbed the pole, climbing up the pipe until he could swing his arms over and free. He landed on his feet, grabbing the man holding the strange woman and tackling him to the ground. He managed to elbow the man, knocking him out just as the other men started to regain consciousness.
The woman quickly moved to kick and punch them as Ethan removed his cuffs and Kat hit the other man down again before he could get up. She honestly wondered if she wouldn't end up killing the man at the rate things were going and the thought terrified her. She jumped as Ethan took out the other man as he started to get up again as well, before he leant in and quickly freed her.
"You okay?" He asked quietly and Kat's eyes widened.
"Look out!" She hissed and Ethan turned as their woman-helper was punched in the face and sent flying. Ethan quickly ran, jumping and landing a flying kick on the one remained man, before he landed heavily beside the woman, his head falling on her stomach.
The pair quickly got up, fighting the other men as they got up, and Kat internally wondered if they weren't zombies at this point. She threw the hammer at another man, hitting him in the side and making him yell in pain before Ethan grabbed him around the neck. The woman had caught the other man in a chokehold with her legs and she twisted to break his neck.
Kat flinched as Ethan broke the other man's neck, before he grabbed the last man as he tried to grab Kat, pulling him over and the woman kicked him in the face, causing his neck to snap as well. The pair of agents stood up, looking around quickly to make sure it was safer now before they glanced at each other.
"We've never met before, right?" Ethan checked, as he stared at the woman. A loud banging on the cell door interrupted them before the woman could reply, and she swung around to look in the direction of the sound.
Ethan glanced over to check on Kat and he moved quickly towards her when he saw her. She was breathing heavily and in short gasps, but not from exertion as he and the woman were. It seemed to be shock-induced, as she stared with an ashen expression at the dead men in the room, looking like she was torn between throwing up and passing out.
"Kat?" He demanded, taking her chin and forcing her to look away and at him. "Kat?"
She stared at him, her breathing starting to slow as she forced herself to calm down. She flinched as the woman appeared beside Ethan's shoulder, glancing at Kat with an unreadable expression before she ordered quietly, her accent much thicker than before: "Follow me."
She took off, grabbing her jacket as she did and Ethan took Kat's elbow, hauling her up and pulling her with him as he ran after the woman. Kat's legs were shaking slightly at first, but Ethan pushed her into a sprint, murmuring encouragingly as they ran after the woman. She led them down a side passage, hurrying down a flight of stairs before she paused as they reached a gated passageway.
Ethan ran passed her as she handed him the jacket, tugging Kat with him, but they both stopped as they heard the distinct sound of the gate being slammed shut behind them. They whipped around, staring in disbelief as the woman stood by the locked gate... with her still inside.
"What're you doing?" Ethan demanded as he backtracked towards the woman, holding out an arm to Kat to indicate she should stay where she was.
"I can't leave." The woman whispered back, and Kat called worriedly: "Ethan..."
"Kat, run, you need all the time you can get." Ethan ordered, and she hesitated as he turned back to the woman, saying sternly: "Look. You can't stay. We just killed those men."
"We didn't kill them." The woman corrected quickly. "You did. I tried to stop you." Ethan frowned. "You got away."
"Kat, run." Ethan ordered as he stared at the woman and Kat finally did as he said, biting her lip as she glanced at their savior one last time before she ran down the hallway, her well-trained legs taking her quickly down the passageway. After Russia, she had been training hard, just in case something as crazy as that holiday happened again. Who knew she would now be grateful for all those sweaty hours?
"Who are you?" Ethan asked quietly, but the woman shook her head as she whispered simply: "You better hurry now, and keep your civilian protected from this. Good luck."
She turned, running back the way they'd come, and Ethan shouted after her: "No, wait. Wait!"
"Ethan?" Kat called, hesitating again as she reached the end of the hallway.
He glanced back at her, surprised at how fast she had been, before whipping his head back towards the inside as he heard Vinter shout: "Where is he?"
"He's heading to the north corridor." The woman answered, and Ethan paused, unable to decide what to do. "He has closed the gate. Hurry, don't let him escape. Quick!"
"Ethan!" Kat called in alarm as he spun and ran towards her, just as Vinter appeared around the corner and began firing at them. Kat quickly ran around the corner as the bullets rained down the hallway, before Ethan dashed around, grabbing her arm as he raced out of the building.
*A/N I know it's not originally Russian that they speak at the London cell, but I changed it so that Kat would understand it.