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cursed life.
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Jade sighed as she stood beside her father, keeping an eye out for Viggo to get to the chapel. He stood firm and focused; eyes glaring and ready to strike as soon as something happens. She admired New York's beauty from the roof one last time as she found a small area nearby to take a seat. Pulling out her phone she checked her notifications.
Several online messages from Natalia appeared. Raising a brow Jade had tapped the message to see what she'd messaged her about. Several 'hey's' had been texted, when a larger text bubble appeared.
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Nat Bat Natalie:
'If you are wondering why I'm texting you on here, it's because I know why you went MIA. You did the same thing for me last year, so I'm returning the favour. Also, msg me back when it's all over and tell me all the details of your action-packed vacation.'
'Well this totally backfired, but you were right. He does seem oddly more relaxed. Or it's just me?
Quick update, still not finished; but I'll promise I'll get back to you and tell you everything.'
'Ofc. Also, I also might go MIA as well for a few weeks. You know Sarah wants to do a mission and my dad letting her ofc. Anyway, I send love <3'
'Thanks so much and ditto. Good luck with Sarah and your dad <3'
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Jade sent the text message, revealing a small smile on her red lips. It boggled her mind how she found someone so relatable to her life that it the idea of hit men and assassins are just a regular part of their twisted lives. It also surprised her it didn't drive them to insanity. Speaking of driving, it reminded Jade of her small tasked mission. Going on her phone again, she texted Aurelio.
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Aurelio:
'Hey Aurelio, don't tell my dad, but I'm secretly getting his car back. I only know as far as a chop shop around three blocks on Broadway in New York, where the car is supposedly located, and it has some relation to Viggo's brother. I also swiped this card from a guard near the chop shop (I'm assuming he's working with him), so can you do me a favour to figure out what this card is? Thanks.'
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And sent him the text attached with a quick photo she took of the golden-eyed card. "He's here." John said, getting Jade back to the mission. Excitement filled her eyes as she returned her phone to her pocket and walked back beside her father. The pair watched Viggo's men drag out the helpless and injured priest outside the chapel's doors and throw him in the centre of his guards. Smoke spilling out of the church like water; flowing freely into the Net York sky. The sounds of distant voices arguing filled the carbonated air, and was then followed by a gunshot heard and seen from up above where the Father-Daughter duo resided. It reverberated around the empty streets and Viggo's men then followed pursuit as they left the church entrance. John then gave one nod to Jade as they quickly armed their weapons and headed down to Viggo.
"Shit! Can we recover from this!?" Viggo screamed. His voice piercing the cool air. Jade ducked behind a nearby parked car and equipped her gun; ready for her father's signal. She looked beside her to the other parked car, to see John in position and ready to fire. He gave one look at her and both father and daughter stood from their hiding places and started shooting at Viggo's men. The three guards behind them went down; with bullets and blood following. The rest had started shooting and protecting Viggo from the rebounds of the bullets. Jade ran behind another car, inching close to the guards and Viggo ever so slightly. Switching from shooting the guards and ducking from bullets, Jade swiftly made her way closer and closer to to the Russian mob boss.
Jade pursed her lips together frustratingly, as a clicking sound followed with her gun empty. "Shit!" She muttered under her breath. The sounds of machine guns and bullets flying through the air stopped; and all was left was yelling and running footsteps. She peeked over to her father's direction to find him also reloading his gun. A silent sigh of relief left Jade's mouth as she clocked her gun and started shooting back at unwanted guards after reloading another round. Their bodies going down the second bullets reached the surface of their suits. She got close enough to Viggo; hiding behind cars and surrounded by his men, Jade successfully shot one of them beside Viggo. The other pushed Viggo to another guard as he charged straight toward Jade's direction. She grunted in annoyance as he chased her down; running over and under cars and shooting behind her frantically. She looked across the area and found John occupied with three other guards fighting him. She pursed her lips as the guard starts to shoot directly at her, but missing. She ducks quickly and uses this moment to shoot him.
The man that chased her was now close, and kicks the gun out of her hand, letting it roll away under some car. She dodges his swings and punches but catches a punch that slams her right behind a car. He grabs her neck and slams her again back into the car, breaking the glass behind her with her head. She takes his hand around her neck for support as she counters his weight and kicks him down; throwing him onto the car. Kicking him back forcibly, he grabs her leg and pulls her down. Her back pulsing with pain from the impact, Jade grabs her knife from her pocket and slashes his arm that was tightly grabbing her. Letting her go and holding his bleeding arm, she took the chance to run back to her father. "Dad!" She calls out only to see him get hit by an oncoming car and flying to the ground. Her eyes widen in panic and expected him to get up, but he didn't. "Where's the other one?" She heard Viggo yell out. The adrenaline quickly shot in her blood as Jade bolted behind another car and picked up a gun from the floor; checking if it's loaded. "Empty. Fuck." She saw the guards approaching her direction as she swiftly approached the other side of the car, only to be met with the same guard protecting Viggo and who was fighting her a minute ago. He knocked the gun out of her hand and grabbed her arm and leg and rapidly flipped her over; holding her down with his full body weight and a few more guards with their guns pointed at her head. She stopped squirming as she saw Viggo approach her. Briskly, the guard lifted her and slammed her onto a car, so she can face Viggo.
"There she is." He said with a smile then took a glance over at John, who was knocked out. Jade pursed her lips together and furrowed her brows in anger as she watched Viggo and his men drag and carry away her dad's body into the car. He signalled over to his guards and they moved her into the car with him. Walking with them, with her hands bound, she approached the open car door and the butt of a guard's gun met with her head as they knocked her out too. Jade remembering things going fuzzy as her head pounded like a drum.
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Lights flood the darkness as Jade's eyes blink open; adjusting to the bright lights around her. Her eyelashes fluttering as they followed. Beside her was her father, who was looking down, hands tied down to a chair; and is in the same position. Her hair covered the sides of her face as she looked down at her bound feet. Glancing over beside her, she saw her father move; looking up at the men facing them. Viggo and his guards towered them, like skyscrapers in a busy city. Jade squinted her eyes from the bright light to see Viggo in the sunlight. "I'll say this John..." Viggo began, pacing the floor. "They sure as fuck broke the mold with you." He chuckled, facing back at them, especially at John. The air was misty, covered in dust from the looks of the construction supplies and litter the place.
John looked up at Viggo. His brown eyes illuminating from the lights around them, filled with burning rage and vengeance. A small sensation of panic arose when he glanced over to see Jade beside him. His mind flooded with the endless pain that could happen at this moment—he couldn't let this happen. Not to her. "You always had a certain... Audacity about you." Viggo said talking a seat across from John; meeting his gaze as he talked. "Right? Oh yeah. I can say, you are still very much the John Wick of old." His tone underlining a but of sarcastic surprise. "Am I?" Was all he asked; voice low and hoarse, but lined with danger. "People don't change, you know that. Times they do." Leaning into John with a tired expression painted in his face. He sighed as he saw Jade move uncomfortably in his peripheral vision. "Do you know what was in that vault? Artwork, cash, not without its worth. But the leverage I had on this city; audio recordings, physical evidence, blackmail, it was fucking priceless! Priceless!" Viggo yelled. His voice echoing and travelling around the whole room, standing up from the chair angrily. "Yeah...I kind of enjoyed that." John said, with a slight smirk. Jade glanced over at her dad, and then at Viggo, confusion starting to settle on her face as she watches the whole conversation play out. "Yeah, I know you did." Laughs Viggo.
John just looking straight at him. Not breaking the gaze full of vengeance. Viggo stepped up, looking down at him once again before throwing a punch at John. Taking the hit pain surfaced his body, wincing at the throbbing pain. He heard Jade gasp and whimper softly as she moved hopelessly in her chair, making it squeak on the concrete floor. Quickly recovering, John took the blow and listened to Viggo's continued blabbering. "So...then you got married—settled down, giving Jade a normal life." He said looking over at her. The two men took a glance at Jade; her red lips pursed and her eyebrows crooked angrily; her eyes painted red all over. "How did you manage that anyway?" Viggo asked. "Luck I guess." Her father answered monotonically. Looking back at Viggo, he would've guessed the same thing. "Yeah. While you had your wife and daughter, I had my son. And believe me, you had a far better deal." Viggo exclaimed as he gave a small look at Jade. Chuckling, he stood up continuing. "And the way you got out, lying to yourself that the past held no sway over the future. But in the end, a lot of us are rewarded for our misdeeds, which is why God took your wife." He said, leaning to interrogate John further. "And unleashed you upon me." Silence filled the air as John can fell the sudden weight on his chest grow and grow by the minute. "This life follows you. It clings to you... Infecting everyone who comes close to you. Everyone you love—it even plagued your daughter, and now she is mirroring your footsteps. We are cursed, you and I." Pointing between the two of them. "On that...we agree." John said, Viggo leaning back in surprise with eyebrows raised. "Finally common ground. Okay." Giving off a chuckle of relief. "Step aside. Give me your son." John said, his breath growing heavy and the burning revenge back into his brown eyes. "John Wick..." Viggo mutters.
"Babayaga." He mocks as he stands up from the chair and walks over to Jade's side, with his men following behind. Quickly dragging her chair to face John across from him. She lifted her face to look at her father, and the unreadable look on her face made her start to worry. She wiggled in protest, but given up quickly when they settled her chair down. "It was just a fucking car! Just a fucking dog!" He exclaimed, putting on his jacket as his men crowded them. "Just a dog? Viggo," John spoke up. Already fed up, Viggo persisted. "Yeah?" He said, already on thin ice, with a hand on his hip. "When Helen died I felt like I lost everything. Until that dog arrived on my doorstep. A final gift from my wife. At that moment I received some semblance of hope... The opportunity to grieve un-alone..." John spoke, quickly meeting Jade's eyes, that were tearing up from his words. Her lips parted as he continued. "And your son took that from me! Stole that from me!" John continued raising his voice. Jade heard Viggo mutter under his breath as he looked at his three men. "Killed that from me! People keep asking if I'm back, and I haven't really had an answer. But yeah, I'm thinking I'm back!" John growled looking up at him. "So you can either hand over your son," John yelled louder as Viggo gave a command to his man in Russian. "Or you can die screaming alongside him!" Giving a signal to his men as he started walking out of the building and some of his men started dragging out Jade; following a pursuit. "No! No! Let go of me! Dad!" Jade screamed out hopelessly as she was being dragged out. Suddenly, a plastic bag envelopes John's surroundings as his air cuts off and only hears Jade's pleas and calls get fuzzier and distorted. The feeling of panic takes over as he can see the last of his daughter being dragged out of the room for good, and only hearing her disembodied voice reverberated the large room.
Out of nowhere, a bullet flies through one of the guards head, letting go of the plastic and letting John get a small pocket of air before lifting off the chair and taking down the man in front of him. His body tired and head ringing, the determination to get back his daughter fills his mind. And the blooded wrath and rage fills John's body like never before.
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