𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍 || 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩

"RPG!"

The missile skimmed past the armoured police van and hit the supports of a scaffolding. A painful creaking could be heard as the metal bars came tumbling down from the side of the apartment building in progress.

"Go right!" Jaxon exclaimed to the driver, who swung the van at a sharp turn. Bullets pierced the body of the vehicle as they moved down a narrow and dingy alleyway.

"Jax!" Jessica called out. "I need you back here right now!"

The man scrambled out of the passenger seat. Quickly moved past the crying girl on the floor with a bag covering her head. He took the M240 and kicked open the back doors of the van.

Two SUVs followed them in hot pursuit with soldiers leaning out their windows firing at them. Setting up the bipod, Jaxon laid down and propped the stock between the crook of his arm and shoulder. Not wasting a moment to let his finger tug at the trigger and let a barrage of bullets paint the front of the vehicles.

Jessica looked back to the girl who trembled in fear. "What are the codes?" She questioned. "We need to know these codes so we can stop them. If you tell where they are, that will be enough."

"I don't know!" The girl exclaimed in return.

"Remind me again why the fuck we decided to take this girl with us?" A yell could be heard from the front of the van.

"Shut up and focus on getting us the fuck out of here!" Jess exclaimed as she moved behind Jaxon. "Get the fuck up!"

She grabbed the girl, who was sobbing and screaming on the floor and hoisted her to her feet. Shoving her into the passenger seat, where Keegan grumbled out curses. Doing his best to keep the group alive and hope that the S.H.I.E.L.D. evac was waiting for them.

It hadn't been like this right out the getgo. The streets of Paris had been calm and bustling with life. Now, it was the victim of chaos that had erupted in the catacombs under the city. Slowly clawing its way to the surface where the French President's daughter was in the midst of a conflict happening between two extreme groups.

The plan was to get the codes for the bombs and kill her. That had always been the plan, but Jaxon took things into his own hands. Now, his karma was coming to bite him in the ass and make him pay the price of his ever-growing selflessness.

"Use your powers for fuck sakes!" Keegan yelled from the front seat. "We don't have time for this, man!"

"Do you want to have more blood on your hands?" Jaxon's blood was boiling as he continued to tug his finger on the trigger. Killing each driver for each car that followed them and causing vehicles to flip. It was fruitless as a new addition of pursuers appeared.

A groan escaped Jessica as she pressed her finger to her earpiece. "Overlord, where is our extraction?" She barked out. "We're going to be dead in a few seconds here if you don't get us our back up!"

"Jess, this is Catherine Kelly," the woman replied calmly. "Sit tight, we have a jet making its way to you as we speak."

"This wouldn't be a problem if we didn't let Jaxon save the girl." Keegan pulled his pistol from his holster on his thigh. Pressing it to the girl's temple as he pulled the hammer back with a click. "I'm sick of this."

Jaxon spun around, eyes widening as he raced to his feet. "No!"

Just in time, he kicked Keegan's hand just in time for him to fire the gun. Shattering the passenger side window as the girl, Annette, cried out. Curling up into a ball as she hoped that if she made herself small enough, she would be protected.

"Jaxon, stop!" Jessica tried to pull the man away, but he shrugged her off. Quickly punching Keegan in the face, the car jolted slightly in response. Using this to his advantage, Keegan spun the steering wheel into a small park. People were running and screaming from not only the van, but the other vehicles following in pursuit, firing off rounds.

But when they hit a sudden bump, the balance of the van caused it to flip. Jaxon's body floated for only a moment before he slammed into the side and roof of the van. And when the van stopped flipping, gravity did its work and pulled him straight back to the ground with a loud and painful crack.

When the vehicle came to a slow and screeching halt, Jaxon groaned. Lifting his pounding head from the ground, he saw Keegan thrashing to get his seatbelt off. Eyes turning to look back at Jaxon and spotting a gun perfectly between them. With a brief exchange of looks, the pair quickly began to try and get to it first.

Each inch Jaxon crawled only caused a shot of pain to run up his side. He knew he was either shot or stabbed. But the adrenaline coursing through his veins was enough for him to continue to pull himself forward. Seeing Annette stirring from unconsciousness with a quiet whimper. Her hands were freed from the zip ties, and the bag over her head was able to be torn off. She could run. God, Jaxon hoped she did. He didn't want to have done all this just for her to be killed in the end.

Reaching out for the gun, Jaxon cried out at the boot that slammed down on his wrist. When Jaxon attempted to raise his hand, orange essence radiating from his palm, a knife pierced his hand. "Motherfucker!"

Jess clenched her jaw, taking the knife and stomping it into the metal of the vehicle. Pinning Jaxon's hand as he cried out with his other hand clenching incredibly tightly.

Looking up at Keegan as he reached down for the pistol and hissed in pain. "I'm sorry, Jax," he said. "I'm not risking my life for some girl. And I am not risking a city to keep her alive."

Just as he raised the gun at Keegan, a gunshot ran out and the man fell with a thud. "Keegan!" Jessica cried out, lifting her gun to shoot but was immediately shot in the head and fell with her comrade.

Jaxon raised his head to find Annette staring wide-eyed. Hands trembling as muzzle smoke left the tip of the pistol held in grasp. Her fearful eyes then snapped to the enhanced who stared back at her. The tears brimming were evident by the immediate regret of her actions.

He knew how she felt. He remembers the first time he killed someone. The torment that followed- The nightmares. And from the research he'd gathered about her before the mission, he knew she would be stuck on this moment forever. Just by the trembling of her body told it enough. But he wouldn't blame her for it. She just wasn't a heartless person like Jaxon.

Without another word, he grabbed the knife pinched between the hilt of the knife and the vehicle, and ripped it out. Crying out in pain as the shouts of men could be heard outside.

Rising to his feet, Jaxon grabbed ahold of both Keegan's and Jessica's dog tags. Each movement is being watched carefully by Annette. Shocked by how easy he carried himself with one of his hands immobilized and a large blooming red splotch on his abdomen.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked. It'd been the first time she spoke to him. Her accent is fluid and rich, much like her bank account.

"If we can't retrieve their bodies, these," he raised the dog tags, "will all be that the families will be able to receive. It's the most we can do for them right now."

Annette continued to watch as Jaxon pocketed the dog tags and grabbed Jessica's rifle. Limping towards the back doors of the van and hearing the distant yells. Peaking through one of the bullet holes in the side of the van, he could see soldiers slowly making their way over. Guns levelled to them in caution.

"Overlord to Jaxon," a voice appeared through the comms. "Is Annette alive? Confirm."

Inhaling deeply, Jaxon pressed his finger to his earpiece. "Overlord, this is Jaxon," he said. "Keegan and Jessica are KIA. Annette is alive and is not injured. Do you have our extraction?"

As a response, the sound of engines approaching got his attention. And only a few seconds later, gunfire filled the air. "Get down!" Jaxon pushed Annette down as she cried out.

Jaxon didn't know how long the thundering gunfire lasted. What he did know is that when it did, there was a whirling sound from above. Taking the gun from Annette's hands and tossing it to the side, Jaxon grabbed her hand. "Hold my vest and don't let go."

She nodded at the order as he limped towards the back doors. Stepping out and lowered his gun as a Quinjet slowly touched down. The landing dock slowly opened with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stepping out and yelling out commands amongst one another.

But the one that surprised him was Natasha who was running in his direction. He wrapped an arm around Annette's shoulders as a soldier rushed over. "Get her some medical attention," he ordered.

"I'm fine." The girl defiantly told him.

"And I don't care," he replied. "We need to make sure you aren't injured. So, follow this man and get on the jet."

With an annoyed look, Annette did as she was told and was escorted onto the jet. Jaxon was only given a second to breathe before Natasha was shrugging his arm around her shoulders and helping him walk.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked down at the woman. "Never thought Catherine would work with her ex-husband, huh?"

Natasha didn't reply, only keeping a deadpan and urging them forward. Jaxon's smile fell as he could see the anger and frustration in her eyes. It practically radiated from her skin. "Nat-"

"Save it," she snapped suddenly. "We need to get you back home. Neither Fury nor Catherine is happy with what you've just done."

He could frown as she grabbed a tablet and handed it to him. Jaxon felt his heart stop when his eyes saw the video feeds. His eyes flickered to Annette who sat across the jet. Unknown to the fact that her cooperation with the Chinese had led to such drastic events occurring.

Augusta, Georgia was up in flames. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.