Reunited (Deckard Shaw)

Chapter 18

Brixton releases the button and we all let out a deep breath and lean forward. I continue to take deep breaths to deal with the throbbing and aching of my body. Brixton chuckles at us and I give him a glare. "You know, it's funny how humanity's hate for each other is stronger than its own self-preservation, which is why we're here" he explains to us. "Remember 8 years ago Deck? When Eteon asked you to join their mission?" he asks as he looks past me and at Deck. "Oh you mean their death cult? They're lunatics" Deck replies with a grin. "Visionaries. Visionaries of a future, a bigger future, a brighter future. You remember the data they gave us; with environmental damage, capitalism, terrorism, humanity wipes itself out by 2096. That is scary to me, but if we fulfil Eteon's vision, you save their world" Brixton elaborates, frustrated at Deck's response. "You don't save the world with genocide" I state, causing him to look at me. "Genocide, shmenocide. You know what this virus is? This virus is a necessary shock to the system" he replies and presses the button again.

For the third time, my entire body tenses at the pain and electricity coursing through my body. I squeeze my eyes shut and release a short scream of pain before Brixton releases the button. We're all left gasping for air as we breathe through the immense aches and throbs. "I love this thing" Brixton comments as he looks at the button. "I told you then, I'm telling you now. Your metrics are off. One good reason; you assume the worst in people" Deck explains to Brixton as he pants. I look over at him to see him leaning forward in pain and my face softens. We need to get out of here, it's only a matter of time before the hydrogen detonator goes off or we die of electrocution. I don't even know how long we were unconscious. "Humanity can't be trusted to do the right thing. Look at you two, the future of the world is in your hands and you can't even get along" Brixton quickly responds and gestures to Deck and Hobbs. "But you know all about doing the right thing, don't you Shaw?" Brixton adds as he hands something to Deck. "Little souvenir, huh bro?" he says. I look at Deck's hand to see him holding a used bullet. "You come to kill me, I'll do the same every time" Deck replies and drops the bullet while giving Brixton a stoic expression. Hobbs chuckles and Brixton looks at him annoyed. "Anyone talking to you?" he asks him. "Your mum" Hobbs replies cockily.

Brixton presses the button for the fourth time and we all tense and groan in pain again. Brixton releases the button and I look up at Hobbs annoyed. "Luke! Shut the hell up!" I tell him, frustrated. "I get it, you're still mad. You're upset because when you wouldn't turn, they sent me to come and kill you. Which, of course, I had to because you knew too much. But I think about that night a lot, because what I realise now that I didn't realise then, is that when you shot me you gave me a gift. Look at me, I'm black superman" he explains to Deck before standing tall in pure confidence. "Bullet proof, new spine, and the more machine I become, the more humane I am. This is what you wanna fight for. I'm giving you another chance to join us Deckard. And the boss wants big mouth and your girlfriend as well. If not, I kill all three of you, which honestly, I'd love to do" he tells us and I glance at Deck. He only looks back at me before looking back at Brixton. "You know Eteon, you know what they're capable of. They rebuilt me, dismantled him, made it look like he killed his own team. Even your own sister disowned you" he continues to try convince us and gets close to Deck's face as he does and I see Deck getting more and more irritated by Brixton.

"Just say the word and all of this goes away. Your sister lives, his daughter lives. We get you some upgrades and we go on to saving the world. What's it gonna be? Join the evolution of man or die with the weak?" Brixton finishes and waits for our answer. Deck looks at me and then to Hobbs. "Just get it done" he says and my face softens as he looks back at me. I hear Brixton chuckle before saying "I told the boss you wouldn't change your mind. See you later" before he raises his hand to press the button for the final time. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Hobbs yells and I look over at him quickly as Brixton pauses. "I think we should join" Hobbs tells us. "What?" I question in disbelief before looking over at Deck, who has an equally confused expression as my own. "What are you deaf, stupid, or both? We ain't joining" Deck states. "There you go again, you're just thinking of yourself. You're such a diva, what about my feelings for once" Hobbs replies, annoyed. "Seriously?" I ask. This is how we want to deal with this situation? "Let me tell you something, if we were a band, you'd me Mick Jagger" Hobbs tells Deck, completely ignoring me. "Mick Jagger" Deck mutters as I realise what Hobbs means. "Mick Jagger" Deck repeats as he comes to the same realisation as me. "So what's it to be? In or out?" Brixton asks us, impatiently.

The three of us share a look before saying, "We're not gonna join", together. "But since you're standing there, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna rip the arm off this chair. I'm gonna smash him right in the face, stab him right in the neck for looking that way, kill all 13 guys in seven seconds" Hobbs adds. "And here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna slip out of these chains and dropkick him, him and him, right in the throat" Deck states on behalf of himself and me. "No, not him, that's face smash guy. You gotta pick another guy" Hobbs argues, without a second thought. Deck looks at him shocked, as if he's being completely absurd. "You see that guy over there? The big one. The big one. That's face smash guy" Deck tells Hobbs while nodding at a guy across the room. I watch them silently, knowing that this is stalling Brixton perfectly for Hattie to get prepared. "Nah he's way too big. Ain't that right Hattie?" Hobbs replies and we all look at Hattie to see her raise a gun at Brixton.

"Let them go" she orders while Eteon agents raise their guns at her. "Alright boys, stay calm. We need her alive. Let them go or what?" he orders his men before challenging Hattie's demand. "Or you're gonna get a nice new bruise right in the centre of your forehead" she replies quickly without flinching. She's still the confident person she was when we were all teenagers. "You're not gonna shoot me" Brixton calls her bluff and she pulls the trigger only for nothing to happen. "Because you need an activation chip to fire that gun. Sorry" Brixton replies cockily. Andreiko suddenly appears with his own flame gun and Deck, Hobbs and I quickly push our chairs backwards to avoid the flames.

The three of us get out of our chairs, the same way we stated we would. I unwrap the chains from the chair and wrap an end around my hand, ready to use it as a whip against the swarm of agents heading towards us. Deck lifts his chair and hits an agent before advancing on another while I throw the end of the chain towards another and hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious. I see an agent running towards Deck so I swing the chain towards the floor and it swings around the agents ankle. I give it a strong yank and the agent lands on his face and remains entirely still. Deck turns and realises what I did and I grin at him before abandoning the chain and jogging towards him. We both climb into an Eteon vehicle and Hobbs stands on the side with his gun.

We drive beside the pods that Hattie is running across and she jumps onto the vehicle's bonnet. "Hattie, where's the machine?" Deck asks once she's steady. "In the second truck" she replies, pointing at the truck. "On it" Hobbs states before jumping off. I move towards Deck to allow Hattie room to sit down in the seats. "The Mick Jagger" she says as she looks at Deck with a grin. "Never fails" Deck replies and I smile at them both.