Scanned (IQ x Male Reader)

Standoff

-IQ POV-

The ride down the slide was short, dumping us out into what seemed to be a...tranquil garden?  I resurfaced after taking a plunge into a deep body of water that surrounded the garden.  Looking around, I saw Y/N exit the slide, and splash into the water next to me.  I quickly made sure he was alright before looking in all directions frantically, looking for our target.

"Where is he?"  I ask, climbing out of the water.

"You were on him, you see where he went?"  Y/N asked.  I snorted.

"I was stunned slightly from the water,"  I admitted.  In my defense, the water was frigid, and the sudden feeling of freezing water on one's skin is not the greatest.  As Y/N climbed out of the water, I noticed slight footprints in the sand we were on.  They led into the garden area, into the lush vegetation.

"Tell me why this guy has a zen garden?"  Y/N asked, attempting to shake the water from his hair.

"Your guess is as good as mine"  I shrugged, following the convenient footprints in the sand.  I thought it was odd that he had left them behind.  If he wanted to shake us, wouldn't he have cleaned up his tracks?  Left us with nothing?  Unless...unless he wanted us to follow?  With that thought in mind, we slowly entered the vegetation, bracing for what was to come.

-Ash POV-

I stood on guard at the door while I had Emma and Jordan evacuate the scientists from the premises.  At least we got them out.  Hopefully we'll be able to get them back to where they were taken from.  I didn't show it, but I was a bit worried about our insertion team.  We haven't heard anything from them since Y/N radioed that Xavier escaped.  Knowing him and Monika though, they definitely pursued.

"That's the last of 'em"  Jordan interrupted my train of thought, standing next to me.  A good part of me wished this was back at Hereford base, so that I can just fall into him and seek his comfort, but I had to remain professional on a mission.

"Once we lift off, I'm coming back.  Not leaving them here"

"Liza, they're okay.  They're Rainbow like us-"

"It's been almost an hour, Jordan.  With not so much as a "we're in pursuit".  Doesn't that worry you?"  I asked him, turning my face a bit to look at him.

"Can't sit here and say it doesn't"  he spoke, watching Emma help the last scientists into the chopper that Harry had sent.  I saw Marius in the cockpit giving us a thumbs-up, indicating he was ready to take off.  I sighed a bit.

"I'm staying, Jordan, that's an order.  The second I radio for extract, have Marius be here.  Understood?"  I could tell he was trying in vain to object, to have me come back to the AC-130, but my mind was made up.  As a gesture of approval, he gave me a quick peck on the lips.  I kissed back, but not for long, as we broke off at Emma calling us over.

"Make sure you come back"  he told me, our foreheads connecting for a few seconds.

"Make sure I have a ship to come back to"  I chuckled as we split.  Watching Jordan board the chopper, I tried sending out another radio call, hoping that either Y/N or Monika would respond.

-IQ POV-

I could hear the crackle of my comm in my ear, the sound it made making me more annoyed by the second.  I knew it was damaged from the water, can't do much about that, but it meant Y/N and I were completely on our own.  As we exited the brush, we came to a small outcropping, lined with elegant purple plants, growing to about shin-height.  In the center of the outcropping, facing away from us, was Xavier, seeming to observe the plants.

"See you followed my tracks"  he chuckled, not turning as Y/N and I pointed our weapons at him.

"So you wanted us to follow,"  I noted, keeping my barrel facing him.  Chuckling, he turned around slowly, keeping a smug smile on his face.

"I wanted to show you Heracles...in its infant state."  Xavier gestured to the plants around him, their elegant shade of purple bouncing the light from the overhead lamps nicely.  "Meet aconitum napellus, or its more common name, wolfsbane.  As is the case with much of nature, beautiful, yet highly deadly"  saying this, Xavier walked up to the plants, sliding on a gardening glove before caressing one of the flowers.  "It took a lot of time and effort to grow these beauties, and a lot longer to find out how to weaponize their...let's say, toxic traits"

"So Heracles is a fucking flower"  Y/N smirked.  "Big whup.  Sadly I'm not allergic to pollen, so sucks to suck"  he fired a shot into the sand near Xavier.  "Hands UP!"

"Easy!  These sands are carefully broomed by hand!"  I just then noticed the fine circular design of the sands that the flowers surrounded, wondering how and why he set up a zen garden.  "It takes a lot to unlock one's inner Chi"

"Great, we have a preacher,"  Y/N muttered.  Xavier smirked.

"Only an advocate for peace"

"Yeah right" I laughed.  "You're a terrorist.  You kill innocents.  For sport!"  I was getting tired of this stalling that Xavier was doing.  I took a step towards him, and he instantly took something out of his pocket and held it up, holding a finger out to me.

"Ah ah ah"  he commanded.  "The place is laced with explosives.  One click from this"  he gestured to the device in his hands.  "And we all go boom"

"What are your terms?"  Y/N asked, not lowering his gun.

"Safe passage off the island, and free proceedings of my work"  Xavier said matter-of-factly.

"And why would we allow that?"  Y/N asked, sternly.

"Unless you wanna go boom-"

"If it means you go down too, we're willing to go down"  Y/N interrupted.  I froze for a second, contemplating what had just transpired.  Yes I am willing to do what is needed to stop this madman, but a sacrifice play?  I mean, if it's needed to be done-

"Suit yourselves then.  Heracles is already in production"  Xavier laughed as he said this, holding the device up once again.

"DROP IT!!"  I shouted, aiming at his head.  Xavier chuckled.

"You Rainbow ops.  Always willing to be the hero.  Well, hate to say it:  this is where your hero's journey ends".  As he said this, Xavier went to click the trigger on the device, but not before Y/N sprayed his arm with bullets, causing him to scream out and drop the device.  "YOU RAT!"  he shouted, drawing his sidearm.  It all happened so fast.  I heard the shot from Xavier hit Y/N.  I watched him go down, clutching his wounded shoulder.  I grew heated, glaring daggers at Xavier.

"YOU'RE FREAKING DEAD"