Mission: Impossible - Rogue Agent

4 | Not You Too

ETHAN GROANED IN PAIN, clutching his stomach even harder than before.

"Ethan, is there something wrong?" William asked, noticing his friend.

"I'm fine... Brandt," Ethan managed to say.

"No you're not," William said, shaking his head. "Let me check you up."

William stopped what he was doing and began to check in Ethan. He ejected a sample of Ethan's blood and examined it with a microscope.

"Oh no, not you too..." Brandt mumbled as he rechecked the sample again and again.

"W-what is it?" Ethan asked.

"Lane ejected the same substance in you, luckily, it wasn't as concentrated as Luther's..." Brandt reluctantly answered.

"Wait, what?!" Benji exclaimed after hearing the entire conversation.

"It's fine... Benji. I can handle it," Ethan groaned, standing up. "How's the search?"

Benji didn't know what to do when Ethan stood.

"I'm still halfway—"

"I found it!" Ilsa exclaimed.

Brendan stood up immediately and ran to her place.

"Where?" He asked.

"Singapore?" Benji asked, looking at Ilsa's screen.

"Why would a cure so scarce be there?" Brandt asked.

"I don't know, I would be more surprised if it was right under our noses," Ilsa replied.

"Faust has got a point," Brendan said.

"Call me Ilsa," She requested.

"Do we have a helicopter?" Ethan asked.

"Of course we do," Brandt scoffed.

"Then gear up."

The team headed to the helicopter. Brandt was to fly it with Ilsa in the shotgun seat. Ethan, Brendan and Benji sat on the four seats at the back.

"Be sure to get yourselves comfortable," William reminded as he prepared to fly the helicopter. "It will take me and Ilsa twelve hours to get there with us rotating the person who flies this. So Ilsa, get yourself some sleep while I fly this for six hours."

Ilsa nodded and did as she was told.

About three hours later, everyone was sleeping except for William, of course. If he slept, he would end everyone's lives right here and now. Suddenly, his phone rang. Brandt immediately picked it up to prevent the others from waking.

"This is Brandt," He started. "I'm secure."

"Okay, good. Did Agent Hunt confirm the organisation's existence?" A voice asked.

"You sent him to do that? Did you doubt my efforts or did you want him to die?" Brandt replied.

"I cannot tell you that," The man replied.

"If you want me to trust you, might as well tell me everything," William argued.

After a long pause, the man finally gave in. "I can't blow your cover, can I?"

"Of course you can't, but I can get by on my own," William replied.

"The thing is, you don't have to. I have access to plenty of things that could help you with that cover of yours."

"Fine, you win," Brandt gave in.

"Now, I have another meeting I have to go to. Tell Ilsa I'll call her sometime."

"Okay," Brandt hung up and continued to fly the helicopter until it was Ilsa's turn. He managed to wake her up and switch places. His eyelids became heavier and heavier, eventually causing him to drift into his sleep.

* * *

"Ethan Matthew Hunt. Do you take Julia Anne Meade to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to protect?"

"I do."

"To shield from terrorists known and unknown, to lie, to deceive, to live a double life, to fail to prevent her abduction, erase her identity, force her into hiding, take away all she had known—"

"Stop."

"In a selfish, futile, fleeting attempt to escape your own true self?"

"Lane, stop it!" Ethan yelled and he looked at the priest to see August Walker instead.

"Remember, Hunt. I am her Guardian Angel, and my mercenaries can still kill her if they see fit," August calmly said.

Ethan began to rush towards Walker and heard a gunshot from behind.

Ethan's eyes shot wide open. Fortunately, he didn't make a fuss to wake everyone up, but he did panic. What if Julia was really dead? Fearing the worst, he tried to calm himself down.

After a few good minutes, he finally tried to get back into sleep. Unbeknownst to William, Ethan had heard every single word of his conversation with the unknown caller, making Ethan doubt his trust in Brandt.

Cover? Ethan thought. What cover? He couldn't possibly be working on another side... Right?

Now with so much to worry about, he didn't think he could get back to sleep. He just stayed awake for the entire flight, silently watching William's actions and Ilsa's when they rotated.

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