Bad Luck and The Law of Averages (The Old Guard Fanfic)

Epilogue (aka the in-credits scenes)

There was only one loose end left once Elise and Paul left the country to go home, and Nicky went looking for him, because he needed to make sure Bryce was alright now that everything was over. He found the kid suspiciously easily, but put it down to dumb luck.

Bryce was standing next to a stall in a street market. He was playing with a phone, but Nicky recognised the tension in the kid's shoulders as someone who was much more aware of their surroundings now. Not that it made any difference.

Nicky squeezed Joe's hand, pushed his borrowed sunglasses up his nose, and walked across the street. He came from directly behind Bryce, knowing that the kid would never see him coming, and then silently stepped up beside him.

"Hi," he said.

The way Bryce completely froze made him smile, just a little. Wide, shocked eyes very slowly turned to him and then narrowed.

"You are a fucking arsehole," Bryce said. "Don't sneak up on people like that."

Nicky smiled a bit wider.

"Did you need something else?" Bryce asked.

Nicky shook his head, sobering a little.

"You do not have to be afraid anymore," he said simply.

"They're dead?" Bryce asked, suddenly breathless. "You got them?"

"All of them," Nicky replied with a nod. "My family do not take kindly to attacks on their own."

He inclined his head slightly towards the other side of the road and Bryce turned to look. Joe gave them both a salute.

"That must be Joe," Bryce said.

"It is," Nicky agreed.

"So, did you just want to let me know the bad guys are dead?" Bryce asked.

"That and this," Nicky said and handed the kid a card.

The only thing on it was a number, one Copely assured him was untraceable.

"What's this?" Bryce asked.

"Call it a repayment for your gift," Nicky replied.

"Gift, what gift?"

"Your courage and your blood," Nicky said.

"Hey, man," Bryce said, "you repaid that in full ten times. You got me out of there."

"Maybe, maybe not," Nicky replied, "but keep it anyway. If you need help, call."

"What kind of help?" Bryce asked looking at the number.

"Well I would suggest you keep it for something important," Nicky said, giving Joe a smile as his husband gave him a questioning look. "You might say my family are fixers."

"Oh fuck," Bryce said, "you're actually mafia aren't you. Of course you are, the way you talk about family."

That made Nicky laugh.

"Our group is much older," he said, grinning, "and we try to be the good guys. That number will get a message to me."

It was a risk, one he did not need to take, but Nicky was a big believer in the balance of life. Bryce had risked everything and given him the strength to try and fight off Ruth and her clan. That he had failed was not something that mattered or something that Bryce needed to know. Blood was something Nicky had shed a lot of over the years, but now he had a whole different outlook on it.

Bryce looked at the card again.

"Thanks," he said.

Nicky nodded and walked back over to Joe.