The Job Offer
Summary: Alex made some enemies. Oops. Warnings: Language, mentions of injury and violence. A/N: Art of my MK OC, Alex, by @u-so-silly
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"Put 'im down. Right there."
Alex felt his knees hit something hard-
Concrete? Maybe.
The men holding his arms released them and he toppled forward, his bound hands unable to stop him before his chest and chin connected, unceremoniously, with the floor.
"Take the fuckin' bag off, for christ sake," a loud man with a drawling accent shouted the orders-
Australian-
Maybe New Zealand?
Someone hauled Alex back to his knees and ripped the bag from his head; the brightness of the room made his head throb as he took stock of his new location.
He was in what looked like a warehouse, surrounded by shipping crates and under glaring fluorescent lights. In front of him, a broad, shirtless man stood, arms folded, glaring down at him. Alex blinked and the man's face swam into focus-
He was missing an eye-
No-
Where his left eye had once been, there was a halo of metal and a glowing red cybernetic eye in its place.
"Hello, Alex," the man crouched down so he was at Alex's level and sneered, "My name is Kano, and you're in the Black Dragon compound."
Kano...Black Dragon-
Alex felt his heart take residence in his throat.
"Ah, so you know who I am, eh?" Kano chuckled, "You cost me over 2 million dollars in that little stunt at the arms exchange."
Alex didn't speak. Behind his back, he pulled, hard, at the ropes that bound his wrists.
They didn't budge.
"You also killed two of my field agents," Kano continued as he rose to his feet, "and put four more in the hospital."
The Aussie pulled a knife from the sheath on his waistband and fidgeted with it absentmindedly as he paced in front of Alex.
"Feelin' a little naked without your explosives, mate?" Kano gestured with the knife toward a table on the far side of the room, "I had my men take 'em off'a ya when they picked ya up."
"If you're going to kill me, get it over with," Alex straightened himself and stared into Kano's glowing eye.
"Kill you?" The Aussie laughed, an ugly and grating sound that echoed around the room, "I ain't gonna kill ya."
Alex felt nauseous. If the Black Dragon's reputation preceded them, he was about to be tortured until being killed was a welcome mercy.
Behind Kano, a man in a gas mask stared, pointedly, at him. The skin above his mask was gnarled, twisted, like he had been burned. His exposed arms bore the same scarring. In his hands, he clutched two metal swords that ended in vicious hooks; Alex swore he could see the glint of blood on the blades.
"Kabal, get the kid out of those ropes."
Alex watched as the man with the swords stepped forward and moved behind him, brandishing his blades to cut the ropes.
When he cuts you loose, just make a break for it.
Alex glanced around for the exit and tensed his muscles as he felt the ropes loosen.
"I know what you're thinkin, mate," Kano's eye radiated a threatening warmth, "But you won't make it ten feet."
The ropes dropped to the floor and the man called Kabal returned to his place behind the Aussie, his eyes never leaving Alex.
"Look- the people I work...worked for wanna kill me too-" Alex was blabbering, desperately trying to buy time before Kano buried a knife in him.
"I know they do," Kano interrupted, "A botched deal like that is no good for business."
"See, that shipment was supposed to be an easy intercept for my men. In and out, no trouble. But then some fuckin' drongo blew the whole place sky high."
Alex swallowed, hard, and stared at the floor at Kano's feet. He hadn't meant to destroy the place- he had only wanted to make a distraction.
How was he supposed to know a gas main ran under the place?
"Now, your employer- I'm sorry, former employer, might have found that to be a killable offense-" Kano sheathed his knife and knelt in front of Alex once more, "But I wanna offer you a job."
Kabal made a noise that filtered through his mask- an incredulous scoff that made the Aussie turn and cock his head.
"Got a problem, burn unit?"
"No." Kabal returned his blades to the scabbards on his back and folded his arms.
Alex glanced from Kano to Kabal, his mind racing.
This had to be a trick.
It had to be.
"How about it, kid?" Kano's glowing eye never wavered as he stared at Alex, "All the fuckin' semtex and C4 you could ever want- you just have to answer to me."
"And what about-"
"Your old boss?" the Aussie interrupted and waved his hand dismissively, "We'll make sure you disappear from their radar entirely."
Alex chewed the inside of his cheek, considering Kano's offer.
It wasn't much of a choice, really. The illusion of free will.
If he said no, the Black Dragon would simply kill him. And if he managed to escape, the Fedorovs would kill him.
"We're all eagerly waiting," Kano sneered.
"I'll do it."
The Aussie clapped Alex on the back and hauled him to his feet; once upright, Alex loomed over both he and Kabal.
"Jesus, what were those Russkies feedin' ya?" Kano lead him to the table where his belongings were scattered haphazardly- fuses, wires, a block of C4.
Alex stared warily at Kabal as he retrieved the items from the table; the mercenary's eyes followed his every movement, brimming with mistrust.
Kano extended a broad hand and Alex took it hesistantly-
"Alex, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful fuckin' partnership."
