Chapter Text
01/12 Thursday - 5 weeks into the mission
“I think we’ve been lenient enough. I’m going to ask you one more time, and if it’s bullshit that comes out of your mouth, it’ll be a bullet to the knee.” the burly bald man threatened, tapping his handgun none too gently against Alex’s cheek.
“Do it. Or you could do us both a favor and aim a little higher. Tie up all the loose ends, permanently . I reckon it’ll save you lot from any future headaches.” the spy tossed back wholly unperturbed.
“I don’t think you understand your situation, blondy. You’re not in any position to be making jokes. Bravado isn’t going to going to do jack-shit to help you.”
“Who said I was joking?”
There was a silent severity surging in the dingy little room. One that had been growing over the past hour of fruitless interrogation. It had started as most sessions do, a mental battle to overpower through sheer fear. And then came the physical. Not entirely unbearable, surprisingly enough considering who had caught him in the first place. But the level of intensity set wasn’t out of mercy.
Quite the opposite.
It was due to Yassen’s cold and calculated order. No life-threatening injuries until they got the answers to all of the questions asked. Would it take longer than strictly necessary? Yes. But with the operation mostly completed, they had the time to take things slow. And if anything, it would be a good review of Dr. Three’s methods of slower drawn-out interrogation tactics.
But, there was a problem. One, it seemed, that no one apart from Yassen had realized, quite early on at that. He had noticed within the first ten minutes but opted to continue, watching from a distance to gather more information so as to prove his hypothesis. And, the better part of an hour of interrogation did just that. He was right. But it didn’t bring any sort of satisfaction. If anything, it posed countless new questions to which he found himself wanting the answers; something that was uncharacteristic in his line of work. Years in the field had him accepting that curiosity wasn’t always welcome and that, most often than not, questions would remain answerless. That was just how things were. It didn’t bode well to go chasing answers. But this time was different. This time, he couldn’t just walk away. He needed to know.
Which was why he stepped in when he did, ending the session so abruptly, giving the order to dose Alex with what they had given him hours ago in Oslo and to move him to the cellar.
Alex hadn’t fought back against the injection, dull brown eyes staring unwaveringly back at Yassen without so much as an ounce of characteristic determination before they fluttered closed, leaving him slumped in the chair he’d been tied to.
“I want a detailed timeline of Rider’s capture from one of you within the next hour. Someone will need to run perimeter security. Backup and logistics will need to be checked one last time as well.” Yassen ordered brusquely before stepping back out of the room, leaving the three grunts to their own devices.
It was the cold that Alex realized first once he came to in pitch black darkness. Wherever it was that he was, was freezing . Unsurprisingly, the cheap hoodie he had purchased days back after the thermal jacket he had worn to Norway had gotten ripped up in what had been a very dicey knife fight, didn’t do much against the wintery chill. But, at that point in the mission, it was all he could afford. Something that rekindled the spark of anger and resentment that had appeared during the most recent check-in he had had with mission control.
That had been a week ago, in a warm but small safehouse in Oslo, four weeks into what was originally supposed to have been a short two week mission. He had been adamant, he had hit a wall in the mission. And with not just one, but two informants murdered and his cover having been very close to being blown, it wouldn’t be safe to continue. He himself didn’t think he could continue for much longer either. He was injured. And while the injuries weren’t grievous, he was exhausted and it was clear to him that he wasn’t ok. So he requested an extraction. But mission control didn’t agree.
They had requested Alex continue for two, maybe three measly weeks. Nothing over the top. No deep cover or anything like that. And he was so close ! It would be a waste to stop. He had vetoed their decision, of course, citing his own reasons in full honesty and vulnerability. But whose side did Jones take? Not his.
Which was ultimately how he came to find himself in his current situation; exhausted, cold, and alone god knows where taken prisoner by Yasssen Gregorovich and by default, by SCORPIA. Everything that could have gone wrong did, bringing about this nightmare of a situation.
He wasn’t entirely sure why he started counting. All alone in the dark feeling miserable, he got all the way to four thousand, three hundred and eighty seconds before the slim door above the stair landing opened, illuminating the austere bricked space he was sitting in.
He had to blink a few times to get adjusted to the sudden light gradation, but once he was able to properly see, he couldn’t help but feel a momentary jolt of fear that had him unconsciously tensing up.
“You are awake.” the man peered down from above, tone and expression giving absolutely nothing away in their neutrality. “Come.”
“...Why?”
“I doubt it is comfortable down there in the cold pitch-black darkness.”
Alex scoffed, eyes narrowing in indignation.
“You didn’t seem all too concerned with ‘comfort’ when I was being interrogated. Why the sudden change of heart?”
“It was protocol. I needed to be sure of the safety of the operation and my team.” the man shrugged.
“Don’t tell me that the world renown assassin extraordinaire, Yassen Gregorovich , actually has a heart!?”
Yassen didn’t react to the sarcasm, but he did give a moment’s pause.
“Logic does not require a ‘heart’.”
“Hmm… not even one little shred of compassion? Kindness?” he lobbed back.
“You are more than old enough to know that compassion and kindness do not belong in our circles. They are nothing more than a weakness that will get you killed.” Yassen chided, standing his ground.
Alex rolled his eyes, muttering sharply under his breath as he looked away. There was a long pause of silence before Yassen spoke again.
“I do not intend to kill you.”
“You know, that sounds like something someone planning to kill someone would say.” Alex snapped his attention back to the man. “I don’t know if you’ve momentarily forgotten what you do for a living but, your words breed absolutely no confidence let alone trust.”
“ You know what my occupation is. What it entails. So, you would know that, if I had wanted you dead, I would not have intervened. You would have died tied to that chair. But, here you are, very much alive and in one piece.”
“And what’s to say that you won’t change your mind once I’m in arm’s reach?”
“You did not seem perturbed by the prospect of death. An hour of unconsciousness is unlikely to have changed that.” the man pressed, cornering the blonde, hitting uncomfortably close to a very sensitive personal point without so much as batting an eye.
Alex stilled for a moment, considering his options before relenting. He hauled himself up off of the floor with an annoyed sigh.
“Fine. But on one condition.” he gritted out.
Yassen wordlessly watched on, head tilting in a show of consideration as he waited for the spy to elaborate.
“If you do get the urge to kill me, just whenever-” Alex shrugged. “I’d like to request a quick death. I don’t know… Maybe a bullet to the head? Snap my neck, or something like that. I don’t know if it’s a SCORPIA thing, but bleeding out wasn’t very pleasant. I’d like to skip any future experiences of that nature.”
Alex swore he saw a corner of Yassen’s mouth quirk up in amusement before his expression smoothed out back into a mask of unreadable neutrality.
“I will keep your request in mind.”
“Much thanks,” he muttered, making his way to the staircase, grimacing at the sudden pins and needles running up and down his legs. He got up nearly half of the stairs before Yassen spoke again, bringing Alex to a standstill for a second.
“If it is any consolation to you, the operative who had been tasked with your assassination ended up bleeding out as well under Dr. Three’s care. I imagine that his death was not pleasant or quick for that matter.”