Archive of Our Own ^beta

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself when he walked into the kitchen, throwing BA a bright smile before he opened the fridge and looked inside. Murdock followed close behind, looking less pleased, and dropped into a seat at the kitchen table.

BA was making huevos rancheros and frowned lightly at Murdock’s pouting. “What’s up with you?”

“Murdock owes me a hundred thousand dollars,” Face said, pulling the orange juice out of the fridge and closing the door.

BA raised his eyebrows with a smirk, and Murdock slumped down in his seat, arms crossed, pouting harder.

“He cheated,” Murdock protested.

“It’s the same old story,” Face sang as he moved to the counter by the kitchen windows to pour himself an orange juice, “I get slandered, libelled-” he sat opposite Murdock, an enormous grin on his face, “I hear words I never heard in the bible…”

Murdock narrowed his eyes and smiled, flipping him off with both hands.

“How’d you end up owing him a hundred grand?” BA asked.

“He cheated,” Murdock pointed across the table at Face, who simply grinned in response.

“Course he cheated, man,” BA said lightly, “that’s what he does.”

“I followed the rules as per Murdock’s instructions,” Face said innocently, humming again as he sipped his drink.

“Ah,” BA broke into a smirk.

“He cheated,” Murdock insisted.

“Of course he did,” Hannibal said as he walked into the kitchen. He sat beside Face, “cheated at what?”

“I didn’t cheat,” Face said, smiling placidly, “Murdock made the rules and I followed them. To. The. Letter.” He toasted Murdock with his juice.

Hannibal chuckled, “I see.”

“Murdock owes Face a hundred thousand dollars,” BA said as he started serving breakfast.

Hannibal nodded, “how much is that now?”

“This puts Murdock at one hundred thousand five hundred and seventy dollars,” Face said, “and BA is on twenty five bucks.”

Hannibal looked up in surprise at BA as he put the plates on the table, and BA shrugged. He turned back to Face, “and me?”

Face smiled, “you’re on seventeen point two million.” He paused, smiling, “give or take.”

Murdock cough-laughed around a mouthful of breakfast and dragged Face’s glass over to take a drink.

BA snickered as he sat down.

“That doesn’t seem right,” Hannibal said.

“Compound interest is a bitch,” Face shrugged. He began to eat, “thanks, B, this is great.”

BA nodded in acknowledgment.

Hannibal tapped his fork thoughtfully against the table, “I don’t remember discussing interest.”

“That’s just poor financial responsibility,” Face replied.

“Oh I remember!” Murdock shot his hand into the air, “me me me me me me!”

Hannibal tutted, “you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Murdock stared at him a moment, then shared a look with Face.

“Because you also owe him money,” Hannibal prompted.

“Oh!” Murdock grinned, “I’m paying him back in smiles.” He winked and shoved more of his breakfast into his mouth.

“Smiles, huh?” Hannibal looked across at Face, who slowly shook his head. “Do you accept cheques?”

Face snorted a laugh and the phone in the living room rang. He dropped his fork and pushed himself up, “that’ll be the rental company.”

“Rental company?” Hannibal asked.

Face waved him off, jogging back into the living room and leaving the kitchen door open. The phone was on a table by the front windows, and Hannibal watched Face pick up the receiver.

The living room windows suddenly exploded inwards in a hail of bullets.

Murdock threw himself to the kitchen floor. Hannibal stood, knocking his plate to the ground. BA could only stare.

Face’s shattered body slumped to the living room carpet.

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself when he walked into the kitchen, throwing BA a bright smile before he opened the fridge and looked inside. Murdock followed close behind, looking less pleased, and dropped into a seat at the kitchen table.

BA almost dropped the spatula into the huevos rancheros. He was no stranger to daydreams but never so vivid and so… horrible. His heart was still pounding. He watched Face pour himself a glass orange juice by the kitchen windows before he sat down at the table. He was struck with a sickening deja vu.

“He cheated me out of a hundred thousand dollars,” Murdock said, pointing indignantly across the table.

Face grinned at him over the rim of his glass.

“Of course he did,” BA said a little more gruffly than he should’ve and busied himself attending the onions now on the edge of burning.

Face frowned, “I didn’t cheat anything,” he said defensively. “I followed Murdock’s rules exactly as he set them.”

“Then you should’ve known better,” BA told Murdock, who slumped a little lower in his seat, arms crossed.

“Known better than what?” Hannibal said as he walked into the kitchen. He sat beside Face, who smiled innocently at him.

Hannibal turned a look on Murdock, “how much this time?”

“A hundred thousand,” Murdock mumbled.

Hannibal sucked his teeth, “you really should’ve known better.”

BA served breakfast and sat down beside Murdock, telling himself his daydreams meant nothing.

“How much do you owe him now?” Murdock asked Hannibal accusingly.

Hannibal hesitated, shrugging, “I don’t think we’re keeping sco-”

“You’re on seventeen point two million.” Face paused, smiling, “give or take.”

Murdock cough-laughed around a mouthful of breakfast and dragged Face’s glass over to take a drink.

BA pushed his food around, feeling sick.

“That doesn’t seem right,” Hannibal said.

“Compound interest is a bitch,” Face shrugged. He began to eat, “thanks, B, this is great.”

BA nodded weakly.

Hannibal tapped his fork thoughtfully against the table, “I don’t remember discussing interest.”

“That’s just poor financial responsibility,” Face replied.

“Oh I remember!” Murdock shot his hand into the air, “me me me me me me!”

Hannibal tutted, “you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Murdock stared at him a moment, then shared a look with Face.

“Because you also owe him money,” Hannibal prompted.

“Oh!” Murdock grinned, “I’m paying him back in smiles.” He winked and shoved more of his breakfast into his mouth.

“Smiles, huh?” Hannibal looked across at Face, who slowly shook his head. “Do you accept cheques?”

Face snorted a laugh and the phone in the living room rang. He dropped his fork and pushed himself up, “that’ll be the rental company.”

“Rental company?” Hannibal asked.

BA’s heart jumped into his throat. He was already on his feet as Face jogged into the living room. He was in the kitchen doorway when the living room windows suddenly exploded inwards in a hail of bullets.

Murdock threw himself to the kitchen floor. Hannibal stood, knocking his plate to the ground.

BA could only watch helplessly as Face’s shattered body slumped to the carpet.

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself when he walked into the kitchen, throwing BA a bright smile before he opened the fridge and looked inside. Murdock followed close behind, taking a stumbling step through the doorway. He froze, meeting BA’s eyes, and they stared at one another.

BA’s gaze flicked to Face and back, and Murdock frowned. BA turned back to the onions that were starting to burn. Murdock stared at Face as he stood by the kitchen windows, pouring himself an orange juice.

Face sat down at the table and rolled his eyes, “don’t look like that, I wasn’t actually expecting to collect.”

Murdock sat carefully at the table, pushing down the unpleasant feeling of deja vu. He forced his voice light, “good, cause I don’t think I got a hundred thousand dollars.”

Face cast him an odd look over his orange juice.

“What do you need a hundred thousand for?” Hannibal said as he walked into the kitchen. He sat beside Face, who smiled innocently at him.

Hannibal turned a look on Murdock, “you really should’ve known better.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Murdock said distantly, glancing towards BA again.

Hannibal and Face shared a puzzled look.

“You feeling ok?” Face asked Murdock.

BA served them breakfast and sat down. He looked at Murdock and Murdock looked at him, each seeking reassurance that the other couldn’t give.

“Is something wrong?” Hannibal asked.

“Well I’d say I was going crazy but…” Murdock gave a hollow chuckle, “folie à deux?” He shrugged helplessly into their looks, “tired, I guess. Bad dreams.” He glanced at BA again.

“No kidding,” BA agreed, pushing his food around his plate without any intent to eat.

The phone in the living room rang. Face dropped his fork and pushed himself up, “that’ll be the rental company.”

“Rental company?” Hannibal asked.

Murdock stood so fast his chair fell backwards, he rounded the table, grabbing at Face as he got to the kitchen door. “It’s not the rental place.”

Face frowned, pushing him gently aside, “I guess we’ll see.”

“No, no, stop!” Murdock tried to get to him again when Hannibal pulled him back.

“I think Face has got this,” Hannibal said, voice full of concern as he tried to steer Murdock back to the table.

BA was on his feet too, heart in his mouth, moving after Face who was already walking to the phone.

The living room windows suddenly exploded inwards in a hail of bullets. BA and Murdock could only watch helplessly from the doorway as Face’s shattered body slumped to the carpet.

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself when he walked into the kitchen, throwing BA a bright smile before he opened the fridge and looked inside. Murdock followed close behind, taking a stumbling step through the doorway. He froze, meeting BA’s eyes, and they stared at one another.

BA stopped making huevos rancheros and turned off the burner, and he and Murdock both turned to stare at Face.

Face stood at the counter by the kitchen windows, poured himself a glass of orange juice and turned and flinched, startled by the looks he was being given. He stood for a moment, frowned slowly. “What?”

Murdock raised a shaking hand to point at Face, “something really freaky is happening.” He turned to BA, “you know, don’t you?”

BA nodded.

“Know what?” Face asked anxiously, peering into his orange juice before putting it on the counter beside him, “what are we supposed to know?”

“You’re not going to believe us,” Murdock said, almost sitting down and stopping himself.

“Hannibal will be here any minute,” BA said, “then we can make a plan.”

“He wont believe us either.”

“Then we make him believe us,” BA said firmly.

“Ok, now you’re freaking me out,” Face said, “what are you talking about?”

Hannibal stepped through the door and stopped, staring at Face in open shock.

“He’ll believe us,” BA and Murdock told each other in unison.

“Ok, ok, now I’m officially creeped the hell out,” Face said, raising his hands, “will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” He searched their faces, hoping to find signs of a joke, but found only three shaken expressions.

“They must be outside,” Hannibal said suddenly.

Face frowned, confused, “who-”

“Shht,” Hannibal raised a finger to hush him, he turned to Murdock and BA, “get the guns, stay away from the windows.”

“Don’t need to tell me,” Murdock said, throwing a look at Face.

“What is this?” Face demanded, “who’s outside?”

Hannibal looked at Face, considering, “you stay with me.”

Face looked like he might protest but gave up with a resigned sigh, lifting and dropping his hands, “sure.”

The phone in the living room started to ring.

“It’ll just be the rental place,” Face said.

“It ain’t,” BA replied.

Face huffed, “nobody’s really going to tell me, huh?”

Hannibal nodded to the door and BA and Murdock moved, stepping carefully through the door into the living room, mindful not to get in line with the windows. Hannibal followed, stopping in the doorway to turn back to Face.

The kitchen windows exploded inwards in a hail of bullets, and all three men could only watch helplessly from the doorway as Face’s shattered body slumped to the linoleum.

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself when he walked into the kitchen, throwing BA a bright smile before he opened the fridge and looked inside. Murdock followed close behind, stopping dead just inside the doorway with a look of grim determination.

BA turned off the burner, huevos rancheros forgotten. He strode over to Face, yanked the orange juice from his hand and slammed the fridge closed. Face took a startled step back.

“Uh, sorry?” Face raised his hands slowly, “I didn’t know the OJ was off limits-”

Murdock suddenly took him by the wrist and dragged him back to the table, earning a gasp of surprise.

“What’s going on?” Face asked nervously as he was shoved into the seat Murdock had sat in three times before. BA loomed at his shoulder, arms crossed and expression grave.

“You’re going to sit right there until Hannibal arrives,” Murdock said firmly, “then we’re going to come up with a plan.”

Face cast a worried look between Murdock and BA, “a plan for what?”

“There’s people outside waiting to shoot us up,” Murdock said, “and if they don’t get us in front they come around back.”

Face furrowed his brow, “what? How do you know that?”

Hannibal took a step through the door and stopped, face pale and expression serious. He looked at Face a moment, then between the other two.

“We should assume the place is surrounded,” Hannibal said, “keep low and stay away from the windows.”

“What?” Face half smiled, caught between confusion and concern, “what is this?”

Hannibal nodded to the door and BA and Murdock moved, slipping through into the living room, careful not to get in line with the windows. He took Face by the upper arm and pulled him out of the chair, all but dragging him into the doorway. Face allowed himself to be manhandled with a resigned sigh.

“Will you tell me what’s going on?” Face demanded, though he dropped his voice almost to a whisper, “who’s out there?”

Hannibal shook his head, checking between the living room and kitchen windows for any sign of movement, “I don’t know.”

“How do you know they’re there?”

The phone in the living room started to ring and Hannibal tightened his grip on Face’s arm.

Face winced, “it’s just-”

“It’s not the rental company,” Hannibal hissed, and Face pressed his mouth shut.

Murdock and BA returned with two rifles each. Murdock crept along the wall and handed Hannibal and Face one, then took his off BA.

“Let’s show them what a real surprise attack looks like,” Hannibal said, checking the gun over before casting a cold smile at his team.

Face frowned, about to speak when Hannibal turned to him.

“And you keep your head down and stay close to me.”

“I’ve done this before, you know?” Face said derisively.

Hannibal shared a look with the others then gestured with his gun. “Move out.”

Face was humming ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ to himself, leaning against the back wall of the kitchen while a man squirmed on one if the kitchen chairs. He’d been tied there for only a couple of minutes, mouth taped shut, while Murdock laid kitchen implements onto the table in front of him. The Team had, of course, no intention of using them for anything but their intended purposes, but the man on the chair didn’t know that and he was already sweating.

The sound of sizzling behind him was probably also contributing, but he didn’t know BA was only making huevos rancheros.

Hannibal walked in and lent beside Face, arms crossed. “So Murdock owes you a hundred thousand dollars, huh?”

Face looked sidelong at him, “are you going to explain how you all knew they were out there?”

Hannibal was quiet a long moment, then sighed, “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Murdock cracked his knuckles, grinning madly at the prisoner, then ripped off the tape.

“It was Henley Belkin!” The prisoner spluttered, “he ordered us to take you out!”

Murdock dropped his hands and shrugged at Hannibal.

“Well, that was easy,” Hannibal said, straightening off the wall.

“If only everyone was so cooperative,” Face agreed.

Hannibal sat opposite their prisoner and smiled, “keep talking and maybe we all make it past breakfast.”