Hobbs and Shaw

Chapter 1 - Pickle

The night was dark, and the air was cold as Anna, lying on her stomach behind a bush, looked through her tech-savvy binoculars. The heat signature setting not catching any heat signatures. With the coast clear, Anna placed the binoculars into her backpack then swiftly got up from the ground and made her way over to the large warehouse building before her. Lights were illuminated all along the outside of the warehouse as well as inside, leaving almost no shadow for Anna to hide beneath.

Finding the backdoor nearest to the computer room where Anna needed to go, Anna carefully entered and immediately ducked behind the trashcan near the door upon seeing several men walk together across the space before her. Anna furrowed her brow, the binoculars showed that there was no one inside the building and yet, several people were walking up and down, shifting large metal boxes and stocking up several trucks.

Anna sighed in frustration, perhaps the binoculars were broken. She'll be sure to fix them once she returned to base, but that was tomorrow's worry. For the moment she had to figure out how she was going to get into the computer room without being seen by the many people busying themselves.

Up ahead, Anna saw a desk, a blue uniform jacket hanging on the back of the chair along with a baseball cap resting on several documents on the desk. Abandoning her backpack, Anna made her way to the desk casually, then picked up the jacket and cap, putting them on. Looking down on the desk, Anna saw a clipboard and immediately picked it up, walking towards the computer room, casting a glance to the side making sure no one suspected her. Anna climbed up the metal stairway leading to the technical tower and passed another man on her way up. Once Anna reached the platform, she looked around quickly then entered the empty computer room and made her way towards one of the computers, abandoning the clipboard.

Anna removed the bracelet from her wrist and pulled out the hidden USB and plugged it in the USB port and began downloading files. Seeing as there were too many people in the building, Anna did not have the luxury of going through the files herself and just had to get what she could and get out. Anna stood up straight to look at her surroundings and spotted someone familiar below before quickly ducking her head, her heart racing. Anna swallowed; her throat suddenly dry when something popped up on the screen in front of her. Anna stared at a blueprint of some kind of object and began reading the specs next to the design, her eyes widening with the more she read. A ping sound alerted Anna that all the files were downloaded so she removed the USB and placed it back into her bracelet before tying it around her wrist again. She swiped up the clipboard and made her way out the room but was stopped once she reached the platform by another man in uniform.

"Hey!" he called stopping Anna in her tracks, "What were you doing in there? Only authorized personnel are allowed."

"Sorry." Was all Anna could say and tried to carry on but felt a hand grab her shoulder. Anna grabbed the hand on her right shoulder and twisted underneath the mans arm before pinning it against his back, kicking his knees from behind making him kneel with a cry.

"Hey!" someone else called from behind Anna.

Anna pushed the man in front of her to the ground before flinging the clipboard at the man behind her before gripping the railing and jumping over it, doing a forward roll once she had made contact with the concrete floor. In her crouch position, Anna saw that she had attracted unwanted attention then made a dash for the backdoor from whence she entered.

Anna was meters away from the door when she was tackled from the side and made contact with the wall next to her. Anna slid down the wall and saw a man standing above her. The Asian man had caramel brown skin and black hair. Anna lifted herself from the floor and watched as the man smiled and took a step back. Anna brought up her fists in a fighting stance and stared at her opponent. The Asian man also lifted up his fists. Anna punched with her right which the man dodged by pushing her arm away, so Anna used that momentum to turn around and try to make contact with her left elbow which the man once again dodged by pushing the elbow away, Anna quickly turned around again and used the back of her right fist and hit the man against his jaw. He looked stunned for a moment as he stumbled them righted himself, touching his jaw. He then wasted no time and punched making Anna bring up her arms in defense creating an opportunity for the man to grab her right shoulder and pull her down to make contact with his raised knee. Anna managed to block the contact with the knee before she punched right then left, the man dodging both strikes making the two circle each other again.

Anna stepped forward with her left leg then right whilst turning her body and raising her left leg to kick the man in the chest. The man however caught Anna's leg and twisted it making Anna twist midair and land on the ground, the air escaping her lungs. Anna made to get up again when someone cocked a gun and pointed it at her, making her lean back on her forearms and glare at the other person before her

"Now thats not very good manners, is it Annie?" The person said.

"You're one to talk." Anna replied eyeing the gun in the person's hand.

"Yes, well, how else would I get you two to stop?" The person questioned, "Come. We have some catching up to do."

🌍

Hobbs was staring through the scope atop his rifle, breathing slowly and calmly when he spoke, "Target is on the move."

Deckard, who was beside him looking through his own rifle scope, replied, "I see him."

"Fire when ready." Hobbs instructed.

Both men pulled the trigger releasing a stream of bullets.

"GAME OVER"

The screen above them called out. Hobbs sighed and stood up straight staring at the moving alien in front of them. Music drifting in the background along with the laughter from the children on the carousel behind them. Hobbs had invited Hattie to join him and his daughter to the fun fair which had come into town and obviously, Deckard had to come along as well, to keep an eye on the giant of a man around his sister.

"Gosh, I swear these games are rigged." Hobbs complained with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah," Deckard agreed and turned away from the vender, placing his hands into his jacket pockets, "You know we could always just blow the place up."

Hobbs stared at Deckard and was about to say something when another voice intervened.

"Now that's an interesting idea."

"Mr Nobody?" Hobbs spoke upon seeing the elderly man in dark glasses approached them with his usual charming smile, "What brings you here?

"Well," Mr Nobody answered, "I'm in a bit of a pickle and I need your help."

Deckard pats Hobbs shoulder, "Have a good one mate." Deckard turns and makes to leave.

"Actually," Mr Nobody said, stopping Deckard in his tracks, "I need both of your help."