Russell Adler x Reader

Six

With bated breath you jumped up the stairs and reached the second floor just in time to see how Qasim climbed out of a window to run over the roof terraces of the neighbourhood.

"Blyat!", you hissed and wanted to follow.

But as you stuck your head through the opening, a man suddenly came out of nowhere, grabbed you by the collar and jammed you across the roof with all his might.

Falling to your knees, you landed in a row of pots.

The porcelain shattered under the pressure.

Sharp shards dug into your clothes and reached so deep, you thought they would cut the skin if your back open. Your legs slid over the edge. Out of reflex, you grabbed the gutter with one hand and raised the gun with the other to aim at the guy.

But before you could shoot and most likely miss, a shot rang out and pierced the man's head.

Blood splattered all over the place. A soft gasp escaped his lips, before his knees gave in and his body fell over without any tension left inside the limbs.

Adler climbed through the window.

"You okay?", he asked and pulled you back on the roof.

A sigh of relief made your chest tremble.

"No time.", you mumbled up. "Qasim's that way!"

"Right behind you."

With a new kind of stamina, you rushed over the roofs and glued yourself to the man running a few steps ahead.

Judging from his back, he seemed to be the average guy, plainly dressed and with a hairstyle as hip and funky as the Americans liked them.

You still remembered the first time you had met him. He had looked like no other, thick beard and long, curly hair.

Now he was just a sad western version of himself.

Soon, you'd share his fate and the last bit of Soviet would be drained from you.

"This has to end soon...", you hissed.

"Agreed.", Adler appeared to your left. "There's the last roof. He's trapped."

You picked up a quicker speed and jumped over the railing of a balcony, down onto a lower roof.

"I'll get him!", you shouted. "Qasim!"

Struck by surprise, the man suddenly faltered. He stumbled over his own two feet, his gaze jumped over his shoulder.

The shimmer of realisation lit up inside his eyes.

He recognised you. How unfortunate.

With your teeth clenched you reached out and grabbed him by the collar. You stopped abruptly.

He stumbled and fell to his knees. His head hit the edge of the roof.

A soft groan escaped him.

Out of reflex, you positioned yourself above him, pistol pressed to his chest.

"Not a word.", you hissed, eyes locked with his.

He swallowed hard.

"Help me!", he whispered.

But you just shook your head.

His fight was lost. There was no use trying to convince Adler to let him live.

"Nowhere left to run, Qasim.", Adler said in a pleased voice as he and the other two joined you on the roof.

Qasim raised his hands in defence.

"We can work something-!"

But Adler wasn't having his bullshit.

One quick hit and blood poured out Qasim's cracked nose.

With a nod of his head and his lips pressed together, Adler turned to you.

"You're on.", he said and grabbed a wounded man who was twisting in pain next to him on the floor.

Grimly, you nodded and pressed the gun to Qasim's head.

"I'll make it quick.", you said as a promise to not make him suffer.

His eyes widened. He was basically begging you to let him go.

"Wait!", he stuttered. "Wa- No!"

You took a deep breath. There was no reason to care for him, great things demanded great sacrifices. Qasim was just one piece of the bigger puzzle. But it annoyed you that he had to die this way.

He deserved a lot more. And he also was quite useful to add to that.

All of a sudden, Perseus' words filled your mind again.

"Whatever it is, if it serves our purpose, do not hesitate to do it.", he had said. "The Soviet Union will make you a hero. But before that, you need to become a monster."

Your gaze darkened.

"Tell us where Arash is and you'll live.", you said, finger slightly pressing onto the trigger.

Completely in shock, Qasim looked down onto the street.

"I- I just handle the money... I don't know where Arash is!"

"I don't think you understand the situation...", Adler interrupted and threw the wounded solider down the roof.

Screaming, he struggled in the air. His back hit the roof of a car, making it shatter under the impact. Glass and metal jumped across the street.

Now, it seemed like Qasim was about to understand.

"You Americans have rules!", he shouted. "You have rules!"

Adler placed a foot on the edge of the roof and leaned on it. That way, he was out of sight for Qasim and just a threshing voice in the back of his head.

"You took hostages. The rules changed."

His gaze jumped to you. The left corner of his lips twitched, indicating that he wanted an answer no matter the price.

You put more pressure onto the gun.

"You need to tell my friend something or I can't stop him from throwing you over.", you gifted him a smug smirk.

"He's in Turkey!", Qasim blurted out. "He's meeting someone at Trabzon airfield tomorrow night!"

You glanced at Adler.

He gestured for you to go on.

"Who's he meeting with?", you asked.

He shook his head.

"I- I swear I don't know! They only communicate with coded messages!"

"Wasn't that hard, was it?", you leaned back to give him some space. "But we can't let you go."

"What?!", Qasim's eyes widened. "You can't-!"

You pulled the trigger.

Blood splattered.

"Good job, speedy.", Woods chuckled. "Man, I didn't expect you to be so hardcore. Didn't even flinch."

Mason offered you a hand to get back on your feet.

"Thanks.", you let the gun disappear in your pocket. "Guess I'm not all that rusty."

"Not at all.", Adler agreed.

Somehow, he seemed a little strange.