there's a sound - sharp, a bullet ripping through the air. over the phone, hua cheng hears it - he hears the gasp of xie lian, too, and the sound of the phone clattering to the ground, a dull thunk as someone hits the floor.
silence.
power hisses "aw, i wanted to do it." from beside hua cheng.
there's a collective breath of relief through the entire crowd as they all realize what happened, and start looking around at each other. ]
We're going in, Power. Maybe you can still shoot someone.
[ the phone is coming with him, as hua cheng steps out of the little HQ area, held up by his shoulder as he reaches to draw his gun. everyone else can settle in with relief, but he's not going to breathe until he sees xie lian is safe.
he holds his other hand up for the masked sniper to see. job's not done yet. he needs someone to keep an eye on things. ]
[ power blinks? but, she does listen to hua cheng. she's such a good deputy - so, she scurries off, yelling.
the crowd that had gathered before remains, watching hua cheng.
xie lian swallows, and his voice is a little tight. ] No - please. Promise me you'll stay there. I - you can help, but you have to promise me you won't come in, San Lang, please.
[ why do people keep asking him for things he doesn't want to give them? and, normally, he'd be happy to give xie lian the world. but hua cheng has never hated anything more than this, and comes to a stop when he sees the doors to the bank. can he see inside? ]
[ he cannot! the doors are thick and wooden, and there are no windows from the front. ]
I need you to. Can you... can you get the people in the front room out? I was able to sneak a lot of them out, earlier, it's - I think that's how I got here.
[ xie lian laughs, softly. he sounds very calm. ] I think. ... Everything's going to be okay, San Lang.
[ it's at this time that power comes back, with a big binder in her hands.
she comes to hua cheng and flips it open to a page that says - bomb dismantlement and shoves it in his face. Directions! Bomb squad's coming. Is Hairbun in there? Is he okay? ]
[ almost rattling in place, hua cheng stares at the doors like he can bore a hole through them to see where xie lian is on the inside. he listens to xie lian, because of course he does, but he very much does not want to obey this request, even at the risk that it could pose to himself. likely, the risk to xie lian is the only thing keeping him in place.
his gaze does finally tear away from the wooden doors when power comes bouncing up, leaning his head back when she shoves the binder in his face. great. directions. he'll do wonderfully at this. ]
Yeah. But he'll be fine. [ he's not fine right now, though. a beat, a breath, then: ] Can I - can I open the front doors, gege. Are they there?
I'm in the back. You should get them out quickly - I'm moving away from them, to the back of the building, to the vault. I think that's going to be the best place.
[ hm
that's fine probably!
anyway hua cheng's bomb manual has a page full of serial numbers on it. the serial numbers are matched to pages of directions, it looks like. ]
hua cheng can feel an aneurysm about to happen from worry, when he says that he's heading to the vault as the best place. yeah, to contain a bomb explosion! which he will probably be in the middle of! because he does that kind of thing!
he puts his gun back in its holster, the bomb manual under an arm, and pulls the doors open. ]
Everybody, get the fuck out. Now!
[ this is not a calm and reassuring means of calling to hostages, hua cheng, but okay. ]
[ hua cheng's voice is commanding and sexy. the crowd watching all of this happen seems to really enjoy this - and as the hostages come out, there's a lot of rejoicing in the streets behind him. families are reunited, and tears are shed.
but he knows his family's iin here, doesn't he?
there's the sound of metal, click click click and then the heavy sound of a door closing.
xie lian sighs. ]
... San Lang ah... [ a little scolding, maybe, on that command of his, but he sounds more like he's not sure whether he's going to laugh or cry. ] It's really going to be okay. I promise. You're worrying too much.
[ yeah, yeah, he'll be lauded as a hero. the hardboiled detective with a devil may care attitude and a secret heart of gold, saving a bunch of hostages and taking down the bad guy with one command.
but what about his hostage? ]
I'm always worrying about you, gege. Not a day goes by where, when we're apart, I'm not wondering what you're doing and if you're okay.
[ he's going into the bank, now. sorry. where's the perp? what's the bank looking like? ]
[ the perp is super dead on the floor in a pool of his own blood. the back room of the bank looks like there was a fight - tables are turned over, and money is scattered everywhere. whatever happened here meant that the person who was fighting must have given this perp hell.
hua cheng will hear the sound of a lock clicking into place.
xie lian laughs, quietly. ] ... That's... [ embarrassing. ] .. I'm okay. I'm okay, because you're here.
... There are a few wires on this thing. I have something I could use to cut them.
[ to the shock of no one that knows hua cheng, he has to resist the urge to shoot the body again.
waste of a good bullet. xie lian gave him plenty of hell already, too.
but he frowns when he hears that click, making his way into the depths of the bank - unfortunately for xie lian, he is not listening to him. the fact that he's locking himself in somewhere means that he can't see to confirm that though. ]
I can't say that dismantling a bomb is my specialty. [ the binder is taken in hand, anyways, and he opens it to look at those codes. ] Anything for you, though. What do they look like?
xie lian sits. so does hua cheng, on the other side, dropping with a gracelessly graceful thud. he opens the binder on his lap while he settles in, clearly not planning on going anywhere.
hope this phone has a decent charge. ]
Red, blue, white, yellow. [ bomb instruction book tell him your secrets with your serial codes. ]
[ this is why he's a detective and not a bomb tech.
his grip shifts on the phone, so that he can hold it up with his shoulder again, going to flip through and assess the different patterns. hateful. this is so hateful.
a very soft noise is his only response to the question, at first, to let xie lian know that he's heard him. is he afraid? he's lost a lot, in his life. but he has never been afraid for himself - not once, not long enough for it to matter. angry, yes. so miserably angry that he wanted to take it out on the world. but afraid? ]
Gege said it best, didn't he? I'm okay, because you're here.
[ xie lian makes a soft noise. the beeping continues. it's a little louder now, like xie lian has moved with the phone. ]
... Good. Truthfully, I don't... I'm not really sure how I got here? They kept calling you a detective. What kind of disguise are you wearing, today...
[ he says it with a little laugh. a disguise? ] You know I'll be alright, despite anything. So, you don't have to be afraid. Everything is going to be alright.
[ the beeping seems to be getting a little faster. ]
A disguise, gege? You know I'm too striking to go undercover. And just because I'm not the most typical detective on the force doesn't mean I'm not still one - you wound me.
[ some levity, in this situation. because he feels like his heart should be racing, should have been racing this entire time. nothing about this is right, but he's so distressed and trying to keep it together right now, that there's really no paying it any mind.
especially not when the beeping is getting faster. louder. ]
... gege? [ his voice gets a little smaller, for a moment, and he shifts, turning so that he can check the door, try to figure out how to get it unlocked from the outside. the binder is discarded to the floor as he does. ]
You take disguises all the time. [ there's something rueful about the way he says that. ] You always... well. They're always very handsome, though you might be just fishing for compliments...
[ there's a brief pause, filled only by that same, slightly faster paced beeping. ]
...San Lang. [ he says, quietly. the manual clatters to the floor - hua cheng tries the door, but, it's just a vault. there are so many combinations. a fingerprint lock. ]
... I'm not always very good at saying things I should say. [ ... ] I guess I should cut one of these....? What do you think.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guestservices) wrote2022-07-03 06:13 pm
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[ the perp says. even through the voice modulation, he sounds... excited at the prospect of his plan working.
more scritching of pen on paper and.
GUN. POINTED AT DOOR.
SNIPER WORRIED ABOUT LOSING SHOT. ]
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FIRE. ]
I'll get started on that. Ten armored trucks, front door, in half an hour.
[ but xie lian is in there. ]
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there's a sound - sharp, a bullet ripping through the air. over the phone, hua cheng hears it - he hears the gasp of xie lian, too, and the sound of the phone clattering to the ground, a dull thunk as someone hits the floor.
silence.
power hisses "aw, i wanted to do it." from beside hua cheng.
there's a collective breath of relief through the entire crowd as they all realize what happened, and start looking around at each other. ]
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[ the phone is coming with him, as hua cheng steps out of the little HQ area, held up by his shoulder as he reaches to draw his gun. everyone else can settle in with relief, but he's not going to breathe until he sees xie lian is safe.
he holds his other hand up for the masked sniper to see. job's not done yet. he needs someone to keep an eye on things. ]
Gege, can you hear me?
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meanwhile, on the phone: ]
... I can hear you.
[ it's xie lian, again. soft, but - ] ... Don't. ... I need you to stay out there. Please.
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but hua cheng's steps start to slow, hearing xie lian's voice like that. ]
Talk to me, gege. What's going on?
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[ xie lian takes a deep breath, and says. ] Nothing, San Lang. I'm alright, just - don't come in yet. Please?
[ but in the background, hua cheng might hear a soft beeping. ]
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Power. Power, get bomb squad. Now.
[ sorry, xie lian, you know him. he's heading towards the building, just barely keeping himself from running. can't cause a panic. ]
Sorry, gege, even if you said please I don't think I can listen this time.
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the crowd that had gathered before remains, watching hua cheng.
xie lian swallows, and his voice is a little tight. ] No - please. Promise me you'll stay there. I - you can help, but you have to promise me you won't come in, San Lang, please.
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I can't promise you that. [ strained ]
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I need you to. Can you... can you get the people in the front room out? I was able to sneak a lot of them out, earlier, it's - I think that's how I got here.
[ xie lian laughs, softly. he sounds very calm. ] I think. ... Everything's going to be okay, San Lang.
[ it's at this time that power comes back, with a big binder in her hands.
she comes to hua cheng and flips it open to a page that says - bomb dismantlement and shoves it in his face. Directions! Bomb squad's coming. Is Hairbun in there? Is he okay? ]
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his gaze does finally tear away from the wooden doors when power comes bouncing up, leaning his head back when she shoves the binder in his face. great. directions. he'll do wonderfully at this. ]
Yeah. But he'll be fine. [ he's not fine right now, though. a beat, a breath, then: ] Can I - can I open the front doors, gege. Are they there?
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I'm in the back. You should get them out quickly - I'm moving away from them, to the back of the building, to the vault. I think that's going to be the best place.
[ hm
that's fine probably!
anyway hua cheng's bomb manual has a page full of serial numbers on it. the serial numbers are matched to pages of directions, it looks like. ]
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hua cheng can feel an aneurysm about to happen from worry, when he says that he's heading to the vault as the best place. yeah, to contain a bomb explosion! which he will probably be in the middle of! because he does that kind of thing!
he puts his gun back in its holster, the bomb manual under an arm, and pulls the doors open. ]
Everybody, get the fuck out. Now!
[ this is not a calm and reassuring means of calling to hostages, hua cheng, but okay. ]
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but he knows his family's iin here, doesn't he?
there's the sound of metal, click click click and then the heavy sound of a door closing.
xie lian sighs. ]
... San Lang ah... [ a little scolding, maybe, on that command of his, but he sounds more like he's not sure whether he's going to laugh or cry. ] It's really going to be okay. I promise. You're worrying too much.
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but what about his hostage? ]
I'm always worrying about you, gege. Not a day goes by where, when we're apart, I'm not wondering what you're doing and if you're okay.
[ he's going into the bank, now. sorry. where's the perp? what's the bank looking like? ]
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hua cheng will hear the sound of a lock clicking into place.
xie lian laughs, quietly. ] ... That's... [ embarrassing. ] .. I'm okay. I'm okay, because you're here.
... There are a few wires on this thing. I have something I could use to cut them.
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waste of a good bullet. xie lian gave him plenty of hell already, too.
but he frowns when he hears that click, making his way into the depths of the bank - unfortunately for xie lian, he is not listening to him. the fact that he's locking himself in somewhere means that he can't see to confirm that though. ]
I can't say that dismantling a bomb is my specialty. [ the binder is taken in hand, anyways, and he opens it to look at those codes. ] Anything for you, though. What do they look like?
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xie lian laughs, quietly. ] Mine either. [ and doesn't seem too fussed. hua cheng can hear some shuffling, like he sat down.
the beeping continues. ]
There's four. A red, a blue, a white, and a yellow.
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xie lian sits. so does hua cheng, on the other side, dropping with a gracelessly graceful thud. he opens the binder on his lap while he settles in, clearly not planning on going anywhere.
hope this phone has a decent charge. ]
Red, blue, white, yellow. [ bomb instruction book tell him your secrets with your serial codes. ]
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damn.
the serial codes are still there, though, indicating different wire patterns.
the beeping continues. ]
San Lang. [ xie lian says, quietly. ] Are you afraid?
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his grip shifts on the phone, so that he can hold it up with his shoulder again, going to flip through and assess the different patterns. hateful. this is so hateful.
a very soft noise is his only response to the question, at first, to let xie lian know that he's heard him. is he afraid? he's lost a lot, in his life. but he has never been afraid for himself - not once, not long enough for it to matter. angry, yes. so miserably angry that he wanted to take it out on the world. but afraid? ]
Gege said it best, didn't he? I'm okay, because you're here.
[ hua cheng is terrified for xie lian. ]
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... Good. Truthfully, I don't... I'm not really sure how I got here? They kept calling you a detective. What kind of disguise are you wearing, today...
[ he says it with a little laugh. a disguise? ] You know I'll be alright, despite anything. So, you don't have to be afraid. Everything is going to be alright.
[ the beeping seems to be getting a little faster. ]
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[ some levity, in this situation. because he feels like his heart should be racing, should have been racing this entire time. nothing about this is right, but he's so distressed and trying to keep it together right now, that there's really no paying it any mind.
especially not when the beeping is getting faster. louder. ]
... gege? [ his voice gets a little smaller, for a moment, and he shifts, turning so that he can check the door, try to figure out how to get it unlocked from the outside. the binder is discarded to the floor as he does. ]
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You take disguises all the time. [ there's something rueful about the way he says that. ] You always... well. They're always very handsome, though you might be just fishing for compliments...
[ there's a brief pause, filled only by that same, slightly faster paced beeping. ]
...San Lang. [ he says, quietly. the manual clatters to the floor - hua cheng tries the door, but, it's just a vault. there are so many combinations. a fingerprint lock. ]
... I'm not always very good at saying things I should say. [ ... ] I guess I should cut one of these....? What do you think.
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