there's no end, the circle that we're in

The viper's use of his proper surname brought him to an instant pause, his eyes flicking back over to Marie upon realizing that he had lied to her. He'd been lying to her this entire time- at least, most of it was a lie- and there hadn't been a moment to explain things to her. There had barely been a moment to breathe considering he was trying to avoid this very situation here from happening.

For what it was worth, Marie didn't seem to care...or maybe she didn't let it faze her. It was clear that they were in deep water now, and he knew she wasn't a fool. Still, his mouth moved, some sort of apology at the tip of his tongue before he heard the low giggle emitting from Danica's throat.

The woman was smiling at Marie still but it had hardened and all amusement had left those eyes. She didn't answer right away either which just made this all the more unnerving. Their only saving grace was that they were in a public parking lot.

That's when an unmarked van pulled up and one of the agents opened the double doors in the back, revealing the cold, hard benches within. How fucking cliché.

And also: fuck.

"Get in," Queen Bitch said, and the gun barrel against his skull dug in deeper, urging him to do as instructed. If Marie didn't comply, she would most certainly be forced in as well.

Johnny said nothing on the short ride to wherever it was they were going. He couldn't even throw snarky remarks at the two uniforms seated there with them, let alone look at Marie. Now was not the time to confess anything because he had to figure out how to get them out of this mess.

But his heart stopped temporarily when the van did just a few minutes later.

The two were escorted out and he was staring at a small warehouse. The area looked unused and unusually quiet; he couldn't even hear a street nearby. Johnny's jaw clenched as he drew in a slow breath, already getting a bad feeling. No, it was twenty times worse than the bad feeling from before.

Inside, there were empty crates and a couple of forklifts but they appeared to have been untouched for quite awhile. One of the large industrial lights above flickered annoyingly every few seconds. Danica had her goons scope this place out, an area close by yet far enough from prying eyes. There was either going to be a lot of screaming or flying bullets. Maybe both.

Suddenly, the sound of metal scraping across the concrete floor had him cringing. Danica settled a chair in front of Marie, gesturing for her to sit if she liked before the woman began that annoyingly, casual walk she often did. She was like a shark circling her prey and it would be impossible to flee. Certainly not with the three armed agents intently watching them.

"What I want, Miss Walsh, what I need is your sister's location. One of my agents has gone rogue-" That was when she paused, giving Johnny a pointed look. "Apparently it's the new trend." Could she possess anymore fucking sass? "This man in particular has something very important and could be potentially dangerous if unleashed. We believe your sister has been hiding him. We now suspect your uncle as well." A turn on her heel, Danica regarded the other woman carefully. "You help me, and I can guarantee their safety. I only need Bishop."

Johnny suddenly laughed out loud because he knew what this woman's word was worth.

Whoa. What the fuck was happening?

Everything had been quiet or eerily calm, but then all of a sudden Marie was talking. And she didn't stop. Johnny was beginning to panic again, worried she was going to somehow say the wrong thing, somehow make all of this worse (as if that was even possible, honestly), but he still couldn't find his voice. For once, the man was speechless and watched her as she ranted to the leader of his damn agency.

Former agency, that is. He was pretty sure he was fired after this.

Cordello was stunned, he was guilty, and he felt it at the very pit of his stomach when he caught that look of betrayal. When he heard the words she spat out before it all. It hurt, and he was quite aware that he had made everything so much worse for her. He knew she hadn't been lying, though, he really did, but for whatever reason Danica couldn't take his word for it.

'You've got the one person who gave a fuck whether I lived or died at gunpoint.'

His brow furrowed, and his normally calm and emotionless façade shifted. It was small but noticeable for anyone looking. His mouth moved again, like he was ready to talk but movement in his peripheral gave him pause. One of the agents was handing Danica a phone, all the while the woman's attention hadn't left Marie the entire time. In fact, she was still grinning as if Marie's entire speech hadn't happened or even mattered.

"I wouldn't say worthless..." she all but purred. Her heels clicked softly upon the floor, echoing in the sudden silence of the room that followed. Danica turned towards Johnny as fingertips fluttered against the soft fabric of his button-down before pressing a palm to his heart again.

"Our agents are highly trained individuals, from basic combat and weapons handling, all the way to manipulation. I'm sure Romeo here was the perfect example."
Johnny's face contorted into soft confusion, unsure about where exactly she was going with this. Whatever the case, the unease returned.
"Considering they are often out in the field, we need to...keep track of them, you see."
The snake's eyes were watching him carefully, and she smirked the very second he realized what was about to happen. No. No, she wouldn't be that fucking psychotic. Johnny dared a small step forward, but he soon had two of the agents taking hold of his arms to keep him back.

Danica threw a glance over her shoulder to Marie, looking ever so pleased and taking her sweet time to get to the point. "So, we've implanted them trackers. The new designs are at the base of the neck, along the spine. One flick of a switch, a signal is sent out...rendering the agent dead. Immediately."
Her attention drifted back to him and that was when he completely froze.
"But Johnny's is one of the older designs." For the third time, her finger tapped his chest where that tracker rested. She could probably feel how hard his heart pounded now. "His was implanted right against his heart...so when he's been bad, the electric current sent will shock him. Over and over...and over. If I don't command it to stop, his heart will give in."

Perhaps she was bluffing, a skill she was rather good at, but the twisting at the pit of his stomach indicated that this wasn't the case...and, be damned, he was actually a little scared.

As if she hadn't said any of that jargon, Danica changed the topic a little. "Think hard, Miss Walsh. You might think you are worthless, but you know your family's habits, your uncle's safe havens..." Grinning faintly, she offered a gentle caress to Johnny's cheek as she brought that cell phone up to her ear. Without further explanation, without removing her gaze from him, she murmured two words to whoever was on the other line, "Do it."

Although she had taken her time to tease, everything seemed to happen so quickly. Johnny began to struggle against his captors more fiercely now, but their hold held strong and he could feel himself shaking from fear as the anticipation grew.

It took only a few seconds for the signal to reach that tracker and the shock jolted his entire body. It was a constant pain twisting and prodding at his heart before he could no longer contain his silence. That pain turned excruciating and he cried out from the horrible discomfort, feeling his knees begin to buckle. After another moment, he collapsed onto them; the men no longer bothering to hold him upright.

Briefly, the electric current stopped but his body continued to shudder. When he could breathe again, when he felt his strength returning, Danica uttered a single word to the agent on the phone, "Again." He soon doubled over right at her feet, spasms taking over once more.

He knew pain. He'd dealt with a lot of shit back in the Army, then more as an agent for this god forsaken agency, but this? This was something else entirely. It was like a wild animal had dug through his chest and clamped tightly around his heart with inch-long claws. The pain spiderwebbed outward to every limb, every part of him until he could no longer remain upright. He hit that concrete hard, feeling the tears already slipping out from his eyes. Stars were in his eyes as the blackness began to creep in from the corners and he feared he was going to blackout. He feared what would happen to Marie if he did.

'For fucks sake, stop it!'

Her voice was an echo in his ears at this point, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Danica murmured something into the phone, and after a few seconds, the electric current ceased but the pain still throbbed. It ebbed through him, pulsing and making him twitch, yet he tried to get back up to his hands and knees.

Lips quivered, attempting to speak, to tell Marie not to say anything or do anything drastic, but time seemed to be a lot slower for him than everyone else. Before he realized it, Marie had acquired one of the pistols and was training it right on Danica. The other agents aiming their weapons at her while he lay there helpless.

"Oh, Miss Walsh-" It was Danica, somehow sounding...pleased? The woman was fucking delusional so he wasn't sure why he was so stunned. "You really are a surprise."
Johnny could hear it coming, the praise and the speech, trying to sell Marie on the agency as a career. It's what she always did with someone who showed even a little bit of promise. Maybe because her agents kept dropping like flies.

He was getting up to his knees before it could get near that, weakly reaching out to grab Danica by the wrist. He was not attacking, he wasn't trying to wrangle her into submission but it had startled her nonetheless. The agent nearest him turned his weapon on Johnny and he once again felt the barrel against his temple.
"Stop. Please..." he breathed, his voice strained. It sounded like he was begging the Snake now. "She doesn't know where Bishop is. She's not a part of this..." Green eyes drifted towards Marie then, silently pleading for her to not pull that trigger because she would die.
Danica regarded him with a raised brow, slowly pulling her arm free from his grasp. "Don't tell me she made you soft. This is pathetic, Cordello." Her long fingers curled into the front of his shirt, urging him to get back up to his feet. His legs were a bit wobbly, but he could stand. His heart continued to beat rapidly, he was struggling to breathe properly, but he was focused.

"Marie..." Johnny said, watching her carefully again. He didn't know how to reiterate how sorry he was for this mess, how sorry he was for the fact that he wasn't really sure he could get them out of it this time. Not on his own. At the very same time, although she looked like she would willingly pull that trigger, he didn't want her to. All the same, he wished he could convey what the next few seconds would entail and that she could either attempt to run or dive deeper into this dark abyss she happened to find herself falling into.

As fast as his battered body could move, he turned and grasped the agent's hand with both of his own, using the surprise to his advantage to turn the man's weapon upon himself. Two shots rang out, and he knew he couldn't stop; already spinning again before the body could fall to shoot out the knee of one of the other agents near Marie. The guy cried out, managing to get his own shot off that grazed Johnny deep in the shoulder. Danica was already on the move when she heard the second shot, seeking cover.

It was one of those moments where he didn't know whether to be surprised, frightened, or a little turned on. Maybe it was a mix of all three, but kidding aside, where had this been the entire time they had been running? Sure, at first it had all been fake but it certainly wasn't now, and she hadn't known.

Johnny was still trying to stand up straight without wavering, he was trying to keep his vision clear and his eyes focused after that bout of adrenaline, hearing the gunfire all around him.

He'd been just in time to watch her render another dead, and it brought him to an immediate pause.

That is, until another had her by the throat, and Johnny was already bringing his gun up to aim. He could take the shot, he'd done it numerous times before, but his head was never spinning like this, his arms were never spasming like they still were. Johnny gritted his teeth, staring down that barrel and forcing himself not to let his weaknesses show.

But Marie took care of it.

She was a whirlwind, using the man's injury to her advantage before popping him right in the gut. Cordello had to quickly wipe that surprise from his face, time suddenly speeding back up for him because, as she turned, the last agent was bringing his pistol up, finger ready to squeeze the trigger.

Another shot rang out but it was from his own gun. The bullet crashed straight into the man's skull, killing him instantly before his body slumped heavily to the ground. Johnny glanced around quickly, not seeing Danica anywhere so she likely managed to get away. Everyone else around them was dead or on their way. Finally, he let his own body slacken and rest against a couple of crates.

His mind was telling him they needed to move but his body was currently refusing. In all honesty, he wouldn't be surprised if Marie turned her weapon right around on him at this point. After all, he had been one of them, he had been quietly conning her, so he wouldn't blame her. He had lied.

So, that was why he dropped the pistol down onto the top crate as he used the boxes to hold himself upright. Johnny swallowed hard, struggling once again to keep from passing out. The pain was a little less now but he felt weak and shaken, and now his arm burned from where the bullet grazed him. He barely turned his head to look at her now.

"You need to go," his hoarse voice broke the silence.

When he heard that telltale noise of her getting sick, Johnny flinched a little and kept his gaze away. He was the type that didn't really do well when others threw up. Blood and guts? Sure, not a problem, but that? There was just something about it and he visibly cringed. So much for that badass from moments ago. Had she never killed anyone before? A flinch, as though he was about to step over to her, Johnny corrected himself and stayed put.

'Very funny, Agent Cordello.'

The hint of humor at his real name was what made him flinch, along with the words that followed. Despite her laugh, Johnny was stoic and maybe a little confused. It was like she had suddenly snapped, and no offense to Marie, it was beginning to make him a little uneasy. Why wouldn't she want to leave him behind after this? After he blatantly lied, and could have probably been lying about everything?

His head was still throbbing, but he was a bit more aware of everything now as he watched her approach; his fingers clutching the edge of that crate as he still used it for support. Marie laughed again, sobbed, and was beginning to break apart right in front of his eyes; turning away from him which prompted him to stand up straighter.

He wasn't the best at comforting people. When he did, it was often a part of his cover and he was simply copying what he saw others do. It was easy then because he didn't actually mean it. This was the result of his own abusive dad and overly smothering mother who tried to make up for the lack of fatherly affection. It had pushed him away more, hardened him to a lot of emotion in general unless he was faking it. So, watching her completely lose herself right now made him hate how he didn't know how to fix it.

'So. Are you coming with me?'

Even if he had the choice, he knew what it would be. He hadn't meant to sound like he was abandoning her but he figured she wouldn't want to have anything to do with him after this and the lies. Johnny underestimated her. And when he met her gaze, his brow furrowed in legit concern, carefully taking a step forward to rest a hand upon her shoulder. Even if he wasn't good at consoling, he wasn't a fucking robot- he could at least make a small attempt because he genuinely wanted to.

"Jonathan Dean Cordello from Nevada," he introduced himself randomly, and yet, it was like he was trying to start over. "I'm- was an ACIS agent, former Army Ranger, and lover of a good cherry pie." Those eyes crinkled a little like he was trying to somehow lighten the mood. "And I'm not letting you out of my sight." Now, it was just a matter of finding Elliot Walsh before the agency did. Perhaps Marie felt like she couldn't trust the old man but he knew better, and he knew Pyro was the best chance she had.

"Now, c'mon." If she allowed it, he did his best to quickly gather up whatever weapons and ammo were laying about, stuffing them into his waistband and into pockets, before pulling her against his side. It was another attempt at consoling her, but it would also make sure he didn't collapse face first into the concrete as they made their way back to the car. "For the record...you aren't weak or stupid." Crazy, though, was still up in the air. He nearly grinned at the thought.

Maybe he wasn't so bad at this comforting thing after all, huh? She was smiling at least, so that had to mean something.

Johnny knew that it just required talking and simply being honest with her. When he was assigned this job, he hadn't known the extent of it and how deep it went, how much she had already been dealing with. And it wasn't fair. Honestly, it wasn't fair to either of them, but he dug his own grave years ago so there was little hope for him now. The least he could do was ensure Marie got somewhere safe.

He just wasn't really sure where to begin yet. Getting out of Oregon was their first priority. If they could get to Sam, scrounge up some more money and maybe some quick I.D.'s, they could hop on a plane to anywhere. They'd be able to travel farther a lot faster that way.

Yes, he was on her side. And now that he didn't have to hide entirely who he was, now that he wasn't working for Queen Bitch, he could actually prove that to her more. Although he hadn't actually brought her into this mess to begin with, he felt responsible for her now. She didn't deserve this insanity.

Johnny tried not to put all of his weight on her as they walked, but he knew he was beginning to slow down again, no matter how much he attempted to seem okay. What had transpired definitely hadn't been okay. It had been absolutely terrifying, and he didn't scare easily. Even still, he was expecting to feel that shock again and for his heart to simply give out at any moment, so that anxiety was going to remain.

'Don't think I didn't hear the one you left out.'

He chuckled lowly at that, nodding because he knew he was caught. But, yes, they both were certainly crazy. "I can't argue that," he told her. Then he was shaking his head as she began to apologize, and he waved it off gently. "Don't. You're fine. Really." Everyone had demons, and they tended to come out at the strangest of times. He would know.

What he had heard was alarming, he wasn't denying that, but he wasn't sure that was something he should dive into. Maybe she rather him forget about it.

Making it back to their car, he tried to rush and get into the driver's seat, blinking as he attempted to focus and figure out where it was best to go to next. They had the money from Sam, so they needed to get to L.A. They couldn't get on a plane right now lest they be flagged and he wasn't so sure driving that far was the best idea at the moment.

Turning the car on, he began to drive once she was settled. "Alright, this is really important-" he began as he headed for the train station. He glanced down at his arm, stained red from the graze, and he knew he was going to have to handle that, too, but all of his supplies were gone. "If something happens to me, you need to continue to Los Angeles. Find Sam Jordan, he's a detective with the LAPD. He's the one I called earlier." Johnny wasn't trying to be all "doom and gloom" but he wanted to make sure she had a fighting chance in case he caught a bullet in the wrong place or his heart exploded. You know, the hazards of the job. "You tell him everything, got it?" He took his eyes off of the road for a second to look at her and make sure that she was listening.

"We're going to try and catch a train here to L.A. Flyin' is too risky." And they both could really use some damn rest right now.