Intro: "...like the Eagles, but way less country..."

[Immortal Methos]

"Subtlety?" Methos practically sneered. "Gee, why start now?"

They were being followed. The cagey old Immortal could barely make out the tiny, out of the ordinary sounds, and smiled. Should I warn Gaston? Nah. This is starting to get very interesting.  

[Johnny x F x]

Seeing Johnny approaching, Javier stepped out of the car, setting a long, narrow parcel on the trunk. He smiled and swallowed nervously, a single bead of sweat dripping down his brow... He couldn't see him, but Javier knew that Roland had to be there somewhere.

Still some distance off and not wanting to raise his voice, Johnny merely waved casually, still unhurried...

Roland's grip tightened on his saber as his jaw clenched and unclenched furiously... not quite yet, he thought to himself. We'll give him a fighting chance, yes?  

[Gaston Marceau]

"Why start now? Because everyone needs a hobby, I would imagine."

Being a secret agent of sorts has it's advantages...high tech equipment, exotic locales, good health plans, etcetera. Things that tend to come most in handy are skills in sneaking around and how to determine that other people are sneaking around in your vicinity.

Gaston's brow arches as he picks up the subtle signs of pursuit, then his eyes narrow again as he sees the slightly amused look on his mentor's face. He's not telling me something...then again, he's ALWAYS not telling me something. What the heck...makes life fun.

Another entrance farther down the garage is quickly discovered and Gaston is able to slip in undetected. With an impish grin, he allows Methos fo follow him through before very quietly closing the door. He attaches three small paper like devices...essentially, then the door opens, the papers will be ripped, and the small whistle inside will spin rapidly, filling the room with a very loud shriek. A useful tool when someone might break in somewhere.

The tiny trap set, he inches forward, hugging close to a vehicle, deftly using the tires and frame of the SUV to cover his sihlouette and duster to remain unsean. Slowly and quietly, the P90 comes out of the duster, at the ready.  

[Immortal Methos]

Methos' eyes widened innocently at Gaston's suspicious look and he mouthed, What? Shaking an admonishing finger at his once-student, the ancient quickly removed the paper alarms, and put his mouth close to Gaston's ear.

"He's a friend," he whispered, slipping the papers into his pocket. "We don't want to alert the bad guys when that door is opened, do we? Then everyone will be looking our way. That could be a bad thing."  

[Johnny x F x]

The problem with shooting another immortal is that for some reason, "the buzz" always kicks in just as you're about to take action against your opponent, even over longer distances (and this was no long distance by any stretch). Even so, Roland was a superb marksman, and had many long years of training to master shooting from the hip.

As Johnny approached Javier, Roland drew his .45 caliber pistol and strode forward with murderous intent, squeezing off one round as the buzz whipped Johnny's head around in his direction... and missed - completely.

'Ow the bloody ******** did I miss, Roland thought furiously to himself as he unloaded three more rounds in rapid succession, still striding forward. At least one of these bullets struck Johnny in the right shoulder, the impact twirling him around and dropping him to the unforgiving pavement like a sack of bricks as Javier dove into his car (which was still running) and pealed off and out of there like the hounds of hell were on his tail.

The package he'd been about to deliver slid off the back of the car and bounced awkwardly, settling just out of johnny's reach... Three more shots and Johnny was rolling out of the way, away from his parcel, unfortunately enough for him. Three more shots as Johnny continued to evade, leaving a trail of blood all over the grey cement stained grungy brown from years of constant traffic. The tell-tale "click... click-schnikt" as an empty chamber was exposed, then reloaded... Johnny braved one quick glance around the corner of the SUV he'd taken refuge behind. Two quick shots let him know that Roland knew just where he was... some quick thinking was definitely in order.

Javier, you filthy, stinking RAT, Johnny thought as he tried to stem the bleeding a bit...  

[Johnny x F x]

"Oh, Fathom, or wotever yer calling yerself these dayes, I am impressed... I 'aven't figured out what trick yew used ter cause me ter miss that first shot, but I see it's bloody failing you now, isn' it," Roland sneered, keeping his pistol trained on the vehicle while keeping a close watch on the other side of it for movement.

"It was only meant to work the once, Mr... I'm sorry I don't think i caught your name, or a good look at your face," Johnny replied. "Not that it matters much. A voice as dissonant as yours is hard to forget."

As he spoke, his eyes glimmered unseen in the shadows, and his voice seemed to emanate from three other places at once. An old trick, and still fairly reliable, but Roland wasn't a man to be taken in by such petty chicanery.

"I know all about yew and yer strange tricks, and they won't work. I've got yew in me sights now, and yer as good as dead. Yew should've tayken me 'ead when yew 'ad the chance..."

"I was drunk and missed the signs I guess. I'm mostly sober now, so the same mistake won't be made, I can guarantee that," and so saying, he ducked around the far side of the Ford Taurus in front of him and rolled under the lifted truck on the opposite side, taking shelter behind one of the oversized wheels.

Roland saw the movement of his shadow on the wall and opened up a long barrage, emptying his clip yet again in the hopes that one of the ricochets would catch his quarry. Two did: one in his calf, the other in the back of his thigh.

Clenching his teeth, Johnny cast about him for a diversion, an opening, a plan of any sort...

His gaze came to rest upon Javier's delivery lying temptingly in the middle of the drive just a few yards away in full view of Roland's freshly reloaded pistol.  

[Immortal Methos]

As the shooting started, Methos and Gaston became aware of another Immortal's buzz just seconds before the door behind them burst open revealing the well-dressed Scot. Methos dove to one side, pressed against the sheltering wall, and as Mac saw the gun in Gaston's hand he thought for a second that the shots came from him.

Only they continued to come, with echoing shouts, so instead of slamming into the strange Immortal with Methos he ended up crouched beside him and peering over the car. "What the hell is going on, Adam?" he hissed.  

[Gaston Marceau]

Gaston curses slightly as the shooting starts, then rolls his eyes when Roland starts monologuing. "Why can't the bad guys ever be the strong silent type?"

As MacLeod makes his entrance Gaston gives a slightly sarcastic bow. "Any friend of Adam's is a friend of mine. I'd make a more proper introduction, but I'm about to do something rather unwise, so if you'll excuse me a moment..."

Gaston dives across the open aisle of the garage, rolling behind a car with a better angle on Johnny and his assailant...that and to avoid drawing added attention to Methos and Duncan. He pops up over the bed of a Toyota Tundra and opens fire with a burst from the P90, sending a steady stream of bullets in Roland's direction. This isn't meant to kill the other man...though it'll likely hurt if Roland doesn't try to evade the attack...more of a means of announcing the presence of other people with guns in the hopes of diffusing the situations before it worsens.

That aside, Gaston can't resist taunting the bad guy at least once, calling out loudly. "Now that wasn't very sporting of you, was it, booboo?"  

[Johnny x F x]

The buzz announcing the arrival of more of their kind stopped both Roland and Johnny in their tracks, Roland about to open fire once more, and Johnny about to make a daring leap for his parcel...

"Bloody - " Roland's curse was cut short by the effort of ducking and scrambling for cover himself. He began a slow retreat to where Phillip awaited in the van. There will be other times, better times, he told himself. A whispered word into the microphone on his lapel and the roar of a V8 engine filled the lot.

Johnny slipped into a quick trance, his eyes half-lidded and fluttering... he picked apart the strands, examined each one's taste, as he put it... yes there was the Doc... so much more than he seemed... what did he hide? He was certain that this intervention hadn't been his doing. Johnny imagined that his own taste, if only he could catch his own quickening like that, would be of a similar flavor.

The newcomer from the lobby. Of course, the doctor's friend. He had trouble written all over him, of course, but Johnny hadn't figured him as the sort to intervene on a stranger's behalf. Then there was a third... this tasted... odd, yet familiar... could it be-?

He felt Roland's retreat and the approach of a sixth(!) immortal...

My @#$&#xin;g sword!

His eyes snapped open and Johnny immediately dove out into the driveway onto his parcel and kept rolling out of the way just as a sleek grey refitted Econoline Van sped past, tires screaming murder...

As Roland and his apprentice pealed up and out of the garage, Roland's voice shrieked back, "This isn't over, Kinslayer!"

Typical, Johnny thought as he slowly, achingly stood up. I suppose I should thank these guys, but do I thank them for being predictable, or un?  

[Immortal Methos]

Methos clawed at MacLeod's arm as the Scot started to follow Gaston. "One idiot at a time, all right?" he snapped, a little wild eyed. "Stay here."

Mac started to shake the ancient off, but by then the van had roared out of the garage and Methos released him. They shared a look for a moment before trotting cautiously out to join Gaston and the bloodied form of the other Immortal.  

[Gaston Marceau]

Gaston lets loose with another short burst of P90 fire as the van roars past...sort of an automatic weapons way of hollering 'and STAY out!' Once the van is gone, Gaston comes out from behind the truck, talking into his microphone.

"Hawk...garage situation is under control. Nope, nothing having to do with our marks...looks like some personal business gone awry. My kind of personal business...remember that time in Siberia a few weeks back with the big dude and the freak lightning storm? No, nothing serious...we'll need a Special Services team down here to handle some property damage. Oh, and you might want to clue in the local authorities to an Econoline recklessly driving through the area...you'll know it when you see it. Yeah, I'll be back up in a few."

Granted, Gaston hasn't always kept the secret too well, but the Game shouldn't become public knowledge if it can be at all helped.

A few moments later, Gaston is at Johnny's side, offering to help him up a bit. "You all right? Sorry to crash a private party, but it didn't seem to have drawn the finest sort anyway..."  

[Johnny x F x]

"No, no, not at all," Johnny replied breathlessly, cradling his parcel as if it were made of porcelain. "Actually, I was kinda hoping you were the inquisitive sort. My thanks." With a grin, Johnny removed the plain brown paper enveloping a black leather case with a simple clasp. "Johnny." He extended his hand to shake...

"Wanna see what was worth all this trouble," he asked, looking over Gaston's shoulder at the other approaching immortals. He nodded to the man he still thought of as Doc and, with a twinkle in his eye, looked his companion up and down appraisingly... "You must be him... The one they call the Highlander. It seems you are marked for greatness, my friend." Johnny chuckled slightly to himself and with a smirk continued, "whether you like it or not."  

[Immortal Methos]

MacLeod blinked at the bloodied Immortal slowly gaining his feet, then shot a glare at Methos. "Friends of yours, Adam?"

"Sure," Methos snorted. "Like your friends never get you in trouble." He indicated the gun-happy fellow. "This is Gaston Marceau. Thinks he's James Bond." Turning to the other he said, "And the Immortal target is going by Johnny... Something-or-other, these days. Gentlemen, this is Duncan MacLeod." After a moment he added, "Of the clan MacLeod."  

[Johnny x F x]

"Pleasure to meet you as well," he said to Duncan, leaning back against a bullet-riddled sedan and opening the clasp. Lifting the cover up on it's hinges, Johnny let out a low whistle and muttered, "Javier, you may be a spineless rat, but Jesus you sure can come through in a pinch."

With that, he removed a beautiful Roman Spatha. The bone hilt was of a slightly different design, however, elongated with a narrower pommel to maintain balance and still allow for a two-handed grip. On one side of the blade, a dragon was etched along the length of it with it's head towards the hilt. On the other side, across the base of the blade was written "ESSE QUAM VIDERI" in Latin characters.

"To be, rather than to appear," he translated in hushed tones. That was a nice touch... Remembering that there were others around, he shook his head clear and glanced around. "Something tells me this is going to be a bad place to be hanging out in about five minutes. Y'all thirsty? Drinks are on me tonight. I'll tell you all about that cockney b*****d, AND this blade."

With that, he put the sword back in it's case and closed the clasp. Flexing his knee, he could feel his wounds healing already.  

[Gaston Marceau]

Gaston arches a brow at Methos' introduction. "I do NOT think I am James Bond, old man...I never could get the hang of Baccarat." He grins and winks.

After a moment, he offers a hand to MacLeod. "Pleasure to meet you. Actually, I cavorted around with a kinsman of yours back during the Korean War. Connor and I played some great practical jokes back in the day. A story for another time, I'm sure."

Of course, the newly opened sword gets his attention. "That really is a beautiful piece. Is that what all this was about?"