section7mfu | Snapshots~ "Saving the day, the hard way" (Reply)

Napoleon Solo was sitting alone in his office he shared with his partner when the lights suddenly went out. He was in complete darkness for a few seconds until the red emergency lighting glowed to life, allowing him to grab his telephone receiver and dial the code for Security, but before they could respond klaxons began to blare.

Solo took off though the door, finding personnel scurrying in the corridor as the lights above their heads flashed, alternating from red to green. That with the eerie glow of the emergency lighting had a chilling effect. Grabbing his communicator from his pocket while on the run, he called to his
partner.

"Channel F-Kuryakin.Where are you?"

"Bomb Napoleon! We need to evacuate now!"

"Where is it?"

"Down in the labs, I am trying to disarm it. I do not know if I can do it in time...get as many people out as possible. This is a powerful...chyort vozmi," Illya suddenly cursed in Russian. "No, there are two..." the channel went silent as the building began to shake violently.

"Channel D-Emergency," Napoleon called into his communicator as dust and small bits debris began to fall around him. "Evacuate the building immediately, there are multiple explosive devices in the labs. I'm heading to Waverly's office."

The announcement blared over the loud speaker, sending everyone into a frenzy.

"Channel F-Kuryakin," Solo tried again, a last ditch effort but the Communications Specialists would be heading out the door and not monitoring the channels.

Solo slammed into the conference room door, expecting it to open for him, but it seemed the electrical eye had malfunctioned. He grabbed the doors, prying them apart with all his strength until he could squeeze through.

Alexander Waverly was there, gathering documents, and methodically shoveing them into a briefcase.

"What the devil is going on Mr. Solo?" He raised his voice, nearly barking at the American."Communications have gone down."

"Mr. Kuryakin found two bombs in the labs and was attempting to disarm them...I lost his signal when the building began to shake." Fear was evident in the mans voice, something rare for the CEA, but he was dreading his partner had met his end.

"Damnation!" Waverly growled, continuing to gather documents.

That was the first time Napoleon had ever heard the Old Man utter a curse."Sir, we need to get you out of here now. I must insist."

"Fine fine, we can use my private entrance." Waverly pressed a button on his console and a panel silently opened in a side wall. "Come Mr. Solo, let's not dawdle."

Napoleon followed the CCO through the door, along a short corridor also lit by the red emergency lights. Minutes later another panel opened and the two men walked into a small unoccupied apartment located in the building next door to headquarters. Minutes later the two men were down the stairs and to the street below.

Things didn't look good, as there was smoke coming from Del Florias, with personnell streaming out and coughing from the noxious fumes. Armed Security was everywhere, cordoning off the street with cars from the motorpool and chasing away any innocents.

Ten minutes later the New York City fire department arrived, and the small fire that had erupted in the tailor shop was quickly extinguised.

It had obviously been set deliberately. The body of the agent monitoring Del Floria's was found unconscious behind his steam press, having suffered a severe blow to the head. Security set up a perimeter and non-essential personnel were sent home. Sections II through V paired up to begin the search for anyone else who might have been injured inside headquarters, with the search being concentrated on the lower levels, specifically the labs.

Once Waverly had been safely sequestered in an armored car with a Security detail, Napoleon headed into the building in search of his partner.

The lower levels were in complete darkness, with a fair amount of debris and damage, though apparently it had not been as large an expolsion as the Russian presumed. Though there was no doubt in Solo's mind what had happened had been potent enough to potentially kill his friend.

"Illya!" Napoleon called out, trying to keep his voice calm as he searched the corridors and lab with a flash light. A team fanned out around him, going in different directions to search as well.

"Illya give me a sign if you can't talk...come on buddy!" The American continued to call.

Solo stopped in his tracks; there was a sound. "Did you hear that...a tapping," he said to Tom Lopaka, the head of Security.

"Yeah brudda, it came from that way," he pointed into the dust filled darkness.

The two men scrambled toward the sound, trying not to trip over damaged furniture and shattered lab equipment.

"Illya!"

Now Napoleon heard the sound clearly...'tap-tap-tap-tap.'

"Keep making that noise chum, we're on our way!"

They were right on top of it and started digging through the debris, lifting and tossing it aside in a near frenzy.

When it seemed like an eternity had passed, Napoleon finally saw the bloodied face of his partner bathed in the beam of the flashlight. The Russian's lips were swollen and it looked as though his jaw had been broken.

"Got you buddy," Napoleon said, relief evident in his voice as he looked over his friend, assesing his injuries. Illya had a broken arm and leg as well along with multiple abrasions. "You're back okay for us to move you?"

Kuryakin nodded slowly.

Solo and Lopaka lifted the man out of the wreakage, finding him surprisingly light. The laid him down farther up the hall where there was light.

"I'll go for help from Medical," Lopaka said.

"No, we need to get him out of here now, nothing looks stable," Napoleon countered.

The rest of the search team gathered after they were called and together they gingerly lifted the injured Russian, cradling him in a blanket, acting as a human stretcher as they carried their fellow agent up to safety.

Power was restored as they reached the next level and it was decided to get Illya to Medical.

Hours later, headquarters was secured as the damage was assesed. Luckily the Medical wing hand extra backup generators, allowing the surgeons to quickly get the Russian into the operating room. Solo sat beside his partner watching him lying in his bed, waiting for him to wake. He closed his tired eyes, resting them for a moment.

"Shleeping on the da job now?" Illya slurred his words hrough clenched teeth.'' His broken jaw had been wired shut.

"Hey there buddy, "Solo grinned," how you feeling?"

"Shlightly broken, but otha than that, I feel fine."

"Liar."

"Daaaa."Illya tried shifting to a comfortable postion with a moan.

"So what happened down there?"

"Found bomb...cabinet in lab. There were two. Disarmed larger one, but shmaller bomb triggered. Anyone hurt...Waverly?"

"Just you buddy and the agent manning Del Floria's, who suffered a concussion. Whoever planted these bombs set fire to the tailor shop, knowing it would be an escape route. Looks like you saved alot of people and the Old Man is fine."

"Thiss wash done by shomeone who worksh in lab...am sure of it," Illya mumbled before sucking in a breath.

"You're hurting aren't you? No need to be the martyr tovarisch. I'll call the nurse for some pain killers."

"Nyet. I refushe to take dem. I will be fine like alwaysh."

"Stubborn Russian."

"Yesh I am. Now I shuggest you gather all lab pershonnel and queshtion dem."

"Will do partner mine. Now you just get some rest okay?"

"Do I have choish?" Kuryakin had closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.

Napoleon shook his head as he tucked the blanket up around Illya's shoulders.

"Sleep well my friend, you did good today…"