[General POV]
"Oh, I forgot to eat," Edward muttered in realization as his stomach started growling. "There is food at the party, right?" he asked Randall, his manager.
Wearing a formal black suit, Edward opted for a bowtie instead of a regular tie. The ever-changing nature of the party made him raise an eyebrow, but he wasn't worried about it.
Mickey, his bodyguard, who was sitting beside Randall in the SUV, said solemnly, "Don't eat anything at the party unless you check for poison first."
Mickey had a black eye and wore a neck brace after yesterday's event. Randall was afraid to rebuke him, knowing how much pressure Mickey was under. That's why Edward decided to give him a gift.
Edward chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I'm basically immune to all of Earth's poisons. Even the blue-ringed octopus's poison can't take me down."
Randall narrowed his eyes in confusion and said, "Sometimes I really start to wonder if you're even human."
"You know what, Rand? I wonder about that too, a lot," Edward sighed as he looked out the window.
Edward and Willa arrived at the party around 10:30 due to major traffic congestion. Edward escorted Willa inside like a gentleman, and their pictures were taken by the paparazzi camping outside the hotel.
The reporters shouted questions while camera flashes almost blinded Willa, but Edward just smiled and continued guiding her inside.
"That was pretty scary," Willa cursed as she rubbed her sore eyes. Edward smirked and said, "What? You're intimidated already? That's just my daily life, you know?"
Willa pouted, sticking her tongue out as she said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm not as famous as you are."
"But your fame will get a boost after tonight. Pretty sure your name will become mainstream for a while—if nothing else happens," Edward said, gently grabbing her hand as she held onto his bicep.
The hotel manager smiled widely upon seeing Edward. "Sir, it's an honor to receive a distinguished guest like yourself today," he said with a posh English tone.
Willa was taken aback. She had been to the hotel a few times before, but never had the hotel manager rushed to greet her.
"Ah, Wilhem. Your mustache is glorious as always," Edward joked. Wilhem smiled in satisfaction before pinching the tip of his 'Mr. Pringles' mustache.
"As expected, you're the only one who would remember me, sir," Wilhem said, sounding almost discouraged as he recalled his past experiences. Edward was the first in about a decade to ask for his name.
"What are you talking about, Wilhem? There's no way I'm going to forget the person who ran to find me fresh lobster at 3 a.m. This is Willa, by the way," he introduced her.
"Should I give her the friend or date treatment, sir?" Wilhem asked with a slight playful smirk.
Willa was taken aback and stammered, "Fr—We're friends."
"Yeah, my real date is upstairs," Edward joked.
"Then I'm not going to waste any more of your time. Let's go directly to the convention hall."
"I'm forever grateful. Now, can you tell me a bit about the event today? I'm so busy I actually had no idea what's happening here," Edward said, making small talk as they entered the elevator together.
As the elevator doors closed, the doors on the right and left opened. Four bulky men exited each elevator, carrying army bags. They split into four teams and headed to each of the hotel exits.
Finally, Edward arrived at the party.
"Fundraiser for kids with cleft lips, huh…" Edward muttered, a mysterious glint in his eyes. Wilhem said with visible irritation, "He's just picking one at random to throw the party. The man has no class at all."
Willa was confused. "Isn't this a good cause? Why is it bad for him to throw it?"
Both Wilhem and Edward turned to her at the same time. Wilhem coughed slightly before saying, "It's not that it's bad… it's just…"
"Not uncommon," Edward interjected. "There's a fundraiser every week."
"Yet, no money ever manages to find its way to help kids with the disability," Wilhem said before leaving the two alone, opting not to join the party.
Although almost every eye was on him, Edward sensed a few peculiar gazes as he walked into the convention hall.
The formal part of the fundraiser was over. People were just mingling now. They had raised 1.2 million dollars for the cause, which Edward thought was quite a poor collection given the high-profile faces in the crowd.
"Is that Buffy?" Edward's eyes lit up when he saw Sarah Michelle Gellar from afar. "Finally, I have a chance to know what 'wiggin' means," he added excitedly.
Willa raised an eyebrow and said, "Doesn't that just mean freaking out?"
"I had the same thought, but I still need confirmation," Edward said slyly. "I'm not trying to go there and talk with my first celebrity crush at all."
Charlie Day, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Dae Kim, Donald Faison, Jaime Pressly, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, and many more celebrities were spotted inside the party.
Edward was thoroughly confused. "Did The Bey have enough influence to pull all of these wild cards into his party? I know that none of them are at the peak of their fame, but still… even Buffy is here."
As he walked toward Vanessa, he noticed she looked uncomfortable while talking to Landry F., a shooting guard for the New York Knicks.
Vanessa wore a stunning red dress that hugged her figure perfectly, featuring a daring high slit that showcased her legs elegantly. The sheer fabric draped gracefully over her neckline, adding a touch of allure.
She paired it off with large golden earrings and a teardrop necklace, last but not least, the ring Edward gave her.
"So when summer comes, a few members of the team and I are going to Miami to have a good time. I know a pretty girl like you would really enjoy hanging out with us." Landry said, face full of expectation.
Vanessa inhaled in exasperation before saying, "You're making me uncomfortable. I'm going to go."
Landry was taken aback by her crystal-clear rejection. He stood there motionlessly while Vanessa approached Edward.
"Hey, you're finally here," she said, her face lighting up. "Do you know how long I've waited? How many unwanted advances I've shot down?" She puffed her cheeks, asking with irritation.
Edward just laughed and asked, "How many did you get? Give me a number."
"Five."
"I bet I can break that record in about half an hour," Edward said with a smirk.
"I'm not going to let you." Vanessa stuck her tongue at him.
Vanessa noticed Willa was still holding Edward's arm and asked, "So, are you going to keep your hands on him through the night?"
"Wha—Oh, sorry." Willa immediately freed her hand from him. Edward turned to Willa slightly before looking back at Vanessa.
"Where are your friends? I thought Ashley would be here?"
"She's at the rooftop with some friends. The party is split into two: those who want to dance are on the roof with the DJ."
Willa immediately said, "I'll go to the rooftop then. By the way, Vanessa, nice to see you."
"Hmm… you too," Vanessa replied with a poker face. As Willa left awkwardly, Vanessa added in a whisper, "Bitch."
Edward was slightly surprised but didn't say anything. "Do you want to go to the rooftop too?" he asked.
Vanessa shook her head and said, "We should go around. I saw Buffy here. You're a fan of hers, right? Let's go talk to her."
"You… you're ticking all the right boxes today," Edward chuckled as he took Vanessa's hand and escorted her around.
Gina Zanetakos, the corporate terrorist, caught sight of her target. She turned to her date and said, "He's here. We'll move over to his position slowly."
Tom Keen, her partner, said, "He's not having his security with him. That's a nice thing. I don't want to get into any more trouble than I'm about to have. But after this, you owe me."
Gina replied, "We'll have to make it out alive if you want to cash in that favor."
Gina's psychological profile on Edward mentioned a few things. First, Edward was quite protective in nature and had a soft spot for vulnerable people.
Second, Edward was susceptible to attention. Because of the insecurities his mother instilled in him, he was prone to seeking attention in the public eye and felt the pressure of public scrutiny.
Third, to get a second chance, an agent needed to have a certain moral standing in their mission. He would deal with the bad ones promptly but would play around with those who had no choice in the matter.
The psychological profile mentioned many other factors, but those were the only ones Gina considered in concocting her plans. Also, the part where he loved big breasts. Wearing a sultry black dress, Gina pushed her chest up to the maximum size she could to gain Edward's attention.
Edward was deep in conversation with Sarah Michelle Gellar at that time. He asked the actress, "If you had the power of Buffy in real life, what would you do?"
Sarah laughed slightly and said, "Probably do yoga without my body starting to hurt. Also, I'd help people in need. But mostly the yoga thing."
"I'm sorry. Is this really the first time you guys are meeting?" Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah's husband, asked with amused disbelief.
"Honey, play nice. He's rich," Sarah joked while nudging her husband playfully.
"Really? That's all you care about? I guess it's true what they say: never meet your heroes. Turns out they're only after your money," Edward said, earning laughs from the circle.
Suddenly, Edward noticed the suspicious couple from his peripheral vision. He was shocked inwardly as he recognized them.
'Isn't that Tom Keen and the spy girl he killed—who was his girlfriend at one time?' Edward thought back to the plot of the TV series The Blacklist that he had seen before.
He squinted his eyes. 'He could really be the actor. What's his name again? Egghead—no, Eggold.'
"Target noticed us. It's time…" Gina whispered to Tom after she saw Edward glance at them.
"Ed, is something wrong?" Vanessa asked as she noticed the change in Edward's expression. He was suddenly alert.
"There's something, but I don't know what it is yet," he replied. Freddie and Sarah were confused but didn't bother to ask; they weren't close.
"Nice talking to you, Edward," Sarah said before she left with her husband.
"Nice talking with you too," Edward replied politely. After they left, Tom and Gina swooped in to converse with Edward before anyone else could.
"Hi, Mr. Newgate. I'm such a fan of yours," Tom said, shaking Edward's hand with a firm grip. Gina glanced at him warily before looking at Tom, seemingly asking for permission.
Tom prattled on without turning his head to her. "Your music, your tech, and especially the foundation you created to disseminate knowledge to the world. I'm thoroughly impressed by how much you have achieved at such a young age."
"Yes… of course. And you are?" Edward finally managed to ask.
"Tom… You can call me Tom…"
"And your last name?" Edward pressed, which made the superspy taken aback inwardly. He kept a smiling face and said, "Thomas Vincent Keen."
'Ah, so he's the spy,' Edward concluded. 'Too bad. Eggold is a pretty great actor,' he thought sadly.
"Nice to meet you, Tom. And you are?" Edward turned to the girl. Gina beamed with excitement before saying meekly, "Gina. I'm G—Gina."
Tom seemed displeased when Gina spoke. He glared at her, making her lower her head and shrink back.
"I'm sorry about her. She can be quite dull at times," he apologized on her behalf. Vanessa was irked and snapped, "That's a pretty rude thing to say. She barely said anything."
Tom laughed it off, saying, "Well, it's the truth. She's also a slut, seeing that she's trying to flirt with every man here tonight." His tone dripped with venom, and Gina held her arms together, slightly shivering in intense fear.
'Ah, so they are going down this route.'
Vanessa was deeply affected by the sham performance while Edward just looked at them with amusement.
Tom continued, "Enough about the whore. I always wanted to have a conversation with you."
"Hey, you bastard—" Before Vanessa could speak, Edward chuckled and said, "Sure. We can chat. I think she's a slut too, seeing that she's running her mouth like that, trying to tempt every man with her provocative dress. You should beat her up more."
Both spies became stunned, Vanessa included.
"Beat her—" Vanessa muttered with slight concern, taking her hands from Edward's arm and stared intently at his face.
"I—I'm sorry. Did I offend you?" Tom immediately asked, chuckling awkwardly but Edward waved it off.
"No, not at all. We're men. We have to do it to teach the gals a lesson. Am I right?"
Both spies widened their eyes in shock. Vanessa felt like she was walking with a different person. But since it was Edward, she decided to play along.
"I'm sorry, Edward. I was out of line. You can beat me up again tonight," she said, adding fear to her tone.
Both spies were thoroughly confused. Their initial plan was to lure Edward with signs of abuse, triggering his protective instincts, and then move away from him.
After some time had passed, Tom would initiate a domestic abuse scene while staying in Edward's line of sight so that he would intervene and take her away.
Edward would knock Tom away and then bring Gina with him to safety. It would create a chance for them to be alone, and Gina could finally make her move.
But Edward had thrown a wrench into the whole thing. Tom sensed something was wrong from the amusement hidden behind Edward's eyes, and his instincts told him to back away from the mission.
However, Gina couldn't afford to lose her target, or she would lose her life. It placed the spies in a tough spot. They decided to move away and regroup, trying to improvise another plan.
"What was all that?" Vanessa asked, anger in her eyes, after the duo was gone.
Edward smirked and joked, "Now you're angry? I thought you were an injured lamb being herded to slaughter."
Vanessa groaned and said, "Don't change the topic on me. When did you become a casual misogynist, or should I say, psychopathic girlfriend abuser?"
Edward laughed before explaining, "Those two are spies. I guess they are trying to lure me. I'm sure it's a two-part plan, and he'll try to beat her up somewhere I can see so that I will intervene and take her away."
"Oh, another spy? God, they are endless," Vanessa exclaimed in exasperation, trying to search for their figures in the crowd, but they were already gone.
"Are they dangerous?" Vanessa looked at him with worry.
Edward chuckled and said, "To me? They are kittens. But they are pretty dangerous to others, especially the guy. He's a bona fide sociopath."
"Maybe we should go to the roof. I'm going to take Ashley, and we should all get out of here," Vanessa suggested, tugging at his hand.
"Ah, I don't think we can anymore," Edward said flatly as he saw several burly men entering the party with rifles in their hands.
…
On the roof, Taylor, Selena, Willa, and Ashley took some champagne from the waiter and drank it at the table while everyone else was mingling.
The Bey cackled from afar, a sultry girl in each arm. Willa looked at Taylor with amazement, prompting her to ask, "What?"
"That's pretty amazing, not gonna lie."
Selena laughed and added, "When she told The Bey off? That was pretty freaking cool."
"Well, Ness can do it too if she were here," Ashley said with a pout. "How long is she going to take anyway?"
Willa didn't listen to Ashley and continued flattering Taylor. "He tries to hit on you, and you turn him down with just one sentence: 'I'm richer than you.' God, that was so pleasing to watch."
A small tug appeared on Taylor's lip, and she felt that Willa wasn't that bad after all.
"I can't believe she's also here." Taylor became more irritable when a group of models entered her line of sight. Her eyes focused on the center—a tall girl wearing a blue dress, Barbara Palvin.
Mr. Ahmed checked his watch and then nodded subtly to the burly men standing by the door.
A group of muscular men entered the rooftop, each carrying a rifle.
They shot into the sky, which scared all the party guests. "Everyone down on the ground!" one of them shouted. "Kneel! Kneel on the floor now! Hands behind your back!"
They circled the entire crowd, pointing their guns at the guests and threatening them. One of them approached Taylor's group. "All of you! Down on the ground now!"
"Excuse me!? Do you know how much this dress costs? There's no way I'm going to ruin it by kneeling on the floor," Ashley said cheekily.
The terrorist was taken aback and shouted again, "Do you think I'm joking? DOWN! NOW!"
"Hey, don't you raise your voice at us, mister," Selena said casually as she sipped her drink.
"Are you girls all insane? Can't you understand what's happening right now?" the terrorist yelled in exasperation. Willa was petrified; she raised her hands and knelt on the floor immediately.
The terrorist started moving some people downstairs, Barbara and Bey included.
"Yeah, yeah. Kill~ Kill~ Threaten, threaten. But before you point your gun at me, you should know that there are deadly consequences for pointing your finger at the queen," Taylor said, biting off the cherry.
"What? Are you crazy?!" The terrorist was really confused now.
"Drasa." Taylor called out, her voice quickly dissipating in the chaos. But it was enough to signal for the sniper to camp out in the next building.
Bang! A clean shot penetrated the terrorist's heart. He fell to the floor, dropping his rifle, and died immediately.
Six more shots were heard, and the other terrorists on the rooftop fell one by one.
Drasa, the sniper who had tried to kill Edward in Hawaii before, spoke into her intercom, "The rooftop is clear. Anyone get visuals for the inside?"
Jin replied, "Yes, we have. But it's not our concern. Cover Taylor until she gets into the chopper."
"Copy that," Drasa said, never losing her focus on the rooftop, not even for a second.
Willa looked at Taylor with admiration now. "That's so freaking cool!" she shouted.
In the hotel lobby, Mickey took out his gift from the silver case when the shooting started.
The F44AA Pulse Rifle was a lightweight assault rifle featuring a rotating breech and electronic pulse action. It was designed to utilize the stock under the arm of the shooter, giving it a high rate of accuracy. The F44A's magazine held a total of 450 rounds and boasted a high rate of fire.
It was the rifle that killed the Xenomorphs in Alien: Romulus.
Mickey took out the rifle, and it immediately scanned the hostiles inside the lobby. He smiled as he said, "I'm not going to lose face again today."
The gun fired 16 shots, killing all eight terrorists inside the lobby who were rounding people up. Mickey even managed to stop them from placing bombs at the entry and exit points of the hotel.
"Jin, what's happening upstairs?" Mickey asked solemnly.
Jin replied, "Eight people entered the convention hall and started shooting. Our boss rushed toward them and broke all of their arms and legs. They are all disarmed right now."
"They are dislegged too," Edward said through the intercom but was met with stony silence. "What? That's not funny?"
Mr. Ahmed, who pretended to be a hostage, herded a crowd of ten people into the convention hall. However, as they entered, they were surprised to see their friends lying motionless on the ground.
Edward dropped down from the ceiling behind the two terrorists, knocking them out with his fist instantly.
"Oh, that was pretty easy," he said casually.
While Edward was saying that, ten black SUVs rushed to the hotel, two of them ramming the glass wall next to the entrance. Mickey jumped away from being hit by the car and he knocked himself out after his head hit a pillar.
A small army, fully equipped with kevlar and face masks excited the cars and slowly made their ways up the floors.
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