Burn Notice Epilogue: Wood Burnings

==Chuck's Apartment==

 

October 31st 07:15

 

The Misfits were gathered around a neat dining table: At one end, Drury was furiously scribbling onto a piece of paper. Chuck, meanwhile, was in the kitchen, preparing another pot of tea for them.

 

"Chuck, you got a spare change of clothes?" Gar asked, gesturing to his bloody hospital gown.

 

"Check the closet," Chuck replied, as he filled the teapot with hot water.

 

Lynns nodded, and opened the door. 'Jeez, that's a lot of knitwear,' he thought, grabbing the only leather in there, an Elvis jacket- Chuck's Halloween costume, and zipping it up. He pulled a black wig out of its' pocket, and rested it atop his chair- Beside him, Rigger and Sharpe sniggered at him childishly.

 

"Tell me about King of Cats again," Drury said, as he handed Chuck his cup.

 

"Not much to say," Reardon stated. "He wasn't really saying much, aside from the odd innuendo. You think he's involved?" he asked, as he grabbed a cookie from a nearby jar.

 

"I dunno," Drury sighed. "When I was at Slabside, I met this thing, Zoom. It looked like Thawne- y'know, the Reverse Flash, but it's eyes were soulless. Black pits of... nothing. I remember it saying... what was it... He said he wanted to make me better?"

 

"What, did he want to shave your beard, too?" Sharpe joked.

 

"But this Zoom bloke," Chuck interrupted, "He wouldn't be working for Carson, would he?"

 

"Eh, Carson's never been much of a free thinker," Fiasco shrugged. "If anyone's strings were getting pulled, it'd be his."

 

"Who is he? Carson."

 

Jenna, had re-entered the room. The boys turned their heads to Drury expectantly.

 

"Because he sure seemed to know you."

 

"We all have our secrets," Drury said faintly.

 

"And yours just tried to kill me. Sue me, I'm curious."

 

Drury scratched his beard awkwardly. "Billionaire looking for some excitement in his life, worked with the Mob- during the Falcone days. At some point, he got a hold of Gar's first Firefly suit, and got immediately arrested. He died years ago-"

 

"He looked pretty alive to me."

 

"He does that," Drury admitted. "I ran him over.".

 

==Jumbo Carson's Apartment==

 

October 31st 07:22

 

"Tears, really?"

 

"They're not for him."

 

Carson was perched on the edge of the sofa, hands clasped together, his back arched, his eyes watching the screen, confused.

 

"So he says he wants to end world hunger and overpopulation," he began, turning to Bridget. "But why does he need to wipe out all reality to do that? Couldn't he just double the resources? Make more planets?"

 

"I ignored my destiny once," Thanos' voice boomed. Carson's eyes narrowed, as they darted between the screen and to his daughter.

 

"It's just a movie dad," Bridget said reassuringly, as she patted him on the back. Below them, Roger Hayden sat on the carpet, legs crossed, engrossed by the film.

 

"Then it's an awful movie," Carson scowled. "It just doesn't make sense..."

 

"And by the way, it was half of reality," Bridget added.

 

The front door creaked open. "My oh my, haven't you been busy..."

 

"At last," Carson said, reaching for the remote. "Jumbo, the hell have you been?"

 

"No Jumbo, I'm afraid," the voice stated.

 

Carson stood up, grabbing his flamethrower. "Day."

 

"Hello, Barson," Julian smiled: He was dressed head to toe in a bright red outfit, a long white cape draped around his shoulders. His black gloves, were caked in blood, the result of a crude decapitation earlier that night. In one hand, he held a small pistol, in the other, a small orange basket filled with what looked like candy. "A gift for Mr Krill," he explained.

 

Hearing his name, Abner appeared from behind the fridge, and grabbed the sweet-filled pumpkin, stuffing several chocolates into his mouth. "I have a life outside you," he burped at Carson, before disappearing into the bedroom.

 

"You must be proud, Ted," Day smiled. "Few can say they've had their arse kicked by a flimsy piece of fabric."

 

"I was following your crappy advice," Carson scowled.

 

"Oh, my advice was sound: Strike at the heart. You, however, ran over Garfield Lynns with a car, at some flimsy attempt at poetic justice. But you didn't kill him, did you?"

 

"No," Carson muttered embarrassingly.

 

"And now-" Day smirked, "The Misfits are united, stronger than ever in the face of a common enemy- You. The cops won't investigate Walker, not now. What they will look into, though, is the four idiots who shot up a hospital."

 

"Five-"

 

"Four," Day interrupted. "Abner Krill had the foresight to vanish the moment the shooting began. You did not. What a calamity..." he tutted.

 

"Funny," Carson grimaced. "Yesterday, you didn't want anything to do with me."

 

"And, I still don't..." Day lamented, his lip curling. "My goals are the same as ever. Help the Misfits find themselves. Their true selves. And now, I have just the people to see that vision through. You see, unlike you, I choose my partners with great care. I don't rely on... nepotism to get the job done," he added, glowering at Bridget.

 

"Take a backseat, Barson," he added. "From now on, let the professionals handle this."

 

"No," Carson said firmly.

 

"No?" Day replied eyebrow raised. "Are you, what, going to crash another wedding? Perhaps steal someone's face in a poor homage to a John Woo classic? Merge with another bug demon?"

 

Carson looked at him, feebly. His composure crumbling, Bridget reached out and grabbed his hand. 'Don't.'

 

"Nice to see one of you has some sense," Day winked. "You want to make yourselves useful, you'll deal with that loose end of yours," he growled. "Find the midget."

 

==Chuck's Apartment==

 

October 31st 07:34

 

 

"Would he still hurt Gar?" Jenna asked.

 

Drury turned his head. He didn't respond.

"Jenna-" Gar began.

 

"Because it sounds very much to me like Carson only wants you."

 

"I can handle myself," Gar sighed.

 

"Carson, died with Suit," Walker said plainly.

 

Jenna snorted. "Oh, please, he came back, what six times, but a grenade finished him off?"

 

"What do you want me to say?" Drury said tiredly. "If he survived, if Krill dragged him through a portal, then Suit died for nothing."

 

"But he didn't die for nothing, did he?" Jenna replied. "He died for you."

 

The Misfits bowed their heads in silence. Drury nodded, and stepped out into the hallway, Jenna in pursuit.

Chancer scoffed, and turned to the others. "Why's it always about him?"

 

October 31st. 07:39

 

Drury closed the door. Behind them, the muffled arguments of the Misfits continued:

 

"I just think that, as an ensemble, some us of aren't getting the roles we should," Sharpe was complaining.

 

"Sorry, but psychopath with a bat doesn't scream leading man material," Gar spat back.

 

"What abou-"

 

"For the last time, Negan was the bad guy!"

 

"Well?" Duffy called out.

 

Drury's smiled faded. "'If you don't want me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best,'" he said softly.

 

"I know the phrase, Walker, why do you ask?" she grimaced.

 

"Because," Drury said, turning around. "Garfield Lynns, at his best, is a fiercely loyal, brave, gentle man. At his worst..." Drury rolled up his sleeve, burns running up and down his forearm. "At his worst, he's Firefly. And Firefly could burn us all down. If you can live with that, cool- good luck, hope you've got a lot of concealer. But if you can't, you better let him down easy, or hell mend you. He doesn't need protection. Never has."

 

"He was hit by a car!"

 

"He was also burned alive by his last girlfriend," Drury replied, as he walked back inside. "Consider that."

 

"You OK?" Gar asked Jenna, now standing in the doorway.

 

"Fine," she replied, as she rubbed her arm. "Are... You happy, Gar?" she questioned.

 

Gar's brow furrowed. "Why'd you ask?"

 

October 31st. 07:51

 

Drury lay several photos on the table, each one a supposed member of the "Outcasts." Below them, was a large map of the United States, with several locations circled by him.

 

"Duffy's got a point. We can't get near Carson, so long as he's got Krill with him, and no prison's gonna hold him. It's a longshot, but I think I know someone who could help us develop a countermeasure. Problem is, last I heard he's in Colorado," Drury explained, drawing a red line onto the map.

 

"Road trip!" Sharpe cheered, as he nudged Rigger and Blake's shoulders excitedly.

 

"-For that," Drury continued, "We need transport, we need gear, and we need to know whatever the hell that speedster was. And there's only one place that has all that. Which is why I called a professional."

 

The Misfits panicked as the doorbell chimed suddenly. Drury nodded, as Rigger held the door open for the new arrivals.

The group shuddered as a large group of rats ran across the floor; behind them, smelling strongly of cheap booze, was their master: Otis Flannegan. Chuck winced, as the rats began chewing on his skirting boards. Behind him, skipping cheerily, was the Condiment King.

 

"You called Mayo too?" Rigger queried.

 

"Actually, I didn't."

 

...

 

"I've no clue why he's here."

 

Otis, came to a stop by Blake's chair, and glared at him angrily. Blake, nodded stiffly. "Itchy."

 

"Scratchy."

 

Mayo looked back at Flannegan oddly. For once, he wasn't slouching. "I'm sorry, how do you two-?"

 

Otis snarled. "He slept with my sister."

 

Blake swallowed. "Yes, I did. How is your niece by the way?"

 

Flannegan bobbed his head from side to side. "Oh, you know. Reading. Writing. Thinking of getting her into the family business."

 

Blake smirked. "Lion taming?"

 

"Pest extermination"

 

"Otis," Drury interrupted, "Is going to help us get into the Batcave."

 

The Misfits spun their heads around. "The Batcave?" Reardon queried.

 

Chuck explained. "After Nanda Parbat, we had to hand over our weapons and costumes to Batman to maintain a ceasefire. He's got them all locked up somewhere in this cave of his."

 

"I've seen it," Drury nodded. "He has a dinosaur."

 

"What, he ripped off the Moth-Cave?" Blake snarled in disbelief. "That motherfucker..."

 

"No," Drury sighed. "I ripped off the- it doesn't matter."

 

"Len, you up for this?" Rigger asked. Fiasco, had been silently smoking for about ten minutes.

 

Len placed his cigarette in the ash tray. "Can't. Plans."

 

"Plans? Since when do you have plans?" Chuck uttered.

 

"I always have a plan, Brown. I just never share 'em," Fiasco grumbled back.

 

The Misfits all turned to him suspiciously.

 

"Look," Fiasco scowled, "Carson, wouldn't have known where Lynns worked, or who he was dating. And he wouldn't know what fucking hospital room he was staying in. Fix this," he ordered, as he pushed his chair in. "Sharpe," he called, as Chancer stood up with him, and left.

 

"What was that about?" Chuck frowned.

 

October 31st. 08:01

 

"You're asking me to choose between you, and Drury?" Gar said, taking a step back.

 

"I'm asking you to choose life, Gar," Jenna pleaded, her hand wrapped around his.

 

"It's just Carson," he said nonchalantly.

 

"And Carson almost killed you."

 

"And we'll kill him, we'll fix this," Gar smiled.

 

"It's not your mess to fix."

 

Gar shook his head. "Drury's not who you think he is. He's a good man, he just- Last time he needed me, I let him down. And y'know what happened? His wife died."

 

"That's not on you!"

 

"It is on me. It's on me to protect him, otherwise good people like Miranda, and that cloth, they pay the price. It's on me to take the fall so those people don't."

 

"Even if it means dying for him?"

 

Gar turned his head, and let her hand go.

 

"Gar..." Jenna sighed. "You know what happens if you go back in there, don't you?"

 

He placed his hand on her chin tenderly. "Yeah," he said softly. "I do."

 

October 31st. 08:10

 

The Misfits looked up, as Gar walked back inside alone, his coat hanging off his shoulders.

 

"No Jenna?" Rigger asked.

 

"No," Gar shrugged. "She, uh, she had to go. Edison called her in for some last minute set adjustments."

 

"Alright," Rigger said, convinced. "Just tell her we were asking about her."

 

Gar nodded slowly. "Yeah, uh, I will."

 

==Butchinsky's==

 

October 31st. 09:17

 

Fiasco unlocked the door, and moved a large crate of beer aside, revealing a secret hatch below. He descended the stairs, and flicked the light on. Beside him, Chancer swung his bat excitedly.

Tied to a chair, bloodied and bruised, was a man about four foot tall, his red and black outfit lay on the ground in tatters.

 

"Now, listen, insect," Fiasco tutted, as he took a golf club from off the shelf. "This is the part you tell me about your pal, Carson."

 

==GCPD==

 

October 31st. 09:30

 

Gordon slid his pipe into his pocket, the slight glimmer of sunlight filling the sky. "Cutting it close," he tutted, looking out into the city. "It's almost daylight."

 

Batman walked out from behind the signal. "The Gotham General attack?" he assumed, placing his hand on the warm spotlight.

 

Jim nodded stiffly. "Here. Had Major Crimes sweep the CCTV footage. Managed to pick this one up."

 

Batman held the photo in his hand, and grimaced. 'Walker...'

 

 

Done