Title: Higher Stakes

Chapter title: Heart of Courage

Summary: A breach in the IMF sets Brandt up against a past enemy. It is a dangerous game, and the price of losing may not only cost Brandt his life, but it could mean the end for the entire IMF.

Note: First I would like to thank Strawberrywaltz, Missy92, shila1378, iReginaM, casus17, 64, Heriocfantasyfan, Sinkme and Margaret (Guest) for reviewing chapter 8, and also thanks to iReginaM, Mklizardluvr and HowTheStoryEnds for starting following this story.
And for everyone who has reviewed over the entire story: THANK YOU! It truly means a lot. Your comments have been nothing but supportive and positive and every single review has made my day just a tad better! So thank you! :D
And if you review this last chapter, Brandt will receive hugs and kisses AND you get to snuggle with him too, though only 5 minutes since he is a very busy man! ;)

So … This story has sadly come to an end. It kinda makes me sad, since everyone has been so nice throughout this little adventure. So I have nothing else to say, other than thank you again.

Therefore, without further a due, I hand you the final chapter!

Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: Let's take it one last time, shall we? I do not own anything related to Mission: Impossible or anything else you might recognize.

"The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion"

Location: Peru.

"You suggest you move away from that door," the Russian said.

Ethan didn't move. "Kumaskoff, right?"

"You would be correct. And you are the infamous Ethan Hunt, am I right?" Kumaskoff said, his aim never wavering.

"Yes. I didn't know I had that much of a reputation."

"Well … I had to know about agent Brandt's new team. I cannot say I am surprised though; I figured you would come for him sooner or later," Kumaskoff said. "And I was right. Now, put him down." He emphasized his point with gesturing to the ground with his gun.

Ethan still didn't move. He was reluctant to let go of his team mate. He knew it was very unlikely he would be picking him off the ground again.

"Do it!" Kumaskoff said, raising his voice. "Or I will do it for you."

The team leader swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and slowly eased Brandt to the floor. The agent groaned slightly when he felt the hard ground underneath and the sudden disappearance of body warmth. Ethan made sure he was front of the agent with his hands raised above his head.

"Very good. Now," Kumaskoff said, "how about we make a deal? I let you run off with your buddies and agent Brandt will stay here with me. We will carry on like nothing ever happened."

"I can't let you do that, Kumaskoff. I'm leaving with him, one way or another," Ethan calmly stated.

Kumaskoff just laughed at the statement. "Such sentimentality. I knew you were fond of the impossible, but now it is just pushing it too far."

While Ethan did his best trying to keep the Russian's focus from Brandt, the agent on the ground had opened his eyes when he had heard his name. He couldn't figure out who Ethan was speaking to at first, but when his eyes fell on Kumaskoff he froze.

The scene from six years ago replayed in his head, only this time the roles were reversed. Instead of protecting the helpless agent on the ground from the crazy drug dealer, he was now the helpless agent on the ground. And he remembered all too clearly how it had ended the last time. They had made it out of there, yes, but he had been shot and Kumaskoff had escaped in the process.

And if history were to repeat itself, Brandt somehow knew what was going to happen. And judging by the pistol in Kumaskoff's hand, he knew he was right. He couldn't let Ethan get shot because of him. Ethan was the one who had come all the way along with Jane and Benji to rescue him. He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to one of them just because of him. He needed to help. He needed to get Ethan out of harm's way. But his body refused to cooperate with him and no matter how much he tried; he couldn't muster to energy it took to even speak up. All he could do was watch as the inevitable started to unfold.

"If you want him, you can come and take him," Ethan said and shrugged his shoulders, his arms still raised innocently and resting on top of his head.

"Of course," Kumaskoff smiled for a second before his face turned into stone. "No, if you want to get out of here without a bullet between your eyes, I suggest you bring him over here." He turned his head, knowing Ethan couldn't just hand over his agent like that, and yet he didn't give him a choice.

The older agent turned slowly and crouched next to his fallen team member and was surprised to see him awake and alert. Well, almost alert anyway. Ethan's apologetic eyes met Brandt's tired orbs. Brandt looked him straight in his eyes for a moment before he nodded slowly. Ethan frowned for a short second before everything clicked into place and he understood.

He grabbed him and helped him stand. Supporting Brandt's weight, both agents walked closer to the impatient Russian. When they got within five feet of him, Brandt suddenly lunched forward and with the help of Ethan's push he collided with the drug dealer, knocking him into the ground. He then rolled away from where he lay on top.

Ethan took action immediately and jumped on top of Kumaskoff, who was still shocked over the unexpected attack. He started hitting him with clenched fists as the anger grabbed a hold of his mind. For every injury on Brandt, Kumaskoff got a punch. And there was many.

But Kumaskoff answered back. He managed to free his arms and push Ethan backwards and away from him. Both men quickly stood up and eyed each other silently. Ethan struck first and lashed out with his right fist. Kumaskoff blocked and returned with a fist that sent Ethan flying backwards. He quickly shook it off though and was ready when Kumaskoff charged. They took turns exchanging blows and kicks that landed perfectly on each other. When Ethan kicked Kumaskoff in the chest and he flew backwards, Ethan spared a second to look at where Brandt lay, unmoving. His back was still moving up and down though. The short distraction was all it took for Kumaskoff, as he charged forward. He landed a solid hit on Ethan's cheek before he kneed him in the stomach. A second later he kicked the same location with his foot and Ethan reeled back and collided hard with the wall behind him.

Coughing, Ethan tried to pick himself up, but only made it to all fours when Kumaskoff's boot pressed down on his back and he landed on the ground again. He looked up at the drug dealer with hatred and saw the gun was back in his hands. He was breathing as hard as Ethan was.

"You had your chance, agent Hunt. There are no more chances," Kumaskoff said, his stone eyes glaring into Ethan's.

Ethan felt all of his previous energy leave him and he knew there was nothing more he could do. He had failed Brandt.

But before Kumaskoff could even pull the trigger Brandt leapt from out of nowhere and knocked the Russian to the side. He landed on top of him like before, but this time he didn't roll away. Instead he launched his own series of punches. But it took a lot of energy and soon his fists held no more power than a blowing wind. Kumaskoff took advantage of that and pushed Brandt to the side. He rolled until he came to a stop at the far wall. He used the support to pull himself up. Kumaskoff was already on him, sending a fist into his cheek that snapped his head to the side. He slammed Brandt into the wall and the air left Brandt's lungs. Then the Russian tried to hit him again, but this time Brandt blocked it and used the block to get an opening. He hit Kumaskoff so hard the man fell several steps and barely contained his balance.

Brandt didn't let him breathe for one second as he hit him again. With the drug dealer temporarily stunned, Brandt ran towards the place where Kumaskoff's gun had slid to. He only made it two steps before he was grabbed by the legs and tackled to the ground. He turned and saw Kumaskoff on the ground with a fierce hold of his feet. He twisted free a single foot which he brought up and smashed into the Russian's head. The grip was released and he scrambled to his feet. He ran for all his might, his hands outstretched. He heard the footsteps running behind him and he knew Kumaskoff would soon be on him.

He found the final burst of energy and reached the fallen weapon. He grabbed the handle and spun around in one single motion and fired two shots. They hit the charging Russian in the chest and he halted mid-run. Kumaskoff stared at the two holes in his body, red blood gushing out, before he turned his gaze to the agent before him. He blinked sluggishly a single time, before he crumbled to the ground, dead.

Ethan placed his hand on the wall to the drag himself up from his position and looked over at Brandt. He was still standing with the gun aimed in his hands, the barrel pointed to Kumaskoff. His eyes were big and his breathing ragged, his chest moving up and down in a rapid pace.

"Brandt?" Ethan tryingly said.

Brandt looked up at him for a short second before he turned his gaze back to the dead Russian on the ground. His hands shook violently and the gun dropped to the ground with a clatter. He swayed as the room spun around him and he lost his balance. Ethan was at his side within seconds and caught him before he hit the dirty floor. "It's okay, I got you," Ethan assured and tried to smile at the agent, even though he felt like doing everything else but smiling.

Brandt just looked at him with frantic eyes and his hand reached up and grabbed a tight hold on Ethan's shirt. Ethan grabbed a similar, but much weaker hold on Brandt's shoulder. "I got you, it's okay, I got you …" he repeated over and over, even when Brandt's eyes drifted shut and his tight hold weakened slightly.

The door Ethan had tried to get to, opened suddenly and let in rainforest-warmth and sunlight. Benji and Jane peeked through with their guns drawn. They looked dirtier and more distressed than before, with a few cuts on both of their faces. They first eyed the lifeless body of Jolan Kumaskoff before turning to them.

"It's all clear," Jane stated breathlessly.

Ethan leaned his head back and sighed in relief. He had never been happier to see the two of them and couldn't wait to get out of this hell-hole. When he looked down at his breathing and unconscious agent, he knew Brandt shared that feeling.

Location: Washington DC

The secure hospital in Washington was just like any other hospital in the states. It smelled sterile and you could almost feel the touch of death that lurked around every corner. The only difference was that almost every visitor carried a gun and the patients were mostly stubborn trained agents who refused to cooperate.

After rescuing Brandt from the compound in Peru, the team had hid out in Julio's house for a few hours before they called in the events to the IMF. While calling for an immediate extraction, they had also called for a clean-up crew who would take care of the remains of the base and make sure Kumaskoff was dead and his ideas and connections were gone forever.

When they arrived at the hospital, Brandt had been whisked away and while Jane and Benji had used the hours of waiting for catch up on some sleep, Ethan had used the time to explain everything to the Secretary; how they had found Brandt; who had done it; why there was a breach in the IMF; and most importantly, that it was now safe again. He had to repeat the last bit over and over again though, and continue to build that statement with actual evidence. But eventually, everything died down. All they needed now was to see their missing friend.

Benji, Jane and Ethan had all been lucky and escaped with only minor bumps and bruises. Brandt, on the other hand, had not been so fortunate. He had suffered a severe concussion from continuous beatings, extreme dehydration and exhaustion along with some small internal bleeding that the doctors manage to fix before it got out of hand. He had developed a fever from a starting infection in the knife wounds, several of his ribs were either broken or cracked and lastly he was covered in bruises. It would take some time, but they had been told he was going to heal.

When the three worn down agents entered the room, the agent inside was asleep. The lights had been toned down so the light wouldn't hurt his still aching head and the blinding in front of the windows was rolled down, though right now it didn't matter since the moonlight wasn't bright enough to fill the room with light. Brandt's skin was almost as pale as the sheets he was lying on and what wasn't grayish white was a sickly purple color. Bandages coved his wrists and the ones on his chest made the hospital gown he was wearing puff up slightly. A nasal cannula had been inserted into his nose, providing him with a little extra oxygen and an IV was feeding him much-needed fluids. A blue blanket covered him from the waist down. His slow and steady breathing was the only sound that filled the quiet room. All three agents each settled on a chair and kept the sleeping IMF-agent company, even though he didn't register it.

When Brandt woke up, it was only Ethan who was in the room. Jane and Benji had gone home, or more ordered home, to get cleaned up and get a descent night's sleep. Ethan, though, was very persistent about staying with Brandt; he was determined to be there when the younger agent woke up. And he did.

He first moved his head around slowly, before he groggily pried his eyes open. He blinked a few times and looked around, before his tired eyes landed on the team leader, who was looking at him anxiously. When he saw the lucid and clear look in Brandt's hazel orbs, he smiled happily. Despite the pale and bruise-covered skin, he looked more like the agent he met in Russia than the one he rescued in the base in Peru.

"Welcome back, Brandt."

Brandt simply blinked and nodded a single time, before asking with a fragile voice: "Where are the others?" He winced slightly when talking hurt his sore throat.

"I sent them home …"

"Did they look as bad as you do?" Brandt said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Ethan smiled and leaned forward, supporting his upper body as he rested his arms on his legs. "No, they looked more like you actually. I considered admitting them in here with you."

This time a smile rolled over Brandt's lips, though it only lasted a small second before he turned his head away and sighed. The silence spread between the two men. Brandt was surprisingly the first one to break it.

"Kumaskoff is dead, isn't he?" he asked, when he looked back at Ethan again.

"You don't remember?"

"I remember a fight and pulling a trigger … Is he dead? Did I kill him?" Brandt hated how hopeful his voice sounded, but he found he couldn't cover it. And even if he could, he wouldn't try.

"Yeah, Brandt. He's dead. He can't hurt you anymore," Ethan reassured. He might have been as relieved about that fact as Brandt was.

Despite the good news, Brandt didn't celebrate at all. Instead he asked the other question that nagged him since Ethan stepped through the door of his cell.

Brandt closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. He took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly through his nose a single time, before a smile spread out on his lips. His chest started to vibrate and a small laugh tore through his teeth. He winced immediately when the movements sent pain throughout his body, but he couldn't stop laughing. It all seemed so absurd, that Kumaskoff was gone from this world forever. His laughter seemed contagious as Ethan suddenly couldn't hold it in any longer. His shoulders started to shake as he laughed along with his fellow agent.

It lasted for a minute before Brandt had to stop when the pain became too much. The two men slowly calmed down and it got quiet again. Then Brandt frowned when he remembered the question that had nagged his mind since Ethan stepped through that door in his prison. He had been too weak and tired to ask it at the time, but now seemed like a good time as any.

"Why did you come for me?" he asked.

Ethan's smile vanished and he frowned when he realized Brandt wasn't kidding. His eyes were serious as could be, and he demanded a real answer.

"You didn't think we would just leave you behind, did you?" Ethan asked. He was stunned and a little hurt that Brandt would even consider that.

The agent swallowed before he answered. "Honestly, I did. It was just like six years ago. There was no help and no back-up … no way to escape."

"You are right, Brandt: it was just like six years ago," Ethan said. "Therefore you should know it. We never leave a team member behind."

Brandt looked down and focused on the floor. After many excruciating seconds he finally looked up again, smiling at the older agent. "Thank you, Ethan."

Ethan smirked and placed a hand on Brandt's shoulder and squeezed it lightly, mindful of his injuries. "Don't mention it, Brandt."

A silence spread between them. Even when Brandt's eyelids started to drop, Ethan didn't leave. He stayed even as the agent fell asleep. He saw how Brandt's features relaxed and evened out. He saw how one more nightmare had been removed and replaced with more calmer and pleasant dreams.

Yeah, the end was kind of cheesy and all, but it was truly the best I could do. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed every chapter and stay tuned for more! I am currently brainstorming the next story in this universe, but let's see when that is going to get posted. I have school and work to think about and it is taking up a lot of time right now. But eventually there will be another story, so keep your eyes trained after another. And for the final note: (it is a bit early, but …) MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! STAY SAFE! :D

Oh! And happy apocalypse! ;)

Crimescenelover is out!