Match 21382 Jack Traven vs. Simon Gruber

[JohnnyChany]

 

 

PRAGUE

Howard Payne stood near a cluttered workbench with gloved hands. He tweaked a device that looked more like a metallic scorpion than a bomb. A satisfied smile danced across his lips. A man in a finely tailored three-piece suit sauntered up behind him.

“You do make quite the first impression, Mr. Payne. That explosion in Atlanta, it was masterful. Efficient. Loud. A symphony of panic,” proclaimed the man, Simon Gruber.

Howard grinned without looking up from his work. “Art is supposed to make people feel something. Fear, awe, a little ringing in their ears. I like to think I deliver the full experience.”

Simon chuckled as he sipped from a small glass of vodka. He stepped further into the flickering light.

“I'm planning something… intricate. Timed movements. Distractions. A vault that practically mocks me with its arrogance. I need a man with your… explosive charm,” he detailed.

“Explosions are the easy part. Timing, now that's where the music plays. You want a show; I give you fireworks. But I don’t work cheap,” Howard replied. 

Simon looked over a piece of paper in his hind. “Of course not. And my client wants to put you on retainer. Though seven figures feels… optimistic, don’t you think? My employer is not prepared to make that kind of investment.”

Payne finally looked at Simon; his eyes lit up with controlled madness. "If you don’t think I’m worth it, then don’t waste my time."

"Mr. Payne, don't be unreasonable, it would truly be a tragedy to see your unique skills go to waste," stated Simon.

Howard sighed. "I am planning something in Los Angeles. I’ll light up half the city. No one will know where to look. When you see that on the news, tell your employer that you could have paid for that skill.”

 

 

LOS ANGELES - 5 YEARS LATER

Jack Traven stepped out of a corner café and was almost immediately stopped by a man in a Dodgers cap.

“Yo! Officer Traven! Can you sign this?”

Jack laughed as he looked at the TIME magazine cover with his visage on the cover.

“That was over a year ago,” said Jack with a smile.

“It don’t matter, you will always be a hero for saving them people on that damn bus,” the man replied.

Jack obliged the man and signed his magazine. He then took a sip of his coffee. 

Since that eventful day where Jack had dueled the mad bomber, Howard Payne, life had mellowed. Promotions, press conferences, handshakes from mayors, and all the other positive recognition that followed was nice. But the adrenaline he felt in those crazy hours, he would never say it out loud, but he missed it.

Suddenly, the earth shuddered. A low, guttural boom echoed from a few blocks away. A plume of smoke floated into the afternoon sky as an explosion rocked the city block.

Jack tossed his coffee and bolted toward the noise. He pushed through civilians that were desperately running in the opposite direction. Jack soon arrived at the 3rd Street parking garage, The structure was caving in on itself crushing the cars within. Loud screams were systematically snuffed out. A survivor stumbling away from the wreckage holding her leg caught Jack’s attention. He quickly ran over to help her. 

A few hours later, the LAPD set up a mobile command center a block from the explosion. Jack filled out a witness report. There were several casualties and a handful of injuries but fortunately the parking lot was not full of people during the explosion.

A dispatcher’s voice rang out. “I have someone on the line that is taking responsibility for the explosion.”

“We can’t give the time of day to every wackjob who wants to exploit this tragedy for some personal attention,” said Lieutenant McMahon.

“Um, he seems to know a lot of details that nobody should know yet,” the dispatcher replied.

McMahon approached him. “Give me that.”

The dispatcher held the phone away from his grasp. “He said he will only talk to Traven.”

Jack and Lieutenant McMahon exchanged a wary glance and then Jack took the phone.

“This is Traven.”

“Ah, Mr. Traven. What a pleasure. Or should I say, celebrity Traven? The gallant man who saved a city on four wheels,” declared a German accent on the other end of the line.

“Who is this?” Jack demanded.

“Just a curious admirer. You can call me Simon. Consider that explosion you just witnessed my RSVP to the party. I do enjoy a grand entrance. But know that this is only the overture,” the voice threatened.

“If you hurt anyone else,  I’ll..”

Simon cut him off. “You’ll do what? Race another bus? Disarm another bomb with a pocketknife and a prayer? No, no, Jack. If you don’t want anyone else to suffer, you will do exactly as I say. I want to see if lightning strikes twice.”

There was a pause. Jack could hear ticking in the background, it was faint but deliberate.

“Simon says there’s a bell tower at Pershing Square. A red briefcase sits beneath it. You have fifteen minutes before it becomes… a statement piece. Once you reach the tower I will contact you again. If you fail to reach the tower in time or fail to answer the call, the explosion will go off. Tick-tock, Jack!”

The line went dead. Jack spun on his heel to face McMahon.

The lieutenant shook his head. “We weren’t able to trace the call. The guy is smart.”

“Never mind that, I need a car. I have to get to Pershing Square!”

“What?”

Jack quickly grabbed a radio. “There’s another bomb, and if I don’t get there in time, he’s going to set it off.”

“That’s insane. Why you?” McMahon wondered. “Is this somehow related to Payne?”

“I don’t know. There’s no time to worry about that now. I’ve got to go!”

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Jack Traven
Read more about Jack Traven at Wikipedia
Official Site: 20th Century Fox Links: Wikipedia

Simon Gruber
Read more about Simon Gruber at Wikipedia
Official Site: Fox Links: Wikipedia Die Hard Wikia Movie Villians

[Pizza Guy]

Jack Traven in my opinion is just as badass and quick thinking as McClane so I don’t see why he couldn’t beat Hans as well. He wouldn’t be as cool as McClane but still.

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
5.00 - Yazmal
5.00 - Boratz
4.60 - Pizza Guy

FPA Calculation:
3 Total Votes cast
14.60 Total Combined Score
14.60 / 3 = 4.87 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
Jack Traven: 3
Simon Gruber: 2