(3rd Person POV)
Two weeks had passed since John Wick began production, and while filming proceeded smoothly, the cast and crew were beginning to notice disturbing irregularities in their setup.
The fight sequences felt disturbingly authentic, and Keanu had truly embodied the feared reputation of "Baba Yaga."
The cast and crew didn't fully understand the nickname's significance, but it carried weight throughout the script—particularly in the scene where Viggo, played by Rocky, explained to his son Iosef, played by Clint, that John Wick wasn't the "Boogeyman"—he was the one you sent to kill the Boogeyman. His feared reputation had earned him the title "Baba Yaga."
When asked, Arthur simply explained that Baba Yaga meant Boogeyman, but everyone sensed there was deeper meaning behind the moniker.
Still, nobody dwelt on the nickname's origins. Production continued regardless.
Recent filming had taken place at a hotel Hellfire had purchased specifically for the movie, which would be called "The Continental Hotel" in the film. During these scenes, Scarlet was forced to perform her role as Addy the bartender, even having to flirt convincingly with John Wick.
'So humiliating. But I must endure this. I need to learn more about this Keanu,' Scarlet thought while delivering her lines.
Fortunately for her dignity, the scene was brief. Ms. Perkins, played by Shafel, soon arrived for her meeting with John Wick, and their conversation as fellow assassins began.
Their exchange proceeded professionally, but moments later, Ms. Perkins infiltrated John Wick's room with lethal intent.
The production crew executed the scene flawlessly, unaware they were being observed from a distance. Lady Fox and her operatives watched the hotel through high-powered scopes.
"This hotel appears to have a fearsome yet respected reputation throughout the Anatolian Continent," one operative reported seriously. "It's called 'The Continental Hotel'—a gathering place for assassins from around the world."
Lady Fox brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes gleaming behind her mask. "The Continental Hotel? I've never heard of it before. Are you certain it has such a reputation on this continent? And it's headquartered here in Horn Kingdom?"
Her informant nodded firmly. "Yes. We've confirmed this through multiple organizational sources. We verified the information several times—there is indeed an organization this secretive. The Continental Hotel."
Lady Fox felt growing doubt about everything she'd been told. During her two weeks in this kingdom, inconsistencies kept emerging in their intelligence. Initially, she'd heard that some minor gang boss's son, Iosef, had beaten John Wick with his thugs. Yet now that same gang boss, Viggo, was acting terrified and mobilizing forces to protect his son.
While the organization insisted John Wick was genuinely terrifying, she hadn't witnessed any proof of his capabilities. She wondered if the gang boss under their organization had discovered John Wick's true identity and knew something crucial that she was missing.
'What's the real truth here? Does that gang boss Viggo actually know John Wick and fear him genuinely?' Lady Fox wondered, her instincts telling her something was fundamentally wrong with their intelligence.
Suddenly, alarm bells rang in her mind. She spotted a figure on a nearby building's rooftop—someone in a distinctive red coat, positioning a magical sniper rifle with practiced precision.
Her eyes widened in recognition and terror. "Everyone get down!"
She dove for cover as her confused personnel scrambled to follow suit. A sharp crack echoed across the district as the sniper fired.
"What the hell was that?" one operative gasped, pressing himself against the concrete.
"Who's the bastard shooting at us?" another demanded.
Lady Fox's voice carried genuine fear as she warned them, "Be extremely careful! That's not just anyone—it's one of the Great Knights of Wales! The legendary Sniper Knight, Red Coat!"
Collective gasps escaped her team. Red Coat's reputation was legendary throughout the criminal underworld. As one of Wales Kingdom's elite secret forces, he was among the most feared Great Knights. His missions typically involved eliminating threats to the Welsh crown—individuals so dangerous that conventional forces couldn't handle them.
But why was he here? More importantly, why had he targeted them?
Confusion rippled through the group. Lady Fox shared their bewilderment until she cautiously peered through the window and realized a crucial detail—they hadn't been his target at all.
The shot had been aimed at The Continental Hotel.
The revelation hit her like ice water. Lady Fox stared at the hotel with newfound understanding and dread.
'What's happening here? Why would Red Coat target that hotel?' A chill settled deep in her chest as the implications became clear.
When she looked back toward the sniper's position, the rooftop was empty. Red Coat had vanished as efficiently as he'd appeared.
"It seems the reports were right—that Continental Hotel truly isn't what it appears to be," she muttered, her earlier doubts evaporating completely.
Her personnel felt the same chilling realization as they observed the hotel with new respect. If Red Coat—one of the most elite assassins in the world—was targeting that establishment, then it truly must be a hidden organization of killers operating beyond their understanding.
Unknown to any of them, Red Coat was actually playing his assigned role in the movie. He portrayed Marcus, John Wick's old ally, and his precisely timed shot had served as a warning to John Wick about Ms. Perkins' treacherous approach.
The "attack" had perfectly executed its intended dramatic purpose—leading to John Wick detecting the threat, apprehending Ms. Perkins, and restraining her to a chair for interrogation.
Lady Fox and her operatives remained completely unaware of the deception unfolding around them. Based on what she'd witnessed, Lady Fox made her decision.
"The Continental Hotel—an organization of assassins significant enough to draw attention from the Great Knights themselves. This situation is far more complex than we initially believed."
Her team turned toward her as she continued, "We need to return to Babylon Tower immediately. The organization must be informed about this development."
"Understood!" Her operatives nodded with grim determination.
Lady Fox stared once more at the hotel, her mind racing with implications. 'The Continental Hotel. This nest of assassins must be responsible for Viper and Tarsier's deaths. Arthur Pendragon hired killers from this organization.' She gritted her teeth in fury. 'I'll ensure this threat is eliminated completely. This hotel cannot be allowed to exist.'
Her hatred wasn't solely due to her fallen comrades. The Skull Organization also operated as assassins-for-hire, which meant The Continental Hotel was stealing their business and undermining their monopoly.
She turned sharply and departed with her team.
As they left, Lady Fox had no idea that Arthur was observing their departure from inside the hotel, watching through a window with quiet satisfaction.
He felt no anxiety about Lady Fox leaving Horn Kingdom—this was exactly what he'd orchestrated.
The scene had just concluded filming. Arthur smiled as events moved precisely according to his design. 'Good. That little fox will return to her base, and John Wick's production will follow her straight to the Tower of Babylon. That's where the final confrontation between John Wick and Viggo will take place.'
He could already envision using the Skull Organization's higher-ranking members as unwitting actors, manipulating them to create increasingly challenging obstacles for John Wick's climactic battles.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
---
A few days later, Arthur surprised the entire cast and crew by leading them directly to his spacious private airport. Everyone looked around with obvious curiosity at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"What are we doing here, boss?" Klein couldn't help but ask.
"I have something special to show everyone," Arthur replied mysteriously, guiding them toward a large, unusual structure that dominated the hangar.
Murmurs rippled through the group as they studied the sleek, metallic object. Only Keanu recognized what they were seeing.
"This is called an 'airplane,'" Arthur announced with evident pride. "It's similar to an airship in that it flies, but it's superior in every way—more comfortable, much faster, and significantly more cost-effective to operate. Unlike the heavy, inefficient design of traditional airships, this represents the future of air travel."
Gasps echoed throughout the hangar as the implications sank in.
"What exactly are we going to do with it?" someone asked nervously.
"As you know, the later scenes of John Wick take place in the Persian Empire, specifically at the Tower of Babylon," Arthur explained. "We'll need this airplane to transport us there efficiently."
Mixed reactions swept through the crowd. Some looked excited, others appeared terrified at the prospect of flying in an untested vehicle.
Keanu raised a crucial concern. "Didn't you mention this was still unstable and just a prototype?"
Arthur smiled confidently. "You're absolutely right—it was indeed just a prototype. But it's now fully operational and significantly more stable than before." This was true; receiving the Void Walker had allowed him to solve critical engineering problems by incorporating components from the advanced divine ship.
The rest of the crew remained stunned by the revelation. They would actually be traveling in this experimental aircraft to reach Babylon Tower?
Practical concerns quickly emerged. "Won't we get in serious trouble operating an unauthorized vehicle like this?" one crew member asked anxiously.
Arthur chuckled dismissively. "Don't worry about regulatory issues."
His crew didn't need to know that Billy had leveraged his extensive connections to secure proper flight permits from Horn Kingdom to the Persian Empire. Such authorization should have been impossible for a civilian aircraft, but Billy's influence ran deep in Persia—the Persian Empire was among the nations holding military contracts with Dark Corporation.
For someone of Billy's resources and connections, arranging the necessary permits had been trivially simple.