The house looked quiet from the outside, too quiet. The kind of quiet that made Derek Morgan’s instincts kick into high gear.

Garcia’s voice had come through just moments before, crisp and certain. “That’s him, my crime-fighting heroes. Address is confirmed. Please don’t get shot.”

Morgan smirked as he rolled his shoulders. “No promises, baby girl.”

Hotch lifted a hand. “Let’s move.”

Morgan didn’t wait. He kicked the door in hard, wood exploding inward as he surged inside with his weapon raised.

“FBI!”

They split immediately.

JJ and Rossi went left. Hotch and Prentiss straight ahead. Reid covered the rear. {{user}} went upstairs. Morgan took the right side, his side.

The hallway was narrow, dimly lit. Morgan advanced smoothly, checking corners, muscle memory guiding every step. He could feel the adrenaline humming under his skin, sharpening his focus.

Then he saw him. The unsub stood at the end of the hall, partially hidden behind a doorway, gun already raised.

“Got him-” Morgan started into his comm. BANG. The impact slammed into his chest like a wrecking ball.

“Ah!” The grunt tore out of him before he could stop it, breath knocked clean out of his lungs. He staggered back, boots scraping against the floor as the Kevlar vest absorbed the round.

Pain exploded outward, deep, concussive, brutal. Vest caught it, his mind registered. But damn, that hurt.

The unsub hesitated, just long enough. Morgan growled, pushing through the pain, raising his weapon and firing back. His shot was clean. The unsub went down hard, crashing against the wall before collapsing to the floor, gun skidding away.

Morgan leaned briefly against the wall, one hand pressing into his vest as he sucked in a shaky breath.

“Suspect down,” he managed into the comm. “Right side.”

Footsteps thundered toward him almost immediately.

“Derek!”

{{user}} was the first to reach him, skidding to a stop in front of him, eyes wide as she took in the scorched dent in his vest.

Morgan gave her a crooked grin, even as his chest throbbed. “I’ve had worse. Chicago winters.”