Author's note: This is my very first I-Man fic so please bear that in mind while reading. If you want a feeling for where the story came from, so to speak, listen to "Be My Downfall" by Del Amitri.
"You want me to do what?" Silence filled the office.
"What part didn't you understand?" The 'Fish sat up straight in his chair and placed his crossed hands on the desk.
"Ah…the point," Darien said simply. He heard Hobbes clear his throat as a warning but decided to ignore him as usual.
"Dominique is a connected to Arnaud and we have reason to believe there might be a chance that Arnaud is involved with Chrysalis. That's the point."
"So I'm supposed to what exactly…"
"Seduce her. The Keeper has reverse engineered a duplicate of the nanoprobe Chrysalis had planted in you. We need that probe in this woman in case she is in contact with Arnaud and you're the only man who can do it." Darien blinked at the play on words.
"Chief…" Hobbes interrupted and was answered with a glare.
"No problem. 'Hey…how ya doin' and then straight to the sack. Nothin' suspicious there." Darien did nothing to hide the mockery in his voice.
"Exactly." The Official sat back. That had been easier than expected, or so he thought.
"No."
"What?"
"No way am I gonna be pimped out. No." He settled back into his uncomfortable chair. No changing his mind this time.
"Too bad. She's a knockout. Hobbes, I guess you get this one." The fat man closed the folder on his desk and looked from Fawkes to Hobbes, whose mood had improved.
"Whoa…hang on a second…define knockout…" Darien stuttered.
"That's all. Hobbes, this afternoon." Hobbes took the folder from Eberts' hand and bounced out.
"Wait a minute…Hobbesy…" Darien called after his partner, leaving the Official grinning.
In the hallway, Hobbes held the folder open in front of him, but didn't actually read it. He didn't need to; he'd read it earlier that morning.
"You messed up big time, my friend. Bobby Hobbes is on the case now."
"Messed up? Whaddya mean…messed up…" Darien strained to see the folder Hobbes was guarding.
"What do I mean? Man, that much beauty kept in a lab all day…although, I bet she's cute in a lab coat."
"Lab?"
"BioTech. She's in research and ethics. Anyway, you've got an appointment with the Keep and I've got a file to get to know."
***********************
"Darien, be still. This would've been over by now if you weren't fidgeting so." Claire was getting impatient with the man she was trying to examine.
"Come on, Hobbesy…just a peak. Just lemme see what I'm missin'." He pleaded with the other agent who was circling the examining table.
"I wouldn't want to upset you. Claire says you're stressed enough as it is. Right Claire?"
"Yes and you're not helping." In an attempt to get Darien to stay still, she jabbed the counteragent needle in his arm without warning and was rewarded with a loud OUCH! and stillness. Meanwhile, Bobby had perched himself on the edge of Claire's desk and was thumbing absently through the file. The swish of the door of the Keep opening caught them all off guard.
"Agent Hobbes, the Official would like to see you and the Keeper about the mission. Agent Fawkes, you're…dismissed." Eberts looked to Claire and Hobbes before turning to leave as Claire and Hobbes shrugged at each other before heading for the door.
Darien sat up and looked around. "Hey…what about me?"
Hobbes answered from the hallway. "Find something to amuse yourself." The door swished shut behind him leaving the now visible Invisible Man alone in the lab. Darien got up to leave and saw the assignment folder on the desk where Hobbes absently put it. Looking around one last time, Darien sat on the folder, leaving just enough of it exposed to put his hand on and Quicksilver the folder. Feeling the edges of the invisible folder, he folded his jacket around it and calmly walked out.
Claire, Bobby, the Official and Eberts watched on surveillance cameras as Darien walked down the hallway and out of the building. Their plan had worked like a charm.
***********************
'What were they talking about, knockout? The only picture in here is from a distance…' Darien thought to himself and realized he'd been had. Oh well, he was already at the lab; might as well check her out. Quicksilvering and maneuvering into the lab quickly behind the line of people on their way in, Darien made his was inside. Some of the people filtered into an auditorium while others continued towards the lab. Darien followed the crowd headed towards the lab, all the while looking at nametags for Dominique Tielle. Nothing. The only people in the lab were men. Darien wandered around, reading over shoulders. Everyone was reading the same presentation.
'Ethics in researching biomechanical neurological enhancers on human subjects by Dominique Tielle,' Darien read the title of the presentation. 'This one might be worth sticking around for.'
"Nick! Where have you been?! The presentation starts in ten minutes…" The guy whose shoulder Darien had been reading over turned quickly and Darien had to jump just to keep out of his way, but turned in time to see…Nick? "Come on Nick!" The worker urged.
Nick was a she and she really was a knockout. 'Nick…as in short for Dominique?' Darien mused until he saw her nametag. Dominique Tielle. Darien stood still as everyone from the lab filed out. Looking around for any cameras and seeing none, Darien shook off the Quicksilver and just stood there. He shook his head and followed after the crowd, still in shock. From a distance she looked like…no, he wouldn't let himself think about her. Instead, he found his way back to the now pack auditorium, situated himself in the very back where he could still see and here Dominique and listened.