The Meaning of a Hacker

By: Anubus D. Wicked

Author's note: I do not own leverage or any of It's' characters.

This is my first Leverage fanfic. I love the show and respect the canon entirely. I had been thinking of this story for a while. I hope you enjoy it.

Hardison was walking up the stairs towards the teams headquarters. He told everyone he'd be away for a week visiting his Nana. Nate wished him well, Sophie hugged him tightly, and Eliot, being who he is, gave him a tight bro-hug. The only difference was Parker, she didn't want to see him leave at all, but how could she tell him that? She was always stuck in her own mind, attempting to mask her frustration at him just deciding to take off. It was his Nana, and she knew how much that meant for him, so she just high-fived him, and with that he was gone. That was last week; he'd had fun with his Nana, and the children there were glad to hang out with him. He spent his time playing video games, and helping her around the house. It was all well and good, but he missed his team. He missed watching Nate have a drink, much to his chagrin, and concocting the next con. He missed hanging with Eliot, berating him for being a power nerd. He liked watching Sophie exhaustively deal with Nate, and all his insane machinations. All in all he missed them. The one he didn't miss was Parker, which was just too basic a word to describe the longing he felt for her. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, my ass." He thought to himself as he walked closer to the door. He pulled his keys from his pocket, stuck them in the door, and walked inside. When he arrived, no one was there. The entire house was devoid of any life. No dishes in the sink, or on the stove. The television was off, and no computers on. He didn't know where they were, so he just walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of orange squeeze. Then he headed over to the couch and made himself comfortable. He was hoping for a Doctor Who marathon or some Star Trek to whet his appetite. He went for the remote, and on the table was an envelope with his name written on it. He just figured it was one of the guys leaving some of instructions for him. In his mind, he thought, for a nano-second, that it was from Parker, but that isn't her style. He ripped it open and started reading.

Elsewhere there was only darkness. Not a sliver of light to be seen. Just complete, pitch, blackness roamed here. Then a single light was turned on; under it Eliot sat completely bound to a chair. The only movable part of his body was his head. This was nothing new to him; in fact, he's been in this position more times than he can count. This time was different though, he couldn't move anything on himself and there were no armed guards around him. He also couldn't make a visual on anything outside of the light, just darkness surrounding everything. All of a sudden another light turned on, after adjusting his eyes, he made out who the other figure was.

Eliot: Nate? What the hell are you doing here?

Nathan: What kind of question is that? I figured that a fond where are we? Would be better.

Another light came on to reveal Sophie, sharing the same entrapment as them.

Sophie: Well, this is certainly not good.

Nathan: You're here too?

Eliot: Do any of you remember a thing?

Sophie: Nothing out the usual sort. After I left the bar I went back to (looking at Nate) sleep

Nathan: Just having my usual brandy.

Light turns on.

Parker: So you didn't go have sex?

Everyone looked at Parker in unison. She had that same irresistibly quirky look on her face. At least they could all see one another. The way they were positioned, they could all see one another; and each was still trying to figure out how they got here in the first place. While they talked about what to do, which was absolutely nothing, a voice interrupted them.

Voice: I apologize for the less than adequate accommodations.

The voice was devoid of any sort of feelings. It was cold and emotionless, like nighttime in a graveyard. No accent that could be placed, no dialect to catch on to. The only thing that was certain, was that it belonged to a woman.

Eliot was the first to speak.

Eliot: Look I'm pretty sure you're here for me. So how about you let the rest of them go.

A man dressed in a suit walked in their collective light and punched Eliot in his face.

Man: You don't speak unless spoken to, got that?

This man was not the owner of the voice. Eliot spit out a little blood and chuckled.

Eliot: If that was your best shot, I'm so sorry for your boss. (Chuckling) He hired a pussy.

Man: Look here; (raising a pistol to Eliot's face) shut the hell up!

Voice: Would you please come here for a second?

The man lowered his gun and walked into the shadows. A moment later he fell in the middle of the light, the blood flowed to the floor; his throat was completely slit. The team did not let out a gasp, but they could feel the shared tension.

Voice: I don't condone that kind of disrespect, towards my guests.

Nathan: Guests?

Voice: Yes, my special guests. I'm not into torture of any kind. Nor am I into threats or demands. I do value your nobility Mr. Spencer, Unfortunately. This has nothing to do with you.

Sophie: Who are you trying to keep?

Voice: None of you. But I assure you that at this particular juncture you are needed.

Parker looked at her team and had a sudden, and horrifying, thought.

Parker: Where is Hardison you bitch!

Everyone looked at her. Never before had she cursed, I mean they've seen her say, and do some odd things before, but never curse. Then again they also know how she is when it comes to him being in danger.

Voice: Such foul language. He's not with us.

This gave them no reassurance. They had just seen what was done to someone who merely punched someone not on their team.

Sophie: What have you done to him?

Eliot: I swear if anything happened to him I'll-

Voice: nothing has happened to him. But your lives do depend on him.

Nathan: Who are you?

Voice: Clean up this filth. I despise a dirty area.

The body was jerked out of sight. It was eerily quick. That was the other thing about this place. Outside of the Voice, and their own, nothing could be heard.

Voice: As for that inquiry, that is quite a tale.

Hardison finished reading the rest of the letter. A cold feeling suddenly overtook him. He stood up and walked out the door.