A/N:
Here, finally, is the long overdue sequel to "Chuck vs. Fulcrum." Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed that story, and a very special thanks to everyone who requested a sequel. I've spent way too long overthinking it, so I just decided to start posting chapters and hope that there's enough interest to motivate me to continue (hint hint).
A few things you'll need to know…
If you haven't read "Chuck vs. Fulcrum," you're going to be pretty lost. Without trying to sound like I'm trying to generate traffic to one of my own stories (which I'm clearly trying to do), I highly recommend you read it before delving into this one. Who knows? You might even like it.
If you have read "Chuck vs. Fulcrum," you already know this, but just in case you forgot: that story takes place directly after Season One, so by now there's several seasons of difference between the TV show's universe and this one. So, you can officially consider this storyline AU.
Finally, I don't own "Chuck." If I did, I'd be even more obnoxious than I am now.
Okay, let's see… read "Chuck vs Fulcrum," alternate universe, I'm not as obnoxious as I could be. I think that covers everything. Let's get to it.
Chuck vs Fulcrum
Beckman Strikes Back
Chapter One: Aftermath
Echo Park
Casa Bartowski
"Chuck… are you seriously stopping now?"
Sarah dropped her hands to her sides, grabbing her shirt and pulling it back down.
Chuck's world began to spin around him as he stared at the computer screen, and he felt unsteady on his feet. He looked at the name the data mining software had produced. The name that had been taken out of the analyzed disk given to Casey. The name of the person who had shown up in emails to Leonard Dillon, director of Fulcrum.
BECKMAN, GEN. DIANE
"Chuck," Sarah whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"
"Don't freak out," Chuck said to himself.
XXX
Washington, DC
The phone rang on General Beckman's desk.
"Beckman."
There was a long pause, with no response. Finally, a familiar voice crackled over the line.
"Are we secure?"
Beckman's eyes grew wide. She hesitated for a moment, then keyed in a code on the touchpad. "We are now."
"This is Roark."
"There aren't may other people it could be. I thought I told you never to call me here."
"Nobody tells me to do anything, Diane. You know that. Besides, if you don't want to know what I know, I can always hang up."
"You're out of line."
"Well, now, that's the trouble with lines, General. They're meant to be crossed. Makes life a little more interesting."
"Cross as many lines as you'd like, Theodore. Just don't ever cross me."
There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, Roarke broke it.
"The drive's been activated."
Beckman sat up. "Location?"
"Exactly where you said it would be."
Beckman's face went sour. She knew this day would come, but had hoped it wouldn't be now. Not with her entire organization in shambles. Not so far ahead of schedule. To deal with this, she'd have to get involved personally, something she hated to do.
"Diane?"
Beckman snapped out of her thoughts. "Then the timetable has moved up. Are you ready for Bartowski?"
There was a grim chuckle from the other side of the line. "For decades now."
Beckman's brow furrowed as the line went dead. She shook her head and dialed another number.
"Leader, secure."
"Empress, secure. Carry out order 66." A moment passed without response. "Gabriel?"
"I'm here."
"The proper response, then, is 'yes, ma'am.'"
"It's earlier than anticipated."
Beckman's jaw clenched. "Are you questioning my orders, Gabriel?"
Another moment. "I'd never dream of it… ma'am."
"Then send all available personnel to the Asset's location for containment of Walker plus one. Tell them that her Asset is under no circumstances to be damaged. Is that clear?"
"Crystal. And Casey?"
"I'll handle him."
A final pause. "I've no doubt you will."
The line went dead. Beckman pursed her lips in frustration. Roark had a way of getting under her skin, but at the end of the day their goals were in alignment. But Gabriel, or Leader as he preferred to be called, was little more than a necessary evil. A voice through which she could command. He'd been increasingly belligerent in recent months, challenging her authority at every opportunity. And now, with Dillon gone, he'd been almost uncontrollable. She made a mental note to have him put back into line- or out of commission permanently.
Beckman activated her videoconference console. A moment later, John Casey appeared on the screen.
"Major Casey," Beckman began. "I have new orders for you." Casey stood at attention.
"It's been decided that," Beckman continued, "considering the recent activity in the area, the situation has become too dangerous for the Intersect to be out in the open. He's to be moved to an underground bunker as soon as possible. I need you to execute the transfer to our contingency location."
If Casey had been surprised upon hearing Beckman's orders, he gave no indication. He remained rigid, at attention. His response was professional and clipped.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"This," Beckman continued, "is the important part." She paused for a moment, obviously making sure that she had Casey's attention. "Agent Walker is to be neutralized."
This time Beckman could see Casey try to school his features, ultimately failing. His brow furrowed. His question came out in a low whisper.
"Permanently?"
Beckman nodded. "Affirmative. Anyone can see she's been compromised. I've allowed her to remain on this assignment because until now it hasn't affected the missions. However, I have no doubt that her feelings for the Asset will cause her to resist the transfer. You're to eliminate that risk before it can materialize. Understood?"
Casey hesitated. "Ma'am-"
"Colonel Casey," Beckman enunciated. "Are your orders understood?"
Casey snapped back to attention. "Yes, Ma'am."
"I'll be at the contingency location in five hours. We'll debrief then. That is all."
Beckman terminated the teleconference, and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. With any luck, Casey would have things buttoned up before Gabriel's team even arrived. At his level, the newly-minted Colonel was her most loyal resource. Casey would be a viable replacement for Dillon, given the proper guidance. If only she had more time…
There were so few she could trust with the true nature of her organization. And especially now, with all of her plans finally coming to fruition, it was becoming a race to achieve her objective before the house of cards collapsed. A rush to completion. And she knew, perhaps better than anyone, that rushing plans such as hers always left loose ends. Like the Boy Scout, for example-
There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said, trying to disguise her concern.
Graham entered. Speak of the devil, she thought.
"You about ready?" he asked.
Beckman rose from her desk. "For a five-hour flight to Los Angeles?" she replied, giving her best fake smile. "Never."
Graham smiled right back. "Team Bartowski's been busy," he said. "A lot of arrests to process. We should have been out there days ago. What's been holding you up?"
"Just tying up some loose ends." Beckman replied, walking out to join Graham.
XXX
Echo Park
Casey's Apartment
The screen went dark.
Casey fell from his ramrod straight posture and allowed his back to slump. He stared at the floor, thinking furiously.
He knew what his job was. What he was in the scheme of things. Why Beckman kept him around when any other superior worth their salt would have forced him into retirement a long time ago. He was muscle, a blunt object aimed at problems that couldn't be reasoned away. A burnout she held in place to do the dirty work. Thinking had ceased to be a part of his job description a long time ago.
But now, this last set of orders… Something didn't add up, and it wasn't just his personal distaste. Aside from the fact that he was growing to actually like Bartowski, there was another reason to wonder about this job.
Five minutes after he gives Bartowski the hard drive, he gets this order? Beckman had 48 hours since the Fulcrum compound fell, and five minutes after Bartowski accesses the drive, she suddenly decides he's not safe? And it's important enough to her that she's willing to promote Casey on the spot to ensure his cooperation?
No, Casey thought. Something doesn't add up, here.
Casey looked across the courtyard into Bartowski's window. He could see Bartowski in the bedroom, gesturing wildly, saying something to Walker. Casey switched on his listening devices, but was greeted with static. Not good.
He walked over to the wall closet, pressed a hidden switch, and opened the rear door to reveal his personal armory. Casey began preparing.
XXX
Echo Park
Casa Bartowski
Sarah tried to control her breathing, but it was getting away from her - the fears, the doubts, the suspicions that had started settling in during the aftermath of the Fulcrum raid, the paranoia she'd managed to push aside came back home to roost.
Beckman was trading emails with the head of Fulcrum. She and Chuck and Casey had been working for Beckman, who in turn had been working for Fulcrum all along. That meant they had been working for Fulcrum.
Oh, god. All this time… What has she had us do for her? She's been telling me and Chuck and Casey to-
Sarah stopped. Casey. Casey was a member of Beckman's circle long before being assigned here. Had he been in on it?
"Sarah," Chuck breathed. "What are we going to do?"
Sarah clamped her hands over her ears. "Wait. I need - I need a minute to-"
"But this is huge, Sarah! If General Beckman has been working for Fulcrum all along, what have we been doing all this time? And what about Graham? The program's not done scanning the drive, yet; maybe his name is in there, too!"
"Chuck—"
Chuck turned back to the computer screen. "The program. It's just some goofy script I wrote, so maybe it's wrong. Maybe I—no, no, if I messed up the code it just plain wouldn't work. It wouldn't pull a specific name out in an error, it'd most likely be a line of text, maybe an annotation—"
Sarah grabbed Chuck's arm. "Chuck."
Chuck faced Sarah again, finally listening.
"I need thirty seconds to think," Sarah said, forcing her voice to be steady. "Just thirty seconds. Let me figure out what we should do. Let me think for half a minute. Can you do that for me?"
Chuck, to his credit, didn't even hesitate. "Yes. Yes, Sarah. Of course."
Sarah let go of his arm, and closed her eyes. She breathed in deep, letting herself go calm. If Beckman was Fulcrum, then she'd had plenty of opportunities since the Sunset Terrace raid to terminate them. Why not?
Sarah pushed those thoughts aside. She didn't know Beckman's main objective, so she couldn't possibly figure out whether Beckman wanted them dead or alive. She had to focus on what they did know.
Chuck had activated the hard drive, a piece of equipment from a Fulcrum base. There was a good chance that the drive was being tracked somehow. And if Fulcrum was tracking the drive, then that meant Beckman now knew that they knew she was Fulcrum. One down.
Beckman was Fulcrum and knew where Chuck was. Chuck was not safe here. That was two down.
They knew Beckman was Fulcrum. Beckman knew that they knew. Casey worked for Beckman and therefore couldn't be trusted. Three down.
That was enough for a decision. Beckman's obvious course of action would be to have Casey take Chuck into custody. And if Beckman had Casey on her side, then there was no need to keep Sarah alive. That was her next move. Casey was on his way to kill her and take Chuck.
Sarah opened her eyes. "Take off your watch." She said, her voice steady.
"Why?" Chuck asked.
"Because we have to run."
I know, I know. Years of waiting for a sequel and I give you a bunch of phone calls and talking and thinking. Well, hold on tight, because next chapter… more talking. Look, trilogies aren't built in a day.
Next chapter:
She was trying, harder than she knew she could, to keep it together while Chuck hurried around his room to gather up what he'd need. Casey was across the courtyard. Casey was coming to kill her. And Chuck was talking.
"Right. Right. So, do you think we'll be able to come back here eventually? 'Cause I promised Morgan my Han Solo action figure. It's vintage, and he's got Chewbacca to complete the set, so if that's going to get like, blown up or burned or something—"
"Chuck—" Sarah started, a hard edge to her voice.