A/N: I had this idea shortly after Season 3 finished, before I was reading fan fiction, but I forgot about it for a while. I finally started it around when Season 4 began, and then I promptly put it on hold to see if I could make it canon-compatible. (As if that would work. I thought Sarah vs. the Mystery Agent wouldn't be AU until Season 4 started, but it was made AU by the Encino Buy More in the Jeffster Webisodes. Chuck vs. the Uniforms seemed safe but was made AU by the Chuck vs. the Suitcase.) I decided to make this story AU and set after 4.10.
A couple of months ago on the forum, P.J. Murphy asked about a story with Casey or Morgan as an Intersect. I had half of this chapter written at the time. Check out his "Chuck vs Two Grunts and a Flash".
Disclaimer: Nobody else owns anything here, so why would I?
Disclaimer 2: No beta. Why would I sucker/obligate/subject anyone into reading this when they didn't want to?
Published: 15 Dec 2010
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Chapter 1 – Morgan vs. the Intersect
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"Uhhhh, what happened?" Morgan slowly rubbed his hand over his face and opened his eyes. The surrounding were somehow familiar, he just couldn't place them. Scanning the room, he saw he was lying on a hard bench and surrounded by grey walls—all except one, which was glass. Beyond that wall he saw his "friend."
"Casey, why am I in one of Castle's holding cells?"
Casey did not respond at first. He looked firm, but not steaming with the full anger of which he was capable. That was a good sign for Morgan. "Come on, what did I do to deserve this?"
"It's your own fault."
Morgan started to reply but hesitated. He knew most of the trouble he got into was his own fault. But for the life of him, he could not remember what it was this time. Plus he had a huge headache.
"You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself, numb nuts, could you?"
Oh no! He knows! Morgan eye opened wide in panic. "Casey, I can explain. Believe me my hands were in a completely respectful position the whole night." Casey's firm expression transformed into one of confusion. Morgan continued, "I'm not very good and running the bases, or running of any kind. I would never try to take advantage of such a beautiful woman."
Casey's expression jumped to one of crazed anger. "My hands only went to places where she explicitly gave me permission." Casey drew his weapon and opened the door. "She is the one that initiated...everything that happened. And—" Morgan was silenced with three quick tranq shots, center mass. He slumped to the floor, where Casey left him.
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One hour earlier.
Morgan squatted through the door and dove behind the sofa. Hopefully no one had seen him. Crawling across the floor on his front, he approached the hatch. One more glance around his albeit limited view revealed no one, so it was now or never. He opened the hatch and descended head-first down the ladder. That was a mistake. After three rungs of the ladder, his complete upper body was through the hatch, and his arms could not support the weight. With an awkward twist, he fell the rest of the way down the ladder. Fortunately, his grip on the ladder slowed his descent. It would hurt in the morning, but he was in. Mission accomplished. Next time, though, he would use an elevator. Or a slide.
After brushing himself off and stretching his wrists and hands, Morgan headed off to find Chuck. After no success in the dojo, the armory, or the infirmary, Morgan stood in front of the main conference table in the communication center. Still no Chuck.
"Morgan, what are you doing here?"
Morgan jumped and saw his other roommate enter the room behind him. Boy is she sneaky!
"Hi, Sarah. I'm looking for Chuck."
"Chuck's busy."
"I know. I know. He's researching the Ring's Intersect download computer. That's why I'm here. I'm here to help."
"Don't you already have a job managing the Buy More?"
"Yeah, but it's slow. Jeff and Lester have the day off so they do not need monitoring. I was bored, so I came to help Chuck."
"How exactly would you help Chuck? It's not like you have a degree in Electrical Engineering and can analyze the Intersect computer."
Morgan loosely shook his head as he inhaled and rolled his eyes. "I see. My value has never been fully appreciated. You are looking at the manager of an electronic superstore. The Intersect is an electronic thing. So obviously I'm qualified. Could you please tell me where Chuck is?"
Sarah finally let out a brief laugh and a smile. Chuck had been working too hard the last few days and could use a break. "Sure, Morgan. Follow me."
Morgan could barely believe she bought that. He must be getting good at this spy stuff.
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Chuck was finally getting somewhere. This would have been a lot easier if the Ring had just followed his dad's initial designs. Why were computer designers always changing things that did not need to be changed, always reinventing the wheel? Now he was to the point he could start some simple tests.
"Hey, Chuck!"
Chuck jumped from his crouched position under the main Intersect podium, banging his head and causing him to fall back on his rear. "Oww-waa!"
Sarah darted to Chuck's side to support his head. "Chuck. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, Sarah. More surprised than in pain. The Intersect has a lot of skills, but detecting a stealthy approach is not one of them. Not that I ever mind seeing you, but what are you doing here?" Chuck lightly smiled as Sarah helped him to his feet.
"You have a visitor." Sarah motioned to the door.
Scratching the non-existent bump on his head, Chuck looked over to see his bearded best friend.
"Hi, Chuck!" Morgan deliberately stepped into the room with his regular goofy grin.
Oh no. Morgan was bored. Chuck could not hide is annoyance. "Morgan. What are you doing here? I'm kinda busy right now, and you really shouldn't be here"
Morgan shifted to a crushed look so fast that it was obvious he was faking. "I see how it is. You smile for Sarah, but kick me out."
"Hold on there, buddy. First, you know I love you, but I love Sarah in a much different way and no offense, but you don't look like she does. I can't help but smile." Chuck threw Sarah a wink, which she replied to with a playful smirk.
"Ok, I see your point." Morgan acknowledged, bobbing and tucking his head.
"And second, I haven't actually kicked you out." Chuck continued. Morgan looked up with his goofy grin returning.
"Sarah, honey, Morgan is going to help me a few minutes, and then I'm certain he has to get back to his managerial duties. I'll catch you later for lunch."
"Sounds good." Sarah leaned in to Chuck for a quick peck on the lips. "Morgan, you can find your way out?"
"Of course. Of course. Thanks, Sarah." And with that Sarah left.
Chuck returned his focus to the open floor panel below the Intersect podium. "You know, Morgan, for all the times I've used off-site install as a cover it's kinda funny that it is the truth this time," Chuck mused. "Sooo, what are you really doing here? And don't tell me you're just bored. I know you've been obsessing too much about Alex to be bored."
Morgan settled down cross-legged next to Chuck, who now had his head through the missing floor section. "You're right there. Alex and I went on a date last night. It went great...really, really great."
"Good to hear. So what's the problem?"
"I wish it were just one problem. First, there's Casey. Right now, I'm banking on the hope that Casey would not want to alienate his newly discovered daughter by killing or maiming her steady boyfriend."
"Steady Boyfriend? You're up to that title now?" Chuck blindly reached around finding the needed fiber cable at Morgan's feet. Drawing the cable into the access hole, Chuck realized he didn't actually expect Morgan to be helpful.
"Ooohh, yeaahh. After last night, I'd say I am definitely her steady. Well, I think I am. I hope so. I don't know. Chuck, when two people…"
"Morgan! Remember, I do not want details! First of all, eww! Second of all, I don't want to have to lie to Casey. Maybe you should be open and honest with Alex and get her to clarify your status. I know that would have saved years of suffering for Sarah and me."
"Good plan. Good plan."
"So what are the other problems? Are you worried about the age difference?"
"No. I know we don't meet the half plus seven or eight rule. But who are we kidding? Alex is really mature for her age. She's probably already more mature than I will ever be. So that's not a problem."
Chuck silently agreed with that assessment. Alex was probably more mature three years ago than Morgan would ever be. However, lately he had shown promise. "Then what is it?"
"Guys like us really don't have a chance with women like Alex and Sarah. Well maybe you, but not me." Morgan sighed.
"Come on, Morgan. You are the manager of the Buy More. Plus you were put in charge of the cover for the CIA and NSA's most important west-coast operations center. You might have once been the sales clerk who was allergic to work. But now you are a very successful person."
"That's not enough for someone special like Alex. So I was thinking…"
Chuck quietly groaned.
"I was thinking," Morgan continued, "if the Intersect could turn you from a stagnate, love-sick underachiever into the greatest hope of the free world, thereby making you worthy of one Sarah Walker…"
Chuck stopped his work. Here it comes.
"…a little Intersect might help win the heart of the lovely Alex McHugh. Seriously, it's not like there can be only one. You are not the Highlander, Chuck. I'm sure the CIA and NSA would love to have another Intersect."
Chuck sighed, paused, and slowly shook his head. "Morgan, I've barely started this project."
"Chuck, you've been holed up...down...up...down here all week," Morgan countered.
"Most of that time I was installing the screens and laying the wiring. I'm still not done with that. Plus it took over a day for the CIA supercomputer to hack the database password. This stuff doesn't happen as fast as it does on TV." Chuck glanced around, trying to remember what he was in the middle of, before the interruption.
"You're going be able to get this working, right?" Morgan actually looked concerned.
"I hope so, Morgan. That's what this project is all about. Beckman took me off Castle defense systems training to focus on getting the Ring's Intersect computer working. They put a lot of confidence in me, and I don't want to let them down."
"Ok, but what about your dad's laptop?"
"Awesome said Ellie fixed some memory problem."
"It worked for you."
"I still don't know if there are any other side effects to it."
"I have complete faith in you, Chuck. And when you get this one working, I'm your guy," Morgan enthusiastically offered.
"Morgan, I still have to make sure this one is safe too. All of the Fulcrum operatives that used their Intersect had their brains melted. And he-who-shall-not-be-named went completely nuts."
"That guy was already completely nuts," Morgan agreed.
Chuck went back to his wiring. "Ok, but I'm not going to hook my best friend up to this without proper testing. Even then, I doubt the CIA will let you download it."
"I could be a test subject. You could put in a word."
Chuck thought for a few seconds. His voice echoed from underneath the floor panels where he was reaching for the last cable. "Beckman has been surprisingly receptive to my plans lately. I'll see what I can do...after I make sure it is safe."
Chuck knew something was going on with his friend. This whole conversation had a sense of urgency that was not really necessary. "So Morgan, what else is going on? This can't just be about Alex."
"I want to help out the team more."
"You are, buddy. Awesome saw through the old cover in seconds...well maybe minutes. I do think Ellie is a little suspicious now that you are the manager. However as long as she stays calm with the baby, I kinda hope she does figure it out. Why do you think you need to do more? Or is this about impressing Alex, too."
Morgan was up, pacing back and forth around the room. "Alex is fine with what I do. She even told me she wants me to stay safe."
"Not that."
"What?"
"Oh, sorry. That's my recurring argument with Sarah."
"Really? But you have the Neo-power now."
"I'm not sure she would get the reference. Remember I didn't originally have the 2.0. Also, Sarah has a highly over-developed sense of protection."
Morgan grinned, "She loves you, man! See, that's why I don't mind Alex wanting me to stay safe."
"So Alex said she loves you?" Chuck's progress had stopped again as the conversion was becoming more interesting.
"No, not yet. That's probably a good thing too, seeing as Casey doesn't know what we were doing last night."
Chuck realized something. "So that is what this is about."
"Yes, if I'm an Intersect, maybe Casey won't kill me."
Chuck saw the typically pointlessness of this conversation and turned back to his work again. "Casey won't kill you. He has threatened me many times, but never followed through. And he already likes you better than he did me back then."
"But you weren't dating his daughter." Morgan argued
"I did blow up is car." Chuck optimistically responded.
"Really?"
"Really. The original did not have the missile launcher."
"So he got an upgrade out of the deal. I doubt he is upgrading Alex anytime soon. 'Cause that is not possible."
"You have it bad...like me." Chuck thought a serious approach might help. "Morgan, you and Alex need to talk to Casey."
"I know. I know. Alex thinks so too. It didn't go so well last time. I'm just not ready for my life to end yet. I need to find a place of calm. However, I can never find that place because Casey is always watching. Wait a second—" Morgan's eyes expanded in panic.
"Don't worry. Surveillance is off in here. Only Beckman, Sarah, Casey and you are allowed to know what I am doing in here. Greta doesn't even know."
"So he is not watching right now?" Morgan looked only slightly reassured.
*THUD, THUD, THUD*
"Ahhh!"
Casey abruptly opened the door and stepped in. "Calm down, Moron. You are in a secure government facility."
"Casey, what are you doing here? Chuck is trying to work."
"And you are helping?" Casey raised an eyebrow.
"I'm providing moral support." Morgan defended.
Casey grunted. "Shouldn't you be back in the manager's office? Protecting our cover? We have a shipment arriving in a half hour."
"Fine. I'll be there in ten."
Casey grunted, turned and left.
Morgan squatted next to Chuck. "Man, that was creepy. See what I mean. He is always watching."
"You'll be fine. I'm almost done here. Could you call Sarah? I need to run a test."
"Speaking of Sarah, how's the new proposal plan coming?"
"Not now, Morgan. Sarah might hear. She's sneaky. You never know when she'll hear us."
"If you say so." Morgan got up and pressed intercom at the side of the door. He tenored, "Agent Walker to the test room. Agent Walker to the test room."
Sarah quickly appeared, as if she had been waiting in the hallway.
"Wow, that was fast! How do you do that?"
Sarah ignored him. "What's up Chuck?"
"I think I'm ready to run the first test." Chuck jerked up and righted himself.
Sarah frowned. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Don't worry. I've swapped the Ring database with some newly encoded test images. No skills. Just background information about the latest Greta, which I have been assured was not in my previous Intersect downloads. I tend to pass out after a download so I just need you to observe. I can enable the far side wall camera—like this." Chuck pressed a few buttons on a wall panel. "That camera faces away from the Intersect images, so it should be safe to monitor from the control room next door."
Morgan looked hopeful.
"Morgan, you can join Sarah, if you'd like."
Morgan grinned, but Sarah was still concerned.
"Don't worry, Sarah. I've done this seven times before, not counting the times it was cleared or blocked. This will be my shortest download. I'll be fine."
Chuck gave Sarah a peck on the forehead and a bright smile causing a half smile to leak out of the left corner of Sarah's mouth. After a brief but obsessive moment of starting at Chuck, Sarah turned and left, with Morgan following in step behind her.
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Two minutes later.
"Chuck! Chuck! Are you ok?"
Chuck slowed opened his eyes to a beautiful sight. At that moment, he wished he could awaken to that sight for the rest of his life. Granted Sarah's panicked look was not her best, but anytime Sarah was looking at him was something to behold.
"Chuck, can you hear me?"
He slowly grinned in response. The smile expanded to a rather goofy proportion, considering Chuck was flat on his back on the floor.
"Chuck? What are you grinning at?"
"Only my gorgeous girlfriend."
Sarah rolled her eyes at the quip. "Chuck you scared me!"
"What's the matter? I told you I sometimes collapse after a download. You even saw me do so last time."
Sarah pulled Chuck up to a sitting position and slowly caressed his jaw. "Chuck, you been out for five minutes."
"Hmmm. Well, the first time, or I should say the second time, I mean the first one after Bryce destroyed the Interest, I blacked out for several hours."
"Hours?"
"It was a big download. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen with the 2.0. This one was a tiny download, so there must be something unique about the image rendering system. Maybe it is programmed to transmit the images too fast. I should see if—"
"Oh no, you don't! I'm taking you to the infirmary were you can lie down while I check you over."
Chuck smiled and then noticed Morgan at the door. "Sarah, I thought we agreed to not talk about that stuff in front of others."
Sarah's eyes opened like saucers. "No. I'm really going to check you over—medically. I need to check your blood pressure and check for a concussion. You should put some ice on your head."
Sarah pulled Chuck up and gently rubbed his back as they walked out the room, leaving Morgan alone in the room.
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A half hour later.
Chuck finally escaped Sarah's mothering. Not that he minded her attention. He just preferred when that attention had a different focus. The bump on his head was barely worth mentioning, and it only hurt when it was touched. Still, Sarah was in one of her more affectionate moods, so on the balance, this was a good injury.
Sarah hung on Chucks arm as they strolled down the hallway to the Interest room. Chuck decided his next task was to see if there was some way to slow the download speed. As they approached the door, Casey hurried up behind them. Sarah and Chuck turned, her hand sliding down into his.
"Have either of you seen the bearded loser? He wasn't there to sign for the Buy More delivery. Big Mike wasn't happy he had to cover for him."
Chuck internally laughed at the frustrated look on Casey's face. Colonel Casey: part time NSA assassin, part time Buy More political wrangler. Chuck thumbed the door lock interface, and opened the door.
"No, we haven't seen him since I powered up the Ring Intersect a half our ago. I'd help you look but I really need to get back to..." Chuck drifted off as he looked in the room and saw Morgan flat on the floor. Chuck rushed into the room, dragging Sarah behind him. "Morgan!"
Chuck looked back and forth between his friend and the Intersect podium. "No. He wouldn't." Chuck and Sarah shared and concerned look and separated. Sarah checked Morgan's vitals while Chuck tapped through the Intersect control panel.
Casey grunted. "Don't tell me Morgan uploaded it."
Sarah interrupted. "His pulse is steady and his eyes are equal and reactive. He probably just took a harder fall when he looked at the test images."
"No it's worse than that. It looks like he didn't download the test images. He downloaded the full Ring Intersect database."
Casey drew his weapon.
"Casey! What are you doing?" Chuck cried out.
Casey focused his sights on Morgan. "We don't know what programming might be in that Ring Intersect. He can't be trusted." Sarah cautiously stepped between Casey and Chuck.
"Trusted? He might not even be ok. He could be delusional like the Fulcrum test subjects. No gun pointing is necessary. And no shooting."
Casey let out a short grunt and shook his head. "Of course, I'm not going to shoot him...yet. I just think we should be cautious and put him in a holding cell. We'll let him out once we're sure he has not been brain-washed like the rest of those Ring traitors."
"But Casey—"
Sarah interceded, "It'll be ok, Chuck. It's a good idea to protect Morgan. Even if he hasn't been brainwashed, we don't want him to hurt himself with Intersect 2.0 skills. Casey and I will take Morgan to a comfortable holding cell while you figure out what happened."
Casey sneered "It's obvious what happened. Morgan here decided to be a hero and instead fried his brain, becoming a drooling idiot, not that we'll be able to tell the difference."
"Casey, that's not helping. Don't worry, Chuck. I'll make sure he is ok, and you'll figure this out."
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A/N: Coming next… Chapter 2 – Sarah vs. the Intersect