"Take the pill, Chuck." Casey's voice boomed over the phone.
Ten feet away the door rattled under the attack of numerous bodies being hurled at it. By the tortured sounds it wouldn't hold much longer. Chuck dug the pill out of his pocket and stared at it. Indecision battered at him, the only way for The Intersect to work without hiccups was for him to get a handle on his emotions, but would he lose the person he was? Sarah was afraid the pill would change him, but how many times had Casey saved his life, or Ellie's or Morgan's? If a mission failed, if someone was hurt because of his hesitancy he would never forgive himself.
"You gave him the pill?" Sarahh's voice came through the speaker distant and strained as she argued with Casey. The door splintered from its hinges, the two men who broke down the door momentarily blocking each other at the threshold. With a last look at the pill Chuck popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
The men at the door had sorted themselves out, lunging into the room like hunting dogs cornering their quarry. Several other men followed. Sure of themselves now they took their time surrounding him, looking for his weak spots. He pivoted slowly, not letting any single man stay behind him long enough to attack. His heart had been hammering so hard he thought he'd suffocate and yet, facing these men, he suddenly felt his pulse slow. Everything slowed. The first man came at him, a feint to his left while the man to his right moved at him low, arms wide to catch him from behind. He stepped back away from the feint, spun and brought his elbow down on the back of the attacker's neck. The man dropped and didn't move. A motion behind him, he let his momentum carry him through the spin and landed a fist solidly on someone's jaw. Another body fell. The remaining men became cautious, more determined, but it didn't matter, he could counter all the moves before they came. As each attacker went down it got easier, exhilarating.
He had his last man, holding him by the throat, watching the face redden, the eyes glaze as he struggled for the breath that Chuck was denying him. A small tingling was going off in his brain. It was like a gnat buzzing around. He pushed the noise aside for a moment, but it became louder. It finally registered that someone was saying his name.
"Chuck!" Sarah shouted, hoping to get some kind of response. She had been shocked to come into the house and see Chuck holding a man in the air. What she saw next scared her. Chuck turned with to look at her and the warm, funny, caring person she grown to care so much for was no longer there. Cold, hard eyes stared back at her. "Chuck!" She yelled again, she had to break him out of the trance he was in. She knew or at least previously thought he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he killed someone.
Sarah watched as realization slowly dawned on Chuck. He blinked at her curiously as a man might wake up from a dream, he slowly turned back to the man he held, instantly releasing his grip, his gaze followed the man's slide down the wall, came up to his still open hand and finally back to rest on her face.
Sarah turned her back unable to look at Chuck.