Experiment

by IWOMAN

First in the Experiment series. When Darien is kidnapped, will his friends find him in time?

Author: IWOMAN and iwomans_sister

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, though I wish I did.

Spoliers: I know that they're in here somewhere.

Authors Note: This was my first fic so it is messed up. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Part One:

"A horse rider named Paul Revere once said, `I have but one regret. That I only have one life to give to my Country. So, Give me liberty or give me death.' Well, in my case I really didn't want to give my life for my Country, I wanted Liberty from this gland in the back of my head. But in doing so, I would also get death."

"Eberts!" the Official yelled out. "Where is Hobbes and Fawkes?"

"They should be here any minute now sir." Eberts said while walking into the room.

"They better be here in the next five minutes or less!"

_________

Darien woke up to the sound off the door banging loudly. He rolled over and looked at his clock. "Aw crap." escaped his mouth.

He was going to be late again. "I really have to get a better alarm clock." he said, to no one in the room.

He heard Hobbes yell, "Partner, get up, we are both late this time!"

"I'm coming!" He yelled threw his pillow.

Darien jumped up and walked to the door and opened it. There was Hobbes with his upset face and flaming eyes staring up at him.

"Would you like to come..."

Hobbes was already through the door and standing in his small living room. "Partner, you are in so much trouble! You are over an hour late this time."

Darien looked down at his friend and couldn't help but smile. "And what does that make you genius?"

Hobbes looked at Darien, "Aw crap. I knew there was something wrong with coming over here." Darien turned back around and closed the door.

"Fawkes! What are you doing? We are to leave now!"

"Relax buddy, I have to get out of my pajamas first."

"Well, please put something on after that because I really don't want to be seen with you any other way."

"Okay! Okay! I will be out in a minute." Darien walked into his bathroom and closed the door.

Hobbes walked into Darien's kitchen and opened the fridge. "Well, now that I am here I might as well and grab some breakfast." Hobbes yelled to the bathroom.

Just then the shower came on. "Partner we don't have time for this." But obviously Darien could not hear him. Hobbes closed the fridge not finding anything suitable for him let alone a animal. "You must not like to eat in." He yelled once more to Darien's bathroom. Still no answer. He walked to the living room and was about to sit down when there was a knock on the door. Bobby walked to the door and looked through the peephole casually.

There was a man with a package in his arms and also a clip board. `Must be the postal delivery guy.' Bobby thought. He opened the door, "Hello can I help you?"

"Why yes, yes, you can. I have a package for Darien Fawkes."

"Well, I am not him but I will sign for it."

Bobby let the man in a little and took the clip board from his hands. He put down his signature and gave it back to the man. Bobby couldn't help but notice that the mans face was weird, as though it was melting or something.

"Excuse me but, your face..."

Before he could finish his sentence the man pulled a dart gun out of his vest pocket and shot Bobby in the neck. He fell to the floor and tried to yell out to Darien. He couldn't. The man walked up to Bobby and pulled off his mask.

There was nothing there. Before Bobby lost consciousness, he heard the man say, "Don't worry Hobbes, I'll take good care of your friend."

Then Bobby was out.

______________

"Eberts! How long has it been?"

"Ten minutes sir, shall I send someone over to his house?"

"Yes, call Hobbes and get him there now. We have thiscase that has to start today!"

"Sir, Mr. Hobbes was sent there a half hour ago."

"Fine! Go, now!"

"Me sir?"

"Yes! Go, now!"

________________

Darien turned off the shower and stepped out. He quickly got dressed and took care of his hair. Maybe he could convince the Official that it was his clocks fault and not his. But he knew that it wouldn't work.

"Be right out buddy." Darien walked out of his bathroom and walked to the kitchen. He then walked to the living room and looked around. Bobby was lying on the couch, "You know Hobbes, this isn't the best time to take a nap." Bobby didn't move. "Bobby." Darien said almost at a whisper. He walked up to Bobby and touched him on the shoulder. "Umm Bobby." He turned him over and looked at him. He was pale. He felt for a pulse and found one. He looked at his neck and found a small puncture wound. "Aw crap!" Was the only thing he said before he passed out.

___________

Eberts pulled into the small parking lot and stopped his car. He stepped out of his car and started walking towards Darien's apartment. Eberts walked up the steps then over to the door. He stood there for a second then started to knock on the door, but as his hand touched the door it opened a little bit. Eberts taking the opportunity opened the door the rest of the way.

"Hello, Mr. Fawkes, Mr. Hobbes. Are either of you here?" Eberts looked behind him, the van was in the parking lot. They have to be here somewhere. He said to himself. He called again, with no answer he walked in and started to look around. Eberts walked into the living room, then to the kitchen and then back to the living room, only this time he saw something he hadn't seen the first time. Bobby was on the couch, it looked like he was sleeping. Eberts walked over to him and felt for a pulse, it was strong and steady. Bobby started to move which made Eberts jump backwards.

"Ow!" Was all he could say.

Eberts looked at him, "Are you all right Mr. Hobbes?" Eberts asked. Bobby looked up at him. "Oh crap! Arnaud." Bobby said.

"What?" Eberts asked puzzled.

"Arnaud, I remember getting the door and this guy handed me a package, then he took of his face."

Eberts looked at Bobby as if he was insane. "What do you mean?" Eberts asked.

Bobby looked at Eberts, "Where's Fawkes?" He asked.

"I assumed he'd be here with you." Bobby got up as fast as he could, a little too fast within seconds he was already regretting how dizzy he felt. After checking all the rooms in the apartment, Eberts decided to call the Official. Within ten minutes Darien's apartment was swarming with agents from Health and Human Services. Even Claire and the Official were there.

_______________

Darien woke up in a white padded room. He got off thebed in the middle of the room thinking how familiar this room looked. "Aw crap!"

"Fawkes, you use such vulgar language." A voice said

behind the glass mirror

"Arnaud?" Darien asked with suspicion.

"Yes, you are so bright Fawkes." Arnaud said laughing. "I thought that since you liked this room so much at the agency or whatever you call it this week. I would make you at home."

"Thanks!" Darien said sarcastically, he waited a few moments for Arnaud to speak again, nothing. He decided to break the ice. "So, what would you like this time Arnie. Oh, you don't mind if I call you that do you? I picked it up from that doctor friend of yours. What was her name again? Randell?" Just then the door opened. Darien looked from the mirror to the door, but

saw nothing. "Playing this game again huh. I remember the last time this happened. I think that poor kid I took that skateboard from is suffering from some kind of paranoia now. Poor kid."

"No actually. "Arnaud said. "The kind doctor you just mentioned made another mistake with the gland. Seems this time I can't come out of invisibility."

Darien looked over at the door and decided that he might as well and join the man he was talking to. Darien went invisible. "So whatever happened to that nice doctor anyway?" Darien asked.

"Well, I would tell you but I would have to kill you. And if I killed

you, well, you could just ask her yourself."

Darien couldn't help but hate the monster who was standing before him. "You always take the easy way out don't you?"

"Not always Fawkes, I do remember a time when instead of hitting you over the head with a baseball bat, I beat the crap out of you."

Darien looked at him with dismay. "Well, if I remember right. You had a few goons holding me down. What's the matter? Don't you think you can beat me without help?"

_________________

The Official walked up to Bobby, "I want to know what happened and I want to know now!" he demanded.

"Well." Bobby had started to say when Claire walked over.

"I want to know too. I mean, Bobby! how could you let this happen.

__________________

After telling the Official and Claire the whole story including the part where he heard Arnaud's voice and what he had said, Bobby went to the van. The only thing he could think about was how he had let his partner down. Bobby got into the van, turned the key and started the van. He put the van in reverse and backed up, then when he was clear he started to pull forward.

"Wait Bobby!" Claire had said, But Bobby didn't hear her. Bobby was looking around at all the agents when he thought he heard someone call his name. He looked in front of him just in time to see Claire, Bobby slammed on the brakes.

___________________

Claire stood there for a second in shock, then she walked over to Bobby's window. Bobby rolled it down for her.

"What do you think you were doing Keep? You could have been killed!" Bobby said with fear in his voice.

"Well you wouldn't have liked that too much would you have, Bobby." Claire said.

Bobby looked over at her and said, "What is that suppose to mean?"

Claire looked at him. "I need a ride?"

Bobby looked at Claire and said nothing, pretending to think about it.

"Come on Bobby, even I know you wouldn't think this long on whether or not to give a girl a ride."

"Yeah, your probably right. Hop in."

___________________

Darien laid down on the bed, he never thought one man could be tested so much in such a short time. Or had it been a short time, what two, four, maybe even seven days? Darien wasn't sure when he wasn't being tested he was knocked out, and when he wasn't being tested or knocked out he was in this padded cell. How long has it been? He asked himself.

"Hello Fawkes, good to see that you are awake." Arnaud said. "I have another test for you."

Darien looked at Arnaud. "Give me a break Arnie, I mean if I'm not bored out off my mind or unconscious your sticking needles in me."

"Oh why then you'll love this one because it has nothing to do with needles."

"Maybe you aren't as bad as I thought." Darien mumbled under his breath.

"Well I wouldn't be to sure about that." Arnaud said.

"Why?" Darien asked.

"Oh, just a little something I whipped up. I want to see how you do under fear."

"What kind of fear?" Darien asked sarcastically.

"Well I'll let you see for yourself." Arnaud walked over to a door and

opened it. Hundreds of spiders ran though the door toward Darien,

"Awe crap!" were the first words out of his mouth as he went invisible.

"So Fawkes, fear still makes you go invisible, I thought you would learn to control when to and when not to go invisible by now."

Darien tried to relax, to let the fear go. Slowly his adrenaline slowed down and he became visible again. Darien looked at the spiders, they were all bunched up now, apparently Arnaud had put up some kind of invisible net or something that Darien hadn't seen. But either way the spiders were not getting through.

"Well done Fawkes, somehow you managed to control your fear, I thought it would take you a lot longer. Then again you always were smarter then people thought."

The door opened again and two men walked through holding cages. The spiders came running into the cages almost like they had done it before, or maybe they had been trained. No it's impossible. Darien told himself. Then again so is an Invisible man. "So Arnie, why did you do that if you already knew how I was going to react?" Darien asked.

"Actually, I wanted to see how much process you have made with the gland. But now I wonder how well you do under QSM?" Arnaud asked.

"Well Arnie, if you really want to know, I do about as well with control in Quicksilver Madness as you do at simple things."

Arnaud looked at Darien, "I wish you would get off that subject already Fawkes."

"Come now Arnie we known each other for a while now, why don't you just call me Darien."

___________________

It had been two weeks but Bobby had finely found a place where Arnaud might have taken his partner. Bobby walked into the Official's office, "I narrowed it down to a small warehouse, I saw Arnaud leave it this morning and then a couple of hours later come back with some paperwork. I'm not sure boss, but it looks like he might want to harvest the gland."

"I'll have the Keeper in here right away." The Official said.

A few minutes later Claire walked into the Official's office.

"Is there something I can do for you Official?" Claire asked.

"Yes." Said Bobby. "I found were Arnaud is keeping Darien. And I think he might be getting ready to take the gland out. If he hasn't already." Bobby looked worriedly at Claire.

"Well, I doubt that Bobby. He still needs Darien as a lab rat in case something goes wrong with his new gland."

"Claire, do you think that is why he took Fawkes in the first place? Something went wrong with his little pet in his head?"

Claire looked at Bobby. "Anything is possible Bobby. First lets go see if there is some way to get him out of there... alive."

Just then the Official spoke up. "Yes, but if you can't bring him back, bring back that gland."

Bobby looked at the Official with such anger that Claire thought he was going to jump over the table and strangle him right there. But, before Bobby could do anything Claire spoke."Yes sir! I will do my best."

Claire grabbed Bobby by the arm, basically dragging him out. Bobby just stared at her.

"Don't worry Bobby, I wont leave him there. No matter what."

"You like him don't you Keep?"

Claire just stared for a few moments. "Bobby, how could I like Darien when there are so many other better prospects out there?"

Bobby just blushed and then they walked outside to his van.

__________________

Arnaud walked back into the room. "Well, it seems your little buddy Bobby Hobbes has been watching this place for about three days. And I would say he is on his way here with backup. Oh well, I guess I will just have to fix that little problem."

Darien looked over at where Arnaud's voice was coming from. "What do you mean you will just have to take care of that little problem?"

"Fawkes, don't be so stupid. You know, it's just like what you said earlier. I will just take the easy way out. Of course I will have to kill Hobbes. But Claire, I could use her help with my invisibility problem. And then I will take care of the problem with her. Too bad too, she really has a brilliant mind."

Darien could feel his body tensing and he felt as he could leap on this madman. What could he do to him that he hasn't already? Darien looked at Arnaud with thick red eyes. "Arnaud, if you even breath funny on one of them I will personally kill you!"

"Come come Fawkes, you really can't do anything. You will be in stage 5 in about two hours. I have to find out what happened to me while you where under stage 5. What better way then to get you there?"

Just then Darien jumped off his bed and went invisible. "I can't let you do this Arnie!"

"Oh, thank you Fawkes, you just spread up the process. I would give you about an hour."

Darien ran towards Arnaud with great speed. Just then Arnaud pulled out a dart gun and shot him in the neck. Darien fell to the ground. Arnaud walked over to his body. Darien looked up at him with rage.

"Fawkes, don't worry. When you wake up you will already be in stage 5. And your buddy Bobby Hobbes will be dead."

Darien couldn't help it any longer. He closed his eyes and was out.

____________

Part Two:

"Bobby, how much longer do we have to wait her in the van?" Claire asked.

"We can actually go in now if you want. As far as I can tell, there are only two other men besides Arnaud."

Claire opened the glove department and pulled out a dart gun and a syringe of counteragent.

"What's that for Claire?" Bobby asked with concern in his voice.

"Just in case Darien is in QSM. We can only hope that Arnaud has been giving him his counteragent. If not, he will be in stage 5. The dart gun is for that. We will have to take him back to the Agency and put him in the interrogation room to run tests. To see if we can find stage 5 counteragent of course."

Bobby just looked at her, "I don't think that's an option Keepie. The Official would rather just cut out that gland."

"You are forgetting something Bobby, I'm the scientist here. What if I told the Official that if he cut out that gland and put it into another subject without finding the counteragent for stage 5 would leave that lab rat in stage 5 also? The only way to take care of his problem would be to make the counteragent or make a new gland. And since we can't make a new gland, the counteragent is the only option."

"Keepie, are you serious! The only way to help him without the counteragent is to kill him?"

"No Bobby, but that would be what the Official was told. And of course he would have to believe me."

__________

Darien woke up with a splinting headache and with, no! He couldn't feel the madness in his mind. Well, it was there but in the back of his mind and barely there. He tried to sit up and found it rather difficult. He finally sat up and regretted it. His mind was swirling with unbelievable pain. "Arnie, you there?"

"Yes Fawkes I am here."

Fawkes put his eyes invisibly to see what was before him. "Arnie, you sound so sad. Something wrong? And why, if I may ask? Why am I out of stage 5? I thought you were going to use me as your pet rat? Something to poke and prod."

"Fawkes, I did. I can't believe you don't remember. That's to bad though.

I did some interesting experiments on you. And yes, you may ask. Something went wrong. I tried to use you as a map to what went wrong last time."

"What went wrong?"

"Well Fawkes, that really doesn't concern you. I will just wait until Claire and your friend Bobby Hobbes show up. Actually, they should be here right about now."

Darien looked over at where Arnaud's voice was coming from. "Why didn't you just wait for Claire? Now you have to go through the whole process again. Never anything simple."

"Yes Fawkes, I know. I couldn't keep you in stage 5 for to long without permanent damage to the gland in your head. I thought that maybe I could do it without her. I am a brilliant man you know."

"Yeah, and I am little Bo Peep."

______________

Booby and Claire started their way into the warehouse. Bobby looked over at Claire. He used sign language to talk to her. He knew that she could sign by reading her file and he had learned at Quantico. "Keep, go left. I'll take right. We will meet back here in ten minutes if no luck finding Darien."

Claire looked at Bobby a little impressed. "Bobby, where did you learn Sign language? And how did you know I could?"

"Long story. Tell you later."

They both split up and went their ways.

__________

Bobby was moving along the short hallway and finally found one unlocked. He opened it the rest of the way and walked in. He was in a small room with a two way mirror. 'Déjà vu', he thought to himself. `Just like the interrogation room at the agency.' But the room held no more interest. It was the man in the room that caught his interest now. It was Darien, and he was talking to himself. No, make that yelling at himself? He walked

over to the mirror and pressed the button to listen in to the conversation his partner was having.

"You can't get away with this Arnie! Bobby and Claire will stop you!"

Bobby looked at his partner with concern on his face. `Who is Arnie? And who is he talking to?'

"Fawkes, you forget something. Bobby will be dead and Claire will be helping me, how can they stop me?"

"Claire wouldn't tell you the time a day if you stuck a gun to her head and threatened to shoot."

"Well, actually I was thinking more along the lines of holding a gun to Bobby's head. Telling her to help me and when she does, well, I will shoot him anyway."

Darien could hear Arnaud laughing. "Arnaud, I will kill you if you touch my friend!"

"Yes, yes Fawkes, you have said that already."

"Aw crap." Were the first words that came out of his mouth as he quickly left the room in search of the one his partner was in.

_________

Claire tried to open some doors, but found most of them locked. The ones that weren't where empty. She walked up to the next door and tried to open it. "Locked." She whispered to herself. "I should have expected that much." As she continued down the hall she found a door with light coming from under it. "Jackpot!" She told herself as the door opened. She only looked in for one second before she said Darien's famous words, "Aw

Crap." The men in the room just stared at her. She quickly pulled out her dart gun and shot the first man. The second jumped up, but not in time. She pulled out a dart and put it in the gun and he was down. "That was close." She said to no one. "It looks like I found Arnaud's two goons. She left the room to keep looking. "Two down, one to go."

____________

Bobby only had to look for a few moments. He found the door and pulled out his gun. "This is too easy." Bobby told himself as he opened the door.

Darien watched as the door of the room opened. "More goons Arnie?" Darien said. But no, it wasn't another goon. It was his partner, "Bobby! Don't come in here! Arnaud De Fohn is in here. Bobby, he wants to kill you. And use Claire to help him with his problem."

"What problem? Da Phone" Hobbes asked.

"That's De Fohn you idiot." Arnaud said back. " And well you see, the last time I had Darien in stage 5 a problem occurred. I can't seem to come out of invisibility. So, I need Claire's help to fix it. And I need you to persuade her. Understand?"

"Partner, I think he just insulted me. What do you think?"

"Yeah I think he insulted you." Darien replied.

"That's what I thought." Bobby said

"Nope I don't believe you." Bobby said.

"You don't believe me about what?" Arnaud asked.

"About you being permanently invisible."

"And if you don't mind me asking, why don't you believe me?"

"Well this morning I saw you and you looked all right to me. Now tell me if you are permanently invisible or whatever you say you are why did I see you clear as day?" Bobby replied.

Darien looked at Bobby and said, "Bobby, remember when Arnaud took Eberts identity? He most likely did that this morning but he took his own."

"Very good Fawkes. I didn't expect you to know the answer to his question."

"Coming from you, that's not a compliment." Darien said.

"Well, I must get this show on the road." Arnaud said. "So, here we go."

Just then Bobby heard Darien yell, "NO!" And without Bobby knowing it Darien went invisible and ran towards Arnaud. Bobby fired his gun at nothing toward where he'd heard something. Then, he heard the words, "Aw crap!" and a thump on the ground. The door to the room opened and someone ran out. Bobby muttered the words he had heard just seconds ago. "Aw crap!" And turned to the floor where his partner was lying as quicksilver tumbled off of him. Bobby ran to his partner who was lying on the ground with blood gushing out of his lower abdomen.

"Bobby, you have a nice aim for not being able to see anything. It's to bad you shot the wrong person." Just then Darien started to gasp and he closed his eyes.

The next thing Bobby saw was Claire beside him yelling. "Bobby, what happened?" She checked his pulse and he wasn't breathing. "Call 911 now!" Claire yelled. Then she began C.P.R. Ten minutes later the Ambulance was pulling into the E.R. entrance. They were still performing C.P.R. when they pulled him out of the ambulance. There were several people outside waiting. The doctors grabbed his gurney and pulled him inside. While the paramedics were telling the doctors Darien's name and telling them about the wound. Bobby and Claire followed close behind.

One of the doctors stopped Bobby and Claire, "I am sorry, but you can't come in here."

Claire looked at him with disgust. "I am a doctor, I can help."

"I am sorry, but we will take over from here." The doctor pointed to a waiting room and said, "Please, wait in there."

Bobby felt like he could burst out in rage. `Who were they to keep him out?'

"Please, wait in the waiting room. I will bring the news of your friend when I can."

With that the doctor vanished into a room and Bobby and Claire went to that small blue room where you wait... and pray.

Part Three:

Bobby got off the phone with the Official when a doctor in a white lab coat walked into the waiting room. The Doctor looked up from his clip board and asked. "Robert Hobbes and Claire Keeply?" Bobby and Claire stood up and walked over to the doctor, both asking questions at the same time.

"Wait, one at a time." The doctor said.

Claire spoke up. "How is Darien? Did he lose too much blood?"

"When Mr. Fawkes came in his heart had stopped. We continued C.P.R. and were able to get it to start again. He did lose a lot of blood but not so much to need a infusion. Ms. Keeply,when you started C.P.R. on him, you saved his life. He wouldn't had made it here without your quick thinking. He had a lot of damage in his lower abdomen and we had to take him up to the O.R. But he came out just fine. He is now in the recovery room."

Hobbes looked at the doctor, "Can we see him?"

"I am sorry, he is resting and will need it for at least a day before you can see him."

Bobby looked at Claire, "Is that correct?"

"Yes Bobby, at least a day. We should go back to the Agency and brief the Official."

"Claire, you can go. I will wait here."

"Bobby, it wasn't your fault. You had no idea he was there."

"Yeah, yeah, I am still waiting here."

With that Bobby went back into the waiting room and Claire left for the Agency.

__________

Darien woke up with pain in his stomach. "What the..."

"It's okay." someone said next to him. Darien turned his head to find Bobby sitting in a chair. "I am sorry."

"Hey partner! What happened? I don't remember... and why are you sorry?"

"I shot you Fawkes."

"You what?"

"I shot you thinking you were Arnaud."

"Arnaud? Oh, now I remember. Nice aim, to bad it was the wrong person." Darien said with a grin as he looked down at his bandaged stomach.

"You already said that to me." Bobby said with frustration.

"Yeah, so? What happened to Arnaud?" Darien said, looking back at his partner.

"He got away."

"I should have known that." Darien said.

"Darien, I shot you! You don't care?"

"Bobby, you were trying to stop Arnaud. I can't blame you. And for what you tried to do, well, that makes you a HERO in my book."

Bobby stood up and walked to Darien's bed. "Well, if that's what you think then who am I to argue. Besides, I already am a hero." Bobby said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked.

"Don't you remember? I am Superman my friend."

"Oh yeah, your Superman, I'm the Invisible man that makes...."

Bobby cut him off with, "That makes Claire Wonder Woman."

With that, they laughed with each other.

"Stop man, it hurts when I laugh." Darien said still laughing.

_________________

The End