Title: Chuck vs. The Deal
Rating: pg-13 (for violence)
Word Count: 1450
Author's Note: I wrote this for the h/c bingo competition on LJ. This fills my "forced to hurt somebody" square. This is my first stab with writing Chuck. Didn't like this too much because I feel like I didn't capture the characters very well, but I thought I should post it anyways. Comment and tell me what you think. Enjoy.
Summary: Chuck knew there was a reason he didn't want Morgan to get involved on any missions.
Agent Charles Bartowski enters the abandoned warehouse holding Morgan Grimes shirt as he pushes him inside.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Chuck says in a Belgian accent. "Because of you idiots, I had a tail the way over here. Can anyone of you explain that?" Chuck spits out, gesturing to Morgan roughly.
The Russians turn around into a circle to whisper quietly.
"Geez, Chuck. Could be a bit gentle, man." Morgan whispers.
"Shut up, Grimes." Casey's voice echoes in Morgan's ear. Chuck nods quickly, agreeing.
"Sir Carmichael, we are backing out of the deal. My boss thinks he's with you." One of the men says in a thick accent.
Chuck glances over to the boss who is standing behind the wall of armored men with his arms crossed over his toned chest firmly.
The feed in his ear is urgent. "Quick. Chuck, this deal needs to happen."
Chuck's brain turns, flowing through information, looking for an escape. He decides on an easy tactic. "What? No. This is not on me. Why the hell would I have an Interpol agent with me? He's yours, isn't he? Tracking me? Yeah, okay. I'm outta here. And I'm taking the agent." Chuck turned around bringing Morgan with him.
"Нет, подождите!" The boss yells, speaking for the first time. "Carmichael, I want the deal." The boss reiterates, his accent worse than his men's.
Chuck smiles and pivots on his right foot, twisting back around towards the men. 'Excellent. I want assurance of the device. Let me see it." Chuck demands, tightening his grip on both the briefcase filled with money and Morgan's neck.
"Not yet." One of the men interjects. "If that man isn't with you, prove it. Kill him."
Morgan looks panicked, his eyes going wide with fear. "No, don't kill me!" He screams through duck tape.
"He's right." Chuck says, attempting to stay calm. "I can get information out of him. I plan to once this meeting is over." Chuck works on keeping his voice even, hiding the alarm deep in his chest.
"Fine. Then, let's see. Dislocate his shoulder and break a couple ribs." The man flatly commands.
Chuck stares back at the man, narrowing his eyes.
"Go on. Do it. He only needs his voice to talk." The man repeats.
Chuck's beginning to reel. His mind's going into over drive and he's fighting back the Intersect, so he doesn't kill someone. Chuck's breathing becomes shallower, his chest rising and falling in sync with the sobs he's choking down.
Then, Casey's deep voice is pestering in his ear. "Chuck, you have to do it. Both of you will get killed if this goes south. Just, do it." Chuck can hear a grunt, and then a stifled sniffle. Chuck closes his eyes at the all too familiar sound from their childhood of Morgan trying to swallow a sob.
And all of a sudden, time slows down and Chuck's father's voice is bouncing around his head. You have to protect the ones you love, Chuck. And that does it.
"Fine." Chuck lets go of Morgan's neck and grabs his wrist to pull him around. He's staring straight into Morgan's eyes and the hurt he sees there makes him want to vomit. This is exactly the reason he didn't want Morgan to be involved.
"Do it." Casey repeats into his ear with a more prominent grunt.
Chuck feels a weight lifted in his brain when he stops fighting the Intersect and lets the program run. He sees Morgan whispering, "don't" before he's gone.
Chuck decides on the left shoulder, as the right was dislocated in a soccer game when they were kids. Chuck holds the forearm at the elbow firmly with his left hand, whole he moves his right hand to the top of the shoulder and violently jerks it back, pulling the arm out of the socket.
Morgan screams a yell that makes both Sarah and Casey flinch from the surveillance van. Morgan swears that he can feel the duct tape ripping away flesh at the sudden movement of his lips.
Chuck looks over hastily to the Russian men watching and they're smiling. Chuck can feel the bile coming up his throat at the sight, and forces himself to swallow it quickly. The man sees him staring. "Excellent. Now break a couple ribs."
Chuck closes his eyes so he doesn't have to see the fear that he knows is apparent in Morgan's face. Chuck turns around and aligns himself, so his back is parallel to the elbow at Morgan's side. He flashes and then his leg is swinging around, hitting Morgan right in the lower abdomen. Crack. Crack.
Morgan is clutching at his abdomen now, but Chuck's not watching. He can't. It could danger the op, but honestly, he really doesn't want to see the damage he made.
"Here's the money." Chuck momentarily opens the briefcase, showing the two million before abruptly closing it. "Where's The Hold?" The Hold is the latest mastery in nano-engineering and can hack into any government database in a matter of seconds. The program is on a chip the size of a fingernail.
One of the men pulls out a bright blue object, with liquid inside that surrounds a small glass capsule where The Hold is located. "Fully functional at last." A man says in a sharp tone. He must be the scientist.
"Good." Chuck moves over to the steel table. As he slides the briefcase across, he swiftly grabs the device. Briefcase in hand, he backs away, pulling out a gun aimed at the boss. Chuck is pushing Morgan, and they're running. A swat team is swooping in as they escape.
Morgan slows down and Chuck yanks the duct tape away. "Chuck, hurts. Hard to run." Morgan breathes out, grasping his abdomen.
Chuck wraps Morgan's good arm around his neck. "I know, buddy. Sorry. Got to hurry."
Morgan's hopping quickly, half dragged, by Chuck as the van approaches and they're in. Sarah's driving off back to Castle. Casey carefully maneuvers Morgan over to a chair.
"I have to relocate the shoulder. It's going to hurt." Casey grunts, annoyed at the situation at hand. Only these idiots.
"Well, don't sugarcoat it, honey." Morgan jokes, and gets a death glare in return. Morgan swallows nervously, but then flinches as it ignites a flame burning through him.
Casey's massive hands are on his shoulder. There's a pop and a scream. Morgan's tearing up from shutting his eyes so tightly.
"It's going to be okay, buddy." Chuck is trying to soothe.
Morgan glances over at Chuck and gives a what-the-hell-makes-you-think-you-have-the-right-to-soothe-me-right-now look, and it's filled to the brim with anger not intended to be there. Chuck slumps to the ground in defeat. "Sorry," Chuck mumbles.
Casey removes Morgan's shirt carefully. After grabbing the gauze, he wraps Morgan's abdomen extremely tightly with the gauze. He puts the shirt back on Morgan. Casey moves to the back of the van and grabs some medicine from a drawer. He shoves two capsules into Morgan's hand, closes the fingers around them and says, "Swallow." He gives him a bottle of water.
"What is it?" Morgan asks, wary of what's in his hand.
"Don't worry. You won't feel a thing." Casey smiles. Morgan raises an eyebrow, but decides to take the drugs. Casey then leans in and whispers, "Broken ribs actually hurt. Morphine. Don't tell."
"Thanks." Morgan nods back. Morgan turns his head and Chuck is staring at him with that look. The one that makes Morgan wish he never said or did a thing. The guilt visible in his eyes makes Morgan wish he didn't exist. "It's okay. You saved both our lives, Chuck." He says softly.
Casey decides it's time to put on some headphones and listen to Reagan's state of the union address from 1983. Chuck notices and decides he really does have a heart.
"No. I broke your ribs. I'm your friend. I never should have let you go on a mission." Chuck snaps, angry at himself.
"Chuck, just stop it. I can't take it when you get like this. I forgive you. So, stop." Morgan says, firmly.
"How can you forgive so easily?" Chuck asks, confusion in his voice.
"Because you're my best friend." Morgan looks up to see Chuck's face brightened.
Chuck stands up and hugs Morgan firmly. Squeezing tightly, Chuck smiles.
"Ow." Morgan grunts, making Chuck stop the embrace. Chuck glances at Morgan and lets out a ridiculous sigh. They both laugh at the path their once mediocre lives have taken.
"Idiots." Casey grumbles, but he can't hide the smirk that plays across his lips momentarily.