Chapter One:
Human Bunnies
"Gibbs! CIA's here to talk to you!" Tony called after Gibbs as he walked without stopping. "They're waiting in the director's office..." he finally trailed off as Gibbs bounded up the flight of stairs.
"I guess he already knows..." McGee stated, his eyes never leaving the complicated work on his computer screen.
"It would appear so." Ziva said and went back to checking her email.
Tony glanced around at his team mates. "Doesn't anyone but me want to know what the heck is going on up there?" he demanded, annoyed with two of his closest co-workers. Tony's eyes darting back and forth between McGee and Ziva's faces, impatiently waiting for their answer to his question.
"No." They both replied at the exact same time.
"Well then fine!" Tony declared. "I'll just find out on my own!"
Jumping to his feet, Tony took off towards the stairs angrily.
McGee and Ziva glanced up and their eyes met. A split second later they too had jumped to their feet and were racing after Tony who was following Gibbs to the director's office.
"Are you Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" asked a bald man with otherwise non-descript features.
"What is this about?" Gibbs asked as the man glanced over at Director Vance who was nodding a go ahead.
"The CIA has a mission for you Gibbs." Director Vance said cautiously, aware Gibbs wouldn't be happy with this news.
"I'm busy." Gibbs replied, eyeing the file the bald man clenched tightly between his big, meaty hands.
"That's just too bad." The little bald man sneered.
Stepping out from around his desk and shooting the bald man a silencing glare, Director Vance spoke. "You're on the case." There was no room for argument in his tone.
"What's the case?" Gibbs asked after a long moment where he once again eyed the bald man from head to toe.
"His name is Max Payton. We need to know how trustworthy his is before we place him in his next mission." The bald man said slowly, hesitantly.
After an awkward moment of silence, he withdrew a picture from the file and handed it to Gibbs.
Instead of glancing at the photo, Gibbs pointedly eyed the door and then the bald man.
Rolling his eyes and biting back cuss words, the man flung the file down on Vance's desk and stomped out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked close, Gibbs turned to face Vance.
"What is this all about?"
"There is more to it than you realize right now. If you'll allow him to explain…"
Gibbs nodded and stepped towards the door.
Vance frowned and opened his mouth to call him back when Gibbs decided to speak.
"Fine. But my team hears this too." And with that he flung to door office open. Tony, Ziva, and McGee stumbled inside.
"Hey boss!" Tony cried with a smile. "Didn't expect to see you here!"
Gibbs moved his team to the conference room where the bald man stood, waiting for them with a tapping foot.
"Floor's all yours." Gibbs said and waved his hand for the bald man to begin.
Gritting his teeth and clenching his jaw, the bald man counted to ten before speaking. "Max Payton," He handed out pictures to each of the team. "Is with the highest form of MI6, Special Operations. What we fondly refer to as Human Bunnies." He let this hang in the air for a moment before going on. "The agents in this division are the best trained and cut from the finest cloth. Unfortunately, they also have the highest death rate of any country's government intelligence agencies. On average, the agents in his division only live about three to four years once they join."
"Does that four years include training?" Ziva asked, eyeing the photo in her hands.
"The four year average does not include any training the agents receive beforehand." When no more questions were asked, the bald man went on. "The heads of MI6's Special Operations branch have always had to be brought in from another division of MI5 since none of the Human Bunnies ever seem to live long enough to be capable of being in charge." The man continued without pause, leaving barely enough time for the team to digest what he was saying. "Max is an agent. He has been an agent for almost three years. MI6 has decided that they want to keep him around no matter what they have to do, which is why they've loaned him to us."
"But?" Tony couldn't help but ask.
"But, the CIA isn't sure we can trust him with the mission he has been given. We have worked with him before, of course."
"Of course." Gibbs muttered.
"But never on a mission like this one." The bald man continued, acknowledging Gibbs' comment with a glare.
"Basically, you want us to determine just how far your trust in him can go." Tony said, uncrossing his arms and laying them on the table in front of himself.
"Basically? Yes." The bald man replied stoutly, not bothering to decorate the team's assigment.
"Gibbs are we really going to do this?" Ziva asked back in the bullpen, staring at Gibbs as if she could somehow read his mind if she looked long and hard enough.
"Yes. You are." Vance said from in between McGee and Gibbs' desks.
"Well in that case... when does the Brit get here?" Tony asked with a smile and a very fake British accent.
"His plane arrives in twenty minutes." Vance said.
"So he won't be arriving here at NCIS until tomorrow morning. Go home." Gibbs glanced at the director. "If that's alright with you, Leon." He asked sarcastically before heading towards the elevator that dinged open, almost magically, as soon as Gibbs was within two feet of its doors.
The steel doors slid open and Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Gibbs all stepped inside; already contemplating the events of tomorrow silently in their heads.
"I hope your bosses know what they're doing. Gibbs isn't a man to should mess with." Vance said, watching the numbers above the elevator decrease.
"Well, I hope your man is up to the challenges this boy will present." The bald man replied smoothly, without pausing to think before speaking.
"Boy?" Vance demanded, rearing back and sending a harsh, questioning look in the bald man's direction.
"Sorry, younger man. Rest assured that Max Payton is no innocent child, Director Vance." And with those final words the bald man placed a hat on his head and turned to leave.
"Dear lord, what have I gotten Gibbs into?" Vance asked, staring up at the ceiling.