"You don't believe me?! I am in danger! I want you to use your best agents, best weapons to protect me!"
"Mr. Fawkes…"
"I'll even settle for just a gun…"
"FAWKES!" Darien shut up. "First of all, Hobbes is the best agent I can get, and you are our best weapon. And your story is completely unrealistic. A person who can turn to liquid and back…that's impossible. Bottom line is, no agents, no guns. And I don't want to hear any more stories about Inque or whatever you called her."
Darien stood up. "Never mind then. So much for invisible men, since the only one is going to get killed by Inque." He walked out, and the Official sighed.
"Next thing you know Hobbes'll be coming in here with a story about Bigfoot…"
*******
"No, I won't go."
"Fawkes…you have to go. It's your job."
"I'm not going up there to talk to that fat bastard," Darien raised his voice to a shout on the last two words.
"Damn, Fawkes! You're so freaking stubborn!" Hobbes matched Darien's voice in level and tone and stood right in his face.
Darien stood up. "I won't go!"
"Look…now is not the time for pity parties. Snap out of it, and get your butt up to the Official's office. He's got to tell us what we're supposed to do."
Darien leaned against the wall, and said nothing, the stony look on his face saying it all for him.
"If you don't know what to do, you can't work. If you don't work, then your insanity does overtime until you do."
"I will know what to do, because you're going to tell me what that bastard has to say."
"No, kid. I am not carrying your little messages back and forth between you and your little boss."
"Oh yes you are."
"Oh, no I'm not!"
"Yes! You are!"
"No! I'm…" Hobbes stopped and shot Darien a poisonous look.
"You don't want me to go crazy, do you?"
Hobbes' dark look increased in intensity. "Fine. I'll tell you what the fat man wants us to do. But I am not, I repeat, am not carrying any messages between you two!"
*******
"Okay, Fawkes, here's the lowdown. He wants us to follow some old lady around town, be her bodyguards. She just inherited a million, and everyone's afraid she's gonna get kidnapped or something."
Darien's angry look got a lot worse. "So we're going to be babysitting some old lady?! That's it?!"
Hobbes nodded. "Yes kid, that's about it."
Darien's expression changed completely, and he smiled. "Hey Hobbes…how's about a little favor for your partner?"
"Don't start that partner crap with me, Fawkes. I know you're going to ask me for something…so cut to the chase."
"Would you cover for me if I left the Agency with you and the old fart, and then went and took care of something?"
"It's the liquid lady, isn't it?"
"Yes…"
"Fawkes…"
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Well…"
"I want the brutal truth."
"Okay, fine. No. I do not believe your story about the liquid lady, I never did, and I never will. But, being the good partner I am, and even if you have a dumb excuse…I'll cover for you this time."
"Great! Thanks!"
"On one condition."
Darien's face fell.
"You will owe big time, and so next time I ask you for a favor, doesn't matter what, you have to do it."
"I don't know…"
"Then the answer's no."
"Okay fine! Have it your way!"
Hobbes stepped up to the old woman. "I'm Agent Robert Hobbes, ma'am. I'll be showing you around town."
"I'm Mrs. Ulma Krzystofczyk, wife of the late Theodore Krzystofczyk."
Hobbes' eyes widened, and he glanced down the alley Fawkes had disappeared into, considering making a run for it. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your last name."
"Mrs. Krzystofczyk."
"Okay, Mrs. Kryz…Kris…Kryx…ma'am. Right this way." Hobbes gestured for the woman to begin walking, but she didn't move, waiting for something. Hobbes waited, and then it came to him. With an inward groan, he stepped closer to her and offered his arm.
*******
Darien stifled a laugh. Hell, he would have tried to get out of that job even if Inque weren't after him. The only problem is that Hobbes would definitely get back at him for this…
He quicksilvered, and walked silently back in the Agency. He went straight for the file cabinet he hoped had some files on Corliss deValera-Austen in it. He pulled it open and searched through the files, mumbling "Austen" under his breath as he worked. He found it and pulled it out, shutting the drawer and walking toward the door. He stopped, and turned back to the file cabinet, searching for something again. He shut it as soon as he had opened it, realizing that if the Official hadn't known about Inque, he wouldn't have a file on her.
Darien made his way toward the door again, but this time was stopped by the sight of Eberts heading for this room. Darien ran to the shadowed part of the room, hoping Eberts wouldn't notice the depression in the carpet that Darien's feet made.
Even if Darien hadn't taken that precaution, Eberts wouldn't have noticed it. He was too busy looking over his shoulder. He threw open the cabinet and searched for a file. He pulled one out and slammed the cabinet shut again.
"Damn…I'm going to have to teach him to be quiet," Darien mumbled.
Eberts ran out of the room carrying the folder, and Darien didn't get a chance to see what he had been looking for.
Darien tried to leave, but was stopped this time by the Official coming in, also looking over his shoulder. Darien fled to his shadowed spot and waited.
The Official eased a drawer open, the same one Eberts had been looking in, and searched the files. He didn't find it and he walked out, muttering curses. Darien heard a door shut quietly, and then open again loudly. "EBERTS!!!" the shout rang out.
Eberts rushed down the hall, a piece of paper falling from his sleeve. As soon as Eberts had disappeared into the dark abyss of the Official's office, Darien pounced on the piece of paper. It was just a little sliver, torn off of something, and it read "Darien Fawkes."
Darien slipped it into his pocket and picked up the folder again, finally walking out the door uninterrupted.
*******
Hobbes walked miserably along the sidewalk, still holding the lady's arm, muttering curses under his breath at the Official, and Fawkes.
"Young man, is this the bus stop?"
Hobbes winced at the name, then looked at the sign she was pointing to. "Yes, it is." That's why the freaking sign says Bus Stop, you idiot!
"Thank you, young man."
Hobbes frowned, and threw in a couple curses for the old lady.
*******
Darien slammed his door and sat down. He opened the folder and was greeted by Corliss's cold eyes. He looked at the picture, debated about whether it was worth the trouble he'd get into for it, and gleefully snatched the picture up. He tore it into tiny pieces and threw on the carpet, grinding them into the floor.
He turned his attention back to the folder, after smiling evilly at the small pieces Corliss had become.
"Blah, blah, blah…" he skimmed the pages quickly, wanting to find some good information quickly. "Blah, blah…well, hello!" Darien pulled a sheet on Inque out of the folder. He read it, and smiled. This info was useful…
He put the sheet aside, and kept skimming through the folder. "Blah, blah…hey, lemme try this." He stopped reading at a phone number for Axis. He picked up the phone and dialed. "AxisIncorporatedmayIhelpyou?" said the secretary, speaking faster than Darien thought was humanly possible.
"I'm a delegate from Transfigure. We had a couple more questions about your…um…terms in the…um…buy-out."
"Would you like an appointment with Ms. deValera-Austen?"
"No! I mean, no. I would like to meet with the uh…the uh…Vice President."
"Whatever. How's about eleven o' clock today?"
"But that's in an hour!"
"So? Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it."
"Name?"
Darien's mind raced. Darien G. Fawkes. Darien G. Fox. G. Darien Fox.
"Name?" the secretary repeated.
"Geonn D. Fox, and Fox is spelled F…O…X," Darien blurted.
"ThankyouMr.FoxComeatelevenG'bye," she hung up and he did likewise.
******
Hobbes sat next to the old lady on the bus, completely miserable, and hating Fawkes more every minute. "You little con…you're going to pay…" he muttered.
His phone rang and he picked it up. "Hobbes."
"Hobbes. It's the Official. Is everything going okay?"
Hobbes glanced over to the lady, who was snoring. "Yeah, thanks a whole bunch for gluing me to this drooling idiot. We're having a bundle of fun."
"You do have a partner you know. Is Fawkes not working?"
"Oh yeah…he's here all right. Here and working."
"Let me talk to him."
"Uh…he went to go get something for the geeser. He'll be back though."
"If he doesn't come back, I'd better know about it."
"Yeah, fine." Hobbes hung up. "Fawkes, when I get a hold of you, you are going straight to hell."
*******
Darien arrived at Axis in a suit, hoping he looked something near to a high-powered business executive, and hoping he wouldn't bump into his old buddy Corliss.
He entered the building and walked up to the secretary. "I'm Geonn D. Fox…here to see Mr. Thompson?"
The secretary pointed to a hall. "Straight down the hall. You can't miss it."
Darien nodded, and strode down the hall, hoping he looked confident. He didn't feel confident. Hell, he didn't even know what he was doing there…
He opened the door, and was greeted by the back of a chair behind a desk. From what he could see of the head, this wasn't Mr. Thompson. This was…
"Hello, Mr. Fawkes," said Inque, swiveling the chair around. She was in her liquid form, and had no expression, but Darien knew if he could see one, it would be smug. She had caught him.
"Oh crap."
"No greeting for me?"
"How'd you know I was coming?"
"You really should learn how to disguise your name better. Geonn D. Fox? How much more of a giveaway could you come up with? Especially since no one named Geonn works at Transfigure."
Darien looked uneasily around the room. "Your little boss Corliss around here somewhere?"
She laughed. "As if I needed her. She's been….disposed of. She restored me after our last meeting, and then she wasn't useful to me anymore." She stopped as a shudder rippled through her.
Darien seized his chance and jumped on the pause. "You've been having these tremors ever since you got rid of Corliss, haven't you?"
She refused to answer.
"She never told you anything, did she?" Darien was bluffing now, but he needed the extra leverage against her…might as well risk it.
"She told me all I needed to know! And why do you think you know anything about me? You don't know anything…but thanks to your "Quicksilver Underground" I know all about you. When you sleep, and when you wake up. Where you go and what you do. Who you trust and who you hate…"
Darien controlled the impulse to lash out, since he knew he had to play this right and look controlled. "She never told you anything. And now that she's gone, you've found out that you need her."
"I don't need anyone! I am Inque! I can take care of myself!" she said, her voice rising as she struggled to control herself. She clenched her fist and it shattered, as she stared in horror.
Darien took advantage of the silence, and kept talking. "You need Corliss. You're nothing without her. She was your creator and keeper, and once she was gone, you started degrading."
"No! I didn't need her! I never did! She was nothing without me!"
Darien just calmly watched her feebly defend herself from the truth.
"I'm not like you, Fawkes," she said, stabbing a finger at him. "I don't need an Official to order me around. I don't need a Keeper to keep me sane. I am my own Keeper, but you can't understand that. You live in the shadow of your own power. You'll never be like me, because you'll never be truly powerful."
Darien couldn't stand it anymore. He threw a punch at her, but she saw it coming. She split and caught his fist in her thick black liquid.
He pulled his fist free, and Inque's face fell, taking on a look of rage.
She gathered herself together and launched right into him. Hoping it would work, Darien ducked behind a chair, and she hit it, splattering across the wall.
Darien saw a gun on the desk and he snatched it up. What the hell, he thought, maybe it'll hurt her. She collected in front of him, and he shot.
The bullet exploded in her, oozing a green substance. This time, there was no Corliss to gather her up in a jar, and the last of Inque shriveled up and was gone.
"Damn!" Darien said, looking at the gun. "Where do they buy their bullets?"
*******
Darien sneaked into the Agency to put the file back, this time visible. He figured everyone would be in an office or something, since he had no trouble getting in last time. He shut the door and turned around. Hobbes, Eberts, and the Official were staring at him.
"Damn," Hobbes finally said, "do you think the dry cleaners will ask?" He pointed to Darien's shirt, which had splotches of black Inque on it.
*******
"Hey, Fawkes."
"Yeah, Hobbes?"
"Did you find the stuff on Inque in the folder?"
Darien turned to look at Hobbes. "You put that there?"
"Yeah. I figured that I might as well. I knew that you would need some info on Liquid Lady, so Eberts and I broke into some places, got some stuff. I figured you'd look in that Austen lady's file."
"Thanks Hobbes!"
Hobbes edged away from Darien. "Don't get all mushy on me, kid."
*******
Darien looked the Official in the eye. "I just have one question."
"What?"
"Why were you and Eberts both looking for info on me?"
Both Eberts and the Official turned red. "Butt out, Fawkes! Why were you somewhere you weren't supposed to be?"
Darien walked out, but before the door closed, he heard the Official demand Eberts, "Give me that folder now, you bastard! You've been hiding files from me!"