Authors Notes: See Chapter One
Rating: M, for this chapter just to be safe (Damn Rage Virus!)
Notes: 1) A reviewer, Sydnew, commented on a couple of things I thought should be elaborated. The Zoe storyline is NOT going away. Hopefully, it will make sense given the new alt-timeline context. Also, in my version of this timeline, General Mansfield pretty much owns Fargo and Eureka (which will be dealt with also). The General is the one who sent Zane to Eureka from prison and, as such, he's the only one who can kick him out again. Hope that explains the background a bit better. PS - Thanks Sydnew for the grammar notes! I fixed them.
2) Writing this chapter from the perspective of two people fully succumbing to the Rage virus was a bit difficult, especially in terms of moving the plot along. I made a general rule in writing this fic that if Jo and Zane didn't have a good reason to know something that we, as viewers, all know then they wouldn't. Hopefully, the Rage incident is still semi-clear but I won't be simply recounting the 'fixes' for the episodes. If it's really confusing as I've presented it, please, click 'review' and let me know.
Chapter Two – All the Rage
Three days. For three days she and Zane had not fought, not screamed at one another and stunningly not broken their odd armistice. Jo had made it a point to not avoid him, as Zane wouldn't leave that unremarked either. Jo huffed, eyes pretending to look at the datapad in her hand. Not like she had a choice.
Jo frowned across her desk at the man in question, seated patiently. In the past two years, Jo Lupo had learned always to be suspicious of a patient Zane Donovan. Aside from his first painful betrayal, he had raised and dashed her hopes far too many times to count. Under her impassive stare, Zane stiffened in his chair.
Jo went back to the datapad in her hand. Zane's requisition list of equipment for his new lab demonstrated surprising caution. Jo possessed enough familiarity with the EM shield development and specifications to recognize a few items, confirming that he was taking his assignment from the General seriously. If she hadn't witnessed the tremble of his fingers as he opened his lab for the first time, if she hadn't seen him vibrate with excitement at the privilege, if she didn't remember his grip around her waist and how tight his shoulders felt under her hands...Jo shifted in her chair. Still, additional verification was not beyond her purvey.
"I see that you requested additional pulse generators."
Zane sniffed, hands moving from his lap to the chair arms and back. "Those Mark10s aren't really cut out for the signals I need to duplicate. Even with converters, they'll wear out quick."
"What about the unidirectional plasma shield and thruster coils?"
"Parrish." Zane shrugged like the name explained everything. Which it did. Dr. Neil Parrish had been one of the few people who consistently requested Donovan on his team and who had demonstrated a remarkable ability to keep Zane in line. "I may have, um, promised to help with my old projects. For him." Zane covered his obvious respect for the good doctor with a cocky grin. "Not like anyone else could do my work."
Jo's hands tightened around the datapad. "I see." After thinking a moment, she bit the bullet and placed her thumb in the blinking square on the screen. The computer requested confirmation of her approval and it was done. In a day or so, Zane would have a fully outfitted research lab at GD. Jo made a mental note to increase her rounds in that area, just as a proactive measure. "Very well." She stood, reaching across her desk to return the pad.
Zane's brow furrowed as he also rose. "That's it?"
She shouldn't antagonize him, but maybe a little test was in order. "Were you expecting something else, Donovan?" Jo braced for the standard jackass attitude. Zane Donovan lived for openings to taunt her. At first, she thought he'd go for it. Zane's mouth opened but abruptly shut. He gave Jo a knowing cocky half-grin.
"Nope." His lips hit the last syllable with enough emphasis to draw Jo's eye. Her gaze darted back to his face but damnit he'd seen. Zane let the innuendo remain unspoken, taking the datapad from her hand as if he wasn't totally Up To Something.
Jo frowned at his back as Zane exited her office, passing a Fargo who did not acknowledge him. Fargo halted abruptly, tensing at her expression. "Something wrong Lupo?"
"Donovan's acting weird." Jo nibbled her lip, staring past Fargo to where Zane disappeared from view around a corner.
Fargo nodded. "Thanks for the heads-up. I need you at a demonstration. Come with me." With that, Fargo hurried off leaving Jo to dodge around her desk and catch up.
As she matched her boss's pace, Jo figured a little explanation was due. "Sir?"
"Mansfield requested an update on the NLWP project. Your military background would be useful to me in evaluating their progress." Fargo stopped, forcing the scientists around them to weave away mid-stride. "Unless Donovan requires immediate attention?"
"Ah, no. I'm actually interested in the progress on the NLWPs." They began walking again, headed toward Section Three and Parrish's lab. "Besides, it appears Parrish has requested that Donovan finish out his work on any open projects."
Fargo smiled. "Excellent. I won't tolerate any whining from either about the shake-up." As they turned a corner, two maintenance personnel on a ladder were hard at work. Fargo bounced on his heels a little at the sight. "Check it out, Lupo."
The Director's absurdly cheerful face covered most of the poster, thumbs-up extended into the foreground. Across the bottom were the words "THINK GLOBAL. ACT DYNAMIC." Like most of Fargo's ideas, it was a perfect blend of over-the-top enthusiasm and woefully inept execution. Jo tilted her head, attempting to generate an appropriate response. "Um, wow."
"Excellent." Fargo gave her a wide grin before turning to resume their journey. Behind the Director a man in a lab coat, carrying a beaker of red liquid, froze in terror. The sudden stop caused the liquid to slosh out onto his sleeve and the floor.
"Dr. Fargo!" The man crouched, wiping up the spill with his already sopping shirt-sleeve. "I'll, um, have that report to you by the end of the day, sir. I swear!"
Fargo stepped around the scene, Jo in tow. He called over his shoulder. "See that you do, Hansen."
Jo sighed. Fargo wasn't a half bad boss, but the half that was bad was really, really annoying. As they finished up their journey, other GD scientists hurried out of their way, avoiding Jo's eyes in case she felt any of them warranted the Director's attentions. At the entrance to Parrish's lab waited the man himself. As someone who prided herself on a reputation for omnipotence, Jo never failed to be impressed with Parrish's ability to always be ready for their 'surprise' inspections.
"Dr. Parrish, we were curious as to your progress on the NLWPs. If you don't mind?"
Parrish's face tightened at Fargo's request. "Another demonstration. How productive." He turned away, hitting the lab door control. Knowing they would receive no further invitation, Jo and Fargo followed him.
Parrish's lab only loosely resembled the clean and tidy image of a research facility. Tables were strewn with disassembled prototypes, a few components still smoking. Several racks of computers hummed and sputtered. One power conduit rained sparks down in an abandoned corner. People in lab coats roamed to and fro, rotating dials and frowning at screens. In a flash of blue fabric Jo saw Zane. Of course, lab-coats were beneath Donovan.
He stood over a particularly charred group of components, clipboard in hand. Although Zane did not look up when the door opened, Jo knew he saw them by tension in his shoulders. He had excellent peripheral vision. As Parrish made his excuses, Jo tried to work out what the hell was up with her resident super-genius trouble-maker.
Was he nervous because the NLWPs were behind schedule? Because he was up to something and had counted on this lab time to get to it? Would her & Fargo's presence increase or decrease the likelihood of an incident? Zane was holding himself back from what Jo couldn't tell. Thinking of all those times she'd had to wrestle him into handcuffs, Jo mused. Restraint never came easy to Zane. Why now? What for? When Zane finally did cross the room to acknowledge their presence, Jo's fingers tightened behind her back.
Zane's fingers tightened around the pen when she walked in the room. After that meeting, which Lupo had spent most of stone-faced and silent, Zane figured he had several hours before he had to deal with her again. Twenty-four months of her suspicion, you'd think that he'd be used to it by now. But, aside from the brief maybe moment in his lab, she never let up these last three days. Watching him, waiting for his inevitable screw-up. Having her in the same room made Zane's skin itch.
As he crossed the room to prep for the demonstration, Jo leaned in to whisper over Parrish's shoulder. "We just need to see what you got."
Before Zane could stop himself, he interjected. "Anytime you want, Lupo." She rolled her eyes and ignored him but Zane could see her shoulders relax. Freaking weirdo. He spends the last three days actually being nice, well non-insulting, and it's only when he pisses her off again that she quits acting like he's a bomb waiting to go off. His clipboard impacted the lab table with a crack.
He picked up the beanbag gun with a look at Parrish, who continued his explanations. While Parrish probably had equal cause to shoot their boss in the face, Zane was less likely to be reprimanded for it. After all, what else do you expect from him?
Parrish & Fargo bantered through the plasma shield demo until they got to the catch.
Zane hiked up the gun, cradling it in his shoulder. At the sight, Lupo's voice rang out with warning. "Zane."
"Relax, it just shoots beanbags." With that, he pulled the trigger knowing that Fargo wou-Holy shit. Zane blinked, lowering the gun and half-grinning. Jo's fist around the beanbag had appeared about five inches in front of the Director's face. She repeated his name, tone dangerous. "Zane!"
As she lowered her fist, Fargo added his two cents. "Not cool!" Huh. It said something for his improved status that Fargo took no further action. Zane couldn't say the same for Jo though. She intentionally stepped between himself and Parrish on her way past, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. He knew that look; it said 'Later, loser'. Well, he hadn't been handcuffed in days and, damn it all if that catch hadn't made him miss it a little. She casually dropped the beanbag on the table as they moved on the RSS device.
Which was a freaking disaster. The RSS had never worked. Parrish knew it but he'd been hoping to end on the high note of the Immobilization Mines. Unfortunately, their boss didn't have the patience. Fargo huffed and criticized and almost caused another mess before disappearing with orders to turn over their work so far. Jo, one last look at Zane over her shoulder, followed the Director out.
Zane and Parrish shared a look. "That could have gone better." Parrish's nostrils flared before he replied. "Yes." Zane's former supervisor stared at the door a moment before picking up an immobilization mine and leaving the room, probably to go plead his case with their jackass boss. Zane figured it was a lost cause. Once this town wrote you off, that was it. No second chances.
Zane went back to the fried Sky Cruiser steering assembly, clipboard in hand. But Jo's stupid eyes and Fargo's stupid temper tantrum left Zane unable to focus. He gave it another ten minutes before slamming the clipboard down.
Zane approached a Parrish who had returned with an oddly pleased expression on his smug face. "Gonna go clear my head." Parrish could read between the lines, 'I may be back; I may not be. Deal with it'. His supervisor wrinkled his nose. "Fine."
Yeah, sorry dude. Shoulda checked with you, your royal highness, before getting promoted. Before trying not to be the town loser. Sorry to upset your precious little lab order. Dick. Zane blew out of GD, motorcycle accelerating.
Jo stomped down to Fargo's office. Like she didn't have enough to do today. There was a new DoD historian to welcome and get set-up. She had five different tests to coordinate and Zane to keep an eye on. Now, Fargo was apparently having one of his paranoid fits. At this rate, she'd be working late. Again. Damnit. Today was Tuesday. Bubble bath day. What did Fargo have against bubble baths?
Carter waited with Fargo, apparently having been invited to help. Because Jo so desperately needed assistance in wrangling a bunch of paranoid researchers. Her eyes widened at the state of Fargo's suit, recognizing the gel webbing from the briefing on the immobilization mines.
Mid-rant, Fargo did not stop for her entrance. "I will not tolerate this kind of disrespect! This was an assassination attempt!" He ended with a whine. "And these were my favorite pants."
Carter made excuses, like always. Jo understood though. "This was an attack against the Director of GD. We have to take this seriously."
Fargo straightened. "You're not off the hook either." He reached behind his desk, pulling out a paper shooting target emblazoned with his image. It actually had a pretty impressive grouping of bullet-holes through Fargo's center-of-mass. "What the hell, Lupo?"
Before Jo could defend her men, Alison Blake entered unannounced and, surprise surprise, lectured everyone on how disappointing she found their recent actions. Carter shot Jo a look of rebuke when she nodded in agreement with Fargo's comment about 'perfect Dr. Blake' but honestly, Jo thought she had it coming.
Somehow, Carter finagled his way into picking up her usual prime suspect and she got stuck interviewing Dr. Parrish. Fine. Carter would regret that. No one could handle Zane Donovan like her and everyone in Eureka damn well knew it. One day, Carter would learn, would appreciate her skills. Jo found herself eternally glad she wasn't his Deputy anymore.
For once in their pampered lives, the GD scientists displayed some situational awareness and stayed the hell out of her way. Her trip back down to Section Three consisted of a lot of people disappearing when they saw her. Maybe it would be amusing ordinarily. But ordinarily she didn't have disorder in the ranks, pranks pulled on the Director on her watch. Jo's teeth ground together as she entered the lab.
Parrish, the arrogant bastard, roamed about the lab as she interviewed him. Apparently, her ability to detain threats to GD security was not at all worthy of his undivided attention. Jackass should talk a bit more with his buddy Zane. Her arms crossed over her chest. Maybe Jo would give him something to tell Zane about, share war stories. Guys always bonded over shit like that.
When Parrish blithely confessed to the IM attack, Jo almost hit him. Still, the Director should decide his punishment. As Jo made her way back to Fargo's office, she fumed. Stupid Carter, wasting time talking to Zane when they have a situation here. Maybe if Jo petitioned for a harsh enough punishment, Fargo would get off her case. Jo tried to recall if they still sent people to Alaska, that always put the fear of God into these little hyper-rational monsters.
This day sucked. Demonstrations gone wrong. Confrontations (weird ones anyway) with Lupo. Now, his stupid game was broken or something. The car on the screen wasn't doing anything right. Zane slammed a hand down on the table with a crack. The other patrons of Cafe Diem stared but what the hell did he care? It's not like they were really surprised. Zane, being a loud jackass, really?
He frowned at the screen, restarting the level. No way was he going back to the lab after this poor performance. If Zane couldn't maneuver around a simple video game racetrack then he shouldn't be doing more complicated work. Shit. His car crashed again. What the hell? His hand hit the table again, making the napkin dispenser rattle.
"Zane?" Oh awesome, Carter the Concerned had arrived. Yeah, so he was being a little disruptive. So what? This town could do with some disruption. Everyone in Eureka was just a little too ordered and tidy. Zane's mind flashed on Lupo's perfectly tailored suits, perfectly slicked back ponytails. Perfect little robot Enforcer. They'd never stepford-scientist him!
The Sheriff kept distracting him with questions about an attack on Fargo. Come on, who hasn't tried that? Still, he didn't do anything. Again. Jesus, what would it take for everyone to stop blaming him for every freaking thing that went wrong? "Guy's a tool. I've been here for a while. Ask Vincent." The effort of talking and playing proved to be too much for Zane. His car disappeared in a ball of simulated flame.
Next thing Zane knew, the contents of his table were strewn across the floor of the cafe and he was outside, stomping towards his motorcycle. Carter caught up with him, saying something about needing him at GD. Even through his frustration, Zane heard it. The 'Or Else'. Or else Lupo and her taser would come for your soul. Jesus, some days he hated this town. Zane was just about done with the Enforcer. There was no respite.
So what if Carter had to handcuff him to get him into the car. Not like it was the first time. The Sheriff attempted to talk to him, just wouldn't stop it with the 'Dudley Do Right' routine. "Zane, I'm pretty sure you didn't do this. Something's clearly wrong. Come on, get yourself together."
"What? So Lupo can stare me into confessing with her freaky psycho-cop routine? Please."
Carter snickered despite himself. "Yeah, it's terrifying." He sobered, eyes leaving road to glance at Zane. "Still, you've got to pull yourself together."
Zane huffed, rearranging his wrists. "Whatever."
Carter made a few more tries at bringing him on the straight and narrow. Zane just ignored him, teeth grinding as he thought. Three days, he'd been good. But it hadn't mattered. Everyone's default action was 'blame Zane'. Sheriff talked a good game but the second Lupo had him in her bean-bag catching grasp, it would be all over. The way she'd been looking at him lately, it wouldn't matter what he said, what he did or didn't do. Bitch would just lock him up, take his lab away.
And Fargo. Okay so he'd tried to shoot him in the face with a bean-bag. Like GD's not-so-benevolent dictator didn't have that coming. Zane frowned a moment. "How was Fargo attacked?" At the Sheriff's look of skepticism, he added. "So many possibilities."
Carter answered as he parked. "Some immobilization thingy exploded." He turned the car off, facing Zane. "Not that you'd know anything about that, right?"
Zane sniffed dismissively, holding his hands out. Carter let him stew a moment; he believed in all that scared-straight bullshit. But he did eventually un-cuff Zane.
Before Zane could duck into GD and away from Sheriff You're-Such-A-Disappointment, Carter grabbed his elbow and dragged him up to the Director's office. Zane began to resist, yelling and pulling, until Carter leaned in close, whispering. "Sorry. I know that I'm not your usual date." It took everything Zane had not to punch the grin off the Sheriff's face.
The rotunda was full of people, shoving and kicking and yelling at one another. Zane let himself be towed along, nostrils flaring at the memory of Carter's smug certainty. Stupid freaking Lupo with her handcuffs and heels and mutant reflexes. Zane's eyes narrowed at the tableau in the Director's office. Of course Jo never met a crisis she didn't throw herself into with a bad-ass attitude and a cheap shot. His teeth ground together, thinking about rooms full of lightening and who probably would have been the shooter if he had been locked up. Zane lunged at her.
Jo bared her teeth as Zane entered the room. Carter might not be able to see it but that jackass was begging for a fight. When he started for her, she was ready. Well, almost. Carter caught Zane deftly and Jo found herself knocked back against the rotunda windows by a combination of Tess and Alison.
"It's probably a good idea to keep them apart." Tess admonished as Jo struggled.
Both Jo and Carter yelled back. "Ya think?" Jo inhaled several times before Alison & Tess felt her body relax. After she'd been released, Jo positioned herself out of Zane's line of sight. One look at his smarmy face and she'd punch him. Jo heard the crowd stir out in the rotunda. Through the windows, the mob raised a dummy up pummeling it with trash. A very familiar looking dummy.
Fargo vibrated in place. "Is that supposed to be me?" He huffed. "That's insubordinate!" He whirled to face Jo. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm trying not to lose it. Don't push me!"
Fargo wisely decided to ignore her. He turned to Alison, foot tapping. She gave a defeated shrug of her shoulders. "It isn't Dr. Hansen. I tested that red liquid of his. It was raspberry winecooler."
Jo snorted. "What is he, a high school cheerleader?" Zane snickered in the background. Alison's hand on her arm halted Jo mid-step. Jo kept her breaths even before continuing. "Okay, we nee-"
"To find out what's going on." Carter interjected.
She froze. "Oh, that's right. You know how to do my job better than me, right?" Her voice was barely a step below yelling. Jo's fingers twitched at her sides.
Carter backed away, hands up. "Not what I said."
She stepped toward the door. "I'm the head of GD Security, Carter. I am going to fix this, not you. Get out of my way."
"Jo, wait a minute-" She pulled her weapon, pointing it Carter's too damn calm face.
"Get out of my way, Carter! Can't you let me do my job for once? I'm not your Deputy anymore, damnit!" He's always in GD business, even when it wasn't Eureka business. He never knows when to let things be, when to trust her.
"No, you're not." Carter took a small step forward. "Look, Jo. You can do this. I know you can do this. But-" Carter took another step, hand outreached. "You are being affected. You know it. And, we can't do this without you Jo." Her hand trembled. That stupid Carter placating voice. It always worked; Jo didn't want to shoot that voice. Jo slumped, gun falling into the Sheriff's hand, his other arm around her. "I got you Jo." Jo let him hold her up a moment before steadying herself.
Carter released her carefully. Jo avoided looking at anyone else. Damn, she'd lost it. Almost justified Carter's doubts. She'd have to do better. Why couldn't she do better?
"You stupid bitch!" Jo turned to see Zane shove Tess into a chair, arm raised for who knows what. Jo was across the room and on top of him in a flash. "AaahHH!" His hand bent backwards in Jo's grip as they tumbled, the pain cutting off his attack. Though smaller, she used every limb, every contact point to hold him down. Still, he tried invective. "Frigid distrusting harpy! Bite me Lupo!"
Jo bent down close to his face. Her mouth hovered over his. Their breaths intermingled a moment. The red sheen in Zane's eyes faded leaving the usual blue. "Don't tempt me." He twitched under her hands and she acted. Zane was up against the wall being cuffed before he could think of resisting further.
As Jo clicked the handcuffs into place, she noticed Alison hovering around them scanner pointed at Zane's head. Whatever the scanner said, Alison frowned. "His brain is overheating."
Zane smirked over his shoulder at Alison. "Are you sayin' that I'm hot?"
"Whoa!" Carter directed at Zane while preventing Jo from slamming him into the wall a second time.
"We need to get him to the infirmary. He needs to be sedated." Alison's voice remained perfectly even and freakishly controlled. Did anything faze that woman? Jo managed a nod though. No matter how much she wanted to shoot Carter or save GD, Jo knew if Zane was going to get to the infirmary then there's only one person capable of getting him there. Jo's fingers tightened, grasping the material of his stupid t-shirt. "Let's go."
Fucking Lupo. Making promises she can't keep. Zane stumbled, hands bound behind his back, into the infirmary. Jo's grip on his shirt forcing him down into a bed. Her tiny little devil hands shoving him down and into restraints. He fought, duh. Not that it did any good. Can't fight a force of nature.
Through his anger, Zane's mind flashed to Jo pressed on top of him. Her confident dodge of his punch, the way she came in closer, quieter, surer than she'd ever been. No way she didn't know what she did to him. No fucking way. Manipulative bitch.
"You and your authoritarian handcuff fetish can kiss my ass Lupo!" He pulled at the bindings on his arms and legs.
"Will you and your stupid hair please shut up?" She punched a face that had shoved its way through the opening in the infirmary doors, picking up a pole and smashing the door controls. Zane started giggling. Through the windows of the infirmary, he could see the angry mob. They pounded on the shatter-resistant glass but shatter-resistant didn't mean shatter-proof. "Suck it Lupo."
Jo stomped over to his bed, pole still in hand. "Shut up! Shut up you jackass!" Dr. Blake cautiously took the makeshift weapon from Jo, who stood there trembling at him. Zane didn't have the presence of mind to do more than sneer. Dr. Blake ducked in close, injecting him with something. "What did you do? I'm gonna-argh!" His muscles spasmed but the bindings held.
Through his haze of yelled expletives, Zane heard Dr. Blake speaking to someone on her phone. He writhed as Lupo, the fucking coward, cuffed herself rather than fight it out. The infirmary doors re-opened widening ever further in a tangle of grasping hands. Dr. Blake, hands tight around the pole, suddenly turned to him. Careful to remain out of his reach, she spoke to Zane in that even tone that always made him think of hot, angry schoolteachers.
"Zane? Listen to me." She glanced over her shoulder at the infirmary doors. "These people, they want to hurt us!"
"I'm gonna hurt you!"
Dr. Blake kicked the bed, causing it to rock slightly. "Zane! They want to hurt Jo!" She pointed to the center of the room, where Jo was handcuffed. She was rocking back and forth in place, head impacting a metal rod each time she came forward. Zane seethed.
"What the fuck happened to my Enforcer?"
Dr. Blake gave an amused snort. "They" She pointed at the door. "Made her go away." She held a hand over the bed controls. "Do you want Jo back, Zane?"
"Crazy bitch never does what I want!"
Dr. Blake repeated her question. "Do you want Jo back, Zane? Because I need you to keep them out of the infirmary so we can get Jo back for you." She hit the controls, hand with the pole outstretched.
Zane leaped up with a roar, snatching the pole. Dr. Blake dodged out of his way and he was upon them swinging and hitting until the infrasonic wave hit. He came to standing above a bleeding seismologist, blinking away the pain behind his eyes.
Thunk. Jo squeezed her eyes shut. Thunk. Stupid fucking Zane, like she wasn't already angry enough. Thunk. If he hadn't been here, she could of...done something. Thunk. Jo blotted out his shouts, Alison's frantic phone conversation with Carter, focusing on the painful impact of her forehead on metal. Thunk. Some Security chief she was. GD's fallen to the zombie horde. Thunk. Great, now she sounds like Carter. Thunk. Fucking Carter, he'll totally save the day. Thunk. A pain blossomed behind her eyes but she ignored it. She rocked forward only to hit something definitely not metal and possessing fingers.
Jo blinked up at Zane, his hand placed on the rod. He stared down at her a moment before reaching for the cuffs. She pulled away only to stop, taking in their surroundings. The angry mob was gone. A few injured people had crawled into beds. Alison was nowhere to be seen. "They fixed it." Jo turned back to Zane, frowning stupidly at him. He tried again to get at her handcuffs. "Let's get you out of here."
"I threw away the keys." Zane smirked down at her as he began to fiddle with the metal links. Jo rolled her eyes. Right, keys were for other people. A few seconds later, her hands were free. Zane, being Zane, took the opportunity to run his thumbs around the skin of her wrists. Jo inhaled sharply, jerking out of his grasp. She asked, voice hoarse. "Alison?"
Zane tilted his head towards the door. "Rotunda."
"Ah." Jo looked around a moment. "I'm going to-"
"Yeah. I'll wait here." As she exited the infirmary, Jo noticed Zane pull up a chair next to Dr. Parrish's bed. Descending the stairs into the rotunda, Jo wondered. She'd always assumed Dr. Parrish and Zane's relationship similar to any other aggravated supervisor and recalcitrant scientist at GD. Twice today, earlier this morning and now, Jo had seen evidence of respect far beyond that. After the ton of professional uncertainty heaped on her today, the oversight stung. Some Security Chief she was.
Fargo stood over a dummy, his employees shuffling around him. The floor of the rotunda littered with torn up bits of poster-board. Occasionally a passing scientist directed a furtive glance at his back. They dispersed further as Jo crossed the rotunda, halting next to him. After a moment, she cleared her throat. Fargo's head snapped up.
"Ah, Lupo. Good to see you back."
"Glad to be back."
He nodded distractedly, clapping his hands together. "Well, let's get this place cleaned up." Fargo turned around. Whoever didn't already have trash or debris in hand dropped, grasping for any physical evidence that they were doing their part and were in no way shape or form responsible for the Fargo-shaped dummy. "Looks like they're already on that. See what you can do about other affected areas."
Jo made sure to put special emphasis on her reply. "Yes, sir." Fargo disappeared up the stairs to his office. A few seconds later, the wall of glass polarized.
Steps echoed, approaching Jo. The tread was too light for Carter. "Where's Fargo? I need to clear him."
Eyes not leaving the rotunda windows, Jo responded to Alison. "Give him a moment."
"I'm sorry Jo. But I need to clear you too." Jo slumped slightly. Alison put a hand on her arm. "Don't worry about it." She pulled Jo towards the infirmary.
"I lost it. I yelled at Carter." She and Alison shared at look. They both knew the feeling. Yelling at Carter sucked. He got that wounded puppy expression and moped for days. Alison patted her back.
"Look. The RSS made everyone a bit crazy. No one holds it against you." Jo's mind flashed to her meltdown. Tess, Alison and Carter were familiar enough with Eureka-style disasters to not hold any grudges. Fargo had screwed up way worse in the past and knew it. Which left one more witness.
"Almost no one."
Alison stopped walking a moment. The infirmary door open and closed ahead. Through the glass, Zane and Parrish spoke both grinning, hands waving in enthusiasm. Jo, in shock, barely registered Alison's voice. "I think you'll be surprised." There was a tug on her sleeve. "Let's get you taken care of."
"You can't be serious!" Zane laughed, choking in a couple breaths.
"Oh, I am. Thirty volts, nothing but net." Parrish grinned smugly, but hell, he deserved to for pulling off a prank like that. He always had the best war stories.
The infirmary door whooshed open and he felt the air crackle. Zane sobered. Only meant one thing. Refusing to turn around, he checked a reflective surface. Dr. Blake was leading a defeated looking Jo Lupo to a bed. Zane slumped just slightly.
He felt Parrish's silent inquisition. Zane started to fidget, trying to think of an escape when Parrish finally spoke. "Interesting bedside manner from Dr. Blake today. Surprisingly effective."
Zane sniffed in reply. Parrish opened his mouth to say more only to stop. At that, Zane turned around. Director Fargo had entered the infirmary. He shuffled his feet a moment before approaching them. Zane heard Parrish mutter. "Crow time."
As he stood to give them some privacy, Zane grinned at Parrish. "Tasty."
Zane wandered to the other side of the infirmary. Dr. Blake wrapped up her exam of Jo. They conversed a few moments more, faces serious. Whatever Blake said worked; by the time they finished Jo's stance regained some of its 'don't mess with me' attitude.
Dr. Blake idly traveled from bed to bed, gathering up debris or seeing to patients. Although he was uninjured, she stopped in front of Zane. "Doctor Donovan, let's get you cleared."
He glanced around the infirmary. While no one was dying, there were an awful lot of minor injuries. Zane frowned down at Dr. Blake. "Um, sure." The good doctor led him to a bed near Lupo. Zane tried to face away from Jo only to have Blake steer him otherwise. "I need you close to the scanner. It doesn't have much range." He complied but narrowed his eyes.
It occurred to Zane that someone married to Dr. Thomas Blake, Dr. Nathan Stark and currently pretending not to be interested in Sheriff Carter was nobody's fool. He sat through the exam, waiting for Blake to pick her moment. As with Lupo, she did so after giving him a clean bill of health.
"It's protocol for the GD Chief of Security to review all video footage of a major incident."
"Yeah, so?" He ripped the sensors off his arm, standing.
"It's also protocol for copies of the footage to be submitted to the DoD. For review." Zane looked over Dr. Blake's head where Jo now spoke on the phone. He heard Dr. Blake whisper. "The reviews are quite thorough."
Blake disappeared from his side, finally attending to actual wounded people. Jo spent another twenty minutes on the phone. Whoever she was arguing with, it put the fight in her eyes again.
Lupo wrapped up her call, giving him a chance to, well, apologize maybe. Zane approached her cautiously. After coming to, Jo had practically fled from the infirmary rather than look at him. Smirking, he got her attention. "If you don't need me for anything else, me and my 'stupid hair' will be going."
The tips of her ears turned pink but she barked back at him. "Will you be able to survive without my 'authoritarian handcuff fetish'?"
"No." Zane answered, with odd sincerity. The corners of her mouth turned up, just slightly. Now that Zane knew what to look for, he wondered how he'd missed the signs all this time. Jo Lupo, Not A Robot. He allowed himself a leisurely survey of her rumpled suit, frizzed hair and tired eyes. Definitely not.
He opened his mouth to speak only to stop as he met her gaze. Jo tilted her head up at him, wary but relaxed in that weird way of hers. He'd never apologized to Lupo without insulting her and now faced with the prospect, Zane wasn't sure he knew how. He frowned. "Can I go? You won't hunt me down?"
She smirked up at him, repeating words which ground his super-genius mind to a halt. "Don't tempt me." As soon as they left her mouth, Jo's eyes widened. She blushed furiously and stuttered a few moments before honest-to-god fleeing. Zane stared after her.
Twenty-fours hours later, Jo still could not believe she had been so stupid. Repeating that? God, Zane could get a year's worth of innuendos out of those three words. What the hell was the matter with her?
Eager for something to blame, she confronted Parrish in his lab. After making sure Zane was not present, of course. According to Parrish the infrasonic wave should have instantly corrected any abnormal brain chemistry. No residual effects. Unfortunately for Jo's sanity, he chose not to leave it at that. As if speaking to a child, he elaborated. "The RSS cannot generate feelings. It only amplifies them."
Jo crossed her arms over her chest. "So?"
Parrish fiddled a dial as he spoke. "So, if someone felt anger or...other emotions while under its influence, they would still feel those emotions now." Jo stiffened. "Was there anything else, Chief Lupo?"
Through her teeth, she replied. "No."
Jo walked out of the lab, short of breath. The RSS specifications were no secret. Damnit. She checked the hallway before letting herself slump against a wall in a camera blind spot. So much for our little peace. Intellectually, Jo knew she couldn't avoid Zane for forever. Even a long time wouldn't do, he had eidetic memory and more than enough incentive to recall this fiasco. She forced herself to breath in and out.
Her phone rang, shrill beeping startling her into an upright position. Jo took one more deep breath before answering. "Lupo, here."
As the voice on the other end explained the situation, Jo's heart sank. Couldn't she catch a break? She rattled off a few orders before hanging up. Stalking towards the Director's office, Jo shook out her hands as she walked. Fargo had been a bit delicate since the Rage Incident. She'd just have to ride out his temper.
Caught up in self-recrimination, Jo almost collided with Alison. "Oh, sorry Alison." Jo caught and handed the doctor's datapad back to her as she spoke. "Bad news to deliver."
Alison frowned slightly. "I'm just headed that way myself." She flicked the screen of her pad. "Neurochemical report from the Rage Incident." They walked together a few steps before Alison spoke again. "Want to talk about it?"
Jo sighed. "Not really." One of the things Jo had always liked about Alison was that when you said that you did not want to talk she just nodded and accepted that you weren't ready to talk.
Before entering Fargo's office, Alison spoke again. "Good or Bad news first?"
Jo thought a moment, mentally sorting through Fargo's afternoon schedule. He had got to be in top form for that meeting with the Pentagon later. She released a defeated sigh. "Bad news." Alison nodded once more, letting Jo enter ahead of her.
"Ah Lupo! Dr. Blake!" Fargo stood with brittle cheer. That had pretty much been his public reaction to the Rage Incident. Jo wished that she didn't have to burst his carefully constructed bubble. "How's that report for the DoD going?"
She stood, back straight with hands behind her back. "About that, sir. There's been an anomaly in the video footage."
Fargo skittered over to her, leaning in close. "An anomaly?"
"Some footage disappeared sir. About two minutes."
Alison's voice echoed from behind Jo. "Which two minutes?"
Jo stared at the floor a moment, gathering her courage. Alison, now beside her, gave a knowing "Aha". Fargo's brow wrinkled as he responded. "Any fingerprints?"
Jo nodded. "Security has some scraps of code recovered. Can't tell-"
Fargo pulled out his phone, barking once the connection was made. "Send my pad everything you have on the footage gap during the Incident!"
Alison stepped forward, staring at Fargo intently. Jo frowned. As Fargo waited for his data, he wagged a finger at Alison. "We can't treat data loss incidents lightly, Dr. Blake."
"Fargo." Alison's voice hardened. Jo's frown deepened. What was going on?
He ignored her tone, eyes lighting up as the data transferred. "Now, perhaps I can recognize someone's work in this-" Fargo paused, fingers frozen over the screen. After a few moments study, he rocked back on his heels. "Oh."
"Sir?" Fargo's eyes met Alison's. "Sir?" Jo prompted again. Alison and Fargo stared at one another a few beats longer before Fargo finally responded to her.
"My apologies Lupo. I had forgotten." His fingers tightened around the datapad. "The Director's office has some additional security protocols on its camera feeds." Fargo laughed nervously. "It appears they prevented you from accessing the feed. I'll um" He fidgeted a moment. "I'll submit that portion of the video to the Pentagon myself."
"Fargo, I'm not familiar with any additio-"
"They're new." Fargo nodded enthusiastic at his own answer. "Yes, just implemented. In testing really."
Jo's face stiffened. Like hell. "Fine." Not trusting her voice, she nodded at Alison, married to two GD Directors Alison who probably knew more protocols than Jo ever would, and left the room.
Don't tempt me. Don't tempt me. No matter how many times Zane repeated Lupo's words, he came back to the same question. Could Jo even be tempted? He knew Parrish's project, understood how the riot-suppression device worked. If at the height of the device's effect on her, Jo Lupo was tempted by him enough to say so, then ordinarily, she was tempted and just didn't show it. Which was too crazy even for this town. If she had ever given the slightest sign of not being repulsed by him, Zane sure as hell wouldn't have limited himself to innuendos. The slightest iota of a chance with Jo Lupo was abso-fricking-lutely worth being tasered and probably another ride in Fargo's trunk.
Zane sat at workbench in his lab, not really accomplishing anything. All day, he had started various projects, including trying to finish up that Sky Cruiser. But every time he focused too long on anything, Jo's voice hovering over him echoed. Don't tempt me. Who could think with memory of Lupo pressed down holding and gripping and – Jesus Christ. Zane shifted on his stool. He took a few deep breaths. This was ridiculous. Not like she hadn't held him down before. Hell, even the anger wasn't new. But the devil's in the details. Like, how as she had leaned in, breathing out as Zane breathed her in, the red sheen of her eyes had receded, leaving serious brown.
He moved parts around on the table. And in the infirmary later, she knew that he seen her slip-up for what it was. Mortified, she'd fled from him. The steering component he studied shook in Zane's hands. As much as he'd always tried to get a rise out of Lupo, Zane had never in a million years expected it to work. Damn it. The part dropped onto the table with a clank. If he was trying to predict the Enforcer, well, that was easy. He'd get no mercy. She'd make him pay for seeing. His little stunt would only count further against him. Zane frowned at the tabletop. Predicting Jo, however, was a great deal harder. Zane honestly had no idea what she would do.
The door to his lab opened, causing Zane to tense. Only something wasn't right; the air was too flat for Lupo. Zane swiveled his stool to find Director Fargo striding up to him. "Doctor Donovan. Just the person I wanted to see." His boss's overly-chirpy voice caused Zane to wince.
"Yeah?"
Fargo came to a stop in front of Zane, head bobbing as the Director checked out the lab. "Good space."
"Lupo said the same thing." Fargo's eyes focused on Zane, stance no longer casual. And Zane knew. Busted.
Fargo handed him a datapad. "It seems the camera feeds in my office are not as secure as we thought." Zane snorted, only to take the pad at Fargo's glare. "I would appreciate it if, in your spare time, you worked to ensure that any future incidents are handled with the delicacy that GD security always deserves."
Zane's head snapped up. Fargo stood defiantly. Despite himself, Zane felt the tiniest spark of respect for the Director. Zane glanced down at the pad, where the evidence of his little jaunt glowed accusingly. He let the Director stew a moment before replying. "Delicacy and security don't usually mix."
Fargo smiled, smug. "Time and place, Donovan. Time and place." The Director slipped his hands into his pockets. His body leaned toward a bank of equipment. "Those the souped-up Mark10s?"
Zane smirked. Kids in candy stores. He tossed the datapad onto the table. "Yep." He stood, leading Fargo across the lab. "You gotta see the converters on these things."
Jo pushed herself away from a screen displaying the security feed for Zane's lab, ready to - she wasn't sure, exactly. Technically, Zane had broken into GD's network and deleted security footage. Any way you looked at it that was a major infraction. That he'd supposedly done so to protect her did not excuse it. Jo stared at the image of Zane showing Fargo around, nibbling on her lower lip.
"Wondered how long it would take you." Jo whirled around at Alison's voice.
"How did you get in here?"
She gave the Security Chief a pleased half-grin. "Would you believe Nathan talked in his sleep?"
"About hacking GD door controls?" Jo narrowed her eyes as Alison sat across from her with a dismissive half-shrug. Alison spent a moment watching the screens behind Jo before speaking again.
"I may have mentioned to Zane about certain DoD protocols."
"Why? He could have-"
"Yes." Alison's voice forceful, she continued. "He could have." Jo stared back at Alison, mind sorting through the footage. The only thing currently missing from the DoD report was Jo pulling a weapon on Carter and that not-so-disciplinary-tackle of Zane. He had free reign over the data but Zane hadn't meddled with anything else. That included his own less-than-lucid-confrontation with Alison or him beating the crap out of couple of scientists who broke into the infirmary before the calming wave hit.
"Why would he-" Jo swallowed, memory recalling Zane's voice in the infirmary. My Enforcer, he had yelled with fierceness and heat that had nothing to do with fury. "I mean, what, um-Alison?" The last was pleading. Zane Donovan did not do shit like this. He just did not.
"Jo." Alison reached across her desk, taking a shaking hand. "Jo." She repeated as Jo found herself blinking furiously. "I took a risk."
"On Zane?"
"Yes, on Zane. Just like Fargo." Alison nodded to the bank of screens. "Just like Carter. Just like Parrish. And, Jo, he came through."
"The DoD expects-"
"A little too much sometimes." At Jo's stern look, Alison continued. "They have every right to know what we are doing. It's their money. But, that footage had nothing to do with our research or your ability to do your job." Alison tightened her grip on Jo's hand. "Okay?"
Jo half-turned, allowing herself to watch the feed from the lab. Zane and Fargo scribbled furiously on some white boards, every now and again gesturing emphatically at one another. Fargo was doing that bouncy walk he always gets when the ideas are flowing fast and furious. Zane, genuine grin in place, worked with a stunning calm that Jo hardly recognized. Her hand stretched out, hitting a key. The camera switched, showing Zane's face open and focused and so perfect that before she could stop herself, Jo whispered. "Okay."
Alison, wisely, said nothing more. She just held Jo's hand as they watched Zane Donovan in his element. As Jo sat there, friend by her side, she realized something. She'd always defined herself as being a risk-taker. Her career, life choices, they were all about daring and unknowns. Here was 'daring and unknown' personified. Maybe the situation warranted a tactical reevaluation. Resolved, Jo smiled just slightly at the screen, remembering her discomfort at his improved attitude. Maybe too not much of a reevaluation. Wouldn't want to confuse Donovan.
THE END (for now)
Coming soon...
"I got plenty detonators." Everyone in the room turned to Zane. He shifted a bit. Jo raised a hand to rub the space between her eyes. Noticing the General's left eye twitch, Zane added. "We use them in the immobilization mines."