A/N: I wrote this chapter to briefly get into my ideas about the Intersect after Chuck downloads it at the end of the series. This will tie into the bigger plot line, but I wanted to briefly show what it can do and how much Chuck learned about it. I will get back to the story next chapter. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, but I could pwn him in CoD.
The Intersect that Chuck downloaded using the key was highly advanced compared to the 2.0. Chuck soon found himself engrossed in attempting to dissect the Intersect. He wanted to learn exactly how it functioned, especially its relationship with his conscious mind, and see if he could improve it, help it evolve. He was constantly e-mailing back and forth with Ellie. He considered his older sister the foremost expert on the Intersect and the brain, and he recruited her to help him. He would get FMRI scans, CT scans, and undergo rigorous psychological and physical tests (always under his sister's or Sarah's supervision or directions - they simply didn't trust any outsiders). Sarah at first was hesitant about Chuck's plan. After quite a few heated conversations, she came around to his point of view. He wanted to turn the Intersect into something new, albeit much more powerful, and despite her misgivings, she was going to support him.
They eventually discovered the exact pathway a flash took. How it began in the Intersect, and, navigating through Chuck's brain, integrated into Chuck's consciousness. By tracing the flash's journey, they were able to pinpoint exactly how they could shorten the flash's trip. This enabled them to expedite the amount of time it took Chuck to physically download a flash down to about a blink of an eye. Sarah was the only person besides Chuck who could now notice when he flashed. It was so quick, and his facial features changed suddenly and subtly. She was the only one who knew his body language intimately enough to discern the difference between Chuck blinking and Chuck flashing.
Chuck discovered something else while studying Intersect code. He found that, with some tweaks to the current code, he could teach himself to communicate with the Intersect. Coupled with what his dad had taught him about controlling his flashes, Chuck began to understand how powerful this new Intersect really could be.
The first time Chuck had to use the Intersect with his new discoveries in a real-life situation wasn't on a mission. The country's population was not in danger. It happened on a date. Of course it would. It happened about four months after the downloaded the Intersect.
Chuck and Sarah had gone out to dinner, and had originally planned to see a movie afterwards. However, they spent so long at the restaurant just talking and enjoying each other's company, they decided to blow off the movies and go for a walk. Hand in hand, they walked and walked and walked until they ended up in a not-so-nice part of town. Neither of them gave it any thought, however, considering how highly trained they both were. Not to mention what Chuck could do literally in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, in front of them stood a hooded figure, face shrouded in a ski mask. Pointing a gun at them.
"Evening, folks. You can call me Joe, and that's Jim and Jake." The mystery person sounded like they were a twenty-something year old man.
Chuck and Sarah heard a couple of low coughs behind them, and quickly glanced back, spotting two other similarly dressed figures. They weren't holding guns, but it was obvious they were supposed to be intimidating. At least that's what they were intended to do.
Chuck spoke first, "Evening sir. How may we help you?"
"Well you can start by putting your hands where we can see them." Chuck and Sarah complied slowly.
"Good. Now I was going to simply rob you two, but now that I take a look at your companion here, I can't help but to let my bad side get in a couple suggestions." He snickered a bit, and looked Sarah up and down. She stared daggers at him.
"How do you boys feel about that? Should we teach this guy a lesson about protecting his girl?" He asked his two compadres. They both grunted loudly in approval.
Sarah decided she had to warn them of the consequences of their intended actions.
"Gentlemen. I can assure you that attempting to lay a finger on me would result in your night's getting much worse very quickly, not to mention the fact that there's a good chance you wouldn't get that finger back." She couldn't have been more serious or more smug in her statement.
The men didn't seem deterred. In fact, Joe took it as an opportunity to taunt Chuck.
"You gonna stop me, huh big guy? I'd like to see that day. Now I'm gonna teach your girl here a pretty good lesson. She's quite a looker. I truly hate to mess up that face. How do you feel about that?"
Chuck was silent this whole time. He was trying to stem his anger. If he let his anger get the best of him now, he would feel the Intersect pleading with him to download.
Suddenly Chuck sensed a shift in Joe's body language. He could sense he was preparing to raise his arm to strike Sarah. That was all it took.
Chuck reached back into his mind and asked the Intersect for kung-fu and krav maga. In an instant the download began. Chuck could feel it coursing through his body, beginning in his brain and extending down to all his extremities.
Chuck opened his eyes after the flash ended. It had only been a millisecond since Joe had begun to raise his arm. Chuck instantly reached out with his right arm, grabbing Joe's wrist while his arm was still reaching across his body, level with his navel. Chuck twisted his wrist and Joe's muscles betrayed him, dropping his gun.
At this point, Chuck was debating with the Intersect as to the next course of action. The Intersect proposed incapacitating Joe by knocking him unconscious. Chuck disagreed. He decided to inflict pain.
Chuck reached out with his left hand and grabbed Joe's arm at the elbow. Using both his hands, he instantly shattered Joe's lower arm, breaking it in three separate places. As soon as Joe began to cry out in pain, Chuck reached higher up on his arm and dislocated it completely from Joe's shoulder. Joe's knees buckled. Chuck wasn't done with him yet though. This man was moments away from pistol whipping his wife. Not to mention what he had told Chuck he was going to do to her. Chuck twisted Joe's arm so he was almost squatting, completely at Chuck's mercy.
Chuck had a quick discussion with the Intersect, and decided that while he would love to spend some time showing Joe how a man protects his wife, he was technically on a date. So Chuck decided to end the encounter, however he decided that Joe deserved a bit more pain before it was said and done.
Without thinking, Chuck lifted up his right leg, kicking the right side of Joe's right kneecap with incredible force, shattering it. Chuck released his grips, and Joe crumpled to the ground. Curling up into the fetal position, he barely could get a whimper out.
Chuck had almost forgotten about the two other assailants, but then realized that they had fled sometime in between Chuck breaking Joe's arm and Chuck giving Joe a permanent limp. Chuck reached down and picked up Joe's gun. He handed it to Sarah and simply said:
"Here honey, I won you this."
Sarah couldn't help but laugh. She was literally grinning from ear to ear.
She looked him dead in the eye and said, "Thank you for defending my honor, sweetheart." She put her new gun in her purse. Sarah slowly bent down until she was inches away from Joe's head. She looked him in the eye, and he stopped whimpering for a second.
"I told you so," she said in a serious tone. He slightly nodded. She got back up and stood next to her husband.
They immediately linked their hands back together, stepped over Joe, and continued their date.
Later that night, Sarah asked Chuck about the fight. Well, you couldn't really call it much of a fight. More of a beat down.
"Chuck, when you flashed tonight, did it happen automatically or did you do it?" She asked him earnestly.
He looked at her and replied, "I initiated it. Not only was there no way I was letting him get near touching you, but I was kinda curious to give the Intersect a test run."
"And…."
"It was amazing Sarah. I know it happens so fast in real time, but when it's going down, it seems so slow. I mean, I don't do any of those moves without a thorough discussion with the Intersect, deciding the course of action. I weigh the odds, see the consequences, and choose the best way to accomplish my goal. That's not to say that sometimes I do stuff with the Intersect because of how damn cool it is. I mean, who wouldn't want to learn how to incapacitate someone with one finger? I mean how awesome is that?"
"You know, Chuck, if you wanted to know how to incapacitate someone with a finger, you could've asked me. I could have you unconscious in less than five seconds ten different ways right now, and we're snuggling on the couch."
"That is incredibly sexy, and a little frightening babe." Chuck couldn't help but stroke her face. She might be a trained assassin, but she's his wife.
She puckered her lips, inviting him with her eyes. He bent down and gave her a sideways kiss, making them both giggle a little bit.
"Take me to bed Mr. Bartowski. I'm tired after our exciting date tonight. We have quit the track record with our dates don't we?" She barely got out the last sentence, yawning through it.
"You got that right, Mrs. Bartowski. Let's go." He gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. He began to slowly make his way to their bedroom. She instinctually reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together. She smiled up at him, which caused him to blush and grin. He wasn't going to ever let anyone hurt her. Never again.
