A/N Hi guys! It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, as always, the first thing is thanking you for reviewing and adding my story to your alerts. To me it means that I'm doing something good with the story, even with the whole kiss-your-sister thing, like Doc in Oz said. I swear, no more incest jokes… for the next few chapters… Now, I want to tell you something: as you know, I'm Mexican, which means I have to search the web for new episodes of Chuck. All because the frickin Warner Latin American branch doesn't want to show it on TV… Anyway, I was searching for them when suddenly I ended up on a web site with all the season 3 Chuck episodes in Spanish… from Spain (I know, it sounds stupid), which means a very different accent… It's like the difference between an American accent and a British one… so if you think the show is funny, wait to see it with a "macho" accent… Oh, God! I loved it! Morgan's voice is so… strong! It's like, if Casey's voice went into the bearded one! And the way they say "Chuck"! It sounds something like "Chack"… It's bizarre, because I'm used to the original cast voices, but it is really funny, and the voice actors are great! I have a blast watching the episodes, as you can see… so, if any of you speak spanish and have nothing to do… Try Spanish Chuck.
And after this "little" comment, let's see how Chuck and Ellie are doing, shall we?
Oh, wait! I need to make a warning: I don't know anything about medical stuff, so please; humor me with Ellie's solutions, ok?
A/N I'm so sorry! We have a problem with the documents, but a spaceship shaped like a vacuum cleanerintercepted the correct chapter. Maxxaran never should have disguisedit as a Winnebago. A very common problem…
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Chapter 6. The Car Chase and the User.
Some place in the Sonoran desert…
Sarah was sweating. The sun had already started to rise and with it, the heat. Casey and Sarah had been sent to retrieve some kind of artifact hidden in the desert. According to a turn-coat Ring agent, the artifact contained a list of every name of the remaining Ring operatives. It was a minor mission, as the Ring wasn't a big threat any longer. However, General Beckman had stressed the importance of the mission.
"How absolutely wonderful! We're here, in the middle of the desert, while your boy toy is having the time of his life eating those damned crab snacks he likes so much. Not to mention getting into the pants of rich ladies… How fair is that?"
"Ok, Casey, first of all he's not my boy toy, but he is going to be my husband very soon. So if you keep calling him that I'm going to kick your big NSA ass, understood? And secondly, you agreed to cover for him, so stop whining and let's work"
Casey grunted something like "I don't whine…", but she couldn't hear him very clearly as he had turned around, heading to the car to grab a set of shovels. Watching the sun rising and how it gently illuminated the warm sand of the desert, coloring it with all shades of amazing colors reminded Sarah of their spot on the beach. Oh, Chuck, I wish you were here to see this with me. She started to imagine herself in Chuck's arms, savoring the moment…
"Hey, Walker! Come on, stop daydreaming and give me a hand", said Casey, throwing her a shovel. She followed him to the excavation spot indicated by the GPS. "This is the place. Let's get this done", grunted Casey. They started to dig in the sand.
"This feels like a we are treasure hunters, uh?" commented Sarah, trying to break the ice. Being used to Chuck's interminable talk of anything on his mind had made Sarah uncomfortable with silence. Casey just grunted, without stopping his digging. "It's like being in a movie… you know? The other night, Chuck and I were watching "Riders of the Lost ark" and…"
"For God's sake, Walker! Stop talking! Geez, you're really turning into one of them! I swear, if you start to quote Star Wars, I'm going to bury you in the sand!"
"Oh, yeah? I want to see you try… I'm sorry, Casey. I just miss him… and I suppose I'm a little worried, too"
"Ah! So the situation with the rich ladies really is affecting you, uh?"
"What? No, it's not that… I trust Chuck. No, the thing is, I have been experiencing this strange feeling… like something bad is happening…"
"Come on, Walker! He's at a Gala. With his sister, the Queen of the Worriers. Really, the only way they could get into trouble is if they kidnapped someone. So stop that crap and start digging, because at this point I don't believe we'll ever reach the damn artifact."
Sarah took a deep breath and keep digging with the Colonel.
"Casey?"
"Yeah?"
"I find your lack of faith disturbing…"
"Damn it, Bartowski!"
She laughed at Casey's annoyed face, but she couldn't help but to feel ecstatic. It was the first time anyone had called her Bartowski, and it had felt…wonderful. She returned to thinking of her soon-to-be husband and her best friend; still worried about their well being. She shook her head. No, Casey is right… After all, it was only a gala, nothing Chuck couldn't handle…
After all, what could possibly go wrong?
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"This couldn't be more wrong!" cried Ellie, trying to stabilize Cole while she was trying to steady herself. The dark silver Mercedes was zig zagging between a long line of cars, while two dark sedans where following it.
"Calm down, Ellie, just calm down! You have to focus, how is Cole doing?"
"I already told you, we need to take him to a hospital!"
"Yeah, well, that's not possible right know, as you can see… You need to try something else…"
"Something else? Chuck, the human body is not a playground!"
"I know, but we don't have many options, so start thinking like the researcher you are and do something!"
Ellie looked at the silver case open in front of her. It was full of syringes and serums, but nothing she could use on Cole.
"There's nothing!" cried Ellie. Chuck was maneuvering at close to 105 miles per hour. He had no time to be reassuring with Ellie. "Just keep searching", he ordered.
She looked at the labels, trying to find anything. Even with the rush of emotions and concern, Ellie noted the large amount of serums and antivenins. Unfortunately, this didn't help her to focus: why would Chuck need all of them?... No, she had to focus. The only thing useful she had was a low antispasmodic, not strong enough to stop Cole's reaction. She needed some kind of catalyst… maybe, if she mixed some of the short effect poison with it… it would be dangerous, and she didn't know if it was going to work, but she had no option. Ellie took the pills and started to dissolve them into the serum. She then filled one syringe with it. "Oh, God, please, let this work…" And she injected it into Cole's chest and started to apply pressure.
Ellie felt Cole's body relaxing…
"Ha, I did it! Chuck, I did it!" yelled Ellie. "I thought I couldn't but then… I did it!"
"I'm so glad, sis! Now, if you wake him up, it will be incredible… I need some help here…"
"I don't think that will be possible, little brother. His body is still processing everything…"
"Damn it!", he cursed. He glanced into the rear view mirror. He saw the men in the sedans preparing their guns. He knew the first shot had been a warning to stop, but now it was going to be more serious…
"Chuck, they have guns!" screamed Ellie.
"I KNOW!"
"Then do something! This is a spy car, right? Why you don't release the oil or fire the rocket. Just do something…"
"And I'm the nerd in the family… Ellie, it doesn't work like that!"
"But Casey's had a missile in it!"
"Yes, but Casey is a weapons junkie, and I'm not…"
"But you said you had been working on this car!"
"Yes, but…" he interrupted himself. They had reached the highway and their pursuers were approaching, fast. They flanked the Mercedes, one on the left and one on the right… The front passenger from the left car pointed his gun at him. Chuck swerved. He needed to get rid of them, but how? Suddenly, he felt a weight in his lap: It was the gun from the thug he knocked out in the parking lot. He gulped. He didn't like to use a gun, but he had no choice if he wanted to save Ellie and Cole from a horrible death. He reached out with the weapon in his right hand. When the flash came, the Intersect informed him that the enemy was to far to make an accurate shoot. He needed to get closer…
"Ellie, I need you to come up here and take the wheel!"
"I can't! I can't stop applying pressure!"
"Damn it!" How he would get out of this? If only he had installed the damn oil spreader, like Ellie had said… Wait! He had something more powerful than that! Of course, he hadn't proved it in the field yet, but… He pulled a cable from the radio console. It was a long, white, and had a plug made of pure gold: the best conductive metal. He played with it for a few seconds, took a deep breath and then he connected it to the Governor.
Instantly, all the windows went black, with green numbers and letters running down them. Chuck felt the familiar flash sensation, the Intersect kicking on…
"Connection successful" emanated from his mouth.
"What did you say, Chuck?" asked Ellie. She looked at her brother: his body was rigid and his vision unfocused. "Chuck, are you ok? CHUCK!" screamed Ellie. Her brother took his hands off the steering wheel, and took the gun from his lap. "Are you mad? What are you doing?". He turned to Ellie and she could see the concentration in his face, almost mechanical. "Dr. Eleanor Faye Woodcomb, we are fine. We are just taking care of the enemies."
"We? Who are "we"?"
"We are the Intersect, the Mobile, and the User. Please, don't interrupt us while working". And then, he moved into the passenger seat; gun in hand, and at the same time the car went to the right, closing the distance with the enemy car. Ellie held in a gasp. Oh, my God! He's going to kill them! But again, she was surprised. Instead of shooting the men, he had aimed at the ignition of the enemy car, and fired with incredible precision. Immediately, the black car slowed down, with the Mercedes doing the same. Chuck reached half of his body out of the window and shot twice more, one for each front wheel.
The Mercedes accelerated, and Ellie could swear Chuck was purring, just like a car when it starts…
"Oh, my head!... Where… Where I am?"
"Cole! Thank the Heavens!"
"What is going on?"
"Well, we're being chased by two cars full of bad guys. Chuck just took one out, and it seems he's going to do the same with the other one". Cole turned to Chuck: he was on the passenger seat, staring at the windshield - now turned into a big screen full of green numbers- and moving his mouth, but without a sound coming from them. "What the…? Wai… WHO IS DRIVING?" yelled Cole. He was a man of action; an international spy and because of that, very few things disturbed him… But he was sure that one of them was waking up in the back seat of a car, which was being chased, with Chuck Bartowski holding a gun and with no driver on the scene. He started to throw himself into the driver's seat, but then Chuck turned. "Please, Agent Cole Barker, don't interrupt us while working."
"Us?" Cole asked Ellie.
"I think he's somehow connected to the car"
"So the car is driving by itself? Like hell I'm going to let a machine take care of my life!" And again, he tried to reach the driver's seat, but once again Chuck pushed him back into his seat. "We warned you, Agent Cole Barker." Cole felt the seat belt closing around his hips, while Chuck was squinting at him. "And we don't like being called a machine, we're far more complicated than that". And just like that, he returned to stare at the screen, mumbling.
They were rapidly approaching the other vehicle, which had taken advantage of the delay from the last battle, and was now closing the street. Two large weapons were now starting to shoot at them. The Mercedes avoided the projectiles effortlessly, and kept going. "Please stay in your seats." Now, it was Ellie's turn to feel the seat belt. "We're going to take a little flight".
"WHAT?" they both screamed, but this time Chuck didn't answer. Instead, he moved behind the steering wheel. "Collision in five, four, three, two, one…"
At the last moment, the Mercedes wheels gave a quick move, sending the vehicle into the air, passing above the very impressed enemies, and then back onto the pavement. Again, Chuck shot out the enemy tires before the Mercedes took off into the night.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Cole and Ellie were still recovering from the "fligt" when they finally reached a secure hiding spot, in the middle of nowhere. The trip hadn't been long, so the adrenaline of the moment continued to surge in their bodies. They hadn't said anything during the journey, because of both the shock and they were afraid of getting "Them" angry. Finally, Chuck's robotic voice broke the silence.
"Location secure. Starting damage scan. Intersect unit: No damage found; Mobile unit: damage to rear window, five bullet holes, moderate damage to buffers, moderate damage to wheels; one fuel tank empty. No internal damage; User unit: heart rate stabilized, high adrenaline levels and decreasing, no contusions, no fractures. High activity in the digestive system. No fatal damage. Starting disconnection sequence: three, two, one…" Chuck unplugged the cable from the Governor. Ellie and Cole saw him blinking repeatedly and shaking his head. He turned to them with a big smile.
"Oh, man! What a journey, uh?"
Ellie and Cole just stared at him, with wide-open eyes.
"Uh… it's nice to see you again, Cole"
The MI6 agent reacted to his name: he looked at Chuck intensely and then he said: "I thought I had told you to not risk your life for me again".
"What can I say? I crossed my fingers…"
They shared a little laugh.
"What is wrong with you?" cried Ellie, loudly. Chuck looked at her with concern. "YOU!" roared Ellie furious, pointing her brother with her finger. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WITH THAT LITTLE TRICK OF YOURS!"
"Sis, please, calm down" Ellie shoot him a killer look. "Take a deep breath… come on…"
"Don't you dare talk to me like this, Charles Irving Bartowski! You better have a good explanation or…"
"I do… kind of… but first you have to calm down… you made a promise to Sarah, remember? No claims…"
Ellie hated her brother at that moment. She took a very deep breath. Chuck smiled her.
"I think you own us an explanation, Chuck", said Cole, serious. "I assume you are still working for the CIA and that the… thing in your head has something to do with this mess"
"You're right, I'm an Agent now, and yes, the Intersect is involved." He perceived Cole's glance at Ellie when he mentioned the Intersect. "Don't worry, she knows about it. Now, for the explanation: what you saw was my latest modification to both the Benz and the Governor." He showed the clock to Cole. "I thought that, since the Intersect is such a powerful computer, it might be able to link with other computers, so I customized the Governor as a link between the Benz mainframe and myself. I have used the connection before, but just for damage scanning. This is the first time I have used it in the field, but it seems that everything worked properly, didn't it?" ended Chuck, happily.
"Except for you turning into a frickin machine!", yelled Ellie.
"Really, sis, you have to stop saying that" said Chuck, suddenly serious. "I don't like being called a computer. I'm a human being, ok?"
"Oh, yeah? A human being has control over his body, and they don't let computers take control of them, like a puppet!"
"And who told you I wasn't in control? As you have clearly said, the Intersect is a computer, it doesn't have feelings and doesn't stop for anything in the pursuit of its goal in the most efficient way possible. Doesn't matter if it has to kill everybody in the process, and as you see, nobody had died. I told you before, I can control it now, I choose what is acceptable and what's not. I'm the User".
"Wow, Chuck! You really have changed since I saw you the last time! I mean, when I left you were just a pathetic geek with no will… Can you tell me how that happened?"
"It's nerd, Cole, and I still am one, I hope… just without the no- will thing. About what happened… well, some British jerk who tried to steal my girl told me a not-so-secret secret", said Chuck, grinning.
"Hey, I asked you if something was going on between you two before I tried anything… How is she, by the way? I heard you two are getting married. Congratulations!"
"Thank you. We tried to send you an invitation, but MI6 didn't want to tell us where we could find you…"
"Yeah, I was undercover… and you know how it is…"
Ellie was listening to the entire conversation. It was weird how they were both talking about agencies and missions as if it was the most common subject in the world. But of course, her definition of weird was changing a lot ever since she spotted Carmichael at the fountain a couple of hours ago…
"Excuse me, but I have a couple of questions" Both agents stared at her. "First of all, Chuck, how can you possibly control the Intersect? I mean, I saw you and it was as if it was exactly the opposite…"
"Emotions" said Chuck, simply. "That's the difference between being just a machine that follows orders and a human being. I have learned to handle my emotions in order to handle the Intersect. Sometimes it's very difficult, but I try my best to keep the equilibrium. I can't be an emotional wreck anymore, but at the same time I can't bottle my emotions either".
"You can't bury your emotions? But then how did you manage to burn an asset? I mean, did you pass your Red Test?" asked Cole. The expression on Chuck's face darkened, answering the question. "You did? Man! How can you live with it if you have emotions?"
"I didn't say I had to have all of them", said Chuck, darkly. It doesn't matter how much he had denied it, the truth was that after he shot Shaw on the bridge, something inside him had died that night. "Can we skip that subject, please? Ellie, what other thing did you want to know?"
Ellie delayed on speaking. She was trying to figure out what a Red Test was, because what memory could be so terrible for spies to want to kill their feelings?
"I just wondered… now that we're safe, what are we going to do?"
"We have to report to Beckman, I think", said Chuck, glaring at Cole. "Are you OK with that?"
"Actually, I needed to report to her when I arrived on American soil"
"Fine, then" He looked at his Governor. "Hell, it is four in the morning! She will kill us if we wake her up her! God knows she needs her beauty sleep… I have an idea: what if we tried to get some sleep too and we call her -and Devon- at a more proper hour? I don't know about you, but I'm very tired…"
"I think that is a great idea: I'm already feeling the adrenaline ebb away… and I was sedated for a while".
"You agree, sis?"
Ellie nodded with a yawn.
"Wonderful" said Chuck, with a yawn of his own. "Hey Cole, I understand if you can't say anything, but I have to ask: what are you doing in California?"
"Actually, I can tell you, but I don't think you're not going to like it" answered Cole, while he moved into the front passenger seat.
"C'mon, I think that after all you have seen, you can say I can handle it", said Chuck, both of them reclining their respective seats.
Cole was already half asleep, but he answered before slumber completely overtook him.
"I'm here to arrest Orion"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
A/N. So there you have.
This is one of my favorite chapters so far, so I'm going to dedicate this to three people: first to Maxxaran, who has been a real breath of fresh air. Helping me to polish this story with his corrections, never arguing about my lack of time sense, even if I send the draft at 2:00 am. Second, this chapter is for tennisgurl95, jinxed97 and centauri252000, who have been with me since the first chapter of Good Company, my first fic, and always took the time to review. I know I have said this before, but it is seriously appreciated. And last but not least, to everybody who have added this story to their Story Alerts. It feels amazing to know that somebody is getting hooked with this piece of trash… I'll try to not disappoint you.