After a long, tedious day at high school, Chuck raced towards his home, quickly climbing the stairs of their apartment. Once he unlocked the door, he saw his sister, dressed in workout clothes, repeatedly striking a punching bag.

She had moved most furniture to the side of the room, so that nothing would be caught in the crossfire. The only thing she hadn't moved was the sofa chair, which had always been in the same place since... forever.

A one-two punch combo was followed by a devastating spin kick as she repeatedly hit the punching bag, falling into a steady rhythm. So focused was she on her exercise that she barely heard her brother coming in.

"Hey!" She said, delivering a hard roundhouse kick to the center of the bag.

"Yo El, what's this?" Chuck asked, closing the door. "Olympic training?"

"Yeah. Gold medal comin' up in the near future."

Chuck let out a hearty laugh.

"No, smartass." Ellie replied in a mock offended tone. "What, your sister isn't allowed to stay in shape?"

Chuck held up his hands in defeat.

"I didn't say that. I didn't say anything."

"Ha, you certainly didn't!"

She stuck her tongue out playfully.

Ellie stopped assaulting the defenseless punching bag as Chuck opened the fridge door. She went to the counter and grabbed a water bottle. After taking a large sip she looked towards her younger sibling.

"Looking for something, Chuck?"

"Food."

"I see plenty of food there, doofus!"

Chuck hesitated briefly before replying.

"Like food... that I actually want to eat."

Ellie sharply narrowed her eyes as she stepped closer to her brother, taking a good look at his face.

"Hey, did something happen at school today?"

"What? Come on El..."

Ellie interrupted her younger sibling before he could continue making excuses. She placed a hand on his swollen forehead, causing him to flinch in pain.

"Looks like you have got yourself a little bruise here. Was it Jarrod again?"

Chuck let out a miserable sigh, closing the fridge door after taking out an ice pack.

"Yeah."

"Was it a fight?"

"No, not at all. It was just a minor... misunderstanding."

"You know, I really hate to tell you this, but you can't rely on me forever. You are my brother and I will always be there to protect you as much as I can, but you need to learn how to stand up for yourself. You won't have someone to rely on when you go to college, or when you get a job. But there will be people like Jarrod. Maybe they won't try to punch you in the face, but they will try to keep you down. And sooner or later you must learn how to deal with that."

Chuck rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

"Duly noted, Big Sis!"

Ellie smiled at him as she assumed a fighting stance.

"I was thinking of learning Krav Maga. Maybe I can show you some moves."

Chuck and Ellie laughed as she tossed a few punches towards an imaginary enemy.

"Just in case anything ever..."

Ellie paused, cracking her knuckles.

"...happens."

Both of their smiles faded after a moment. Chuck then glanced at the nearby corner, where he could see a family photo. It showed Chuck when he was merely a child, standing in a park with his elder sister. She was laughing and had her hand wrapped around his right shoulder. Standing next to them was a middle-aged man with messy brown hair similar to Chuck's, with a wide grin on his face. His hand was placed around Chuck's left shoulder.

Chuck looked away from the picture and stared back at Ellie. Letting out a deep sigh, the eldest of the Bartowski household reached out, placing a hand on Chuck's head. The brown-haired teen closed his eyes as Ellie pulled him into a warm, heartfelt motherly hug.

...xxxx...xxxxx...xxxxxx...

Needless to say, Agent Walker was quite frustrated with the situation at hand. Sarah was pissed at these fake cops for showing up right when Chuck was this close to giving in.

They just had to interrupt now, didn't they? Was a single night of normalcy and romance too much to ask for?

She fumed internally as she crawled sideways, landing behind a gunner who happened to be completely unaware of her movement, and swung her knee outwards. The force of the hit knocked the assailant out.

She quickly dragged the body out of sight, then searched it for car keys.

She did this for a living. Even though this situation was dangerous, it was basically just another Wednesday for her. In fact, she dealt with much worse during that accursed mission in Budapest and survived with just some minor injuries to show for it.

For her, this wasn't such a big deal.

The only issue was that Chuck was now involved with all this. And she wasn't okay with endangering his life. She was starting to get worried about him, knowing very well about what happened to some of the most brilliant and promising scientists related to the Intersect project. How they were abducted, tortured and brutally murdered by the very same rogue organization Bryce and many others like him worked for. She didn't want Chuck to end up like them. Ever.

The fear and anxiety she felt were quite real and she wasn't okay with leaving Chuck to fend for himself for a prolonged period of time. She needed to get back to him as quick as possible, to make sure he was safe and unharmed.

With that in mind, she held both of her guns close to her. She had already disabled three enemies, so it was only a matter of time before the rest came looking. She looked around and found a piece of metal nearby that would make a lot of noise. Her brain started calculating all the options as a plan to find an escape route began forming in the back of her mind.

Sensing something was amiss, she moved as quietly and as swiftly as she possibly could, hiding behind a delivery truck.

"Come out, come out, bitch! Wherever you are~"

"Do we really have to kill her? She seems pretty fuckable."

Sarah heard the voices of those looking for her – two of them, it seemed. She had them right where she initially wanted them. So as always, she held the advantage over them in battle.

Taking out the metal object, which happened to be a piece of broken pipe, she threw it against the squad car, shattering one of its windows.

"What's–"

"Gotcha."

The blonde agent quickly rose to her feet and cartwheeled through the air, simultaneously kicking both of them before shooting holes through their shoulders. Both assailants went down like the others.

However, before she could mentally celebrate her victory, she noticed a shadow approaching her from behind. She immediately crawled over, barely dodging a wild shot going overhead. Her relief proved short-lived as someone barreled into her from behind, pushing her to the ground. Her head hit the pavement after taking a nasty blow, knocking the breath out of her and causing her to drop both of her weapons. Movement at the corner of her eyes made her look up, only to notice her attacker's gun coming in an arc to strike her on the side of her head.

In the short moment she had left, she concentrated on Chuck. Every time she thought of him, it made her feel a little more at ease. Nothing else mattered.

Will I ever see him again?

The next thing she knew was darkness, leaving her unable to think or feel anything.

...xxxxxxxx...xxxxxxx...xxxxxx...

As far as Chuck was concerned, he was cursed with bad luck. At least it seemed that way.

Things have been getting worse recently, despite my new powers.

He jimmied his way inside the car and as he suspected, someone had bought a lot of home supplies today. The first thing he did was to remove air freshener canisters from the shopping bag, then he checked the bag for toiletries. He hoped his sense of smell was proven right.

His hand found a loosely packed bottle, then took another whiff to be sure, fully uncapping the bottle. He smiled to himself as the smell of ammonia rose from it. Now all he needed right now was bleach. He reached out again, removing item after item. Such as a small plastic pack of cable ties and a frying pan.

Damn! It has to be here. Don't tell me they didn't buy it.

Eventually, he managed to pull out a heavy bottle. The lid was harder to pop off but he finally found himself some bleach, thank goodness.

A part of him contemplated just getting out of there and awaiting backup. However, the way Sarah had treated the whole Intersect situation, followed by her kissing him twice, made him realize that while there was no sure-fire way to ascertain her intentions, she did genuinely care for him and he couldn't just leave her to her own fate. He was still incredibly terrified. But his decision to save her instead of reporting everything to the Admiral and letting the true professionals deal with Mauser was driven by a strange need he couldn't articulate.

He didn't know anything personal about Sarah, and if he adhered strictly to what he knew of her from the Intersect files, he should be getting as far away from her as he possibly could. He had to make up his damn mind and decide what he really wanted to do. Because he couldn't dodge the issue any longer, especially after that first kiss.

It was just one kiss.

A mind-numbing, knee-weakening, soul-searing, electrifying kiss. And he kissed her back. Well, he would have if Mauser hadn't shown up when he did.

However, a more sceptical part of him couldn't help but wonder if that kiss even meant anything to her. She was no stranger to using her charms during a mission, after all. In fact, her files indicated that she was possibly one of the best when it came to business.

What if he was just getting ahead of himself?

What if she turned out to be another one who'd eventually leave him behind? That was a recurring feature of his past relationships.

What am I truly afraid of? Her being an incredibly dangerous woman? Or that she might see me as some sort of abomination or a freak because of the computer in my head?

He immediately quashed all the conflicting emotions bubbling up inside him, as now wasn't the time to deal with his petty emotions.

Now was the time to take immediate action.

Upon arming himself with makeshift weapons, Chuck gently stepped out of the car and scanned the surroundings for possible threats. Thankfully, no one was in the vicinity.

He took the deepest breath he could ever remember taking in his entire life, and rose to his full height. Exhaling slowly, he quietened his steps and made his way toward where all the action was taking place.

Moving as fast as he dared under the circumstances, he tried his best to focus on the task in hand; not for long, as he couldn't help but wonder what on earth he'd just trodden on. He bit his lip reluctantly as he looked down.

Oh, God! That's an arm! A dead man's arm!

The world around him shrank a bit, as he dropped to the floor like a soldier would in reaction to gunfire.

Someone had just died.

His stomach plummeted as he covered his mouth, trying to muffle his breathing. It seemed Sarah had managed to kill one of their pursuers in co... self-defense. That felt quite jarring. No amount of training could prepare him for the heat of the moment. To accept that he might have to kill someone in order to survive or finish an assignment. He couldn't explain what he really felt right now, but the only word which came close was... Unfair.

As he ruminated the unfairness of the situation, he moved the young man's body into a discreet spot, out of sight.

This is all so... so unfair.

He turned his head up, as his ears caught a buzzing sound in the distance. His blood began rushing through him, annoyingly pulsing in his ears as he tried to discern what he was hearing. A moment later, he identified footsteps along with the sound of someone being dragged on the ground.

He silently removed the glasses from his pocket. It had been a while since he dropped this project and he had no idea how much use they'd be right now. The device's lack of recent use could cause it to malfunction, or perhaps it lacked a crucial degree of versatility in relation to the situation at hand. But if it helped him mitigate his way through the crisis, that would be good enough for him.

Alright, I hope this still works.

Chuck donned his glasses and tapped the bridge to activate them. Adjusting the built-in camera with its touchpad, he tried to stretch his vision as far as he could. The device could be adjusted for contrast, brightness and zoom, and even had a night-vision mode if needed.

Initially, his vision was blurry and the resolution terrible. However, the quality started to improve as the lenses began readjusting themselves. Miraculously, the smart algorithm he had created still worked, making him so giddy he began to feel nauseous. CIPS was not a waste of time and money, despite what his so-called superiors claimed.

Wow, this thing is a godsend. It still works like a charm!

He was shocked to a standstill as he took in his surroundings with a mini-binocular view. Judging by his camera feed, there were still four enemies left to deal with.

OK, now let's see what else we have here... 1, 2, 3, 4... 4 bodies- No, don't think about them like that. Not yet. Not now. Perhaps they were just... incapacitated or knocked out.

Chuck squeezed his eyes. The last thing he needed right now was to tie himself in knots.

The 21.5 megapixel camera still worked wonders with the auto focus features he spent so long perfecting. He felt closer than ever to the scene. So close, in fact, that an idiotic part of him wanted to stretch out and grab one of their legs.

His thoughts were interrupted as somebody – a woman, judging by the silhouette – was being dragged into the dark alleyway by a man who was notably tall. He also noticed Mauser giving orders to everyone else. Looks like he's the one in charge. The rest of them looked quite pleased with themselves. As the shortest of the other men started laughing, the tallest one returned from the alleyway and turned to him, silencing him without a word. There was also a female assailant among the group. She was apparently the strong, silent type, never letting her gun drop.

Chuck momentarily stopped breathing. There was only one person that silhouette could belong to. Fear and anxiety overloaded his system as he felt the inside of his mouth dry up. He felt scared, intimidated and powerless all over again, just like he did when Bryce slept with Jill and framed him for stealing those tests.

He hissed, cursing himself inwardly for not anticipating this kind of situation in time.

Damn it, Sarah!

...xxxxx...xxxxxx...xxxxx...

Sarah seriously hated waking up to find herself at the mercy of an enemy agent.

She had no control of her body. As much as she willed it to move, there was no reaction whatsoever. At first, her vision was too blurry to identify anything with; eventually, the amorphous shapes in her sight began taking form, like pieces of a puzzle assembling themselves. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious for; only that if she were anyone else, she'd be long dead by now.

As soon as her vision came into focus, Sarah tried to understand where she was. Instead of freeing herself, she took the time to inspect her surroundings, hoping to formulate some plan of escape. A few minutes later, she slumped forward on her knees. Her hands had been cuffed together at an awkward angle, which put pressure on her arms and made it harder to move around.

"Greetings and salutations, Mrs Anderson. Or should I call you Sarah Walker?" Mauser smiled as his associates around him sneered at the incapacitated spy.

Sarah was not about to let some nobody intimidate her. "Fine. I take it you have heard of me through your sources."

"Absolutely, Agent Walker. You are a pretty wild thing that came into this city like a charging animal. No intelligence. No discipline. No respect." He smirked, taking out a stun gun. The device crackled with electricity. "Despite all that, you have impressed our group with your rampage. It's quite unfortunate that one of our benefactors wants you. That said, we might be able to convince him otherwise if you agree to lend us your skills in exchange."

"You plan to use me?" Sarah was starting to get outraged.

"We like to help people realize their potential. Like you. The infamous wildcard enforcer of Langston Graham. It's about time you accepted your true calling, don't you think? Naturally, we will also make you rich beyond your wildest dreams." Mauser smiled. "Just like your former lover, before he failed his most important task."

Her eyes snapped open as her entire body started quivering with rage. Fueled by anger and hurt, she spun and kicked one of Mauser's associates – a short man, to be exact – onto the ground.

"You... son... of... a bitch..." She reared back to kick again, only for Mauser to grab her by the shoulders. He tasered her on the neck, causing her to cry in agony and double over in pain as her body went rigid.

It was a sensation she was all too familiar with. As her eyes closed, she wished that the madness would end. Even before becoming a spy, she spent a decade in a bad household. She had learned a few tricks to help her fight back, to endure. Even back then, she wouldn't have been that easy to break.

She had always been unsure about the nature and extent of her feelings for Chuck. Even during her relationship with Bryce, thoughts of him always lingered in her mind. He seemed like the only man who could ever understand her and truly connect with her.

Chuck, I wish you could read my mind right now.

"Open your eyes, Agent Walker! You can't escape reality." The female assailant grabbed her by the back of her neck, causing her to yelp in pain.

I am seeing you... The day you left Harvard, you looked at me but I couldn't muster the strength to look back at you. At that moment, you all but disappeared from my life and it took five long years for us to meet again... and now that you have finally spoken to me, I've been taken away.

"You feel it, don't you? The impending doom that awaits you if you continue to be a bad girl." Mauser grinned maliciously.

I regret not having the courage to show up at Burbank. With that confession to herself sorted, she opened her eyes and spoke to Mauser in a condescending tone.

"Was that all? You really don't know how to entertain, do you?"

"Darn. Ungh... She's a feisty one, isn't she?" The short male associate got back on his feet, still clutching his side in pain.

"It's alright, Rob. You know how much I enjoy taming wild animals like her." Mauser rubbed his hands in glee, a sadistic grin emerging on his face.

All of a sudden, the walkie talkie on his side belt came to life as a thick raspy voice boomed through it.

"I see. In that case, do you enjoy chemistry as well, mousy boy?"

Frank and his associates jumped back in shock. Their heads swiveled and they kept their guns close. That transmission was on the channel they used to communicate with each other.

The tall man turned to the other three. "Do you think she already called for backup?"

"It doesn't matter. We have jammers all over the place so no one is coming to help. It must be that buffoon boyfriend of hers." Mauser scoffed at his fearful colleague.

"Who I am doesn't really matter, mousy boy. Let me ask you the million-dollar question: What happens when you mix ammonia with bleach?"

All four FULCRUM agents blinked in confusion, taken aback by such a ridiculous question.

Before they could realize what was going on, a shadowy but extremely agile figure jumped down from a nearby tree, yanking the tails of cable ties attached to him, as if he was pulling a grenade clip. With accurate aim, he lobbed a bottle of the noxious mixture at the group. He then locked eyes with the blonde woman on the floor, giving her a quick nod of acknowledgement before back pedaling in short order.

Mauser swiftly turned around and locked eyes with the shadowy individual. As suspected, it was that same brown-haired buffoon who moments earlier kicked a basketball into his groin. The buffoon smirked at him and gave him the one-figured salute, then threw a second bottle to the ground and scampered off.

Like the first bottle, the second smashed on contact with the ground and released a thick mixture of greenish-yellow gas into the surrounding area, all but rendering the FULCRUM agents blind as they couldn't see anywhere past their noses. Seconds later, repetitive sounds of coughing and gagging filled the air.

Chuck smiled, hiding in the spot where he liberally sprayed air freshener. It wasn't enough to completely offset the side effects of his improvised weapon, but it was the best he could do at short notice.

The short man and woman were the first to hobble out. Their eyes were bulging out of their sockets and they gasped for air as they collapsed to the ground. The woman made a decent fist of getting back on her feet, until the shadow from earlier knocked her out with a frying pan to the head.

Chuck stood still. He could still hear Sarah and someone else coughing, whilst his own lungs were also somewhat desperate for oxygen. Upon identifying that someone else as the tall man (who it seemed was suffering the most), he took care of him with a well-timed bottle of chilli sauce.

As he stood there, he realized something didn't feel right. Suddenly, he detected loud footsteps heading in his direction and spun around to find an enraged Mauser – complete with bloodshot eyes – charging towards him from the side like a rampaging rhino. As instilled in him by his training, Chuck grabbed Mauser's fists as the FULCRUM agent leapt towards him, then struck him with a roundhouse kick to the chin.

Mauser staggered backwards in pain, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I am done playing games, you little shit!"

Before Chuck could retort, his eyes fell on his wrist watch... which triggered an Intersect flash.

Second Generation iPod

Operation Scorpion reports to leader

Operation Black Briar reports to leader

Satellite maps

Blueprints of a highly secured facility located in suburb

Automatic rifle

Second Generation iPod

He held the back of his head in pain, his sight turning blurry.

NO NO NO! This can't be happening to me!

He dashed towards Mauser in an attempt to strike him with a haymaker, which the stockier man dodged with ease. Unfortunately for Chuck, his latest flash had impaired his fighting skill.

A sharp blow impacted his stomach, causing him to slide several feet along the ground. He felt like he was about to spill his guts out and the flash-induced pain he felt inside his head wasn't going anywhere. He got back up slowly on trembling legs. After a short interlude of heavy breathing, Chuck attempted to fight back with telegraphed punches that Mauser evaded easily. Without warning, he suffered a ferocious barrage of punches and kicks – through which he struggled to stay conscious – then was grabbed by the neck and smashed head-first against the wall.

His head dropped, blood was dripping from his nose and mouth, and his vision was fading. In what was surely his last act of defiance, he raised his head and spat in Mauser's face.

Shit! I'm sorry Ellie, Morgan, Dad... Sarah. I failed you all!

"Say goodby–"

What happened next took both men completely by surprise. A black leather belt seemingly appeared out of thin air, looped around Mauser's neck, and violently constricted his windpipe.

As Chuck's vision returned to normal, his eyes fell upon a most welcome sight.

"Not on my watch, you bastard!"

Sarah Walker – in spite of being beaten, bruised, battered and hindered by the effects of the gas cloud – was choking the shit out of his tormentor.

Chuck had never felt as much respect for this woman as he did right this moment.

She truly is incredible!

...xxxxxxx...xxxxxx...xxxxx...