A big, honking THANK YOU to Rebecca(WorkerCaste) for saving this section from total confusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hobbes watched Monroe's SUV from the driver's seat of Claire's Grand Cherokee. She and Hobbes had
switched vehicles, since the van stuck out like a sore thumb and there was little chance Monroe
wouldn't recognize it. Claire's vehicle, though not all that common, still blended into the
background a bit better. They had transferred a few pieces of gear into it, the bare minimum he
would need. As a precaution, he had also stuck a tracker under the rear bumper of Monroe's car. If
she did manage to lose them, he would still be able to follow.
Claire and Casey had gone back down to the Keep for a while, to see what they could do with Casey's
idea. Claire was truly hoping the it was as viable as it appeared, but it might take weeks of
research to know for sure. Not that she was complaining. New ideas, workable ideas, were more than
welcome, though she still wished the last 'workable idea' hadn't ended the way it had. They might
not be here right now, desperately hoping that they could find Darien before he got himself in too
deep.
Casey came out to join Hobbes just after noon. She was hoping, when they found Darien, that she
might be able to talk him out of running and give him the news that there was hope. Hell, she'd be
willing to promise to stay and help if he would not run, if he were willing to give her just six
months. Six months to try and save his life.
"What is this Stark like?" Casey asked.
"Evil incarnate?" Bobby said offhandedly, and Casey raised an eyebrow. "He's one of the big shots
of this organization called Chrysalis. They're supposedly preparing for some big end-of-the-world
deal and have their fingers in a lot of pies. They also have access to some major tech. Science
fiction type stuff." Bobby sat still as he told her the little he felt it safe for her to know.
"So they could, with the information Darien plans to give them, actually solve the removal
problem?" She was curious, more than anything. If they could do it, then anyone could, eventually.
"For sure? I don't know, but I suppose it's possible. I find it more likely, though, that Stark is
just yanking Fawkes' chain to get what he wants." Bobby looked over at Casey, and it was obvious
that she was contemplating something.
"What happened to him, Bobby? Why is he so desperate that he'd go to an enemy for help?" Casey
needed to understand what was going on in Darien's head if she was to have any hope of influencing
him.
Bobby debated for a moment, then decided to tell her. "You know about his brother Kevin and the
gland, right?"
She nodded. "I know Kevin designed an artificial gland and implanted it in Darien for testing, but
they later discovered that it had been altered, the side effect being what you've dubbed
quicksilver madness."
"Yeah, well, Kevin was the only one who really understood the entire thing, and he's dead. We
learned a while back, through another incident, that Fawkes can...channel the memories of others.
Even if they're dead. It's some weird interaction between the quicksilver gland and the pin ...
pine..."
"Pineal?" she guessed.
"That's it." Bobby rubbed the back of his head, not really wanting to remember this. "Two weeks
ago, Fawkes loaded up on his brother's memory, hoping Kevin could solve the problem."
Casey sat stunned. "Memory RNA transfer? That's only theoretical."
"Fawkes is a special case. It worked. When Fawkes was asleep, Kevin was awake." Bobby sighed. "We
got Arnaud's info on the changes he made, and we let Kevin see it. He claimed to have solved the
problem, then asked for some privacy to write it down."
"He didn't, obviously. What happened?" Casey didn't like where this was going.
"He wrote Fawkes a 'Dear John' letter, then erased himself from the gland. He never told any of us
how to solve the problem. Fawkes, well, he didn't take it very well. Saw it as another betrayal."
Bobby watched Casey for her reaction.
"Kevin knows best," she muttered.
"What?" Bobby wasn't sure he had heard her correctly.
"Not important." Casey now understood why Darien was so insistent that he wanted out now, and why
he didn't seem to care whether or not he survived it. "Bobby, Kevin was a fool."
"He did the right thing. He did what was best for Fawkes. You haven't seen the way he's changed; I
have. He's a better man today because of the gland," Bobby said to her.
"Bullshit." Casey snapped at him. "You forget, I knew him for a year before any of this happened. I
see how he's changed, and it's not how you think. He may have lied to me, but he was never a bad
person. Once upon a time, though, he loved life, especially his life. Does he now? Has he been
happy at all, really, since he came here? Or has he been looking for a way out since day one?"
She was right, and Bobby knew it. Fawkes may have grown, may have learned to do and even enjoy the
work a little, but the first thing on his mind when he woke up every morning was getting the gland
out of his head and getting the hell out of dodge. No wonder he'd grabbed at the first offer to
come along with the promise of success, even if it did come from the enemy.
He didn't get a chance to respond, though, as Monroe chose that moment to appear and get into her
car. He waited until she had pulled out into traffic before starting the Cherokee and following.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darien stood under the spreading branches of the tree, watching children of various ages scream,
play, and act like normal kids. The simple playgrounds of his youth had been replaced with these
mammoth structures that allowed children's imaginations to run wild. Oh, it had all the normal
equipment -- the swings, slides and monkey bars -- but it was also two stories tall, part castle,
part spaceship, and part pirate ship. It was incredible. He was pretty sure Stark wouldn't try
anything here, with several dozen children and their parents nearby. Stark might be a bastard, but
he was no fool.
Looking across the expanse of grass separating the playground from the baseball fields, he saw
Monroe approaching. She was carrying her oversized laptop and looking about warily, perhaps not
caring for the open space that she was forced to cross to get to him. It would be a good spot for a
sniper to take a shot, Darien realized, but when he'd chosen this place he'd been thinking
protection involving other people, not shelter from hidden dangers. Just more proof that this was
not the line of work he was cut out for.
Once Alex was sure she had garnered his notice, she walked over to a nearby picnic table and set
the computer down on top of it. With a last wistful look at the children, Darien moved away from
the tree and joined her. Such unreserved joy in their hearts, such simple freedom. And it left him
with such longing.
"Interesting choice for this meet, Fawkes. Whose nose are you trying to tweak: mine or Stark's?"
Monroe sounded just like her usual self, cold and uncaring. Too bad it wasn't true. If she were
that way, really, then she wouldn't be risking all this for a child she barely knew. She would have
written him off and gone on with her life. Instead, here she was, hoping -- a desperate hope -- that
his deal with Stark would regain her something precious that she had lost. So instead of making some
flippant or sarcastic comment, Darien simply said, "You're welcome."
Surprised at his words and at his muted tone, she nodded, unsure what to say. Darien glanced at his
watch and frowned. "Why is it the bad guys always have to make a dramatic entrance ten minutes late?"
"Perhaps we simply failed to synchronize our watches," Stark said from behind them, as he walked
around to stand at the far end of the picnic table. He had two others with him, one of whom carried
a laptop similar to Alex's. "Shall we?" He gestured at her computer. Stark's man set his down and
opened it. Alex followed suit with her own.
Darien reached into his jacket and withdrew the case of disks, holding them up for Stark to see.
"I've shown you mine, now you show me yours."
Stark nodded to the man on his right who pulled out a single disk in a clear plastic case. "Shall
we switch as one and then take a minute to verify?" Stark, as usual, sounded smug and confident.
Darien shrugged. He set the case on the table and slid it down towards the other end. The goon did
the same.
"I understand some of the information may be encrypted." He picked up the case and handed it to
Monroe, who wasted no time getting the disk into her machine.
"Expected. It shouldn't be a problem," Stark said. His man checked over the contents and then put
one of the disks into his own machine.
Darien heard Monroe suck in a breath. He turned slightly. "Everything okay?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. The disk contained not only a location, but a picture as well. A chubby-faced, sleeping
infant, about five months old. Just about the age her son would be. She knew this might very well
just be any random infant that Chrysalis had, but hope, hope was always there, and looking at this
child, she could not deny it. "The information appears to be legit," she said, looking up at Darien.
He glanced over at Stark, who was waiting for verification from his man. After another couple of
minutes and some switching of disks, he nodded to Stark.
"Well, Mr. Fawkes, we have a deal then."
"Leave, Monroe," Darien said, "Your part is over." He stepped away from her, heading for Stark,
then paused and looked her in the eye. "Make sure you bring him home."
"Fawkes..." She closed her computer and picked it up.
"Just go." As he watched, she nodded, picked up the computer, and walked away. Darien turned back
to Stark. "So, now what?"
Alex made he way past the playground, where she was intercepted by Hobbes as he suddenly appeared
from behind a tree. "Did you get the information you needed?" he asked when she stopped in surprise.
"Hobbes, are you trying to screw this up?" she snarled quietly and pulled her arm from his grip.
He shook his head. "Just trying to save Fawkes from himself." True enough. Now that Monroe had the
information on her son, it was time to get his partner.
Monroe turned and looked back; Fawkes was still there, talking quietly with Stark. Suddenly, a
movement nearby caught her eye. Glancing over at the playground, she saw at least half the children
making their way deliberately towards her. It took her a moment to understand what she was seeing.
All of the children were armed. "Damn it," she muttered. Then she shouted, "Fawkes, it's a trap!"
and watched as Darien whipped his head around to see the kids.
Darien grabbed Stark by the lapels of his jacket and screamed, "You son of a bitch! You had to use
kids?" One of the goons pulled out his gun and rested it against Darien's temple and Darien
carefully released Stark.
"Come now, Mr. Fawkes, did you really think I would just give away information about one of our
training facilities?"
"I expected you to keep your end of the deal," Darien snapped.
"Oh, I will. In just a few short hours, the gland will be out of your head," Stark said, smiling in
confidence.
"I don't think so, asshole," Bobby shouted and began firing at the computer. Two well-placed shots
turned it into a smoking mess of wires and circuit boards. He then began to fire at the guy who'd
been holding the thing. One shot to the head and he was down.
The guy who'd had the gun to Darien's head moved it away and began returning fire. Stark, in the
meantime, pulled out his own gun and grabbed Darien around the throat to use him as s shield. He
began to back them away from the gunfight.
Monroe was doing her damnedest to protect Hobbes, while trying not to injure any of the kids who
were taking potshots at them from behind the various sections of the playground. "How many clips do
you have, Hobbes?"
"Two for each." He fired at Stark's single remaining goon and winged him. Several of the kids
broke away, moving to surround Stark and Darien, using their bodies as a shield so that their
leader could get away.
"We're a bit outgunned."
"No kidding." Monroe placed another round into the playground structure, making the little
brainwashed brats duck and stop shooting for a moment.
Darien was stunned. Stark was using kids to protect him. Those same kids he'd been watching at play
just a short time ago were all Chrysalis monsters? In that instant, he realized what a fool he had
been being. Did he really want out of this life so badly that he'd help a bastard like this,
someone who would use children as weapons, targets, and tools to further his own incomprehensible
goals? No! Not now or in any other lifetime.
"Stark!" he screamed.
The goon next to them turned slightly and started to speak. "The copter is on the way, s..." Then
he froze, his hand going to his chest and coming away with a tranq dart. He stared at the dart for
a long moment, then collapsed to his knees and tipped over sideways, unconscious. The kids just
moved in closer, guaranteeing Stark would not be fired upon. At least not by Alex or Hobbes.
Darien looked around, trying to see who had shot the dart. He expected to see Claire, but instead,
to his horror and amazement, he spotted Casey poking her head from around a nearby tree, trying to
get another shot.
"Casey, get the hell out of here!" he shouted at her. Stark squeezed a little tighter, cutting off
his air momentarily.
"What, Fawkes? Another girlfriend trying to save your worthless hide?" Stark started to drag him
backwards, towards the open expanse of grass. "Doesn't she realize your only value is that gland in
your head?"
Casey called out to him. "Darien, don't do this. Let me help. I'll stay for as long as you need me
to." She poked her head around the tree again. "Six months. Give me just six months."
Darien didn't know what to think. Why were any of them still bothering with him, fighting for this
lost cause he had once called his life? Why did they care, when he couldn't? He wasn't given a real
chance to answer Casey, though; Stark's grip on his throat made sure of that.
"Fawkes, it's true. Don't go with that bastard. Remember the mermaid?" Hobbes shouted at his
partner while playing dodge 'em with the well armed midgets. They were slowly withdrawing, along
with the few adults, intent on protecting Stark until his escape arrived.
Darien closed his eyes, still not fighting Stark's hold and allowing himself to be slowly dragged
away from his friends.
His friends. Did he really want to die this way, surrounded by people who cared nothing for him?
Stark had obviously never had any intention of helping him, or any interest in acquiring his
gland-free services. All Stark wanted was the gland and the files; he had proven that by this
treachery.
Hobbes and Casey had come here -- had put themselves in harm's way -- to stop him, to prevent him
from going through with this foolish and desperate bid for freedom. He could even see Monroe,
working with Hobbes to fend off those 'children' instead of just taking off with the information on
her son as he'd expected her to do. In her own way, for some reason, even she was trying to save him
from himself. Could things really be as hopeless as he'd thought if Monroe -- Monroe, of all people
-- saw something in him worth fighting for?
Casey shouted to him. "Darien, you once asked me if we could try again, start over. I'm saying
yes." She wasn't lying. She had always regretted the way things been forced to end, and with what
she now knew she was more than willing to get to know him again. "Please!" she begged. She wanted
to try and find the man she had fallen in love with, to see even a hint of that happiness he'd once
possessed in his eyes again.
She'd stay? With him? Even after what he'd shown her and done to her last night? Suddenly, that
overwhelming desire to have it all over, the need to end this miserable existence, the despair that
had become a part of him for so long, all of it vanished. Like night turning to day, he looked back
on everything he'd been doing lately and realized he'd been acting like a complete fool. Yeah, his
life wasn't perfect, and might never be as long as he still had the quicksilver gland, but with
people around him who cared this much, who were willing to stand by him even when he pulled shit
like this, could it ever really be all that bad?
Finally, as if waking at last from the paralysis of a nightmare, he began to struggle in Stark's
grip. Ignoring the gun that still jabbed him in the ribs, he shoved his elbow back hard, causing
Stark to grunt and double over. The kids surrounding them immediately went on the offensive,
striking at him with fists and weapons, distracting him and giving Stark more than enough time to
recover. When Hobbes noticed Darien trying, really trying, to get away at last, he began winging a
few shots over in that direction. He aimed more at the adults, but he couldn't help but hit one of
the kids who purposely moved in the way to protect the elder person.
Darien freaked and began to struggle all the harder, not wanting to use the quicksilver unless
necessary. He was too close as it was, and he had no idea when he might be allowed another shot. He
really didn't want Casey to see him like that ever again.
Stark suddenly swore, and his grip loosened. Jerking away, Darien turned around to see a tranq dart
sticking out of Stark's arm. Two of the kids nearby turned and fired at the offending party without
hesitation. There was a scream, and then Darien saw Casey fall to the ground about ten feet away.
With a shout of rage, Darien quicksilvered and waded through the kids, heedless of any damage he
might cause or the likelihood that they would fire on him. To his surprise, he made it to Casey's
side without feeling a bullet bury itself in his back. Looking down at her bleeding on the ground,
part of him almost wished it would.
The quicksilver dropped away as he fell to his knees beside her, not sure what to do. "Casey? Damn
it, Casey, why?"
She opened her eyes to look up at him. She had a good idea how bad it was, knew that it was very
unlikely she would make it to a hospital, but also knew that she had done the right thing. "Darien,
d... don't be angry."
"Case, don't do this to me. I just got you back; I can't lose you now." Darien pulled her into his
arms, part of him realizing that nothing he did, good or ill, would make a difference.
"I was never yours in the first place," she managed with a pained chuckle. "Do something for me?"
"Anything, Casey, just don't die." There was such anguish in is voice. He couldn't lose her, not
now, not when she had just tried to save his stupid, worthless life from a sacrifice he was willing
to make.
"Live," she choked out. "Promise you'll live. Learn to hope again. Be happy again."
"Casey, I can't..."
She grabbed one of his hands. "Promise me, damn it."
"I... I.." He closed his eyes, defeated. He couldn't deny her this one request, not now, no matter
how much it hurt. "I promise."
When he opened his eyes again a moment later, hers were staring sightlessly at the bright blue sky
above them. He had no idea if she had even heard him. The tears began falling then, and he hugged
her to his chest, rocking back and forth. He'd thought the pain he'd been feeling before could get
no worse, but fate had conspired to prove him wrong yet again. In spite of his promise to Casey,
part of him was wishing that someone would just shoot him, or a stray bullet from the nearby battle
would find him and end it all. As usual, however, the one thing he thought he wanted, thought he
needed, was not to be found.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC.... in the Epilogue