Walter slammed the door as he entered the Garage. He paused for a moment to reset the alarm, leaving it armed and then he screamed. He slammed his backpack onto the couch as his anger continued to build. As his temper flared higher he grabbed the coffee table in the middle and with the surging adrenaline being driven by his anger, he yanked it up and heaved it through the air. It struck the large work table, before the monitor tree, after it had half bounced and half slid across the work table. It smacked into the monitor tree, with enough force, that the monitor tree tipped over and fell to the floor. Every monitor but one went blank as it struck. The one frizzed and flashed and then popped.
Walter hadn't felt this level of anger in years, not since Callan. After everything he had done for the ungrateful wretches. He stormed over to the loft stairs and climbed them quickly.
Cabe stopped at the other end of the Garage and let Florence out. They both looked towards the other end of the Garage when they heard the crash. Florence looked back with a bit of fear on her face. "Should we go check on him?"
Cabe shook his head, he had watched Walter getting more upset as they sat and ate lunch. "When Walter is this upset, it is usually best to let him blow off some steam before you approach him. We'll find out how he is in the morning. I can't really blame him though to be honest. The guys have to work but, in two weeks not one of them could even be bothered to talk with him. Not even to try to fix things."
Florence nodded. "Why did I have to open my mouth that night? It isn't like Walter had feelings for me. Sure he liked to run some numbers with me. But that was all he ever saw in me. All he saw was my intelligence. I might as well have been Sylvester. No, that isn't true. He saw Sylvester completely, like he saw Paige. I was completely invisible to him unless we were standing at the white board."
Cabe nodded. "Well this isn't on you. Apparently Paige had been having some issues with how Walter was acting. I'd really thought Walter had made enough progress and with how well she knew his problems they'd be okay. Anyway, have a good night Florence, I'll see you in the morning at nine, unless something bad happens and Homeland calls earlier."
Florence nodded as she waved. She reached into her purse for her keys and as she selected her door key she paused. She pursed her lips as she looked at the other side of the Garage. She swallowed and turned and got into her car. She pulled out her phone and connected to her internet and pulled up Centipede Partner's office address and set it in her GPS before starting her car.
Toby walked through the door into the break room of their new office and grabbed a Dr. Shaz cola. He popped the cap off and took a large gulp of the spicy soda. He let out a thunderous belch as he turned and walked back out and into the hallway that ran to the front of the office past their restroom, conference room and Happy's work areas. He stopped and looked in at his wife as she sat at her drafting table working on an overhead conveyor line she was designing for a startup pick-pack outfit.
"You know, whenever you are pissed about something you have this little line on your neck, did you know that?" Toby asked her.
Happy slammed her pen down. "And yet you can't tell that if it is there, that perhaps you shouldn't irritate me."
Toby laughed and moved down the corridor. He stopped at the front door as he saw Florence's car pull up and park in front of the building. "Well isn't that interesting. Flo is coming for a visit."
Sylvester's head looked up and turned instantly at the name and saw her coming up the steps. "What did you say?" Paige almost screeched from her office a few feet from the front door.
Toby didn't answer but pushed the door open. "Well I have to admit, this is a twist I never saw coming. So Walter sent you over to spy or to beg us to come back?" He laughed a short laugh even as Florence shook her head.
She charged right past him. "No, Walter doesn't know I am here. I want to know where the hell all of you get the nerve to do what you've done to Walter." She demanded in a voice that could be clearly heard in the next door neighbor's shop.
"I think you better check your attitude, tone and your facts you hussy." Paige nearly screamed as she charged out of her office.
"Yea, who the hell do you think you are coming over to our offices and raising a ruckus." Toby teased but was also serious. He looked back and saw Happy standing outside of her work door, her arms were crossed as she leaned against the wall with her shoulder.
"Prats, the whole lot of you, Walter didn't do a damn thing wrong, and you." She declared pointing at Sylvester. "How dare you get indignant at Walter. Did you once tell him you had feelings for me? Did you ever once talk to me about your feelings? How many times did we work close to each other? How many times did we share a coffee or dessert?"
She turned and glared at Paige. "And you Ms. Thang. Sure, Walter was stupid for not telling you we went to that lecture. But you know what? That's all we did, yes, I was developing feelings for the guy but you know what else? I never once acted on them. And you dare call me a hussy? If I had been a hussy Walter would have been mind before you had a clue! I never once told him or anyone else about my feelings until that night. Had I known what a flake you were going to be I never would have. Walter didn't deserve what any of you did to him that night or since."
"And you know what else? Not once did he ever see me." Florence poked herself in the side of the head hard several times. "All he ever saw was my intellect, something that could run some numbers with him. He has never once seen me. How many times did you have to convince him to work with me? He didn't see any value in my skills. He knew that he or his Cyclone could come up with a solution that could be as good as anything I could on the spot. With some time and planning, sure I could run circles around you guys chemically. But he ALWAYS knew his Cyclone would come up with an answer without me and get the job done like it always did." Florence glared at Paige even as Paige was taken aback.
Toby grinned back at his wife. "You wanna come up here and take care of the trash my little Asian flower?"
Happy shook her head. "Nope, your so-called trash is right in everything she's said. But if you want me to come up there and kick your ass I will be happy too."
Paige turned and stared unbelievingly at Happy even as Toby shook his head. "Insane engineer said what now?"
Happy stood up straight and began walking down the hallway towards them. "You heard me butthead. I didn't stutter and neither did Florence."
"How can you possibly take her side?" Paige said, completely bewildered.
"Because she is one hundred percent correct in what she said. How many times did we try and get you to ask her out?" Happy demanded as she got to the front and pointed her finger down the front towards Sylvester. "Too many damn times, that's how many. And you know damn good and well that Walter didn't spoil anything for you. Just because she had feelings for the idiot doesn't mean you couldn't have still asked her out."
She pointed at Paige. "And you, how many emotional landmines did you have to help Walter with in the four years you were with Scorpion? And don't count the ones you helped to cause, like with the idiot we'll just call the interloper. Did Walt ever really understand a single one of them? Or did he just understand your point about them? If you had just been honest with him to start with and make sure he understood how sensitive you are when it comes to deception, because of the way you were treated by your Mother, Drew and the interloper. And any others that might fall in some place in your life."
Happy huffed and took a moment. "All of this nonsense could have been avoided."
Florence was staring at Happy with surprise. "Well then please let me retract my statement earlier by including you in the same lot with these prats."
Happy half smiled. "Well I was still being a prat when I allowed myself to be caught up in all the drama these two started. I've just been trying hard to figure out how to fix this stupid mess. Centipede Partners, what a joke we are. We don't have the strength to do what we did in Scorpion with Walter. He was the big problem solver. Sure some of mine or Toby's expertise is used to accomplish it sometimes but still it was Walter who came up with the solutions."
"Truth is, if he had Paige or someone like her to help him bridge the gap to others, to keep him grounded, he could keep Scorpion going all by himself. We congratulate ourselves on getting some jobs, but they are normal jobs, programming, fixing things and not at the same rate as Scorpion charged. No one calls us with an emergency."
Happy looked at Sylvester as she pointed her finger at him. "And don't you dare get any ideas to ask Florence out now. Now she knows just what a coward you are. And she deserves better than that." Happy swiped her hand down at them in disgust and turned and walked back to her work room.
Florence smiled. "Thanks Happy."
Happy raised her hand before she walked into her room and waved.
Florence turned and left the office with a large grin on her face. That had felt even better than she thought it would. And truth was she had figured she'd be in a fight with Happy before it was over. She'd told them off and then to have Happy back and support her position.
Cabe pulled up the next morning and waved as he saw Florence with an over-large grin walking towards the front of the Garage. "Hey Florence, did you have a good night?"
"Hey Cabe, boy do I have something to tell you." Florence told him, almost bursting with happiness.
Cabe grinned as he listened to her story. "I got to hand it to you Florence. You really got some gumption to stare down the bear like that. Well done."
Florence smiled. "Thanks Cabe, it really felt so good. I wonder where Walter is. I didn't hear him leave this morning."
Cabe shook his head as he slipped his key into the lock and unlocked the door and pushed the door open. "He probably left us a note." He frowned seeing the lights were still off. He entered the pass code on the alarm to shut it off but noticed it wasn't set. Florence walked on in. She frowned seeing the monitor tree lying on the floor and broken pieces everywhere. She stepped on over and saw footprints stomped onto each one. Broken glass and electronic pieces scattered all around the floor.
Cabe turned and saw her standing there staring. "Florence?"
She pointed. "Walter busted every monitor."
Cabe stepped over and frowned seeing all the damage including the coffee table. He looked up at the loft. "Walt, son, what's going on? He didn't set the alarm either."
Cabe sighed as he knew they wouldn't get a response. "It's going to be one of those days." He walked over and started to turn to go up the stairs. He smelt something odd and frowned seeing the server room door open. He turned and walked over to look inside. Drawing closer he could smell the odor of burnt electronics. He pushed the door open and saw each server was completely burnt out.
Florence had followed and her eyes went wide. "Oh no, Cabe, what is going on?"
Cabe shook his head. "This is definitely worse than I thought." He looked back at the loft and walked over drawing his 9mm out of his holster and slowly began climbing the stairs. The kitchen was trashed as was the area with the couch. He raised his gun to be parallel with the floor and moved cautiously into the small hallway that led to Walter's bed, bathroom and the room where Ralph usually slept. He stepped through the opening and saw Walter's bed was destroyed. Most of the clothes in what was left of the makeshift closet were scattered about the area.
He stepped back and moved down and looked into the bathroom and things in it were smashed and strewn about. He moved on down the hallway and kicked at the bottom of the door to Ralph's room and found it was untouched. Everything exactly as it had been the last time Ralph had been there.
Cabe pulled his cell phone out after sliding his gun back in his holster. He pressed speed dial 5. "Central." He heard a firm male voice.
"Cabe Gallo, Homeland badge 2835. I need eyes on Homeland asset Walter O'Brien." Cabe said as he walked back towards the stairs where Florence was waiting.
"What is going on Cabe?" Florence asked in a small voice.
Cabe shook his head. "I wish I knew. Walter's room and the bathroom are destroyed as well. Ralph's room is untouched though. Call Happy, maybe Walter reached out to her. They were friends for a long time."
Florence nodded as she stepped away pulling her phone out.
"Morning Florence, what's up?" Happy said simply answering her phone on the first ring.
"Hey Happy, you haven't heard from Walter since I stopped at CP have you?" Florence asked as she picked at her teeth with her nail.
Happy frowned. "No, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. What's wrong?"
Florence shook her head. "I'm not sure. Cabe and I just came in and the place is a mess. The monitor tree was overturned and all the monitors smashed with shoe prints on them. The coffee table was destroyed as well. The server room, the servers look like they were all on fire and the loft, the kitchen and living area are destroyed. Cabe said his bedroom and bathroom were destroyed too. Only room that wasn't is Ralph's."
"Not good." Happy said simply. "Okay, I'll be there in about ten minutes."
Florence nodded. "Thanks Happy."
She turned and saw Cabe still talking on his phone. She pulled up Walter's contact and hit the dial icon. She heard it ring once and then she heard it ring in the loft. She frowned and walked around and found his phone half buried under cushion stuffing. She sighed and started to pick it up and then stopped. She didn't want to contaminate anything. She turned to watch Cabe.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Well let's try this again. Had just gotten this set up and FFN had a heart attack and I lost everything. *face palm* First, just wanted to say this story will be rated T for Teen for the first 4 chapters. Chapter 5 it will be changed to M for Mature. This will give you a chance to mark it so you can find it easier when it gets to the darker issues. The issues are mostly background and you won't read them, just about them happening and then some of the consequences moving past them. Better safe than sorry.
"Unconsciously Conscious" now has its proper graphic, FFN finally fixed the image upload module so I could upload it and the one for this story.
Another half month and this story would have been sitting there collecting dust for a year! LOL
Seems like I'm forgetting something, but oh well.
To the Adventure! -Tim