A Pact With the Devil
Fanfic by: NekoSama (aka Chris), Critter Keeper (aka Janet), and The Mad Fangirl
Email: nekosama@ix.netcom.com
Catagory:Angst
Rating: PG
Summary: A Round Robin Fanfic-- An old enemy returns asking for help
Standard disclaimer: The Invisible Man and all the characters are not ours and are used without permission. We are not getting paid for this.
(N) Darien grumbled as he got to the Official's office and sat down. He hadn't been sleeping again and he really did not want to listen to the Fat Man go on about a new mission.
(TMF) What he saw when he walked in, though, woke him up faster than the coffee he'd been praying for. Standing behind the 'Fish was someone he'd never truly expected to see again.
(CK) He felt a rush of adrenaline and squashed it. He couldn't hold back all of the anger, though. "What the HELL," he said angrily, glaring balefully across the desk, "Is that son of a bitch doing here?"
"Hello to you, too, Darien," Lawson replied.
(N) Darien glared at Lawson and then at the Official.
"Easy there, partner," Hobbes put his hand on Darien's shoulder trying to calm him down. Hobbes didn't like Lawson anymore than Darien did, but he was willing to hear him out.
(TMF) Darien had a feeling he knew why Lawson was suddenly back. A dread, really. The nation had a gaping wound in its psyche. And Lawson killed terrorists by any means necessary. 'Please,' he thought, 'Let this be something less goddamn obvious.' But he wasn't sure he really wanted that at all.
All he knew was that if he had to be a weapon in anyone's hands, he'd rather it be anyone else's.
(CK) 'This is a job for my father,' he thought, 'not me. I'm no hit man.' He was taken aback at how easily he thought of his father as a killer now. In this case, he had to admit, he would cheer him on. 'But I can't, I *won't*, become that myself!'
(N) "Fawkes, sit down," the Official ordered. "Mr. Lawson is here on a personal matter."
(TMF) "First of all, I want to apologize for misusing you," Lawson said, and Darien's con sense tingled. "I...I need to ask for your help. Someone's disappeared, someone important to me, and I thought you might have certain connections that I lack."
Darien's con sense was on screaming alert now, but he played along. "You mean you want me to look for a crook, right? Luke - can I call you Luke? I am simply shocked that you'd know people on the wrong side of the law."
(CK) "Well, they say you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives."
Darien resisted the urge to interrupt with the attribution.
"I'm sure your brother would have agreed."
(N) Darien leapt forward to hit Lawson, but Hobbes caught him. "Don't do it, Fawkes. He's not worth it."
(TMF) Darien trembled with tension for an instant, then relaxed. "You do *not* talk about Kevin. Just for that, *Luke,* you skimp on the counteragent again and you better not be anywhere I can find you. So why don't we get to your missing whatever. I got a couple of places I can check, but I'm gonna need a little more to go on. Not to mention one good reason why I should help you do anything" He shot a challenging glare not at Lawson, but at the Official.
(CK) Lawson's cool reptilian gaze barely flickered. "My missing whatever is a younger sister. And my good reason is a file I've obtained from a mole within the organization of a certain Swiss bank of terrorists...."
(N) "Let me guess, it's Arnaud isn't it?" Darien rolled his eyes. This was really starting out as a crappy day.
"How did your sister get involved with De Phone?" Hobbes asked noting Luke's discomfort over the subject.
(TMF) "Arnaud vs. Lawson," Darien interrupted. "Hey, is there any way they can *both* lose?"
"Enough, Fawkes," the Official broke in. His look to Lawson said, "Continue."
"I don't know how it started. I know she was always... she...enjoyed taking things that didn't belong to her."
"Family trait, then."
"Enough, Fawkes," the Official repeated, louder.
"Look, all I know is that the mole saw them together, here, while his doctor girlfriend was out of town. What worries me is that the girlfriend may be back in the States, and she seems to have taken to the criminal lifestyle rather well, herself."
(CK) "Okay, so granted the chance to put a hurting on Arnaud, but what makes you think this file is anything we'd be interested in?"
"Because it concerns the development of the counteragent, and the mutation in the gland that makes it vital to your sanity." Lawson almost smirked. "Including some notes on what elements were most likely to enhance its...addictive qualities. And hence which possible formulas might be less addictive."
(N) Darien sighed. He knew that Lawson had him on this one.
"So where do we start?" Hobbes asked knowing that Darien wasn't gonna want to admit defeat.
(TMF) "We start with my sister."
"No, we start with the file," Darien said. "Get Claire to say this is kosher."
"Already done," The Official said. "That was a very small part of Lawson's quid pro quo for this little escapade." His tone reminded Darien that the Official had as much reason to hate the weasel as he did.
"And I'm afraid," Claire said, entering the room, "that his sister may *be* the file. It appears that Miss Lawson, if that is who's discussed, has a unique brain chemistry. She produces cerebral disinhibitors, naturally, that bear a striking resemblance to yours under Quicksilver madness, but to a lesser degree."
"Aw crap," Darien said. "I'll bet she's not the only one, either." He stared at Lawson. "You didn't decide to be a bastard, did you? You were born that way."
(CK) "Confirming that," the Keeper explained with a certain malicious glee, "is another part of the deal."
"Ooh, Lawson's turn to play lab rat, eh? I like that!"
"Even if we can't acquire whatever research Arnaud is carrying out, we should be able to parallel it here with our own tests."
Darien found himself warming to the idea of this mission.
(N) Hobbes raised an eyebrow and hid a small smile as he noticed Lawson squirming a bit. 'Serves him right,' he thought.
"Doctor, if you'd take Mr. Lawson to the lab with you, I'll finish briefing the boys on the mission," the Official told her. He was glad to give the little weasel a bit of payback.
(TMF) "So, what, we find the Swiss Miss MoFo and get Luke's sister..." Darien started.
"Leah."
"Leah back. Wait, you have got to be kidding me."
"That's her name, Fawkes. Deal with it."
"OK, so we rescue Leah from Darth Arnaud and Lawson owes us for life?"
"That's part of it, yes."
"Awright," Hobbes said, "So, Luke got the file from a mole, right? Assuming Lawson left the guy in one piece, I'd think we'd start there."
"Hey, " Darien said, "I get to be Han Solo, right?"
"No, *I'm* Han Solo. You, my friend, are..."
"Oh, no, I am *not* Chewbacca"
"If the hair fits, my friend..."
(CK) "Boys!" the Official interrupted. "The mole is another part of the deal. I would prefer if you could make contact *without* blowing his cover."
"Not a problem, Boss," Hobbes reassured him. "If Lawson can contact him, I'm sure we can too."
TBC...
Feedback is Welcome...
Fanfic by: NekoSama (aka Chris), Critter Keeper (aka Janet), and The Mad Fangirl
Email: nekosama@ix.netcom.com
Catagory:Angst
Rating: PG
Summary: A Round Robin Fanfic-- An old enemy returns asking for help
Standard disclaimer: The Invisible Man and all the characters are not ours and are used without permission. We are not getting paid for this.
(N) Darien grumbled as he got to the Official's office and sat down. He hadn't been sleeping again and he really did not want to listen to the Fat Man go on about a new mission.
(TMF) What he saw when he walked in, though, woke him up faster than the coffee he'd been praying for. Standing behind the 'Fish was someone he'd never truly expected to see again.
(CK) He felt a rush of adrenaline and squashed it. He couldn't hold back all of the anger, though. "What the HELL," he said angrily, glaring balefully across the desk, "Is that son of a bitch doing here?"
"Hello to you, too, Darien," Lawson replied.
(N) Darien glared at Lawson and then at the Official.
"Easy there, partner," Hobbes put his hand on Darien's shoulder trying to calm him down. Hobbes didn't like Lawson anymore than Darien did, but he was willing to hear him out.
(TMF) Darien had a feeling he knew why Lawson was suddenly back. A dread, really. The nation had a gaping wound in its psyche. And Lawson killed terrorists by any means necessary. 'Please,' he thought, 'Let this be something less goddamn obvious.' But he wasn't sure he really wanted that at all.
All he knew was that if he had to be a weapon in anyone's hands, he'd rather it be anyone else's.
(CK) 'This is a job for my father,' he thought, 'not me. I'm no hit man.' He was taken aback at how easily he thought of his father as a killer now. In this case, he had to admit, he would cheer him on. 'But I can't, I *won't*, become that myself!'
(N) "Fawkes, sit down," the Official ordered. "Mr. Lawson is here on a personal matter."
(TMF) "First of all, I want to apologize for misusing you," Lawson said, and Darien's con sense tingled. "I...I need to ask for your help. Someone's disappeared, someone important to me, and I thought you might have certain connections that I lack."
Darien's con sense was on screaming alert now, but he played along. "You mean you want me to look for a crook, right? Luke - can I call you Luke? I am simply shocked that you'd know people on the wrong side of the law."
(CK) "Well, they say you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives."
Darien resisted the urge to interrupt with the attribution.
"I'm sure your brother would have agreed."
(N) Darien leapt forward to hit Lawson, but Hobbes caught him. "Don't do it, Fawkes. He's not worth it."
(TMF) Darien trembled with tension for an instant, then relaxed. "You do *not* talk about Kevin. Just for that, *Luke,* you skimp on the counteragent again and you better not be anywhere I can find you. So why don't we get to your missing whatever. I got a couple of places I can check, but I'm gonna need a little more to go on. Not to mention one good reason why I should help you do anything" He shot a challenging glare not at Lawson, but at the Official.
(CK) Lawson's cool reptilian gaze barely flickered. "My missing whatever is a younger sister. And my good reason is a file I've obtained from a mole within the organization of a certain Swiss bank of terrorists...."
(N) "Let me guess, it's Arnaud isn't it?" Darien rolled his eyes. This was really starting out as a crappy day.
"How did your sister get involved with De Phone?" Hobbes asked noting Luke's discomfort over the subject.
(TMF) "Arnaud vs. Lawson," Darien interrupted. "Hey, is there any way they can *both* lose?"
"Enough, Fawkes," the Official broke in. His look to Lawson said, "Continue."
"I don't know how it started. I know she was always... she...enjoyed taking things that didn't belong to her."
"Family trait, then."
"Enough, Fawkes," the Official repeated, louder.
"Look, all I know is that the mole saw them together, here, while his doctor girlfriend was out of town. What worries me is that the girlfriend may be back in the States, and she seems to have taken to the criminal lifestyle rather well, herself."
(CK) "Okay, so granted the chance to put a hurting on Arnaud, but what makes you think this file is anything we'd be interested in?"
"Because it concerns the development of the counteragent, and the mutation in the gland that makes it vital to your sanity." Lawson almost smirked. "Including some notes on what elements were most likely to enhance its...addictive qualities. And hence which possible formulas might be less addictive."
(N) Darien sighed. He knew that Lawson had him on this one.
"So where do we start?" Hobbes asked knowing that Darien wasn't gonna want to admit defeat.
(TMF) "We start with my sister."
"No, we start with the file," Darien said. "Get Claire to say this is kosher."
"Already done," The Official said. "That was a very small part of Lawson's quid pro quo for this little escapade." His tone reminded Darien that the Official had as much reason to hate the weasel as he did.
"And I'm afraid," Claire said, entering the room, "that his sister may *be* the file. It appears that Miss Lawson, if that is who's discussed, has a unique brain chemistry. She produces cerebral disinhibitors, naturally, that bear a striking resemblance to yours under Quicksilver madness, but to a lesser degree."
"Aw crap," Darien said. "I'll bet she's not the only one, either." He stared at Lawson. "You didn't decide to be a bastard, did you? You were born that way."
(CK) "Confirming that," the Keeper explained with a certain malicious glee, "is another part of the deal."
"Ooh, Lawson's turn to play lab rat, eh? I like that!"
"Even if we can't acquire whatever research Arnaud is carrying out, we should be able to parallel it here with our own tests."
Darien found himself warming to the idea of this mission.
(N) Hobbes raised an eyebrow and hid a small smile as he noticed Lawson squirming a bit. 'Serves him right,' he thought.
"Doctor, if you'd take Mr. Lawson to the lab with you, I'll finish briefing the boys on the mission," the Official told her. He was glad to give the little weasel a bit of payback.
(TMF) "So, what, we find the Swiss Miss MoFo and get Luke's sister..." Darien started.
"Leah."
"Leah back. Wait, you have got to be kidding me."
"That's her name, Fawkes. Deal with it."
"OK, so we rescue Leah from Darth Arnaud and Lawson owes us for life?"
"That's part of it, yes."
"Awright," Hobbes said, "So, Luke got the file from a mole, right? Assuming Lawson left the guy in one piece, I'd think we'd start there."
"Hey, " Darien said, "I get to be Han Solo, right?"
"No, *I'm* Han Solo. You, my friend, are..."
"Oh, no, I am *not* Chewbacca"
"If the hair fits, my friend..."
(CK) "Boys!" the Official interrupted. "The mole is another part of the deal. I would prefer if you could make contact *without* blowing his cover."
"Not a problem, Boss," Hobbes reassured him. "If Lawson can contact him, I'm sure we can too."
TBC...
Feedback is Welcome...