Chapter 9: Second Thoughts
Fawkes and Kifton pulled up to what seemed like a small shack in the middle of nowhere.
"Okay, now where are we going?" asked Kifton.
"This is it," Darien replied.
"I think I'm confused," stated Kifton as he looked around.
"Well, you see this person this gift is for, is kind of a loner, you know," Darien was lying through his teeth, but he was doing a pretty good job of it, "He's kind of in hiding right now too, so just don't tell anyone 'k?"
"No problem man. I trust you. But hey, why'd you get him a basketball?"
"Well, he's kind of a sports freak, especially when it comes to basketball. Thought it would give him something to do. Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Sure man."
Darien stepped out of the car, closed the door, and walked over to the small shack. He went inside, quicksilvered, and peeked back out to see if Max was staying put. Satisfied that his friend wasn't going anywhere, Darien closed the door and shed the quicksilver and walked over to the elevator. Monroe had been able to get him clearance so that he could go and visit Adam now and then. Darien placed his hand on the panel, type in the code Monroe had given him, and watched the elevator doors open. He stepped inside the small metal container and took the long trip down. Finally it stopped and the doors slid open. The long, white corridors and dentist-office atmosphere were the same as they had been when Darien had last gone to see Adam. We walked down the familiar path to Adam's room and was stopped half-way by one of the doctors.
"Excuse me, Agent Fawkes. Can I help you?" asked the man.
"Oh, I'm just going to see Adam Reese."
"I'm sorry Agent Fawkes, but this really is not a good time."
"It'll just be for a second, okay? I just want to give him this," Darien held up the basketball.
The doctor sighed, "Alright Agent Fawkes, but please make it quick."
"No problem," Darien said and he sprinted the rest of the way to Adam's room.
Darien opened the door and looked inside before entering. Everything looked the same. It was a plain room without much furniture. A small, stiff chair sat next to Adam's cryopod. Darien walked over slowly and looked inside at Adam. Darien thought he looked very peaceful. He sat down in the chair and held the basketball.
"Hey Adam. Uh, it's me Fawkes. I hope you're doing good. I mean you have to be, I guess, but anyway,"
Darien didn't seem to know what to say. Then he remembered the basketball that he held in his hands.
"Oh, hey. I bought you a Christmas present. I didn't wrap it, but I don't think you'll mind. It's a basketball. A good one, regulation size and all that. I can teach you how to hit those lay-ups. I mean your's really isn't that bad, but you know. Hey, Eberts got another cool game, a new car racing one, so you'll have to learn that and the snowboard racing when you wake up."
Darien looked around and made sure no doctors, or anyone else was around. He moved the chair closer to Adam.
"Listen Adam. There's something I want to tell you. Tomorrow night I'm going to be doing something. Something I haven't done in a long time, but I hope you can understand that this is something I have to do. But listen to me Adam, when you get out of this thing, and you will, I don't want you following the same path I did. Okay, I know this sounds cheesy and very cliché, and not like something I would normally say, but trust me on this."
Just then Darien was interrupted by the doctor.
"I'm sorry Agent Fawkes, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave now."
"Oh, okay," said Darien, obviously startled by the doctor's interruption, "Uhm, well, I'll guess I'll see you later, Adam. Remember what I said, okay pal?"
Darien tapped the cryopod with his hand, nodded to the doctor, and left the room. As he walked out he thought about what he had said to Adam. That's when he began to have second thoughts. What was he doing? He had an honest life now. So it wasn't perfect: his partner was paranoid, his boss was intolerable, he didn't make much, and he had a biosynthetic invisibility gland that belonged to the US Government stuck in his head which turned him into a drooling psychopath every six days, unless he got a shot. But it was an honest life. He didn't like lying to his only friends and, as he walked into the elevator, he realized that he really didn't like hanging with his old crowd. Darien thought he could have been the same, but they weren't. He wasn't getting the same thrill that he used to get when he planned a heist. As he felt the elevator pull him up he realized he could easily get away from Max, a la quicksilver, get over to the Agency and tell the Official what was going on, and if he wasn't there, Claire would be. Yet, he did have his loyalty to Max. He couldn't just let those mysterious dark-suited men do who knows what to them if this mission failed. He had to stick with it. After that he would live his thieving past behind them. For good. Darien left the shack and walked back to the car. He slammed the door shut and started the engine.
"Everything go okay in there?" Max asked.
"Yeah fine," Darien said, "Wanna get something to eat?"
"Sure."
The car drove off, leaving the shack behind.
Fawkes and Kifton pulled up to what seemed like a small shack in the middle of nowhere.
"Okay, now where are we going?" asked Kifton.
"This is it," Darien replied.
"I think I'm confused," stated Kifton as he looked around.
"Well, you see this person this gift is for, is kind of a loner, you know," Darien was lying through his teeth, but he was doing a pretty good job of it, "He's kind of in hiding right now too, so just don't tell anyone 'k?"
"No problem man. I trust you. But hey, why'd you get him a basketball?"
"Well, he's kind of a sports freak, especially when it comes to basketball. Thought it would give him something to do. Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Sure man."
Darien stepped out of the car, closed the door, and walked over to the small shack. He went inside, quicksilvered, and peeked back out to see if Max was staying put. Satisfied that his friend wasn't going anywhere, Darien closed the door and shed the quicksilver and walked over to the elevator. Monroe had been able to get him clearance so that he could go and visit Adam now and then. Darien placed his hand on the panel, type in the code Monroe had given him, and watched the elevator doors open. He stepped inside the small metal container and took the long trip down. Finally it stopped and the doors slid open. The long, white corridors and dentist-office atmosphere were the same as they had been when Darien had last gone to see Adam. We walked down the familiar path to Adam's room and was stopped half-way by one of the doctors.
"Excuse me, Agent Fawkes. Can I help you?" asked the man.
"Oh, I'm just going to see Adam Reese."
"I'm sorry Agent Fawkes, but this really is not a good time."
"It'll just be for a second, okay? I just want to give him this," Darien held up the basketball.
The doctor sighed, "Alright Agent Fawkes, but please make it quick."
"No problem," Darien said and he sprinted the rest of the way to Adam's room.
Darien opened the door and looked inside before entering. Everything looked the same. It was a plain room without much furniture. A small, stiff chair sat next to Adam's cryopod. Darien walked over slowly and looked inside at Adam. Darien thought he looked very peaceful. He sat down in the chair and held the basketball.
"Hey Adam. Uh, it's me Fawkes. I hope you're doing good. I mean you have to be, I guess, but anyway,"
Darien didn't seem to know what to say. Then he remembered the basketball that he held in his hands.
"Oh, hey. I bought you a Christmas present. I didn't wrap it, but I don't think you'll mind. It's a basketball. A good one, regulation size and all that. I can teach you how to hit those lay-ups. I mean your's really isn't that bad, but you know. Hey, Eberts got another cool game, a new car racing one, so you'll have to learn that and the snowboard racing when you wake up."
Darien looked around and made sure no doctors, or anyone else was around. He moved the chair closer to Adam.
"Listen Adam. There's something I want to tell you. Tomorrow night I'm going to be doing something. Something I haven't done in a long time, but I hope you can understand that this is something I have to do. But listen to me Adam, when you get out of this thing, and you will, I don't want you following the same path I did. Okay, I know this sounds cheesy and very cliché, and not like something I would normally say, but trust me on this."
Just then Darien was interrupted by the doctor.
"I'm sorry Agent Fawkes, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave now."
"Oh, okay," said Darien, obviously startled by the doctor's interruption, "Uhm, well, I'll guess I'll see you later, Adam. Remember what I said, okay pal?"
Darien tapped the cryopod with his hand, nodded to the doctor, and left the room. As he walked out he thought about what he had said to Adam. That's when he began to have second thoughts. What was he doing? He had an honest life now. So it wasn't perfect: his partner was paranoid, his boss was intolerable, he didn't make much, and he had a biosynthetic invisibility gland that belonged to the US Government stuck in his head which turned him into a drooling psychopath every six days, unless he got a shot. But it was an honest life. He didn't like lying to his only friends and, as he walked into the elevator, he realized that he really didn't like hanging with his old crowd. Darien thought he could have been the same, but they weren't. He wasn't getting the same thrill that he used to get when he planned a heist. As he felt the elevator pull him up he realized he could easily get away from Max, a la quicksilver, get over to the Agency and tell the Official what was going on, and if he wasn't there, Claire would be. Yet, he did have his loyalty to Max. He couldn't just let those mysterious dark-suited men do who knows what to them if this mission failed. He had to stick with it. After that he would live his thieving past behind them. For good. Darien left the shack and walked back to the car. He slammed the door shut and started the engine.
"Everything go okay in there?" Max asked.
"Yeah fine," Darien said, "Wanna get something to eat?"
"Sure."
The car drove off, leaving the shack behind.