Sydney waited for hours outside the Upper East Side apartment, but Gaia
never showed. Getting fed up, she made contact with Vaughn, hoping he knew
where the hell she was.
"It's two in the morning and I haven't seen anyone resembling Gaia. Besides, I'm freezing my ass off out here."
Vaughn smiled as he replied, "I've been trying to contact you, but you were on radio silence. She went to her friend's house. It's a few blocks up."
Sydney cursed under her breath. The New York air had slowly been freezing her muscles, rendering her fighting skills useless. She jogged as Vaughn issued her direction, hoping the short run would warm her up. Unconsciously she checked for tails, staying in the shadows. Both agents were surprised by the lack of security, but neither questioned it.
The building was easy to slip into; the lock was even easier to pick. Sydney was used to highly complex locks, but opening them silently was a trick she had never mastered. She winced as the lock finally clicked, but heard no movement inside. Tiptoeing across the floor, she picked out Gaia easily by the glimmering hair that cascaded down the side of the recliner.
To securely knock someone out without waking them up, the assailant needs to hit the pressure points a precise angle. Sydney was positioning herself over Gaia when she felt the air move. Catching the leg swiftly, she flipped Gaia onto the floor with a resounding thud. For all the warnings she had been given, the girl didn't seem to put up much of a fight. Sydney had her pinned, and she hadn't even felt Gaia twitch.
While she was quickly planning how to get Gaia to the park, an object hurled itself at Sydney, dislodging her from Gaia's chest. The girl seemed to pop out from under her and delivered a bruising kick to her abdomen. The kick knocked the wind out of her and sent Sydney to her knees. Her masked was ripped off and her features were revealed to both teenagers facing her. The look on the boy's face was one of surprise, but Gaia's was pure curiosity.
Knowing she didn't have much time, she used flattery as an attempt to win brownie points. ".My name is Sydney Bristow. I'm an agent for the CIA and I'm here to give you a warning."
Gaia narrowed her eyes. "About what?"
Sydney chose words that would effectively shock Gaia's systems and cause her to rely on her for questions. "Your life is in serious danger."
"Why should I believe you?"
(* = In Russian)
*"Because I know twisted your family is. I happen to know a lot about you, Gaia Moore."*
"How."* The way she said it posed more as a statement than as a question, almost as if she didn't want to know.
"Your information is stored in a file, locked away in the CIA headquarters. All it took was an access code."*
Gaia clenched her jaw defiantly. "Don't pretend like you know me. You don't."*
"In a way you are correct. I know all the facts about your past and present life, but I don't know anything about your personality, besides a hint that you were unpredictable. But I do know some things that you hide. That's the reason I'm speaking in a language your friend doesn't understand. I'm sure you don't want to bring him into this."*
A red light flashed on Sydney's wrist, causing her to look at Gaia with alarm. "It's not safe for us to talk here. If you have questions, I will answer them. Please hear what I have to say."*
Gaia considered Sydney's plea, and then slowly nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, Gaia was beginning to like Sydney. She didn't mess around with bullshit like most adults.
"Where?"*
"There is a large park near here. That will do."*
Ed had been watching the exchange with growing displeasure. That woman, Sydney, had captured Gaia's interest. Hell, she'd captured his interest when she started speaking in gibberish. Funny enough, Gaia seemed to understand, and responded in the same language. He didn't even know she spoke another language. After a few minutes he recognized the gibberish as Russian. When Gaia nodded, he knew she believed whatever it was that Sydney said.
Sydney got up from her knees, keeping both eyes locked with Gaia. They needed to get out of the apartment quickly: there was an audio recording device in use within 10 yards of her watch. She stared at her flashing watch pointedly, making Gaia start towards Ed.
"Listen, this is going to sound crazy, but I really need you to-"
"Stay here?" Ed interrupted, angry. "Let you go off with some woman you didn't even know existed until five minutes ago? Just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?"
Gaia's eyes flashed. "Yes."
Sydney moved quickly, pressing her fingers deep into the back of Ed's neck. He slumped down onto the ground, unconscious.
"Sorry. You can explain later. We need to go."
Gaia gaped at Sydney. She knew a lot about martial arts, but her father had never taught her that trick.
They reached Washington Square Park in record time, having jogged the whole way. When they finally reached the abandoned chess tables, Sydney's watch had stopped flashing. They both stood there for a minute, unsure of what to say. A figure started approaching them behind Sydney's back, and Gaia took a defensive stand. A light exposed his face, and Gaia's fists dropped down to her sides. He kept coming closer, until he was close enough to talk to.
"Uncle Mike?"
"Hello, Gaia. It's been too long."
"What are you doing here?"
"Sydney and I are here to tell you something. A few things, actually."
Gaia stared at him, trying to figure out if he was lying. None of the usual signs stood out, so Gaia accepted his words. "What do you need to tell me?"
Vaughn nodded towards Sydney. "She can explain far better than I can."
Sydney took a deep breath. "This story is a little difficult for me to tell, but if I stop for a moment, please don't interrupt. During my freshman year in college a man came to me and asked if I would like a job for the government, I hadn't chosen a major yet, and none of my classes interested me, so I agreed. After a long training process, I became a field agent for a section called SD-6. They claimed to be a black ops division of the CIA, so I did my job with pride. I thought I was being patriotic. Seven years after I joined, I fell in love with a man and we decided to get married." Here she paused, drawing in a ragged breath. Vaughn closed the small gap between them and took her hand. "I hated lying to him about my job. SD-6's cover was a bank called Credit Dauphine, and we were not allowed to tell anyone about what we did. I told Danny, and SD-6 found out. They had him killed. I attempted to leave SD-6, but they sent someone after me. It was then that I found out SD-6 was not a part of the CIA, they were the very enemy I thought I was fighting against. I went on a mission to recover SD-6's trust, and when I succeeded, I went to the real CIA and became a double. I was assigned a handle to give me my counter missions. His name is Michael Vaughn.
"I have been a double for a little over a year now, and one most recent mission sparked the interest of the CIA. I was ordered to abduct a seventeen year-old girl and bring her in for questioning. When the CIA found out her identity, my counter mission was to talk to her, and make her realize the danger she is in. That's why we are here."
Gaia's eyes widened as the story unfolded, in awe of the woman standing in front of her. Only one question came to her mind, and she asked it without hesitation.
"Why does SD-6 want me?"
"Your uncle is the leader of one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world. I think he has something my boss wants, something big. You are the only leverage Arvin Sloane can get, and he's trying desperately He could have sent any number of agents to get you, but he sent me, one of his top agents. He needs you badly."
"My uncle?"
Vaughn could see the change as soon as Sydney mentioned Oliver. Gaia did not know he was Loki. She did not know all the terror he inflicted. He wondered if she had even heard of Loki before, and decided to test her.
"Your uncle does not go by his given name anymore. He calls himself Loki."
Gaia's eyes flashed with a burning hatred. The bile was once again rising, but she fought it down. If it hadn't been Uncle Mike saying it, she wouldn't have believed it. But there it was. Her answer. Loki was a terrorist. Loki killed her mother. Loki was Oliver.
Vaughn was shocked by the look of pure hatred in her eyes. She knew the name, but she hadn't been aware of the face. "Gaia, we know that you've had contact with him. We need to know if he's said anything that could help us."
"Nothing relevant. He wanted me to move in with him, but I refused. I'm glad I didn't now. What should I do if he contacts me again?"
Vaughn immediately transformed into the role of handler. He reached into his pockets and removed a cell phone and a penny. "If he ever makes contact with you and wants to meet somewhere, call us on this cell phone. Speed dial 3. Before you go, hide this penny somewhere on your body, preferably in your shoe. We'll record the conversation. You have act normal and don't let him suspect anything. You have to be careful."
A voice filled Sydney's ear, causing her to jump. "Bluebird, do you have the cargo?"
Sydney pressed a few buttons on her watch and replied, "Negative. Subject was not on the premises."
"Copy that."
Vaughn felt her jump because he was still standing right next to her. She looked at him and said, "We need to finish this up. My plane leaves in an hour."
He nodded and then looked to Gaia. "It was good talking to you, Gaia. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."
She nodded, and then looked at him questioningly. "Can I take a quick walk with you?"
"I'll head back to the van. It was nice meeting you Gaia. I hope we can talk sometime. See you at home, Vaughn." Gaia noticed they looked at each other a little longer than necessary, making her think there was more to their relationship than they let on. As he watched her go, Gaia's suspicions were confirmed. Her Uncle Mike definitely felt something for Sydney.
They started walking away from the chess tables and into the darker part of the park. "How have you been?" Vaughn started out with a normal question, hoping to get the truth.
Gaia hesitated. She hated telling people the worst part of her life, but she had been miserable the last year. And lying in front of Uncle Mike was difficult; it always had been. He saw through every one of her lies when she was little.
"Not so good. In the last year my foster mother, best friend, and boyfriend have all been killed. Murdered." Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes. Vaughn stopped and hugged her. Gaia had lost so many people in her life. No single person had been there her whole life. Loki had killed both her parents, although one was still breathing. Tom Moore's soul had died right along with Katia.
"Everything I touch dies."
Vaughn almost laughed at the irony. "You and Sydney are so much alike it's scary. And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her.
"You are an amazing person. You've had to go through so much, and yet you have remained strong. You cannot blame yourself for their deaths. If you do that, everyone against you will win." Vaughn took Gaia by the shoulders. "This is the best advice I can give. Stay strong and don't let anyone get to you."
Gaia nodded. They continued in silence for a few minutes.
"Are you and Sydney dating?"
Vaughn froze. Was it that obvious how much he cared for her?
"No. If we were seen if public together we could both be killed. It's not a secret I work the CIA. Anyone tracking her could do a background check and she'd be exposed."
All Gaia could do was nod. There was no bigger obstacle than the threat of death.
They reached the exit and Vaughn hugged Gaia goodbye. "I trust you can get back to the apartment by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. I missed you."
"I missed you too. Goodnight."
He walked away from Gaia, hoping with all his might that she would never have to use that cell phone. Loki was dangerous, and not easily fooled.
A few weeks later he was sitting at his desk, arguing with Weiss to get that damn yo-yo out of his office when his phone rang.
"Vaughn."
Vaughn mentally swore as he heard Gaia's voice. "Tomorrow night at 8."
AN: I'm sorry it took so long. I had it done a week ago, but my computer decided to erase the whole frickin chapter, so I had to do it all over again. Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you think the crossover's going good. In response to the timeline problem, I'm sorry, but there was no real way for me to work it out without Vaughn being a lot older than he really is.
*Duck
"It's two in the morning and I haven't seen anyone resembling Gaia. Besides, I'm freezing my ass off out here."
Vaughn smiled as he replied, "I've been trying to contact you, but you were on radio silence. She went to her friend's house. It's a few blocks up."
Sydney cursed under her breath. The New York air had slowly been freezing her muscles, rendering her fighting skills useless. She jogged as Vaughn issued her direction, hoping the short run would warm her up. Unconsciously she checked for tails, staying in the shadows. Both agents were surprised by the lack of security, but neither questioned it.
The building was easy to slip into; the lock was even easier to pick. Sydney was used to highly complex locks, but opening them silently was a trick she had never mastered. She winced as the lock finally clicked, but heard no movement inside. Tiptoeing across the floor, she picked out Gaia easily by the glimmering hair that cascaded down the side of the recliner.
To securely knock someone out without waking them up, the assailant needs to hit the pressure points a precise angle. Sydney was positioning herself over Gaia when she felt the air move. Catching the leg swiftly, she flipped Gaia onto the floor with a resounding thud. For all the warnings she had been given, the girl didn't seem to put up much of a fight. Sydney had her pinned, and she hadn't even felt Gaia twitch.
While she was quickly planning how to get Gaia to the park, an object hurled itself at Sydney, dislodging her from Gaia's chest. The girl seemed to pop out from under her and delivered a bruising kick to her abdomen. The kick knocked the wind out of her and sent Sydney to her knees. Her masked was ripped off and her features were revealed to both teenagers facing her. The look on the boy's face was one of surprise, but Gaia's was pure curiosity.
Knowing she didn't have much time, she used flattery as an attempt to win brownie points. ".My name is Sydney Bristow. I'm an agent for the CIA and I'm here to give you a warning."
Gaia narrowed her eyes. "About what?"
Sydney chose words that would effectively shock Gaia's systems and cause her to rely on her for questions. "Your life is in serious danger."
"Why should I believe you?"
(* = In Russian)
*"Because I know twisted your family is. I happen to know a lot about you, Gaia Moore."*
"How."* The way she said it posed more as a statement than as a question, almost as if she didn't want to know.
"Your information is stored in a file, locked away in the CIA headquarters. All it took was an access code."*
Gaia clenched her jaw defiantly. "Don't pretend like you know me. You don't."*
"In a way you are correct. I know all the facts about your past and present life, but I don't know anything about your personality, besides a hint that you were unpredictable. But I do know some things that you hide. That's the reason I'm speaking in a language your friend doesn't understand. I'm sure you don't want to bring him into this."*
A red light flashed on Sydney's wrist, causing her to look at Gaia with alarm. "It's not safe for us to talk here. If you have questions, I will answer them. Please hear what I have to say."*
Gaia considered Sydney's plea, and then slowly nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, Gaia was beginning to like Sydney. She didn't mess around with bullshit like most adults.
"Where?"*
"There is a large park near here. That will do."*
Ed had been watching the exchange with growing displeasure. That woman, Sydney, had captured Gaia's interest. Hell, she'd captured his interest when she started speaking in gibberish. Funny enough, Gaia seemed to understand, and responded in the same language. He didn't even know she spoke another language. After a few minutes he recognized the gibberish as Russian. When Gaia nodded, he knew she believed whatever it was that Sydney said.
Sydney got up from her knees, keeping both eyes locked with Gaia. They needed to get out of the apartment quickly: there was an audio recording device in use within 10 yards of her watch. She stared at her flashing watch pointedly, making Gaia start towards Ed.
"Listen, this is going to sound crazy, but I really need you to-"
"Stay here?" Ed interrupted, angry. "Let you go off with some woman you didn't even know existed until five minutes ago? Just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?"
Gaia's eyes flashed. "Yes."
Sydney moved quickly, pressing her fingers deep into the back of Ed's neck. He slumped down onto the ground, unconscious.
"Sorry. You can explain later. We need to go."
Gaia gaped at Sydney. She knew a lot about martial arts, but her father had never taught her that trick.
They reached Washington Square Park in record time, having jogged the whole way. When they finally reached the abandoned chess tables, Sydney's watch had stopped flashing. They both stood there for a minute, unsure of what to say. A figure started approaching them behind Sydney's back, and Gaia took a defensive stand. A light exposed his face, and Gaia's fists dropped down to her sides. He kept coming closer, until he was close enough to talk to.
"Uncle Mike?"
"Hello, Gaia. It's been too long."
"What are you doing here?"
"Sydney and I are here to tell you something. A few things, actually."
Gaia stared at him, trying to figure out if he was lying. None of the usual signs stood out, so Gaia accepted his words. "What do you need to tell me?"
Vaughn nodded towards Sydney. "She can explain far better than I can."
Sydney took a deep breath. "This story is a little difficult for me to tell, but if I stop for a moment, please don't interrupt. During my freshman year in college a man came to me and asked if I would like a job for the government, I hadn't chosen a major yet, and none of my classes interested me, so I agreed. After a long training process, I became a field agent for a section called SD-6. They claimed to be a black ops division of the CIA, so I did my job with pride. I thought I was being patriotic. Seven years after I joined, I fell in love with a man and we decided to get married." Here she paused, drawing in a ragged breath. Vaughn closed the small gap between them and took her hand. "I hated lying to him about my job. SD-6's cover was a bank called Credit Dauphine, and we were not allowed to tell anyone about what we did. I told Danny, and SD-6 found out. They had him killed. I attempted to leave SD-6, but they sent someone after me. It was then that I found out SD-6 was not a part of the CIA, they were the very enemy I thought I was fighting against. I went on a mission to recover SD-6's trust, and when I succeeded, I went to the real CIA and became a double. I was assigned a handle to give me my counter missions. His name is Michael Vaughn.
"I have been a double for a little over a year now, and one most recent mission sparked the interest of the CIA. I was ordered to abduct a seventeen year-old girl and bring her in for questioning. When the CIA found out her identity, my counter mission was to talk to her, and make her realize the danger she is in. That's why we are here."
Gaia's eyes widened as the story unfolded, in awe of the woman standing in front of her. Only one question came to her mind, and she asked it without hesitation.
"Why does SD-6 want me?"
"Your uncle is the leader of one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world. I think he has something my boss wants, something big. You are the only leverage Arvin Sloane can get, and he's trying desperately He could have sent any number of agents to get you, but he sent me, one of his top agents. He needs you badly."
"My uncle?"
Vaughn could see the change as soon as Sydney mentioned Oliver. Gaia did not know he was Loki. She did not know all the terror he inflicted. He wondered if she had even heard of Loki before, and decided to test her.
"Your uncle does not go by his given name anymore. He calls himself Loki."
Gaia's eyes flashed with a burning hatred. The bile was once again rising, but she fought it down. If it hadn't been Uncle Mike saying it, she wouldn't have believed it. But there it was. Her answer. Loki was a terrorist. Loki killed her mother. Loki was Oliver.
Vaughn was shocked by the look of pure hatred in her eyes. She knew the name, but she hadn't been aware of the face. "Gaia, we know that you've had contact with him. We need to know if he's said anything that could help us."
"Nothing relevant. He wanted me to move in with him, but I refused. I'm glad I didn't now. What should I do if he contacts me again?"
Vaughn immediately transformed into the role of handler. He reached into his pockets and removed a cell phone and a penny. "If he ever makes contact with you and wants to meet somewhere, call us on this cell phone. Speed dial 3. Before you go, hide this penny somewhere on your body, preferably in your shoe. We'll record the conversation. You have act normal and don't let him suspect anything. You have to be careful."
A voice filled Sydney's ear, causing her to jump. "Bluebird, do you have the cargo?"
Sydney pressed a few buttons on her watch and replied, "Negative. Subject was not on the premises."
"Copy that."
Vaughn felt her jump because he was still standing right next to her. She looked at him and said, "We need to finish this up. My plane leaves in an hour."
He nodded and then looked to Gaia. "It was good talking to you, Gaia. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."
She nodded, and then looked at him questioningly. "Can I take a quick walk with you?"
"I'll head back to the van. It was nice meeting you Gaia. I hope we can talk sometime. See you at home, Vaughn." Gaia noticed they looked at each other a little longer than necessary, making her think there was more to their relationship than they let on. As he watched her go, Gaia's suspicions were confirmed. Her Uncle Mike definitely felt something for Sydney.
They started walking away from the chess tables and into the darker part of the park. "How have you been?" Vaughn started out with a normal question, hoping to get the truth.
Gaia hesitated. She hated telling people the worst part of her life, but she had been miserable the last year. And lying in front of Uncle Mike was difficult; it always had been. He saw through every one of her lies when she was little.
"Not so good. In the last year my foster mother, best friend, and boyfriend have all been killed. Murdered." Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes. Vaughn stopped and hugged her. Gaia had lost so many people in her life. No single person had been there her whole life. Loki had killed both her parents, although one was still breathing. Tom Moore's soul had died right along with Katia.
"Everything I touch dies."
Vaughn almost laughed at the irony. "You and Sydney are so much alike it's scary. And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her.
"You are an amazing person. You've had to go through so much, and yet you have remained strong. You cannot blame yourself for their deaths. If you do that, everyone against you will win." Vaughn took Gaia by the shoulders. "This is the best advice I can give. Stay strong and don't let anyone get to you."
Gaia nodded. They continued in silence for a few minutes.
"Are you and Sydney dating?"
Vaughn froze. Was it that obvious how much he cared for her?
"No. If we were seen if public together we could both be killed. It's not a secret I work the CIA. Anyone tracking her could do a background check and she'd be exposed."
All Gaia could do was nod. There was no bigger obstacle than the threat of death.
They reached the exit and Vaughn hugged Gaia goodbye. "I trust you can get back to the apartment by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. I missed you."
"I missed you too. Goodnight."
He walked away from Gaia, hoping with all his might that she would never have to use that cell phone. Loki was dangerous, and not easily fooled.
A few weeks later he was sitting at his desk, arguing with Weiss to get that damn yo-yo out of his office when his phone rang.
"Vaughn."
Vaughn mentally swore as he heard Gaia's voice. "Tomorrow night at 8."
AN: I'm sorry it took so long. I had it done a week ago, but my computer decided to erase the whole frickin chapter, so I had to do it all over again. Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you think the crossover's going good. In response to the timeline problem, I'm sorry, but there was no real way for me to work it out without Vaughn being a lot older than he really is.
*Duck