By Hatsuri Botosai
Disclaimer- I do not own ALIAS, or any of the characters associated with that excellent show. I do own my own original characters and all of my own original plots. Any other author or creator using my characters and plots without my personal consent will be subject to reporting to the Webmaster for plagiarism.
Chapter 1- Master and Lynx
Location- Somewhere in Wales, England
Date- July 23, 2003
The girl stopped climbing and caught her breath, "Twenty more meters. Thank God he has trees," She took the cigarette out of the corner of her mouth and blew the smoke into the air before her. A thin red line appeared where the smoke was blown. She gingerly stepped over the space where the security trigger was onto another branch. She repeated her trigger search until she reached the last tree, and carefully climbed down to the ground. She was about five meters from the large manor house.
The girl threw down her cigarette and ground it out with her foot. She carefully walked up to the house, making sure she did not trigger any alarms or explosives. When she reached one of the many large windows, the girl took out what appeared to be a tube of Chap Stick. But, when she removed the cap, the girl pressed the tip on the rim of the glass and squeezed. Acid ran from the tip and ate through the three-foot wide square. The girl stood back and replaced the ca on her tube as the glass fell lightly onto the bush below.
The girl hoisted herself through the window and landed lightly in a crouched position on the floor. She stood up and looked carefully around the large room. Floor to ceiling bookcases filled with old volumes decorated three of the five walls. The fourth wall held the window, and the door made up the fifth wall. A large oak table with four matching chairs stood in the middle of the large study. In the days when this manor was new, this had been one of the towers.
The girl crossed the room and opened the door. She walked out into a high ceiling, stone corridor. She couldn't see any guards, but she knew there were at least five; she'd seen their shadows in the windows from the outside. She walked down the hall, careful to not make any noise on the stone tile.
"Going good so far," the girl whispered. Then, she slipped on a puddle of water on the floor. She fell down a set of stairs and landed on her head with a loud WHACK. The girl didn't get up; she was unconscious.
* * *
Location- Los Angeles, California, USA
Date- July 23, 2003
"Good work in Shanghai, Agent Bristow," Director Dixon praised the smiling young woman. Kendell had retired and Dixon was now Director of the Los Angeles CIA division. "Okay, as all of you know, Sloane and Derevko have evaded capture and surveillance for almost two months. This concerns us because we don't know what Rembaldi discoveries they have made,"
"We also have no idea what Ildire actually is," Sydney interjected.
"Exactly," Vaughn supported and smiled at his fiancé. After their trip to Santa Barbara, Vaughn had proposed to Sydney in one of their favorite coffee shops. They were to be married the following spring. "This could be some sort of weapon."
Jack Bristow nodded, "It could be more dangerous than the first Rembaldi weapon used in Mexico City by Sark,"
"What happened to Sark anyway?" Sydney did not know due to her hospitalization on the night Alison Doran had been made as Francie's double.
"He was released," Jack said crisply.
"Excuse me?" Sydney was in shock.
"There wasn't enough tangible evidence to tie him to any of the crimes he did," Vaughn sighed. "That bastard did a lot of clean work through a lot of loyal contacts,"
"So he just went free," Sydney sighed heavily. "Great. One of the worst contract killers in the world and an ally of Arven Sloane just went free,"
"Sydney, if it makes you feel any better, we know he went to Europe, but we lost him after that," Dixon took out two folders from his briefcase and handed them to Sydney and Vaughn. "You're going to Berlin. We have intel that Sloane has been sighted there. We want you to check it out. Your contact will be at a nightclub called Cerynx Mix. Your plane leaves in three hours,"
* * *
"Uhn," The girl slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and found her hands tied together under her legs, which were tied at the feet as well. Clearly, who ever had tied her up thought she wouldn't be able to escape this way. She was perfectly balanced on top of a wooden stool, to which her hips and waist were tied. The girl grunted as she adjusted herself. Then, she took her hands and, with great difficultly to not fall over, she pulled her hands over her feet. She leaned over so that she was bent over with the stool sticking straight out horizontally. "Humph, alrighty then," The girl suddenly jumped up with her legs and feet straight out in front of her. She really felt it when the stools legs gave out under the weight and she landed butt first on the stone floor. The girl finally managed a standing position, and hopped over to a nearby chair.
The room was dimly lit, and, through the shadows, the girl saw a wardrobe, a bureau with a mirror, two other chairs and a coffee table, and a four-poster bed. A large window overlooked a large, black lake. She was in one of the towers again. The girl sat back and began to undo the knot in front of her with her teeth. Suddenly, the room burst with light as the door banged open.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," A smooth, cool English voice sounded. A tall, young blonde man walked over and stood before the girl. He looked at her through his gray eyes. "My bodyguards don't like it when intruders try to escape,"
"Well, where were they when I got in? They seem to be very inept," The girl remarked coolly.
"Yes, they do seem to lack certain qualities," The man turned back to the three large shadows in the doorway. "You three leave us. I have to discuss certain things with our young intruder before I berate you," The three men shuffled away, their movements suggesting anxiety. The man got himself a chair from the other side of the room, and turned back to his captive. He seated himself and peered at the girl, "My name is Sark. Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"
The girl shifted and did not meet his gaze, "I came here searching for something. As for your other question, I don't know,"
Sark creased his eyebrows, "Don't know what?"
"My name. I can't remember anything except for three things," The girl looked straight at him. "Your name, the name Rembaldi, and the name Lynx,"
"What do you know about Rembaldi?" Sark leaned forward. Finally, his questions could possibly be answered.
"Nothing. I can't remember anything about myself or anything else," The girl looked away.
Sark decided to drop the subject of Rembaldi for the moment. Onto another subject that bothered him, "How did you break into my grounds and succeed in getting into my house? I have wire and laser security triggers, infrared sensors, guards, and security dogs. Most agents couldn't get inside,"
"Your security is actually pretty easy to over ride. I got into the grounds by climbing up a tree branch that hung over the fence on the east end. I avoided the wire triggers in the ground by climbing and jumping in the trees. I was fortunate enough to find a still-burning cigarette dropped by one of your guards. I used its smoke to find the laser triggers in the trees. I used acid to break through a ground level window. As for the dogs," The girl smiled. "I covered myself in scent-killer before entering the grounds,"
"You seem very adept at stealth. What are you? Fifteen, sixteen?" Sark half-smiled. "Where did you train?"
"I'm seventeen, and I can't remember anything!" The girl was getting irritated. " And how old are you? Twenty-eight? Thirty?"
"I'm twenty-three, thank you," Sark's smile dropped. "I repeat, where did you train?"
"I can't remember! Haven't you been listening to anything?" The girl tossed her long, brunette braid over her shoulder angrily.
"Yes, I have," Sark was calculating. Get this girl on his side, and she could prove to be quite an asset. "What if I could get you your memory back? I've heard of some techniques that can repair amnesia. Work for me, and I can make it happen," Sark already knew her answer. He held out his hand. "What do you say?"
The girl thought about it. Sure, he was a bit creepy, but he said he would be able to get her memory back. It was worth it. She shook his hand with both of hers, "Deal. Now get me out of these restraints!"
Sark obliged as he said, "Now, what should I call you? You said you only remembered the names Rembaldi, Sark, and Lynx. And, since you can't remember your own name, you'll be called Lynx,"
The girl decided not to implore for a different name. This seemed to be a man whose decisions were decided. "What should I call you? Sark? Mr. Sark?" Lynx rolled her ankles to regenerate circulation as Sark undid her hands.
"Call me whatever you like," Sark finished untying her, and got up. He went to the door and stood in the light. "You're now one of my personal associates. You'll be given weapons and some training tomorrow."
Lynx got up and went to the window. She stared out at the dark blue and purple sky, "Yes. Thank you, Master,"
Sark turned a bit and saw her at the window out of the corner of his eye. "Hmm," He sighed before exiting the room to go berate his guards.
* * *
Location- Berlin, Germany
"Hmmmm,"
"What now?" Sydney smiled a bit as she walked through the crowded, pumping German club.
"Oh, nothing," Vaughn's voice sounded filtered through Sydney's communicator. He had taped into the clubs surveillance system so he could watch her every move. He actually sat in a van about a block from the club. "You just look really good with that spiked red hair,"
"Danka, darling," Sydney grinned as she took a stool at the bar. She was in one of her famous get-ups. Her red, shorthaired wig matched perfectly with her plaid mini-skirt. Her leather bustier was outfitted with another security camera in the black crystal embellishment. "So, when's our contact supposed to show up?"
"He should be walking through the door right about now," Vaughn's voice clipped. "Look for black hair and about three body guards,"
Sydney nonchalantly looked towards the clubs entrance. Through the sea of jumping bodies, she managed to spot a tall, black haired man wearing a suit that looked like he came from Vegas. Three burly men who made way for their employer surrounded him. Sydney watched the man and his guards take a booth near the back exit. "Got him. I'm going in,"
"Good luck, Sydney," Vaughn's voice cut out.
Sydney got off her bar stool, and walked slowly over the booth. She glided over, getting threatening glances from the bodyguards. She rested her fingertips on the table surface.
"May I offer you a drink?" The dark haired man offered, looking her up and down.
"Yes, I heard the Bloody Mary's are wonderful here," Sydney recited her contact signal.
The mans face fell; he definitely did not think she was CIA. "Please, sit down," His voice hinted Italian, yet he spoke English with almost no accent.
"Thank you," Sydney scooted into the booth and sat opposite her informant. "Now, what can you say about Arven Sloane?"
"Look, if I'm found out," The man started to sweat.
"We'll make sure nothing happens to you," Sydney reassured. "Sloane?"
"Yeah, he's living in Cairo with Irina Derevko. I was a contact killer he'd hired to do a job for him in New York. They're investigating something. I don't know exactly what, but it was about some dead guy," The man shrugged. "Can't remember the name,"
"Rembaldi," Sydney sighed. "Anything else?"
"No, nothing. But, after Cairo, they plan to go to Moscow," The man looked around nervously before sliding out of the booth. "Sorry, but I have to go," The man slid out of the booth and gestured for his guards to follow him.
Sydney watched the man disappear into the crowd. "Well, that turned up almost nothing," She sighed and rested her elbows on the table.
"No, we know where Sloane and your mother are now, and where they'll be soon," Vaughn's voice reassured. "I'll have the security team follow our informant for about two hours. He'll be fine after that,"
"Okay," Sydney watched the man approach the exit, and hold the door open for another man and his date. Yet, the man and the woman entering reached into their jackets and pull out a handgun each. Sydney watched in horror as her contact and his bodyguards took two to three rounds in the chest.
The club erupted in screams and shouting. Sydney jumped from her booth and ran over to where the assassins were beginning to retreat through the door. She pulled out her own tranquilizer gun from its hidden area under her skirt and fired one small dart into the back of the female assassin.
"Sheila!" The male assassin turned around at the shot and was swiftly kicked by Sydney across the face. He stumbled back to a wall, and was pinned at the throat by Sydney's arm.
"Who sent you here?" She yelled. "Who informed you of the meet?"
The man choked and groaned, "Sloane, Arven Sloane!"
Sydney hit him smartly in the temple with her elbow. She stood back breathing heavily as Vaughn contacted her on her communicator, "Syd, what was that? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, Michael, I'm fine. Our informant and his bodyguards were shot. I just took out the assassins," She breathed raggedly.
"I'll send in a task force to apprehend them. I'll be around soon to extract you. I'll be there in two minutes," His voice cut out.
"Great, thanks," Sydney leaned up against the wall. That didn't go very well, she thought.
* * *
He had found her and tied her up himself. His good for nothing guards were definitely in for a pay cut. Sark stormed at them with unrestrained fury, which for him was eerie calm with glaring eyes, "What if she had been CIA? Do you know what could have happened? She could have killed all of us, destroyed this household, and none of us would have been the wiser. Explain yourselves," He stood with his arms crossed. His ten guards sat with their eyes at the floor. This was pretty pathetic for thirty-something old burly men with guns. "I said, EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!" Sark's calm broke and he smacked the closest guard across the face.
"You heard her yourself. She climbed in the trees," One of the guards finally spoke up.
"What about when she got in the house? What then?" Sark walked over to the one who had talked. "You were down here, in the barracks again, weren't you? Taking another break?"
"It's been quiet since the CIA released you. No one would dare mess with Sark," The guard looked up into his employer's eyes defiantly. "You're too insecure,"
Sark reached into the jacket of his suit, "No one talks to me like that," Without a second thought, he shot the man clear through the head. Sark looked around, still holding his gun. "Anyone else have an excuse?"
The men, still looking at the ground, shook their heads, "Good, now get back to your posts. You two, clean this up," Sark dismissed the rest of his guards with a wave of his hand. He himself walked out of the room and up a staircase to his surveillance room.
He sat down at his chair in front of the wall of TV screens and sighed. He pulled up the surveillance of the room where Lynx was with a click of a remote control. She strolled around the old tower chamber with her hands behind her back. She was very tall, very thin, and even a little pretty Sark decided. That long hair of hers would get in the way; he'd have her cut it. Lynx looked straight up at the camera, seeming to know he was watching her. Even if the picture was only black and white, her green-colored eyes still shone brightly on the screen.
Sark had seen something familiar in her when he had seen Lynx look up at him when he had come into the room to question her. Her thin, angular face, her pouty lips, and her imploring eyes all seemed to remind him of something. "Ah, yes," He sighed. "This woman, who shall bear unseen marks," He recited. "This is she. The herald of the second coming of Rembaldi." Sark half-smiled as he stared at the screen. "I have you,"
AUTHOR'S NOTE- Hey! This is Tsuri, the author. This is my first ALIAS fic, and I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter. Now, for all of you wondering about certain details (certain BIG details) let me explain them for you. Even though I love the third season of ALIAS, I've come up with my own certain little story of a different way things could have gone. Basically, I have completely disregarded the third season, and the last fifteen minutes of the season finale of season two. So, for all of those lost, Sloane and Derevko are still bad, Sydney never lost her memory or went missing, Vaughn is not married to the bushy eye browed blonde, Sark (my fav ALIAS character) is currently neither bad or good, and I have added a new element to the mix, Lynx! Lynx's past will eventually be explained, but not now. Also, she gets together with someone, but you'll have to read more to find out who.
Another note, foreign languages will periodically be used throughout the story, but I'll always provide a translation, either in this note, or through italics in the actual dialog.
Danka- German for "Thanks"
Hope you enjoyed! Please review!
Love, Tsuri