Title: Choices and Chances: Chapter Sixteen
Author: Stormhawk
Chapter Word Count: 1292
Notes: does an evil dance
Please read and Review.
"So where is the room?" Stef asked him as they ran down the dungeon corridor.
"Which room?" Smith asked her.
"Duh Smith, the room where you hacked your own security."
"That's not important, we have to get out of here."
"No, we have to delete it."
"No."
"Do you want to get deleted? That's what they'll do to you."
"I deserve it."
"I don't give a damn Smith, all of the agents have been compromised because of your stupidity. We need to correct this mistake."
Smith shoved her against the wall, "don't you dare talk to me like that!"
She stared up at him, "fine, the gloves are off." She ran toward him and jumped, kicking him in the head and then knocking him to the ground. She beat her punched him again and again until she felt blood on her fingers.
She stood up and wiped her hands on her suit, "I thought I knew you. Find your own way out of here, we're done."
She walked away from him, and off to find the room.
Smith sat up, and watched her disappear from view.
Rounding a corner, she saw Mero and Carlson walking toward an open door. She froze and then ran quickly into the room, slamming the door shut and pulling the heavy bar across.
There was only one computer in the room, she could hear Carlson kicking at the door, trying to get through, she didn't have time to get through all of the security so she concentrated for a moment and then drove her hands into the computer.
It was a crude and temporary bridge, but it was enough to enable her to transfer all of the data across from the computer into her code. Downloading gigabytes every second, her coding started to burn when she started transferring the security hacks.
Whimpering in pain as her code burned, she finished transferring it off and then slumped to the floor as Carlson kicked the door in. He ran over and flung her away from the computer desk, he placed a heavy boot on her chest and aimed his gun down at her.
"I can hear your heart beating from here," Carlson whispered. "You're afraid of me."
Well, of course I'm afraid...
"Then shoot me, if that's what you're going to." There was no sense in beating around the bush, she wasn't going to get out of there, and she couldn't even reach for her gun without them noticing.
I don't want to die..."Aren't you even going to beg?" Carlson asked her with a sneer.
I really don't...Stef's head rolled back, she didn't have the energy to fight anymore.
Do I?Carlson took the safety off and she squeezed her eyes shut.
No."No," another voice said.
Carlson's head snapped to the side, "boss?"
The Merovingian pointed to the door, "leave."
Carlson stared down at the agent and then back to his boss, "well, if you say so." He put the gun on the desk as he walked out, "it's loaded."
Mero knelt down beside her and slipped his hand into her suit, then pulled out her gun and placed it just out of her reach. She turned onto her side and tried to reach it anyway, knowing it was useless. He pulled her hand away from it.
"Is it painful?" he asked, "being hacked from the inside?"
Through the pain, she glared up at him.
"I would imagine," he said softly, "that it feels something like deletion. You know, if you got up right now and went back to your Agency, that is all that awaits you? Probably not straight away, but in the future, they will delete you and you will just be another exile."
"Deletion hurts," she mumbled.
"So why go back there?" he asked, "just stay here, once the hacking finishes, I can cut your system ties and you'll be an exile like Carlson."
"Exile..."
"With whatever coherent thought you can gather, think about why you would want to go back, think about that conversation you had with Smith."
"How'd you know?"
"Hidden cameras my girl, what can the system possibly offer you that the exile world can't?"
"But you're a jerk, pervert, asshole..."
"And the man who left you to die in my playground isn't?" He extended a hand, "come on Mimosa, the kingdom of the exiles is waiting for you. Anyone as smart as you deserves a second chance."
"No," she whispered.
"Why?"
"I'm an agent."
"So was Carlson, but being an exile is so much better."
"Burn in hell."
"I don't burn in hell, I run it. Don't fear what you can control."
"Do you fear me?"
"I would prefer it if you worked for me. You're dangerously brilliant. The playground has been home and grave to hundreds of exiles, of mine, of Vorateu's, of all the others, from all parts of the globe. And out of all of them, you are the only one who managed to figure out how to get in through the doors. I really don't think the system acknowledges your intelligence."
She smiled weakly.
"That's more like it, now, what do you say?"
"If..."
He nodded expectantly, "conditions, of course, well, what are they?"
"Good pay."
"Not a problem."
"Room, weapons."
"Standard."
"I kill Smith."
The Merovingian smiled in victory, "so be it. Would you like to get up off the floor?"
She nodded slowly and he helped her up. He guided her to the same chair he had restrained Smith in.
"Better not be trick," she mumbled.
"Trust me Mimosa, it's not, and your system problems and days are over."
"Still hurts."
"Perhaps I can do something about that as well," he said as he retrieved a small bottle of wine out of the secret compartment.
"What is that?"
"It temporarily numbs your pain subroutines, I don't make much of it as too much and you are left permanently numb."
"Ok," she mumbled and he poured her a glass.
She tentatively drank a little and then smiled as the pain subsided, "shouldn't we drink to something?" she asked sarcastically.
"To what?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of normal wine.
Stef smirked, and raised her glass, "to my boss."
He touched his glass to hers, "I'll drink to that." He looked at the door, "you can come back in Carlson," he called.
Carlson flung open the door, an MP5 in his hand. He took a step in and froze, "what is going on?" he asked as he watched Stef drain her wineglass.
"Meet my newest employee."
"Employee?" Carlson said as he raised his eyebrows. "Ah, I was about to put a bullet in her brain two minutes ago..."
Stef smirked humorlessly, "I finally got the incentive I needed to go exile. Oh, do I get vacations?"
The Merovingian gave her a strange look, "of course."
"Cool."
"Ah, no way," Carlson said, "this is a trick."
"The one thing that was tying me to the system is going to be dead in about an hour, exile is a good choice."
"I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"Whatever." She looked up at Mero, "so what now?"
The Merovingian thought for a second, "the security hacks should take about an hour, in that time you can pick out some new weapons and Carlson can show you to a room."
"Please tell me your dog comes with a collar."
Carlson growled.
"Oh down puppy, I'm on your side now you jerk. Weren't you the one who said you were nothing like Brown? So prove it."
"I don't trust you."
"And you think I trust you? We're going to have to learn to get along though."
"Unlikely," he said as they walked out of the room.