HERE'S CHAPTER 70 D!!! Thank you so much to SKETTY24, XMENLOGANFAN and CAPT. O' HAGAN (great to see you again :D!!! I missed ya lots !) for the wonderful reviews D!!! I hope you guys like this chapter too )! Btw, keep on the look-out for a cameo appearance of Stryker's (soon-to-be) right hand man ;)!

Note: Jim Hudson, in the comics, also had a past with Logan ). Yeap, he's a comic book character that I decided to insert in the story for a dash of movie/comicbook continuity )!

Chapter 70: Jason Stryker is born

Yes, he knew this place. This was the room where Nathan and Hudson always briefed them before each and every mission. This was also where they discussed about their plans, tactics and other agendas related to Code7. There was a big table in the middle of the room, and on the far side of the room was a big screen display. Standing by the big screen display was a man dressed up in a formal business suit, and around the table sat William, Yuriko and Logan. They seemed to be in the middle of a briefing.

"Some of the people in Code6 just got a hold of some information about a kind of nanomachine that's being developed down south." Said the man by the big screen display. The screen behind him was showing a slide of a computer generated representation of a human cell. "They say that this nanomachine could be injected into a person's body and it will allow him to withstand the most extreme of conditions...from freezing temperatures to severe hunger, to hazardous environments." He continued.

Yuriko, William and Logan were all focused on the man in front of them. All of them were listening intently to Hudson, as if each and every word that he was saying were important. William had a pen in his hand, and he was scribbling down some notes on a number of documents as he listened. Aside from weapons development and vehicular technology, he was also into biochemistry. And nanomachines were one of his favorite topics when it came to that. He had actually been thinking of integrating his technological work, with his biological work for quite some time now, and Code6's new discovery might help him do just that. Then the door to the briefing room suddenly opened, and a young man stepped inside. He had a cordless phone in his hand.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hudson." He said as he stepped inside. "I'm sorry to interrupt this meeting, sir, but there's an urgent call for Mr. Stryker." The young man had a serious tone in his voice. He seemed to know what the phone call was all about.

William's head suddenly turned to look at the young man when he heard him speak his name. He couldn't help but wonder what the call was all about. Who could it be? He didn't know of anyone who called him 'at work'. Only Yuriko and Logan did that, and the two of them were there, sitting with him around the table.

Jim Hudson sighed and looked at the young man sternly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lyman, but as you can see, we're in an urgent meeting right now." He said firmly. Then he looked at William. "And I believe that William knows about it too...Isn't that right, Mr. Stryker?" He asked as he looked at William.

"Yes I do." William replied. Then he turned his head and looked at Lyman. "Please tell that person to call back later. I'm in a meeting." He said firmly.

He knew the rules of Code7 and he played by those rules. He knew that whenever he was in the headquarters, he was 'owned' by the team, and that his life was for the division alone. And whenever he was under the presence of someone higher than him, such as now, he always made sure that he followed that person's orders. Even if William was a revered and respected member of Code7, he was still a solder. And as a solder and as a follower, he had to agree with the general rules of the division.

Lyman looked at William, then he motioned the phone towards him, as if he wanted to give it to him this instant. "But it's your wife, sir....she..."

William's eyes suddenly opened wide, then without saying a word, he immediately stood up and ran to Lyman. He grabbed the phone from the Lyman's hand before the young man could say another word.

He quickly brought the phone to his ear. "Karen?! Karen, is that you?!" He asked with panic in his voice. He knew that was he was doing was not within the boundaries of their standard protocol, but this was Karen...this was his wife, and she was more important to him than following Code7's 'standard protocols'.

But it wasn't Karen's voice that he heard from the phone...It was the voice of Karen's sister, Angelica. She actually decided to move into town when she first heard the news that Karen was pregnant nine months ago. It was actually quite amazing how well he got along with Karen's family. Her parents loved him and so did her brother and sister, though none of them knew about the secret life that he led between crosshairs.

His eyes widened with shock and his jaw dropped as he listened to Angelica's voice on the phone. He looked like he had just frozen in place. Then a huge smile started to arch up the corners of his gaping mouth and he looked like he was about to shout out with joy. He excitedly ran his fingers through his hair as he listened to her. Then he gasped and barked out brief laughs, as if each and every word that Angelica was saying was worth rejoicing about. He couldn't believe it...he couldn't believe it.

"Oh my god." He gasped. He couldn't seem to contain the excitement in his chest. "Oh wow! Oh god, how is she doing?! How is 'he' doing?! Are they both fine?! I mean, what time?!" He asked with an excited tone in his voice. He sounded like he was panicking and rejoicing and worrying all at the same time. "Oh my god, I really wish I could have been there!" He said excitedly. But one thing was for sure, he was one happy man. The excitement in his eyes and the huge smile on his lips were sure signs of that. He felt as if his life just became more perfect than he already was.

"Okay, I'll be there!" He said firmly.

Hudson, Lyman, Logan and Yuriko, on the other hand, watched William with awe as he let himself go on the phone. They all had dumbfounded looks on their faces as they see him virtually jump up and down with excitement and joy. Hudson and Lyman, especially, were very much surprised to see him like this. William looked like a person who had just won the lottery, or a child who had just opened his Christmas gift to find the toy that he wanted more than anything in the world.

"I'll be there!" He shouted again, through his smiling lips. "Tell Karen I'll be with you soon! And...and tell Jason...tell my son...that I love him." He said softly. His voice softened as he spoke his newborn son's name. "Tell him that daddy will be there soon." He whispered, with a gentle smile on his face. He couldn't want to see what his son looked like. Maybe he looked like him, or his mother. But no matter what he looked like or what he was, he loved him. He loved him ever since the day they created him.

"Thanks, Angelica." He said happily. "See you later." He was trying to calm himself down now. Then he pulled the phone away from him and he turned it out. The huge smile on his face still lingered as he handed it back to Lyman.

"I'm a father now." He said subtly as he handed it to the young man.

Lyman didn't really know how to react. He had never seen William like this before. He couldn't imagine that this was 'the man' who killed people for a living. Then he smiled and nodded his head in support of his mentor's newborn baby boy. "Congratulations, sir." He said, smiling. Then he stepped out of the room with the phone in his hand, and closed the door behind him, leaving William alone with Yuriko, Logan, and Hudson.

William breathed in, and then he slowly turned around and faced his friends. He breathed in again, with a proud smile on his face, and then he opened his arms, as if he was about to proclaim something 'huge'. "I'm a father!" He shouted out proudly.

Yuriko, Logan and Hudson looked at him, still with dumbfounded looks on their faces. They still couldn't believe how William was acting in the moment. They knew he was a lively person, but they've never seen him as lively as this, especially during a secret military briefing about nanotechnologies.

"What are you guys all gawking about?" He asked excitedly. "Didn't you just hear what I said?! I have a son!" He shouted out loud. Then he looked up and shouted again with his eyes shut in excitement. "I have a son!" He was shouting as if he wanted the entire world to hear. Then he breathed in and laughed. He found it so difficult to contain his happiness. He felt like he was going to explode. Then he exhaled and looked back at his friends. He seemed more contained now. A wide smile spread across his lips and he ran his fingers through his feathery brown hair.

"Karen just gave birth." He said softly. "She gave birth to a handsome, bouncing baby boy." He was smiling so subtly, and so gently. He couldn't wait to see his son. He couldn't wait to feel him in his arms. "She gave birth to our Jason."

Hudson sighed and rolled his eyes. Then he looked at William sternly and smirked. "Okay, Mr. Stryker. Now that you've announced the overly joyous news, I suggest that you sit back down so that we could finally continue our 'very' important meeting." He emphasized the word 'very', meaning that he wouldn't let anything delay their meeting any longer. He shouldn't have even allowed William to take that call in the first place.

William looked at him and chuckled. Then he shook his head from side to side. "What? You think I'm just going to stick around while my wife's laying there with my newborn son?" He asked in a joking manner. "No way, Hudson...No way." He chuckled. He couldn't believe that he was saying 'no' to Hudson. Jim Hudson was the director of operations and he dictates everything that goes on in Code7. He was the one who replaced Nathan when Nathan retired, and despite his strictness, he was a good leader.

He looked at Logan, and then at Yuriko. "I'm sorry, guys. But it looks like I'll have to run. I can't just stay here while my son's waiting for me, you know." He said with a smile. "I don't want him to open his eyes and not see his father there." He really wished he could have been there when Jason was born. He wished he could have held his son in his arm as soon as Jason entered this world. But he was at work...he was here, in his other life...the life that his wife didn't know, and the life that his son will never know. And he didn't want either of them to know. He didn't want Karen to know that he bathed in blood and basked in death in this life. And he didn't want his son, Jason to grow up, knowing that his father took the lives of those who stood in his way.

Then he looked at Hudson and gave him a small salute. "Don't worry, Huds!" He said with a grin. "I'll be back early tomorrow. Trust me, I'll make it up to you. I'll even do some extra research in the topic of yours if you want." He said as he motioned his hand towards the big screen. He couldn't wait to get to the hospital.

He was now expecting Hudson to let him go, but the man continued to look at him with commanding eyes, as if he wanted William to sit back down again. William sighed and looked at him in a pleading manner. "Please, Jim." He begged. "I --- I just, really have to go right now. I mean, my son's waiting for me...my son." He emphasized. He knew that if Hudson told him 'no', he would have no choice but to say for as long as the man wanted him to. After all, he himself was the one who chose this kind of life. Ever since the day he was recruited in Code7, he lived and breathed for the division.

Hudson grunted and placed a hand on his face. He couldn't believe that he was about to do what he was about to do. Then he took his hand away and looked at William. He could really see the longing in William's eyes. He truly wanted to go and see his son. Hudson sighed and shook his head from side to side. "Fine." He said submissively. "Go." He dictated as he motioned his hand towards the door.

William howled with joy and immediately ran towards the door. But before he could go out, he turned around and looked at Hudson again. "You're not going to regret letting me go today, Huds!" He said with a huge smile on his face. "I promise you...I'll work on my research triple than twice the speed that I usually do. And if you want, I'll even develop of a fighter jet with your name on it!" He exclaimed. He couldn't believe that Hudson was letting him run off in the middle of this urgent meeting. "And I'll give a hundred and ten percent on the next missions! I promise you that!" He said as he pointed at Hudson. Then he looked at Yuriko and Logan and nodded at them. "I'll be seeing you guys around." He said melodiously.

Then he turned around and opened the door. He was about to step out, when Yuriko suddenly called out to him.

"William, wait!" Yuriko suddenly said as she stood up.

William turned around to look at her. "What?" He asked, smiling.