Sometime, In Another Life
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Chapter Two:
"What's happened, Megan?"
"The Titans are on the move," she answers, and a lead weight drops somewhere in the vicinity of his knees. He's dreaded this day for five years, but somehow, Spencer's always imagined that he'd have more time. Unfortunately, that's not all the bad news Megan has to give. "Athena's dead, Hep."
Spencer drops into a chair across from the woman, boneless, and buries his face in his hands. He can picture Athena, or Lexi Carpenter, in his mind's eye, and it's difficult to believe she's gone.
"How?" He asks. He doesn't mention that Lexi's supposed to be in Chicago, teaching ungrateful undergrads Chemistry, and as far from that life as it's possible to get. They're both already aware of the fact, and the knowledge weighs heavy in the silence between them.
None of them are safe.
"They found her," Megan answers, "They had her for seven days. It wasn't… It's not pretty, Spencer."
"And the others?"
"That's the thing," she hedges, "Artemis and Apollo went to ground a week ago, just on a simple recon job. They were supposed to check in on Monday, but I haven't heard from either of them. I'm worried."
Spencer makes to answer - to say what, he has no idea - but before he can, he's distracted by a knock on the glass door. JJ stands on the other side, a stack of files in hand, and Spencer groans. That can only mean a new case - and they are so close to the weekend, too.
"Duty calls," Megan observes, rises to her feet, and approaches the door. She unlocks it, offers JJ a cordial smile as she tugs it open, and addresses Spencer as she brushes past the blonde, "You know my number, Hep. Give me a call when you get back. We don't have the time to waste."
"I will," he answers, slumps back in his seat, and ignores the stares sent his way. JJ, Morgan, and Greenaway aren't subtle about they're interest, but Spencer's got other things on his mind, and he couldn't care less about satiating their curiosity.
Blessedly, Hotch and Gideon are considerably more professional. The former calls the team to order, JJ proceeds with the briefing, and before Reid can sigh a breath of relief that he's dodged a bullet, he opens the case file.
The photos are gruesome, and the victims were certain to have died in a lot of pain, but what captures his attention is the scythe carved into the floor beside each victims' head.
Spencer frowns, withdraws his phone from his pocket, and dials Megan's number by memory. "Hey, are you still in the building?"
"Yeah," she confirms, "Did you want me to come back up?"
"Yes," he answers, "This new case concerns the Titans. Kronos left his calling card." Megan swears and promises she'll be up in a few moments, Spencer cuts the line, and turns to his boss. "I'm thinking I should give my old employers a call."
Hotchner frowns. "There are protocols that need to be observed."
Spencer grimaces, entirely aware of that fact, but acquiesces with a nod. As he does, Megan knocks on the conference room door, enters when she's acknowledged, and shuffles behind Spencer's seat. He's entirely too aware of her presence there, but as she leans over his shoulder to study the file, he supposes now is neither the time, nor the place, to bring up the matter of his personal space.
"Looks like Kronos' work," Megan acknowledges.
"He's supposed to be in prison," Spencer answers.
"It could be a copycat?" Gideon offers.
Megan shakes her head, no. "The scythe was never released to the public, and Richard Covington escaped prison eight weeks ago."
Spencer reels. "And I'm only finding out about this now?"
"I couldn't exactly stop by," Megan parries, "Should I have flown over for a spot of tea, Spencer?"
"There are these things called computers, and telephones. Maybe you've heard of them?" Spencer answers heatedly, "You don't think Covington's escape from prison was something we needed to know about?"
"There were other things that took precedent."
"Precedent? Jesus, Megan, Lexi's dead, and the twins are missing! If he's not out for blood-"
"What do you think I've been doing for the last two months, Spencer? Sitting with my thumb up my ass waiting for Dick to drop dead? I've been tailing his ass all over the goddamn world!"
"you've done a spectacular job of it, too," he seethes, picks up the file, "Bastard probably knows where we all live, thanks so much for the warning."
Megan raises her hands and makes to throttle him, gives an inarticulate sound of rage, and exclaims, "You're infuriating!"
"Yeah, and you're a controlling, secretive bi-"
Hotch clears his throat, Spencer straightens up from where he's towered over Megan, and sits back in the seat he'd not realised he had vacated. As he does, he clears his throat, somewhat uncomfortable. "I apologise."
Hotch nods his acknowledgement. "That's not a problem. I understand that this might be difficult for you both."
Megan drops gracelessly into the seat beside Spencer, crosses her arms over her chest, and glares at the file still spread in front of Spencer. Without prompting, he slides it halfway between them, and she proceeds to rifle through the papers in silence.
"Perhaps you'd like to catch us all up to date?" Hotch offers.
It's not a request.
"That'd be nice," Morgan offers glibly. Elle nods her agreement, and JJ simply waits. Spencer sighs, cards a hand through his hair, and wonders where he should start.
Megan sighs wearily, props one of her elbows on the table, and her chin in her raised palm. "Maybe start with introductions, Hep?"
Spencer nods, chagrined. "Everyone, meet Dr Megan Masters. Megan, my team: Senior Supervisory Special Agents Aaron Hotchner and Jason Gideon, Supervisory Special Agents Derek Morgan and Elle Greenaway, and Special Agent Jennifer Jareau."
"And how do you know Reid?" Morgan pries.
"We worked together," Megan replies, and adds with a shark-like grin, "And we were also engaged for a time."
Jason is unsurprised. He's known for a while, though neither he, nor Spencer, have felt inclined to bring up the matter. hotch, on the other hand, is surprised, though he collects himself quickly, and Spencer almost imagines that he saw the slip.
In contrast, neither Morgan, Greenaway, or JJ make a secret of their shock. Spencer's pretty sure they all think he's still a virgin, and admittedly, Spencer's made no effort in correcting their assumptions. Disregarding that, however, he's not amused. There's a reason why he's not told anyone about it.
"That was unnecessary, and entirely irrelevant."
"Ashamed of me, Spencer?"
"It's in the past," he answers, certain to avoid her trap, "And I've left it there for a reason. Don't bring it up again."
Megan deflates again, and once more, she looks like a tired, world-weary doppelgänger of a woman he'd once known like the back of his hand. She appears beaten down, but at the very least, she's not given up.
Not yet, anyway.
"Right," she mutters, sighs wearily, and cards a hand through her auburn hair, and waits for Spencer to continue the explanation.
He doesn't take long. "I was recruited by the CIA when I turned 18. Megan joined a few months later, and we were part of a task force of… rather extraordinary individuals. They called us 'The Olympians', and our job was to take down a crime syndicate whose leaders styled themselves as Greek Titans. To date, it's probably the hardest case I've ever worked."
"The case was closed in 2001," Megan contributes, "Richard Covington and his wife, Ellen, were in prison, and their subordinates weren't far behind them. It was over, the team was disbanded. Then, two months ago, Covington escaped. I - and what's left of our team - have been chasing shadows ever since."
"What's left of your team?" Morgan echoes.
Megan nods. "There were 12 of us, originally. We were given codenames - for security, obviously - and hence, the Olympians. We lost three during the case, killed in action. When the case was closed, two more went underground. We haven't heard from them since. No paper trail, no hide nor hair, not even bread crumbs."
Her fists clench on the table, and it's obvious that it still bothers her. She'd fixated on their disappearance years ago, had devoted hours upon hours in pursuit of them, but they'd vanished without a trace, and the search was futile.
"Two of us resigned and relocated," Spencer continued, "Myself and another, Alexandria Carpenter. She's since become another victim of the Covingtons."
It is difficult to say. He doesn't want to believe it, really, but Megan's grief is obvious, and there's no reason for her to lie. Not about that. Still, he has to take a moment to compose himself, and Megan's hand in his is a surprising comfort.
"There were five others, myself included," Megan takes up the thread, "Unfortunately, two of my people, Apollo and Artemis, didn't make their check-in on Monday. At this point in time, they are missing in action."
"And may I ask what brought you here?" Hotch enquires.
Megan tilts her head in Spencer's direction. "I'm in need of this guy's expertise. Last time, it took 12 phenomenally brilliant people to bring down the Covingtons. Including the twins, there are only five of us."
"And now you have the BAU at your disposal," Hotch replies, "This has just become a federal case. JJ, will you inform the appropriate LEO's?"
"Of course," JJ answers. She retreats from the conference room, Spencer settles back in his seat, and he reminds himself to be careful what he wishes for. Monotony, after all, isn't so bad.