A/N: Sorry that this one took a bit longer. Life happened. That's the only excuse I have at the moment. I hope you all like this new chapter, as there is a lot of AU coming. Very close to canon, but with different twists, though quite subtle still. If anyone can guess some of the twists I have in mind, I might create a character for them. Or something Lol. As always, I look forward to your comments! Enjoy
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything remotely famous.
Chuck vs Trust
Chuck sat down in his room. It had been a quiet several days of working the BuyMore and nothing more. He was thankful for it, but he was still waiting on his program to decrypt and unredact the files he had pulled. Which meant there wasn't much more he could do. Checking the status, he figured a few more days and he'd have what he needed. In the meantime he continued to focus his energy on figuring more out about the Intersect and how it works.
Everything he had found told him that maybe 3 people knew how it worked, and one was a traitor to the United States. Zarnow. The other 2 he didn't have a name for. They must have only put their code names in the Intersect, or he hadn't figured out how to access it yet. He'd noticed that the Intersect seemed almost like a muscle. An extension of himself. The more he worked it, the easier it was on his brain.
It no longer caused headaches when he flashed a lot. And he felt like he did when he was young. Things were easy to learn, easy to remember. That had always made therapy more difficult. He mused, thinking about how it would've been easier to just forget the trauma of their parents leaving. Feeling the guilt, the loneliness, that empty feeling that a kid left alone gets.
He always felt for Ellie. She never showed that it bothered her for a long time, and even now, she only talks about how much stronger they are together.
But right now, his brain felt new. Fresh. As he focused on the information he had, it would trigger more flashes. He could spiderweb through an entire network and not even realize it had been an hour or 2. But he didn't have control yet. He'd spiral into a hole without having the ability to guide his mind to what tunnel he wanted to dive into next. Always something more to work on. And who said I'm not an athlete? Chuck smirked at his own thoughts.
He'd already found that Sarah wasn't her real name. Neither was one of the multitude of other aliases that were in her file. The only thing not listed was her real name, along with several months of gaps during her training. She had quite the record, and this had been the longest she had ever been on a single mission.
While Major John Casey, an exemplary military background. As Alex Coburn. Engaged before deployment. Several medals of valor. Died in service and brought back as John Casey to live the undercover life of an NSA agent.
Chuck had also been looking into many other cases dealing with assets. He noticed a major difference in all of those, they were all getting something. Protection from people wanting them dead. Money for their expertise. Some even had desk jobs and cush life styles provided by the taxpayers. And yet here he was. Literally being taken advantage of. Not getting paid, I'm in danger all the time, and I'm treated like I'm hostile. Not to mention not able to live my life in any way. Ok, so my life hadn't been great before the Intersect came to me, but at least it was mine to make that decision.
It was then he realized, he would have to change the things he wanted if he was going to accept this life for the time being. He just had to wait until he had leverage on the people who it mattered about, General Beckman and Director Graham.
Once he had that, then maybe he would be able to push for a few changes. Yes, there were laws against what was happening, but it didn't honestly seem like they abided by the same laws as citizens had to. He had a few options, but one was far better than the rest. Just a matter of time before he could implement it. Refocusing his mind, he felt how differently the Intersect made him feel.
He wandered out into the living room and saw several of Ellie's books on the shelves. Many of them on the human brain. He grabbed a few. Couldn't hurt to know more about my hardware. I know computers, but brains are the exact same. Let's see if I can find a way they integrate and take care of this thing myself. He thought as he started flipping through the book, scanning it and reading things he felt may be relevant.
That night he had a date with Sarah, one that Morgan was tagging along. It was good for the cover for him to approve of Sarah in his life. It would help him not question every time he spent time with her, instead of getting jealous like he had been. He kept calling it "A Night of Morgan". Which always made Chuck laugh. Sarah was likely not going to have a good time, but he would and it wasn't like they were really dating.
The evening consisted of all things that were Morgan favorites. Starting with Sizzling Shrimp from the Bamboo Dragon. Morgan's favorite meal. As they reach the restaurant, it was locked for a private party, so Morgan gets them in the back with a key that one of the cooks gave him. While picking up the shrimp Chuck is looking around and flashes on one of the waitresses there. Mei-Ling Cho, China's top spy, was serving a table. Chuck tried to not make it obvious that he was watching her. He pointed her out to Sarah, and then they proceeded with the evening as planned with bad Kung Fu movies and Chuck and Morgan even more poorly acting out the scenes, and then after Sarah reported it.
The next morning, they were all in Casey's apartment for a briefing. "Team, we appreciate you reporting the enemy spy, but there are more pressing matters at hand. One of ours has gone missing for a week, and we believe he may be in your area." Up came a picture of the target causing Chuck to flash.
Lazlo Mahnovski, computer genius and inventor. Recruited at 12, graduated college at 14, been unheard from since. Invented most of the tech they have used or upgraded it.
"He killed his handlers and escaped and has been on the run. We can't lose him with the knowledge he has. He is to be brought in at any cost." Graham said. Chuck saw Sarah stiffen. "I'm sorry Sir. Does that mean you would have him killed?" Chuck asked hesitantly. "He has already killed 2 agents, and could easily insight a war with the knowledge he has of our systems. So yes. There is a green light to eliminate him if needed." Graham responded as though it was the only option he was really considering.
Is this how he views me? I know too much and if I were to go free then it would be easier to kill me than to try to bring me in? Chuck thought as the meeting came to a close. Sarah was watching Chuck's reaction to what the order was. She could tell he was starting to identifying with Lazlo and wasn't sure how to handle that. If that order comes through for Chuck then I'll do everything I can to prevent it. I can't lose him. She thought as she proceeded to head into work.
Morgan wasn't at the BuyMore that morning, which wasn't too odd, but Big Mike was asking for him. "If he doesn't show again today then he is fired." Big Mike bellowed as he stormed off into the office. Chuck called him, but Morgan didn't answer. After checking with his mom, Chuck knew where Morgan had to be, if he was no longer at home asleep. And Chuck headed out.
Walking into the arcade at the pier he spotted Morgan playing Guitar Hero and headed towards him. As he approached he froze. There was Lazlo, playing against Morgan. Sending a text to Sarah, Chuck approached and started chastising Morgan for not showing up to work. Saying it was time to grow up and act more like an adult.
As he did this, Lazlo seemed to get startled and went to leave. Not wanting to lose him, Chuck quickly took off his watch and slipped it into the pocket of the coat that Lazlo was wearing. As he ran, Morgan looked dejected and hurt as he slumped out of the arcade and headed back to work.
Chuck was leaving the arcade as Sarah showed up. "Where is he?" Sarah asked. "Morgan? He headed back to work thankfully. Or I hope. I should check." Chuck rambled slightly. "No numbnuts, where is Lazlo. You know, the geek who could kill everyone here?" Casey growled as he came up behind Chuck. "Oh he left." Chuck said, as Casey groaned and Sarah looked upset at him. "What? Don't worry. I slipped my watch in his jacket." Chuck showed his empty wrist.
And then Casey pulled up the tracking app on his phone, and clapped Chuck on the shoulder with a grunt. Grunt #5 "good job". Huh. I seem to be getting that one more often. Chuck mused as they made their way toward the cars. "You 2 head back to work. I'll track the target." Casey said as he climbed in his car, it was his day off at the BuyMore.
"Oh Chuck. Here. I wanted you to have this." Sarah said as she handed him a picture of him and her. She was in the Princess Leia metal bikini. Gulping audibly, Chuck choked out, "Umm we never dressed up like this.." "I know. But it's good for the cover if we have pictures together to explain our disappearances to everyone. The CIA is pretty good with photoshop." She replied with a smirk.
Why do I always feel better when I know he likes how I look? And why do I feel guilty about the bug? It's only for his protection. Sarah thought as Chuck was visibly enamored by the fake photo, feeling slightly sick to her stomach.
Later that evening, as Casey tracked Lazlo, he called Sarah and Chuck to come on the stake out. In case the Intersect could flash on anything while they were there. In the van. As they sat there and watched, several people went in and out of the restaurant, as well as Chuck ordered some delivery, which got him an angry grunt from Casey, and an eye roll from Sarah. But as he was eating, he looked at the take out menu, and flashed on the symbol on the front.
Chinese flag. Shrimp. Triads. Ben Lo Pan.
"Guys. I think I know why Mei-Ling is here." Chuck stammered. "That isn't our mission Chuck. We have to stay focused." Sarah reprimanded. Chuck focused more, and he felt the Intersect making a few more connections. "That's what I'm trying to say. I think we could do more than just our mission." As Chuck finished talking, they heard gun shots inside the restaurant.
Sarah and Casey jumped out of the van, both yelling over their shoulders "STAY IN THE VAN!" Chuck slumped and nodded his head slightly.
He was worried, and so he busied himself looking around the van more. Spotting a tranq gun, he grabbed one and slid it into his jacket. Never hurts to be prepared. Or something like that, I wasn't a boy scout. He thought as he resumed watching. He saw a limo pull up out front, and he saw Ben Lo Pan get in the car. He got out to try and stop them, but as he did Mei-Ling came bursting out the door, running directly into Chuck who had his tranq gun in hand. It accidentally fired off 2 rounds into Mei-Ling, and she fell forward, tackling Chuck as she did.
As he laid there on the ground under Mei-Ling, 2 burly men came out carrying a man in a trench coat. He was tied up and tossed into a car and they took off as Chuck was yelling for someone to help. Sarah came out the door, and saw Mei-Ling on top of him, "What did you do Chuck?!" She said starting to panic. Then she noticed the Chinese woman still breathing. "I'm sorry. I saw this tranq gun in the van and then she and Ben Lo Pan were leaving, but I had to stop them. He got away though." Chuck rambled as he tried to explain himself. "I think they had Lazlo…"
Chuck started as Casey came out pushing Lazlo as he went. "Good work Bartowski. We got both of them. Looks like you might have some competition Walker" Casey grunted in a tease as he chuckled to himself and pushed Lazlo into the back of the van and zip tied his arms and legs.
Back at Casey's apartment, they had Lazlo and Mei-Ling tied up. While Casey and Sarah reported everything to the General, as Graham seemed to be unavailable, Chuck was watching the prisoners. Alternating between rooms. Lazlo was the first to talk, "You aren't a spy are you? You're like me. Trapped in a life you never wanted. Forced to work for the government, while they give you nothing and take every freedom and decision you had away from you. Watching your every move."
"I'm nothing like you. I wouldn't betray my country." Chuck said defensively.
"Betray? Is that what they told you? I did what I had to do to get freedom. I work a bit for the triads and then I get Chinese citizenship and a place to live without being under constant surveillance and pressure to build the next toy or bomb for the government. All I ever wanted to do was live my life." Lazlo said, sounding dejected. Chuck was hurt. He did relate to him, even if he didn't want to admit it. He couldn't let him go though. The triads hurt people too. So anything he would do for them would cause innocent people to ruin their lives or end them.
"You watch Chuck. When you start to trust these people. They will make sure you don't have a choice. You won't have privacy. You aren't part of the team. You are expendable to them. You are a means to information and skills. That's it." Lazlo warned. "I made most of these toys. I know their set up. There are surveillance monitors in every room here. And I bet it isn't for his house." Chuck tried to ignore him. But he knew he was right. And he knew if he wanted to have any part of his life for himself, he had to take that warning seriously. Getting up to leave the room, he thought on what was said, but he couldn't take any more of it. At least in the other room it would be quieter. Chuck thought as he moved next door.
He was wrong. Mei-Ling had woken up and was none too happy to see him. "You idiot. You let them take my brother! If anything happens to him, I will make sure it happens to you too!" Chuck felt it punch him in the stomach. Suddenly what he heard from Lazlo wasn't as important. His mind flooded with images of losing Ellie to these people. How he'd feel. What he would do to get her back. He rushed into the living room right as the breifing ended. "Guys. I made a huge mistake." Chuck uttered as he entered.
After he explained everything to Casey and Sarah, Casey gauffed at him. "Sarah, please. What if it was Ellie? I can't let her brother just die." Chuck pleaded. "Find something to go off of, and maybe." Sarah said, feeling herself start to feel for him in this.
Am I really going this soft? No other asset I've ever handled have I given so much leeway. But Chuck also always comes through. He isn't a normal asset, even if the brass wants us to treat him like he is. Sarah thought. As she went off to check on the prisoners.
Chuck sat down at the computer, and after a few minutes of discrete hacking, he had a base of a plan. He turned to Casey, "What if I got Mei-Ling to convert to USA?" He asked. "You mean defect…?" Casey said thoughtfully. "YES! Defect. That's what I mean, that's a thing right? Like. That's something spies do?" Chuck asked quickly. "Not the good ones. And she is a good one. What makes you think she'd be willing to?" Casey said with a slight hint of disbelieving hope in his voice. "She isn't on mission here. This is a personal trip. Meaning her government didn't see it as important to save her brother. Someone who works for the ambassador to the USA for China. Someone who would have the ambassador's ear and influence over future decisions with China. And the triads would have that if they turn him." Chuck said. "Or if they kill him and replace him. And Lazlo was working for them. He knows where they keep people and where they would be." Chuck pushed hoping that he could sway Casey, or Sarah who had come back into the room during his explanation.
"That, might actually work." Casey said hesitantly. "One of us will have to get her to agree and to sign the papers. And since this is your grand plan, you get to do the honors." Casey taunted Chuck as he left the room. Turning to Sarah, who shrugged at him, Chuck walked past her to try to talk to Mei-Ling.
Chuck walked into the room, again getting a barrage of what he assumed were curses and insults in Chinese. "I'm sorry. Please listen. Please." Chuck said, thankfully it worked and Mei-Ling seemed to calm down and be quiet. "Look. I want to help you. But I'm going to need something from you. You may not like it, but it may be the only way." Chuck started his explanation.
"I'm listening. But I doubt you could help me any." Mei-Ling said with slight disgust in her voice. "I want to help you save your brother. I do. I want to make it right. But I need you to agree to defect." Chuck said with a wince.
"WHAT?! I could never and would never betray my country." Mei-Ling replied in disgust.
"Why? Why would you stay loyal to a country who didn't see it necessary to save your brother? I saw the requests they denied. You've known this could be an issue for months and they ignored you. I'm offering you a way out. You go back and how do they treat disobeying a direct order? You were told to stand down, and yet here you are. How would they treat you after all you had done for them? And it's not that bad here really. I mean, we have pretty good Chinese food." Chuck tried to placate the Chinese operative.
"And if I betray them, then they come after me. They don't want what I know getting out." Mei-Ling replied, clearly considering the offer. "We don't leave our informants and defected agents out to dry with no protection. Unlike some other commi countries we all know." Casey said with pride as he stepped into the room. "We would provide protection and a new identity." Sarah reiterated.
Chuck looked at them both with a thankful expression. "And how do I know I can trust you all?" Mei-Ling asked. "What other choice do you have? Chuck responded, "Any other option and you likely end up dead." Mei-Ling's face was unchanging. She knew her options. She knew that she had no choice but to trust that they would hold their end of the bargain, and if they didn't then at least they had laws against cruel ways of killing her. "Ok. I'll agree. Bring me the papers, and save my brother." She said, sounding defeated.
As she starts on signing the papers, Casey went into the next room to start interrogating Lazlo on the triad compound, and Chuck went to find whatever research he could on the triads and their territory. As he finished up, he turned to see Casey coming out of the room, wiping his hands. "Took a bit, but he talked. I know where they would be keeping the brother." Casey said as he pulled up a map of the compound and started laying out the plan with Sarah.
Chuck was careful to make sure that his handlers didn't see his hacking, and only could see him pulling up things that looked like he could pull off of google. Lazlo is right, unfortunately. I have to worry about whether I can trust them or not. And as much as I would like to think I can trust Sarah, there are a lot of reasons to wonder. Chuck thought as he heard them start to get packed. He was to run support from the van, and stay out of harm's way. He grabbed a tranq gun with 2 extra clips, just in case. As they went out the door, Casey activated the detention system for his apartment, locking in Mei-Ling and Lazlo.
Arriving at the compound, Chuck quickly gets into their system. Watching the cameras he calls out the men and their placement to Casey and Sarah on the coms. He watched them infiltrate, take out the guards, and make their way into the room where her brother was being held. Right as they entered the room, he lost visual. "Guys. I'm blind. I can't see you. What's going on?!" Chuck was getting worried. "Chuck! Get out of here!" He heard Sarah say before the coms became static.
Chuck's blood went cold. He grabbed the keyboard and unleashed Piranha in full. He was quickly back into their system. Whether they saw him as such or not, these were his friends. People he cares about. He wasn't walking away.
He got access to the cameras again and saw that they were surrounded. He killed the lights, locked all but one door in and out of the complex and watched his handlers take out half the men before grabbing Mei-Lings brother and diving behind the couch. They were trapped. Chuck brought the lights back on full power, and set off alarms. It disoriented everyone but Sarah and Casey, who made a break for the door. Chuck pulled the van around to the exit, and then leaned back and hit the button to open the gates.
Casey opened the drivers door, so Chuck jumped in back with the others, and as Casey sped away Chuck hit another button and completely locked down the compound, while sending video of Mei-Lings brother being held captive to the Chinese ambassador as well as several Chinese and American news outlets. As they finally got to safety, the alarm was set off on Casey's phone. "Shit, Lazlo got free and grabbed a Nerd Herder. Now we have to track him down." He said as they sped off.
Arriving at the apartment, they rushed in. Mei-Ling and her brother were reunited, and had no intention of going anywhere. Chuck quickly got on the computer and started tracking down the stolen Herder. Finding it, he flashed. It was near where Lazlo was recruited. On the pier.
Sarah and Chuck made there way down to the pier and started searching for Lazlo and the Herder. Chuck raced to the arcade, not seeing him Chuck put his head in his hands, and down through the slots, Chuck spotted the red and white of the Nerd Herder. Quickly running down under the pier, followed closely by Sarah, Chuck saw Lazlo had started the self destruct on the Herder.
"What are you doing Lazlo?!" Chuck said with a strong indignation. "Isn't it obvious Chuck? I'm making sure that they can't get any more guys like us. Use us. Treat us like we don't matter. We aren't just tools for them to use and throw away like they think we are. I joined a literal gang to avoid having to go back to being locked up in a bunker for years. That's where you will end up eventually Chuck. And when you have lost your usefulness, they will kill you. That's how they play the game." Lazlo ranted as Chuck kept trying to flash on the car, the adrenaline pumping through him causing him to not think.
"Lazlo, they aren't the terrible people you experienced. They wouldn't do those things to me." Chuck said, his mind trying to solve too many problems at once. Stealing a glance at Sarah, his heart broke. Her face was the agent mask. She doesn't want me to read her at all. That isn't good. Chuck felt betrayed. I have to remove the bug from that picture before he finds it. Sarah lamented. If he does, I will lose all credibility with him. Then again, maybe I deserve to. Sarah steeled her nerves. "Chuck. The bomb!" She reminded as he looked at her.
Chucks mind cleared, and he remembered the manual he had read several days before. Chuck doesn't hesitate and cuts the green wire, as the bomb deactivates and Sarah takes Lazlo into custody again. "You'll regret trusting them Chuck. You shouldn't trust anyone who doesn't trust you." Lazlo says, his eyes looking crazed and his voice almost sounding distorted.
Sarah puts him in her car, "Are you ok Chuck?" She asks. "Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm good. I'll umm, I'll get a ride. I have to get back to work anyways. I'll, uh, I'll talk to you later." He responds with as much of a smile as he could muster. Sarah got Lazlo in her car and pulled away, as Chuck watched them leave as he got a cab back to his apartment.
Sarah met up with Casey to drop off the prisoners, and Mei-Ling stopped in front of her. "That Chuck, he isn't an agent is he?" She said somewhat knowingly. "No. He isn't." Sarah answered trying to keep from divulging more than she should. He is so much more than that. And he doesn't even know it. Sarah thinks to herself. "I could tell. He was real. He meant every word he said. And genuinely wanted to help. Word of advice from someone who's been doing this a long time." Mei-Ling leaned in continuing, "don't let them take more than you owe them. Because once you start, they won't stop." She said as she was pulled away. "And don't let them ruin someone so pure." She said louder as she was shoved into a transport truck. I don't intend to let them do to him what they did to me. He deserves so much more.
As Chuck walked in, he started looking around. He found several bugs in his room, the living room, the kitchen, even Ellie's room. Lazlo was right. They don't trust me. Then Chuck got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he went back into his room and grabbed the picture that Sarah had given him. Opening it, he saw the bug that was placed on the inside of it. He tossed it into the trash as he fell onto his bed, feeling defeated.
Sarah stepped through the Morgan door. "Chuck, what's wrong?" She started, but came to a halt as she spotted the picture in the trash can. "Chuck, I'm sorry." She started but then didn't know what else to say. "No. It's ok. I get it." Chuck stated sounding dejected. "I'm like him. Like Lazlo. I may not be dangerous myself. But what is in my head is."
"It's for your protection. Only for protection." Sarah pleaded. Please understand. I'm begging you to understand. She started to get a headache. "Until I say or do something that they don't want or like. Right? Until I no longer give results? It's ok. I get it. You don't keep your old computer around that holds all your personal info. You wipe the hard drive and get rid of it." Chuck said in a monotone voice.
"I'm pretty tired." He said, as an invitation to leave. "Ok, I am sorry though Chuck. I should have told you." Sarah apologized. Please understand Chuck. She thought as her headache got worse. She climbed out of the window and headed toward her car, rubbing the side of her head.
Once she is gone, Chuck hops up and is on his computer. I do understand that they have to watch me. But that doesn't mean they need to see and hear everything. Chuck thinks as he types away on the keyboard. Soon he has access to Casey's cameras and audio bugs. He starts scrubbing some of the footage, as well as creates several loops of him in bed in different outfits, or playing video games. There. Now when I want some privacy, I can have it. Chuck thinks as he starts to dive into the decrypted and unredacted files.
Sarah's phone rings as she gets into her car. "Walker secure." She says in her agent voice. "Hello agent Walker." Graham starts. "How did the mission fair?" "Both targets have been apprehended, and are on their way to a secure location. Do you have orders Sir?" Sarah asks as she struggles to not let the headache affect her speech. "As of now, continue to play nicely. When I need my Enforcer, I will call her. Until then, we will always have Omaha." Graham says in a chipper tone for him. "Thank you Sir. I will be on stand by." Sarah says in a pure agent tone. Her headache gone.
Chuck's deep dive into Beckman turns up nothing on who these Agent Frost and Analyst Orion were. But he did learn several point of hers that they were extremely important to a lot of her missions, and she worked closely with them. She seemed to take a lot of her training methods that she implemented after she took over after them. She seemed very results driven, and if you could scratch her back, she would make yours comfortable. He could work with that.
The dive into Graham's file was shorter. Even unredacted he still had a lot of pieces missing from his files. Entire years infact. But the pieces he did gather, he wasn't liking. Graham was a dangerous man, to everyone. He was a man who knew what he was doing and seemed to always have a plan. The rise to power that paused when Agent Frost and Orion went missing seemed to cause him turmoil. But again, he seemed to base a lot of training methods on their success. He almost seemed enamored with Frost in a professional way. But Chuck couldn't see why. He would have to keep digging.
Then a file popped up. He knew it hadn't been there before, and as he scanned it for any malware, tracers, or spyware he checked the program. It was still running, so theoretically it could've grabbed this one, but he isn't sure why. As he got ready to close out the computer screen and hide what he was doing, he reread the file name. Project Omaha.
A/N: I felt that they had something there with Omaha being fairly prominent in the first season, and then it's just dropped. I'm hoping to dive into it more here. But of course you have to wait for that. Hope you enjoyed, and I hope the next chapter doesn't take long!
