A/N: Hey everyone. I want to preface this by saying this is the darkest chapter yet. The light is coming though. Hang with me. We are getting close to CHARAH. Don't give up on me yet lol. As always, thank you for your support. And I look forward to your reviews and input.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything remotely famous
Chuck vs Games
Shaw looked over at the limp Sarah, asleep in his passenger seat. He smirked to himself as he made his way through the city. He pulled an external hard drive out of the glove box, flipping it around in his hand. "All this drama for what? Some information and a computer program?" He said to himself with a scoff. He knew that he had to get that to his superiors.
And his reward? Well, she was in the seat next to him. Unconscious. He figured once he got her programming reset, like he had done with Evelyn, then she would be his play thing. Just like his late wife. He thought back to how he had felt toward her. She had been convenient for sure. He even liked her company. At times, even when she had clothes on. He thought with a smirk.
He couldn't believe his luck when he was able to find his way on to the same team as yet another one of Graham's pets. He had thought he would never get another opportunity to play with someone's mind like he had been able to with Evelyn's. He had always enjoyed toying with people. Before his parents had died, he had watched the way his father would control a room any time he walked in. The power and respect he commanded. It was exhausting, even at a young age. But it did mean that no one was willing to cross him. So he could tell anyone to do just about anything, and they would do it without question.
After his parents died, the butler would do everything he could to try to raise him. But Daniel already understood the order of power. He knew who had the money, and therefore who had the say in what happened in any situation. He enjoyed the games. Seeing the people squirm. But it got old with just the fact it was because of his parents' money.
That was why he went into the CIA. He enjoyed the mind games. Toying with people. Finding that mental advantage, and forcing it onto people. Especially when they didn't want it. And someone as strong willed as Agent Walker? That's his dream. To see her firey will finally break and the light dim in her eyes. When she finally accepts that she is beaten. Again.
Shaw took a deep breath. Shaw pulled up to a small park in the middle of the business district. He got out and pulled out his phone.
"Yes. It's started. I have agent Walker, and the information on a drive. Of course I'll get the drive to the scientists first, do you think I'm some amateur? Business before pleasure." He hung up and typed the code into the subway wall panel. He walked into the base, and then less than 10 minutes later walked out. He had delivered the drive, as promised.
Now he was off to enjoy himself. He felt like he did whenever he had heard about Project Ananke. Graham himself had come to him and recruited him for the project. He had, of course, had meetings with Graham before. They knew each other fairly well. As well as anyone could know Graham, as Graham had recruited him. He had easily gotten into West Point, pulling some political strings his father had left behind.
Then those 2 years in the Army? What a joke. Though he had enjoyed finding out what it's like to take a life. He hated it. It wasn't his thing. He much rather toy with the living, than add to the dead. But it had its place. He knew that as well as anyone. If someone refused to play his games, then there came time to cut ties and end the game. Just like with Evelyn.
He got back into his car and continued to his safe house. It looked abandoned, but he had fitted it with high end security cameras and sensors. He'd be able to know if anyone was going to be coming up on him. He brought his bags in, taking his time to ready the room that Sarah would be staying in for him to break her.
He had the room cleared. Only a wire bed frame, and an overhead hanging light. He figured it was a bit stereotypical, but there is a reason it was a stereotype. It worked. Once he had the windows boarded up, and make sure she is cut off from the outside world. He had seen the footage. He knew what the room was like that they originally broke her in. Just seeing it will have such an effect on her, it will do most the work for him.
He grinned, knowing it was ready. He went out and picked her up from the passenger seat. Taking her into her room, he set her on the exposed springs. Looking at his watch, he saw he had a few more minutes before she would wake. He walked out the door, locking it behind him. And sat in the chair a few feet from the door. Now all he had to do was wait.
He looked at his watch again, 5 more minutes. He felt like a kid on Christmas, just waiting to be able to open his new toy. He heard Sarah try the door. And then it didn't take much more time before he heard crying and groaning. Shaw smile to himself, as he stood and made his way towards the door.
Sarah started to wake up. Looking around the room, she had to rub her eyes to try to clear them. Everything felt wrong. Her vision was blurred more than normal when she wakes up. She closed her eyes again, and tried to think. What had happened before I got here? Think Walker. She tried to process where she had been, but the last thing she remembered was being at the hospital with Ellie. She wasn't sure she had ever felt safer. She remembered all the progress she had made, and she felt a swell of pride grow in her heart.
Her eyes felt like they were able to focus better now, so she opened them and looked around. No. It can't be. I'm still asleep. I'm still unconscious. That is the only explanation. I am NOT trapped here again. This isn't happening! She looked around again. It was the exact same. She got up, her legs wobbling beneath her. She shakily walked towards the door. This isn't real. I am just reliving it because I opened that box that I swore I would never open, and this is my brain reacting to it. That is all. She tried the door. It was locked. And she felt like she was that girl again. 14 all over again. Locked in a room with no escape. No hope outside of just doing as she was told. And even then, that didn't always mean there wouldn't be punishment.
She took a shuddering breath. Trying to focus. She had been trained for situations like this, but when even the smell was the same, that musky damp wood and rusted metal smell with a hint of sweat and blood. All her training left her mind. She couldn't focus. All she was able to do was break down and cry. She was back. Stuck in her worst nightmare. Back to the helpless 14 year old girl whose father had been arrested. Her only hope of survival was the just follow orders. No matter how vile.
She flopped down onto the bed, if you could call it that. That screech of the rusted metal springs creaking under her. She started crying. She couldn't remember how she got there. But she knew that she hated every minute of it. She was still crying, feeling herself fall away. That empty hole of a soul coming back. When the door opened. She was scared to look up and see who it was.
Shaw walked into the room, he had his tranq gun just in case. But he was sure he wouldn't need it. She was broken. Having this all flood back, she had nothing left to cling to. "Hello Agent Walker." he said in a soft monotone voice. Sounding hollow and cold. That caused Sarah's head to shoot up.
"Shaw? What are you doing here?" She started with a slight sound of hope. Until she saw his eyes. They were dead. There was a void where there should be a light. And the smile on his face was completely misplaced. It looked like someone photoshopped a smile onto his face, and she felt a shiver go down her spine. She stopped talking. Her programming started to take over. Anything to survive. Anything to survive. She put her head down, and focused on the grain of the flooring. That numbness coming over her, her mind zoning out.
Shaw looked at her. Saw that defeated look overcoming her face. He smirked. "I'm glad to see you have realized your place already. And here I thought I was going to have to break your will again. Pitty. That part is always so much fun." He grabbed the chair that was on the other side of the room. Purposefully dragging it, creating that horrible scratching sound. He never took his eyes off of Sarah.
He smirked each time she would cringe from the sound. He knew it was something that they did to emphasize the difference in power. There was nothing she could do to make the sound stop. It would only stop when he allowed it to.
He was close to the bed, and stopped. Spinning the chair, and taking a seat on it. He looked her over for what seemed like the hundredth time since he got her in his car. "I am sure you are curious as to why you're here. It's simple. I have to brief you for your next solo mission." Shaw said, projecting a voice of authority while using similar wording to what she was told when she was first broken. The similarities all caused her to shudder.
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah said in a quiet voice. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. She had her eyes casted to the floor. She couldn't understand. She couldn't see why he would be so cruel. She definitely didn't understand how he knew so much about what she had gone through.
"You don't remember, do you?" Shaw said with some real shock in his voice. Sarah shook her head slightly. She had seemed to accept defeat, so he continued. "I was there. I had been recruited just a few months before you, by Graham. He selected me. Told me I was going to be his protege. He told me he knew everything about me and had been watching me for a while. I had gone to West Point and graduated top of my class. I was on the fast track to being untouchable. What he offered was better. I had to do my 2 years in the Army, but then I was free to do what I love to do."
Shaw took a breath, he was getting excited by telling his plan. He always knew he was the smartest person in the room, no matter what room he was in. He loved it even more when he could flaunt that feeling. He felt like a beautiful peacock spreading his feathers for everyone to see just how gorgeous he was. He did it for people to admire him for who he was. To stroke his ego. To realize their place, and how superior he was to them.
"Of course, he told me how to work the system. How to go under the radar, as to not draw much attention. So that expectations were low, and people underestimated you. That is such a powerful tool that so many don't understand. It allows me to come and go without many noticing. And those who do notice, don't seem to care. As my training came to a close, he came to me and asked me if I would like to join a project he had going on. He took me off site. He explained to me that the subjects of this project had been in their training for a while. He lead me to a building filled with rooms similar to this one. And me and another agent stood in front of several monitors and were told to pick one of you.
I watched you for a while. You still had some fire in your eyes then. But once the command was said, you were as compliant as you are now. The other agent spoke first. He wanted you. You were to be his, which meant I was going to get second best. We were all put together. Partnered and put into situations where we could gain your trust. The hope was that you would develop feelings for us, and become protective of us. My Evelyn did as expected. We were married in less than a year. But you took longer. You fought it, even though you were younger. Once you had been broken in more, felt the betrayal of others, you were more compliant. But you still didn't commit fully. It always impressed me. You had this innate stubbornness to you. It is what drew me to you again. Makes me want to break you. Truly and completely break you.
Of course, I suppose I pushed too far with my Evelyn. Her programming started to not follow what it was meant to do. I didn't have the control of her that I had had before. She was fighting her orders. And so she had to be taken care of. That is where you came in handy. Your official Red Test."
Sarah sat shocked. Her mouth hanging open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man had not only been a part of what had done all this to her, hand picked by Graham himself, but they had done this to more women. Her heart hurt for this, but she still felt that helpless feeling. The intense numbness that came over her every time the mental images of what she went through came up. But now it was all real again. Every bit of it. "I.. I killed your wife? I was told it was a rogue agent." Sarah quietly said.
"Oh I am aware. It had to be done. We couldn't afford someone who had gone through what Graham coined the 'Frost training' to be able to do as they pleased. Which is why I am here with you. You need to be reigned in again. Broken again. We can't have you able to think for yourself, you're too dangerous. And there was evidence that you were disobeying orders. Graham had always allowed more with you. He liked your firey personality, and he seemed to favor you over most anyone for special missions. Even before your training was complete. I hadn't understood it until I met you." Shaw explained as though he was telling a favorite family story.
"You are special. Different. And for that, we must allow some extra leeway. But that doesn't mean we will accept you not following orders. We have a special project for you, Agent Walker." Shaw's tone changed to a softer but serious tone. Sarah felt it. Her mind going numb. Her insides calming. Her body relaxing. "Remember, we always have Omaha." Shaw gave Sarah a few moments for it to take full effect, and then continued. "Agent Walker, we have your new mission. You will do as needed, and return here for debriefing. Do you understand?" Shaw said.
Sarah responded with a nod. "You know what will happen to you if you fail at your objective, don't you?" Shaw asked. Sarah nodded again. "Explain to me what will happen." Shaw commanded. "You will treat me as you please. You will beat me, as I deserve, and you will use my body as you wish. I will be yours for the night, no matter what you feel is needed." Sarah said in a dead and hollow voice.
Shaw smirked. "Correct Agent Walker. You will get what you deserve if you do not complete your assignment. Now your objective, your mission is to return to Burbank, and you are to kill Chuck Bartowski, and return with any and all Intersect information and data they have." Shaw watched her stand to leave, as she always had in the videos he watched of her.
Chuck sat in Casey's apartment. They had gone to Sarah's apartment to see if she was there, which of course she wasn't. Then he saw her phone in the parking lot on the ground. But there was never any distress signal from her watch, and the gps on it had been turned off. They looked everywhere for her. They tried to call Shaw, but he had also gone dark. They were now talking with General Beckman about what their options were. She had given clearance for them to do as they needed to bring Sarah back. Chuck had scoured the internet to see if he could find her. He was waiting on proper clearance to check the local traffic cameras, but once they got the clearance he would start working on that. Casey felt a bit lost. He had always needed a lead to go on. He could hunt with the best of the, but he couldn't track without tracks on the ground.
"General why is it taking so long? I could have been in and out already without them even noticing." Chuck said in an exasperated tone.
"Chuck I understand that you have feelings for Agent Walker and are needing to find her, but we need you thinking clearly if we are going to hope to hunt them down and find her." The diminutive General expressed. There was a soft sympathy in her eyes.
Chuck felt helpless, just like he had when his parents had left. There wasn't anything he could do. He hated it. He paced in Casey's apartment. After several minutes that felt like hours, the General was back to tell him he had permission to search the traffic camera, as well as anything else he needed. Chuck quickly sat at the desk, and turned his laptop to himself, typing away. He kept going back, and running facial recognition software until he found her. The first time being over 6 hours prior when she had been leaving Westside Medical. Why had she been there? Was she seeing Ellie for the brainwashing? Was facing that what caused her to run off? Chuck was spiraling into a mental abyss, but needed answers.
He kept searching, and found her again a block away from her apartment. She was still alone at that point, and seemed to be smiling if the cameras were clear. He only found her one other time, almost an hour later. This time she was with Shaw, and heading into the downtown area. They had stopped near a park, but only Shaw got out. He then went across the park and entered into a service entrance for the subway. This was odd, but Chuck never saw Sarah get out of the car. He actually never saw her move. Then Shaw returned and they drove off.
"This was the last known location, I think we should go there and search for any clues as to where they could be." Chuck said. "I agree. The longer we wait, the less likely we are to find them." Casey acknowledged Chuck's idea. That made Beckman happy, even if she couldn't show it. It had been a long time since her older agent had stuck his neck out for someone. He usually preferred to work alone anymore. "Then gear up and get over there. No delay." Beckman commanded. Ending the video feed.
Chuck and Casey grabbed their guns and tranq gun. Chuck also grabbed several other items that looked like he had made. They donned their black combat gear, and were heading out. When the alarm to the front door of Castle was opened. Pulling up the feed, they saw Sarah, stumble down into the main room of Castle. She seemed to be exhausted and injured.
3 hours earlier
Sarah stood to leave. What are you doing? Following orders, like we are supposed to. If we don't follow orders, we know what will happen. Yes we do, and what happens if we do follow these orders? Chuck is gone. Chuck is gone. Chuck is GONE! No. We can't follow these orders! You have to! What will he do to you if you don't? I KNOW! BUT CHUCK! It doesn't matter. Anything to survive. Anything. Not Chuck. Anything, but Chuck. FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS! NO! You Must! We didn't before, and Ellie didn't hurt us. He isn't Ellie. He knows. He knows everything. No. What? No. Not everything. I held onto it for this reason. Even when I couldn't remember, I knew. YOU CAN'T! FOLLOW ORDERS! He isn't going to make me into that monster again. He can't. Not if I do it first. And he doesn't know what this monster is capable of.
Shaw watched Sarah closely. She had stopped moving after she stood. Her eyes glazed over. She seemed numb. Like her mind had left her. He thought he might have pushed too hard again and broken another toy. He was about to get up and go get his gun to finish her. You can't play with a broken toy. He made to stand, when he saw a difference in Sarah. Her stance changed. She didn't seem to be sleep walking anymore. Her shoulders got squared up, and more rigid. Her spine straightened. She stood taller. And when he finally looked at her face, the blank expression was no longer there. The look on her face slightly frightened even him. There was a menacing smile on her face. This firey look of anger and hate in her eyes. They were such electric blue that they seemed to be glowing. They then started to dart around the room.
Shaw had been sure to take off her shoes and remove her outer clothes to leave her with nothing. He knew her reputation, and Graham had shared some of what he knew she had been capable of at a young age when her missions weren't recorded. They weren't sure how she had survived in a lot of the situations, but when they found her it wasn't a pretty picture.
You aren't controlled by anyone when you are the monster. You have no master, and no one can touch you. They made sure of that when they put you through that training. They didn't understand what giving a con man's daughter those skills would do. They didn't know what force they were creating. Now one of them will get that chance. You don't have to listen to someone if you rip their throat out with your bare hands. No one will hurt your Chuck.
The smirk broadened on her face. Shaw started to make for his gun, which was just in the other room. As he passed her, he hoped that she would remain frozen. He was not so lucky. She twirled and grabbed him by the center of his shirt. He knocked her hand away, but she had set him exactly how she had wanted him. She brought a kick up, that met with the side of Shaw's neck. For a couple seconds he was unable to breath. Sarah twirled again, and this kick landed center of Shaw's chest. Right at his sternum, where her heel hit his solar plexus. The wind now knocked out of him. Shaw stumbled back, and grabbed the chair. He swung it at her, connecting with her side. She had anticipated this, even though the chair did hurt her. She braced for the impact, and then the chair splintered. Breaking into several pieces. Sarah was flung across the room, hitting the wall. But she now had weapons. Shaw took off towards his gun as fast as he could. Still trying to catch his breath while not being able to breath well was proving to make it difficult to do much else.
As he stumbled towards the gun, Sarah rolled back to the center of the room. She grabbed several shards of the wooden chair as she did. Popping up right as Shaw turned with the gun in hand. She threw the pieces of wood at him, one hitting him in his shooting hand. Another hitting his opposite shoulder. Right where she had aimed. But he got a shot off. It grazed her side, feeling like someone had taken a fire poker that had sat in the flames too long, and wacked her on the side with it.
Sarah winced at the feeling. As Shaw pulled the shard out of his hand, leaving the one in his shoulder. After a scream of pain, he turned back towards Sarah. Only to see an empty room. He quickly started glancing around the room. Carefully, he made his way back into the room she was in, after finding the other room still only occupying himself. He was prepared for her to jump him as soon as he made his way into the room, so he didn't take his time. He jumped in, and rolled wielding his gun into the corner.
Sarah on the other hand, fell into her wince after the shot had grazed her left side. She planned it, it was a situation that they had gone over in her specialized training. She rolled with the shot, and as she hit the floor, she continued to roll. Using her momentum to make it faster. She rolled under the bed. Waiting for Shaw to make his next move. When she saw him roll in, she waited for him to land solid. It made for a cleaner shot.
Shaw popped out of his roll, and fired into the corner he thought she would be in. It was the same corner he would have taken. The same one that anyone in the CIA would have taken. But it was empty. As soon as he turned to fire into the other corner of the room, he felt an intense pain shoot up his leg. He only had time to look down and see the shard of wood sticking out of his ankle, when another shot out from under the bed into his knee. He knew his leg was done. He wouldn't be able to move it. So he laid down to get the shot he needed.
Sarah threw the shard into his knee, and the calculated what his next move would be. In a millisecond, she was already throwing the last shard she had. She had figured he would lay down to get a shot on her, and had thrown this shard where she assumed his throat would be once it came into view. She, as usual, was right. It hit Shaw right in the throat. Blood shot out from where it entered. He instinctively dropped the gun. His hand trying to stop the bleeding.
Sarah made her way out from under the bed. She stood over Shaw, looking down at him with disgust. "You had likely heard of my reputation. Now you saw for yourself. I am no one's pet. You can't control me. You don't understand what I have been through. You don't know the pain I carry. No one does. The darkness I am capable of, it's beyond what the CIA taught me." Sarah said, taking a cleansing breath. "I should thank you. You helped me more than you know. You threatened Chuck. And I won't stand for that. I have my orders, and you don't get to be the one to set them. Enjoy dying."
Sarah walked away, leaving Shaw there to bleed out onto the floor. She would call an NSA cleaning crew as soon as she was back. She walked out of the building, and breathed deeply. It felt like the first free breath she had taken. Ever. She felt lighter. She knew her darkness was a monster. She hoped that Chuck would understand. She couldn't blame him if he was incapable of loving that monster. But it definitely had its advantages. And it hadn't come out in a long time. The only thing that brought it out now, was the threat to Chuck himself.
She knew her darkness had changed. Just as she had. Chuck had had an impact on her that she would never have expected. He made her embrace all of herself. Even if she felt it was unlovable. She felt whole for the first time since she left with her dad as a 7 year old girl. Hopefully Chuck could accept her darkness like he had the rest of her. She would understand if he couldn't, but he had already given her so much that she couldn't blame him. She would continue to grow. And hope that one day she was worthy of his love.
Sarah made her way to a busier road, and hailed a taxi. She knew she needed medical, so she gave the address to the BuyMore in Burbank. Once there she went into Castle, hoping that someone would be watching. The blood loss and pain was starting to get to her. She made it into the conference area, and collapsed.
Chuck saw her collapse, and immediately called Ellie and Awesome. He rushed to castle with Casey, beating Ellie and Devon there by only a few minutes. Him and Casey started getting supplies ready when they got there. Ellie and Devon got to work taking care of her cuts and gun shot wound. As she was in and out of consciousness, she kept saying "Shaw is bad."
Chuck, who never left her side, just reassured her that they already knew, and that they would get people on it. Casey called Beckman and updated her on the situation. Once Sarah was able to be mobile, they were going to go back to the place she was taken and clean up. They all knew, if Sarah was in this kind of shape, then Shaw wouldn't be looking good either. And who knows how many other bodies were left.
Shaw was struggling. The fear that this may very well be it, was impacting him hard. He had given so much, but now this was it. As he felt himself fade out with what he thought was his last time, he saw a shadow stand over him. "Pathetic." they mumbled. "Grab him. The Ring still has use of him. And call Fulcrum. It is time."
A/N: This was intense to write. Yes, I made Shaw super dark. Closer to season 5 Shaw from the start. That was difficult to write, but interesting at the same time. He is Chuck's antithesis. We aren't quite out of the darkness, but we will have a fluff chapter soon. Sarah has come to terms with her love for Chuck. Can he do the same? We will see! Thank you all for the support!