Chapter 12 – Heroes and Villains
A.N.: Disclaimer is still in Chapter 1. Further disclaimer: I am starting to not think Bryce is so much of a tool. (insert tongue in cheek) If Bryce-sympathy offends you, you may want to stop here. (/removes tongue from cheek) Kidding, people. Enjoy. And sorry for the long delay, work is insanity to the infinite power.
Bryce sighs as he gets in his car. (I knew she wasn't going to come back with me. That ship has sailed, and it's not flying my flag anymore...) He removes his earwig and tosses it into the glovebox as he shifts the Aston Martin into gear. (You'd think knowing that would make it easier.) "What's a guy got to do for a scotch?" he asks the air. (If only they programmed that feature into these cars...) He chuckles lightly to himself. (Good thing I'm not the regretful type.) "Computer, route," he calls to the air. The CIA onboard computer system pops a holographic GPS display into life at Bryce's peripheral vision. "Computer, play Hurt, UBleed." Hard rock pours from the speakers as Bryce pushes the DBS just a little harder around the bend. (Not usually, anyway...)
Because you bleed, and say you're all right
You scream and tear at your poor eyes...
And you say it's all right, even when it's not...
***
A third of the way into the trip, Bryce feels an insistent vibration under his hands. (Interesting...) The GPS display on his periphery flickers.
"Meet me in the courtyard," it types.
(Well I'll be damned. Guess I'm going to the reception too.) Bryce scans the street signs and plans his route back by memory.
(This ought to be interesting. Ducking the entire Bartowski clan, plus Sarah, in the space of that little courtyard. Just another day in the life. Lucky me.)
He sighs and shifts gears to the sound of Hurt's "Cold Inside" through the speakers. (The thrill of the hunt and the chase, yes, but this cloak and dagger routine with Orion is always so awkward. My reward for trying to keep Chuck out of the field is to be a bastard to him over and over again. One way or another.)
But "it should be okay," they said
"Just forget the pain," they said
Well, I could always,
Lie
And yet the doctor said that I would be just fine
Yeah the whitecoat said that I would live until I'm
Cold on the inside of me
I'm cold on the inside of me
He sends a coded message to Beckman, modifying his extraction location to the apartment, on the pretense that he's meeting Sarah. (Let Beckman think she's still got her Intersect team for a little while longer.)
The response is nearly instantaneous. "Agent escort being sent. Verification protocol Omega. Leave Walker. Separate transport." (Interesting. Probably doesn't want all Intersect personnel traveling together. Wouldn't that make the Ring happy -- one stop shop if you want the Intersect.)
He takes a curve faster than he should, feeling the adrenaline of fighting the road for traction start to bubble through him.
(I wish Chuck understood, I really was only trying to help. I really never pictured that he would get stuck...)
(I should've, but I didn't.)
(Damn it.)
(Well, screw it. He said no to working on the Intersect Project. Now he can have the life he's always wanted.)
(With my girl.)
The speedometer inches higher and higher as Bryce's thoughts turn unexpectedly melancholy.
(Never guessed an international man of mystery could feel so...)
He sighs, leaning his head back against the headrest for a moment as the thought completes itself.
(...lonely.)
(No help for it now.) He shrugs it off as he gets out of the car and scans the street quickly, looking for familiar faces. Seeing none, he heads for the side of the courtyard. (Best place to do some covert searching.) He notices a man in a suit waiting at the side entrance and casts a deliberately absent smile at him.
"Beautiful night for a wedding," Bryce tosses off.
"Yes, it is, I'm just embarrassed I left the lithograph at home."
(As I expected.) He nods firmly, protocol completed, and enters the shadows of the outer courtyard.
He spots them in a heartbeat and his gaze lingers for a bittersweet moment. (They look...good. Damn it. They look right. She looks happy.) Sarah and Chuck continue to sway together, oblivious to his attention. He tears his eyes away quickly and spots Orion.
"Mr. Bartowski," Bryce says quietly. "Or is this an Orion conversation?" (Like I don't already know.)
"Bit of both," Orion answers with a sardonic smile.
(Okay, maybe I don't know. Interesting...)
Orion laughs without humor. "I reconfigured the Cube for you under two conditions: You stop looking for me, and you leave my son alone."
(And that's the plan, you should know that already.) "We asked Chuck to be on my team, he said no," Bryce protests. (And that's a big loss for the NSA, but they're letting it happen. What do you really want?)
Orion merely loses himself in thought.
(All right, that's enough. Cloak and dagger done.) Bryce casts a fleeting glance into the courtyard to see his ex-best friend whispering sweet nothings to his ex-girlfriend. Turning to leave, he calls behind him, "Goodbye, Orion." (And for good.) He pats his left pocket to reassure himself.
A surprisingly firm grip turns him around. Orion's face is hard. "You made changes – to the Intersect, to my initial design. The data architecture is different. What does this new computer do?"
Bryce answers honestly. "You don't want to know." (Hell, I wish I didn't know, and the plan is to put it into my brain.)
"Agent Larkin," comes a voice behind them. "It's time to go."
(Thank goodness.) Bryce turns around, and with a nod, follows him out.
If he'd looked at Orion for another 30 seconds, he might've survived the night.
***
The car ride is silent, and Bryce closes his eyes and leans his head back in the passenger seat as the nameless agent drives.
(And so ends an era. No more Orion, no more Chuck, no more Sarah. Just got to get me to the Intersect, and it's over.) He opens his eyes a slit to verify his location, and seeing he still has some distance, closes them again.
(How does he do it? Sarah is one of the best agents the CIA has to offer, and he's got her convinced she wants the suburbs and white picket fence. He tamed her.)
(She used to be mine.)
Bryce scoffs at the petty turn his thoughts had taken and opens his eyes. (Yeah, I'm sure she'd love that assessment. Sarah belongs to no one but herself.)
(I just wish she were still with me.)
He turns his face to look out the window. (But no one, including me, could ever care about her more than Chuck Bartowski. He broke her heart and his own because I said she'd get herself killed. I would've laughed at him and said she could take care of herself.) He gives a half-smile to no one as he makes his peace with it. (Good luck to both of you.)
The car slows and turns into the parking garage, and Bryce braces himself for the next phase of his career. (Time to see how I measure up...)
***
As they enter the Intersect location, Bryce finally breaks his silence. "Did you see her? Agent Walker? She's amazing, right?"
"Yes, sir," comes the cold response from his escort.
"She loves another guy. Bad day to be me." (In just about every way...) Maybe if he hadn't indulged himself, he would've caught the look in his escort's eye in time.
"You have no idea," the agent responds as he points a tranquilizer gun at Bryce.
"Mr. Larkin," comes Miles' smiling voice around the corner, as he enters with four other armed men.
(Those aren't tranqs. Damn it!) Bryce gives Miles a small smile as he twists around and grabs the agent's arm, pointing the gun at Miles instead. He fires it down the hall at all of them, and flips around to use his traitorous escort as a shield when they return fire, making a break down the hallway.
Bryce quickly grabs a gun and pats his left pocket as he runs for the Intersect Room. (Best security in there, if I make it, I'm safe...) He ignores the burning in his side as he codes in. (Must be out of shape.) He hears the door shut behind him and closes his eyes for a moment against the sudden weakness in his limbs. (Need to take a break.) He slides down the wall to sit on the floor and tries to catch his breath.
(What the hell?) He hears some banging in the ceiling, and tilts his head back to look. (A vent. Damn it.) It swings open and someone yelps, "Help!" as they fall.
(Of course.) "Hello, Chuck."
"Bryce! Casey and Sarah are pinned down outside." Chuck is nearly vibrating with panic and fear, the relief in his eyes at seeing Bryce is overwhelming.
(Damn it...) "I'm on it," Bryce answers, and rolls to the side to get up. He groans, clutching his side, and opens his jacket to reveal what he is trying so hard to deny. (This is a problem.)
"Oh my god, you've been shot," Chuck bursts out.
"Yeah," Bryce gasps. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) "I'm really sorry about this, Chuck." He presses a hand against his wound.
He hears the tears in Chuck's voice as Chuck protests, "No, no, it's okay, it's okay, you're going to be fine, it's not that bad."
(Oh, Chuck. If only.) "Take care of her," Bryce forces out.
"Don't...don't say that. You're not dying," Chuck responds determinedly.
(If only wishing could change it. Damn it, I just had one more thing to do before you'd be totally free...)
Chuck continues, "She needs you, man, okay? You...You guys are going to go on missions together, and, and, and, and do exciting things, and save the world, you'll be a team again, it'll be great."
Bryce frowns in surprise. (You didn't tell him?) "She wasn't gonna come," Bryce whispers, shaking his head. (You deserve to know, Chuck, after I took that chance from you.) "She wants..." A wave of pain assails him and he grimaces.
"Hold on. Hold on, hold on," Chuck cajoles.
(Damn it, got to...) He reaches into his pocket and extracts the circuit board he'd created when he'd heard what the new Intersect was capable of. (Couldn't trust anyone else.) "This'll destroy the Intersect. This new computer is too powerful. It's too dangerous." (Especially without me or Sarah. You of all people should understand.) He hands it to a confused and terrified Chuck.
"But you need...you need the computer to fight Fulcrum," Chuck protests.
Before Bryce can answer another debilitating wave of pain courses through him and he closes his eyes against it. (No time...) "Fulcrum...doesn't matter, all right?" Bryce manages. "They, they're just..." He gasps helplessly, feeling his body shutting down. "They're just one part of the Ring. They'll use it against us, Chuck. You have to do this. All right? You have to destroy that computer, and then you get out of here." (He'll do it. I know he will.) From a great distance, he hears Chuck's voice, but he can't understand the words. (Take care of her and you...)
His world fades abruptly to black.
"Yeah, but you can beat them. You're...a real...hero, Bryce. Bryce? Oh my god."
A.N.: Yes, this is very nearly the end! I'm sad but excited -- I may dabble in AU Season 3, I think. :) Though, you know, reviews and stuff encourage me. Please?