Please read Author's Note at the end of this episode, Thanks.

First episode of Act II

The Long Road Ahead

Act II

Episode I

Who is David Reed?

Mithril found the stolen plane a few days later. Apparently, David Reed had landed it in some backwater airport. According to the few workers and crews that were present when he had landed, David simply landed the Mithril plane before boarding a private jet that looked to be bound for the American or perhaps the Japanese mainland. After that, Mr. Reed dropped off the map. Mithril couldn't track him or the jet down after that point. It was as if after he boarded that plane he ceased to exist. Even Mithril's assets in the United States and Japan couldn't pick up even the slightest scent of his trail. For lack of anything better, he had turned into a ghost. There were whispers and rumors on where he went, sure. But that's all there was, just rumors and whispers. Mithril was officially back to square one.

Teletha Testarossa had opened up a can of worms. Once David escaped Merida Island, most of the Mithril Council was at her throat. Even her uncle, who had been on her side so many times before, was set against her. She had made a stupid move. They told her that David could've done untold damage to the base and their organization. Even as she walked around the Merida Island base during the days after David's escape she could feel the eyes of most everyone bore into the back of her head. It was like everyone seemed to view it as her fault. In fact, she couldn't deny it was her fault. She had put all their lives on the line. David could've seriously caused some damage if he would've planted explosives. In addition, he might have stolen of important information if he was given the chance. Luckily, the eggheads stated that David got nowhere near their important information. She even heard the rumor that they were thinking of removing her from command of the Tuatha De Danaan. They were thinking of demoting her! That thought sent a shiver down her spine. She had no idea what she would do without her submarine. She wasn't a solider and she knew nothing of actually living any sort of normal life. If Mithril did take her out of command, what would she do?

Damage control was the worst of it. On top of her already stressed schedule, Tessa was continually being bombarded with information, theories, and suspicions of why exactly David had did what he did. There was no end in sight. As the days turned into weeks, Mithril, as well as Tessa, were still no closer in solving the mystery of what exactly was happening…

Tessa, deep in thought about past events, sat in the dull colored private lounge. Its plain colors brought no life to the world around her. It was like she was in a large coffin of metal. Kurz Weber on the other hand, was happily flipping through a magazine on the couch across from her. Thankfully, Weber and Mao still had stuck by her through David's betrayal. It was nice to feel that her closest friends were still willing to stand beside her and figure this problem out. Teletha was leaning over the table that sat between her and Weber. On its surface was spread a bundle of papers that Mithril had dug up on David Reed that they were going to go over as a group. Now all they needed was to wait for Melissa Mao to return…

The metal door slid open with a hiss. Mao strode in the room with a renewed vigor. In her hands she held another manila file, just like the ones that were scattered about the lounge. There was a strange light in her eyes when she took her seat. It was like she had somehow come across a revelation. Immediately noticing this new mood, Tessa locked eyes on her friend. Mao dropped herself into the seat next to Kurz Weber and tossed the file onto the table.

"Someone's in a good mood." Kurz chuckled mockingly, his eyes peeking over the magazine to Mao besides him.

Saying nothing, Teletha just waited for Mao's response. Her thoughts were still clouded over ideas on David Reed.

Mao leaned back on the couch and put her feet on a small clear spot on the table. Her arms stretched above her head. She had the same look in her eyes. "That's it." Melissa stated simply.

"That's what?" Kurz replied. He put his magazine down at his feet and leaned forward toward the table, elbows on his knees.

"That everything we could dig up on Mr. David Reed." Mao purred slyly, like she had come back from a successful hunt. "The well has run dry after this, guys. This is all we have. So if we can't find him or he doesn't show up after this we are shit out of luck people."

Kurz gave a whistle of astonishment. He reached out and grabbed the file off the table. Holding it in his hands he began to quickly flip through its contents, not reading, but seeing the rather small amount they ended up with. It was separated into three different sections.

Melissa turned to Tessa who was slouching rather lazily forward. "You look like shit, Tessa." She had noticed that Tessa had not been taking care of herself as she usually did. Her friend's face was plastered with the look of weariness and her eyes seemed to lack that fire of duty she once had.

"I sure feel like it, Melissa." She groaned silently. The past week's events were now really weighing heavily on her shoulders. Tessa felt drained of life. It was as if Mithril was becoming a parasite and was drawing the life straight out of her through a long straw. This entire fiasco had consumed her. With no time to relax, Teletha had to juggle her regular duties while still attempting to solve this problem.

To Melissa, it wasn't any surprise that Tessa was struggling through this situation. Not only was she struggling with the pain of Mithril, but Mao knew that perhaps Tessa had gotten quite close to David. Maybe even Tessa once had sprouting feelings for him. Although those feelings were probably doused once he left Merida Island, yet they still might have been there. Melissa had no way of knowing one way or the other. She was only guessing after all. Her young friend was now shut like a safe. It was hard to get anything out of her. "Maybe you should take a break, Tessa?"

Kurz still wasn't saying anything. He was still flipping through the pages like the magazine he was once reading.

"I'll take a break when I can, Melissa." Teletha murmured with a long sigh as she brushed some grey hairs out of her eyes. She quickly glanced to Kurz, wanting to turn the subject off her as soon as possible. "What does it say, Mr. Weber?" Tessa questioned, sitting up a little straighter.

Weber looked up, his mind snapping back to reality. With a flick of the hand he turned back to the first page. "Want me to start from the beginning?"

"No…Start right in the middle…" Mao joked sarcastically. Her eyes switched to Tessa. No reaction. She didn't find it funny. "…Start from the beginning."

The man let out a huff of air. His eyes slowly scanned the first page from bottom to top. He lifted his eyes to look at Tessa. By the look in her eyes it was as if she was pleading for him to read her some good news so that might avert a deadly confrontation if they ran into David again. Kurz licked his lips before he started speaking. He looked back down at the file. "David Anthony Reed, born July 15th…" He paused for a moment; a smile briefly crossed his face. "…he was born the same year as you Tessa."

Although Teletha Testarossa didn't have a reply, it was finally nice to know that bit of information. Tessa began to wonder what it might have been like for her if she had a normal childhood like most people. David must've had at least a few good memories from that time. She waited for Kurz to continue.

"David was born to Thomas Reed and Diana Reed. Diana is now known as Diana Young."

"He told me his parents had left each other." Tessa said, interrupting her friend.

Kurz took no note. He simply continued on. Flipping through a couple pages he skipped ahead. "Seems like he had a pretty uneventful childhood, nothing too abnormal. High marks in all his classes, must've been a pretty decent kid…He was pretty good at baseball too…" Kurz ended up on a different page. "…Says here that he and his sister, Bethany Reed, were really close."

"Bethany…" Tessa whispered to herself. "…That's her name."

She had whispered loud enough to draw Melissa's attention. "David must've explained that to you, right?"

Weber paused again and waited for Melissa and Tessa to finish.

Tessa gave a small nod. "Yes, Mr. Reed said he is really close to her. Bethany means a lot to him. He said that since his father wasn't around a lot and his mother left they were usually by themselves. I mean, I didn't know her name until now, but he does speak highly of her." She glanced to Kurz. "Sorry, Mr. Weber…please continue."

Looking over the next few papers Kurz gave a whistle. "Now here is where it gets interesting, ladies!"

Melissa and Tessa immediately shifted her attention to Weber once more.

"Says here that David was plucked straight out of his first year of college into the CIA!" Kurz said, with a strange enthusiasm.

While Mao was slipping her can beverage, the mention of the Central Intelligence Agency made her spit the liquid straight into the air. "The what?!"

Teletha's eyes grew wide in astonishment. That was rather young to be pulled into an organization such as that. Yet, on the other hand, Mithril sometimes did the same thing. And while Mithril's skills and web stretched much farther than the CIA's, it didn't exactly help Tessa's spirit due to the fact that he had almost free reign over the base during his time here. They still didn't know if he has stolen anything besides the plane.

"That's right, the good ole American CIA…" Kurz went on "…David Reed became an operator for the CIA in foreign countries pretty early on after his recruitment. This report states that he had a knack for infiltration and unconventional warfare. " Weber then pulled out a number of black and white photographs and lazily spread them out on the table for Melissa and Tessa. They were a mix of surveillance and actual photographs. "Seems pretty dangerous stuff to me."

Leaning toward the table in unison, both Mao and Teletha eyed the photos curiously. Melissa set her canned drink on the table in a small clear spot. A ring on the table showed that it was the same spot she had always placed it before. Basically, the photos were a collection of images from CIA operations. They showed a number of individuals, operators. David was among them. While in some pictures his face was covered by sunglasses with a mask or bandana, Tessa clearly could pick out his body structure from the others. He was smaller than the supposed older operators in the photo. One photo in particular drew her attention. It was of David Reed. He was leaning up against an old car, relaxed. It must've been taken before or after a mission. Wearing that same blue hat she had so often seen him with in the past, David was holding that same old worn notebook she had seen him with before.

Weber spoke again. "Mr. Reed was one of those guys who would kill you in your sleep, personally; looking at his record he was pretty good at it too." He flipped the page. "From what we were able to gather, David had a pretty successful career with the CIA up…until a point…when…" Kurz tailed off for a moment. His words jumbled together and his eyes narrowed as if he was trying to make sense of something he just read.

"Mr. Weber?" Tessa asked curiously, noticing his expression.

The blonde haired man leaned forward. "Says here, that David was released from duty after he apparently contracted a fixation of something known as PUPPET MASTER. David drops off of their radar completely after that. He just straight up vanishes. Even the CIA couldn't keep tabs on him."

"Puppet Master…That was something that was in the file over 'The Collective' wasn't it? The same one you had at the airport?" Melissa muttered over to Teletha, sounding slightly confused.

Tessa could only nod. She found it strange that he would get booted from the Agency over 'The Collective' and then seemingly switch sides on a whim. Something wasn't adding up.

"Whatever it was that was the last anyone had seen Mr. Reed until the airport." Kurz said placing that group of papers onto the already cluttered table. "That's all we have on him. The well is dry."

Melissa downed the remainder of her drink in one swift gulp. "So, what we've learned is…That we now have to search for someone who specializes in not being found. All the while, his people are plotting to do god knows what. Oh yeah, that's just wonderful." Her tone was a mix of sarcasm and tired disbelief. None of that information made anyone of them feel better. Yet she finished her statement with a throaty belch.

"I guess it's better than nothing." Tessa stated with a hint of optimism. "At least we know now of what Mr. Reed is capable of. And having that information on why David was removed from the CIA doesn't exactly fit with what he is doing now."

"She does have a point!" Kurz chuckled; it seems his cheerful nature hadn't faded away. He gripped the next group of papers in his hand and waved it around. "Maybe there is something in here that will help us. You never know! Should I go on?"

"Sure, why not." Melissa huffed, sounding slightly defeated.

Teletha smirked a little. "Please do, Mr. Weber."

Kurz flipped the cover page and began to read aloud. "Next up on the list is Thomas H. Reed. As we know, the guy was divorced…Seems that Thomas worked for the United States Military. It says that he was big into the Arm Slave Research and Development branch." With raised eyebrow, Weber was surprised. He flipped through the next couple pages, skipping over things of little important to them. "Nothing to out of the ordinary…until here, says he abruptly quit his job."

"Is there a date to when?" Tessa inquired simply.

"Roughly…" Kurz began. "…It was just after David was recruited into the CIA."

"What else is there?" Tessa asked again.

He whistled again. "After he quit his job Thomas Reed was said to have been accused and tried for selling United States Armed Forces research to…" Kurz paused briefly. "…It doesn't say. All it states is that there was a suspected, yet unknown buyer. They don't have a name…But here is a picture…" Pulling at the paper clip attached to the file, Kurz pushed a single photo towards Tessa.

The man in the picture looked strangely familiar. It was like she had seen the man before. Tessa gripped it gently between her thumb and index finger and lifted it up to the light. Then it hit her. It was the same man who was with David Reed in the other photo Mithril had found the days before. It was the same man in Case File TC-1. Whoever that man was, he must've been the head of it all, the mastermind. That man in that photo was the person pulling the strings in this game of cat a mouse they were playing with each other. Yet, Tessa did not know who the cat was and who the mouse was…

"We've seen this man before." Tessa mentioned, pulling her head back from the photo and looking between Mao and Weber. "This man is the same man David is working with."

"And?" Mao muttered as she opened up another can.

Kurz raised an eyebrow in Tessa's direction. "So let me get this straight. David is working for the person his father was supposedly selling military secrets to. This man, it could be safe to assume, is the head of this Collective, or whatever they call themselves. There has to be a connection here."

Tessa said nothing, but began thinking all the details over in her head. It wasn't adding up. David had left for the CIA before his father was accused. There was no way that he could have known that man beforehand, only after. But yet, she saw the pictures clear as day. David did know that man. How he did was the question. Tessa's face began to twist as she thought over the details.

Mao stepped into the conversation. "Maybe it was a family thing?"

"No." Tessa was quick to respond. "There is no mention of David going off duty to meet that man. He must've met him a different way."

"Well, this doesn't make much sense."

Tessa turned to Kurz once more. "What is left in that file?"

Clearing his throat Weber spoke. "Thomas Reed was tried, yet found not guilty due to lack of evidence. Oddly enough, Thomas would later be found dead in his car after it went off the road and into a river sometime after the trial. That's all we have."

"That sounds awfully like a clean-up job." Mao growled quickly with a shake of her head. She took another large gulp of her drink.

Teletha couldn't help but agree. She nodded her head slowly at Melissa's response. She looked to Mr. Weber, seeing if he had any thoughts.

"One more file to read…" Kurz Weber mumbled, wearily. "…Bethany M. Reed."

Mao let out a long yawn. It was getting late in the night. "Might as well get to it. Not like these papers are going anywhere. We can pick them up tomorrow if we need to."

Flicking the papers about, Kurz began on the final profile. "Bethany Reed, born to Thomas and Diana, blah-blah-blah…Apparently, Bethany was pretty smart for her age. Says here she advance through her classes faster than any kid their school had seen." Kurz licked his lips and continued. "As mentioned before she had a close relationship with David Reed. She liked watching him play baseball."

Nodding, Tessa reaffirmed that information through her memories of David's stories about her.

Strangely, Kurz Weber came to a pause. It was much longer than any pause he took before. This time it was different. His eyes were wide in shock. Tilting his head he looked at the paper differently, as if trying to make the information clearer by looking at it in a different way. Kurz didn't say anything, but just looked onto the white sheet of paper with black text.

Mao said nothing, too occupied with her drink to notice.

"Mr. Weber?" Tessa uttered silently. The look on his face sent shivers down her spine.

"Captain?"

"Yes?" Teletha could feel her heart jerk. Kurz usually didn't call her by her rank unless he needed to.

"You know how when David was here on the base he would talk about how he was going to get his little sister once he was done?"

"Yes, indeed I do, Mr. Weber."

Kurz gently let the last page fall onto the piles of papers and photos on the table before him. "That last page said that Bethany Reed was in that car with her father when it fell into that river. They never found her body. Bethany Reed is listed as deceased."

Author's Note:

The start of Act II everyone, hope you enjoyed it!

It seems now that things are starting to come together. New details have emerged!

I'm going to leave it to you to attempt to figure everything out now. (Until the following episodes that is).

Please leave a review, they mean a lot to me to hear what everyone is thinking of the story!

Anyway, stay tuned!

Mr-Watch

P.S – If you find any error, please PM me and I'll fix it ASAP!