phoenix shotgun 47
Cadet
yay! first to reply.
i really love this story.
add me to the pm list.
can't wait for more.
~Kay
i really love this story.
add me to the pm list.
can't wait for more.
~Kay
Caught in the Middle
- Thread starter Alias=Life
- Start date
texasalias2004
Cadet
Great update. I wonder what Sydney will do when she sees Nadia.
Update again soon.
texasalias
Update again soon.
texasalias
derevkointraining
Cadet
vaughn is sooo smart. 
thanks for the PM!
thanks for the PM!
AliasSydney502
Cadet
mhh.. where is sydney and fluff? humm.. Not here.
cool infultration thou. totally sweet
cool infultration thou. totally sweet
gtwallichs
Cadet
Excellent update!
Alias=Life
Cadet
Spoilers in white;
"Sydney!" Vaughn shouted, looking up at her.
She looked back at him, and didn't say a word. She didn't have to; her expression said it all. She came here to save them.
-----------
"Now she has everything she needs for a catastrophe! What now!?" Nadia asked, pacing back and forth across the room.
"They're going to have to assemble their device, so they're going to have to stay in one spot to do so," Jack began, "Marshall's working on pinpointing their location as we speak."
----------
"Are you prepared?" Irina asked, walking into the room.
"What?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that Jack and the others will come. We'll have to fight them off. So, I'll ask you one more time; are you prepared?"
"Sydney!" Vaughn shouted, looking up at her.
She looked back at him, and didn't say a word. She didn't have to; her expression said it all. She came here to save them.
-----------
"Now she has everything she needs for a catastrophe! What now!?" Nadia asked, pacing back and forth across the room.
"They're going to have to assemble their device, so they're going to have to stay in one spot to do so," Jack began, "Marshall's working on pinpointing their location as we speak."
----------
"Are you prepared?" Irina asked, walking into the room.
"What?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that Jack and the others will come. We'll have to fight them off. So, I'll ask you one more time; are you prepared?"
fox_canada
Cadet
just got caught up.. this is getting really good,..thanks for pms!!
Alias=Life
Cadet
A/N: Sorry for the long delay! I've been working on some other pieces, that, if you like this story, you'll probably like. Anyway, back on topic; yeah, I've been distracted, but here's the next chapter. Things will really get intense within the next few chapters, so enjoy! 
____________________________________________________________
Nadia was right; the place was swarming with guards, and there was no chance they’d be able to slip away, unnoticed. They couldn’t fight their way through, either, unless they wanted to be thrown in a jail cell. They were on the same side anyway, right? If they tried anything, the guards would get suspicious, and then his cover would be in jeopardy.
“Yeah, but they’re going to search me anyway. I might as well try to get away…,” thought Vaughn.
He had to escape without arousing the marshals’ or Nadia’s suspicions. The marshals he could handle, but if Nadia figured out that he was secretly working with Sydney? Not only would he have to deal with her, but he’d also feel the wrath of Jack Bristow.
“Vaughn, we can’t fight our way out of this one. If we swing first, we’re going to be in some serious trouble,” Nadia said, reading his thoughts.
“But if we don’t, they’ll continue to interfere, and Sydney will get away. We have to take matters into our own hands,” Vaughn replied.
“Hey… where did you get that clearance card, anyway?” Nadia asked.
Of course! The clearance card! He had forgotten all about it! It was a risky move, and they might not buy it, but he had nothing to lose.
“It was your father would gave me authorization,” Vaughn lied.
“What? You told me you didn’t want him knowing!” Nadia snapped.
“He didn’t want you coming with me, because he was afraid something would happen. He suspected as well as I did that Sydney would attack the DSR, and he didn’t want you in the middle of it. That’s why you can’t mention this, got it?” Vaughn said.
Now, he may not have been the smartest, the strongest, or the greatest agent ever, but he was a damn good improviser, and he was proud of himself on this one; this lie he could sell, because Jack Bristow was overprotective, and Nadia never broke a promise. As long as word of this didn’t get out, he figured he was safe.
“I see. I won’t,” Nadia said, smiling in understanding, “But I’m glad you came to me, nonetheless. Now, lets see what we can do about this lockdown.”
They were able to locate the head of security, and tried to explain their situation, “If we don’t go after her now, she’ll get away! We have clearance! Let us go after her!”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vaughn, but I cannot allow you to leave this building. Until we’ve secured the area and exactly what was stolen, nobody’s going anywhere,” he replied.
“So much for that theory…,” Vaughn thought.
“I believe you were the one who spotted her first?” the Chief asked.
“Yes. She got both me and Foller, then escaped through the vent, as I’ve told the marshals. Sir, believe me, she’s one sly fox, and there’s no way you’re going to be able to catch her without us; Nadia is her sister, and I’m… well… close enough. We know how she thinks,” Vaughn explained.
Nadia nodded, backing him up.
The Chief sighed, “I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave the area. I can, however, allow you to help us search it, if you want to find her that badly. Not that I have any doubt, but you two will have to be searched, as well.”
Nadia wore a frustrated expression, and replied, “I don’t see why not! We’re CIA agents on the trail of possibly the greatest terrorist we’ve ever faced, and you’re making us sit in here while she makes her escape! Trust me, Sir, you’re not going to find her! She’s long gone-”
“On the contrary.”
*****
Vaughn had come through for her, but unfortunately for both of them, he was trapped inside the building.
“If the DSR is half as smart as I think they are, they’ll hold him, and search him. They’ll find the fake clearance card, the access card, and the disk which he uploaded,” she thought, “And I can’t allow him to burn. Not now. Not after everything he’s done fore me.”
Fortunately for her, Zev had a contact within the DSR; low level, but enough to get her into the building undetected. It wasn’t as if it was that hard a mission, either; distract the marshals, and provide cover for Vaughn while he made his escape. A simple in-and-out, evasive mission. She had always liked cat and mouse.
“Except this time, I’m not the cat…,” she mumbled.
She had met her contact in the basement of the facility. There, he provided her with the proper equipment necessary to reach the floor Vaughn was on.
“Since the elevators are on lockdown, your best bet is traveling through the shaft. They’ve just finished searching it, so they won’t be back there for a while,” he said.
“I want you to make sure of that,” she said, picking up her speed, and heading towards her access point.
“I cannot afford to lose him…,” she kept thinking to herself.
When she reached the shaft on the basement floor and looked up, she realized she had quite a climb ahead of her. It didn’t really make a difference to her, though.
“I hope Vaughn can hold them off long enough until I get there…,” she uttered, as she found herself slowly approaching her destination.
Within a couple more minutes, she found herself on the proper floor. She removed her crowbar to pry the doors open, and prepared herself for whatever was on the other side. She could hear a familiar voice, and snorted, not amused, “What the hell is she doing here!?”
The doors pried open as she heard Nadia speak of her amazing, evasive capabilities, and interrupted her, mid-sentence, “On the contrary.”
*****
Vaughn couldn’t believe his eyes, and neither could Nadia; it was her! She really was here! While he was delighted to see her again, he was also completely frustrated that she didn’t stick to the plan. He had come here because she couldn’t risk it, and seeing her here, she could have potentially thrown away everything he just did.
“No… Sydney wouldn’t come without a plan…,” he thought.
He knew better than to doubt her abilities, but when he looked over at Nadia, and saw the fire in her eye’s, he didn’t like the odds of Sydney against her and the DSR.
"Sydney!" Vaughn shouted, looking up at her.
She looked back at him, and didn't say a word. She didn't have to; her expression said it all. She came here to save them.
The Chief was taken back, his mouth open in pure shock; he wasn’t able to form words, and Vaughn knew that he was just as surprised to see her as they were. When he finally was able to speak, he shouted into his walkie-talkie, “Over here! We’ve got the subject in sight!”
Vaughn looked at Sydney, his eyes still wide, and she winked at him, before talking off down the hallway. He smiled slightly, not wanting to make their connection obvious, and watched as she dodged bullets.
“Lets go!” Nadia shouted, fury getting the better of her.
“No!” Vaughn replied, grabbing her shoulder.
“What!? What’s with you! I just don’t understand you!” she screamed, pushing him away.
“You know she wouldn’t be stupid enough to come here without some kind of escape plan! We can intercept her from outside!” Vaughn explained.
Nadia clenched her jaw shut, but had to agree. The marshals had the building covered. If Sydney made it out alive, they would be there to stop her.
As dozens of guards whizzed by them, heading toward the place where Sydney had appeared, Vaughn and Nadia used this opportunity to exit the building. To their advantage, not one person realized they were gone.
“Sydney… I owe you one,” he thought, as he hopped into his car, Nadia next to him, “I hope whatever it is you’re after is payment enough.”
*****
???
“How is Sydney progressing?” Irina asked, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear.
She was busy typing away at her laptop, getting the final preparations in order. She had a team to assemble Rambaldi’s greatest creation, as soon as Sydney brought the final piece.
“There were a few… complications,” Zev replied.
Irina frowned, “What kind of complications!? The CIA knows to much as it is! We cannot afford for them to get any further!”
“Sydney is… taking care of it,” Zev said.
Irina had a pretty good idea of what had happened, “I’ll be damned if these trysts with the Vaughn boy are the key to Sydney’s undoing. I should have had him killed long ago. He’s nothing but an obstacle, standing in Sydney’s way.”
“Irina, I think you should let Sydney handle it, and calm down. She’d made it quite clear to me that she would not let Michael Vaughn affect your agenda. Everybody needs a parachute, Irina,” Zev explained.
“A parachute? Is that it?” she asked.
“Yes. Everybody needs something to fall back on, Irina. Even someone as… great, yet dysfunctional as her,” Zev answered.
“So, you’re saying a should allow such a threat to continue living?” Irina asked.
“Let her float around in the clouds for a little while longer; when she comes crashing down to reality, he’ll be the one to float her down safely. That, of all things, should be your biggest concern, and your top priority.”
“Well, when you use that analogy… as soon as her feet touch the ground, the parachute will have lost its purpose, and I’ll have to cut it off; it will do nothing but hold her back and get in her way.”
*****
Zev’s Safe House, Los Angeles
Zev really didn’t like what Irina was planning. He did owe her so much, and he did think she was a great and wise woman, but she was playing with fire, and she would get burned.
“Irina… you must watch your daughter more closely; you were the reason why she snapped in the first place… don’t let her do it a second time. You say you want nothing holding her back, my friend, and although I hate to admit it… but I’ve seen Sydney work, I’ve seen Sydney act, and it is you who is truly holding her back. Although I’ve pledged my allegiance to you, I will not stand by and watch a daughter, who so desperately seeks the love and attention of her mother, be neglected for a second time.”
He knew things were messy as they were, and if Irina didn’t clean up the mess now, it would become much to big for her to handle.
“For years, you claimed you loved them… that you longed to hold Sydney again; that was the Irina I knew, and that Irina is still in there, somewhere. It is Rambaldi that has clouded your judgment. He is your parachute, whether you’d like to admit it or not, and while I am loyal to you, I feel an obligation to the girl who’s had to bare a burden no person should ever have,” he thought, as he stared out the window, growing worried that she wouldn’t return, “Years ago, you tasked me to watch over your daughters, and to keep them alive; I have done just that, and I will continue to do just that, because, in your heart, I believe that is what you truly desire.”
*****
Sure enough, minutes after they had arrived outside, Sydney came crashing through a window. She had a cord attached to her, as she leapt from the building, landing on a motor bike below. She unhooked the wire from her body, and sped away, as Vaughn and Nadia prepared to follow.
Vaughn really wasn’t putting in his best effort, because he didn’t want Sydney to be captured, but just enough to fool Nadia. He came close enough to her bike, and she turned to look at him.
“Sydney, its over!” Nadia shouted, retrieving her gun and firing shots at the speeding brunette.
Nadia was able to clip the engine, and Vaughn’s eyes lit up in horror as he realized what was about to come. Sydney didn’t look to worried, though; she simply leapt off the bike, seconds before it exploded, and soared through the air. She landed with a thud on the concrete, rolled a bit, before getting up and breaking into a full out sprint towards an abandoned warehouse.
“Pull the car over!” Nadia commanded.
Vaughn mentally sighed in relief; Sydney definitely would be the end of them. Still, he obeyed Nadia’s demand and pulled the car over in front of the warehouse. Sydney had already disappeared inside, and both of them exited the car with their guns, ready to follow.
“I’ll go in through the front! You take the back!” Nadia said, waving him off.
He nodded, and watched as she headed through the front door, the same way Sydney did just moments before. He was actually glad he wasn’t with Nadia this time, because he knew Sydney wouldn’t kill her, and if he were there, he’d have to intervene, and then things would get ugly.
“Sydney… just hurry up and take Nadia out,” he mumbled, sneaking in through the back exit.
He never thought he’d hear himself say those words; Nadia was his best friend, and he really didn’t want her to get hurt anymore, but if he told her the truth about him and Sydney… she wouldn’t understand.
*****
She was slightly surprised by her sister’s good aiming, and bullet to the engine. She didn’t want things to turn ugly like this, but she assumed it was the best thing; she had to get the hell out of LA now, and she could easily meet with Vaughn, grab the card, and make off.
She ran into an abandoned warehouse; the perfect stage. Finding some crates stacked atop each other, she climbed up onto them, then grabbed hold of the pipes on the ceiling; it was much to dark to look up and see anybody, so she figured she was safe.
Sure enough, Nadia came storming in seconds later, gun in hand. Sydney had a hard time containing her laughter, “She tries much too hard.”
A few seconds later, Nadia was right beneath her, and had fallen into her trap.
“Go home where its safe!” Sydney shouted, while jumping down on her sister.
Nadia had heard her voice, and look up, but not fast enough to defend herself. Sydney delivered a harsh blow to the back of her neck, and watched as she fell limp on the floor. She brushed herself off, and stared down at Nadia’s now unconscious form.
“This is no place for such little girls,” she said, walking away.
Now, she had to go and find Vaughn.
*****
He heard Sydney shouted, and he could hear some action. Soon, it was dead quiet, except for the sound of Sydney’s feet on the cold, concrete ground. Nadia was out, and he knew it was safe for him to come out now.
“Syd!?” he shouted, stepping out from behind the pillar he was hiding behind.
She was closer than he thought, and watched as she took a defensive stance, before she realized who he was, “You had me there, for a second.”
He smiled, and walked over to her, “Which is the longest anyone ever has, I’m willing to bet?”
“Yeah,” she smiled.
There was silence between the two; so much they wanted to say, but they didn’t have the time, “I’m sorry to come and go like this, but I need that card now. I don’t have much time.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replied, reaching into his pocket and retrieving it.
He handed it to her, and when their hands touched, he held her there for a little longer, “Promise me you’ll come home soon?”
She smiled, and brought her hand to his face, resting it gently on his check, “I promise.”
With that, she ran out of his site, and he smiled into the wind. She was gone, once again, and it was time for him to gather Nadia and do the same.
As he turned around to go and help his friend, he could hear footsteps coming at him at a high speed, and turned around to see Sydney, returning. He cocked his head, confused, but when she crashed her lips against his, he realized what this was; a goodbye kiss.
“Okay, now I really have to go,” she smiled, nodding at him, and running away.
“Sydney-”
It was too late, now. Now, she was really gone.
*****
CIA HQ, Los Angeles,
Two Days Later…
"Now she has everything she needs for a catastrophe! What now!?" Nadia asked, pacing back and forth across the room.
"They're going to have to assemble their device, so they're going to have to stay in one spot to do so," Jack began, "Marshall's working on pinpointing their location as we speak."
The night before, Sydney had gained access to a DSR lab, where they were keep their most secret projects. Even though they were alerted of her arrival, she successfully stole the artifact, and escaped.
“This needs to stop! We need to find Sydney, find mom, and end this!” Nadia shouted.
“I totally agree,” Vaughn replied.
For the first time in a long while, he was being honest with her.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bristow? Oh, hi Nadia… Vaughn…,” Marshall stuttered, stumbling off topic.
“Marshall, what is it!?” Jack asked, at his limit now.
“Uh, you told me to, uh, alert you if I discovered where they were hiding, and, uh… I’ve found it.”
*****
???
Sydney sat alone, tapping her fingers on the coffee table. She was now home free, but she didn’t feel like it.
“I though this was supposed to feel… liberating,” Sydney thought, staring at the ceiling, “But I only feel… dread.”
Before she met Vaughn, dread would have been a liberating feeling for her, but falling in love really changed your perspective on life. While she still found inflicting pain upon others amusing, her death count these past few months had dropped dramatically.
“… I have a feeling its about to go right up again…,” she thought.
Suddenly, she felt her mothers presence, and straightened right up; she didn’t want her mother to ask any questions, or suspect anything.
"Are you prepared?" Irina asked, walking into the room.
"What?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that Jack and the others will come. We'll have to fight them off. So, I'll ask you one more time; are you prepared?"
Sydney opened her mouth to reply, but closed it immediately when she realized she had nothing to say.
“Sydney, we’re so close to changing the world forever,” Irina said, softly, sitting down next to her, “We’re on the verge of becoming Gods.”
“But… I don’t know if this is… right…,” Sydney whispered.
“Of course it is! This is your destiny! This is what you were born to do! Of course its right!” Irina exclaimed.
“But… you still haven’t told me the full extent to our plan. This device… it could inflict much damage and pain on people who don’t deserve it and… I don’t know if I want that,” Sydney explained.
“Sydney, why the sudden change of conscience? It never bothered you before. And they aren’t innocent; its their fault you’re the way you are right now, and no one else’s!” Irina said.
“What? How-”
“Your father, the CIA, hell, everybody! They all turned their backs on you, and left you to suffer! I’ve taken you in, and given you the chance to prove yourself! If you want respect, you have to earn it, and show them who’s in charge! It’s the only way they’ll ever see!”
“Mother… I get the feeling this isn’t entirely about me anymore,” Sydney replied, “And I don’t attack the innocent! I only attack the scumbags who deserve it!”
“Everyone’s a scumbag, Sydney! Everyone deserves it! Nobody is innocent! Don’t let the garbage Michael Vaughn has filled you up with blind you from the truth!” Irina shouted.
“Its not garbage! For once in my life, Vaughn’s made me feel… like life’s worth living! He’s filled me with a sense of self-assurance! This may be my destiny, but he’s my future… at least… I wish I could say that,” Sydney explained.
“But, you can’t. Deep down, you know its not meant to be; you live in two, entirely different worlds, Sydney. It can never work out,” Irina said, trying to be calm, and sound more understanding.
Sydney was silent, until she finally said, “…That thought has crossed my mind…“
“And your heart is trying to delude your brain from the truth! If you know there’s no point, why try!? Why aim for a future you can never achieve!?”
“… I don’t have a future as it is, mother, so why is it so bad to dream?” she said, as he mother searched her for answers, ”I’ve said it before; I’m not long for this world…”
____________________________________________________________
Nadia was right; the place was swarming with guards, and there was no chance they’d be able to slip away, unnoticed. They couldn’t fight their way through, either, unless they wanted to be thrown in a jail cell. They were on the same side anyway, right? If they tried anything, the guards would get suspicious, and then his cover would be in jeopardy.
“Yeah, but they’re going to search me anyway. I might as well try to get away…,” thought Vaughn.
He had to escape without arousing the marshals’ or Nadia’s suspicions. The marshals he could handle, but if Nadia figured out that he was secretly working with Sydney? Not only would he have to deal with her, but he’d also feel the wrath of Jack Bristow.
“Vaughn, we can’t fight our way out of this one. If we swing first, we’re going to be in some serious trouble,” Nadia said, reading his thoughts.
“But if we don’t, they’ll continue to interfere, and Sydney will get away. We have to take matters into our own hands,” Vaughn replied.
“Hey… where did you get that clearance card, anyway?” Nadia asked.
Of course! The clearance card! He had forgotten all about it! It was a risky move, and they might not buy it, but he had nothing to lose.
“It was your father would gave me authorization,” Vaughn lied.
“What? You told me you didn’t want him knowing!” Nadia snapped.
“He didn’t want you coming with me, because he was afraid something would happen. He suspected as well as I did that Sydney would attack the DSR, and he didn’t want you in the middle of it. That’s why you can’t mention this, got it?” Vaughn said.
Now, he may not have been the smartest, the strongest, or the greatest agent ever, but he was a damn good improviser, and he was proud of himself on this one; this lie he could sell, because Jack Bristow was overprotective, and Nadia never broke a promise. As long as word of this didn’t get out, he figured he was safe.
“I see. I won’t,” Nadia said, smiling in understanding, “But I’m glad you came to me, nonetheless. Now, lets see what we can do about this lockdown.”
They were able to locate the head of security, and tried to explain their situation, “If we don’t go after her now, she’ll get away! We have clearance! Let us go after her!”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vaughn, but I cannot allow you to leave this building. Until we’ve secured the area and exactly what was stolen, nobody’s going anywhere,” he replied.
“So much for that theory…,” Vaughn thought.
“I believe you were the one who spotted her first?” the Chief asked.
“Yes. She got both me and Foller, then escaped through the vent, as I’ve told the marshals. Sir, believe me, she’s one sly fox, and there’s no way you’re going to be able to catch her without us; Nadia is her sister, and I’m… well… close enough. We know how she thinks,” Vaughn explained.
Nadia nodded, backing him up.
The Chief sighed, “I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave the area. I can, however, allow you to help us search it, if you want to find her that badly. Not that I have any doubt, but you two will have to be searched, as well.”
Nadia wore a frustrated expression, and replied, “I don’t see why not! We’re CIA agents on the trail of possibly the greatest terrorist we’ve ever faced, and you’re making us sit in here while she makes her escape! Trust me, Sir, you’re not going to find her! She’s long gone-”
“On the contrary.”
*****
Vaughn had come through for her, but unfortunately for both of them, he was trapped inside the building.
“If the DSR is half as smart as I think they are, they’ll hold him, and search him. They’ll find the fake clearance card, the access card, and the disk which he uploaded,” she thought, “And I can’t allow him to burn. Not now. Not after everything he’s done fore me.”
Fortunately for her, Zev had a contact within the DSR; low level, but enough to get her into the building undetected. It wasn’t as if it was that hard a mission, either; distract the marshals, and provide cover for Vaughn while he made his escape. A simple in-and-out, evasive mission. She had always liked cat and mouse.
“Except this time, I’m not the cat…,” she mumbled.
She had met her contact in the basement of the facility. There, he provided her with the proper equipment necessary to reach the floor Vaughn was on.
“Since the elevators are on lockdown, your best bet is traveling through the shaft. They’ve just finished searching it, so they won’t be back there for a while,” he said.
“I want you to make sure of that,” she said, picking up her speed, and heading towards her access point.
“I cannot afford to lose him…,” she kept thinking to herself.
When she reached the shaft on the basement floor and looked up, she realized she had quite a climb ahead of her. It didn’t really make a difference to her, though.
“I hope Vaughn can hold them off long enough until I get there…,” she uttered, as she found herself slowly approaching her destination.
Within a couple more minutes, she found herself on the proper floor. She removed her crowbar to pry the doors open, and prepared herself for whatever was on the other side. She could hear a familiar voice, and snorted, not amused, “What the hell is she doing here!?”
The doors pried open as she heard Nadia speak of her amazing, evasive capabilities, and interrupted her, mid-sentence, “On the contrary.”
*****
Vaughn couldn’t believe his eyes, and neither could Nadia; it was her! She really was here! While he was delighted to see her again, he was also completely frustrated that she didn’t stick to the plan. He had come here because she couldn’t risk it, and seeing her here, she could have potentially thrown away everything he just did.
“No… Sydney wouldn’t come without a plan…,” he thought.
He knew better than to doubt her abilities, but when he looked over at Nadia, and saw the fire in her eye’s, he didn’t like the odds of Sydney against her and the DSR.
"Sydney!" Vaughn shouted, looking up at her.
She looked back at him, and didn't say a word. She didn't have to; her expression said it all. She came here to save them.
The Chief was taken back, his mouth open in pure shock; he wasn’t able to form words, and Vaughn knew that he was just as surprised to see her as they were. When he finally was able to speak, he shouted into his walkie-talkie, “Over here! We’ve got the subject in sight!”
Vaughn looked at Sydney, his eyes still wide, and she winked at him, before talking off down the hallway. He smiled slightly, not wanting to make their connection obvious, and watched as she dodged bullets.
“Lets go!” Nadia shouted, fury getting the better of her.
“No!” Vaughn replied, grabbing her shoulder.
“What!? What’s with you! I just don’t understand you!” she screamed, pushing him away.
“You know she wouldn’t be stupid enough to come here without some kind of escape plan! We can intercept her from outside!” Vaughn explained.
Nadia clenched her jaw shut, but had to agree. The marshals had the building covered. If Sydney made it out alive, they would be there to stop her.
As dozens of guards whizzed by them, heading toward the place where Sydney had appeared, Vaughn and Nadia used this opportunity to exit the building. To their advantage, not one person realized they were gone.
“Sydney… I owe you one,” he thought, as he hopped into his car, Nadia next to him, “I hope whatever it is you’re after is payment enough.”
*****
???
“How is Sydney progressing?” Irina asked, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear.
She was busy typing away at her laptop, getting the final preparations in order. She had a team to assemble Rambaldi’s greatest creation, as soon as Sydney brought the final piece.
“There were a few… complications,” Zev replied.
Irina frowned, “What kind of complications!? The CIA knows to much as it is! We cannot afford for them to get any further!”
“Sydney is… taking care of it,” Zev said.
Irina had a pretty good idea of what had happened, “I’ll be damned if these trysts with the Vaughn boy are the key to Sydney’s undoing. I should have had him killed long ago. He’s nothing but an obstacle, standing in Sydney’s way.”
“Irina, I think you should let Sydney handle it, and calm down. She’d made it quite clear to me that she would not let Michael Vaughn affect your agenda. Everybody needs a parachute, Irina,” Zev explained.
“A parachute? Is that it?” she asked.
“Yes. Everybody needs something to fall back on, Irina. Even someone as… great, yet dysfunctional as her,” Zev answered.
“So, you’re saying a should allow such a threat to continue living?” Irina asked.
“Let her float around in the clouds for a little while longer; when she comes crashing down to reality, he’ll be the one to float her down safely. That, of all things, should be your biggest concern, and your top priority.”
“Well, when you use that analogy… as soon as her feet touch the ground, the parachute will have lost its purpose, and I’ll have to cut it off; it will do nothing but hold her back and get in her way.”
*****
Zev’s Safe House, Los Angeles
Zev really didn’t like what Irina was planning. He did owe her so much, and he did think she was a great and wise woman, but she was playing with fire, and she would get burned.
“Irina… you must watch your daughter more closely; you were the reason why she snapped in the first place… don’t let her do it a second time. You say you want nothing holding her back, my friend, and although I hate to admit it… but I’ve seen Sydney work, I’ve seen Sydney act, and it is you who is truly holding her back. Although I’ve pledged my allegiance to you, I will not stand by and watch a daughter, who so desperately seeks the love and attention of her mother, be neglected for a second time.”
He knew things were messy as they were, and if Irina didn’t clean up the mess now, it would become much to big for her to handle.
“For years, you claimed you loved them… that you longed to hold Sydney again; that was the Irina I knew, and that Irina is still in there, somewhere. It is Rambaldi that has clouded your judgment. He is your parachute, whether you’d like to admit it or not, and while I am loyal to you, I feel an obligation to the girl who’s had to bare a burden no person should ever have,” he thought, as he stared out the window, growing worried that she wouldn’t return, “Years ago, you tasked me to watch over your daughters, and to keep them alive; I have done just that, and I will continue to do just that, because, in your heart, I believe that is what you truly desire.”
*****
Sure enough, minutes after they had arrived outside, Sydney came crashing through a window. She had a cord attached to her, as she leapt from the building, landing on a motor bike below. She unhooked the wire from her body, and sped away, as Vaughn and Nadia prepared to follow.
Vaughn really wasn’t putting in his best effort, because he didn’t want Sydney to be captured, but just enough to fool Nadia. He came close enough to her bike, and she turned to look at him.
“Sydney, its over!” Nadia shouted, retrieving her gun and firing shots at the speeding brunette.
Nadia was able to clip the engine, and Vaughn’s eyes lit up in horror as he realized what was about to come. Sydney didn’t look to worried, though; she simply leapt off the bike, seconds before it exploded, and soared through the air. She landed with a thud on the concrete, rolled a bit, before getting up and breaking into a full out sprint towards an abandoned warehouse.
“Pull the car over!” Nadia commanded.
Vaughn mentally sighed in relief; Sydney definitely would be the end of them. Still, he obeyed Nadia’s demand and pulled the car over in front of the warehouse. Sydney had already disappeared inside, and both of them exited the car with their guns, ready to follow.
“I’ll go in through the front! You take the back!” Nadia said, waving him off.
He nodded, and watched as she headed through the front door, the same way Sydney did just moments before. He was actually glad he wasn’t with Nadia this time, because he knew Sydney wouldn’t kill her, and if he were there, he’d have to intervene, and then things would get ugly.
“Sydney… just hurry up and take Nadia out,” he mumbled, sneaking in through the back exit.
He never thought he’d hear himself say those words; Nadia was his best friend, and he really didn’t want her to get hurt anymore, but if he told her the truth about him and Sydney… she wouldn’t understand.
*****
She was slightly surprised by her sister’s good aiming, and bullet to the engine. She didn’t want things to turn ugly like this, but she assumed it was the best thing; she had to get the hell out of LA now, and she could easily meet with Vaughn, grab the card, and make off.
She ran into an abandoned warehouse; the perfect stage. Finding some crates stacked atop each other, she climbed up onto them, then grabbed hold of the pipes on the ceiling; it was much to dark to look up and see anybody, so she figured she was safe.
Sure enough, Nadia came storming in seconds later, gun in hand. Sydney had a hard time containing her laughter, “She tries much too hard.”
A few seconds later, Nadia was right beneath her, and had fallen into her trap.
“Go home where its safe!” Sydney shouted, while jumping down on her sister.
Nadia had heard her voice, and look up, but not fast enough to defend herself. Sydney delivered a harsh blow to the back of her neck, and watched as she fell limp on the floor. She brushed herself off, and stared down at Nadia’s now unconscious form.
“This is no place for such little girls,” she said, walking away.
Now, she had to go and find Vaughn.
*****
He heard Sydney shouted, and he could hear some action. Soon, it was dead quiet, except for the sound of Sydney’s feet on the cold, concrete ground. Nadia was out, and he knew it was safe for him to come out now.
“Syd!?” he shouted, stepping out from behind the pillar he was hiding behind.
She was closer than he thought, and watched as she took a defensive stance, before she realized who he was, “You had me there, for a second.”
He smiled, and walked over to her, “Which is the longest anyone ever has, I’m willing to bet?”
“Yeah,” she smiled.
There was silence between the two; so much they wanted to say, but they didn’t have the time, “I’m sorry to come and go like this, but I need that card now. I don’t have much time.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replied, reaching into his pocket and retrieving it.
He handed it to her, and when their hands touched, he held her there for a little longer, “Promise me you’ll come home soon?”
She smiled, and brought her hand to his face, resting it gently on his check, “I promise.”
With that, she ran out of his site, and he smiled into the wind. She was gone, once again, and it was time for him to gather Nadia and do the same.
As he turned around to go and help his friend, he could hear footsteps coming at him at a high speed, and turned around to see Sydney, returning. He cocked his head, confused, but when she crashed her lips against his, he realized what this was; a goodbye kiss.
“Okay, now I really have to go,” she smiled, nodding at him, and running away.
“Sydney-”
It was too late, now. Now, she was really gone.
*****
CIA HQ, Los Angeles,
Two Days Later…
"Now she has everything she needs for a catastrophe! What now!?" Nadia asked, pacing back and forth across the room.
"They're going to have to assemble their device, so they're going to have to stay in one spot to do so," Jack began, "Marshall's working on pinpointing their location as we speak."
The night before, Sydney had gained access to a DSR lab, where they were keep their most secret projects. Even though they were alerted of her arrival, she successfully stole the artifact, and escaped.
“This needs to stop! We need to find Sydney, find mom, and end this!” Nadia shouted.
“I totally agree,” Vaughn replied.
For the first time in a long while, he was being honest with her.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bristow? Oh, hi Nadia… Vaughn…,” Marshall stuttered, stumbling off topic.
“Marshall, what is it!?” Jack asked, at his limit now.
“Uh, you told me to, uh, alert you if I discovered where they were hiding, and, uh… I’ve found it.”
*****
???
Sydney sat alone, tapping her fingers on the coffee table. She was now home free, but she didn’t feel like it.
“I though this was supposed to feel… liberating,” Sydney thought, staring at the ceiling, “But I only feel… dread.”
Before she met Vaughn, dread would have been a liberating feeling for her, but falling in love really changed your perspective on life. While she still found inflicting pain upon others amusing, her death count these past few months had dropped dramatically.
“… I have a feeling its about to go right up again…,” she thought.
Suddenly, she felt her mothers presence, and straightened right up; she didn’t want her mother to ask any questions, or suspect anything.
"Are you prepared?" Irina asked, walking into the room.
"What?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that Jack and the others will come. We'll have to fight them off. So, I'll ask you one more time; are you prepared?"
Sydney opened her mouth to reply, but closed it immediately when she realized she had nothing to say.
“Sydney, we’re so close to changing the world forever,” Irina said, softly, sitting down next to her, “We’re on the verge of becoming Gods.”
“But… I don’t know if this is… right…,” Sydney whispered.
“Of course it is! This is your destiny! This is what you were born to do! Of course its right!” Irina exclaimed.
“But… you still haven’t told me the full extent to our plan. This device… it could inflict much damage and pain on people who don’t deserve it and… I don’t know if I want that,” Sydney explained.
“Sydney, why the sudden change of conscience? It never bothered you before. And they aren’t innocent; its their fault you’re the way you are right now, and no one else’s!” Irina said.
“What? How-”
“Your father, the CIA, hell, everybody! They all turned their backs on you, and left you to suffer! I’ve taken you in, and given you the chance to prove yourself! If you want respect, you have to earn it, and show them who’s in charge! It’s the only way they’ll ever see!”
“Mother… I get the feeling this isn’t entirely about me anymore,” Sydney replied, “And I don’t attack the innocent! I only attack the scumbags who deserve it!”
“Everyone’s a scumbag, Sydney! Everyone deserves it! Nobody is innocent! Don’t let the garbage Michael Vaughn has filled you up with blind you from the truth!” Irina shouted.
“Its not garbage! For once in my life, Vaughn’s made me feel… like life’s worth living! He’s filled me with a sense of self-assurance! This may be my destiny, but he’s my future… at least… I wish I could say that,” Sydney explained.
“But, you can’t. Deep down, you know its not meant to be; you live in two, entirely different worlds, Sydney. It can never work out,” Irina said, trying to be calm, and sound more understanding.
Sydney was silent, until she finally said, “…That thought has crossed my mind…“
“And your heart is trying to delude your brain from the truth! If you know there’s no point, why try!? Why aim for a future you can never achieve!?”
“… I don’t have a future as it is, mother, so why is it so bad to dream?” she said, as he mother searched her for answers, ”I’ve said it before; I’m not long for this world…”
derevkointraining
Cadet
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that was great!
thanks for the PM. i can not wait for more... update soon, please!
that was great!
thanks for the PM. i can not wait for more... update soon, please!
texasalias2004
Cadet
Great update. Can't wait to see what happens.
texasalias
texasalias
phoenix shotgun 47
Cadet
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~Kay
that was great.
thanks for the pm
can't wait for more
~Kay