Something Grevious

Connor leaned against the eastern wall and peeked through the blinds. He felt that something was off but could not just yet put his finger on it. Ben was sitting upright against the wall, his head still down while Ed had been still as a statue since the question he had asked Ben earlier: "why does your eyes glow," along with a couple of choice words. Ben merely snorted at that and sat up right as he sat now.

            "Look," Ben finally began. Ed holstered his weapon and leaned closer, with his chin on top of his balled fists. "I have no fucking idea what you're telling me about my eyes -- last I checked I was A-okay and on my way to the fucking corner store," he coughed and took a few moments to catch his breath. The wheezing started to get to Ed though he decided to remain still. "As I was saying: I was on my merry way to the corner store when I blacked out. Woke up with a headache and a crowd around me. Some nice old lady helped me up when suddenly some fucking moron in a suit pulled a gun on me -- killed the lady, got her fucking brain juices all over my face, and pointed the gun on me next. I ran like the wind, though I have to admit that I stumbled over my own feet and fell again."

            "Get to the point," Ed said, checked his watch, and scratched his beard.

            "My point is," Ben said flatly and looked up and directly into Ed's eyes, "I fell, some black fucking smoke thing grab me by my throat and my neck started hurting. I then dropped to the ground and the thing vanished as quick as it came, only thing in its place, a single purple arrow."

            Ed drew his pistol the moment he heard the last spoken word and aimed it point blank at Ben's head to which Connor's old partner merely laughed and leaned against it. "You're lying," Ed said matter of factly.

            "Am I?" Ben asked just as plainly, and shot his eyes in his coat's direction.

            Ed walked over to the coat about a metre to Ben's right and started going through it. He grabbed hold of something hard and cold, then pulled it out. The arrow-head was carbon-infused crystallite. Ed looked back at Ben, who merely giggled as he laid back down and seemingly fell asleep almost instantly.

            "What do we do?" Connor finally said, now standing behind Ed.

            "Put a raincheck on Elizabeth. I have somewhere I have to be, meantime keep an eye out," Ed said and gestured generally. "I have a bad feeling about him."

            "Right," Connor said. Ed pat him on his shoulder as Ed walked by and left through the back door. "What the hell have you gotten yourself into?" Connor then asked, more to himself than his old partner on the bench.

Ed had visited Hugo afterwards, first intending to ask him for help, but decided against as he saw his once-best friend's face. Hugo hid it well, but Ed knew him better than that. His office was a large open space, filled with modern glass furniture.

            "Ian just left, actually," Hugo explained as he gestured toward a chair for Ed.

            "I saw him leave," Ed replied. "Just thought I'd stop by as well. It's the least I could do."

            "Thanks man. How are you holding up?"

            Hugo's question caught Ed off guard. He had not expected his question to throw a one-eighty. "Honestly?"

            "Honestly. Because, if I may be frank you're looking quite like I feel."

            Ed leaned onto the desk and rested his head on his arms. When he sat back up, he looked even more grim. "Honestly, I'm feeling like shit. But that's a story for another day, man. I gotta get going."

            "Sure. Oh, and tell Ian that both I and my best agent is working on his case."

            "I will," Ed said as he left. Once in his car, he checked his watch and even though not even 20 minutes had passed, it felt like he had been there for an eternity.

Ed sat down in the seat Ian had sat as he thought about the day's events and what Ben had said. He peered at a few of the exam pad papers that lay on the desk, leaned back in the chair and opted for a cricket ball that lay in the top right drawer instead. He threw it into the air and caught it just as CNet returned from the small errand Ed had sent him on as a ruse to think of what to say to the question he had asked a few minutes before. It did not help at all.

            "Commander, I found the book you were searching for," CNet said and placed a copy of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar onto the table next to Ed, who merely nodded with a smile and continued to play catch with himself. "As for my query..."

            "Yes..." Ed said as he caught the ball one more time and slowly sat up so he could look CNet in the eyes. "I really don't know," then Ed snorted and shook his head. "What is your name, CNet?"

            "Pardon?"

            "I mean, your call-sign, effective by both identity and program signature is CNet, and it has been right from the start. But why have you never chosen another name?"

            CNet seemed to think it over for a few seconds as silence ensued. Ed leaned back, put the ball down and slowly got up. Ed then walked around and leaned against the massive pillar that the desk stood against. "I, can't answer that."

            Ed looked down as he crossed his arms and nodded in acknowledgment. "I thought as much. You see, I think you can't answer me, because it is what - who - you are. Sure, you started out as just another Victor, but you, out of all of the programs, managed to grow and show potential. Ian saw this and began working on you. Of course, he was ordered off the project by our Commanding Officer at the time not long after."

            "I see," CNet said thoughtfully, finally understanding how he came to be.

            "After the Fall, we all went our own ways for a while. I honestly had no idea Ian had commenced the work on you once again after that, which explains why I used to be so skeptical about you no more than a month ago..."

            CNet nodded as Ed paused.

            "Look, my point is that you have become, no, you have grown into what you are today. You are your own identity in more than just the physical sense, and I am glad that you feel comfortable enough with both Ian and I to come to us for this, but quite honestly this is a matter that you would have to decide for yourself. And believe me when I say that most men do not get the opportunity to choose their own, uh, size."

            "I should decide?"

            "In short, yes."

            "What if I'm wrong?"

            "I'm certain that you'll be fine. Go online and look up the averages. Maybe go with that, maybe more. Maybe even less if you think it would be too big; of course, try to conceal it to the public as well... Anyway, I should be off."

            "Thank you, Commander."

            "Try to call me by what everyone else calls me, would you?" Ed said as he leaned away from the pillar and picked the book CNet had retrieved for him up.

            "I do not understand."

            "That's alright," Ed said as he winked at the platform and made his way past and out the door.

Ed paged through the book as he made his way down the hall toward his bedroom. Jacks passed him, so he closed the book and greeted the younger agent quickly before continuing down the hall. Once inside his room, Ed closed the door, and stood there for a while listening out. He then breathed quite loudly as he made his way to his window and looked out, before sitting down on the bed. He tapped his fingers on the cover of the book and glanced once more at the door before he opened it and revealed a small number of pages that have been cut in the middle in order to accommodate a thick, clear keycard. Ed glanced once more at the door and retrieved the card. He leaned over the bed and held the card below the bedside light for a few seconds before he removed it and switched the light off. Printed on to the card in glow-in-the-dark ink, was a single line that read out a telephone number, as well as a name: Shatner.

            Ed went over it a few times before his phone rang, catching him off guard. He hastily put the card back into the book, closed it and put the book underneath his pillow before he got his phone from his breast pocket and answered.

            "Ben's condition is worsening," Connor said from the other side of the line. "I think you better get here fast."

            "I'm on my way," Ed said and ended the call. He got up from the bed and hurried toward the door before he stopped, turned and decided on hiding the book in between the two mattresses. As he turned around he saw that Danny stood in his doorway. "Danny, I..."

            "What was that?" She asked simply, though Ed saw that she was in no way in top condition, especially after her 48-hour shift.

            Ed glanced at the bed and back at her. "Just a book I am reading. Got it from my teacher in high-school, and it's very dear to me."

            She nodded, "ah what's it called?"

            "Julius Caesar," Ed replied and glanced at it again. "Look doctor, I am in quite a hurry. It's very nice to see you once again -- Ian will be glad to see you finally get some time off."

            "Thanks, have a good night, Ed." Danny turned and left down to the room she and Ian shared as Ed closed his bedroom door and quickly made his way back up the hall.

Connor glanced out the window and was certain that he saw something across the street before Ben's -now viciously grievous- cough called for his attention. Ed would be therein little under a hour, and he had to get something done. He hurried up to his office and pulled the first aid kit from the wall as his landline started to ring. Connor first wanted to ignore it, but Ben's coughing seemed to still.

            "Pieterse," Connor said as the bar was still registered under his alias.

            "Connor?" Abigail said from the other side. "Hey."

            "Abby, where the hell are you?"

            "Don't worry about me," she said halfheartedly. "How are you?"

            The awkwardness in her voice was clear as day, and it only made the call even more awkward for Connor. "Fine. Doing fine, Abigail. How have you been?"

            "I've been good! Hey, listen, don't worry too much about me, alright?"

            "How can I not worry about you? Where are you? Do you have any idea how much your sister must be missing you?"

            "I miss you too," was all she said and the line fell quiet.

            Ben started coughing again, and Connor was honestly glad. "Listen, I have to go. Call me again?"

            "Yes, yes. Take care, Connor." Abigail ended the call. Connor leaned onto his desk and exhaled hard. Ben coughed again.

Jacks was in the sparring room when Ed came in. He panted crazily, having just gone through the new obstacle and fitness course multiple times. He shook Ed's hand and took a sip of the bottled water he got from a small fridge C-Net had arranged.

            "Hey man. I need you to look into something for me, will you?" Ed asked as he glanced at the door.

            "Sure," he said and breathed loudly. "What's it about? Are you alright?"

            "Yes, I'm fine. Look, I'm going to give you a number. You will have to remember it. I can't let you write it down, is this alright?"

            "Sure, I'm good with numbers and names," Jacks boasted.

            "Good," Ed said and gave him the number. After Jacks repeated it twice to Ed, the older agent turned toward the door.

            "Wait, what should I do with this?"

            "Oh yeah. I need you to call that person and arrange a meeting. Only you. The person's call-sign will be Shatner. Once there, I need you to tell him that I sent you. The rest will follow easily. Jacks?"

            "Yeah, old man?" Jacks was smiling, glad that Ed had recognised him.

            "No one but Ian can know of this," Ed said and leaned closer. He then rolled his eyes upward so Jacks could know that not even C-Net could know.

            "Okay. Why?"

            "Don't worry about it, I am counting on you."

            "Leave it to me," Jacks said. Ed nodded with a slight smile and hurried out the door. Jacks popped his knuckles, took another sip of the water and pushed a button which restarted the course.