No time to waste.
Even if he felt (and most likely looked as well) like shit, Michael headed over to Damian's office after he showered and changed into some clean clothes. Throughout the night he had come to the conclusion that, if he wanted to find Jack, then he was going to need Damian's resources to do so. Now it was just a matter of changing some of the previous plans that had been made in the beginning and he'd be set.
Since he needed to keep acting normal so he wouldn't throw Damian off - he already knew that if he were to sound like a madman he wouldn't be allowed to work for him - he didn't storm into his office. Hell, he even waited patiently while Damian's secretary informed him of Michael's arrival and led him in.
"I've been thinking," Michael said as soon as the secretary closed the door of the office behind her, "and I don't want to do fieldwork for you. I don't want to be some...bodyguard or whatever it was that I was going to be doing. Not for just anyone, I mean; if it was a special case then I'd want to be involved."
The sudden change caused Damian to frown and he set his pen down as he leaned back against his chair. Even if Michael was doing his best to keep acting normal Damian could notice that there was something off about him. Regarding his appearance he seemed normal enough, but there was just something different about him. He just couldn't pinpoint what that was, exactly. "And here I was thinking you were working so hard so you could do some fieldwork. What happened, the whole thing's taking too long for you?"
Michael just gave a small shrug. "Something like that. I'm getting antsy about working again, and maybe doing something different would help me." He smiled slightly, forcing it out but making it look normal. 'You were a pro at this once,' he reminded himself, 'just put up a good barrier and he won't know.' "Maybe I can have one of those...desk jobs. For the research and whatever else you guys do."
"...you want a desk job?" Now Damian leaned forward, frowning. "Mike, you feeling okay?
"I'm fine." Another smile, more pretending. "I just need something different. ...well, not that different since I've always been good at finding information whenever I need it, and I still have some contacts that might come in handy. 'sides, the more I think about it the more convinced I am that I have no real interest in diving in front of a bullet for someone that I don't know or care about. Hell, if I think they deserve it I'd just move away and let 'em take the damn bullet. Your clients might not be that happy."
With a chuckle, Damian leaned back again, satisfied with the answer. "Alright, I guess you've got a point. But you still have to go through basic training for fieldwork, aside from the formal training you're going to receive so you can work some of the computer programs we use. If you want you can even start that some time throughout the week."
Nodding, Michael had to remind himself that he couldn't show how eager he was for that training. He had to act normal, and normal didn't count him looking forward to working at a desk all day. For the first time in his life, though, the idea wasn't a dreaded one; if all that training and work would help him find Jack somewhere, somehow, then he'd do it. He'd work his ass off, he'd soak everything in as much as he could. He was a fast learner whenever he wanted something, and right now he wanted revenge so badly that he could already picture the whole thing. The blood, Jack writhing in pain as he tore him apart...
"Well what the hell are we waiting for?" Michael asked, giving Damian a smile that was no longer forced. "I'm ready to start right now."
Since he needed to keep acting normal so he wouldn't throw Damian off - he already knew that if he were to sound like a madman he wouldn't be allowed to work for him - he didn't storm into his office. Hell, he even waited patiently while Damian's secretary informed him of Michael's arrival and led him in.
"I've been thinking," Michael said as soon as the secretary closed the door of the office behind her, "and I don't want to do fieldwork for you. I don't want to be some...bodyguard or whatever it was that I was going to be doing. Not for just anyone, I mean; if it was a special case then I'd want to be involved."
The sudden change caused Damian to frown and he set his pen down as he leaned back against his chair. Even if Michael was doing his best to keep acting normal Damian could notice that there was something off about him. Regarding his appearance he seemed normal enough, but there was just something different about him. He just couldn't pinpoint what that was, exactly. "And here I was thinking you were working so hard so you could do some fieldwork. What happened, the whole thing's taking too long for you?"
Michael just gave a small shrug. "Something like that. I'm getting antsy about working again, and maybe doing something different would help me." He smiled slightly, forcing it out but making it look normal. 'You were a pro at this once,' he reminded himself, 'just put up a good barrier and he won't know.' "Maybe I can have one of those...desk jobs. For the research and whatever else you guys do."
"...you want a desk job?" Now Damian leaned forward, frowning. "Mike, you feeling okay?
"I'm fine." Another smile, more pretending. "I just need something different. ...well, not that different since I've always been good at finding information whenever I need it, and I still have some contacts that might come in handy. 'sides, the more I think about it the more convinced I am that I have no real interest in diving in front of a bullet for someone that I don't know or care about. Hell, if I think they deserve it I'd just move away and let 'em take the damn bullet. Your clients might not be that happy."
With a chuckle, Damian leaned back again, satisfied with the answer. "Alright, I guess you've got a point. But you still have to go through basic training for fieldwork, aside from the formal training you're going to receive so you can work some of the computer programs we use. If you want you can even start that some time throughout the week."
Nodding, Michael had to remind himself that he couldn't show how eager he was for that training. He had to act normal, and normal didn't count him looking forward to working at a desk all day. For the first time in his life, though, the idea wasn't a dreaded one; if all that training and work would help him find Jack somewhere, somehow, then he'd do it. He'd work his ass off, he'd soak everything in as much as he could. He was a fast learner whenever he wanted something, and right now he wanted revenge so badly that he could already picture the whole thing. The blood, Jack writhing in pain as he tore him apart...
"Well what the hell are we waiting for?" Michael asked, giving Damian a smile that was no longer forced. "I'm ready to start right now."