[justprompts] I left her when the morning broke, truth is I never let her go.
justprompts : Defiant. Based on this scene. Or, well, technically that whole section of 5X15, but, you know. I like helpful and informative links.
He told Sloane that Anna was more likely to kill him than work with him. In fact, he told Sloane that several times over the course of their brief conversation that detailed the specs of this particular mission, but Sloane seemed assured that Anna wouldn't let old grudges interfere with the objective, which made sense, considering what a model operative she was, but it wasn't enough to quell his concern.
"Well, that's all well and good, sir, but what about after?"
Sloane didn't have an answer to that. Suddenly, he was twenty-two again and explaining to the man that if Caplan's calculations were off by even a microtesla, he'd probably wind up just as dead as their target. As he recalled, Sloane's response had been similar. He used to have employers who cared about his well-being, he was certain of it.
Still, he was being paid and while years of working for himself had made him less of a dog, he still took orders like one. He was prepared for the worst, but, in his typical fashion, he wasn't going to give Anna the satisfaction of knowing that he was anticipating the worst from her. He strolled into the betting parlor like a king at court, made some snide remark about her choice of horses, and waited for the answering spark.
Maybe it helped that she looked like Sydney. With Anna as he had known her before their tumultuous parting, he never shed that predator's stare. She wasn't some woman he wanted to shoot down with quips- she was a potential partner, one he was plotting to betray the second she extracted him and he realized she wasn't out for his blood, and for that reason, he wished to maintain his status as a serious businessman, one who was to be respected and feared for his talents. Looking at her now, however, it reminded him of Sydney as she once was... Before bloody Michael Vaughn knocked her up and left her an absolute sham of her former self. Of course, no matter what she looked like, she was still Anna and he wouldn't make the mistake of letting his guard down just for a game of pretend.
The blows were expected and he didn't fight back against her. He wasn't here to cause an undue scene and, really, this is exactly what he warned Sloane might happen... When it didn't end with his face being flattened against the counter and Anna whispering every way she'd gut him when she was no longer obligated to Sloane, however, he was surprised.
"What was that one for?" He asked, once she was finished addressing the crowd in flawless Italian and he'd established that his nose wasn't broken, looking at her in a mildly incredulous way. Prison couldn't have mellowed her out so much- if anything, it would have made her more of a tiger.
"I'll get back to you."
Something clicked in his head and he stared at her for a long time, looking her over, searching for something in the skin that wasn't Anna's that actually did belong to Anna and finding it hard to find a good example- even the body language seemed wrong now that he was paying attention. He probably knew the intricate details of Project Helix better than anyone- after all, was his own Allison not the second double, herself? If there was some imperfection, he would probably notice it, provided he was given the right reason to look for it... And Anna had certainly given him a reason. "Right."
The slight bit of petulance in her expression was what gave it away, even more than her lack of threats, which could easily be chalked up to Anna's professionalism. The woman had a temper and her threats were hardly idle, but she had a job to do and she required him to do it and threatening him would get her nowhere- oh, certainly he was under obligation to do the job properly if he wanted to earn his pay and not suffer the combined wrath of Sloane and his newfound "masters," but she'd been betrayed once by him and anyone who believes that Julian Sark won't pull the same trick twice if he thinks it beneficial to his survival doesn't know him very well at all.
But the petulance. Oh, where are your lofty blows and regal pride, Anna? Anna Espionsa was many things, but never petulant. That was reserved for CIA agents with a history of great successes who occasionally find themselves in situations not to their liking and then proceed to react to them like sulking children. No one ever truly becomes the original when they're doubled and Anna, with all of her arrogance, would keep herself far away from Agent Bristow's little habits.
Could Sloane truly have missed this? Or was it not Sloane who was being played, but him? Sloane's loyalties were even more flexible than his own and even with whatever Prophet Five was offering him, it wasn't out of the question that he might be cutting a deal with the CIA to haul him back into custody. Or perhaps Sloane was just getting senile in his old age. Senile and arrogant- the man was at the top of the world, even as he was standing at rock bottom.
The real question was what exactly was he to do about this? He could probably find some way to prove that Anna was an imposter- the real Sydney Bristow doing what she does best- but where would the fun be in that? For years he'd missed the old cat-and-mouse routine he once played with Agent Bristow and why would he deny himself the chance to work with her again, especially with everything she's become in the past couple of years stripped away to something akin to the woman he remembered. And would he give up such a opportunity just to play the obedient dog to Arvin Sloane once again?
No, he's done that- several times, in fact. It didn't work so well for him in the long run, honestly. He'd be better off betting on Sydney- it would certainly be a lot more interesting and it's not like Sloane will never know what he figured out so long as he never lets on. After all, what Sloane doesn't know doesn't hurt him.
And the best part of this is that Sydney wouldn't have even the slightest inkling that he knew, either. All she had to do was play her part, while he got the reap the benefits of working with her again. It was like an unexpected bonus on top of the actual paycheck.
Funny. And here he thought this mission would be completely unpleasant.
"So what are you drinking?"
Muse: Julian Sark
Word Count: 1068