Strange Face of Love Chapter Ten
Title: Strange Face of Love
Author: violet_luckless
Rating: T for slash themes, language and future violence
Pairing: Alan/Sam, Quorra/Ed Dillinger Jr.
Synopsis: it's a story that has been told over and over again, Dillinger Sr. is dangerous, Dillinger SR. wants to take down ENCOM, Dillinger Sr. is not below putting Jr. to do his dirty work and so neither can be trusted. Sam could care less about the threat posed by a man he's never met, in trying to build something new he's placed a degree of faith in a person the man he trusts most in the world has warned him against. At the same time Sam must find a way to resolve the way he feels about Alan, and what that could mean for both of their futures.
Disclaimer: have I ever mentioned how NOT MINE Tron is?
Quorra’s head was spinning when she opened her eyes, the ceiling was going around in circles and she could hear whispering. She tried to get her eyes to move slowly but they jumped to the side where blurry figures where holding each other. She blinked a few times before her mind pieced together Sam and Alan, both had no coats on, their white sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. They had their arms wrapped around each other and were whispering.
“I have to go Alan.” Sam whispered.
“Can’t you at least give her a few more minutes? She’s going to want to see you when she wakes up.” Alan sighed back.
“It’s been half an hour Dillinger isn’t going to wait all day. He could hurt more people.”
“I need to get to Ram, he’s still here. He said Dillinger is after our access codes he’s keeping him locked out for now. I’m sure Dillinger already has a few goons looking for him.”
“He needs to get out of here.” Sam groaned.
“Trust me, if he doesn’t want to be found he won’t be.” Alan nodded.
“urrg.” Quorra groaned as she sat up slowly.
“No no no!” Alan gently urged as he and Sam rushed forward in unison. “You need to rest.”
“I need to kick Ed’s ass.” Quorra groaned again as she sat upright. The longer her eyes were open the better things seemed to level out, her arm was sore but it was nothing compared to the shooting pain she thought she was going to die from when she was first shot. She turned her eyes to the bandage around her shoulder and pulled on it gently, the wound was closed. Confirming the skin was healed she pulled the bandage off completely Alan was staring at the wound with his eyes wide.
“How-but-that’s not possible!” he stammered.
“One day we’ll really explain it to you Alan.” Sam promised as he clapped the man on the shoulder.
“And one day you’ll explain this to me.” Quorra said as she pointed to the two of them. “But right now we need to get ENCOM back.”
“That’s my girl.” Sam beamed as he helped Quorra hop off the table.
“What’s the plan?” Quorra grinned.
***
“What do you mean you haven’t found them!?” Dillinger Sr. screamed as he threw someone’s laptop across the room. The hired good stared blankly at the wall behind him. “Isn’t one of your men in the security room? There are cameras covering every inch of this building! Find Flynn and bring him to me NOW!” Dillinger boomed before he raised his gun and shot one of the other goons who fell to the ground with a grunt. Dillinger was by no means a crack shot, perhaps he had been aiming for the man’s head but the bullet went into his jugular vein, Ed watched the man writhe and flop like a fish out of water as his blood pooled around his head. He counted to one hundred and twenty before the man stopped moving, his vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling.
The police had long since gathered around ENCOM Tower and so far the only thing Dillinger had succeeded in doing was shutting down the building, no one came in and no one went out anymore. According to the goons in the security room there were still employees trapped in the parking garage which at the moment were being held hostage at gun point. Dillinger and Ed had been trying for the last twenty minutes to crack Sam and Alan’s access codes with no success. Someone was blocking them out, Dillinger thought it was the employees but when they turned up empty he became convinced it was Sam himself.
Concentrating on betraying his friend was the only thing getting Ed through. Computer code was second nature to him, he hardly need think as his eyes scanned lines upon lines of code as he looked for the tiniest error that would grant him access. It was all he could do to stop thinking about the look in Quorra’s eyes when he called her out of the bedroom this morning and allowed his father to point that gun in her face, how cold she was in the car in the way over and the look of utter disgust and hatred after he made her call Sam. Why was he doing this?
“Sir we’ve got a lock on Sam Flynn! He’s coming up elevator five!” came the voice of one of Dillinger’s henchmen over their radios. Ed wondered suddenly how much these henchmen cost, and where one were to find henchmen. All the same the entire party turned to face elevator five and watched the numbers above it tick by. The seconds seemed to drag on before the doors finally opened and out came Sam.
He seemed calm despite the fury in his eyes. His black tie was loose and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his shirt was un-tucked and wrinkled around his black slacks. Ed knew how much Sam hated to dress up, but he was supposed to be having a meeting with fCon this morning, and he wanted to be taken seriously. If only he’d known what that meeting entailed.
“I know you don’t have Quorra so why don’t we cut the shit?” Sam proposed as he stepped closer to the father and son. Ed’s eyes turned back to his father’s laptop where the Master Control Program started to do strange things to his code. He really fucking hated that thing.
“You’re just like your father you know. So brave, so unimaginably stupid.” Dillinger snarled as he held up the gun.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Sam nodded once. “So why don’t you tell me what you want?”
“I should think it’s very obvious my boy.” Dillinger scoffed.
“ENCOM? You could have just asked, I would have signed over my percentage of the company and saved you whatever all this cost.” Sam continued as he motioned to the room around them.
“Don’t play stupid. This company is just a playground, you know what I’m after!”
“The laser.” Sam nodded again as he put his hands into his pockets, he continued to step toward the two Dillingers. “Is that why you were so desperate to take the project Ed? Helping daddy?” Ed’s eyes turned down, he couldn’t bear to face Sam like this. But all at once he felt a painful iron grip on his neck as Sam grabbed him out of his chair and shook him. Sam’s hands were tight and his eyes wide with rage. “Don’t you turn away from me you little shit! I trusted you! I trusted you with my company! With my life! WITH QUORRA!” he threw Ed then sending him flying back and smashing into the corner of a desk. Ed cried out in pain and curled up onto the floor, trying desperately to breath the pain in his back did nothing to help his situation. “How could you?” Sam seemed to have forgotten who was in the room with them, his eyes were so sad as they begged Ed for an answer, but Ed was too ashamed to give one.
“Let me answer that question.” Dillinger interjected. “Because he’s spineless.” his voice was dripping with malice and disdain so Ed felt like nothing. He wanted Sam to kill him now, just put him out of his misery, what was there to live for? He’d lost everything that mattered.
“And you’re not?”
“Ruthless perhaps.” Dillinger shrugged. “Cold, cruel, and calculating but not spineless.”
“So take the lasers and get out.” Sam snarled. “I’m not negotiating with you and you’re not going to hurt anyone else. Just take it.”
“That’s not all I want.”
“What else is there?” Sam scoffed.
“The virus.”
“What?” Sam’s face fell at once.
“You didn’t think I had only one focus did you? You should do better background checks of the previous employers of your personnel.” Dillinger scoffed. “I know about your secret little lab in the basement, and about the girl and what she can do. You can either give me the virus and the laser or I can kill you and take it all with the girl. I am going to need her to make more.”
“WHAT?!” Sam and Ed both cried at once.
“You know your father was a no account mediocre fool!” Dillinger spat. “He had two good ideas in his life and rode on their coat tails! He didn’t have the vision nor the ability to see into the future, but I did!” Dillinger snarled. “But I’m not so petty as to see my short comings and on one thing he was right: our future is no longer on this plane. He just didn’t know how to achieve perfection--”
“No.” Sam groaned. “No that’s doesn’t work! I’ve seen it! No good can come from recreating the Grid-“
“You like your father lack vision my boy! The Master Control Program is exactly what is needed to create a functioning society outside of this realm! Ugh I’m bored of speaking to you. Take care of him.” Dillinger sighed as he motioned to one of his lackies whom converged on Sam. Obviously in all of Dillinger’s reading he had forgotten that Sam was trained in Capoera and evaded that man, and the next one, and the next, until at last four jumped on him at once. Two held his arms while the third carefully aimed the butt of his gun at Sam’s head and struck him hard. Sam went down with a thud.
“Find Bradley.” Dillinger drawled as he motioned for his henchmen to scoop up Sam, and follow him. Ed rose to his feet slowly and did the same.
***
Quorra covered her mouth and turned away as she watched Sam go down. She leaned on Ram’s shoulder who patted her head gently while his heart skipped a beat. Living underground could deprive a man of a few things. Ram was so wrapped up in his work he hardly noticed his life go by without much companionship, it was a fact that had never bothered him much but one he couldn’t ignore when a beautiful woman was leaning on his shoulder with her arms wrapped around his neck.
“I’m gonna kill him!” she cried all of a sudden as she jumped from her seat and grabbed Ram’s bat which was leaning against the desk. In sub-basement 2 in a hidden room behind an old boiler in a dingy janitor’s closer was Ram’s spacious “second office,” which held the main feed for all of the security cameras as well as three back up servers for ENCOM, a Tron arcade game, desk, sofa, mini fridge, microwave and Ram’s personal lap top. The man was brilliant.
“Quorra no!” Alan cried as he grabbed her by the shoulders. “You need to stay with Ram. You’re the key-“
“No! No I’m not doing this again! Sam and I let Kevin die I’m not gonna-“ her voice cracked as she turned away. “What is wrong with me?! I’m so angry but I can’t stop this stupid crying!”
“It’s human.” Alan smiled as he looked into her eyes. “You’re not human are you Quorra?” he asked gently.
“Not…exactly.” she whispered.
“Kevin died to protect you, which means you are the most important thing in this world. And now Sam is willing to do the same. Which means I have to go, Ram you’ll take care of her won’t you?” Alan asked as he looked over Quorra’s shoulder. Ram was pulling files out of an ancient metal filing cabinet. He dropped a manila folder onto the desk and from it spilled four passports, four IDs, and other documents. Alan’s face was on a New York ID which stated his name was James Fairchild. There was a matching social security card and passport.
“Here we go.” Ram smiled as he held out some documents to Quorra which said she was Genevieve Raiklen. It was a nice name. “I got these made hoping we’d never need them.” Ram sighed as he held up his own. Robert Harris. Alan nodded once to the both of them before he started to make his way out.
“Alan you can’t go-“ Quorra urged as she grabbed his arm.
“Quorra…I know we don’t know each other very well but I’m sure you can understand that I won’t leave Sam. And I won’t live without him either.”
“This is my fault.” she whispered as she turned down. “You know Sam warned me about Ed when we first started… but I-“
“You love him. That’s not your fault.” Alan promised. “He lied to us.” Quorra nodded as she turned away from him. Alan pulled in her into a hug, he squeezed her against him, Quorra squeezed back.
“Bring him back Alan, please.” Quorra whispered.
“If you can meet us at the Long Beach Airport, we’ll wait until ten, our flights to Tokyo leave at midnight.” Ram said as he turned up from his laptop. “It’s not as high profile as LAX.”
“Keep him distracted.” Alan called.
“Junior thinks he’s the brains of this company. He’s never seen nuthin’ like me before.” Ram chuckled as he grinned widely.
Alan pushed the door open slowly before he slipped out, Quorra was still staring at the door after he was gone.
“Give it at least sixty more seconds then you can follow him. You any good with this?” came Ram’s voice as he took a Katana out from under the couch and took it to Quorra. She grinned as she unsheathed it.
“Where did you get this?”
“Ebay.” Ram shrugged.
Author: violet_luckless
Rating: T for slash themes, language and future violence
Pairing: Alan/Sam, Quorra/Ed Dillinger Jr.
Synopsis: it's a story that has been told over and over again, Dillinger Sr. is dangerous, Dillinger SR. wants to take down ENCOM, Dillinger Sr. is not below putting Jr. to do his dirty work and so neither can be trusted. Sam could care less about the threat posed by a man he's never met, in trying to build something new he's placed a degree of faith in a person the man he trusts most in the world has warned him against. At the same time Sam must find a way to resolve the way he feels about Alan, and what that could mean for both of their futures.
Disclaimer: have I ever mentioned how NOT MINE Tron is?
Quorra’s head was spinning when she opened her eyes, the ceiling was going around in circles and she could hear whispering. She tried to get her eyes to move slowly but they jumped to the side where blurry figures where holding each other. She blinked a few times before her mind pieced together Sam and Alan, both had no coats on, their white sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. They had their arms wrapped around each other and were whispering.
“I have to go Alan.” Sam whispered.
“Can’t you at least give her a few more minutes? She’s going to want to see you when she wakes up.” Alan sighed back.
“It’s been half an hour Dillinger isn’t going to wait all day. He could hurt more people.”
“I need to get to Ram, he’s still here. He said Dillinger is after our access codes he’s keeping him locked out for now. I’m sure Dillinger already has a few goons looking for him.”
“He needs to get out of here.” Sam groaned.
“Trust me, if he doesn’t want to be found he won’t be.” Alan nodded.
“urrg.” Quorra groaned as she sat up slowly.
“No no no!” Alan gently urged as he and Sam rushed forward in unison. “You need to rest.”
“I need to kick Ed’s ass.” Quorra groaned again as she sat upright. The longer her eyes were open the better things seemed to level out, her arm was sore but it was nothing compared to the shooting pain she thought she was going to die from when she was first shot. She turned her eyes to the bandage around her shoulder and pulled on it gently, the wound was closed. Confirming the skin was healed she pulled the bandage off completely Alan was staring at the wound with his eyes wide.
“How-but-that’s not possible!” he stammered.
“One day we’ll really explain it to you Alan.” Sam promised as he clapped the man on the shoulder.
“And one day you’ll explain this to me.” Quorra said as she pointed to the two of them. “But right now we need to get ENCOM back.”
“That’s my girl.” Sam beamed as he helped Quorra hop off the table.
“What’s the plan?” Quorra grinned.
***
“What do you mean you haven’t found them!?” Dillinger Sr. screamed as he threw someone’s laptop across the room. The hired good stared blankly at the wall behind him. “Isn’t one of your men in the security room? There are cameras covering every inch of this building! Find Flynn and bring him to me NOW!” Dillinger boomed before he raised his gun and shot one of the other goons who fell to the ground with a grunt. Dillinger was by no means a crack shot, perhaps he had been aiming for the man’s head but the bullet went into his jugular vein, Ed watched the man writhe and flop like a fish out of water as his blood pooled around his head. He counted to one hundred and twenty before the man stopped moving, his vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling.
The police had long since gathered around ENCOM Tower and so far the only thing Dillinger had succeeded in doing was shutting down the building, no one came in and no one went out anymore. According to the goons in the security room there were still employees trapped in the parking garage which at the moment were being held hostage at gun point. Dillinger and Ed had been trying for the last twenty minutes to crack Sam and Alan’s access codes with no success. Someone was blocking them out, Dillinger thought it was the employees but when they turned up empty he became convinced it was Sam himself.
Concentrating on betraying his friend was the only thing getting Ed through. Computer code was second nature to him, he hardly need think as his eyes scanned lines upon lines of code as he looked for the tiniest error that would grant him access. It was all he could do to stop thinking about the look in Quorra’s eyes when he called her out of the bedroom this morning and allowed his father to point that gun in her face, how cold she was in the car in the way over and the look of utter disgust and hatred after he made her call Sam. Why was he doing this?
“Sir we’ve got a lock on Sam Flynn! He’s coming up elevator five!” came the voice of one of Dillinger’s henchmen over their radios. Ed wondered suddenly how much these henchmen cost, and where one were to find henchmen. All the same the entire party turned to face elevator five and watched the numbers above it tick by. The seconds seemed to drag on before the doors finally opened and out came Sam.
He seemed calm despite the fury in his eyes. His black tie was loose and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his shirt was un-tucked and wrinkled around his black slacks. Ed knew how much Sam hated to dress up, but he was supposed to be having a meeting with fCon this morning, and he wanted to be taken seriously. If only he’d known what that meeting entailed.
“I know you don’t have Quorra so why don’t we cut the shit?” Sam proposed as he stepped closer to the father and son. Ed’s eyes turned back to his father’s laptop where the Master Control Program started to do strange things to his code. He really fucking hated that thing.
“You’re just like your father you know. So brave, so unimaginably stupid.” Dillinger snarled as he held up the gun.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Sam nodded once. “So why don’t you tell me what you want?”
“I should think it’s very obvious my boy.” Dillinger scoffed.
“ENCOM? You could have just asked, I would have signed over my percentage of the company and saved you whatever all this cost.” Sam continued as he motioned to the room around them.
“Don’t play stupid. This company is just a playground, you know what I’m after!”
“The laser.” Sam nodded again as he put his hands into his pockets, he continued to step toward the two Dillingers. “Is that why you were so desperate to take the project Ed? Helping daddy?” Ed’s eyes turned down, he couldn’t bear to face Sam like this. But all at once he felt a painful iron grip on his neck as Sam grabbed him out of his chair and shook him. Sam’s hands were tight and his eyes wide with rage. “Don’t you turn away from me you little shit! I trusted you! I trusted you with my company! With my life! WITH QUORRA!” he threw Ed then sending him flying back and smashing into the corner of a desk. Ed cried out in pain and curled up onto the floor, trying desperately to breath the pain in his back did nothing to help his situation. “How could you?” Sam seemed to have forgotten who was in the room with them, his eyes were so sad as they begged Ed for an answer, but Ed was too ashamed to give one.
“Let me answer that question.” Dillinger interjected. “Because he’s spineless.” his voice was dripping with malice and disdain so Ed felt like nothing. He wanted Sam to kill him now, just put him out of his misery, what was there to live for? He’d lost everything that mattered.
“And you’re not?”
“Ruthless perhaps.” Dillinger shrugged. “Cold, cruel, and calculating but not spineless.”
“So take the lasers and get out.” Sam snarled. “I’m not negotiating with you and you’re not going to hurt anyone else. Just take it.”
“That’s not all I want.”
“What else is there?” Sam scoffed.
“The virus.”
“What?” Sam’s face fell at once.
“You didn’t think I had only one focus did you? You should do better background checks of the previous employers of your personnel.” Dillinger scoffed. “I know about your secret little lab in the basement, and about the girl and what she can do. You can either give me the virus and the laser or I can kill you and take it all with the girl. I am going to need her to make more.”
“WHAT?!” Sam and Ed both cried at once.
“You know your father was a no account mediocre fool!” Dillinger spat. “He had two good ideas in his life and rode on their coat tails! He didn’t have the vision nor the ability to see into the future, but I did!” Dillinger snarled. “But I’m not so petty as to see my short comings and on one thing he was right: our future is no longer on this plane. He just didn’t know how to achieve perfection--”
“No.” Sam groaned. “No that’s doesn’t work! I’ve seen it! No good can come from recreating the Grid-“
“You like your father lack vision my boy! The Master Control Program is exactly what is needed to create a functioning society outside of this realm! Ugh I’m bored of speaking to you. Take care of him.” Dillinger sighed as he motioned to one of his lackies whom converged on Sam. Obviously in all of Dillinger’s reading he had forgotten that Sam was trained in Capoera and evaded that man, and the next one, and the next, until at last four jumped on him at once. Two held his arms while the third carefully aimed the butt of his gun at Sam’s head and struck him hard. Sam went down with a thud.
“Find Bradley.” Dillinger drawled as he motioned for his henchmen to scoop up Sam, and follow him. Ed rose to his feet slowly and did the same.
***
Quorra covered her mouth and turned away as she watched Sam go down. She leaned on Ram’s shoulder who patted her head gently while his heart skipped a beat. Living underground could deprive a man of a few things. Ram was so wrapped up in his work he hardly noticed his life go by without much companionship, it was a fact that had never bothered him much but one he couldn’t ignore when a beautiful woman was leaning on his shoulder with her arms wrapped around his neck.
“I’m gonna kill him!” she cried all of a sudden as she jumped from her seat and grabbed Ram’s bat which was leaning against the desk. In sub-basement 2 in a hidden room behind an old boiler in a dingy janitor’s closer was Ram’s spacious “second office,” which held the main feed for all of the security cameras as well as three back up servers for ENCOM, a Tron arcade game, desk, sofa, mini fridge, microwave and Ram’s personal lap top. The man was brilliant.
“Quorra no!” Alan cried as he grabbed her by the shoulders. “You need to stay with Ram. You’re the key-“
“No! No I’m not doing this again! Sam and I let Kevin die I’m not gonna-“ her voice cracked as she turned away. “What is wrong with me?! I’m so angry but I can’t stop this stupid crying!”
“It’s human.” Alan smiled as he looked into her eyes. “You’re not human are you Quorra?” he asked gently.
“Not…exactly.” she whispered.
“Kevin died to protect you, which means you are the most important thing in this world. And now Sam is willing to do the same. Which means I have to go, Ram you’ll take care of her won’t you?” Alan asked as he looked over Quorra’s shoulder. Ram was pulling files out of an ancient metal filing cabinet. He dropped a manila folder onto the desk and from it spilled four passports, four IDs, and other documents. Alan’s face was on a New York ID which stated his name was James Fairchild. There was a matching social security card and passport.
“Here we go.” Ram smiled as he held out some documents to Quorra which said she was Genevieve Raiklen. It was a nice name. “I got these made hoping we’d never need them.” Ram sighed as he held up his own. Robert Harris. Alan nodded once to the both of them before he started to make his way out.
“Alan you can’t go-“ Quorra urged as she grabbed his arm.
“Quorra…I know we don’t know each other very well but I’m sure you can understand that I won’t leave Sam. And I won’t live without him either.”
“This is my fault.” she whispered as she turned down. “You know Sam warned me about Ed when we first started… but I-“
“You love him. That’s not your fault.” Alan promised. “He lied to us.” Quorra nodded as she turned away from him. Alan pulled in her into a hug, he squeezed her against him, Quorra squeezed back.
“Bring him back Alan, please.” Quorra whispered.
“If you can meet us at the Long Beach Airport, we’ll wait until ten, our flights to Tokyo leave at midnight.” Ram said as he turned up from his laptop. “It’s not as high profile as LAX.”
“Keep him distracted.” Alan called.
“Junior thinks he’s the brains of this company. He’s never seen nuthin’ like me before.” Ram chuckled as he grinned widely.
Alan pushed the door open slowly before he slipped out, Quorra was still staring at the door after he was gone.
“Give it at least sixty more seconds then you can follow him. You any good with this?” came Ram’s voice as he took a Katana out from under the couch and took it to Quorra. She grinned as she unsheathed it.
“Where did you get this?”
“Ebay.” Ram shrugged.