After the Faction meeting, Daryn sent a message to Fitz, asking to meet. Although things with the mission had taken over for some time, Daryn hadn’t forgotten and made sure she followed up with him, asking once again to find a time to talk. Asking him to meet her at one of the safehouses, after dark, Daryn hoped that the man would show. There was something important she wanted to discuss with him.
Fitz has almost not gotten her message in time, almost immediately after the meeting he’d gone to Sebastian’s and got out a lot of his frustration with Bas. After re-bandaging the cut on his shoulder he sent Daryn an affirmative and headed to meet her. He arrived as the orange tabby and once inside the safe house changed back to his human form. He looked a little more haggard than normal- beyond his normal circuits he’d added a few to try to get information that would satisfy Sebastian and in most of his free time he tailed Rose, to make sure she stayed safe. He ran a fingerless gloves hand through his shaggy brown hair and gave Daryn a polite smile. “Hey. You wanted to see me?” He did his best to keep his mind calm, not wanting her to hear the litany of worries, doubts, frustrations and everything else that he and probably most others on the island had.
This particular safe house appeared far more lived-in than most of the others, at least from the inside. Glad that Fitz had showed, she offered him a seat. Thank you for coming. Can I get you something to eat or drink?
The man took a seat and nodded. “Yes please. Whatever you have, no preference.” Most would decline politely, but someone in the animorphs position couldn’t afford to be picky.
Daryn left the room briefly before returning from the kitchen with a pre-made sandwich and a drink for him. She set the things down on the end table beside him and motioned for him to eat. Sitting in an adjacent chair, she hesitated before beginning. I didn’t need to be present at the meeting to notice you may have felt… unheard. I wanted you to know that was not the case. At least not for me. It’s just that I have a rather… personal investment in these recent developments.
Many of his regular food sources had been among the disappeared, he’d managed to find replacements, but it always seemed to be lacking a little so when Daryn placed the sandwich before him it took him a moment not to just shove the whole thing in his mouth and instead he ate as a human- it a little quick. It’s not that I don’t think we should do something. Fitz thought as he chewed so he didn’t talk while eating. I just… don’t want to see everyone get killed because we weren’t ready for the fallout. He did his best to keep the memories he’d seen to himself. Swallowing, he took a drink. He did feel that sometimes people seemed to forget he was more than just a cat. He’d been a soldier and an electrician before coming to the island. He had more skills then purring and looking cute.
Daryn watched him as he ate, wondering if she should have given him more. She could, if he was still hungry once he was finished. Listening to his thoughts, she nodded slowly. I understand. Or… I want to understand. I try very hard to be careful and thoughtful about the things the Faction does, it’s always been my first consideration to keep everyone safe. But my judgment on this topic is skewed. If things went the way I want them to, I’d probably be dead right now. I’m not used to being on the irrational side of things, but my emotions may always rule when it comes to this subject.
“That’s exactly why we need to be careful.” He said softly. His eyes flicked to the table. He’d only served a few years, but in that time he’d seen a lot. Right after the towers fell everyone was so fun-go for payback, things went wrong more than anyone cared to imagine. Fitz remembered walking through the wreckage of a school. They’d thought it was abandoned, that a terrorist cell was using it as their headquarters. He remembered sweeping the grounds after the UVA strike. All the children. No terrorists. In the end some suit signed off that these were acceptable casualties based on the intel provided. “You think freeing these kids won’t go unnoticed? What do you think they’ll do to get them back? Or keep it covered that they had them in the first place?” He glanced up at her.
Daryn listened as he spoke, looking down as she inadvertently caught a few images of his memories. Swallowing hard, she looked away for a moment before looking back to Fitz, meeting his gaze. I know it won’t go unnoticed. But this isn’t something we can sit on and contemplate action. The child that was found, she escaped. On her own. Without our help. Do we just leave the others in there? Do we turn her back over to them? What would you do if it was your child?
“Daryn, I’m not saying sit on it. There’s a difference between rushing in and taking a moment to plan ahead.” He got up from the table, feeling antsy. “And when I bring it up, suddenly I’m the guy who doesn’t want to save the kids.” He shook his head. “I suggest caution and now I don’t want to fight back.” He sighed, he wasn’t angry, Daryn was close to this one but also closest to his age, most the others were younger and he remembered what it was like to rush into things without thinking- that’s why he always had a commanding officer who’d been at it longer. “We need to anticipate what the government is going to do when they find out the kids are missing and try to have a plan to deal. Take a day, or even a second to consider and prepare for it.” Which no one seemed to want to do.
Which is exactly why I’ve asked you here. I want to hear what you would do. I’m not saying it would make a difference, I don’t have the standing I used to, this isn’t my mission to run. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear you out. She glanced to the hallway briefly, silent for a moment before looking back to him. What do you propose we do?
Between his time as a soldier and the time with the security agency- sure he’d been more a system installer but he’d still been required to go through all the training as the guys who ran ops- he had an idea of how the government might think. It was an asset that hadn’t been utilized recently- until now. “First, we have to think about what sort of retaliation they’re going to make. They have the advantage. We’re in an isolated area and numbers on us. There are also a lot of civilians between us and them.” He rubbed his neck. “First I would expect the curfew to get tighter, access to the facility to be tightened or cut off completely. Second, a full fledged search of each home and business accompanied by arrests and detainment of anyone they think might be involved.” He paced a little. “If we only knew why…”
Those things are all good to consider, yes. But what do we do about any of it? Without asking, Daryn stood and moved into the kitchen, returning moments later with another sandwich for him. Why what?
“Why do they want the kids. What are they doing with them? Knowing their motivation might help us find a weakness.” He paced some more, he’d been thinking about this a long time. “But that may have to come later. Right now… we need to give them something more important to worry about. Something they can’t just flee and firebomb the island and wash their hands of us.” Which, if not played right was very much a possibility. “While the death of our lives and civilians can be chalked up to a mutant uprising quashed, the death of every soldier is harder to spin. That many servicemen dead will cause an investigation.” He turned and looked at Daryn as she returned. “We need to confine them to the island like we are.”
Daryn blinked, realizing that Fitz didn’t know about the information they’d found. They’re experimenting on them. It’s just another form of Riken, it seems. We haven’t found any files per se, but lists of ‘subjects’ and date of entry into Project Genesis. Sitting back in her chair, Daryn sighed and listened to Fitz once again. So… cut off their communication with the outside, and their means of coming and going from the island? That is good, but it also seems like it would create way more hostility toward us than just trying to free some kids.
Fitz tended to provide information, not get it, so the details Daryn provided was enlightening. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “It almost sounds like the perfect time. I mean if this is true, if these kids are being experimented on. How long before they stop hiding Riken in the shadows and just bring it here? Besides, if these kids are part of some experiment, it sounds as if they are very important to the higher ups… the probably will not appreciate them being taken.” He tilted his head slightly. “Which do you think is better? Every guard on the island looking for the kids? Or them focused on us and forcing them to go on the defensive.”
Daryn’s brow furrowed as Fitz spoke, having trouble following his logic. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead, thinking before responding, trying to remain impartial even though his words bothered her deeply. “Focused on us, obviously.”
Fitz sighed. Truth was, they didn’t have the numbers to accomplish a full occupation- which is what they really needed. He sat back down and the answer hit him. “What we need is a distraction, something bigger than the kids. Something that can keep them preoccupied until you get the kids safe, and back with their families.” A distraction that could keep them on the run and not get caught right away, keep them searching, but searching away from the safehouses. He was pretty sure Daryn could ‘hear’ his mind working as it developed a plan. The market was crowded enough to put on a display of powers to attract attention. He knew the island like the back of his hand so changing from a tiger to a small cat and escaping would be easy. Then it was just a game of cat and mouse- except in this scenario the cat is the mouse. “Just make sure that when you guys do have the manpower to take over the island. Transport- including teleports, communications and a firm central base. There’s no safe place to land a copter so it’s really just the boats and teleporters you have to worry about.”
Daryn tracked Fitz’s thoughts, but missed the leap from the takeover to the distraction. Figuring it was her own preoccupations getting in the way, she hesitated for a moment, reviewing everything he’d said and thought before asking. How do you suggest we take over those things? Our Faction numbers are smaller than ever, and even using abilities to the max… I don’t know if we’d be able to do all of that while simultaneously keeping the children out of harm’s way.
He shook his head. “Maybe not now, but eventually. Maybe now a big enough distraction is all we need. Something more… critical to deal with than notice some missing kids.” Like a loose, undocumented mutant.
Catching his thought, Daryn arched a brow slowly. I don’t like where you are going with this. You talk about us wanting to be safe, but then you say things like this, that are definitely not the safest option. Not for you.
“Better me than the kids.” He meant the children and the younger Faction members. “And I can keep them running in circles for weeks.” Fitz, sighed. “With so many of us having disappeared recently, you’re right, we don’t have the numbers to do what really needs to be done. But we need something to keep the government occupied and not looking for the kids.” He picked up the water and took a drink, real water, not boiled water he drank in his home- which often still had the faint taste of rust… it was nice. “Unless I’m wrong? Or there’s a better option?” He’d felt trapped and not noticed for a long time, if this was how he’d finally get out of his lair and into the world again… the cause was worth it.
For weeks, and then what happens to you? Daryn knew that Fitz was right, but that didn’t mean she was comfortable with the idea. Even if it was the lesser of two evils.
“They catch me… or they don’t.” He shrugged slightly. “I’ve spent the last five years living 95% of my days as a cat Daryn.” Fitz looked up to her. “I’m kinda over it.”
Then we help you get back to being a person. And make sure that they don’t catch you. And if they do, it’s not for long. All of this recent business doesn’t change anything. We still protect our own, whether they fight with us or not. That includes you. Daryn watched him carefully, curious if that was what he wanted or not.
“We still have some of those trackers right?” He asked, they’d had a lot of tech members through the years, but they always seemed to be targeted. “Fix one to one of my collars. I’ll stay out of that shape but you should still be able to get a signal. So if they do catch me you can trace where they take me. Maybe it’s to where everyone else is taken.” Fitz wanted friendship, companionship. He’d never admit it aloud but he watched Remy and Zayne and Daryn and Ashe with a bit of envy. Seeing them all happy together, even if in the situation they were in they’d found someone to be in it with. He watched people converse, having casual conversation about nothing and he was envious. So many things he’d taken for granted. “But whatever does happen… Make sure Rose is safe.” If he couldn’t look out for his cousin, he needed to make sure someone would keep her safe.
Daryn nodded a little and sighed. This isn’t my mission, I don’t direct things anymore. But I think you should bring your idea to Remy, I will back you up on it. Either way it goes, Rose will still be protected, and we can still get you off cat-duty. You don’t need to isolate yourself anymore, and not just because Rose is here. But because it’s about time you got your life back.
Fitz nodded. “I will.” He grabbed the sandwich and got up from the table. “I should go before someone comes in.” Fitz started moving to the door before pausing and looking back at her. “Thank you for listening…” For hearing him, for giving him a chance.
Daryn stood to see him out, nodding. Everyone deserves a chance to be heard, I’m just sorry that it’s taken this long. As he moved to the door, a little girl ran out from the bedroom, calling for her mother. The child stopped short when she spotted the stranger, and then ran to hide behind Daryn’s legs. Daryn took a moment to comfort the little girl before looking back to Fitz, unsure of how he would react.
Fitz smiled slightly. I understand now. In an instant the man was no longer there, but instead a grey Egyptian Manx with a collar reading ‘Mew’. The cat sat there a moment, head tilted as it looked at the little girl, then to Daryn and let out a small “Merow.”
Half expecting that reaction from Fitz, Daryn looked back to her daughter. The little girl stared at the cat wide eyed and confused. Picking her up, Daryn held the five-year-old on her hip, speaking to both of them telepathically. It’s alright. Phoenix, this is my friend, Mr. Fitz. He’s very nice, and sometimes he can be a cat. I don’t think you’ve ever seen a cat before. Fitz, this is my daughter, Phoenix. She’s the child who escaped the Facility.
I hear you’re a very brave little girl. Fitz thought. It’s an honor to meet you. He’d grown up with younger cousins and while it had been a long time since he’d actually spoken with a child, most around the island who’d arrived with their parents had all ‘adopted’ him as their own. I’ve got to go now, but I hope to see you again soon. The cat purred softly.
Daryn nodded, silent for a moment as she relayed the message to Phoenix before looking back to Fitz. The little girl peered at the cat curiously but stayed clinging to her mother. She’s not a telepath, and I don’t think she’s ever seen an animal before, so, she’s a bit more shy than usual. You don’t have to run off if you don’t want to, but I won’t keep you if there’s something you need to get to.
There are some things I should handle Especially if he was going to serve as a distraction. Loose ends he needed to tie up. But I’ll see you around… and I’ll make sure to talk to Remy The cat let out a small ‘merow’ as it turned and trotted out of the safehouse. First, was first, he’d need to talk to Remy.