ntoknow

	Sign In Sign-Up

Need To Know-Part One

by: Terissa Brozina

Disclaimer: The Invisible Man (2000 series) and its characters are copyrighted to the Sci-Fi channel and USA Cable Entertainment. All rights reserved.

**********

[Kennedy once said, "Forgive your enemies but never forget their names." Now my opinion was always, keep in the dark, so you don't have enemies that can identify you. But now that I work for the government I have found it better to remember their names as well as their faces, because you never know who is going to take a vacation from the government nut house.]

"What we got?" Darien piped jumping into the rusted out van beside Hobbes. His cheerfulness was ordinary and welcomed a playful mood in both agents. It was a good day Darian thought, his pet rat Dahrian as the Keeper had pronounced it, had greeted Darien when he woke and just set him in the mood for a "nothing can go wrong" day.

Hobbes tossed a file at Darien who reluctantly scanned the information provided. "Three monkeys and a zoo keeper named Ed. The department of Fish and Game called in a favor."

"For what? Replacing an ink jet?"

"Hey, secret agency...remember? What ink jet?"

Darien shook his head at the seriousness in Hobbes' voice. The agency could barely afford anything besides post-it notes. He flipped to the last page of the folder.

"So...They got us chasin' monkeys now. What a kowinkydink, I thought the agency had enough of them working for it." he slapped the folder shut. "So, are these any particular monkeys or just your average run of the mill?"

"Their high bred monkeys my friend and they happen to be worth about 16 mill." Hobbes made a right turn as the rusted vehicle complained with eerie creaking and squealing. "I bet you might even find one of your relatives among them Fawkes." Hobbes sarcastically put his nose in the air while turning the wheel.

"What makes you think that? Found one of your own at the same meet?" He

replied coolly.

Hobbes shot him a daring glare. "You know what!..."

"What? Wha..ah, ah, ah. Now you know your not supposed to get mad." Darien replied sarcastically when Hobbes turned his eyes back to the road. "That's better remind me to give you a treat when we get back k."

"Give me a treat? I'll treat you, right out that window. Mr. high and mighty."

The rusted van halted violently along side a small house, tossing Darien forward in his seat. "Funny. Ha, Ha." He shot his partner who had all expected the stop annoyed glance before pulling his attention toward the house. "Looks deserted." Darien wrinkled his nose at the place.

"Yea." Hobbes bobbed his head around taking in the place from all angels perceivable from the van. He had a feeling about the place, something was not quite right but he could not pin point it. "This is weird."

"What? Ya losin' it? How hard can it be? Bust in grab the little buggers and off we go. Two under paid agents but at least we got the job done."

"Don't start me on that, Fawkes. You don't deserve half the pay they give you. Me on the other hand, out here being shot at riskin' my butt, visibly I might add and what...The fat man can't give me a raise?" Hobbes scoffed at the idea while peering at a shattered window of the building. "Serve him right if I kept one of those hairy monkeys for myself."

"Have mercy on the monkey." Darien leaned back looking at Hobbes frowning

playfully.

"Get out!" Hobbes retracted.

They met in front of the van and scanned the premises again. "Ok. Fawkes, you cover me, we get our monkeys and Mr. Ed all in one. Got it?"

"Yea. Sure. No problem..." He trailed off cocking his head to the side letting the quicksilver spread over his entire body, the monotone silver haze fell over the world colors as the quicksilver poured over his eyes. Hobbes glanced back at where Darien had been standing or was, he could not be sure as to if he had left or not.

"Fawkes?" He glanced around. "Fawkes?"

"What!?" Annoyance spurting from his voice. "Common Hobbes I'm right here." Darien waved a twig in the air, making Hobbes role his eyes.

"Watch my back."

"Watch your back? Well it is not exactly the best ang..." He was cut off by Hobbes hushing.

Hobbes slid his gun out in front of him peeking around the house he stepped on the porch. The door creaked open, he slid inside. There were some faint cries and screeches, probably from the monkeys. He proceeded stealthily.

Darien was already in the house looking around when Hobbes popped up behind him bumping into his invisible form. "Watch out!"

"Me! Not like I can see you or anything. Why not you try watching for once." Hobbes complained.

He rounded a corner into a room of fair size, he could see two men at a table amidst the trash. One of the men was small framed with blond dyed hair, he was stout but his small frame was not demanding. The other man was far different, he was large, jet black hair, and muscles that appeared well toned threw his baggy clothing. Sure enough two monkeys sat in a cage in front of them, they appeared to be haggling over a price. Hobbes moved in closer aiming his gun at the larger of the two men and pinpointing the smaller as Ed.

"Alright, freeze, scum bags." Hobbes' voice made both men jump as all eyes turned to Hobbes' gun.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked the smaller man accusingly.

"Your worst nightmare twinkle toes. Agent Bobby Hobbes." He flipped his badge. "I'm the one who's going to bring your sorry asses in." The authority in his voice impressed Darien, who had taken up a comfortable pose leaning against one of the door frames in his invisible state, watching. Obviously this was not going to be all that tough. Both men raised their hands in surrender and began their march out the door by the waving gun in Hobbes hand. No one noticed the black car pull up outside the house.

"Come on move! My dead Grandma moves faster than you two." Hobbes persuaded

leading them outside.

Darien had shed the quicksilver and was occupying himself with gathering the cage of monkeys inside the house when the first shot rang out. "What the hell are you doing!" Racing outside he saw the black car and Hobbes with the smaller man tucked behind an old Buick in the front yard.

"Get down Fawkes!" Hobbes shouted returning a shot as Darien dove behind the car.

"What the heck did you do!?"

"Me!? What do you mean? I'm walkin' out to the van and some Nazi gets outta' a car and starts shootin at me!" He motioned toward a still body in the walk way. "The big guy is down I think he's dead took a direct shot." Hobbes peaked over the car hood and fired a round.

"Ok. here's the plan. You go around "secretly" and take the guy on the right

out. Once he's down I got the other. Got it? Good. Go"

Darien rolled over on his side and was gone. Luckily the small man would never had noticed anything odd being that he was hiding like a little mouse in front of the cat. Darien could see the two men shooting at Hobbes, even though he was invisible it still felt like they would turn and start shooting at him any moment. He circled around the far man and before the man even knew what was going on Darien took a good swing sending him tumbling backwards and losing his grip on the gun. The other man turned to see what

was going on. He stared down at his fallen comrade who received an invisible punch.

"You're of no help." The man spoke in a deep voice, before aiming his gun down at his partner. "Say, good bye." He fired.

Darien thrn felt a surge of pain burrowing its way through his back...

***

Hobbes took the advantage and fired. His bullet caught the man in the right shoulder knocking him completely over. He clutched his wounded arm and scurried to get in his car. The tires squealed as the black car peeled out, Hobbes fired three shots taking out the back window. He turned around grabbing Mr. Ed and forcing his gun to his face. "Who were they!? Who wants you dead!?" Hobbes roared but the little man just crouched in fear, he shoved him in the van. "Fawkes? Fawkes where are you?" Slamming the van door. "Come'on this is no time to go playing Hudini." Hobbes turned a complete 360 at the sound of shedding quicksilver. Darien lay in a crumpled heap just past where the second assailant had huddled in fear. "Fawkes!" Hobbes rushed over to the crumpled form and rolled Darien over on his side, the back of his shirt was wet and crimson matching the ground beneath him. "Ah man, Fawkes!? You stay with me ok."

Hobbes slid his arms under Fawkes' back and knees and hoisted him up the young man began to convulse in spurts . The length of his body hung so far as to his feet draging the ground in the older man's arms. Hobbes threw open the side van door and placed Fawkes' tremoring body down carefully beside Ed. The van roared to life and sped down the road.