Chapter 42 - Michael and Jurgen -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 00:05:57 07/25/11 Mon
Author: asiacheetah
Author Host/IP: ppp-71-128-193-14.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net / 71.128.193.14
Subject: Chapter 42 - Michael and Jurgen
In reply to: asiacheetah 's message, "The Recruit (working title) - Michael pre-LFN story" on 03:47:50 04/25/11 Mon

Chapter 42 � Michael and Jurgen

Michael glanced up as the door to the med lab swung open. Jurgen strolled in with his usual confident swagger. He came to a stop at the foot of the bed and interlaced his fingers to form a V with his index fingers pointing to the floor.

"Hello Michael."

"Hello."

Jurgen stared intently at him for a moment before speaking again: "Congratulations on passing your test."

At the reminder of the last mission, Michael's lips pressed together into a thin line, repressing the emotions stirred up by the memories. "Was the test your idea?"

Jurgen stared coldly back at him for a long moment. He was starting to think that Jurgen would refuse to answer the question when he replied: "No. It was Kendo's idea."

"Kendo�" He looked off across the room, processing the information. He turned back when Jurgen continued speaking.

"I just wanted to say good bye."

"Goodbye?"

"Yes. Now that you have completed your training, I'm returning to Section One."

He stared wordlessly back at Jurgen, not knowing how to respond. For more than a year, Jurgen had pushed him ruthlessly physically and mentally. In the process, he had seen and done so many things that used to be abhorrent to his very nature. In the end, he could barely remember who he was, what he was.

Jurgen was still watching him, waiting for a response. He finally asked: "Will you be glad to return to Section One?"

Jurgen laughed mirthlessly for a moment, his face twisted into a look of disgust. "Glad to return to that viper pit? No. If you think it's tough here, the grounds of Section One is like walking on quick sand. You always have to be..."

"On your guard." Michael finished the sentence for him. That had been Jurgen's motto and the number one lesson he continuously drilled into his head since they first met.

Jurgen's lips quirked into a wry smile at Michael's response. It was true that he tended to sound like a broken record sometimes, but if nothing else, he wanted to drum that into Michael's skull so that he would never forget.

He looked at his former material for a long moment, studying the various fading bruises. The swelling around Michael's eye and nose had started going down, allowing him to open both of his eyes, which were sporting spectacular black eyes. He was barely recognizable, but those clear green eyes were unmistakable.

Jurgen had ruthlessly worked with Michael to control his facial expressions as well as mask his too easy-to-read eyes. Michael had become so adept at hiding his thoughts, that he now had trouble reading his emotions. He took a closer look into those blank eyes and was unnerved by what he reads there. Instead of masking his emotions, Michael's eyes looked empty, as if all his emotions had been drained away.

It looked like Section had succeeded, had turned another person into a soulless killing machine. His face twisted into a humorless smile as he mentally toasted Section; chalk that up as another victory to Section. He suddenly couldn't wait to leave this room, to leave Section 8, and the reminder of how he helped those, whose control he fought against, achieve their desired result. He had never felt like more of a loser for having failed so spectacularly.

Michael watched as Jurgen's face twisted into a mockery of a smile, clinically studying the other man. He felt nothing as Jurgen's eyes watched him as if he was a bug stuck under his shoes. He felt nothing at the man's obvious contempt. Jurgen's discomfiture reminded him of their very first lesson together.

***

"All right, Michael. Here's your first lesson: every time you kill someone, I want you to think about those left behind to grieve for them. It doesn't matter if it's the worst human being in the world, someone at one point must have loved them. I want you to think about the grief of that person left behind and take it inside yourself."

"Why?"

"To ground you, to prevent you from turning into a machine, it will humanize you."

***

Jurgen wanted him to keep his humanity, but he much preferred being dead inside. This way nothing could hurt him, not the orders he was forced to carry out, the uncomfortable glances directed toward him, the people he was forced to kill, or the friends he was forced to betray. At that last thought, Michael clamp down tight on his emotions, not wanting to remember.

Jurgen came out of his reverie to find Michael studying him emotionlessly. He realized that he had been lost in thoughts, his guard down for far too long. He mentally berated himself for the slip up, reminding himself that this was a dangerous adversary now that Michael was completely Section's.

"I'll be going now."

"Good bye."

"We'll probably see each sooner rather than later." He amended: "Probably sooner."

"Why is that?"

"I have a suspicion that Section One has taken an interest in you, evidence by the fact that they sent me here to train you."

"You think they'll request my services?"

"Yes, but they're probably looking to acquire you."

Michael sat silently, not responding to the news. Jurgen might as well have been talking to a statue since Michael was so still and unresponsive. If his suspicion proved correct, he owed it to his former student to at least warn him of what he would be facing.

"When you get to Section One, watch your back, especially against Madeline and Operations."

For the first time, the smallest expression was revealed in Michael's immobile face, that of curiosity. Jurgen realized that he had given away more than he intended by revealing his distrust over the top brass at Section One.

He pressed forward despite the slip up. "Operations is more straight forward with his schemes. It's really Madeline you have to watch out for. She will pretend to be a friend that you are all one big family, but it's all a lie. Always keep in mind that she has her own ulterior motives and will lie and seduce to get it."

Michael looked at him for a long moment before replying: "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jurgen paused awkwardly for a moment, before stepping forward and offering his hand.

Michael stared at the proffered hand curiously for a long pause before returning the hand shake.

"Goodbye." Jurgen turned and walked swiftly out the door without a backward glance.

Michael sincerely hoped that Jurgen's suspicion was unfounded, and that he would never have to see his trainer ever again. While his erstwhile teacher given him the tools to survive inside Section, every time he saw him, he was reminded of who he used to be, what he used to be.

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