Potential & Annie - '

Who: Potential, Annie
Where: Agency HQ
When: 15 minutes to zero hour
"Potential... YOU HEARTLESS FUCK!!"
Annie's yell was punctated by a furious right hook to the co-agent's
face. Barely a second to turn around, the morphing agent was sent
sprawling to the floor with a line of blood trailing from his mouth.
Every occupant of the hall immediately went scrambling like ants as
the agency's newest member leaned down and gripped the prone and dazed
calculations officer by the throat. Just as her fist rose up to knock
another tooth loose she found two pairs of arms wrench her back off
the man.
With a quick look to her left and right she recognised both co-agents
Antidisestablishmentarian and Bob holding her back.
Not even bothering to struggle against the physically gifted but
currently rattled men, she turned back to the slowly stirring man.
"You've been meddling since the day the Krylons made contact!!" She
screamed.
Annie wasn't stupid, she was new but she wasn't stupid. It was all too
perfect to have happened by chance.
Potential orchestrated that hacker's death to take out the Krylons
which meant two things. He'd failed to do his duty by warning her and
the entire agency (to her knowledge) of the danger and he'd been using
her universe as a battle field against the Krylons with Andy as his pawn.
Potential eyelids fluttered as he gathered his wits. Rolling over
gently his back rose slowly, fixing his jaw and casing a glare at the
girl.
"...Let her go." He commanded evenly.
'Anti' and Bob cast confused looks at each other.
"She is beginning to understand what it is to be an Agent." He stated,
rearing up to his full height.
The response was to be expected. The second they released her she
immediately rushed forward to help him to another Mike Tyson worthy
punch. Only this time he was prepared.
As quickly as she could throw them, Potential caught her strikes with
both hands.
"Believe it not Annie; I used to be just like you." He stated gently.
"You would NEVER have been like me!" Annie shouted back at the monster
in front of her. To her he personified everything she despised about
herself and this damn agency. Arrogance, deception, sociopathic
tendencies, it was what her 'human' side despised as they told her.
"You think I wanted Andy to die?" Potential stated as he glared almost
hypnotically into her eyes. "I wanted him to do what he always wanted.
To die *FOR* something! All his life he'd been a useless outcast, yet
he only wanted to give to the world for some twisted reason! I've seen
people become psychopaths for less!!"
She didn't want to hear this. Not from him. Not after what he had
done. "Don't... don't talk to me."
"... You just don't get people like him." He added in an almost
ethereal tone, his eyes drifting nostalgically. "You're a special case
for an agent Annie. Most of the newbies walk in like they're Lex
Luther; expecting everything to bow down to them. You... however...
are the other way around Annie... to be an agent you have to realise
that *they* serve *you* as much as *you* serve *them*." With that he
released her hands which immediately fell to her sides.
Annie slumped to her knees. The fight was simply drained out of her.
Nobody was coming to help her fight for her cause, if anything they
were all on potential's side.
"My last universe? It was the most boring place you'd ever imagine.
Everything could be controlled, everything was normal. Nothing out of
the ordinary happened. Like as though Barney the dinosaur was their
god. Anything that happened out of the ordinary... was quite
spectacular and extremely rare. Thus... big returns! But... one day
their technology had become so advanced..." The agent's face was
fervent and full of life while his arms snapped about manically. Quite
possibly the best days of his immortality were behind him.
"A mistake was made and rampant nanotechnology turned every creature
in their universe turned to clones of Carol Channing."
All the agents gave a wanning smirk as though remembering the 'good
'ol days'.
"You see Annie, to have something special something else must be
ordinary. To have joy you must also have sorrow. My last universe was
a failure as I tried to farm it far too much to get a 'high'.
Therefore I was placed on the calculations team and had my little
kicks taken from most of the other newbies like you. My point here?
You are trying too hard for something. You must realise first that
without pain or suffering, joy will no longer mean anything to them.
Then... you'll die."
The agent stared up at him. Unsure if she wanted to thank him or to
try and swing again for the funbags.
"You can all leave now. She's regained control." Potential dismissed
the other agents with an apathetic wave.
The other occupants of the hall took a final look at the farcical
scene before finally dispersing.
Potential's eyes rolled down to Annie's own. With a small grunt he
leaned down and offered her a helping hand.
She didn't accept.
Annie pushed herself up off the floor and to her feet. She fixed him
with a cautioning glower while she dusted off her backside.
"I know that your human side may be confusing you a little." The chaos
agent stated, rubbing his still-caning jaw. "Don't be ashamed of who
you are, Annie but do try to keep it in check. While you can't save
them you can still certainly give them what they want. Not even the
Council can stop you from that."
"I'm still never forgiving you for this..." Annie hoarsely whispered
in a slightly higher-pitched tone.
"Hah...'never' is a long time Annie." Potential produced a single
small rose from his double-breasted jacket and gently inserted it into
her hair. "...I'll see you later."