Crash

Structures

Mike wasn't happy.

And that was an understatement all things considered. His back hurt, so did his wrist, he must have twisted it awkwardly.

Most definitely from the fight with Thomas.

"You tasered him." Jenny didn't look happy.

They were back at the truck, Mike was trying to dry his clothes out at least a little bit before they headed off.

"Yeah," Hiro nodded standing with her, "what charge did you have it on?"

Good question. Because Mike didn't even know you could change the charge on those things.

"I didn't put it up." Mike grumbled as he shrugged his wet jacket off, everything was wet, cold grubby lake water was dripping from his hair into his eyes and down his face. "I barely even zapped him."

That was true, he only jabbed him once.

"Then why did he fall like that." Jenny demanded.

"Why don't you figure that out?" Mike snapped, he sighed, he really should calm down. "Sorry, this isn't... It's not your fault. I'm just irritated."

"Really?" Hiro raised an eyebrow. "We hadn't noticed."

Mike smiled faintly. "When I arrived at the Core I had been recommended by a friend, I was top of the class and I had worked hard to be there."

"Then you met Thomas." Hiro noted.

"Not at first, he was a recluse. Sometimes you caught a glimpse of him." He shrugged. "He became the phantom of the Core, Alissa had a huge crush on him and Jess made a fan club."

He had remembered those days, when they were all fresh faced and excited. They had been hoping to be the best team the Core had ever seen and to achieve something no one else ever had.

A secret force of safety that would guard others without their knowledge, keeping the world a peaceful place.

It was a childish dream but one he had been so hopeful to fulfil. He didn't know if he was even any closer to that goal now.

It felt so far away.

"And Thomas?"

"He was so quiet, unassuming and kind." Mike grit out. "It annoyed me that I couldn't hate him, he was good at what he did and he was a good person."

"So why get so angry?"

"Because I was finally going to save him." Mike wished things had been different, that Thomas wasn't in control and that he could set him free, maybe they could be friends then?

"You admire him?" Hiro asked clicking his pen on.

It then occurred to him that the two were avidly interested in what he was discussing.

"Who doesn't?" He whispered the confirmation like he planned to take it to his grave. "He's the best."

And he always had been, he was excellent at hand to hand combat, silently moving like some kind of ghost and no one could beat him in his target accuracy.

Plus he was sharp, his movements precise and deadly, on several occasions he could have hurt someone but chose not too.

That was part of the reason why Mike thought he was great, he didn't let his anger or violence make all the decisions, he pondered, watched and learnt as much as he could before he jumped in.

Why couldn't Mike be more like him?

Why did his temper always get the better of him?

Why was he so stupidly emotional?

"Why didn't he want to come back with us?" Jenny asked as she started pacing, she had that stern frown on her face again.

Mike ran his hands through his damp hair as he threw the jacket into the boot of the car. "I don't know."

"And who is Tasha to Thomas?" Hiro asked, getting a nod from Jenny. "Maybe instead of chasing Thomas across the country we need to answer these questions."

Mike blinked. "You know, you two are on to something."

"Of course we are." Jenny scoffed.

"Yeah," Hiro smiled, "that's why we're here."

Mike smiled faintly at them both. "Shall we start again? Figure out why those two guys have him and why he isn't fighting. We'll figure this out and put it to bed."

"Sounds like a better plan." Hiro agreed. "I'll start looking through the CCTV central hub and see if Tasha's face has ever appeared before."

"I'll dig into Wesley Kure and Obadiah Dancy."

"Who?"

"The guys with him." Jenny answered steadily. "If they were on a job then they might have links to who hired them or who put them up to this."

Mike smirked. "And I'll look into the Core's records on Thomas, maybe there'll be something there about his reaction to the taser."

He pulled it away from the holster on his thigh and tossed it into the boot too.

"You know, when you calm down and listen, you're actually a really great boss." Hiro offered.

"Yeah, well... That's a work in progress." Mike admitted. "I'm also not used to having a reliable team."

"Why's that?" Hiro asked as he got into the driver's seat.

Jenny hopped into the back with her laptop.

Mike tugged the door open and sat himself down. "Alissa and Jess were on my team, but they accepted a transfer halfway through a mission."

"Ouch, that can't have been easy."

"No, and I thought we were friends, we had some good laughs and... Yeah." Mike grabbed the map. "Thomas saved my life that day, I guess I want to repay him but... I think I've ruined my chances of that now."

Hiro patted his shoulder. "Thomas wouldn't expect you to repay him."

"He doesn't?"

"Not everyone does something for a reward." Jenny chipped in. "Thomas rarely does, I think he's just grateful to be here."

"Maybe." Mike frowned. "Do you think they might be onto something?"

"Like?"

"Maybe Thomas knows something about the Core that we don't. Maybe he knows something about the new boss that we don't."

"It's possible." Jenny nodded. "Let's get started and see what we can find."

"Maybe we'll be able to help him for once." Hiro grinned, his eyes crinkling as he glanced at Mike. "I owe Thomas my life too."

Mike smiled back. "Then let's see what we can do."

The car raced out of the carpark and they headed back towards the Core. They would find the answers and they would make a decision on how to act from there.

He pondered calling Derek and reporting their plan, but something didn't sit right. Something made him hesitate.

Maybe it was the embarrassment of not catching Thomas.

Maybe it was the desire to present a closed case to Derek instead of the mess they were in.

He didn't know for sure but for some reason he chose not to let their deputy boss know that things had changed.

That Thomas was on his own mission and that they too had gone slightly rogue.