I see you... Finally...

The NWO were gone avert almost nucular disaster in one of the biggest cover ups in human history, a private war waged in Malargue that no one would ever know about. Many had died, things had changed and some things simpy hadn't changed. The main part of Alex that had waged this war he wanted erased and it had remained despite ending Warburton's life in such a brutally graphic manner. It still brought a smile to Alex's face of the most sinister fashion, looking at what his hands had done while the fate of the world played out behind him. A new era had begun, Alex hadn't imagined living this long and now things seemed blissfully clear.

Clear in the sense that he now knew that he had to do, he had the clarity to realise that still now... he was sick. He had always been sick and always against everyone that had stated it previously. Whenever he looked at a mirror he saw the stallion of a man he used to be, now a seasoned hiyena. People looked at him as a legend and his ego had made him believe as such, if he were to become the father he knew he could be, things had to change. Considering his mind was immensley methodical, the thoughts fitted together pretty well.

He had sent the message to Garrison, ironic considering he in a sort trusted his rival with his future plans. The fact that he was base commander didn't cross his mind much in the choice. The briefing room was completley empty considering alot of soldiers had been put on leave after the NWO victory, it's how he needed the room, it's how he needed his head. Not even his trusted bodyguard Lurango was around.

"Are you sure about this?" Alex stated to himself before closing his eyes, breathing in a big breath of air before opening them back again. He stood with his back to the door looking over the files on the screen, Warburton's mutilated body among the rubble.

Jacob brushed down his shirt and trousers as he stood from his desk chair. The message he had just received from Alex left on the wooden surface, though it left a lot to the imagination of what the man wanted. From what Jacob could guess it was regarding the mission, but what did Alex want to discuss? It was a, relative, success. So why did he want to discuss it? He would have to leave it for a few minutes until he saw the man himself.

Life on the base with Alex had never been easy and the two men had grown to respect each other, though old wounds never truly heal and Jacob would most likely bear a grudge against the man for the rest of his life, but he had learned to leave Alex well alone unless absolutely necessary. Jacob was sure it was mutual. “I’ll be down in the Briefing Room,” He said to his assistant as he left his office and made his way down the corridor.

Without waiting he pushed open the door and instantly saw Alex. “What’s this about Alex?” He asked inquisitively as he moved across the room to his chair at the head of the table. His eyes never left the man’s face but from the projector light he assumed Alex was reviewing something on the big screen.

“What’s this about Alex?”

Alex's eyes scanned through Garrison as he walked proudly into the briefing room, the pair hadn't spoken since the NWO's elimination and for good reason. They simply didn't like each other, it was easier to stay out of each others way. Although that notion was sound it had remained hard considering the need to have a head of department to commander relationship. Reminiscing took alot of energy considering the years he had spent in non stop battle at times, having a break was weird, it wasn't right. There was a brief silence as his eyes focused around Garrison's stature, of which he greeted with a snake like grin.

"I've never been able to say sorry to you or anyone on this base Garrison, I don't think i have it in me" replied Alex in a philosophical manner "I thought killing Warburton would change it all, get rid of the pain... Nothing changed... Not one little thing at all"

Once he finished the sentence his eyes drew over to the picture of the various nucular warheads intel hadn't recovered before the assault, if the URCS had failed the attack it would of meant a whole new world war, millions upon millions of deaths were in order. However Andersson had chased this for his own means, he really didn't care about the saved civilians and to an end he was looked at as an anti-hero. He had brought light to the NWO, he had defeated them, he had saved the world alongside the URCS, as corny as it sounds.

"I still feel angry, still pissed off whenever you walk into the fucking room. Still pissed off i cant be who Anna wants me to be, still pissed off that Katelyn is still here chasing for something that will never happen. Nothing changed, nothing. It just kept going on." explained Andersson as he clentched his fists "I can't keep going on like this Garrison, and i know from trying for ten years that i can't kill myself... i'm pretty fucked..."

Alex placed a piece of paper onto the desk, the headline being 'File for Mental Health Protective leave'. It was a form allowed him to be discharged from URCS, and to be placed into a mental institution. Muirdan Mental Hospital, until deemed cured, which Alex knew would take a very long time. He couldn't leave without Garrison's signature as Andersson was still registered as a prisoner after massive war crimes to America, and URCS itself.

"I need you to sign this... It'll be... the only thing i'll ask you for"

“Sign what?” he asked with a raised eyebrow leaning forward in his chair to twist the form to his view. Jacob scanned the paper quickly and he couldn’t believe his eyes at the request. Alex wanted to be put into a Psychiatric Hospital to get cured. “I don’t understand,” Jacob said cautiously. “I know you have been ill, but you should be getting treatment from the base here and Anna, not from some hospital that does not understand your medical requirements and that is not fully authorised to know about this operation, let alone your history.”

Jacob stood with a start and paced the room slowly. His mind was in a battle. The idea of getting rid of Alex once and for all was a seriously tempting prospect, but then Jacob needed an experienced interrogator in place and Alex was the best person he would ever have, despite disagreeing with his methods.

HIs hand rubbed his forehead as he sighed “How have things got this bad Alex? Why haven’t you spoken to me or anyone about it?” He asked moving back to the man. “You may be a prisoner of this base, but you are still able to use its resources. You should have addressed this earlier.”

“How have things got this bad Alex? Why haven’t you spoken to me or anyone about it?”

Alex pressed his finger and thumb against his temples, he really didn't want this to be a battle. Considering the amount of history around the place, it was part of the reason he needed to remove himself away from it's walls. If he remained, there was always another battle, another souless cunt to carve apart for information, he wanted answers from inside himself and he was unable to gain these. Warburton wasn't the key, what else could it be? Andersson had a right as a human being to face his demons, it was only now he had gained the freedom to do so correctly. It killed him to be away from Grace.

"Things have always been this bad Garrison, I'm not a bitch enough to advertise it. You never thought that there was something wrong with the fact that i could kill women and children without delay, or were you happy enough to let me do the dirty work no one else wanted to do?" responded Andersson, he had killed many people in his career, not all of them deserved it either. Whenever a child turned up irreversibly infected with something, Andersson was the man who was called for the execution. A man could only perform so many hanus acts before the nightmares began to kick in, and for Alex that point was long ago.

“You may be a prisoner of this base, but you are still able to use its resources. You should have addressed this earlier.”

"It's hard when everyone wants you dead Garrison, being looked after by doctors who've families i've killed isn't wise. I'll take my chances out there, Lurango or Perry will take over in Interrogation, along with Katelyn. Tell her i've gone on a long term mission, it'll keep her muzzled" explained Andersson, releasing his grip upon his head and returning his hand to his hip. The conversation was proving harder than he had expected.

"The hospital is less than 20 miles away, if there is another war you can come get me if you need it to... I checked... it's all by the books" Andersson had done his homework, everything he was asking fell inside of URCS rulings.

Jacob eyed Alex with suspicion as his old adversary laid out his problems on the table and it dawned on the man that Alex was opening up to the man whom he had battled against for so many years, both physically and verbally. It surprised Jacob right down to his core. There were plenty of others on this base that Alex was ‘closer’ too, many that he probably trusted more than Jacob, so why was he unloading onto him? It couldn’t be solely down to Jacob being Base Commander, the academic dispelled that notion quickly for if it was that a report from the Chief Medical Officer of the base would be sufficient to satisfy the paperwork required, but going to that officer was another dilemma in itself.

Stopping on the spot he scanned his eyes of Alex. He looked distant in his eyes, something Jacob had never seen on Alex’s face before in his time knowing him. It was obvious that this problem was weighing heavily on Alex. As much as Jacob had battled and hated the man he didn’t want to see him he struggle with his own mental or physical problems, his sense of respect for the man drove him to help. A sense he rarely felt for Alex.

Did Anna know about Alex’s desire to be sent to a psychiatric hospital? The lack of a mental status report from her or any of her staff led Jacob to believe that she had no idea whatsoever. The fact that she was the mother of his child could have been a problem for him to go to speak to her, but Jacob guessed that it was most likely down to Alex being as stubborn as anyone.

Jacob returned to his chair with a stern look to his face, “Right, here is the deal.” Jacob said strongly. “I will sign this and allow you to leave the base, but only after you have consulted Anna about this. She is the Chief Medical Officer of this base and her authorisation must be gained that corroborates your psychiatric problems,” His eyes stayed locked on Alex’s as he spoke, but as he finished his sentenced they softened before he continued. “Grace needs a father, Alex, and I don’t think Anna would be that happy to see you leave the base. Have you spoken to her about this at all?”

“Grace needs a father, Alex, and I don’t think Anna would be that happy to see you leave the base. Have you spoken to her about this at all?”

Jacob was an immensely intelligent man, Alex should of known better than think he could of achieved his goal without the conversation he feared the most. The only cowardly side of him was showing it’s dominant side. However at least he was getting somewhere considering his prediction was that Garrison would rather see Alex suffer in silence than receive help. He’d take this at least and move on, hoping that Anna would see his version of the story. It seemed that right now, Alex was just as determined to go into rehab as he was to kill Warburton.

“I haven’t spoken to her, the conversation isn’t particularly desirable” replied Alex with a low tone “But I’ll take your deal Garrison… As fucked up as it is, fun to hold all the damn cards for awhile eh?”. Andersson couldn’t leave without a quick taunt towards his commander, although he didn’t see Garrison that way. More like an obstacle of which he constantly had to overcome. In a way he would miss the thrill of victory and the utter determination to overturn a loss against him.

“Before I do go… Do you know what’s happening with Smith? Is she in or out?” asked Alex surprisingly, another part of his methodical display “If she’s in, I’d like to personally recommend her to take my position until I return”. Sadie had sort of won over Andersson with her desire to kill off the NWO when many others failed to share his objective. As much as he hated to state it, URCS needed her more than ever now. Whether Garrison would allow it, or Blackwood for that matter was another story.