Chapter Text
What are you doing?
Owen’s words were swarming Curts mind. He tried to keep his hand from shaking. The hand that held the gun pointed straight at Owens head. Owen, his friend, partner, and…so much more, returned after his apparent death to ruin Curts peace, and all he’d worked his entire life for. This wasn’t the man Curt had fallen in love with. That man really had died four years ago due to Curts foolish mistakes. Why not kill this evil copy now? Curt felt his finger twitch the trigger, but then he made the mistake of truly looking Owen in the eye.
Since Owen had returned, Curt could only see harsh coolness in those deep brown eyes. But now, behind the hatred, Curt could see weariness. He’d never seen Owen look so tired. It was almost as though he was fed up with life. Curt didn’t think that it was simply from the journey they took to reach…Curt didn’t even know where he was. Some sort of facility? A warehouse? It didn’t really matter. Everything led up to this moment, the choice to kill this man before him. Let the past stay behind him. Curt gripped the gun tightly.
This isn’t my Owen. This isn’t my Owen. This isn’t my Owen. His mind repeated. He tried to focus, but he felt sick. Four years of sorrow, wishing Owen was with him, just to discover Owen was alive, but needed to be killed. Curt had known that he’d have to face his past to become a spy again, but this was all too much. It was too cruel.
“Stop drawing it out, Curt,” Owen snapped, bringing Curt back to reality. “God, you can’t do anything right.”
Curt flinched, not due to the insult, but from the way Owen’s voice broke. Just a little, just enough so that someone who knew him would notice. But Curt didn’t know him anymore. At least, that’s what he’d thought.
Is the Owen I loved in there, even a bit? Curt couldn’t help but wonder. He felt as though he was tearing apart. Half of him pleaded that the old Owen was still there. The other half understood that Owen would never be who he used to. Curt took a step back, and lowered his gun. Owen’s eyes widened, ever so slightly.
“What-what are you doing?” Owen asked, sounding cautious.
“I’m done,” Curt said. “I’m done chasing you.”
Owen stared at him, but didn’t say a word.
“I’ve spent the past four years thinking of you,” Curt went on, looking straight into Owen’s face. Despite himself, he was still searching for some sign of remorse. “I hoped, wished , you were still out there, somewhere.”
It was Curt’s turn for his voice to break. He couldn’t stop that anymore than he could stop his eyes from watering. Owen didn’t move, keeping his face unreadable. Curt continued.
“But you aren’t that man anymore. I should kill you right now…” Curt paused, taking his eyes off Owen for a moment.
“Why don’t you?” Owen asked, his voice incredibly soft. Curt loved his voice. He used to make fun of how posh Owen sounded with his deep British accent, but really Curt adored the way Owen spoke with sophistication. He was definitely the brains in the relationship. When there was a relationship. Curt looked at Owen again.
“You do still care. Deep down. You want to help people with Chimera. You still want to better the world. You’re just turning to the wrong people, and the wrong means to do it.”
Owen’s face hardened. Curt kept going.
“You say I’m a caveman? You’re a madman. For the greater good, you’d ruin millions of lives. That is where we differ. That’s where you derailed,” Curt glared at Owen. “I will stop you. I will destroy the organization that turned you into…this. And when this is all over, maybe you will come to reason.”
It was a small hope. A stupid hope, Curt knew that. But he couldn’t help himself from having it. This man had tortured Curt with joy. He’d killed the Informant. He was part of an organization focused on stealing the entire world's secrets against the wills of the citizens or the countries. Curt thought back to Owen, when he disguised himself as the Deadliest Man Alive. How he’d killed without reason. He just did it. There was no coming back from that. Was there? One part of him begged to just kill Owen here and now. The other could only focus on the past, and all the good that he and Owen had done together. It seemed, no matter how hard he tried, the past couldn’t stay behind him. And his love of the past Owen, and the desire for that man to shine through overpowered all rational thoughts in Curts head.
Owen scoffed, and took a few steps back.
“I knew you were still a fool, but I hadn’t imagined that you could become a bigger one,” Owen started to turn, but before he did, he gave a final warning. “You will regret this, Curt Mega. I’ll see to it you do.”
With that, he left. Curt stood there, on the stairs of wherever he was, pondering Owen’s last words.
Should I have just finished it? Curt thought, miserably.
Cynthia would have. Tatiana would have. Good lord, how did he deserve being called the world's best spy? Curt put a hand to his head, as though that would stop his confused and angry thoughts. For an instant, he’d had Owen at his mercy. Should Curt have just ended it there? End the pain that Owen had caused him. Kill this man who had haunted him for years. Destroy his focus on the past.
I will. Curt told himself, silently. I will move on. With Barb, and Tatiana, and all of the friends he’d made since becoming a spy again. He would take down Chimera, and he would defeat Owen. No matter what.
When we meet again… could I kill him?
He was scared by the fact that he could. Maybe he even wanted to. Wanted to end it all. He cursed at himself for being so weak as to let his past sympathies towards Owen get in the way of the job. But would killing Owen be a personal conflict? Curt didn't think of himself as a bad guy. Prideful, sure. Oblivious? Sometimes. But he would never kill anyone unless it had to be done. Unlike Owen, who seemed to find joy in it.
Curt went to his knees, and held his head. This was all too much. Tears flooded his eyes, and for a few moments, he let himself sob. Sob, knowing he’d made the wrong choice. Sob, fearing the moment he’d see Owen again. Sob, remembering the man Owen was. The man he’d never be again.