Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Guldrin leaned back in his chair, his piercing blue eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of their hidden workstation. The soft hum of the modified server rack filled the room, a backdrop to the tension that crackled between him and Shiro. 

On the screen before them, lines of code scrolled rapidly, data packets intercepted and decrypted in real time. Their connection to the surveillance network Chuck and his team had set up was stable, and every word of the conversation in Castle filtered through their custom earpieces.

"They know about my family, I… have a family? A blood family? Where are they?" Guldrin murmured, his voice cold and steady, the calm before the storm. He clenched his fists, the veins in his forearms taut as his mind churned. "They know more than I do. This isn't just some reconnaissance mission for them. They're playing a deeper game. They… are trying to use me? Us?"

Shiro glanced up, her golden eyes sharp and calculating. "It's not only the family ties they're after. They want us, and our capabilities, and they're willing to go to extreme lengths to uncover everything. This isn't a coincidence, Guldrin. Chuck's reaction that day… He knew something, something that he shouldn't have, he is the key to all this."

"They are underestimating us." Guldrin straightened, his voice firm. "They think they're the hunters. We'll show them they've been the prey all along."

Shiro smirked faintly, the corner of her lips curling into a confident grin. "We could just feed them breadcrumbs, keep them spinning in circles."

"No." Guldrin's tone left no room for debate. "I won't lose these leads. If they have information about my family, about my lost history, we will take it all. We take it straight from their hands. To do that, we'll have to get into their base, Castle."

Shiro tilted her head, considering the proposition. "Infiltrating a CIA/NSA safe house isn't exactly child's play. Even for us, it's going to be a challenge. We may be unlike most teens, but this is an entirely different game."

"It's not about being easy; it's about necessity, possibility," Guldrin replied, stepping over to the weapons rack. His fingers brushed against the fishing sword's hilt, a masterpiece of deadly precision that ended in catastrophic failure. 

Beside it, lay the most recent prototype he'd been working on, a knife version of the fishing sword, smaller, sleeker, but no less formidable. He picked it up, feeling its perfect balance in his hand.

Being who he is, a sword isn't really his style, a knife was more, him; it just so happened that the General thought the same, and he would use that to his benefit.

"If it comes to it, I'll allow them to replicate this," Guldrin said, holding the knife up to the dim light. "For a price. But only if it benefits us. I assume you have tried to search their database for the name Goldblood?"

Shiro nodded, her face serious as she turned the laptop around to show him the big 'Classified label',  "Yes, I have found many entries about the name Goldblood, but nothing is accessible. Even using Sarah or Casey's credentials, I still don't have clearance… We would need someone with higher accessibility and influence."

Guldrin stared at her for a moment, hundreds of calculations running a minute, "This is about control; they think they can use us, well we will use them. If we walk into their den unprepared, we lose that control. But if we go in knowing exactly what we're dealing with, we'll turn their own weapons against them. I assume the General or Director will be the key personnel that we will need to access this intel." 

He paused and gathered his thoughts, "For some reason, Chuck, a simple Buy More worker, and a Stanford dropout, is now working for the CIA/NSA, I feel he's a protected asset, someone they would trade anything for… Not that we will endanger him, but they don't know that. He has to be worth something to be given the luxury of being protected by two top agents."

Shiro's fingers tapped against the edge of the desk, her sharp mind analyzing every nuance of Guldrin's words. "So we target Chuck, his role as a 'protected asset,' as you said. We don't just go in blind, we need leverage, something they can't ignore, something that will force them into a position where they can't refuse us."

Guldrin's mind raced, his thoughts sharpening like the blade of the knife he had been toying with. The idea of confronting Chuck and his team head-on was risky, but it was also the only way to take control. For too long, they had danced around the truth, slipping in and out of shadows, quietly gathering scraps of information while Chuck and the CIA/NSA held all the cards and treated his home as their playground. 

No more. The time had come to flip the script, to force them into a corner where they would have no choice but to reveal their hand.

"We've been too subtle," Guldrin said again, his voice low and deliberate. "We've been playing their game. Now we turn the tables. We need to infiltrate Castle, get in, and make them realize that everything they think they know about us is wrong. We're not just pawns in their game. We're the players."

Shiro crossed her arms, her golden eyes flashing with approval. "I like the sound of that. But you're right, we can't just charge in there and hope for the best. We need to think this through. We need to be ghosts. Not just infiltrating their systems, but their very base of operations. Also, we are the 'Gamers', not just players."

Guldrin smirked and nodded, feeling the weight of the decision settling on him. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now. They needed a plan, a precise and methodical approach that would allow them to access the heart of the CIA/NSA operation without setting off any alarms. There was no room for error. 

"I've been thinking about that," he said, his voice gaining confidence. "We'll exploit their security blind spots. Skye's been doing a good job hacking into their systems, and we are going to expand that access. We'll map out their digital defenses, find the weak points, and slip through undetected."

Shiro's smirk deepened as she studied him, clearly impressed. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

Guldrin's grin was sly. "I've been planning for this moment ever since Chuck showed up at our door with that suspicious lottery ruse. The CIA thinks they have control over us, but they're wrong. We're going to flip the narrative and show them that they're the ones being played."

For a moment, the room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the servers and the tapping of keys as they worked through the details. Guldrin's mind was already racing ahead, visualizing the steps they would need to take to infiltrate Castle. This was about control. About proving that they were not just pawns in someone else's game.

Shiro leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with focus. "We'll need to get into to Castle without raising suspicion. Do you have any intel on their physical security layout? Where are their entry points? Their blind spots?"

Guldrin stopped pacing, turning to face her with a gleam in his eye. "That's the strange part. It seems like only Chuck, Sarah, and Casey have access to Castle, or at least use it. It's almost as if it's holding a secret, something they're keeping hidden from everyone else. Why? Because Chuck has more value than they're letting on. That's why he recognized me when he shouldn't have had access to the information about the Goldbloods."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "So it is confirmed, Chuck is the key, then. That's why he's protected. He knows something he shouldn't."

"Exactly," Guldrin said, his fingers tapping against the table. "I'm convinced that Chuck holds the key to unlocking everything. And if they think we're just going to sit back and let them pull the strings, they've got another thing coming."

He pulled up a map of the area on his laptop, the screen illuminating his face in a pale glow. "There are three potential entry points into Castle. The first is at the new frozen yogurt place, which used to be, Wienerlicious. The second is at Buy More, through the break room. The third… well, that one's a mystery. It's not on the surveillance system, which means it's either a hidden entrance or one that's kept off the books."

Shiro frowned, studying the map closely. "We can't just walk in through the front door… If they even have one, which I don't think they do. They'll be expecting that. We'll have to use the element of surprise."

"Exactly," Guldrin said, tapping his fingers on the table. "That's why I suggest we go through the Buy More entrance. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Mia and Letty will be out shopping extremely early. We'll wait for them to leave, then we'll make our move."

Shiro looked skeptical for a moment, but then she nodded slowly. "It's risky. But if we're going to do this, we need to be careful. The last thing we want is for Mia and mother-in-law to catch on before we're ready; we would be in for Hell if they knew what we planned to do."

Guldrin smiled, the excitement beginning to buzz beneath his skin. "That's why we'll use the SS. Mom registered it, and made it roadworthy, so we'll be able to get there without drawing attention; being Christmas Eve, the cops won't be able to handle the influx of traffic, and won't stop us. The key is getting in, gathering as much intel as possible, and then waiting for Casey, Sarah, or Chuck to show up."

Shiro's expression softened into a grin. "And when they do, we'll make our move."

Guldrin's grin widened, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's right. We'll make them understand that we're not just some kids they can control. A few safeguards, and fail-safes, and they won't be able to keep us there under threat or harm. If they do, our failsafe will release information to the world; something they don't want."

Shiro chuckled. "This is going to be fun." Guldrin just rolled his eyes, "I wish I could smoke a cigar."

"You can't, mother-in-law would kill you, and then me, if she knew I let you," Shiro said, and Guldrin just groaned.

The plan was set. Tomorrow would be the day they made their move. The day they infiltrated Castle, the heart of the CIA/NSA's operation, and flipped the game on its head. There was no turning back now.

—

–

-

The morning came quickly. Mia and Letty were already preparing for their shopping trip, leaving early to avoid the Christmas Eve rush. Guldrin and Shiro had been up for hours, finalizing the details of their plan. They were ready.

Guldrin moved through the shop with practiced ease, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he gathered the equipment they would need. He checked the small bag that contained his tools, the modified gadgets they would use to disable any security systems in their way. 

The knife he'd been working on, a sleek, sharp, and precise tool, rested comfortably in his belt. He had no intention of using it unless absolutely necessary, but he was ready. 

His eyes flicked to the modified Chevelle SS parked outside. The car gleamed under the early morning sun, its powerful engine rearing and ready to purr with promise.

Of course, they couldn't leave Emily at home, she was nestled inside Guldrin's jacket, her second home in a sense. 'Why have you been so quiet recently?' Guldrin asked, and Emily purred, 'I have been… Tired… I think the chains sealing me are weakening… Tired… Sleep now…' And like that she was out like a light, snoring softly, and Guldrin rubbed her head before going to look for his ever-faithful girlfriend.

Shiro was already at the door, her golden eyes alight with determination. "Let's get going," she said, her voice calm but tinged with excitement.

Guldrin nodded, slinging the bag over his shoulder. He would have used his inventory, but they never knew when they were being watched. Breaking into a Government building, they knew there would be surveillance. 

He glanced at the clock. They had to be fast, and precise. "We'll be back before nightfall. In and out. We get the intel, expose them for what they are, and show them we're not to be underestimated. All while securing our worth, and getting the intel on my lost memories, my family, and who I really am."

The drive to Buy More was quiet, the streets eerily calm for Christmas Eve, it seemed everyone wanted to get where they were going, no funny business. The car roared to life as they accelerated down the roads, the engine's growl reverberating through the streets. Guldrin's hands tightened on the steering wheel, his mind focused on the mission ahead.

As they neared their destination, he could feel the tension building. This was just another infiltration mission. But this was also about reclaiming control, about making the CIA and NSA realize that they weren't the ones pulling the strings anymore. Guldrin and Shiro were in charge now, or at least that they needed to be respected and not manipulated.

They pulled into the parking lot behind Buy More, the familiar building standing silent and unassuming before them. Guldrin's heart rate quickened as he cut the engine. It was time.

"We go in, we find what we need, and we wait," Guldrin said, his voice low and steady.

Shiro nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Let's do this."

They slipped out of the car, the cold air biting at their skin as they made their way toward the front entrance. Guldrin moved with casual ease, but the quiet precision of a shadow, his every step calculated, his senses heightened. They were stepping into the heart of a secret operation, and nothing… nothing… was going to stop them.

The cold morning air bit at their skin as Guldrin and Shiro approached the front entrance of Buy More. The usual bustling energy that permeated the store was absent, replaced by an eerie quietness that felt almost unnatural, considering it was Christmas Eve. The streets outside were deserted, most people had already gone to their respective destinations, eager to prepare for the holiday festivities.

Guldrin's heart beat steadily, each step deliberate, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow for anything out of place. His mind was fully focused on the task at hand. The plan was simple, yet infinitely complex. They were about to walk into a den of secrets, and every move they made needed to be precise. Any misstep could tip off the wrong people, people like Chuck, Sarah, and Casey, who were still in the dark about the full extent of Guldrin and Shiro's capabilities. It was time to change that.

-

–

—

The doors of Buy More, which were usually locked at this hour, stood open. Guldrin and Shiro exchanged a glance but said nothing. They slipped through the threshold without a sound, moving like ghosts. The lights inside flickered on dimly, casting shadows across the aisles of electronic gadgets. It felt like stepping into a different world, one of normalcy, of mundane shopping trips and routine lives. But they knew better. Beneath the surface of the ordinary, something far more dangerous and clandestine lay waiting.

Guldrin's eyes flicked to the entrance area where two figures were slowly making their way through the store: Chuck's sister, Elle, and her boyfriend, Devon. They moved casually, neither of them appearing to be aware of the strange visitors walking in behind them. Guldrin's eyes narrowed. 

He had learned about them in his research, not expecting them to be anything more than ordinary civilians. To his surprise, Elle wasn't involved in the spy world at all. She was a doctor, one of the medical professionals who had treated him years ago after that near-fatal accident. The memories rushed back, the smell of antiseptic, the sterile white walls, the soft beeping of monitors as he lay unconscious, his body shattered and broken.

She had saved his life then. She had no idea who he truly was now. Or maybe she did, and that was part of the mystery.

Shiro, ever the observant one, glanced at him, noting his silence. "You okay?" she whispered.

Guldrin shot her a quick nod, his lips tight. "Just... funny how everything connects. She doesn't know it, but she was part of the reason I'm still here."

Shiro's lips twitched into a small smile, understanding the weight of the unspoken words. "Let's not get sidetracked. We've got a mission. As thankful as I am that she saved my boyfriend after his foolish heroics, we can't dwell on it now."

"Right," Guldrin muttered, shaking off the heavy thoughts. There was no time to dwell on the past. Not when their future was on the line.

They followed Elle and her boyfriend through the aisles of electronics, making sure to stay out of their line of sight. The store was bustling with activity despite the early hour, stocking, tidying up, and preparing for the usual flood of holiday shoppers that would soon pour in. 

The soft hum of background chatter blended with the distant thud of boxes being moved around the back. But as Guldrin and Shiro slipped quietly past the shelves, they didn't allow any distractions. 

Their goal was clear: get to the breakroom, access the secure area, and find out everything there was to know about Castle and what Chuck and his team were hiding.

As they wandered around, a news broadcast was playing on the display TV screens, detailing a high-speed police chase on the Highway. The images flashed by without any real focus, but Guldrin's eyes locked onto the scene for a moment, his mind ticking as he analyzed the shift in the atmosphere. He couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it. The workers seemed to be taking bets on how the chase would end, but they weren't here to observe the news. They had a mission to complete, and they couldn't afford to get distracted.

They reached the break room door quietly, barely making a sound. Guldrin placed his hand on the handle, glancing over at Shiro. She gave him a barely noticeable nod, her eyes glinting with that familiar spark of determination. Together, they prepared to step inside.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of metal scraping against metal, and items scratching across the floor. The building shook under the impact, the very ground vibrating as if it were responding to an unseen force. Guldrin's instincts kicked in immediately. His hand moved to the knife at his side, and his posture straightened in response to the growing tension in the air.

"What the hell?" Shiro whispered, her eyes flashing with suspicion. Before she could say anything further, a man came bursting through the front entrance, driving a car directly into the store. The engine roared like a beast, the screech of tires cutting through the air as he slammed the vehicle to a stop just a few feet from where Chuck stood, the Nerd Herd desk.

Guldrin's heart skipped a beat as the man jumped out of the car, brandishing a gun and shouting at everyone to freeze. His eyes were wild, the look of a man on the edge of panic, but there was also a clear intent behind his actions. The man wasn't here to steal, he was here for something else, he looked like a frazzled criminal, but the way he acted, was scripted.

"Don't move!" the man barked, his gun aimed in the direction of Guldrin, Shiro, and everyone else. He had no idea who he was dealing with, no concept of the level of danger he had just unleashed. Guldrin could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as the situation shifted from a routine infiltration to something far more chaotic. 

He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. His mind was already calculating his next move, analyzing the environment and the best way to neutralize the threat.

For a split second, there was nothing but silence.

Then, Shiro's voice broke the stillness. "Well, that's one way to make an entrance," she murmured, her tone light despite the tension that was crackling in the air. She glanced at Guldrin, and at that moment, both of them seemed to come to an unspoken understanding.

Guldrin's eyes hardened as he took in the scene, the panicked man, his eyes darting everywhere, the gun shaking in his hands. There was a slight twitch in the man's finger, and Guldrin knew the situation was teetering on the edge of chaos. Guldrin's fingers brushed against the cool steel of his knife.

The man, clearly feeling the weight of the situation, waved his gun threateningly in their direction. "I said, don't move!"

Guldrin felt his lip twitch into a grin, but he held it in check. The situation was escalating, but it didn't faze him. He knew what had to be done. Shiro's eyes met his, and in that instant, they both knew. They could handle this. They weren't going to let some random thug ruin their plan.

Before Guldrin could act, Chuck's panicked voice broke through the mounting tension. "Hey! Hey, you two, don't do anything stupid!" His eyes darted between Guldrin and Shiro, then back to the armed man, his face pale but his expression resolute. Chuck had clearly misunderstood the situation, mistaking Guldrin and Shiro's calm readiness for fear or recklessness. He took a cautious step toward them, his hands raised in an attempt to defuse the situation.

Guldrin clenched his jaw, the grin slipping from his face as the opportunity to act passed in an instant. Chuck's intervention had forced their hand. If they reacted now, it would create more chaos than they needed. They couldn't risk blowing their cover, not with their entire plan hanging in the balance. Shiro sighed quietly beside him, her fingers twitching as if itching to grab something herself.

"It's okay, we will be okay, you both will be okay," Chuck said, his voice trembling slightly but firm. He shifted his focus to the gunman. "Welcome to the Buy More, and Merry Christmas…" He tried to defuse the situation, as the man tilted his head at Chuck's nonchalance.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble. Just tell us what you need, and we can all walk out of here safely." His tone was surprisingly calm, though beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He was clearly trying to channel every ounce of courage he had.

The gunman sneered, his grip on the weapon tightening as he swung it toward Chuck. "Shut up! I'm in charge here!" His voice cracked slightly, betraying the fragile facade of control he was attempting to project. "I… I am sorry…. Let me try again," He lowered his gun and looked panicked, his head swiveled in different directions, "Hi… Hi… My name is Nathan Edward Rhyerson… Uh, people like to call me Ned… I'm sorry about the entrance. Uh… Could someone please tell me who is in charge here?"

"CHUCK!" Every employee shouted and pointed at Chuck, making him shocked. The man, Ned hearing this, pointed his gun at Chuck, "Actually, I'm not technically in charge."

"I don't want to hurt anyone, Chuck. So as long as no one gets brave, no one gets SHOT… Okay?"

"I think we're safe. Yeah, our store has a very strict 'no bravery policy.'"

"Okay. Okay. Everyone, uh, get over there" Ned gestured to one side of the store, "Get over there by Santa's Village." Everyone listened and began making their way there.

Guldrin's sharp gaze assessed the man again. He wasn't trained; that much was obvious, or at least that was what he wanted everyone to think. The way he held the gun, the wild dart of his eyes, it all screamed desperation. But something about this man, and his actions, they screamed fake, so they followed his orders while keeping a close eye on the man.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)

Remember, cast your votes on chapter 69, and choose who Mama Goldblood will be, two days remain. If two ties, I will flip a coin, if more than two then I will spin a wheel. Vote and decide, please have a safe Christmas, and enjoy your holidays!