Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Ned's erratic demeanor might have fooled the average person into thinking he was a desperate amateur, but Guldrin's instincts told him there was something off. The exaggerated panic, the shakiness that seemed almost too perfect, it felt rehearsed. Shiro, standing close to him, leaned slightly, her voice low enough for only him to hear.

"Fake. He's playing a game."

Guldrin gave a barely perceptible nod, his eyes narrowing as he watched Ned gesture everyone toward the faux Santa's Village set up at the side of the store. Chuck walked ahead cautiously, his hands raised, trying to calm the escalating tension. Emmett, was already halfway there, muttering curses under his breath about "incompetent criminals" and how this was all "ruining his numbers."

The Buy More phone rang, cutting through the uneasy quiet. Ned flinched, his gun jerking toward the sound.

"Ahh!" he screamed, his gun aiming at the phone, his voice cracking under the weight of his own shout. His breathing hitched, and he turned toward Chuck, eyes wild. "Who's calling?"

Chuck looked surprised but opened his mouth and responded awkwardly, "Uh, that's probably the police. Maybe they want to know what's happening."

"I don't want to talk to anyone," Ned said, all while aiming the gun at the phone, suspiciously well-positioned to react if he needed to, all while looking foolish. "Do you think you can answer it?"

Chuck deadpanned, his face pale, "Yeah…" Picking it up with exaggerated care. "Uh, Nerd Herd. How can I help you?" he said, his voice trembling slightly as he held the receiver to his ear.

"This is Lieutenant Mauser, LAPD" a calm raspy, authoritative voice said on the other end. "Who am I speaking with?"

"Uh, this is Chuck Bartowski. Nerd Herd supervisor."

"Alright Chuck, I am gonna need to speak to Ned,"

Chuck looked up at Ned, "He wants to talk to you." 

Ned shook his head vigorously, and Chuck spoke into the phone, "He doesn't want to talk to you."

"Okay, then, I guess we are going to have to work through this ourselves. So tell me, is anyone hurt in there?"

"No, nobody is hurt. Everyone's okay, uh Ned," He paused and looked at Ned, "Is it okay if I call you Ned?" 

"Sure, Ned is fine," He nodded, all while aiming the gun like an amateur but, clearly knowing what he is doing if you look close enough.

"Okay, uh, Ned explicitly told me, that he wants absolutely no trouble."

Meanwhile, Emmett, clearly annoyed by the disruption, began muttering under his breath again. "This is a disaster. A complete disaster! My quarterly review is going to-"

"Shut up, Emmett!" several employees hissed in unison.

Back with Chuck speaking on the phone, the negotiator continued, "Tell him to send out a hostage as a sign of good faith." 

Chuck looked at Ned, "He said you should send out a hostage as a sign of good faith."

"GOOD GOD! PICK ME, OH PICK ME!" Emmett shouted as he sprinted over and made up some ludicrous story about his grandmother dying of leukoplakia, all while Ned aimed his gun at him.

While this was happening, Elle Bartowski had been quietly observing from her position near Guldrin and Shiro, her medical instincts and protective nature kicking into high gear. She had only met Guldrin a few years earlier, under dire circumstances, when he was rushed into her hospital with gunshot wounds. 

The memory of his stoic silence despite the pain and Shiro's unwavering presence by his side lingered vividly in her mind. Now, seeing them again in such a tense situation, Elle's protective instincts flared.

Her gaze darted between Guldrin, who stood with a calmness that seemed almost unnatural, and Shiro, whose sharp, calculating eyes never left Ned. Elle took a tentative step closer to them, lowering her voice. "You two shouldn't even be here. You're kids. This isn't safe."

Guldrin, without looking at her, responded in a low, even tone. "We're fine. We can handle ourselves."

Elle bristled at his nonchalance. "Handle yourselves? This isn't some playground argument. That man has a gun!"

Shiro glanced at her, her icy gaze softening only slightly. "We know. That's why we're watching him."

Elle's frustration mounted. "Listen, I know you think you've got this under control, but-"

Before she could finish, Ned's voice rose again. "What's taking so long? Get him out of here already!" His eyes flicked nervously between Chuck and the phone, his gun still trained on Emmett, who was now dramatically fake-sobbing about his grandmother's illness.

Chuck, sensing the tension rising, tried to placate Ned. "Okay, okay, we're sending Emmett out. Right, Emmett?" He shot the man a meaningful look.

"Yes, yes, I'm going!" Emmett practically leaped toward the front of the store, hands in the air. The automatic doors whooshed open as he stepped outside, greeted immediately by officers who ushered him away from the scene.

Ned's gun wavered slightly as he watched Emmett leave. "There. See? I'm cooperating. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Chuck nodded vigorously. "Absolutely, Ned. That was a great move. Really shows good faith."

Meanwhile, Elle leaned closer to Guldrin and Shiro, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "Look, I know you've been through things most kids can't even imagine. But this is serious. Let me help you."

Guldrin's lips curled into a faint, wry smile. "We appreciate the concern, but staying alert and knowing what to do is the best help right now." His eyes flickered to Shiro, who nodded subtly in agreement. Despite his calm demeanor, Elle caught a hint of weariness in his tone, as if her persistence, though well-meaning, was starting to grate on him.

Devon, Elle's boyfriend, approached them with his usual confident stride, his broad shoulders and easygoing grin masking the tension in his eyes. "Babe," he said softly, resting a hand on Elle's shoulder. "Let's give them some space. They seem like they know what they're doing."

Elle turned to him, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Devon, they're kids! They shouldn't have to know how to deal with something like this. And that manager, what's his name? Emmett? He shouldn't have pushed his way out before them."

Devon sighed, nodding in agreement but maintaining his calm demeanor. "You're right, but we can't change that now. What we can do is keep everyone as safe as possible. That includes not drawing attention to them."

Shiro's icy facade cracked just slightly as she glanced at Devon. There was something reassuring about his composed energy. Guldrin, however, remained quiet, his focus still on Ned, though Elle's concern had not gone unnoticed. He felt a faint warmth in his chest at their protectiveness, but it was quickly tempered by a flicker of annoyance. They were drawing attention to him and Shiro, and that was dangerous.

Elle crossed her arms, clearly not satisfied but willing to back off for the moment. "Fine. But I'm staying close."

Devon gave her a small smile, then turned to Guldrin and Shiro. "If you two need anything, just let us know. We've got your backs."

Shiro gave a barely perceptible nod, and Guldrin muttered a quiet "Thanks," though his gaze never left Ned.

Chuck, meanwhile, was doing his best to keep Ned calm. "Hey, uh, Ned," he said, raising a hand like a student asking permission. "Any chance I could, uh, use the restroom? I promise I'll be quick."

Ned frowned, his gun lowering slightly. "Restroom? Now?"

Chuck nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I mean, it's kind of an emergency. You know how it is, nerves and all that."

Ned hesitated, then waved his gun toward the back of the store. "Fine. But don't try anything funny. I'll be watching."

Chuck offered a nervous smile and quickly made his way to the break room, his heart pounding. Inside, he found Casey and Sarah waiting, their expressions a mix of impatience and concern.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Casey growled in a low voice.

Chuck raised his hands defensively. "It's a hostage situation! The guy's name is Ned, and he's got a gun."

"I know, we know, that is why we are bringing you to Castle."

Chuck refused, "No! I am not leaving, my sister and everyone is there. They are in danger,"

"I know, but you are more important right now!" Sarah said as she tried and failed to shove him into the Castle entrance behind the lockers.

"Chuck, I promise we will protect everyone, but you have to leave, you are too valuable!"

Before they could discuss further, the door to the break room burst open, and Ned stumbled in, his gun trembling in his hands. His eyes darted around wildly as he took in the new faces. "Ahhh!" He panicked and aimed his gun wildly, "Who are they?!" he shouted, his voice tinged with panic.

Chuck raised his hands again, trying to keep things calm. "Ned, it's okay! Ned, Ned, Ned! Please don't shoot that gun!"

"Who are they!?!?"

"These are just my coworker, John Casey, and my girlfriend, Sarah; they hid when they heard the crash, They're not a threat."

Ned's grip on the gun tightened. "John Casey?!"

"Yes, he is even more harmless than she is."

Ned seemed to hesitate and Chuck tried to defuse the situation more, "Ned, Ned, please, uncock the gun." Ned hesitated, "Um… Okay, how do I do that?"

"There should be a button or something?" Chuck said, not having any knowledge of the real-world application of a gun. Ned fiddled with the gun and then, 

*BANG!*

His finger tightened on the trigger. The gun fired, the sound deafening in the small room.

Casey let out a grunt of pain as the bullet grazed his foot, catching the edge of his toe. He staggered back, clutching his boot. "Son of a-!"

Ned froze, staring at the smoking gun in his hand. "I- I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

Chuck moved quickly, stepping between Ned and Casey. "It's okay, Ned! It was an accident. Nobody's seriously hurt."

Casey glared at Chuck, his face a mix of pain and irritation. "Speak for yourself, Bartowski."

Ned's panic deepened, and he started pacing the room, muttering to himself. "This is bad. This is so bad. They're going to come in here and arrest me. I just wanted to go home…"

Chuck glanced at Sarah, who gave him a subtle nod. They needed to de-escalate the situation before it spiraled out of control.

"Ned," Chuck said, his voice calm and soothing. "Nobody's coming in here. We can still fix this. But you need to trust me, okay?"

Ned stopped pacing, his eyes locking onto Chuck's. "You mean it? You're not lying to me?"

Meanwhile, outside, they heard the gunfire and panicked, but the Lieutenant called and confirmed that it was an accident. 

Guldrin squinted his eyes, "Convenient, he shoots the most dangerous person here… Totally by accident." Shiro nodded,

Sarah and Casey exchanged sharp glances as Guldrin and Shiro sat next to them after Casey stumbled his way to Santa's Village, their presence commanding attention despite their youthful appearances. The air shifted as recognition flickered across Sarah's face, and Casey's expression hardened.

"Guldrin? Shiro?" Sarah's voice was laced with shock, though she quickly masked it with her usual calm demeanor. "What are you doing here?"

Casey, wincing as he leaned against the wall to alleviate the pain in his toe, barked, "What the hell are kids like you doing in the middle of this mess?"

Guldrin's expression shifted to one of exasperated amusement, his gaze sharp as he regarded the injured Casey and the awkward tension in the room. He crossed his arms, his posture radiating a mixture of defiance and disdain. "Seriously? You two were supposed to be covert agents, right? You're about as covert as a bull in a china shop. Getting shot in the toe… nice touch. A real professional."

Casey's jaw tightened, his irritation barely contained. "Watch your mouth, kid. You've got no idea what you're talking about."

Guldrin smirked, his tone dripping with mockery. "Oh, I've got a pretty good idea. You let a guy with no plan and a shaky trigger finger shoot you, and you still haven't figured out what's really going on here, have you? Plus, did you forget when we outran you on a Go-Kart?"

Sarah stepped forward, her voice firm but less abrasive than Casey's. "What do you mean? If you know something, now's the time to share."

Shiro's icy gaze bore into both agents. "You're blind if you can't see it. This isn't about a hostage situation. Ned's just a pawn, an actor, and a highly trained one at that. Someone's using him as a distraction or something, not sure what yet."

Casey grimaced, his pride clearly stung. "And you're such an expert? Enlighten us."

Guldrin rolled his eyes. "You think this is all about some guy snapping under pressure? The guy's movements, his hesitations, they scream fake; look at his actions, they are too well planned… Take you getting shot, think that was accidental? I don't. Someone set this up, and you're too busy playing catch-up to notice."

Sarah, ever the professional, focused on the details. "If you're right, then who's pulling the strings? What's the endgame?"

Shiro glanced at Guldrin, who sighed heavily, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Could be a test. Could be a message. Whatever it is, it's not random."

Casey, still leaning against the wall, let out a frustrated grunt. "You've got a lot of attitude for someone who's barely out of middle school."

Guldrin's smirk widened, and he stepped closer to Casey, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And you've got a lot of nerve calling yourself a spy when you can't even handle a 'random' accident without getting shot. Maybe stick to desk work. As you said, we are barely out of middle school, and you should be the ones figuring this out."

Sarah stepped between them, her voice cutting through the tension. "Enough. Guldrin, if you know something, we need to hear it. Now."

Guldrin's smirk faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. Let's put your ineptitude aside for now, I think this is way bigger than a hostage situation, they are fishing, and they knew who both of you were, spies. And yes, Shiro and I know this, we can discuss how later, for now, I want to handle this guy before they decide we aren't needed anymore… Do either of you have guns? Or did you leave those behind too?"

Casey's scowl deepened, and he looked away, his silence confirming what Guldrin had already suspected. Sarah, ever composed, hesitated before answering. "We had to leave them behind," she admitted, her tone clipped with frustration.

Guldrin let out an incredulous laugh, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "You've got to be kidding me. The supposedly legendary CIA/NSA agents are unarmed in a hostage situation that's clearly a smokescreen for something bigger. Fantastic. Truly inspiring."

Casey gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath, "Keep talking, kid, and we'll see how much help you are when this goes south."

Shiro, who had been quietly observing the exchange, stepped forward. Her voice was calm but carried an edge that made even Casey pause. "Arguing wastes time. If the person pulling the strings is as clever as they seem, every second we spend bickering is a second they're getting ahead of us. We need a plan."

Sarah nodded, appreciating Shiro's pragmatic approach. "She's right. Guldrin, Shiro, if you've noticed anything else, now's the time to share."

"Fine, he is probably a spy as well, the next step will be to have both of you separated from Chuck. Yeah, I know you are protecting him, but that doesn't matter right now. I think they are after Chuck too, why I don't know, but I am nearly certain of it. I suggest you play along and get released when you do, get armed, and storm the place. Something about this doesn't make sense to me, and it keeps coming back to the negotiator… His readiness to speak to Chuck and willingness to not even question it, I think he is involved, but I am not sure."

Casey's expression twisted into a grimace, his frustration bubbling just under the surface. "You think they're after Bartowski? That makes no sense. He's a civilian, a nobody-"

"Is he?" Guldrin interrupted sharply, his gaze boring into Casey's. "Because to me, he doesn't seem like just another Buy More employee. Why would a 'nobody' be in the middle of this mess, completely unharmed and weirdly central to all the action? And why does this negotiator you mentioned seem so invested in him? Plus, he has two of the most decorated agents protecting him…"

Sarah held up a hand, cutting off Casey's retort. "Enough. Guldrin, if your instincts are right, then Chuck could be in danger. But if this is Fulcrum pulling the strings, as you're implying, we need a strategy. Storming in guns blazing isn't always the answer."

Guldrin's patience was clearly wearing thin. "Right, because the last time you played it safe, it got him shot in the toe," he snapped. "You don't have a plan, no weapons, and no backup. If you want to play the cautious game, fine, but don't expect us to sit around waiting for whoever's behind this to make their next move."

"Chuck, you have been such a good friend in all this," Ned spoke, "I am going to release your girlfriend and the man I shot. They can go free," This action confirmed all thoughts Guldrin had.

Guldrin's sharp eyes darted over to Casey and Sarah, watching them with a mix of amusement and disdain as they slowly began to make their way toward the exit. There was no doubt in his mind, this wasn't just a random hostage situation. 

The fact that they had been taken in the first place and the way they were being treated, the interplay of characters involved, all pointed toward something far more complex. The tension was palpable as Sarah exchanged a brief but meaningful glance with Chuck. The sort of look one gives someone when you're not sure if it's a reassurance or a warning. She and Casey, though clearly seasoned professionals, had no idea just how deep this rabbit hole went.

And then, there he was. The negotiator. Lt. Mauser. He entered with the sort of calm, collected demeanor that only a man who knew he had control of the situation could possess. His every move was deliberate, measured. Guldrin couldn't help but feel a small thrill of anticipation. This man, in his mind, was either very good at hiding his true nature or someone who had simply been placed in a position of power.

Mauser walked into the room, unarmed, his hands raised to show surrender. He gave Chuck a respectful nod, one that carried an air of both arrogance and familiarity. It was a greeting that said he had nothing to fear. His eyes, dark and piercing, never wavered as he made eye contact with Chuck. There was an unsettling calm about him, the sort that made Guldrin instinctively tense up.

"Chuck Bartowski, I presume," Mauser said smoothly. His voice was low, with a touch of condescension, as if he was humoring Chuck by acknowledging his presence. "You've done a hell of a job, keeping everyone safe. I'd like to speak with you... personally."

Chuck, who had been hanging onto whatever fragile thread of control he had, visibly stiffened at Mauser's words. Guldrin didn't miss the way his eyes flicked to the side, almost nervously, as if he was searching for an escape. He wasn't sure whether Chuck was just trying to play it cool or if he genuinely had no idea what was going on, but Guldrin could sense the unease radiating off him.

It was clear that Chuck knew something was off. His mouth opened slightly as if he was about to say something, but before he could get a word out, Mauser's eyes locked onto his with a sudden intensity. It was the look of someone who had all the answers and was about to deliver a blow that would shatter whatever illusion of safety Chuck still held onto.

The room felt a little smaller. The air seemed to grow thicker with each passing second.

Chuck's hand twitched at his side, almost imperceptibly, but Guldrin caught it. He knew that Chuck wasn't an idiot. He'd already begun to put the pieces together, just like the rest of them. And it wasn't long before it became clear that Chuck had figured it out, or at least a part of it. His gaze shifted down briefly, focusing on the watch that Mauser wore. It was a small detail, but it was enough to send a chill down Chuck's spine.

Guldrin watched the subtle shift in Chuck's expression as realization hit him. His eyes widened, just the slightest flicker of recognition in them. That was when Guldrin knew. Chuck had just done the same thing he did when he saw Guldrin for the first time. The signature moment of recognition, a gift, or curse, depending on how you looked at it, had come and gone in an instant.

"Fulcrum," Chuck murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. 

No one else heard it, but Guldrin with his enhanced sense heard him clearly, and his mind went back to all those classified documents that Shiro, Skye, and he had read, this was a problem… A big one, he might not make it home before his Mother and Mia, they were in trouble.

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

Remember, vote on who Mama Goldblood is, as of now you have one more day… The current result is. Vote on Chapter 69, have a great day!

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