A/N: Thanks to m1919 who betaed. There were a few suggestions I took into consideration, but probably at least one or two that I didn't, so apologies. I think it reads fairly well, so hopefully you all do too. Sorry for the long wait. I'll have you know I've started the next chapter (barely), so hopefully that means something.

A/N 2: I fixed the tense problems (the chapter was originally in present tense, while the previous chapters were in past tense.) Thanks to Orsino who beta read specifically for tense problems. He's absolutely amazing.

It was John's first official op and he couldn't mess it up. He knew he shouldn't be thinking that way, knew it would only serve to threaten the mission. He should focus only on how important this could be and not on what could go wrong. Except he kind of had to. Think about what could go wrong, that is. His only comfort was that he had John Henry and Catherine and even Cameron to explore those possibilities for him. But he still had to decide on and prepare to execute secondary plans of action.

Of course John was worried about the possibility of a trap. Everyone was. It had been too easy to track the connection, and far too random an Internet search not to mean something. Secretly John hoped it would be someone who had met one of them along the way and got curious when they saw the news. But the IP address couldn't be linked to anyone they could think of. Plus, it was masked just enough to keep them guessing. No way someone would do that unless they had something to hide.

He'd assembled a team of five men, plus Cameron, Kyle, and himself. The general consensus was that he should forego this mission. But he was through hiding away just so he could stay alive long enough to fight the war. In his mind, the war had already started. Skynet had brought it to this point in time and he was as ready as he would ever be to get out there and embrace his fate. The fate that he made, that he still was making, not the fate Skynet wanted to assign to him.

But John wasn't taking any chances. He and Cameron, along with two soldiers, would take first position. Kyle, with Colonel Allen and two of his men, would be in second position. Additionally, back-up would be standing by in case something really went wrong. He knew it was probably overkill, but he was determined not to fail on his first time out.

Not to mention, this was his time to prove himself. He was the youngest person here, even younger than Martin, and although everything had been relatively silent on that front, he knew if he didn't show everyone why he deserved to lead them, they were going to turn on him fast. As it is, they were just waiting it out. Waiting for him to screw up, really. He suspected that most of them didn't want to see him succeed. Didn't want to see that a barely 18-year-old man could surpass what they themselves knew and the skills they possessed now, after years of training and experience. No matter if John had grown up training, no matter if he'd had experience, these men still couldn't find it in themselves to believe it. So to them, it was all talk. Until they could really see it, that's all it would ever be.

John wasn't sure what would come of the mission. What the suspicious internet activity would amount to. In actuality, he wasn't as concerned with the mission itself, but more what the mission meant. And he knew that it would be dangerous, a possible fatal mistake. So he forced himself to focus, to concentrate on what really mattered here. To remember who he was and what that meant. Because he wasn't a child anymore, he wasn't John Baum. He was John Connor and everything that came with that. No more waiting, because the war was here and so was he.

He took a moment to appreciate the steadfastness of Cameron's presence next to him, said a little prayer to an unknown god, and gave the order, officially setting off his first mission.

Everyone was in position. First wave surrounded the building at its points of access, second wave flanked the building, third wave was waiting in a van across the street. They were acting as command central. Its occupants were a mix of soldiers, commanders, and one IT tech who was in constant communication with John Henry. John would have liked to have John Henry there with them, but he didn't want to worry about how his human subordinates were going to get along with a cyborg. Especially so soon after the presentation. Plus, he hadn't tested John Henry in exterior conditions yet. Other than their little trip to the future, John had no idea how he'd react to external stimuli in the modern world. He didn't need the surprisingly moral and ethical cyborg to break some guy's legs because he bumped into a little girl by accident.

So he had settled on Carly, a decision that still felt questionable.. He had been right, and she hadn't been thrilled with him after his speech. But she was pretty laid back, so she had been fairly reasonable. She admited that if he had decided not to tell anyone who he was until the assembly, then she couldn't assume he'd make an exception for her. So it worked out nicely, and helped serve as a peace offering, which was part of the reason he'd asked her in the first place. Besides, John hadn't met any of the other three techies yet and he felt more comfortable if he'd at least met the person that he might be relying on so heavily .

It would go like this: John Henry would run the operation for the most part, but if anything went wrong, if John Henry lost his connection (which could happen, since he was so far away), then Carly would be there to take over if need be.

John really hoped this wouldn't happen.

But he had to be prepared, cover all his bases, so that's how wave three was set up.

Anyway, he and Cameron were going to enter through the front of the building while Kyle, along with Lieutenant Fowler, would cover the roof. According to the schematics, there was no sewer entrance from the interior of the building and no back door either. Lieutenant Ryan and Major Heath were covering the east side exit of the building while Colonel Allen and Sergeant Pyre were covering the west.

For all they knew, the place would be empty, whoever had been there long gone. But in case this was a trap, John wanted to be prepared; everyone was under strict instructions not to move unless they heard one of the previously agreed-upon code words.

It was nearly midnight now, and though they were all wearing dark colors, they still looked like civilians. No masks or visible weapons. As they entered the building, John held the door open for Cameron in an attempt to look like a normal, unsuspicious couple. Plus, John would take any chance to feel like the person in the relationship who takes charge and protects. Cameron didn't give him many opportunities to be a gentleman, so he had to take them where he could get them. Of course she charged right in with no regard to John's gallantry, but he found that somehow endearing, It was part of what made her Cameron, so he just shook his head as he followed her inside.

The lobby was nice. Modern and open; exposed brick. Even if John hadn't known from his research, he would have been able to tell that this used to be an old factory, renovated into a couple dozen open loft spaces. It was supposed to be cutting-edge, so everything was was just perfect for John Henry, who could easily hack into any system. John wondered idly if Skynet, or Kaliba, was financing this guy, setting him up in a nice place in a central downtown location. One that they could control. Which would come in handy if the guy (or girl, really, anything was possible), became a concern. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if Kaliba had actually built the building. But none of the companies that had been linked to the project could be connected to Kaliba when John Henry had conducted his search.

They took the stairs. John Henry could monitor and control the elevator, and they really wanted to be sure if the guy was here that he couldn't slip past them. Even with John Henry monitoring the many cameras posted throughout the building, if they were stuck on an elevator as the guy passed them on the stairs, they could lose him. Well, with all the back-up, probably not, but John Henry's brother had overtaken him once before He might be able to override any control John Henry had over the elevator or the building. Which was one of the reasons for the increased support.

The signal that John Henry had traced came from the top floor of the 5-story apartment building. That is, the account registered to the signal was attributed to apartment 5C. The account information hadn't gotten them anywhere, either. It had been opened and continued to be maintained through a generic paper company that didn't seem to actually exist. At least not in the strictest sense. The name and licensing existed, but as far as John Henry could see, the building was empty and the company had no employees.

As John and Cameron passed the fourth floor, John Henry's voice came through the comms. "John, there is a woman exiting apartment 5A. I'm sending the elevator up to her, but wait for me to say it's clear."

"Copy," John said as he and Cameron continued on to the fifth floor. They stopped when they got to the landing, though, and waited for the go-ahead.

Through the wall, they could hear the elevator running. Something occurred to John then, though. "John Henry?"

"Yes, John?"

"Have a team from the third wave follow her. Carefully. We don't want to spook her. But for all we know, she's who we're looking for."

"Of course, John, very good thinking."

John wondered silently if John Henry had thought of it before, but just waited for John to say something. Probably not, though. In John Henry's mind, the logic was solid. All evidence pointed to the signal having come from apartment 5C. Anyone coming out of 5A was inconsequential.

A moment later, John and Cameron got their go-ahead from John Henry and entered the hallway. Cameron went first, ensuring the area was clear, as John followed just steps behind. There was no way to know who was monitoring the cameras, so they strived to maintain their cover, simply two people visiting a friend. Who liked to take the stairs to the fifth floor. John briefly thought they should have put on some sort of show, had John Henry stall the elevator so they could believably decide to take the stairs. But it felt a little overdone, even in hindsight, so he re-focused on the task at hand.

5C was the third apartment on the left, and as they approached the door, John waited for Cameron to carefully and quietly open the door. No kicking, no shooting (they'd gone over this beforehand), just a simple push and pull, breaking the locks a little more subtly than usual. When he'd asked her if it was possible, John could have sworn the look on her face had dripped with sarcasm, as if she wanted to say, "Who do you think I am, John? Of course I can break a lock without kicking or using a firearm." But she had simply said, "Yes, John, I can do that if it is what you'd prefer."

And it had been and still was his preference. He didn't want to give this guy any warning they were coming. The lock broke easily and John followed Cameron in as she pulled her 9mm out of her cargo pants and made her way into the open apartment, ready to protect him from any impending danger. Not that the 9mm would do anything to a terminator, but it could potentially distract one long enough for John to get away. Plus, a handgun would do a good enough job of intimidating a human.

Almost immediately, John saw the man who was standing with his back to them, looking out the wall of windows at the cityscape. But John's eyes also found the excessive computer set-up the guy had in the corner of the room. Well, they were most likely in the right place, that's for sure. Anyone as interested in Sarah Connor as this guy was probably big on tech as well.

Cameron stepped to the side to allow John to line up with her as she gestured towards him, telling him what their plan of attack would be. But she didn't even get the chance to finish before the man spoke, his voice deep and British.

"It took you long enough."

John froze, but wasn't exactly fazed. It was an easy trick, made possible by any number of things (reflection in the window, exceptional listening skills, etc), and John didn't need to worry himself about that. Instead he responded with, "Apologies, I wasn't aware you were waiting."

"Oh, it's alright," the man said, his voice smooth, "You're here now, and that's all that matters." The man turned then, and when he did, he looked surprised. "Oh. I thought your mother would be joining us, John. I was very much looking forward to meeting her. I hope she's well."

"She's fine," John answered, and not because he owed the guy anything .Rather, he hoped the response would have the opposite affect of its meaning. That the man would think John was just covering up for his mother's death, or at least her inability to go on a mission. Which was half-true. She was mostly healed , but even Sarah Connor herself had known that it just wasn't a good idea to push it.

The other reason he affirmed Sarah was alive is because it pissed him off to think that someone out there might think that Sarah Connor could just simply be killed. It would take a lot more than what these assholes could throw at her, though he hoped he'd never have to find out just exactly what her limit iwas.

"I'm glad to hear it, John," the guy said, and John decided he already hated him. Talking about his mother like she really matters something to him. He wondered, though, whether his mother had ever come across him, ever spent time with him. After all the traveling they've done, it could be possible. And Sarah had a way of getting under people's skin, in good ways and bad (mostly bad), so this guy could actually want her to be alive and healthy, but John really doubted it. Especially considering who he workd for (well, most likely workd for, that is.) But it reminded him that he needed to figure out who this guy was.

"What's your name?" John asked, certain he'd either get no response or an alias.

"Wexton."

An alias is better, something to go on, especially if he'd been using it for awhile. John Henry confirmed via the earpiece that he was running a search on the name and reminded John to ask for help if he needed it.

Right. The excessive back-up John had insisted on. They were all probably just twiddling their thumbs right now. But unless this guy, Wexton, turned out to be a terminator, John thought they'd probably be okay. And Wexton seemed a little too human to be a terminator. Too smooth, too affected. If John weren't fairly sure he was working for the enemy, he might actually like the guy.

But most likely he was working with Kaliba, and John needed to find out what he was up to.

"So you wanted me here, I'm here."

Wexton tsked and stepped forward. "So impatient. I mean, you haven't even introduced me to your friend." The way Wexton looked at Cameron the next moment was almost enough to make John not like the guy at all anymore. But it wasn't disrespectful—more appreciative than anything—and though John didn't like it, he didn't blame Wexton either. Not to mention, it was more proof that Wexton was human. Which was definitely a plus. But it could also mean that Wexton had back-up himself. John couldn't believe that anyone working for Kaliba would be dumb enough to bring him here, knowing full well John would most likely bring Cameron. No matter how skilled Wexton was, no matter how confident he was in his skill, he would be no match for Cameron.

So either Kaliba was keeping Wexton in the dark or he had back-up. Possibly even in the apartment. Which was what lead John to use one of the code words they'd previously agreed upon.

"You're not her type. She prefers her men younger." Wexton wasn't actually that old, but old enough that the code word worked. They'd agreed on 'young' or any variation thereof as a sort of yellow signal in which the team on the roof, Kyle and Fowler, would enter through the bedroom skylight upstairs while a third wave team took their place. From there, Kyle and Fowler would check for any additional threats in the apartment while John and Cameron kept Wexton distracted.

"Let's get down to business, then," Wexton said, an air of surprise and approval in his tone. He gestured to the living room set between them. "Why don't we sit?"

John accepted his offer and sat on the couch while Cameron followed and sat next to him. Wexton chose one of the arm chairs across from them. John wasted no time. "Why are you so interested in my mother?"

"You're a straight-shooter, you know that?" Wexton said with a finger pointed out towards John, amusement coloring his features. "I really appreciate that in a man. But you seem tense, John. Rivaling your girlfriend there. But she has an excuse." John had a moment of inward panic. He wasn't surprised that someone who worked with Kaliba could recognize a terminator when he saw one, but it would be slightly unfortunate if Wexton decided he wanted to point out this fact . Especially with 10 or so other people listening, most of whom did not know yet what Cameron was.. He knew he could turn off his comm, but the action would be noticeable and put the others on alert, so John quickly threw out the idea. But thankfully, Wexton didn't actually say it out loud.

Instead, Wexton leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Alright, then, I can see you're eager to get your information. I'm assuming you're here because of my excessive Internet searches. I thought maybe it would get your attention. But also, I wanted to know who Sarah Connor really is."

"Your bosses didn't tell you?" John asked bitingly. "Sounds like they really respect you."

Wexton smiled wryly before leaning back against his chair, "They tell me enough. But I'm aware that organizations like this thrive on extending information only on a need-to-know basis. But I don't work that way. I like to know what I'm getting in to. Hence, the searches. And tipping you off as well. I really had hoped your mother would be here, it would be quite an honor to meet the legend herself."

"Yeah, it would be an honor," John said, "which is why she isn't here."

"Oh, so you just do her dirty work?"

John didn't answer. Besides, it was good that Wexton thought that Sarah was the high priority target. And up until a month ago, she was. As far as Kaliba could see, she was the one attacking their organization. She was the immediate threat. And apparently they still thought so. John could use that to his advantage. If they had knowledge of the future, which it seemed they did, they knew how dangerous John would be. But if they didn't know yet that he was already a threat, he was going to play it for all it's worth.

"So you've met me. I still don't know why it's necessary, and I don't know what you want with us. You know what we're capable of. It seems a little rash to invite us here with the knowledge that at the very least we have been assigned to capture you"

"Who's to say this isn't my plan to capture you?" Wexton asked. Just empty bravado John thought.

However, he was immediately doubting himself when a moment later a huge crash sounded from upstairs, followed by rapid gunfire.

And John could only think that maybe this was a trap. One that he suspected beforehand, but had still walked straight into with no way out.