Chereads / Circle of Eden / Chapter 45 - Corporate Gossip

Chapter 45 - Corporate Gossip

 Crowe is making his way inside his private lab, one that Eden is still yet to sniff out.

 He enters an area which resembles an operating room. The floor, ceiling, the four walls, all painted white. The ceiling is filled with overhead lights, lighting up the entire room, not even a speck of shadow can be seen.

 The room wasn't incredibly spacious, it was just wide enough to fit the countless tools and equipment as well as small cabinets and beds typically found in a usual operating room, but it was long.

 The doctor grabs his phone and calls someone.

 The line is busy.

"Oh, well."

 He makes his way to a large, rectangular, metallic container of some sort, completely sealed. It is connected to several medical equipment and apparatus. What's inside, only the doctor knows.

 He looks at the set of monitors beside it, presumably statistics regarding the creature or object inside the closed-off bed of steel.

 After a few seconds of data reading, Crowe doesn't do anything else. Everything must be stable and requires no correction whatsoever.

 He caresses the metal coffin.

"You will now serve a different purpose."

"I heard our agent is starting to fully realize his gift," says Laurence, still on the line with Benedict, looking out the window.

"I assume he is, Sir. He's been training in his spare time."

"Well, that explains it."

"Is there… anything wrong, Sir?" asks Benedict.

"You sound… displeased," he adds.

"What, me? Oh no, no, no," Laurence lets out a small laugh.

"If anything, I'm very happy that Agent Isaac is working hard to fully master his gift," he explains.

"Had he done so, much earlier, we probably wouldn't have had to deal with the Red Square incident."

"With all due respect, Sir, I would just like to point out that that was EVERYONE'S loss," Benedict retorts.

"I think it's unfair to pin all the blame on just one person. Everyone from the agents to us, here, in mission control take equal parts of the blame."

"No, no, that's not what I meant, Benny, forgive me," Laurence explains.

"I'm not 'blaming' anyone, all I'm saying is that what's happening NOW is good, but it would have been better if it had happened before," he adds.

"I'm not speaking ill of anyone but I apologize if what I said came across as that."

"And if I WERE to shamelessly blame someone, I would probably put it on the Director," he adds.

"I mean, I love and respect the man, but HE's the one who has consistently refused to give our beloved Agent Isaac the attention he deserves and needs."

 Benedict is shocked. He's hearing this information for the first time.

"W-what do you mean, Sir?" Benedict asks.

"I-if you don't mind me asking," he immediately follows up.

"Well, as you may, or may not, I don't know, know, precious Sebby is extremely special," Laurence answers, no hesitation.

"He is the ONE and ONLY Transcended imbued with the void."

"Or the only living, at least," he adds.

"And this happened for a reason. Agent Isaac was supposed to be more than he is today."

"The operation was a success. Hell, it was a miracle. He was half-hearted about the whole thing from the start but when little Sebby started getting used to his powers, it was then that the old Director decided to stop with the half-measure," Laurence explained.

"He pulled the plug on the operation that made Agent Isaac what he is. AND, he insisted and ordered that no one was to lay their hands on him. If the kid was to grow into his powers, he'd have to do it in his own volition and not with Eden personnel forcing him into it."

"Fruit of guilt on the old man's part, I guess."

"Or so I heard from the doctor way back. I was still a kid when all this happened so I don't exactly know so, you know, take it with a grain of salt," he adds.

"Wait, wait, wait," Benedict was being overloaded with information.

"I don't fully understand what it is you're trying to say, Sir."

"Sebby was supposed to be Eden and the Circle's secret weapon. Its ULTIMATE weapon. He was imbued with something as strong as the void fragment for the purpose of 'training' him into being their strongest monster-hunting soldier," Laurence expounded.

"BUT, the Director apparently went soft. Or scared, I don't know, no one can say for sure. Although Crowe's opinion is on the latter and as much as I'd hate to agree with the guy 'cause, you know, cuckoo, he has a point."

"Old man has always been paranoid since I got to work up close with him," he outlines.

"And that's why even to this day, he refuses to let anyone 'train' Mr. Void in using his powers. Joe suggested it again years back but the old man just chewed him up. It was actually hilarious, I'm not gonna lie."

"And no, I'm not with the Director's perspective on this. Personally, I think Sebby being the best he can be would ironically be the best for us all."

 Benedict couldn't say it out loud, but it sounded to him like Laurence is one of the people who only looks and treats Sebastian like their own, personal weapon. And that irked him.

"Well, so much for story time. Tomorrow?" Laurence dismisses the conversation.

"Um, y-yes, Sir. What time should I tell him to head to Eden HQ?"

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'll stop by there at your place."

"Alright, sir. What time will you be dropping by?"

"Hmm. What time does he normally come in?"

"It's uh, it's pretty late, Sir, if I'm being honest," he hesitantly answers.

"That's not a time, Benny."

"Probably somewhere around past 9:00, Sir."

"Alright. See ya!"

 The Deputy Director hangs up the call.

 Benedict takes a deep breath and leans back on his chair. He removes his glasses, places them on his desk, and rubs his eyes with both palms.

"I'm too young to be in this type of business," he thought to himself.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 He takes another deep breath again, one for the road.

"Come in."

"Hey," it's Rina.

"You busy?" she asks.

"No, not really," he puts his glasses back on.

"What is it?"

SHHOOM

 Sebastian heads straight home, arriving at his dark, quiet apartment.

 He turns on the lights and heads straight for the kitchen. He unstraps the murder weapons resting on his back and lazily throws it at the kitchen bar counter as he passed by it, heading straight for the fridge to look at what he can stuff his belly with.

 He was feeling thirsty, so he grabs a can of beer first, opening and chugging it while still looking inside the fridge, this time, for something solid. His gaze gravitated towards the box of pizza, his leftover dinner from last night.

 He takes it out, other hand still holding the can of alcohol, and places both on the counter to grab a plate to place the slice he was about to subject to extreme heat.

 He places two slices in the microwave then proceeds to his room to change into a fresh set of clothes.

 He was in the middle of changing when he remembered the void fragment, still in his pocket. He takes it out, stares at it for a couple of seconds, then places it on top of the nightstand.

 Having finished dressing up in a much more comfortable attire, he heads back into the kitchen to check on his dinner. He was already mid-way when his phone that he left in his room starts ringing.

"Ugh," he walks back to get it.

 The caller is Benedict, assuming that the man is bearing the good news that he is expecting.

"Yo,"

"The Deputy Director wants to speak with you tomorrow."

"And??" Sebastian is waiting for something else, something more important.

"What do you mean 'and'?" Benedict replies.

"My restriction?"

"You'll know tomorrow."

"What? Come on!"

"The Deputy Director is kind enough to understand that you're the tardiest employee this organization has ever had and has agreed to meet with you at the time you normally clock in," Benedict explains.

"My office, 9 AM. Don't be late."

"And DON'T break that thing," he adds.

"That thing is rarer than ancient fragments."

"Ah, whatever," Sebastian hangs up and proceeds with his dinner.