"The hell were you thinking throwing away communication?!" Benedict exclaims, his arrival is not met with kindness.
"I won, who cares?"
"'Who cares'?! We detected another void energy signal other than from you and the monster, CROWE WAS THERE."
"He could have done god knows what out there and you had no clue," he adds.
"Yeah? And where was he?" Sebastian retorts.
"The guy probably just bailed and that signal you guys detected was him escaping."
Sebastian had a good point and it is futile discussing what has already passed. Benedict decides to let it go.
He looks at the flesh in Sebastian's hand. They saw him ripping it out of the monster but wanted to confirm it anyway.
"Is that really—"
"The heart?" Sebastian cuts him off.
"Yeah."
"And there's a large fragment inside," he adds.
"Figures," Benedict replies.
"Drop it over at the lab before you go."
"Oh, I'll drop this thing over now," he tosses the heart on the floor, landing right at Benedict's feet.
"What are you doing?! The fragments are fragile!"
"Ah, don't worry about that," Sebastian shows the fragment which is now in his personal care.
"It's much safer with me."
"Agent Isaac, what exactly are you trying to do?" Benedict is starting to lose patience.
"Hand that over to the lab, RIGHT NOW."
"You have no clue how valuable and dangerous that is," he adds.
"Oh, please. I know about this thing more than anyone in this place. But don't worry," everyone in the room are holding their breaths.
"I'll hand it over as soon as you people lift my restriction."
Everyone is flabbergasted. The man is holding the rarest and most valuable resource in the planet, even more so than the ancient fragments, as a ransom object.
"Are you serious??" asks Benedict.
"Dead serious."
"You're holding a VOID FRAGMENT for ransom???"
"You're making it sound like I'm a desperate criminal with no morals."
"Yeah, you're right. You're not a criminal. You just have no morals."
"You idiots don't lose anything from this exchange, I don't see why this is a big deal," Sebastian reasons out.
"The 'big deal' is that you have the nerve to blackmail us."
"This isn't really blackmail, but I see your point. And the only reason I'm doing this is so I can get a guarantee that you people end my shitty, undeserved punishment right now," he explains.
Benedict sighs. He knows there's no use trying to negotiate with the man as he wouldn't agree to any other terms that he didn't set.
"Fine."
"See? Easy. None of this hysterical crap was needed, you drama queen," says the man holding the leverage.
"I'll call the higher-ups and convince them," Benedict finally gives him what he wanted to hear all along.
"Now PLEASE, stop being a kid and hand the fragment to the lab."
"Woah, woah, woah," Sebastian interrupts him.
"Oh, my god. What now??"
"I'm not handing over shit until the decision is official."
Benedict looks down, eyes closed, and palm on his forehead. This five-minute exchange is the most he's been stressed all week.
"I'll be waiting for the good news."
SHHOOM
"S-sir!" one of the staff calls him.
"The Deputy Director is asking for a report, do we tell him about the fragment?"
"No, I got it," frustrated and defeated, he makes his way up to his office.
"And someone pick that disgusting piece of monster flesh off my floor!"
Towering over the city skyline is Eden's corporate headquarters, a 90-storey tower wherein both Eden and the Circle's executive management are located including Paul and the rest of the Circle's higher-ups.
A spacious and luxurious corner office overlooking the city through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The room's primary source of lighting is an elegant, circle chandelier hanging in the center of the room.
Visitors are greeted by the luxurious office's furniture set composing of a plush, comfortable, black sofa and stylish armchairs arranged around a circular, designer coffee table made of glass.
The wall on the right side of the room is adorned with rich wood paneling and custom cabinets such as built-in bookshelves and storage cabinets with high-end finishes.
At the far end of the room, right in front the large windows is an equally large, meticulously-crafted desk made of glass and three high-end executive chairs, one behind the desk and two in front.
Behind the luxurious desk is a man in an expensive three-piece suit — black jacket and dark gray vest wearing an equally expensive gold watch and black, leather shoes.
The 34-year old, tall, handsome man with a brown, medium-length, curtain haircut is the Circle's Deputy Director — Laurence Siegmeyer, who is essentially Paul's right hand man.
Prior to being promoted as the Deputy Director five years ago, Laurence was part of the Circle's Board of Directors. Not only that, but he is also a scientist who worked as Crowe's right hand in Eden's Science and Research Department of Eden, his individual excellence granting a seat at the higher-ups' table.
The phone by his desk rings, the Circle's Head of Operations is the one on the line.
"Hello, Benny," says the Deputy Director in a charismatic tone.
"I heard the Ice Sheet defense is a success."
"It is, sir. Our stationed personnel are already handling the clean-up. Agent Isaac has also come back, and safely."
"As one would expect," Laurence comments.
"Everything seems calm, I assume that our favorite doctor didn't make an appearance this time?"
"That is correct, Sir."
"I'm assuming his little toy is ours to fiddle with, now?"
"Yes, Sir. The Ice Sheet personnel has already retrieved the remains," Benedict pauses for a second.
"However…"
"Hm? What is it?" Laurence curiously asks.
"We discovered that it has an artificial heart, and that it is powered by a void fragment but… we have some sort of situation at hand," Benedict explains, anxiously.
"Oh, no. Is it bad?"
"N-not really, Sir. It's… Agent Isaac, he's holding on to it and using it as a ransom object."
"Really now?? In exchange for what?"
"H-he… uh, wants his mission restriction lifted, Sir…"
Laurence bursts out laughing after hearing the man's motive.
"It's alright, Benny," Laurence is still catching his breath from uncontrollable laughing.
"You can tell Agent Isaac that he is no longer grounded."
"Affirmative, Si—"
"No," Laurence cuts him off.
"Better yet, I'll drop by tomorrow and deliver him the good news," he adds.
"Thank our most reliable agent in person, as well."