Fan Fiction

E-SIX

by GreenHammock

Chapter 21

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Hero crossed his legs on top of his desk, leaning back in the large, plush chair in irritation. He motioned for someone to begin explaining; slowly developing a scowl the longer he awaited such explanation.

“Roog’s,” spoke one of the men from the far side of the room. “They came in back entrance C and proceeded down corridor 8. They moved with surprising precision – like they’d been here before.”

“Further studying,” came the voice of a familiar female from behind him. The tall, slender DSIN technician walked around the table to stand before him, looking over a navy folder in her possession and speaking confidently. “Showed that they had tapped into our system, and were navigating from the inside out. I have no idea how they could have so quickly disarmed our DSIN wall, but it didn’t seem to be a problem.”

“How many?” asked Hero, tapping the arm of his chair impatiently. No one dared speak. "Roog's," he added, annoyed that he needed to clarify. "How many were there?" A silence befell the room, which affirmed his suspicions; not many.

Hero rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner and grabbed for his cup of coffee. He took a long sip, unfazed by the peels of steam rising from the boiling liquid. He then held the mug in his lap, looking over the hoard of technicians before him bitterly. “Do I even want to ask how none of you noticed them? Aren’t the monitors under ‘constant’ observation? Or did I get the wrong impression when you all approached me regarding their installation?” he asked rhetorically. No one spoke – an awkward shuffling filled the room, destroying what would otherwise be silence. He groaned, dropping his feet to the floor.

“Boss, sixteen of our finest were killed, twenty-one lay injured, four in critical condition, half of Storage Unit Four lay in ruin, 12% of the items there are in unrepeatable condition, and”- the woman stopped when Hero lifted his hand. He looked down for a long while, setting the cup gently on the table with his free hand, before he cut his eyes to her.

“Do you really think I give a flying fuck how many guards I lost? Think I give a shit what happened to that fucking stub of a sub unit and whatever percentage of my crap was damaged?” he barked. She shook her head quickly – everyone there knew he didn’t. “Well,” he drawled, leaning forward and spinning the mug around on the table with his forefingers. “Why are you telling me all this, then? Why are you wasting you’re breath with the details? You all know perfectly well what was taken from me and should be well aware that I don’t give shit about anything else but that.”

The woman swallowed hard, before she stepped forward. “Yes, sir, but”-

“You! Shut up,” he snapped. The woman bit her tongue and took a step back into the group of people, watching in intimidation as he rose from his seat and slowly stepped around his desk. “Who do you all think I am?” he questioned, looking seriously at them. “Who do you think I am?” No one dared speak, for fear of bringing any form of Hero’s wrath upon them. Hero stopped before them, narrowing his eyes. “I’m not some fucking moron. If any of you question that, I’ll personally have you terminated. I know what you’re trying to do – throw facts and percentages at me, cover up what you foolishly lost. However, I’m already fully aware of the absence of E-Six.”

This wasn’t something for anyone to be relieved of – the group moved as one body, clenching their fists and holding their breathes in their throats. They stared at him, waiting in sheer terror what his next words would be.

Hero flicked his eyes over them, before turning around and walking back behind his desk. “You can all relax. I have no punishment for any of you.” Thirty-some people let out a breath of relief then, grasping their chests. “However,” he continued, sitting back down carefully on the velvet-upholstered seat. “Anyone who was in the room designated 4-1-12 should be killed immediately. Anyone monitoring the floors at that time, anyone taking a fucking break, anyone in any of the eight closest surrounding rooms, and anyone in hallways three, six and one during that time deserve equal punishment. Forget rebuilding Unit Four – I want everyone without prior task or arrangement with me – or who was not slacking off at the time – to begin locating E-Six, immediately. Do you understand?” With a unanimous nod, Hero flicked his wrist and dismissed them. The group left his office in a hurried, petrified bustle.

He sighed as the last person filed out, turning around in his chair to glance out the window miserably. E-Six.

E-Six carried with her data that was far too important for him to lose.

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08.07.09.