'Maybe I was a little rash in my decision-making...' I thought as I was locked in a small room with two chairs.
Agent Carter just brought me to the interrogation room and as I was walking there, I passed at least 9 separate people in suits, each looking more upset than the other.
Straightening my suit coat and slightly dusting it off I stared at the mirror in the corner. I could tell that at least 4 or more people were behind it due to the occasional shadowy figure that I saw but that was it.
'Well, I might have donked up, but at the end of the day, I have enough for a Lawyer if my plan doesn't work' I mentally grinned and heard a lock turning. Looking towards the door I saw Agent Carter slowly walk in with a notepad and a pencil.
From what I could garner Agent Carter was a nice man who was very professional, but in his eyes, I could see excitement. Excitement for what? I don't know, and I hope its certainly nothing malicious towards me.
"Simon Petrikov. Orphan. 15 years old. Skipped grades and top of his class... Simon, why would you do this? Better yet my first question for you is what caused you to do this." Carter pushed his hands through his slicked-back hair and stared me in the eyes.
I looked at him for a minute, pondering my answer before hiding my face with my hands. "I am sorry Agent Carter, but I can't say what pushed me to do this... Just know this was necessary on my part. But I can say why I did this."
Carter raised an eyebrow and I heard a thud on the mirror in the corner. We both looked towards it and back at each other before grinning. 'Well Simon, let's see if our plan worked.' I thought to myself before repositioning myself to be comfier.
"Agent Carter the reason why I... Let's say aggressively greeted the Government was to get your attention. Not yours personally but the Government" I corrected myself and waited for his reaction.
Agent Carter was... let's just say dumbfounded. I don't doubt that he was trained to keep a poker face on at all times, but I guess that training didn't account for a 15-year-old becoming the most wanted person in America.
"You are saying that you invaded every system in the United States Government, just to... Get our attention?" Carter cooled his expression and slowly leaned in towards me.
"What you just did was the dumbest and most reckless thing you could've done... Now why did you do it?" He asked in a low tone.
'Oh my gosh this is scary!' I began to sweat a little from how heated this conversation was getting. Trying my best to stay cool I stared him in the eyes and grinned.
"I did what I did because I wanted to point out a critical flaw in your system. What I did? Given enough time any person could replicate it and endanger the entire country."
I regained my position in our talks and sat straighter with confidence. "I love this country, but what they're doing now? It is reckless. Me, a mere 15-year-old in public school somehow got access to every file and document the country has. Imagine if it was a terrorist, an enemy country?"
I breathed in deeply before calming down. "It would be catastrophic, so I wanted-no! Needed! to point this flaw out to my country." I gulped my dry mouth and tried my best to act as serious and aloof as I could.
"I did this so as to work for the Government. Right now, you all need my specialty and know-how in using a computer. Without it... Well, I will let you imagine that." I said before finally finishing my answer. I hoped what I said was enough to paint the picture and image that I wanted.
Agent Carter wrote something down on his notepad before staring me dead in the eyes. "We will continue asking questions in a minute... Would you like something to drink in the meantime? Coffee, water?" His personality flipped when he asked me if I wanted something.
'Huh?' I was confused and I knew he could see I was. "Uhh, water would be just fine?" I said and watched him get up.
'Well Simon, we won. He is going to ask his superiors behind the mirror what to do, and either give me the job or send me to jail... And if it's the latter I just won any case they have as they never read me my Miranda rights!' I smiled before hiding my glee behind my hand once more.
I sat there in silence for around 20 minutes before I saw Agent Carter enter with a plastic bottle of water. Behind him, 3 men each wearing customed tailored suits followed him.
"Sorry, that took a little while Simon." Carter said as he handed me the water. "These are 3 important people that would like to speak with you." He said before standing up and heading to the door.
There was nothing interesting that I could spot from the first two men who followed Agent Carter, both just looked like your stereotypical politician, but the last was what interested me the most.
It was a medium stature sized man with combed-back white hair and a white bushy mustache. He was wearing a striped suit and held himself as if he were the entire world. He took the only available seat in the room while the other two stood silently behind him.
"Johan Bardsley... So you are Simon Petrikov..." Johan calmly said before looking me over and saying "You have good taste in clothes but the belt doesn't match properly with the grey suit."
"Wha?" I said before coughing on the water that I was drinking. Regaining my composure I looked down and could see that he was right, the belt was tacky with my suit jacket.
"Hahaha! Alright, Simon, I am going to offer you a deal. I heard from Agent Carter that you did this to get the Government's attention? Well, you have it... Explain your deal to me." He said seriously.
He almost gave off pressure with his presence I noticed. 'Alright... let's do this' I gulped before setting the water off to the side.
"What I want is to work with the Government in organizing counterdefenses for your systems. I am hoping to be able to do this while still having the ability to go to a school of my choice." I worded carefully before fidgeting with my suit sleeve slightly.
Johan raised an eyebrow at me. "So you are saying you wish to help organize a defense for the same systems you broke into? Hmmm... You are bold I can give you that Petrikov." Johan leaned forward grinning.
"I am going to make you an offer Petrikov, I want you to work for me, you will be under constant surveillance as you work, and we will sponsor your education entirely. I will work you until you can make sure nothing can get into your system." Johan took a breath and leaned back.
"Once you are done with that, we will figure out something else for you to do, but you will be completely under our control... Alright? I will warn you now if I catch you doing anything to endanger the United States by breaking our deal, well I can assure you that you won't like the consequences." Johan finished giving me a rough idea of the deal and a warning for if I break it.
From what I could tell Johan wants me to work for him for a long time. Simply saying that the Government will fully sponsor my education means that they want to put me in debt to the Government.
'It's a good deal nonetheless' I thought as hummed out loud. He didn't say anything specific about the deal but I could tell I would be chained to him, working for the U.S. for probably the rest of my life. I will have limited freedom and be under constant surveillance like a criminal.
'But, I can use this... The United States won't be around for too long, and I am sure I can hash things out so I can explore ruins and maybe join the Magic division of the country.'
Leaning forward I grinned before standing up and stretching out my hand to Johan. "Alright Johan, I agree. I am sure that we can both work out the fine details in a contract, but for now, this will be enough I hope."
Johan Bardsley stood up and shook my hand before smiling. "Alright Simon, make sure I didn't make a mistake by being lenient on you. I will get a contract made before you are released, we will be in contact." Johan said before walking out with the two other people who looked less than happy.
Breathing a sigh of relief I slumped down in my chair and rubbed my head. "Too close Simon... too close."
It was finally over, I now had an "In" with the Government and I could finally begin my plans of surviving this world.
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A/N: Hey everyone! Hope it's all going well. I wrote this chapter randomly and there might be a few mistakes but the next chapters will be interesting.
Time skips and the such are in your future! I estimate I will speed-run Simon being in the Government/School before exploring ruins and then getting the crown. Once Simon has the crown stuff will pick up the pace, I swear!
Anyway hope you have a good day~