This Is Not An Interrogation || Kiku Honda

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Exactly two years before, Kim-Ly’s final attempt at a relationship had proved fatal.

Literally fatal.

Sipping at her mug of coffee, the woman shifted her feet; she was perturbed by her recollection of the date. After all, they had been dating for a week and she had never expected it to last long anyways –but tell that to pair of weeping parents at a funeral and see what happens (nothing good, she would know).

She wondered what it was like –dying in a flurry of ice and blood- bones furrowing themselves into the occipital lobe as you fell backwards on to ice. Why did all her attempts at romance have to be so fatal?

One perhaps, but if her marriage had ended just as abruptly, Kim-Ly could not say that she would have been too bothered. Was that so wrong? Kim-Ly was not a murderer, she did not delight in death, but she didn't really care either. Holding a pen lightly between old, scarred fingers, the woman wondered whether or not her apathy was concerning.

Well, I can't bloody fix the circle of life, can I? Not like it's my business is it? Unless it's illegal.

Shaking her head, she glanced down at the papers and photos spread in front of her. American, French, Italian citizens -they were dead or injured weren’t they? As Foreign Citizens, of course, they were under Kim-Ly’s jurisdiction. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kim-Ly knew it was a stretch. She knew her duties should have applied only to immigrants, and yet...and yet, it was her case. It could not belong to anyone else. Not when bombs were involved. Not when she had personal experience in such cases.Her hands grazed over one of the photos pushing it towards its corresponding paper, her shaky handwriting spread across the margins like wayward vines. It was her case. And gods be damned, she was going to insure the police took their jobs seriously, be sure that the best lawyers took the case, and when it came to prisons that was her job. 

Unofficially maybe, but since she already had taken the file, who could do anything about it?

Kiku Honda would be late soon. Of course, it had been a rather hurried occasion hadn’t it?

Mr. Honda,

It is necessary that we discuss the events that occurred earlier this week. Meet me at my residence, 6:00 sharp. If you have plans, cancel them.

This is not an interrogation

Regards,

Kim-Ly Nguyen

She hoped to god her incompetent intern had indeed delivered it to the man.

A drop of the coffee spilled onto one of the photos, Kim-Ly cursed. It isn't as if I have better to do. Drinking coffee instead of tea at 6:00 at night, god, if this was tea...

She got up slowly, ignoring the whine of the chair as it screeched against the tile of the floor. She had not thought about what she would do if the Japanese man did not show up, and, given her luck, Kim-Ly was not entirely convinced that she could be too hopeful. But...there was the chance, and if he did come, the woman would not be caught on unawares.

There was a reason she ad chosen her own house instead of some obscure coffee-shop or posh restaurant (the abodes of most government workers). She knew her own house, she felt safe in it, and more importantly, she was the one in power. Kiku Honda did not strike Kim-Ly as the loose-lipped sort, but then, Kim-Ly wasn't the brash sort. She did not need rumors of their meeting floating around any of the government offices.

Hearing a sound from upstairs, Kim-Ly stopped her pacing, her brows wrinkled in confusion. She did not want to go upstairs because the upstairs didn't have an oven, and that meant it was colder. 

Another exasperated sigh.

Kim-Ly tugged on a sweater, the coffee mug  promptly tipped off the table.

And of course, there was a rather insistent knocking on her front door, "Typical."

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He had received the message only that morning when a rather haggard looking intern had run up to his desk and dropped it off. It was an...odd note. One that made Kiku Honda just ever so slightly tense. Perhaps it as just the phrasing, or perhaps it was the fact that the recent incident had stirred up older memories and emotions that made him more alert.

The incident at Maximantics had happened only a few days ago. Kiku had gotten out of it as quickly as possible. Perhaps, as a politician, Kiku should've stayed, discussed what had happened, and accepted any thanks that might have been offered. But Kiku was not that sort of man and he had little interest in receiving credit. When he'd started out, Kiku had cared a little more. It was important, after all, to reach as high as possible on the political ladder. But now that he was nearing the top (about as near as one could get without constantly being in the media's spotlight), Kiku found his interest had begun to diminish. Kiku had simply been concerned with getting Clara to the hospital.

After that, it had been rounds of investigations, interviews, questions, one after another. It had been officials and politicians screaming at one another, asking what had gone wrong, how something like this had gone wrong. Even though the Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not usually deal with matters within the UK itself, this was of international concern. The safety of the UK could also affect the safety of other nations, especially when a bomb had exploded in a building commonly regarded as safe. Kiku had been on the phone this entire week, informing various governments that things were being handled properly.

Still...Kiku had been staring at the note with more than a little apprehension. With the way it was phrased, anyone would have.

Mr. Honda,

It is necessary that we discuss the events that occurred earlier this week. Meet me at my residence, 6:00 sharp. If you have plans, cancel them.

This is not an interrogation

Regards,

Kim-Ly Nguyen

Kiku knew of Kim-Ly Nguyen. She was commonly regarded in Kiku's department as a menace, someone to be respected and awed, but simultaneously feared. Kiku personally held a great amount of respect for the woman. He wondered what business she had of him. Most likely questioning. He had been one of the politicians on the scene. Though she would've done much better asking a current MI6 agent or Kiku's boss... Kim-Ly was part of the Justice Department. She must've already been in contact with the Mi6. What did she believe Kiku must know to choose to meet with him in this manner?

Moreover, why at her house? Usually meetings like this, unless clandestine and secretive, were conducted at restaurants or cafés or occasionally, the office. Kiku had had to do some background research on Kim-Ly to find her address at all.

Kiku sighed as he headed towards the woman's house. He had a briefcase in hand, having just got off from work. It was 5:57 now and Kiku did not like to be late. Only a few more minutes until he would be...but Kiku knew that he'd be there on time.

Indeed, at precisely 5:59, Kiku knocked on the woman's door. It was a quiet knock at first. Kiku had yet to get rid of that habit. Kiku frowned.

That was when something hit the floor. Kiku's eyes widened slightly and he began knocking rather insistently.

"Ms. Nguyen?" Kiku called through the door. "Are you alright?" If she didn't answer, Kiku would have to break the door down...and he'd really rather not do that. What had happened? Was it just something small? He certainly hoped so. Kim-Ly seemed like the sort of woman who would be prepared for just about anything.

made by MISSO on IOF

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"Ms. Nguyen? Are you alright?"

Kim-Ly cursed again…clean up the mess or ask Kiku in? Two options. Kim-Ly Nguyen did not like being seen as unprepared. She was Nguyen Thi Kim-Ly, and Nguyen Thi Kim-Ly was not clumsy. To work in the Department of justice was to work with power. Knocking your cup of coffee to the floor? Not powerful. To invite him in now would be to invite him to see the broken pieces of ceramic swimming in the spreading ocean of coffee. 

So, she would need to decide quickly.

“Oh, calm down, I may be thirty, but I certainly am not suffering from a heart attack.” 

The door swung open with a smooth click. Seconds before in the kitchen, she had gathered up the files of the dead and dying. They were clasped closely to her chest, pages (some slightly damp and stained) ruffling softly as a small breeze brushed against them, without thinking she hugged them tighter.

Door open, she cast a glance over the visitor, the brief case clasped in his hand, professional attire…another regular civil servant. Just bursting with creativity. “Were you worried Honda?” Kim-Ly smirked, her eyes darting down to her watch, “Six O’clock precisely. You don’t disappoint, do you?” She turned, carelessly beckoning with a free hand, not bothering to verbally ask the man in. 

Sweeping down the hallways, Kim-Ly tried to gather her thoughts. Who was Kiku Honda? Despite his appearance, Kim-Ly knew that the man was not “another regular civil servant”. He was an ex-agent and, because of this, dangerous. But, more importantly, he was notoriously polite -a walking foil to Kim-Ly’s own brusque, cold manners. As far as she knew, he had never been convicted for a crime.

The hallway was, of course, bursting with fauna, the overall effect resembling something of a wayward jungle. She walked past the closed door to the kitchen, before stopping in a room that –for any other person or family- might be a sitting room. Between the piles of boxes marked “fragile” or “flammable” and teetering towers of books it was very clear that the woman had no intentions of entertaining anyone. 

Maybe when she had been younger, Kim-Ly had dreamed of such a house. Huge, painted bright green...and full of people, they, the people, had been the important part. Now that she was here, Kim-Ly could not help but think of a sarcophagus…grand, but otherwise empty. 

Maybe I should get a cat…

With a loud thump! The files settle violently on top of an otherwise impeccably –even obsessively- clean desk. Still silent, Kim-Ly slid onto the desk next to the papers, a heeled foot resting lazily on top of the nearby chair.

Again, her gaze raked over the other Asian. Maximantics. A bomb. And Kiku Honda –a former M16 agent and government worker had not only gotten out alive…he had rescued Clara Huang (another person in Kim-Ly’s growing list of people to watch). She settled on the briefcase, forehead crinkling. If she was younger, would she had grabbed it and opened it herself? The idea that she had somehow grown more docile with her age bothered her. Kim-Ly could not help but imagine her aunt smiling smugly from whatever part of heaven (with the amount she had prayed, Kim-Ly honestly didn’t think God had any other choice) she currently inhabited.

Granted, if she were younger, Kim-Ly wouldn’t have bothered with any of this. She would have just marched straight into his office and demanded all the answers and favors she wanted.

Brushing imaginary pieces of dust off the sweater Kim-Ly shook her head. It didn’t matter. 

“Honda, do you know what makes this different from an interrogation? More importantly, do you have any idea why am I talking you?” She raised an angular brow, “I’ve heard you’re intelligent. Impress me.” From the tone in her voice, it was very clear Kiku would not be allowed to sit until he answered.

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“Oh, calm down, I may be thirty, but I certainly am not suffering from a heart attack.” Kiku blinked as the door swung open. Kim-Ly clutched a number of papers close to her chest, though Kiku could see that they were slightly damp. And stained as well, with a light brown color slowly seeping through. Coffee then. Had she spilled something? Perhaps that was the reason for the noise. Kiku frowned. He wouldn't have expected that from Kim-Ly. She seemed like the sort of woman who was always cool under pressure and always under control.

"Were you worried, Honda?" There was a smirk on Kim-Ly's face.

"For a moment, yes," Kiku replied honestly. Kim-Ly looked completely fine. What had been that noise then?

Kim-Ly glanced down at her watch. "Six o'clock precisely. You don't disappoint, do you?" Kim-Ly turned away, carelessly beckoning Kiku to enter.

Kiku walked in, taking in Kim-Ly's house as he entered. The house was surprisingly disorganized. Kiku was not sure what he should have expected, but it wasn't quite this. The hallways were crowded with plants of all sorts, Kiku observed. It was almost like they had entered a forest.

As they entered the next room, which logically should be a sitting room, Kiku was surprised by the number of boxes and towers of books. A number of the boxes were labeled "fragile" or "flammable." He wondered if these boxes were simply Kim-Ly's and she hadn't unpacked them. No, the more likely scenario was that Kim-Ly had brought these back from the office. She was obviously very dedicated to her job, perhaps to the point of obsession. It was interesting. Kiku knew that many younger, more desperate politicians would study up and try to get on people's good sides in the hopes of attaining some political dream. Someone in Kim-Ly's position though would certainly have others who could do research for her. Unless she had some particular motive (or was particularly patriotic), these boxes seemed rather out of place.

That brought Kiku back to his original question. Why here? The disorganized living room, the spilled coffee, maybe even the plants...it was a highly unprofessional setting. Kiku was susceptive to oddities. It was a habit from his days as an agent. If something was out of place...Kiku needed to know why.

Kim-Ly virtually slammed her papers onto her desk, which, contrasted against the rest of the house, was astoundingly clean. She sat down on her desk as opposed to her chair, her foot resting lazily on the chair. The action was small, but the message was clear. Kiku would stand while Kim-Ly questioned him. Perhaps not the most subtle way of communicating it, but certainly effective.

“Honda, do you know what makes this different from an interrogation?" Kiku was about to say something when she continued without pausing. "More importantly, do you have any idea why am I talking you?” She raised her eyebrow. "I've heard you're intelligent. Impress me."

Kiku's face was blank, devoid of emotion or a reaction to Kim-Ly's words.

To be honest, Kiku had next to no idea why Kim-Ly had invited (or, well, insisted) that they meet. Kiku was aware why it was different from an interrogation. For the first thing, he had sat through an interrogation before. For the second, there was no evidence that Kiku had done anything wrong, at least not to the government of the UK. Kim-Ly's attitude might resemble that of an interrogation, but the entire situation was very different. The government did not call for interrogations. They simply interrogated.

The second question though, was the one that had been making Kiku pause. He had no real evidence to go off of, only simple speculation. This ranged from the most simple thoughts to the wildest assumptions. There were dozens of possibilities.

Luckily, if there was anything that Kiku was good at, it was thinking on the spot. So he replied with little hesitation.

"You have no reason to talk to me," Kiku said calmly. "There is little information I could offer that would not have been known to the Justice Department already. I am sure in these past few days, you or your superiors have spoken and been in contact with the MI6, who would have a great deal more information on the incident at Maximantics than I would."

Kiku's brown eyes surveyed Kim-Ly, looking her straight in the eye. "You would only insist on meeting me if you thought there was something I could aid you in. If it isn't in regards to my personal account of the Maximantics incident, it must be at least related. Perhaps it is related to my current position in the government. Perhaps not. I do not claim to know your motives, Ms. Nguyen. I do believe that you do not wish them to be exposed, at least not immediately."

Kiku dipped his head. "I apologize if I have been out of line, but that is my interpretation of the situation. Please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions."

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"You have no reason to talk to me," Kiku said calmly. "There is little information I could offer that would not have been known to the Justice Department already. I am sure in these past few days, you or your superiors have spoken and been in contact with the MI6”

Kim-Ly raised a hand, “Superior. Singular, not plural.” Could she get away with half the things she did without being so high up? Probably not. Not that they were ever illegal things…Kim-Ly liked to think of herself as the law, whether she was a judge or not. But just like the laws she flexible. And so were the rules.

Honesty, however, that was not flexible. Oh, Kim-Ly could live with a few broken rules, but honesty was something else entirely, and so, she would wait. Kiku Honda was, after all, considered by most as an honorable person. In Kim-Ly’s own mind, the mind of scientist and certainly not that of a politician, she knew the positive correlation between too much honor and honesty. She knew the benefits of being associated with someone who was generally, polite and well respected.

"You would only insist on meeting me if you thought there was something I could aid you in. If it isn't in regards to my personal account of the Maximantics incident, it must be at least related. Perhaps it is related to my current position in the government. Perhaps not. I do not claim to know your motives, Ms. Nguyen. I do believe that you do not wish them to be exposed, at least not immediately."

Kim-Ly waited silently for him to finish, letting the quiet settle for several more seconds before finally speaking.

“Kiku Honda. Japanese immigrant. Age, Twenty-seven. Works in Foreign office…former M-16 Operative,” Kim-Ly paused her recitation, “Let’s promise to be honest, yes? I’ll start: I don’t give a fuck about what the M-16 says, and I could care less about the endless drivel that comes from the mouths of Politicians.”

“But you, Honda,” her foot tapped impatiently on the chair, “You don’t quite belong to either. The M-16 couldn’t use you anymore, and now, you’re working a desk job,” she pulled a file onto her lap, “Am I correct in this assumption?” As she spoke, her fingers expertly flipped through the display of documents and photos, occasionally pausing and pulling one of them out.

“You don’t belong to the M-16 and you don’t belong in the government,” Kim-Ly repeated firmly, “so you’re going to notice things that other people didn’t. You can get places other people can’t –you see why I might value you perhaps?”

To be sure, the bombing was not Kim-Ly’s priority. Friendship was even further down. What she saw was a potential ally, and the devil knew, in their professions allies were things you had to exploit as soon as possible –before someone else did.

Her foot slid off the chair, “So. Let us assume your hypothesis is correct. How willing are you to aid me?”

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Kim-Ly raised her hand, as if she were a child in class making a comment. "Superior. Singular, not plural."

Kiku's face remained impassive at the comment. He did not work too closely with the Justice Department, though their two departments were interlinked. Clearly though, he should have been keeping an eye on it more closely. The meeting had been so sudden that Kiku had not had time to do the thorough research that he took the time to do prior to any meeting.

"Indeed," Kiku said, nodding and acknowledging his mistake. He made no further comment—no further comment was necessary.

Kim-Ly remained surprisingly silent while Kiku talked, a fact that Kiku had not been relying upon. It was proper etiquette in the political realm to allow the other to finish, however it did not seem like a rule that Kim-Ly would strive to adhere to. Her comment had simply made that even clearer to Kiku. Like all political meetings, it was an exercise of power, a barely visible struggle just beneath the surface to determine who held the leash. Kim-Ly emphasized her position. Perhaps the choice in meeting here had been influenced by that as well. Never meet on the other man's turf twice. Kiku and Kim-Ly were not opponents by any definition, but politicians would be politicians. Kim-Ly, clearly, was no different.

When Kiku had finished, Kim-Ly spoke up. "Kiku Honda. Japanese immigrant. Age, Twenty-seven. Works in Foreign office…former M-16 Operative." She paused, allowing him to take in her words. Clearly, she had had time to do her research, and thoroughly. Kiku's records were kept on file, as were all government employees, but the last tidbiit of information was usually more difficult to uncover. Kim-Ly's pause did not slip beneath Kiku's notice.

“Let’s promise to be honest, yes? I’ll start: I don’t give a fuck about what the M-16 says, and I could care less about the endless drivel that comes from the mouths of Politicians.”

Kiku blinked. He had heard plenty about Kim-Ly's bluntness, yes, but it was still a bit of a shock to see it firsthand. Her statement lacked the sugarcoating and almost sickly sweetness that seemed to lace the words that poured out of most politicians mouths. Kiku wondered briefly if she had always been like this or if it had only recently come out with her secured position.

Honesty was never a guarantee in the world of politics. You either admitted you were a liar or you were lying. Kiku was by no means honest. Honesty was something he could appreciate, but it was never something that Kiku relied on. That would be an idiotic decision, and in some circumstances, even possibly fatal.

"But, you, Honda," Kim-Ly's words caught Kiku's attention once again, "You don't quite belong either."

Kiku gazed at Kim-Ly with indifference in his gaze. Her next words though, caused him to stiffen ever so slightly. “The M-16 couldn’t use you anymore, and now, you’re working a desk job."

Kiku knew this and he knew it well. Whether he had intended it to or not, his years in the MI6 had shaped him as a person and he missed it. Entering politics after the MI6 had been difficult. The fact that Kim-Ly was able to catch onto this did not sit well with Kiku. He steadied himself as she continued.

“You don’t belong to the M-16 and you don’t belong in the government, so you’re going to notice things that other people didn’t. You can get places other people can’t –you see why I might value you perhaps?

"So. Let us assume your hypothesis is correct. How willing are you to aid me?"

It always came down to this, not that Kiku had ever suspected otherwise. Allies. Friends in high places were absolutely crucial in politics. Certainly, Kiku held no objection to working with Kim-Ly. Her position would be beneficial to him as well, regardless of where his career headed in the future.

However, one never accepts a proposal at the start of a negotiation in the realm of politics.

"It depends," Kiku said slowly. "On exactly what aid would entail. Regardless of personal beliefs on politics, I prioritize my department's needs over yours...as I am sure you do as well."

Kiku didn't take the seat that was subtly offered when Kim-Ly lifted her feet from the chair, choosing instead to stand as he contemplated his necks words.

"It would be beneficial to both of us to cooperate. I would like to accept your offer, Ms. Nguyen. But I need to know the specifics."

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Perfection was the ticking of a well-wound and oiled clock. Cogs were very important to watchmakers…and sure, some of the cogs might not be necessary, but they certainly were very useful. Before the bombing, Kim-Ly her weapons were many things: cruel, creative, dangerous…but above all they were efficient. 

The world was burning up from its output of fossil fuels and methane…and that was the least of Kim-Ly’s worries. England was burning from the inside, and who better to fix it that her?

Some efficiency would fix everything. 

“The M-16 couldn’t use you anymore, and now, you’re working a desk job."

Kiku Honda had taken the bait. Maybe. Kim-Ly knew when she found a chink in someone’s armor, not matter how tiny. She had always been a manipulator and politics only had encouraged her. “Does that both you, Honda? Being tossed aside like a broken doll?” She smirked, “It hasn’t been the first time…better us than them, yes?”

“Under the M-16 –no matter how much you liked it, no matter how good you were, Honda,” her fingers drummed on the desk punctuating the words, “You were just a pawn. And an oh-so-dispensable one too. Didn’t matter how smart or strong you were,” she tutted, “So let’s change the game…you know, if you agreed, that is. That’s what I’m offering you.”

"It depends...On exactly what aid would entail. Regardless of personal beliefs on politics, I prioritize my department's needs over yours...as I am sure you do as well."

“Important as your department is…” Kim-Ly leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers. Alone in her house: a (divorced) woman talking to a (unmarried) man…internally, Kim-Ly smirked. What would her aunt say? It was a game she played…the angrier her dead aunt was, the surer Kim-Ly was that she was doing something right. 

“I won’t ask you to do anything illegal. What is confidential in your department will stay confidential, of course.” Dead aunt sniffed imperiously. 

"It would be beneficial to both of us to cooperate. I would like to accept your offer, Ms. Nguyen. But I need to know the specifics."

So the dance has begun

“I don’t care what’s beneficial to you Honda,” in Kim-Ly’s mind, her aunt swoons, “But right now, I’m the one with power and I am offering you a very good deal.”

Kim-Ly got up from her desk, and walked over to one of the stacked crates, her fingers tracing the grain of the box. “I’m offering you a piece of your life back. I’m offering you my support and advocacy,” she smirked, “I can be very convincing, you know. I’m a matriarch. And…an alleged bitch, depending on who you ask.” 

Dead aunt couldn’t disagree with that. 

“You know as well as me who’s in the government…and not all of them are savory. I want you to find them and bring them to me,” Kim-Ly pulled off a glove from her hand and tossed it to the ground. The woman’s eyes never left Kiku’s, “A lot of people would kill for the chance to be a hero.”

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“Does that bother you, Honda? Being tossed aside like a broken doll? It hasn't been the first time...better us than them, yes?”

Kiku could tell when he was being manipulated, whether intentionally or not and he was sensing that when it came to Kim-Ly, manipulation was certainly the former. His face was calm and steady as he waited for her to finish. Kiku could recognize the tactics that Kim-Ly was using. A common bond, for instance. How she phrased her words so very specifically. “Better us than them, yes?”

Which was a bit odd, because she was also attempting to brew a degree of resentment and longing in Kiku. And perhaps it was working, but that would end now. Occasionally, politics required one to put aside personal feelings and deal with things from an outsider's perspective. And Kiku could certainly do that.

"I don’t care what’s beneficial to you Honda." Of course not. "But right now, I’m the one with power and I am offering you a very good deal."

A good deal. Perhaps. But was it really? Logically, yes. But Kiku had his doubts. He took little pleasure in hunting down the more rotten side of the government. Perhaps in the MI6...and yes, perhaps he did crave that lifestyle in a way, but Kiku was learning not to cling to the past. It was important, as a politician and as a person, to be able to move on. And he wasn't sure this was going to do it for him.

He had to rethink though and decide exactly what he wanted. Because Kiku did not know.

"I’m offering you a piece of your life back. I’m offering you my support and advocacy. I can be very convincing, you know. I’m a matriarch. And…an alleged bitch, depending on who you ask."

Kiku certainly didn't doubt that. The prideful part of him didn't want to give in, however tempting it might be. But cooperation and negotiation was the key to moving up in politics. And until he sorted out exactly what his greatest ambition was, Kiku would do exactly that.

It was a good deal after all.

"You know as well as me who’s in the government…and not all of them are savory. I want you to find them and bring them to me." Kim-Ly tossed her glove down, staring straight at Kiku. How overtly dramatic of her.

Did he really want to do Kim-Ly's dirty work for her? No. Kiku wasn't the sort to rat others out. He prided himself in being an honorable man. Which might sound odd after working in the MI6 but he did really believe it. Kiku knew that Kim-Ly might hold the leverage at this point, but there were always ways to leverage things out.

"A lot of people would kill for the chance to be a hero," Kim-Ly remarked.

"If you're looking for a hero, Ms. Nguyen," Kiku's voice remained polite and steady, "then you are looking at the wrong man."

It was his turn to speak now.

"Suppose I do consider your offer," he continued. "I would still be concerned about the specifics. I am no longer an agent and regardless of how I feel about the matter, it is reality. I have a job—and it is not to figure out who is scheming behind the scenes. If I do take up your offer, it is consenting to possibly betray my coworkers and perhaps even my superiors. Which, if it came to it, I would not have too much difficulty doing, but it would put me in a bit of a nasty situation in my department. Nobody likes a rat."

Kiku paused for a moment, considering what he wanted to say next. "Again, Ms. Nguyen, I ask for details. You phrase it simply, yet the matter is not one of a simple nature. I am not an agent anymore, I have no free reign. You cannot expect me to drop everything for your cause. Give me details about what you want and then I will give you my answer about whether or not I choose to accept."

made by MISSO on IOF

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"If you are looking for a hero Ms. Nguyen, then you are looking at the wrong man"

She shrugged passively, but said nothing, allowing the Japanese man to continue. Inside, however, she smiled. Kiku might not think himself a hero, but he was exactly who Kim-Ly was looking for. She would not –could not- miscalculate. Being a hero, and acting the hero were two different things. At this point, real heroes were impossible. Not unless they turned the clock back twenty years. But when it came to public appearance, collectedness… Well, Kim-Ly thought, Kiku Honda is not a bad choice.

"Suppose I do consider your offer…”

“Which you will,” responded the voice in her head as she absently dusted off a carton.

Yes, Kiku Honda was more adept than she had previously thought he was, but it had become more evident that this was precisely what she needed. The M-16, surely, had lost a gem, and so, Kim-Ly was more than happy to take advantage of their loss.

And if Kiku really was happier in his post-M-16 life?

It didn’t matter. She needed him, and, she would have him. Happiness and sentiments was a secondary life goal reserved for the lives of the rich and the young. At age thirty, Kim-Ly no longer felt like a young woman.

"I would still be concerned about the specifics. I am no longer an agent and regardless of how I feel about the matter, it is reality. I have a job—and it is not to figure out who is scheming behind the scenes.”

Oh?

“Let’s get one thing straight, your job, your duty is to the people of the United Kingdom, not your department,” Kim-Ly remarked, lifting a brow. Unfazed by his requests, she walked over to her desk again, retrieving the file and bringing over to the just-dusted carton. 

It was evident; that the reason her desk was so clean was because she never actually used it.

“If I do take up your offer, it is consenting to possibly betray my coworkers and perhaps even my superiors. Which, if it came to it, I would not have too much difficulty doing, but it would put me in a bit of a nasty situation in my department. Nobody likes a rat."

“No one likes a rat? Are we high school girls now, Honda?” She crossed her arms, “Shall I get my nail polish out? We can giggle and debate if Smith from Human Resources fancies you.” On the contrary, Kim-Ly was not sure if Smith from HR liked anyone. Certainly not her –but he had been the first person that came to Kim-Ly’s mind. 

Perhaps she was being too snappish to a person she was suppose to be winning over. It was in bad taste, she knew it, and yet the words still buzzed out of her mouth like bees.

Her aunt had always told her that her words would come back and sting her. 

"Again, Ms. Nguyen, I ask for details. You phrase it simply, yet the matter is not one of a simple nature. I am not an agent anymore, I have no free reign. You cannot expect me to drop everything for your cause. Give me details about what you want and then I will give you my answer about whether or not I choose to accept."

“But very well. Details,” she waved her hand dismissively.

“First, as far as your superiors know, you will be acting as a liaison between me and your department. If you ask more questions than usual, attend more events than previously…you are only doing your job. And that is all anyone will know. You will receive a monthly bonus, of course. And any…technological support that you need.” 

“But, as far as your coworkers know, you are on probation,” she glanced at the man before her, gauging his reaction. “It would be counter-productive if your co-workers knew you were getting a raise. People get jealous, you see?” 

“But, if you are reprimanded…well, they like you a lot more don’t they? They say “oh, thank God, the boss caught Kiku and not me,” they’ll like you for it,” she smirked, “People are so petty…aren’t they?” She leaned against the tower of carton, fingers tracing over the rough edges of the wood. This would be the final test wouldn’t it? Would he understand the necessity of being humbled?

In his position, Kim-Ly was not sure if she would have agreed. And then thinking about her own past, the desperation to reach the top…yes. She would have gone to any length to get where she was now. 

Kim-Ly had not considered what would have to happen if Kiku said no. 

“I want you to ask a questions. Whenever something bad happens, whenever money exchanges hands, you should be there, and I should hear about it. Anything else is up to you,”  she paused, “You can start by telling me about Maximantics Corp.”

She looked over at Kiku, the coffee stained files held just out of reach, waiting for a response.