The night that came, was longer than any nights for Agent Z.
The Red Scorpion held its usual meeting at night.
Agent Z, already busy with the mission he had been given, attended the meeting reluctantly.
He stepped into the chamber. Tonight, the heavy round table was entirely vacant, save for two men. The Boss sat dead center beneath the solitary, harsh overhead light, cast in stark relief against the blackness. In the far corner, swallowed by the shadows, sat Agent Dallion. He didn't speak. He merely perched in his chair like a vulture, his attentive eyes tracking Z's every step with a cold, mocking vigilance.
"How well is the mission progressing, Z?" The Boss's voice echoed faintly through the quiet room.
"I have yet to locate the Dolv," Z replied smoothly, keeping his stance rigid, his expression unreadable as usual. "There are none in the town who seem eligible enough to catch the murderer. For now."
"I don't recall commanding you to hunt down the Dolv yourself," the Boss spoke, his brow furrowing as the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"I have planned on locating him so that it is easier to know which detective is on the right tracks in catching him. Thus, I will be able to catch both the Unpredictables at one spot immediately."
The Boss closed his eyes to show his understanding. He opened his cold eyes again, this time staring into Z's eyes.
"Somebody has got your attention."
Z didn't reply and kept his blank face steady. Yes, it was true that somebody had taken his attention. But it was too soon to discuss.
The Boss waited for his response for a brief moment then finally spoke, "You must hurry in your mission."
Agent Z nodded with a bow and took his leave.
He walked out of the room and met Judy waiting outside the door.
"Z, you okay?" She whispered as she scanned him head-to-toe.
"Was there a reason not to be?"
Judy smiled at his words. A reason?
"The Boss was just discussing canceling your assignment," she murmured, leaning closer. "He wants to hand the Loughtown mission over to Dallion."
Z stiffened. "I have spent a single day in that town. How could he wish to discard me so quickly?"
"Well, he knew you'd be trying to locate the Dolv. It's common sense. So, he cornered me earlier. Asked if you had requested any of my data regarding the Dolv's appearance, seeing as I was the only one who fought him on the night of the murder."
Agent Z sighed. This snitcher. "And you said no."
She shook her head disapprovingly.
"I have always looked out for you, Z. So obviously, I lied and said that you did ask me for the appearance of the Dolv."
"What went wrong then?"
"Dallion somehow came to know that I was lying. I swear I hate that guy. And so, Boss came to know you didn't ask for any data from me and thought you are unworthy of the mission." She shrugged.
Agent Z couldn't help but snicker.
The hallway was filled with a haunting silence so Agent Z resisted laughing for it would be audible by the people inside the meeting room.
"You all are fools." He finally spoke and smirked at Judy. "You do know that makeup and wigs and many more disguises exist. Then how can you blindly trust a physical appearance glimpsed for a mere fraction of a second in the dead of a rainy night?"
Judy thought for a moment, looking at Z's scarred face. The scars from his childhood. She agreed.
"Of course, you will know better about makeup than the rest of us." She said, remembering how he always disguised himself into a surprisingly neat face.
She didn't talk about his scars immediately but made sure Agent Z saw her eyes staring at his scars. Both knew how sensitive he was about his scars.
"..."
She narrowed her eyes. "You sound so exhausted. The makeup hides your dark circles", she grinned, " too."
He wished to end the conversation at once. He didn't respond. Just crouched down to her height, looking at her face to face with a subtle frown.
"Did you bring me the photos?" She asked, changing the subject and making Z frown harder.
He stepped back.
"Those landscapes? Yes, I did. However, I think you should do your hobby of painting by travelling places."
She smiled with her eyes. "I am not allowed to travel as much as you are, you fool." She made sure to call him back as a fool.
"I wonder why." He shrugged with a teasing smirk that made her smile angrily even more.
The Agents were given permissions based on their performances. They were judged by the Boss. Agent Dallion, however, was an exception. He did a job that no one else did the best; a job that everyone hated him for, feared him for.
Judy looked away angrily at Agent Z's words. She calmed herself soon enough as she reminded herself her goal.
I am not willing to work hard for this dirty organization anyways. Dirty, dirty, dirty people. I will just continue my job... It was better the days when I had Flinns with me.
Agent Z walked away from the hallway, getting ready to head to his apartment. The Red Scorpion headquarters. He could never imagine leaving it no matter what.