Olympus

Chapter 33

"Your activities have not gone unnoticed." Arthur's displeasure was very vivid in his demeanour as he stared at the faces seated around the conference table. "Rio, Havana, Chersky. Your debacles have made headlines, and all in the presence of an unauthorised personnel who could very well be an enemy combatant too. Tell me, is this how the Supermen are supposed to operate?"

"All due respect, Mr. Principal Officer, none of this is our fault," Kei returned. "In fact, I'm willing to bet that we would have recovered Item 13 by now if-" Whatever she wanted to say got stuck in her throat as Dennis shot her a very stern glare. A silent debate ensued between the two of them as she seemed to insist on going ahead with her statement but he preventing her with his glare.

Finally, Kei huffed. "You deal with this." She kicked back her chair and zoomed out of the room before anyone could stop her.

Dennis passed a look to Adolf and he said, "I think we should go make sure Kei's okay," tapping Jay and the both of them stood up and excused themselves with a quick nod round the room.

The moment the door slid close behind the kids, Arthur turned to face Dennis. "You mind expatiating on what just happened back there, Director?" he said. "Especially the part where your girl was about to give a reason about why Item 13 still hadn't been recovered till now."

Dennis coughed, looking to Megan then. He wants me to get a read on the situation, she realised, trying to see if he should tell Arthur everything.

Unfortunately, her mind was all over the place and she couldn't get a read on anything even if she wanted. It had actually been like that ever since she made her confession and Ricardo hadn't given her favourable reaction; and she still couldn't fathom why his reaction meant so much to her in the first place- or didn't want to, to be honest.

Anyway, that meant that Megan was in no position to help Dennis in that moment and he soon realised it too.

He sighed. "What Kei was saying is that this mission isn't as simple as it looks and will take a whole lot of patience to see it through," he finally replied and winced immediately afterwards, presumably at how pathetic the excuse sounded to his ears.

But if Arthur found it pathetic, he didn't say so. Instead, he looked to Megan and asked, "What do you think, Miss Months?"

Megan looked up, stunned for a second that she had even been asked. Her thought was that since Dennis had spoken, she wouldn't need to. Obviously, Arthur thinks differently, she realised.

Collecting herself to at least look like she had been paying attention up till then- she still couldn't fully focus- she said, "The kids have given their best since the beginning of the mission, and I have too to the best of my abilities, and if Ricardo were here-"

"Miss Months, I'll have you remember that Mr. DiSanto isn't an authorised member of this organisation,"Arthur cut in but she cut him off too with a raise of her finger.

"All due respect, Mr. Dean, Ricardo is a part of the mission team trying to recover Item 13," she reiterated. "Director Ahmad authorised him at my suggestion, and so far, I haven't noticed anything about him to suggest that he's working for the enemy group."

Megan actually felt that she should add that the reason why the bad guys- the Nameless, she remembered Martin had called them- had been able to keep in step with them enough to derail all of their efforts to retrieve Item 13 was because they seemed to have infiltrated a lot of organisations around the world, including Olympus; and of course, because they were armed with her secret too.

But seeing how Dennis had reacted when Kei tried to mention it earlier, she decided not to either; and his look showed that he appreciated that.

Arthur stared at Megan for some time, seeming to be searching for something in particular about her; and then he turned his gaze to Dennis, his searching expression just the same as with Megan.

Finally, he broke off the look and adjusted his glasses, cufflinks, and suit before getting to his feet. "The Secretary-General wants this mission put to bed as quickly as possible," he said and extended a handshake to Dennis. "Can you do that, Director?"

"Of course." He returned the handshake.

Arthur made for the door and it suddenly dawned on Megan that he was leaving to never be seen for quite a while until he deemed it fit to reappear again. You can't let him go, Meg, her mind said to her, not till you've talked.

"Mr. Dean." She stood to block his path purely on instinct.

"Miss Months." He quirked an eyebrow. "Is there any problem?"

"Yes, actually," she returned, standing to her full height so that she wouldn't look- or feel rather- so small in front of him. Arthur will respect a show of authority to match his own, she figured. "I want a reconsideration of the deal you proposed that night in my apartment."

Arthur looked genuinely surprised, his eyebrows quirked even higher like that was the last thing he had expected to come from her; and Megan suspected that it was.

Anyway, he made a gesture for Dennis to leave first and waited till the door had closed behind him before giving Megan his full attention again.

"You're not afraid of your secret anymore," he said, seeming to have figured it out in the course of the wait, "and I'm guessing you want me to-"

"I couldn't give two hoots what you do with my secret, Mr. Dean," Megan cut him off without hesitation. "Tell my stepfather, tell the world even if that's what suits you, but I refuse to let you hang it over my head like a Damocles sword any longer."

He smiled, somewhat impressed by her attitude. "So, what now, Miss Months?" he asked.

"Now," she returned, "I'll continue on on Olympus because that's what I choose. I'll help those kids in whatever capacity they may need me, and you are going keep your face away from my apartment and anyone and anything from my past."

Megan seemed to realise how rude she might be beginning to sound just then so she took a minute to calm herself before she said anything else. "I mean, is that workable for you, Mr. Principal Officer?" she asked afterward.

Arthur grinned now. "It is," he replied and clapped her on the shoulder like she had done something he was most proud of. "Good job finding yourself, Miss Months, I never doubted that you could."

Umm, what? Megan held a confused look. She had thought that everything that happened was her own volition but it was starting to look like Arthur had been somehow putting her to the test, even from the very moment he stepped into her apartment to threaten her with the secret.

But why? She asked herself. What is the essence of all these?

Unfortunately, Megan didn't get to voice her question as Jay barged into the conference room. "Guys, we have a problem," he said and she knew immediately from the look on his face that all hell was about to break loose.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Item 13," he replied. "It's been activated."