It turned out that his interrogator had been entirely serious about her recommendation. Before Summer even arrived for her own questioning, he was called to meet again with Amber Gale herself. They met in the same room as his original interview, though this time there was an odd tension in the air.
“You have been recommended for an emergency promotion,” she told him, “Before I enact it I must still ask your permission. Once you are promoted you will officially be one of us.”
In other words, he would no longer be in a position where he could just back out. Thinking about it logically, his acceptance was inevitable. With all of the the threats involving himself and Summer, Ashton needed powerful allies. No ally would have your back without getting something in return. For whatever reason, this was the role CEO Gale wanted him to serve.
“I accept the promotion and the responsibilities that come with it,” Ashton promised. He was done running from his problems.
“Good. As I am sure you are aware your first mission will be to interrogate today’s intruder,” she explained, “Before you do so I will need to give you a brief training on our rules of interrogation. You will find them different from your standard legal organization.”
Ashton took the papers she offered expecting to see a strict set of rules. Instead there was one major rule that was the basis of everything else. Under no circumstances should anyone be harmed during the interrogation process. This came with a warning that everything within those rooms was constantly being recorded. In other words, every action was likely to be observed and judged by others.
“Is there anything specific you need me to find out?” Ashton asked.
“The most important thing for us to learn is information on who helped and sent her here,” Amber replied, “Though you already have your suspicions, we need testimonies from those involved.”
That was what he had expected. Still, if the rules were this lax Ashton could easily carry out the plan he had thought of.
“Would it be possible to speak with her alone and appear as if I have disabled the cameras?” Ashton asked, “I believe she will be more likely to give the important details if no one else is listening.”
“So you intend to trick her?” Ms. Gale asked, “Are you capable of lying convincingly?”
“Have you forgotten that I was Shadow Phoenix?” Ashton asked with a confident smile, “It may have been one of my most unpleasant experiences, but it taught me how to deceive. It’s not hard as long as every lie is at least half true.”
Amber Gale chuckled. “Of course I shouldn’t have underestimated you.”
Ashton was given some time to rest and prepare before his interrogation plan. They needed some time to set things up on their end as well. As he was heading in he heard word that Summer was midway through her own interrogation.
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Queen Heart’s interrogation room was deeper inside and the increased security made it clear she was being treated as a threat. The young woman herself was handcuffed in place so she could not move to attack anyone. For a moment she appeared depressed and defeated. Then she spotted Ashton and beamed up at him.
“I knew you wouldn’t abandon me here,” she said, “You have always shown mercy to your enemies.”
Enemies? She must mean Golden Reign. The door closed with a sharp click and the camera in the corner drooped with a low hum.
“I’m afraid there is not much I can do for you,” Ashton told her, “I don’t have enough power here. Not yet. Things would have been different if we had met outside. Who sent you into this trap?”
There was silence for a few moments. “It was me. I asked him to help me get in because I couldn’t wait,” she admitted, “The plan was to meet you somewhere else. I knew that if I broke into this place I might never leave but it was worth it to me.”
“He?” Ashton asked.
Queen Heart smiled. “I met him not long after you quit being a villain. He told me of your true vision and potential and how you would need villains to sacrifice themselves for your cause,” she explained, “I have always been ready to sacrifice myself for you.”
“I don’t know who he is or what he said, but he is wrong,” Ashton corrected, “I don’t have any grand visions and I definitely don’t need anyone to sacrifice themselves for me.”
“Even if you won’t admit it, I know it’s true,” she replied, not shaken by his words at all, “We have seen it clearly. You have the ability to change this world. No matter what anyone says, I will believe in you and the future you will create.”
“Change the world?” Ashton asked, flabbergasted, “Just who is this delusional man?” He had stopped acting at this point and was using the opportunity to let his real feelings out.
“Ned isn’t delusional. He just sees what most people can’t,” Queen Heart assured, “Don’t worry, you will meet him soon. Once you are ready, ask me again and I will tell you where to meet him. Anyone other than you who attempts to approach him will fail.”
“Once I am ready?” Ashton questioned.
“That’s right. Just like me, Ned is willing to be a sacrifice for your greater cause, but he won’t go down without a fight,” she explained, “There is nothing you can hide from him. He knew everything about me from the beginning. He knew my name, my past, the pain my power caused, and even about me meeting you.”
That was a lot to unpack. It was clear that her Ned was the same one who had been tormenting Summer, but he had clearly treated the two very differently. “Until then, I guess,” Ashton said, “I will see if I can convince them to give you a bit more comfort in the meantime.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she told him, “Even if it takes forever, I will always wait for you.”
Ashton left the room and heard the camera hum again as he did so. Perhaps if he had stayed a little longer he might have been able to find out more, but he knew some new information that was important. First of all, Ned was targeting him, not Summer. Summer was just a means to an end. This guy was also an information hoarder of some kind. Could it be a mental ability? Mental powers had a way of slipping under the radar.
Rather than getting the chance to see Summer off, Ashton had to see to some paperwork. He now understood who the woman from earlier had brought the tablet with her. The rules of the interrogation might be lax, but the aftermath was far from easy. After he finally finished with that, Ashton was given some potential candidate profiles for his new team. In order for his team to function properly he needed to choose at least three to start off with.
As he sifted through the paperwork, Ashton saw an unexpected profile in the recommendations. Summer Aster. Did Gale Research want him to bring her in?