"Agent Carter..."

"You can just call me Suzanne."

"Alright, Agent Suzanne" Suzanne rolled her eyes, this was going to be a long debriefing. "you have been assigned to a Mr. Drew Baxley for the past few years."

"That is Dr. Drew Baxley and yes three years and seven months, two days after the convention." Nobody liked to talk about the convention.

"Yes, and in that time what reliable, and verifiable intelligence have you acquired." The stuffy politician said from behind his large desk.

Suzanne sat in a large underground room that was once used as a fallout shelter in the seventies or something. The tile was brought straight out of an old school, the walls were off white, probably from when people still smoked in offices. The ceiling was about eight foot, which wouldn't be that bad on a smaller room. As it stood the noise canceling panels hanging just a couple feet above their head level and the loan working florescent light between her and the bag of wind made it creepy.

"I have discovered that he is assigned to project VR and has the highest security in the entire facility. I have also discovered that nobody’s allowed to know what he is working on, even the people who gave him the project only know the general scope." He held his hand up for her to pause.

"What exactly is that general scope?" He had his hands steepled with his elbows resting on his desk, pulling his jacket back and showing off what looked to be gold cufflinks. He was looking over his reading glasses, as if that was the only way to look down on her when they were on the same level.

"We don't know yet. We do know that it requires an extensive amount of programming and has the strictest security protocols ever conceived. Drew is the only one allowed to leave the facility, something I assume he had in his original contract. Even then he only comes out once a week to take care of personal affairs and to visit his friend. We also know that a while back there was a massive amount of dirt removed and a lot of large equipment installed thereafter, this project took less than a week so it must have been something important to spend so much money on it."

"We acquired that information through surveillance and satellite imagery. This inquisition is to determine the effectiveness of your observations and to justify the extreme budget we spend on "cosmetics" each month."

It wasn't her idea to dress up like Uncle Drew every single Saturday and serve breakfast. "I understand the scope of this inquiry Sir, but this is the only access we have. Drew is ex-military and he is paranoid by nature. He only sleeps inside of the facility and his only human interaction is with his best friend. He never speaks about specifics, but he does talk in general terms. He has surveillance teams watching him around the clock. The only reason we have gotten the information we have is because of my undercover work and that access. If we pull the plug how will we have any insight? Do you propose that we just take them on their word?"

"You know we can't, but we need results!" His voice raised slightly conveying just how much pressure he had on him to succeed and get useful intelligence. He shuffled his small stack of papers, straightened them took a small drink of water and continued with his hands flat on the desk leaning forward. "We are under a lot of pressure here. People above me want answers, people above them want answers, and you are our best shot at getting those answers. They have stopped giving us meaningful updates and timelines, did you know that?" He asked now leaning back in his chair and running his chubby hand through his thinning hair.

"No Sir I wasn't informed."

"They are still spending money at a prodigious rate though, so I assume they are doing something with that money. We need to know what, that is your job."

"I understand my job Sir."

"Then get me some meaningful results and useful information. I need to know what is happening so I can share it with my colleagues, and you need to know so you can't stop serving sweet tea and calling people 'Hun'."

Suzanne simply nodded then thought back to the conversation she heard from that morning. "Sir there is some intelligence that I would like you to get verified for me. I was going to speak with my handler about it, but I was told to come straight from makeup to this meeting." She paused waiting for him to gain interest.

"Well what is it?" He said in a slightly annoyed and uninterested tone.

"It isn't anything major, but Xanthos has been invited to the facility to help Drew out with something, and it must be something very important." She let a small smile slip through to antagonize him.

"What? They are letting him in? When?" He was back leaning forward his eyes wide now fully engaged, but Suzanne had the power now, and wished she had some glasses of her own. She did have a nail file, but that would just be too cliché.

The smile grew and she looked him in the eye. "Xanthos is going to help Drew as an Alpha tester on, and I quote 'that Skynet level, really shouldn’t screw around with stuff that we don’t fully understand, super AI virtual pocket universe thing'." She read directly from the ticket that she had scribbled the note on. "They left straight from the diner to the facility, something that I have confirmed. I don't know if they will be doing much today, but I have never seen Drew this excited, so I assume that it is something big." Chew on that you bureaucratic waist of space and air.

"Right now, Xanthos, a non-employee is in the compound and has access to the 'Project' and furthermore he described it as a virtual pocket universe? You should have led with that information." For someone that just got fantastic news, he just seemed to get angry about it.

"'Virtual pocket universe thing.'" Suzanne read from the note.

"What?"

"That is what he said implying that he thought of it in that fashion. Not that he had any reliable or definite information regarding the project. He may have inferred from context clues over the past year that he was working on that sort of project. You must remember that even though Drew is smarter Xanthos is still highly intelligent. And he has in depth knowledge of Drew's past and his body language. Even though they only talk in the diner, an arrangement most likely made through his contract, there is no reason to believe that we know more than Xanthos. Normally my intelligence is filtered through several layers before it gets to you so having such 'raw' information most likely makes it seem less credible."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He sat silent for a few minutes. Then he sat forward in the same posture as before looking over his glasses hands steepled. "Over the past three years how often have they spoke directly about the project, and not in general terms?" He asked.

"Not once, this is the first time Sir." Oh, mighty Lord of Condescension.

"Everything you have gotten so far has been..." He let the words hang.

"Inferred Sir." Suzanne replied.

"Why do you think it is something big?" He asked offhandedly.

She was a little embarrassed but went with the truth. "I have been waiting on them for years and today Drew gave me the largest tip he has ever given me after I gave him decaf coffee as a joke."

"I see." Was all he replied then after about thirty seconds of silence only interrupted by a couple seat creaks he said, "You have to get closer to Xanthos."

"I will do my best, but the disguise that I am using doesn't exactly make it easy to interact. Great for the ‘fly on the wall’ approach, but not direct interaction."

"This is very important, do whatever it takes to get this information." He had the nerve to look her up and down when he said "whatever".

Suzanne stood up slowly walked forward, placed her hands flat on the desk and stared straight into his eyes. "If you in any way shape or form imply that I should whore myself out again I will ensure that your wife and kids know about your little "Golf" trips. Then I will make sure that your little foreign maid knows about you preventing her citizenship paperwork from going through." He held her gaze, but the secrets made his eyes widen. "I am in this position because I graduated top of my class, I worked my way up through hard work and competence. The only reason I am still in the field is because I am that good, and because I have been passed over three times for less qualified men. I have given everything I have for this country relationships, pets, a comfortable bed, even part of my sanity, but this" she indicated all of her "is mine, and I will do with it as I please." She held his gaze for a few seconds until she remembered Xanthos threatening to stab Drew in the eye over some hash-browns earlier sitting in an almost identical way. Then she almost cracked a smile so instead she grabbed his water and threw it in his face as she walked out.

He just sat there stunned for a few moments before he took out a handkerchief and wiped his glasses and then his face and head. Then he shook his head and simply muttered "women".

Suzanne then pulled out her personal cell phone and shot off a text. "You still want to get some bubble tea? -C"

Three days earlier.

"That's a good one." Came a deep voice from over Suzanne's shoulder.

"Excuse me?" She said holding a copy of "The Seven Realms" in the YA section of B&N.

"That book, it was good." Xanthos said.

Suzanne smirked. "You have read this?" She pointed at the cover of the first book.

"Yeah and it was fantastic, you should get it." Xanthos just turned and started walking off.

"That’s it?" She asked spreading her hands in disbelief.

"Yeah, I mean I gave it a thorough review on Goodreads if you want to read it. I am listed under Lizardman5e." He again turned to go.

Suzanne shook her head. "Do you always prowl the YA section looking for young girls you can impress with your knowledge of romantic fantasy books?" She had a devious grin on her face, that undermined her insult.

Xanthos stopped dead in his tracks and was starting to get worried about an SJW type situation, until he realized he didn't care. He turned around and walked back up to her. "Typically, I hang out in the religious section and impress old ladies with my scriptural knowledge. They are always so appreciative when I help them get a book from the top shelf. You never know when you might come across a rich widow." He paused as if thinking, looking up and to the left. "Or just any type of widow for that matter my standards are pretty low. Speaking of which, want to grab a bubble tea or something?" He crossed his legs stuck one hand halfway in his pocket and leaned on the shelf doing his best to look as slimy as possible lifting his eyebrows.

Suzanne couldn't take it any longer and she cracked. She just laughed at him, not like a sexy dignified laugh, like a whole-body snorting kind of laugh. She made it very clear that she was laughing at him and not his antics.

"Are you finished yet?" He asked switching to a more defensive posture.

"Just give me a few more minutes, I haven't had someone botch a pickup line that bad in years." She said through short breaths holding her belly that had apparently cramped.

"I would love to stand around here all day and chat, but I am pretty sure I saw Ms. Whittaker walk in thirty minutes ago. She should be rounding the corner of her favorite aisle any minute now." Xanthos made a show of looking at his watch.

Suzanne looked at him for the first time in that way, even after watching him for three years she hadn't looked at him as anything more than a source of information. Actually, it was worse she saw him as a way to get access to a source of information. She had done her best to ensure they would come back every time, but she wasn't sure if it was the service, the food, or just force of habit that caused them to come to the same restaurant every week on the same day for breakfast. He was tall, tan, in great shape, and had dark blue eyes. He had sharp features with a strong jaw line, and a thick beard that was trimmed down today, but not always. He was attractive but she hadn't noticed before.

She smiled at him and pulled out her phone making a new entry for Lizardman5e and handed it to him.

"Thank you, but I have a phone." He pulled out the oldest phone with apps in existence.

"Just put your number in and throw that thing away." She said indicating the Alexander Bell original he was toting.

"Why should I give you my number? And do you normally give strangers your unlocked phone?" He gave her a sly smile.

"Because if I find any rich widows on their deathbed with nobody to leave all their money to, I will call you. And because you don't exactly have a line of beautiful single women trying to get your number."

Xanthos smiled at her and put his number in. "Just go ahead and buy the box set, you will thank me when you finish the first one and the bookstore isn't open." He handed her the phone and headed to the checkout.

“Name is Cassandra, by the way.” She said to his back.

“Sure it is.” He chuckled pointing to a nearby shelf where half the books were by an author whose first name was Cassandra.

Three Days Later

"It isn't whoring yourself out if you like him, besides if I want to do something with my body it is my choice." Suzanne thought as she walked away from the hidden entrance. "Whatever lets me sleep at night, I guess. It isn't because he might be one of two people that can save the planet. It is because he has a nice butt, and he was right those books are awesome! My priorities are all screwed up."