Now twenty-two, in my last year of college, i knew i had to start my plan, between procrastinating and learning what i needed to know to start, i finally thougth that it might be enough, if i were to wait more i would probably get a job, and fall into monotony.

I had brown hair and eyes, i didn’t care enough to think about if the color was more amber or maroon, i wasn’t handsome but pretty well liked, i only had one truly close friend but it did help me bring more joy into my life.

“I love you mom, have a good day~”

“Good day son!”

We both were smiling, my happiness is quite contagious.

As i got into the habit of smiling nearly non-stop (you're never fully dressed without one), always being positive and taking interest in others life, i refined my style, also faking being happy usually was the first step toward being truly happy.

Today was saturday and the day my plan started.

I put on make-up to look older, i was unrecognizable, having to learn how to disguise oneself this way was strangely a bit embarrassing but also a lot easier than i thougth it would be when i first started.

I put on a black suit and tie before looking into the mirror.

Pale skin, square jaw greeted me, i looked a lot fitter than i truly was, the perpetual kind smile painted my face with a tranquil feeling, the dark circles under my eyes were natural not needing to be enhanced, thanks to the paint i had slight wrinkles on my face, i probably looked between late thirty and early forty, a seemingly expensive but not too showy watch decorated my wrist giving me a more mature apparence.

I was finally ready, today i was going to meet with doctor Hanks...

Let me tell you a bit about the good doctor, the man was a true genius, creating inventions that could change humanity as we know it.

But one day wonder-man flew in with a super-villain during the testing of his “brain enhansor”, and since then the doctor was obsessed with taking revenge on the man responsible for his scars, the loss of his right arm and probably a bit of madness (not that he would ever admit to it) he was often sent to jail by the masked hero but used the money produced by the patents he got while sane to pay the best lawyers and get out.

When i managed after hours of search to get his personal number i convinced him to meet me, being a genius scientist doesn’t mean being a genius at human interactions thankfully.

And getting him under my thumb was the most-important step in my plan.

As i arrived to his home i felt fear and doubt wash over me, but as usual i pushed those down and rang the bell, my legs trembled slightly from the adrenaline, but as the show began, i was ready.

A robotic hand opened the door.

“You are?”

His voice was dry, as if it wasn't used in years.

Maybe loneliness was the greatest factor in him agreeing to see me.

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“Did you already forget me doctor? i didn’t know you had so many appointment at 8.“

Talking as if unknown peoples are old friend is an art requiring the right smile at the correct time and a mix between teasing and respect.

“Humf, come in.”

He had neat gray hair, a bionic eye and slightly leathery skin that along with his perpetual frown made him look depressed, he looked not one day over fifty, he probably had good genes as he did not seem the type to waste time doing plastic surgery.

As i followed him inside i tried to be casual.

“You wouldn’t happen to have beers or a whiskey would you?”

He lifelessly stared at me before showing me to a living room, it did not look like a mad scientist abode at all.

Comfy chairs, a tv along with a few trinkets and a wood table gave this room a homey feel.

“Wait here”

He pointed a brown leather chair and went to where was probably the kitchen only to come back barely a minute later with two beers and glasses for us, sitting in the chair opposite to mine.

“You better have a good reason to come to me.”

He looked at me with eyes void of emotions but tainted with an hint of madness, he looked like a man who had nearly given up on life, and it was all i could have hoped for.

“Well, as i previously told you i am Henry Wotton, you could consider me an human ressources expert and as i said on the phone...”

I inserted a pause here, opening both of the beers with the ring on my thumb, filling the glasses and handing him one.

“... I am someone who believe in your potential and has an offer for you.”

He snorted before taking a swig of the beer, i crossed my fingers on the table and looked at him, waiting for him to talk.

“My potential?”

The begining of the fire i wanted to lit appeared inside his eyes.

“I am but an old man, who cannot even get rid of a dangerous half-wit who destroyed my life!”

As he said this his knuckles turned white on his glass as rage filled him.

“I cannot do ANYTHING!”

As he said this he stood up and threw his half filled glass on the floor, not flinching at this was hard, but thankfully it was not outside of my expectations.

He huffed and started losing steam, keeping my kind smile i simply pushed my glass toward him and took a mouthful of beer straight from the bottle.

“Well don’t belittle yourself doctor, if you say you lack potential think of peoples like me.”

small joke to disarm him a bit.

“You made many inventions that allowed you to go toe to toe with a literal human demi-god.”

praising him to calm him, but no pause.

I mustn’t let him speak or think yet.

“But you made a small mistake, you are a scientist, why are you trying to do a ruffian’s job?”

aaaand curiosity in his eyes, i caught him, now should be suspicions.

“What do you mean?”

his eyes narrowed and he put his hand on the chair.

"Well as i said i am an expert at human ressouces, i have no talent on my own, but i have good eyes.”

I couldn’t help it, as i said those words my smile became twisted, too large to be natural, the dry paint adding wrinkles on the corner of my lips and eyes.

But i don’t think an half-mad genius will care.

“Your genius is wasted on trying to destroy an idiot, i want to help you finish this quarrel quickly so that you can start going back to who you were...”

little pause, force my smile back to kind.

“... a great mind that helped humanity as a whole rise.”

I watched him think, slowly drinking my beer, he slowly sat down taking the glass i offered earlier, for a moment he looked older, bonelessly sitting before the flame in his eyes became a brazier, he straightened himself.

“... What do you propose?”

“A partnership simply, i work with you and help you achieve you goals, in exchange you sometime help me with your inventions, for exemple, i would love to enhance my mental capacity.

But i guess that in a way if we both start spending time and helping each others it would be better to call this the beautiful start of a friendship.”

once again the excitement i felt at the first step of my plan being nearly done twisted my smile as i extended my hand over the table.

I was a betting man who loved the rush of my life goal’s depending on if he took this hand.

I could see multiples thoughts flashing inside his mind.

For a few seconds my lonely hand hang over the table, my smile fixed.

and then another hand joined mine, the good doctor looked deadly serious.

“I will have faith in you, keep in mind that i don’t give second chances, now you better tell me about your plan and be convincing.”

i took a cigarette form my breast pocket before lighting it, i was partial to rolled one’s but it wouldn’t look as serious.

“Well you see...”