Chapter Text
He receives his mission from the old man as always, the casual bump in the subway that leaves him with a sharp pinch to the ribs and a flash drive in his pocket. (Someday, he’ll ask the old man how he does it. It gets harder and harder every time to spot him until they’re side by side.)
From the subway he heads to his flat, a tiny little rundown thing that serves as his base of operations in the city. It’s in a sketchy neighborhood, but the rent is cheap and no one asks questions. It’s the perfect place to set up. There’s not much furniture, just a cot and a coffee table, but it’s alright. He’s lived in worse places, and he doesn’t have to worry about paying anything himself. It’s one of the few perks of the Organization.
The room quickly fills with the smell of coffee as he settles down on the floor, laptop on the table, flipping the flash drive around absently. He hopes this mission is easier than the last; infiltration takes longer, but is easier than straight assassination. It’s certainly easier to clean up after himself.
With a soft beep, he logs into his system, plugging in the flash drive to view the files. It’s a bit of a relief, taking note of the files and pictures. Everything’s been set up for him already, from the looks of things, but he can’t afford to be careless. He didn’t get to be one of the best in the Organization by being sloppy.
Agent 49 was many things, but sloppy was not one of them. He prided himself in that.
He scans the files with a sigh, taking note of the documentation. He is to infiltrate the Lee Industries offices, and track down relevant information for the Organization. That was simple enough. He had an alias pre-prepared, along with a stunning resume. Depending on the encryption in the Lee system, data collection would take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a couple of months. A standard mission, then.
Or so he thinks, until he moves on to the next page, to the secondary mission.
The picture had been taken from a tabloid, the headline barely cropped out of the frame. The woman was the focus, though. Her mouth was set into a tight frown, and even in the picture he could see the clench in her jaw. She was in the process of stepping into a cab, short hair caught in the wind.
Lenalee Lee, COO of Lee Industries, heir apparent to the company, is the target. Still, as he stares at the picture, his stomach turns. It’s more than a simple assassination. His orders are to join the company, get the data, and to somehow wrangle a date with the COO to learn her secrets before disposal.
He can manage it. He hopes.
Agent 49 sighs, closing his eyes, pushing the uneasy feeling away. He’s not one of the best for nothing.
Lavi Bookman walks into the lobby of Lee Industries and freezes, looking around the massive building in awe. It’s all tall ceilings and marble columns, tastefully decorated with greenery and elegant seating. There’s a fountain burbling along to his left, a long receptionist desk across it.
He walks to the receptionist, an embarrassed flush on his face. The receptionist, for their part, looks equal parts amused and concerned. “First time seeing it?”
“Yeah.” Lavi pats his face, glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. He hurriedly pushes them back up, shooting the receptionist a blinding smile. “Um, sorry about that. I have an appointment for an interview today?”
The receptionist – their plaque says Alma Karma – grins, tapping at their computer. “Name?”
“Uh, Bookman. Lavi?” He leans on the counter, looking around curiously. “I’m supposed to be seeing someone at three, I think.”
Alma hums, nodding at their screen before turning back to Lavi. “Three o’clock. If you want, you can head up there now.” They hand him a visitor’s pass and point towards the bank of elevators. “42nd floor. That’s HR.”
“Thanks!” With a jaunty wave, Lavi walks to the elevators, his glasses logging the locations of the security cameras with ease. Security is standard in the lobby, but it means nothing. There’s still a lot more to see.
The elevator opens with a soft ding, and Agent 49 steps inside. He stretches casually against the wall, and again, his glasses pick up a camera. This one is hidden behind a panel (according to his screen), but again, nothing too suspicious. Granted, if someone knew the camera was there, it would start an absolute shitstorm for the company.
It’s something to keep in mind if he needs to get someone off his back.
The elevators open to another reception area, this one smaller than the lobby. The woman behind the counter is frowning at her computer like it has personally offended her, and only glances up when Lavi approaches the counter. “How can I help you?”
Her badge reads Brigitte Fey, the scowling face in the picture a mirror image to the scowl directed at Lavi. Still, he smiles, tapping his fingers on the counter. “Good afternoon. I have an interview with a…Mister Wenham, I believe?”
She nods, returning to her computer. “Take a seat, please.”
Effectively dismissed, Lavi makes his way to a small waiting area, fussing with his glasses. He’s thankful the display logs everything automatically to the Organization server; if he had to do it himself he would have cracked a long time ago. As it is, the information running through his glasses is giving him a damn migraine.
The only sound is the ticking of a clock and Brigitte’s annoyed typing, the occasional slamming door echoing down the halls. He’s patient, though. Once he meets with the Department Manager, he can get to work on tracking down files. After some time, he might even get a chance to meet with the second target.
The soft click of heels catches his attention, and it takes all of his training to keep himself from breaking character.
Lenalee Lee herself walks over, an easy smile on her face. Behind her is a man he assumes is the Department Head, Wenham. Lavi jumps to his feet, returning the woman’s smile. “Hello...”
“You must be Lavi.” Miss Lee holds her hand out to shake, her grip strong for such a tiny person. Lavi nods, turning to shake with Wenham as well.
Wenham offers Lavi a tired smile, motioning down the hall they came from. “Sorry about the wait. We had something come up that needed our immediate attention.”
Lavi shrugs, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, I understand. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
“Thank you for coming,” Miss Lee replies, smiling as she walks alongside them. “My brother was very impressed with your resume.”
“Your brother?” Lavi asks, feigning ignorance. Of course he knows all about Komui Lee – CEO, philanthropist, scientist, inventor. The man was the definition of jack of all trades, bouncing from one industry to the next with an unprecedented zeal. He had pioneered quite a few technologies, including some that the Organization had adapted for its own uses. It was part of the reason he was there in the first place.
Lenalee raises an eyebrow at him, pushing the door to a conference room open. “My brother is the CEO here.”
“I-I knew that,” he smiles sheepishly, stepping behind her to hold the door open for her. “I was just surprised he had seen my resume too.”
“He likes to know the people who work for him,” Lenalee nods her thanks, stepping into the empty room with a confidence that only came with power. Wenham follows after her, setting a stack of papers down on the table.
Agent 49 pauses at the door for a moment, letting the tension seep from his shoulders. He’s played this role hundreds of times, and he knows he can do it beautifully. Something about this target though, this mission, is setting him on edge. He slaps a smile on his face, walking towards the table.
The sooner he kills her, the better.