[62: All The Things She Said]
In an abandoned building, Lady Nagant suddenly regained consciousness. It was dark; only the moonlight provided any source of light. The room she was in was run-down, clearly abandoned, and had not been maintained. Boarded-up windows, peeling and faded paint, cobwebs, roof damage, deformed walls, chipped concrete, and more. She noticed she was sitting on a chair. But there were no restraints.
She was a bit unsettled. Not because of the setting, but because…'Why am I alive?' Lady Nagant asked the question to herself in her head as she looked around. The only thing she knew was that she lost consciousness after being caught on the roof. By all means, and in the line of her work, she should've most likely been killed.
It was only then that she noticed the figure sitting across from her. Her white hair was visible enough in the dark, even more so under the moonlight. She held a tablet, casually swiping across it from time to time. She had to gather information; she had to profile this person in front of her.
"...who are you?" Lady Nagant asked.
Eleanor finally looked up. "No,no, no. The question is…who are you?" She pointed at Lady Nagant.
There was a bit of silence before Eleanor spoke again.
"Lady Nagant. Or Kaina Tsutsumi. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Though meeting you at this time certainly raises a few questions and implications, what matters is that you're here." Eleanor calmly asked the question as she sat across from Lady Nagant. Lady Nagant showed no reaction.
Eleanor continued. "You've been working for the commission for several years now. And you've eliminated…" Eleanor swiped the tablet a few times. "...quite a few people. Several dozen at least." Eleanor looked Lady Nagant in the eyes. "You still remember the first one, don't you?"
Lady Nagant finally reacted. Her eyes looked up at Eleanor. She let out a shaky breath. But she didn't say anything. She wasn't trying to profile Eleanor anymore.
Eleanor continued. "The silent treatment is it? I understand. Being led down a dark path by the Hero Public Safety Commission to kill villains and corrupt heroes to cover things up and maintain an image of peace left a mark on you. Though…since you're here, it hasn't left too much of a mark. Well, not enough to make you want to assassinate the head of the HPSC as a result of your disillusionment and depressive state when seeing what they're really like. But you do know, don't you?" Eleanor's voice stayed calm and steady.
'How much does she know?' She thought to herself. How was she getting so much right? Lady Nagant quickly realized she was the one being profiled. The tables had turned drastically and instantly.
"I know a lot, Lady Nagant. You know…you and I are not so different. From an outsider's perspective, we've both been a bit disillusioned because of what we've been through or seen. Things that made us take drastic actions. Though…you have a bit more experience in that regard," Eleanor said.
Eleanor looked through the files. "Look at this one. This 'corrupt' hero wanted to testify. You were told this hero was selling information. He wasn't. You even made sure to check their pulse to make sure they were dead. You fully believed it." Eleanor read off the files and described what was in them. She barely had to do anything herself. Lady Nagant didn't know what to say; she could only listen to what was read from the files.
"Ah, listen to this, Lady Nagant. These are some reports after you completed missions. 'Threat successfully neutralized.' After you assassinated another 'corrupt' hero. 'Collateral risk acceptable.' After you had an operation that almost went wrong that resulted in you having to kill more people than expected for one of your missions. But this one is quite interesting. 'Psychological suitability remains stable.' That may be true…for now, at least."
Eleanor lowered her voice. "Ever wonder what makes a hero 'corrupt,' Lady Nagant? You see, as long as the HPSC labels a hero 'corrupt' and passes it on to you, you'll do your job. But what made a hero 'corrupt' in the eyes of the commission? It's anyone who threatens the facade of the peace they maintain. But I'm sure you know already, Lady Nagant."
Lady Nagant could only clench her hands in fists as she tried to steady her breathing. Yes…she knows.
"Were you ever a hero, Lady Nagant? Not in the eyes of the commission. Look at this." Eleanor showed Lady Nagant one of the files about her. "You were an asset. They stopped referring to you as 'Lady Nagant' very early on. Once they saw you would be compliant, they changed how they saw you."
Lady Nagant read the file. She read the truth, and her eyes widened as she gasped slightly.
Eleanor noticed. "There it is. You saw it. This one here describes a mission where you had to assassinate a detective for getting too close to the answers. That's common stuff, but you were told the detective was collaborating with a villain, which somehow made them a villain as well. Doesn't make much sense, since detectives sometimes have to talk with some unsavory people."
Lady Nagant finally spoke up. "What do you want?"
"I want to know."
"Know what?"
"If the commission lied to you already, then how many missions ago did they stop telling you the truth?" Eleanor showed Lady Nagant another file. When she read it, she truly became defeated. She slumped in the chair, her head down. Her hair fell over her eyes.
"They already have a plan to get rid of you, Lady Nagant. Your usefulness to them is almost up," Eleanor said.
"How many files do you have?" Lady Nagant asked in a low voice.
"More than enough," Eleanor said.
Lady Nagant hesitated before she asked a question. "...can you show me?"
"It'd take too long. But…I do have a little curated list for you." Eleanor swiped a few times on her tablet before turning it over to Lady Nagant. Lady Nagant looked up, read, and saw everything. She looked at documents, videos, photos, and more. She realized she no longer had control of the narrative; no, she never even had any kind of control.
"Now you realize just how deep the rot goes. Do you want it to change?" Eleanor's voice was like a demon whispering in Lady Nagant's ear.
Lady Nagant hesitated before she nodded. "...yes."
"It'll require a lot of change. It's all rotten to the core; there's no saving it. We need to pull it out by the roots. Wipe it all clean. And I'm going to need some help." Eleanor stood up and walked over to Lady Nagant, holding out her hand.
Lady Nagant looked at her hand and then at her face. She saw it. Eleanor was being serious. There was a firm resolve in her eyes that burned like fire.
Lady Nagant hesitated again. "...What about me? The commission knows a lot about me."
Eleanor smirked. "Don't worry about that. On paper, I can give you a clean slate. Something to let you start in a new direction."
"And this 'new direction' is with you?" Lady Nagant asked.
"Possibly. And maybe in more ways than you think."
Lady Nagant took a deep breath and steadied herself for another decision that would change her life after hearing Eleanor talk about the commission; all the things she said were running through her head. She took Eleanor's hand and grabbed it, standing up.
"What's next?"
"Well, Lady Nagant…I'm putting together a team."