Location: FBI HQ – Internal Affairs Briefing Room
Evan sat in a windowless room with a light too bright and a desk too shiny. Across from him sat three agents with folders thicker than a Manhattan phonebook.
"Agent Evan Walters," one said, flatly. "You handed a known cyber-felon access to federal funds and… a laptop."
"Technically," Evan started, "I borrowed the laptop and he just happened to—"
"—Hack half the building, steal $23 million, and release the contents of the FBI meme group chat to BuzzFeed."
"I mean… you laughed too, right?"
Silence.
Just then, Evan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He shouldn't have even had it. But Kodi Grey didn't exactly care about rules.
It was a text.From: Unknown📸 [A picture of Kodi sipping wine in Marbella, Spain, with "#FreeMyBoy" written on a napkin.]💬 "Check your email. I fixed it. You're welcome."
Location: FBI Cyber Division Server Room – Moments Earlier
Kodi sat cross-legged on a rooftop across the world, laptop perched on his knee like a sniper rifle.
He'd just deepfaked a fake memo from the Deputy Director of Cybersecurity, claiming Evan was actually on an undercover sting op to lure him in. A "brilliant maneuver," the forged document read. "We commend Agent Walters' creativity under pressure."
Kodi snorted.
"Creativity. More like panicked compliance. But sure."
With one more keystroke, he uploaded the doc to FBI's internal servers, flagged it "Priority: Executive Eyes Only," and added a secondary line:
"Also, stop bringing tuna sandwiches into the server room. That's just disrespectful."
Back at the Interrogation Room…
An agent's tablet lit up. New memo.
He squinted, then passed it around. Whispers filled the room.
The lead agent cleared his throat.
"Looks like… there's been a misunderstanding. You're being reassigned, Evan."
"Wait, I'm not fired?"
"Effective immediately… you'll be reporting to Kodi Grey."
Evan blinked.
"…The guy who just cost the government 23 million dollars?"
"He says he made double that betting on crypto crashes during your interview. He's… efficient."
Later That Night – Somewhere Coastal, Warm, and Beautiful
Evan found Kodi reclining in a hammock between two palm trees, a laptop balanced on his chest and a coconut with two straws in one hand.
"I just committed light treason for you," Evan muttered.
"Relax," Kodi said, handing him the other straw. "You're not the first. Won't be the last."
"What even is this gig?"
"Officially? Consultant. Unofficially?" Kodi smirked, eyes twinkling. "We're gonna rob Eden back from NullSyntax and maybe crash the stock market along the way. Depends on the mood."
"And the FBI's okay with this?"
"They think it's their idea."