Winter Schnee felt conflicted, she knew that lashing out was wrong, right now she was Winter Schnee, a specialist in training, not Winter Schnee the girl with a troubled family life. Still, when she saw him, she couldn't hold herself back; she hates it when she gets too emotional. Perhaps it's her teenage hormones in play or years of suppressed emotional trauma bursting out whenever it could. Things just happen when she gets emotionally unrestrained, which is why she is here pouring coffee for herself.
If she wished, she could probably force her way into the interrogation room; soldiers guarding the room might be sufficient to stop normal people, but they weren't enough to stop her.
She was top of her class in the Atlas Academy, which is why she was allowed to be here in the first place. As a top, she was allowed to partake in the Specialist Program; the top three graduates of the program were allowed to graduate early with military rank, even if they didn't join the Atlasian Military.
The program was about to end in three months, yet here she was, her actions just now plumbed her down several ranks. She doesn't think she can collect enough merit to make it up in three months without falling back from the rest of the participants.
"What was I even thinking? Student could participate in the program once in her school years, yet here I am... blowing it all away." She muttered under her breath; she could almost feel herself giving up.
"Yeah, that's really uncharacteristic of you." She felt someone pat her on the back; she really didn't need to guess who did it. She turned around, and there stood Elm Ederne, a tall and muscular young woman, one of the senior officers. Don't think she is old because they call her a senior officer; she is actually pretty young, in her mid twenties, she was still in her prime. "What exactly happened? I have been away for five minutes, and when I am back, they said the general let you go to cool your head."
"More of kicked out from there. I just got too emotional... should have known better than doing that." She gently took her cup of coffee, added two cubes of sugar, and started stirring it. "I feel so stupid now I have cooled down."
"Youth, huh? Been there, done that." Elm didn't go for the coffee; instead, she picked up one of the juice boxes and filled herself a glass. It was one of the many advantages of the city's military bases; the waiting and rest rooms were built to help the agents relax best of their capability within the allowed budget. "But that's the part of growing, you know. Everyone cracks one day, whether they like it or not; it's sometimes for the best, it happens early in the safety of home than anywhere else."
"You are still young and pretty, Elm," Winter said with a small smile. Elm was always this gentle giantess, a big lady with a big heart, both figuratively and literally. "Who do you think the general will appoint for the interrogation?"
"About that... he appointed me, actually." An awkward silence fell between them. "I guess, he thought a tough-looking big lady in a military suit would scare him enough to spill a few more beans he already did. I told him that probably won't happen, but he just said he trusts my ability."
"I see." And suddenly, the coffee in Winter's hand no longer felt so calming anymore, she placed the still half-full coffee on the counter. "Do you think the general isn't going hard because of the pressure from outside?"
"You suspect that your father has a hand in this?" Elm fills her glass once again before asking.
"Is he not?" Elm didn't answer, but their silence told everything. Elm closed her eyes, drinking her juice. "Say the truth, I am glad you are doing the interrogation. General Ironwood is right; if there is anyone who could make him spill a bean or two, then it's you. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked him to let me do the interrogation."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Winter. You are the snow angel of Atlas Academy, the princess who left the luxury for the kingdom and its people." Winter could feel the heat reaching her neck when she heard about those embarrassing nicknames given to her by the students. She faked a cough and finally picked up her coffee; it had long cooled down, yet she still finished it.
"You think I could become a specialist?" She looked at Elm, the gentle giantess was the top graduate of the program in her year. In a sense, that is why she could attain senior officer status and respect at such a young age.
"Girl, if I can do it, then so can you. You wouldn't believe how many messes I caused during the program. This is nothing compared to them." She places her hand on Winter's shoulder. "If it would make you feel better, then I would try to inquire about your father as much as possible during this session."
Winter nodded her head and looked at her gratefully. With her usual gentle smile, Elm only nodded her head before walking away.
While all this was happening, Simon was obliviously digging into the mess he called the original Simon's memory. Trying to put together as much valuable info as he could use before the person who must ask questions comes through the thick metal door. If he needed to achieve the status he wished, then he needed to have as many bargaining chips as he could currently possess.
At least get a few names to throw under the bus, a few safehouses where the original kept his things are needed to turn the tide in his direction. Currently, the other side holds all the cards while thinking he has some wild cards without being aware that all the wild cards have long been flushed away in the memory rush, and what he is holding is complete trash.
They need to keep believing that fact till he can draw some really good cards or fool them into freeing him into safety. Soon, the moment he has been waiting for arrives, and the door slides open, revealing a tall, muscular woman. The military suit tightly wrapped around her large frame as she walked in, carrying a white box with a cup of what he assumed was coffee.
She didn't speak much, simply placed the box, and opened it, revealing its contents. "I am sure you are hungry. Sorry, I didn't have time to get anything better."
As she placed the coffee, she noticed Simon was already stuffing several donuts into his mouth. 'Huh, they never mentioned he loved donuts so much.' She thought before taking her seat and pushing the coffee towards him.
"With milk, cream, and three spoons of sugar just as you love." Simon wasn't exactly listening to her; he simply snatched the coffee and gulped it in one go, ignoring how hot it was. Don't blame him, the purgatory really didn't have room service, so it has been a long time since he had anything really.
Only after almost choking on one of the sweet treats did he calm down. 'It has been too fucking long since I ate anything.'
"Sorry, it has been... a tough night." Simon's words made Elm raise her brows, but she still pushed on.
"Right, first night in prison must have been pretty hard. If you wish, I could call for a few strings to add a few things to your room, nothing too extravagant, maybe some warmer blanket. Nights are getting cold these days." Simon nodded his head. He loosened himself a little bit. It has been a while since he had a proper chat with a fellow human being, not sure how long, only know it has been a while. "Well, that was easier than I thought. You know, you are surprisingly easier to talk to than I expected."
"And your voice is a lot nicer to hear than I thought it would be," Simon said without blinking.
"What?" Elm blinked, and she wasn't the only one confused; everyone behind the one-way mirror was confused. As a professional, Elm quickly recovered from the shock, but still, she asked almost dumbly. "You flirting with me?"
"Am I?" Elm felt like the question wasn't exactly aimed at her. It felt more like he was asking himself, but still, it was true that his sudden compliment broke away the rhythm she was leading the conversation with.
'Nobody expected it would be easy to talk down the info-dealing kingpin. Calm down, Elm, you still have the upper hand here... probably.' She leaned forward and started scanning him. Simon Jenkins had teal colored neck length hair, even dressed in a prisoner suit, his look remained clean and well-groomed. Medium built, without too much muscle, but still fit, probably does a daily workout.
"So... money laundering, huh? How does a man like you get into a mess like that?" Elm tried to act oblivious. Intelligent type criminals often develop a bit of narcissism without even realizing it. They rarely stay silent when given a chance to ridicule their opponent, which often leads them to keep blabbering about things they shouldn't have.
Who knows, you tell me about it." Elm didn't like his tone, this strange tone that almost seemed like him, really saying those things genuinely. And the truth would be her hunch would be correct, Simon was really asking those questions with curiosity. He hoped that the information revealed by them would save him from the effort of swimming through the fragmented memories to search for pieces so he could make sense of what was happening.
"Sadly, that remains an enigma even to us currently. So we were hoping you would be kind enough to share them." Simon and Elm stared at each other for a second before breaking eye contact. Looking at Simon, who was reaching towards a chocolate donut in the box, she was rather puzzled. She swore he looked more disappointed than anything when she refused to answer him. "Well, you seem less talkative than I hoped for. Am I not interesting to talk to?"
Simon shook his head. "Nah, actually, I would prepare if one I am talking to is you. It's just I am more of a listener than tale teller." He took a bite from the donut before offering it to her. "You want some? It's the last chocolate one."
Elm shook her head with a sigh. "No, I just eat, I don't wanna lose my form, sorry. Besides, I am more of a strawberry girl than a choco."
"I like them too. You have the last piece if you want. I am sure one donut would not harm your form. If you ask me, you should treat yourself better with a few more sweets in your life; building that body of yours would have been hard work." He took the final bite from the donut, now Elm looked a little hesitant before taking his offer and took the last strawberry donut.
"One wouldn't hurt." She took the bite and spoke to Simon while still munching it. "Also, you are right, it wasn't easy to get fit like this. I needed to give up a lot of sweet treats along the way. Still, the sacrifice was worth it. Look at those beauties." She flexed her biceps.
Simon nodded his head with a smile. "I could tell."
He then took one of the napkins inside the box and wiped his hands and mouth clean. "By the way, what was your name, miss officer? I don't think I have caught it."
"Oh, and you were supposed to be the info dealer. I guess a small character like me is beyond your gaze. Name is Elm, Elm Ederne." She acted all dramatic as if he had broken her heart, which made Simon chuckle.
"If I had known you earlier, Miss Ederne, we would have met way more pleasant situation, I could promise you that." He and Elm eye-locked; Elm could feel that things were about to get serious. "So, let's talk about our mutual interests? I think we have a lot of friends we share interests with, right?"