NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: My Accomplice Will Be Here Soon
Ross tried his best to suppress the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. He forced a smile and sat beside me on the couch, attempting to appear approachable.
"There aren't many young people I respect," he began, leaning in slightly. "Because of that respect, I'm giving you a chance. Tell me which organization you belong to, who your accomplices are, and where they're hiding. Do that, and I'll make sure you walk away from this alive."
I placed a hand over my chest theatrically, feigning relief.
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess there's no harm in telling you. I can't reveal the organization's name just yet, but my accomplice will be here in ten minutes," I said with a confident grin.
Ross blinked, momentarily caught off guard. He processed my words, unsure if I was being genuine. His confusion deepened as he glanced at me again. I could tell my calm demeanor unsettled him. It didn't seem like a lie, yet it felt unbelievable.
An accomplice arriving in ten minutes? Was I serious? Ross's eyes narrowed, trying to read me. But after a second, he seemed to decide there was no harm in waiting. In his mind, I was already caught.
Ross glanced at his watch, then leaned back in his seat.
"Alright, we'll wait ten minutes. But if you're lying, I guarantee the next round of interrogators won't be as friendly as me," he warned, his tone sharp.
I didn't flinch. Ross's threats didn't bother me. If I didn't have my comic book career and a need to keep things legal, I could have handled Ross and his squad in minutes. But there were rules to play by, and I wasn't in a hurry.
The room grew quiet as we waited. Ross, thinking he had me right where he wanted me, shifted in his seat, casting wary glances at me. The tension in the room thickened with every passing second. I remained unfazed, casually sipping my tea as if it were just another day.
A few minutes later, a soldier entered, leaned down, and whispered something in Ross's ear. His face darkened instantly.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Ross muttered under his breath.
I didn't need to guess who had arrived. Right on cue, Nick Fury strode into the room, wearing his signature black leather jacket. He gave me a subtle nod, signaling it was time to play along.
Ross jumped to his feet, his frustration no longer contained. "Nick! You can't stick your nose into everything. The military's in charge here. If you want information, you'll have to wait until we've finished the interrogation."
I had to suppress a smile at the sight of Ross losing his cool. Watching him get riled up over Nick was far more amusing than I expected. Clearly, there was no love lost between the military and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick remained unfazed. Arms folded, his expression unchanging. "I'm not here for your intel, Ross. I heard one of my agents was surrounded by the military, so I came to check in."
Ross's eyes darted to me, and slowly, realization dawned on him. His jaw tightened.
"The agent you're talking about… is him?" Ross said, pointing at me, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Nick nodded, as calm as ever. "Yes, Jason's with S.H.I.E.L.D. He's been handling some intelligence work for us."
I played along, standing up. "Took you long enough, Nick. If you'd arrived sooner, we could've avoided this whole misunderstanding with General Ross."
Ross looked stunned, glancing between me and Nick. His expression was priceless—a blend of shock and barely restrained fury. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process what had just happened.
Nick and I had successfully thrown him off balance. He took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his composure.
"You mean to tell me he's an agent?" Ross snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "Fine. Show me his file."
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