Agent Gray, Red with Love

A Legend Leaves ACME

  Perhaps the world wasn't ending, but alas, for some long-time members if ACME, it felt like it was.

  Graham couldn't convince his former boss to stay. Chief couldn't either. No one in HQ Asia, no one in HQ Europe... Her mind was set.

  After a long debate, Rodger was able to convince her to have an offical leaving ceremony, though even that took a lot of effort. And they'd been working together longer than Chief had. There was no avoiding it.

  Hayashi Ono was leaving.

  Her reasons were fair, however, as she had made the decision to move Paper Star out of the containment center and to an actual hospital in Tokyo, where she would still be under 24-7 ACME surveillance, but also have more access to better help her psychosis. 

  ...And less access to paper. And other weapons. 

  Faculty Member Ono intended to do her part, and help through the process this time around. By some miracle they had a second chance, and she intended to stop history from repeating itself. But she couldn't do it here, or anywhere in ACME.

  "But now?" Chief tried to convince her otherwise, one last time, "Hayashi, listen to me. We finally have the opportunity we could only dream of the past twenty years! We have a former V.I.L.E. operative working for us, we know where their former center of operations was was located, a spy in custody, we have twenty years worth of faces we could look for.... This is the moment we've waited for! When we— I need you most!"

  She simply shook her head. "I understand, Tamara. But perhaps that's all the more reason I should leave. You may need new outlook. I'm aware of my personality enough to know I can have a very black-and-white view of things. As our perception of V.I.L.E. evolves, you may need a new angle. Steady and cautious thinking will only get you so far now, and I can't even fully offer that with my mind on other things."

  "So what are you saying?  I need another Rodger?" Chief asked.

  "Hey!" Rodger retorted, as he was in the room too, working on an six-by-six Rubix cube to help him focus, or at least get his mind on other things.

  Hayashi allowed herself a small laugh. "I doubt you'll ever find another Rodger, Tamara."

  "As I said, hey!" Rodger repeated.

  Chief couldn't help but smile, but she also couldn't help but feel partially betrayed by the sudden turn of events. Of all points, this is when she thought her faculty would he closets with her. But the reality was, a third would break off.

    Rodger set down his Rubix cube.  "And so then you just, go? We'll never hear from you, you'll never make an appearance... Just, gone?"

  Hayashi nodded. "As I'd no longer be ACME in any form, aside from updates on my niece's mental health it would only be distracting for me to remain. If I ever come across either of you I will of course say hello, but yes, I don't intend to keep many tabs."

  Rodger sighed. "That's just depressing."

  "And you're sure there's nothing we can do. Anything," Chief clarified for the final time.

  "No, Tamara," the soon to be former faculty member confirmed.

  "Well then alright," Chief relented sadly, "We have your official retirement ceremony in a couple of hours, so we should likely let you finish packing your bags, finish any last work. Tie off all loose ends."

  She nodded, "Yes, that would be good."

  She said goodbye to the two people who would soon be nothing more than old work colleagues, and left the HQ Germany faculty lounge for what would be the last time.