Wonder World: Ignition

Siege

FARSec Labs, Paragon Island

New Olympus, WA

18 May, 21:45 Pacific Time

Kyle looked nervous, and John couldn't blame him. The kid's leg was bouncing about a thousand times a second while they waited in the old folding chairs outside Langley's office. Langley was in a meeting with Agent Baker, so John and Kyle had been awkwardly avoiding eye contact for the last ten minutes. Kyle's sister was leaning against his shoulder, sound asleep. 

"So," Kyle said at last, breaking the silence. "You're like a super-secret-agent or something?"

"Something like that," John said. He wasn't exactly sure how much he should be telling a kid he met twenty minutes ago.

There was another long pause.

"You stop any super villains lately?"

"I fought a giant robot once."

"Cool."

Seconds ticked by. The clock on the wall seemed extra loud. 

"You, uh, know what they want with me?" Kyle asked tentatively. 

"Well, at first they were worried you were a threat to national security. Now that we know that's not the case, I expect they'll just want to ask you some questions."

"Is that all they want?" He sounded suspicious, and John noticed him tugging his sleeves down over his hands again.

"I won't let them hurt you or your sister, I promise."

"Sure."

Another long silence. The poor kid had been through a lot. John wanted to reassure him, but didn't know what to say.

"The thing that's after us," Kyle said, "the white shadow. It has our mom. I don't know where he's keeping her, I don't even know if she's still alive."

"We'll find her."

"You make a lot of promises."

"I intend to keep them. I'm a man of my word." 

"We'll see."

Langley's office door swung open at last, and Agent Baker walked briskly down the hall before disappearing into the Operations Center. John stood up, waiting for Kyle to disentangle himself from his sister. He whispered something to her and she murmured a sleepy response before immediately passing out again. John held the door for Kyle before taking a seat in front of Langley's desk. John had never seen the Director look this stressed. Not a great sign.

Langley took off his glasses and rubbed the dark circles under his eyes before he spoke. "So, you're Kyle Reeves." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah, last time I checked," Kyle said, his eyes on his shoes.

"We've managed to piece together some of your story, but I want to hear it from you. Start at the beginning." Langley's voice was even more clipped than usual, if that was even possible. Kyle glanced around nervously, but kept quiet.

"Kyle," John said, "we can't help you if we don't know what happened. I know you don't trust these guys, and I don't blame you for it. But I trust them, and I know you trust me, at least a little bit. Otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to come here with me."

"Maybe I just wanted to sleep inside for a change," Kyle said with a wry smile.

 "Mr. Reeves, perhaps you don't understand the gravity of the situation you are in." Langley was starting to sound annoyed.