Zero Two Three One | John Laurens X Reader [Hamilton]

XLIV: One of Five Million

❝A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream population.❞
—John le Carré

Is there such a thing as objectively-bad news? No matter the event covered, there ought to be some group somewhere that is elated by the report. Bad news is good news for them.

I don't think I like watching the news, but I can't say it isn't insightful.

"Actress Elizabeth Schuyler and actor James Monroe have reportedly broken up. Elizabeth Schuyler has come out on Instagram to inform her fans that she and Monroe have severed their relationship two weeks ago. She says since the filming of the new movie 'Unmanned' is finished, she will be taking a break for a while before interacting with her fans again. Following this, Schuyler stated that she'd be re-scheduling her meet and greet with fans, which was supposed to take place tomorrow afternoon, to a later date. While James Monroe has remained silent on the matter, a notable friend of Monroe, Chase Felder, has come out and said Monroe has his eyes on another woman. Whether this was the cause of their break up is..."

I draw my attention back to the meeting with Alexander and Reynolds. I'm surprised, however, to see they have also taken interest in the report. Alexander seems especially interested.

"Isn't that a scandal?" I scoff. They bring their focus back on me and nod their agreement.

"Any idea what happened between them?" Alexander asks Reynolds. I suppose since Reynolds has endless connections within the Hollywood sphere, Alexander assumes Reynolds would know. I do too, so I'm quite shocked when Reynolds shrugs.

"Could be anything," Reynolds says. "Sometimes, people only get together for the purpose of making a statement."

"Looks like they couldn't get their point across," I drone.

I gaze over at Peggy, who is sitting on a large bean bag chair a bit further away. She was playing a game on her phone, but now her attention is drawn to the TV. I suppose it's odd to hear her sister's name thrown around by news anchors... Or maybe she's gotten used to it by now.

February 19, 2059

"Anyway," I pipe up. "You were saying, Reynolds?"

Reynolds scoots closer to the edge of his chair. "Your performance two days ago was exceptionally spectacular. Your names were trending on Twitter for the entirety of those two days."

"Is that how we measure success now?" Alexander comments wittily.

Reynolds is unamused. "In this sort of business, yes. It's a major win." I thought maybe the fact that a reported three billion people watched the interview would be an indicator of success. Billion. "And I can assure you that your name will be trending for a week starting Saturday."

I raise my brow. "What's happening Saturday?"

Reynolds grins widely. "Two interviews two hours apart with two of the biggest news stations in the nation: Foe News and NCN."

I shift uncomfortably on the sofa. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Because," Reynolds starts, "it's time we get political."

"Holy shit, no," I breathe.

"(Y/N)," Alexander whispers. "It's for the best."

"How the hell is this going to be for the best?" I scoff. "We're going to piss off the entire goddamn country! Besides, we're just soldiers! Why would we be talking about politics?"

Alexander gives me a soft glare. "Because war is politics."

I open my mouth, but I can't come up with a rebuttal. Instead, I inquire further. "Politics... What political issues exactly?"