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they ask you to follow them to the elevator and on the way out of the office, you pass your teammate, also following an assistant. you nod, you exchange a look, try to read their face because you haven't got the slightest idea about where you're going or what to expect—you get nothing, though. the moment passes too quickly and you get into the elevator, the button pressed for three floors up. just before the doors close, you can see the agent looking back at you over their shoulder and shaking their head. this can't be good.

usually, you call them debriefing rooms, doesn't sound as dramatic as interrogation room but you can tell that this is what's about to happen. one missing link, you have to check how stable the rest of them are.

there are two people waiting for you, with thin-lipped smiles and hands folded on top of manila folders. you're sick at the sight of them, the folders. they've been driving you crazy these past few days.

"please, agent, take a seat," one of them tells you as they gesture at the empty chair on the opposite side of the table. "this is dr benton. you can call me agent wood. how are you today?"

you answer and then ask what's this about. they're being suspiciously calm and collected. nice, even.

"before we start, this conversation is going to be recorded and i'm afraid it's non-negotiable," agent wood says and presses a button on the tape recorder in front of them. you look at dr benton but they stay silent. "we have a couple of questions regarding agent london that we ask all of your team members to answer. considering your close relationships with agent london, work or otherwise, we believe that your input might help locate him."

of course that's what this is about.

"can you tell us about the last time you saw agent london? when was that?" agent wood asks, pen in hand, a blank sheet of paper in front of him.

more questions follow. what did you discuss with him the last time you saw him? was there anything different about him? did anything about him seem off? different? that's easy. then they hit you with the complicated ones. the fun ones, if that's the way you look at it.

"any idea why agent london chose to do what he did? you must have some thoughts. maybe he shared something with you? something that might suggest what his motives are?" no sneaky embellishing, they're just asking directly. and they expect a direct answer. "what about the missions he chose to sabotage? anything stands out to you about these in particular? something special?"

you answer everything, all the questions and any other offshoot ideas they throw at you, you tell them what you think—whether they believe you or not, that's not entirely clear.

"can you tell us about your relationship with agent london? outside work, are you friends? close?" agent wood asks another one, dr benton keeps staring at you, all quiet. "is there a significant conflict of interest that might impact your involvement in operation london?"

by the end of the questioning, agent wood has a few pages worth of scribbles to slot into one of the folders. after they come to the conclusion that they won't get anything else valuable out of you, they press the stop button on the tape recorder and stand up. they shake your hand, thank you for your cooperation and ask for patience in awaiting for directions.

the assistant leads you out of the room and you head for the elevators, back down to the offices. on your way to the floor, you pass your teammate, also following an assistant. they nod, you exchange a look but you don't think that's enough for them to know what they're getting into. the moment passes too quickly and they get into the elevator. just before the doors close, you look back at them over your shoulder and shake your head. this isn't good.