020. Next Act
I'd clearly demanded they not register my address.
Yet Pax Corporation had ignored my request and uploaded the info anyway.
Of course, the fact that I knew about it meant...
"...Access is restricted. Mentioning it now sounds like you're denying the foundation of Pax's security system, doesn't it?"
...that I'd accessed their internal network in an illicit way.
"Yes, that's right."
Whatever. They were the ones who'd sinned first.
Besides...
"I didn't find out myself anyway. Napalm dug into Pax's internal network and came to me."
It wasn't even my doing.
"...What?"
"She was in my room last night. You can see how dangerous that is just from this."
Privacy violation? No, this was a problem on a whole other level.
A Pax hero had used internal network data to break into a teammate's home.
What if our enemy had reached the internal network?
I might have been dead right then.
"...Then we'll discipline Napalm appropriately—"
Bender was trying to cut off the Napalm loose end, shifting into a defensive stance.
"—I'm not demanding punishment, Mr. Bender."
That wasn't what I wanted.
"Tell me who's accessed it so far. Who checked my info before or after Napalm."
"That's what I'm asking you to investigate."
The 'Director'—that vermin—always seized victory through information superiority.
And maybe this was my chance to grab a lead on him.
"...Hmm."
As expected from someone who'd run a hero agency for years.
Bender reluctantly opened his tablet.
—Tick.
He connected to the internal network and started checking the logs.
"...Yesterday, 7 PM. That must be Napalm's record."
"Probably."
I stepped closer and stared at the tablet screen he was looking at.
I kept my eyes glued as he scrolled down.
"...?"
Then, at a time later than Napalm's.
1:10 AM.
"...There it is."
Someone had accessed it.
'Authentication log deleted, no access location shown.'
And at the same time.
[ID: Next_Act]
...the one glaring piece of info left behind: the ID.
"...See you in the next act."
Not a trace he couldn't erase.
He'd left it there on purpose.
Conviction that we couldn't catch him.
The Director's arrogance, dancing above our heads, deceiving us all.
That ID name revealed it all.
And Bender, seeing it...
"... ."
His face hardened too.
"What the hell is this?"
"Didn't you get the report yesterday? An unidentified drone crashed the shoot."
"This is that lunatic's doing. I fought him last night."
I calmly explained what had happened.
"Pax... has been breached?"
Bender's finger froze.
I hated to admit it, but Bender was a perfectionist at heart.
Since he'd taken the Pax CEO seat, they'd been on a skyrocketing streak.
Yet those eyes of his...
Eyes that seemed unshakable no matter what...
They wavered, just for a moment.
"...You seem to know what this Director guy is."
"He's infamous in the underworld. A sadistic showman and brutal con artist."
"But... no one can match his gear fabrication or hacking skills."
What bugged me most was the 1:10 AM access time.
Right after I'd crashed into bed post-Napalm encounter.
Probably rummaged through the network a bit more after the fight to dig up my info.
"... ."
Bender fell silent after hearing me out.
Crisis awareness? Or calculation.
I could see countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
"...We can't confirm it's an external breach yet."
"...Ha. So you're saying there's an inside collaborator?"
"You're overinterpreting, Jun. It's not that serious—"
"—It is serious. The Director's openly provoking us."
"Through this damned 'next act' ID."
I tamped down my anger as I spoke.
Great America, standing beside me, muttered low.
"...Director."
Red currents sparked around her again.
"This the guy? Who hurt you."
"...Yeah. But we can't do anything yet. Wait."
I blocked her with my hand.
"...You need to explain. About this guy."
"Yeah, I'll explain. Not now."
Only then did her red currents fade.
Having calmed Great America, I turned back to Bender.
"Either way, the conclusion's the same."
I drove the point home with a firm tone.
"My info on Pax's internal network's already in enemy hands."
"... ."
Bender's eyebrow twitched.
The first signs of fluster from the ever-composed, arrogant man.
I wasn't letting that slip.
"So I'll make a few proposals."
"...No, wait. Give me time—"
"—Three demands."
I cut him off and pressed on.
"Sure, I'd love to say don't approach my residence and delete all my info..."
"... ."
"But realistically, that's off the table."
"... ."
"You'd dig up my location and info one way or another anyway."
"...That's Pax protocol."
"Yes, I know. So my first condition: I pick an external base myself."
"What?"
"Defensive setups, electronic warfare gear, jamming devices, EMP shielding, independent power."
"I'll outfit that external base with everything."
"You're insane. You want to commandeer Pax techs at your whim!"
"Ah, no worries there. I've got my own external tech."
"And that's my second demand."
"What the—"
"—I can't trust Pax gear."
"A company whose info gets stripped by the Director?"
"What if they slap self-destructs on it? How would I even block that?"
"Nonsense. Utter bullshit."
"Naturally, my third demand: no reporting the internal structure of that external base to Pax."
"Independence is key."
"...Ha! You expect me to follow these ridiculous terms?"
"A Pax hero withholding info from us?"
I couldn't help a hollow laugh at Bender's backlash.
Because...
"Seems you're mistaken, Mr. Bender."
His perspective was hilariously off-base.
"The one who can dictate terms here isn't you."
"...!"
"Pax's info management failure nearly got me killed last night."
Their incompetence and complacency.
"And now the Director's flaunting it in our faces."
His delusion of superiority.
"You think you can impose conditions on me in this situation?"
I hammered it into his ear.
"I could terminate the contractterminate."
"
"I can ditch the contract and jump ship. Fine by me."
"Oh, Pax loves lawsuits?"
"Go ahead. I won't lose."
And the final nail.
"So, last question, Mr. Bender."
"... ."
"Accept my demands and cut losses?"
"Or protect your pride and let it leak that Pax's network got played by the Director?"
Bender didn't answer.
I took his silence as assent.
Silence meant he was weighing pros and cons.
And those would... tilt my way.
So with confident voice,
"Fine, consider that a yes."
I continued.
"I'll bring the contract for those demands soon."
"If you don't want to sign..."
"Our journey with Pax ends here."
"... ."
With that, I opened my messenger.
Naturally, who I messaged:
My hope, Hope.
.
.
.
Great America, watching the scene...
'...Hajun's leaving?'
She mulled over the words slowly.
Pax journey ends.
Contract termination.
That meant... Hajun could vanish from here.
"... ."
Her thoughts reached that point, and her gaze shifted from Hajun's back to Bender.
"...You should accept his demands, Bender."
"...Ha, now even you're causing trouble?"
With eyes fiercer than ever.
—Crackle.
She stared him down.
Bender, looking at Great America, sighed in disbelief.
"...Sigh, I was planning to anyway, GA."
He spoke right away.
"That guy's money. Talented too. And this damn Director pisses me off."
Great America, hearing Bender, relaxed but...
"...Hmm, Director."
...grew intrigued by the name.
"First, we'll recheck internal network security."
But the name didn't ring bells for Bender yet.
"Anyway, you're invited to the event soon, so prep."
"That's why you're staying here, right?"
He directed her immediately.
"...Yes."
Great America nodded but...
...couldn't shake one thought.
'External tech.'
Who was that 'external tech'?
Who... made Hajun's new gear?
'...Intriguing.'
Thinking of that existence, she walked away.